Jean-Michael Lourdis was a promising young pianist. But when the young man played, it seemed to him, as if his hands were iron. He worried so much about his playing that he became oversensitive (过度敏感的) to the comments of his playing. Unfortunately, in those days, a critic(批评家) was not considered a critic, unless he found something wrong. This attitude of the critics would often leave the young man ready to give up his dream and return home.
He was invited to play in Helsinki. The rich, the famous, the leaders of State were all there. Jean-Michael had one of those days when everything went wrong. That night as he played, he felt as if it were the worst concert of his young life. The next day, in the newspapers, some of the comments were so unkind. The young musician was painful.
That day, as he sat in his hotel room in total despair(绝望), there came a knocking at his door. He had a visitor.The famous Finnish composer(作曲家) Jean Sibelius had come by to congratulate the young pianist on his performance. Jean-Michael asked how he thought of that and began to quote some of the newspaper critics. “ Hands of iron. No imagination. Little skill. No joy. Don't you hear what they say?” he asked.
Jean Sibelius looked at young Jean-Michael and said, “Remember, son, there is no city in the world where they have erected a statue(雕像) for a critic.”According to the passage, Jean-Michael Lourdis _______.
| A．was a bad pianist |
| B．cared too much about what the critics had said |
| C．refused to play in Helsinki |
| D．was praised highly by the critics |
A critic in those days usually _______.
| A．found fault with musicians' performances |
| B．said kind and encouraging words to musicians |
| C．helped musicians become famous |
| D．asked more people to go to concerts |
The young musician was painful because _________.
| A．he was very strict with himself |
| B．he didn’t trust himself |
| C．some of the comments were so unkind |
| D．he felt lonely in his hotel room |
Jean Sibelius came to visit the young musician because ________.
| A．he wanted to tell the young man the critics were right |
| B．he wanted to tell the young man not to lose his temper at that time |
| C．he wanted to tell the young man his performance was great |
| D．he wanted to tell the young man to respect the critics’ opinion |
Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about drinking is the key to critical（判断性的）thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes（过程）. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.
The word “critical” here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen-beyond the pictures on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning.
Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker. If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker 。
Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today’s world: fast foods, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence（智力）, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banesh Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein. Hoffman was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, “Please go slowly. I don’t understand things quickly.”
73. Critical thinking is important to us because if we do not think critically, _______.
A. it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast
B. we might be controlled by other people’s ideas
C. we will follow the ideas of others naturally
D. we might be footed by other people’s ideas
74. If you are a critical thinker, you will ________.
A. think deeply about different ideas B. trust the reports in the newspapers
C. take one view against another view D. criticize other people for their mistakes
75. In the last paragraph, “something new” suggests that ________.
A. the smarter you are, the faster you do things
B. the faster you do things, the smarter you become
C. speed can improve intelligence
D. intelligence is not decided by speed
76. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Thinking and Critical Thinking. B. Understanding Critical Thinking.
C. Thinking Is Natural and Human. D. Thinking Fast Means Intelligence.
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers (青少年). But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents . “The door to his room is always shut.” Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (蜷伏)with me on the sofa and talk ,” said Mark . “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list.” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years.” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.
69. “The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son .
A. is always busy with his studies B. doesn’t want to be disturbed
C. keeps himself away from his parents D. begins to dislike his parents
70. What troubles Tina and Mark most is that .
A. their daughter isn’t as lovely as before B. they can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly
C. they don’t know what to say to their daughter
D. their daughter talks with them only when she needs help
71. Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?
A. Teenagers talk a lot with their friends.
B. Teenagers do not want to understand their parents.
C. Teenagers do not talk much with their parents.
D. Teenagers talk little about their own lives.
72. What can be learned from the passage?
A. Parents are unhappy with their growing children.
B. Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers.
C. Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers.
D. Parents should try to understand their teenagers.
A thief who dropped a winning lottery ticket(彩票)at the scene of his crime has been given a lesson in honesty. His victim, who picked up the ticket, then claimed the £25000 prize, managed to trace him, and handed over the cash. The robbery happened when maths professor Vinicio Sabbatucci, 58, was changing a tyre on an Italian motorway. Another motorist, who stopped to “to help”, stole a suitcase from his car and drove off. The professor found the dropped ticket and put it in his pocket before driving home to Ascoli in eastern Italy.
Next day, he saw the lottery results on TV and, taking out the ticket, realized it was a winner. He claimed the 60 million lire(里拉) prize. Then he began a battle with his conscience. Finally, he decided he could not keep the money despite having been robbed. He advertised in newspapers and on radio, saying: “I’m trying to find the man who robbed me. I have 60 million lire for him--- a lottery win. Please meet me. Anonymity(匿名) guaranteed.”
Professor Sabbatucci received hundreds of calls from people hoping to trick him into handing them the cash. But there was one voice he recognized--- and he arranged to meet the man in a park. The robber, a 35-year-old unemployed father of two, gave back the suitcase and burst into tears. He could not believe what was happening. “Why didn’t you keep the money?” he asked. The professor replied: “I couldn’t because it’s not mine.” Then he walked off, spurning the thief’s offer of a reward.
65.The sentence “ Then he began a battle with his conscience.” In paragraph 2 implies all of the following EXCEPT that_______.
A. he knew what he should do as soon as he saw the lottery results
B. he hesitated about keeping the money for some time
C. he thought for a moment of avenging himself on the robber
D. he came to realize that honesty is more important than money
66. Hundreds of people phoned professor Sabbatucci because they ______.
A. wanted to make fun of him B. hoped to get the money
C. knew who the robber was D. lost the lottery ticket
67. The word “spurning” in the last sentence can be replaced by ______.
A. acceptingB. claiming C. rejecting D. canceling
68. If the story appears in a newspaper, the best title might be_____.
A. A Thief’s Lucky Day B. A Popular Maths Professor
C. A Magic Lottery D. A Reward of Honesty
第三部分阅读理解（共20题，每小题2分，满分40分）
Recently, tests have proved that Beethoven died from lead poisoning. Bill Walsh directed the Beethoven Research Project. Mr. Walsh and his team examined pieces of bone belonging to Beethoven. They found a large amount of lead in the bone pieces. They said the lead levels were equal to those found in pieces of his hair in earlier studies of other scientists.
Genetic tests proved the bone pieces and his hair came from Beethoven. The research also examined bone fragments from someone else who lived during the same period. Both were from the top of the skull. The fragments from Beethoven had more lead than those from other person. Their study didn’t find measurable levels of cadmium(镉) or mercury(汞), which scientists used to consider were the causes of his health problems.
Beethoven was sick for much of his life. He experienced strong stomach pains, a sign of lead poisoning, and a change of personality when he was around 20. he also got angry easily, and suffered from depression and hearing loss. His health problems became worse as he grew older.
Walsh said the lead levels found in his skull suggested that the metal might have been present in his body for many years. He said although there had been recognized cases of deafness caused by lead poisoning, there was no strong evidence to suggest that lead poisoning was the cause of his deafness.
Beethoven visited many doctors to find a cure for his health problems, in a letter he wrote to a friend, he urged researchers to examine his body after he died so that other people would not have to suffer as he did.
61. If too much lead is in a person’s body, he will______.
A. suffer hearing loss B. get angry easily
C. suffer serious stomach pains D. lose most of his hair
62. From the passage we can learn that_______.
A. this is the first research into the cause of Beethoven’s death
B. any amount of lead will do great harm to people’s health
C. more lead was found in Beethoven’s bones than in his hair
D. scientists used to think that his death was caused by other metals instead of lead
63. In which section of the newspaper might you read this report?
A. Health. B. Technology. C. Entertainment. D. Culture.
64. What is the best title of the passage?
A. A surprising discovery about Beethoven B. Beethoven died from lead poisoning
C. Lead--- a killer metal for human beings D. New examination of Beethoven’ body
Honesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors ? I find that if I try to be something I’m not, I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA(personal bank account). I love how singer Judy Garland put it, “Always be a first-class version（版本） of yourself, instead of a second-class version of somebody else.”
Then there’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have, try being honest, and notice how whole it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that:
In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it. I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off.
At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that anymore, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.
It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit(储蓄)into your PBA and will build strength.
77. The underlined part “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the first paragraph means “__________”.
A. to be honest B .to be unreal
C. to become clear D. to come from an imagined world
78. Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?
A. Be your true self rather than follow others.
B. Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class.
C. Make efforts to be the first instead of the second.
D. Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent.
79 .What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story?
A. Honesty can be of great help.
B. A bad thing can be turned into a good one.
C. Helping others cheat can do good to nobody.
D .One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds.
80.In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express _________.
A. one must be brave to be honest
B. it’s difficult to be honest when others are not
C. one should be honest when making a deposit
D. honesty in one’s actions can help him in the future