Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1904. He was famous because of the books he wrote for children. They combine funny words, pictures, and social opinions.
Dr Seuss wrote his first book for children in 1937. It is called And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. A number of publishers refused to publish it. They said it was too different. A friend finally published it. Soon other successful books followed. Over the years, he wrote more than forty children’s books. They were fun to read. Yet his books sometimes dealt with serious subjects.
By the middle 1940s, Dr Seuss had become one of the best-loved and most successful writers of children’s books. He liked helping children. In 1954, Life magazine published a report about school children who could not read. The report said that many children’s books weren’t interesting. Dr Seuss decided to write books that were interesting and easy to read.
In 1957, Dr Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat. He used less than 225 words to write the book. This was about the number of words a six-year-old should be able to read.
The story is about a cat who tries to entertain two children on a rainy day while their mother is away from home. The cat is not like normal cats. It talks. The book was an immediate success. It was an interesting story and was easy to read. Children loved it. Their parents loved it, too. Today many adults say it is still one of the stories they like best.What’s the best title for this passage?
A.Some of Dr Seuss’ books for children. |
B.What are Dr Seuss’s books mainly about? |
C.Dr Seuss — a famous writer of children’s books. |
D.Why are Dr Seuss’ books different? |
What do we know about Dr Seuss’s first book for children?
A.It was Dr Seuss’ worst book. |
B.It dealt with a very serious subject. |
C.Neither children nor adults like it. |
D.Many publishers didn’t accept his book at first. |
How did Dr Seuss help children according to Paragraph 3?
A.By asking others to help them in magazines. |
B.By writing interesting and simple books. |
C.By changing his old books into simpler ones. |
D.By giving them books for free. |
Adults most probably think that Dr Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat is _________
A.interesting | B.serious | C.difficult | D.boring |
13th CLIC/LISO annual conference set for California
Event
13th annual CLIC/LISO Conference
Dates
May l7 to 19, 2007
Venue
Santa Barbra, California,US
Theme
Conference on Language,Interaction (相互作用) and Culture
Organizer
*The Australia Research Council (ARC);
*Language,Interaction and Social Organization (LISO) group;
*The Center for language,Interaction and Culture (CLIC).
Keynote and featured speakers
*Barbara Fox,professor of 1inguistics (语言学),University of Colorado,Boulder,US;
*Celia Kitzinger, professor of sociology,University of York,UK:
*Norma Mendoza-Denton,professor of anthropology (人类学),University of Arizona,US;
*Jason Raley,assistant professor of education,University of California,Santa Barbara, US
Topic areas
*Anthropological linguistics;
*Pragmatics;
*Conversation analysis;
*Discourse analysis
Participants
Language and culture researchers from institutions across US,Australia and many other countries.
Background information
The Language,Interaction. and Social Organization (LISO) group is composed of professors and researchers in the areas of linguistics,sociology,and education,etc.The Center for Language,Interaction,and Culture (CLIC) is made up of experts from anthropology,applied linguistics,education,psychology,and sociology. Their common purpose is to promote cross-disciplinary discussion of issues regarding language as a complex resource for thinking and acting in the world.
The Australian Research Council (ARC) plays a key role in the Australian government’s investment in the future prosperity and well-being of the Australian community.
For further information,please visit http://www.hcsnet.edu.au/.
60.Who are likely to attend the conference?
A.Language researchers B.Language learners
C.Business men D.Social volunteers
61.What topic will not probably be discussed in the conference?
A.Pragmatics study B.Discourse analysis
C.Economic development D.Language and culture
62.It is inferred from the passage that______.
A.1anguage is so difficult that learners should study sociology first
B.LISO aims to promote the prosperity and well-being of the world
C.the conference will be held in California of Australia
D.language has a close connection with sociology
第三部分阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将其涂黑.
It was close to dusk.We came to a large,bowl-shaped nest in which we saw the gray head of a very small sea turtle popping out about half an inch out of the sand.Then we heard a rustling in the bushes behind us.A flesh-eating bird came near.
Our young guide wanted us to be quiet and watch the bird moving towards the young turtle’s
head.
The bird got closer and closer to the opening and began pecking at the young turtle’s head, trying to pull it out of the sands.
The young life was in danger.We were worried about it.One of us asked the guide,“Aren’t
you going to do something?”
He put his finger to his lips and said,“This is the way nature works.”
But we didn’t agree with him and spoke with one voice asking him to do something.So he had to go and pull the young turtle out of his hole and put it on its way towards the sea.
What happened next,however,caught everyone by surprise Soon after the young turtle was set free,lots of baby turtles—having received a wrong signal that it was safe—went out of the nest and began moving towards the sea.
Our foolishness became clear.Not only had the baby turtles come out under the mistaken impression that it was safe to do so,but their mad dash was taking place too early.The still-clear
light of dusk allowed no hiding from meat—eating birds.Within a short period of time,dozens of
baby turtles had been eaten by those birds.Our young guide quickly took a baseball cap and filled it with baby turtles.Walking into the water.he set them free.Then he wildly waved his hat to frighten off those birds.
When it was over,the joyful cries of dozens of well—fed birds rifled the air.Two of the birds stood silently on the beach hoping to catch a final,struggling baby turtle.All that could be heard was the sound of the waves beating against the sands.
Heads down,we walked slowly along the beach in the dusk.
56.At first, the guide would not help the young turtle out of the nest because____.
A.he wouldn’t mind others’business
B.he thought the young turtle liked to dash into the sea
C.he wanted the young turtles to take their own course
D.he thought the young turtle should have come out earlier
57.In fact,the first baby turtle worked as_______.
A.a clever spy to attract the birds outside B.one to get information outside the nest
C.a leader to come out first D.a brave guard to fight against the birds
58.From the last sentence of the passage, we know that _______.
A.they were sad because the young turtles were foolish
B.they felt very tired with the still—clear light shining
C.they came to know that their rush to help did more harm than good
D.they regretted not killing the meat—eating birds
59.According to the passage,which of the following statements may be true?
A.The young turtles were doomed (注定) to be eaten by those birds.
B.All the young turtles are eaten by dozens of birds.
C.The young turtles shouldn’t come out of their nest before it was dark.
D.The young turtles gathered to frighten off the birds.
A mouse looked through a hole in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package;what food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
Running to the farmyard,the mouse shouted,warning everyone,“There is a mouse trap in the house,there is a mouse trap in the house.”The chicken,with her head high,glared at the mouse and said,“Shut up.Little Ugly.This is a great concern to you,but it has nothing to do with me:I can’t be troubled by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him.“There is a mouse trap in the house.”“I am so sorry,Mr Mouse,”said the pig sympathetically,“but there is nothing I can do about it but pray;you are always in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow,who said,“A mouse trap,am I in great danger,huh?”
Now the mouse had to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard through the house,like that of a mouse trap catching its prey.The farmer’wife rushed to see what was caught.In the darkness,she did not see it was a big poisonous snake whose tail the trap had caught.The snake bit the farmer’s wife.The farmer rushed her to the hospital.She rerturned home with a fever.It is said that drinking fresh chicken soup will help treat fever,so the farmer took his sharp knife to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient.His wife’s sickness continued,so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.To feed them,the farmer killed the pig.The farmer’s wife did not get well,in fact,she died,and so many people came for her funeral.The farmer had the cow killed to provide for all of them to eat.
So next time when someone is facing a problem,don’t say that it has nothing to do with you.
57.We could see from the passage that the mouse was.
A.good at cheating others B.dishonest
C.kind and warm-hearted D.foolish
58.Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A.The others help the farmer kill the cow.
B.The mouse trap was very practical.
C.The pig is more friendly than the other animals.
D.The farmer’s family had no friends at all.
59.The passage is most probably a.
A.fable(寓言) B.science fiction
C.fairy tale(神话) D.humorous story
60.What can we learn from the story?
A.Traps can always cause chain reactions.
B.It is better to be safe than to be sorry.
C.Sometimes when the least of us is threatened,we all might be at risk.
D.To keep the balance of nature is the duty of us al.
I graduated from the university with a degree of engineering.It is a good field but my heart was not in it.I wanted to be an actor or work in the entertainment industryliving a creative life.My choice of engineering was really a mistake but I realized too late.As soon as I graduated,I moved straight to Los Angeles—the home of the film and television industry!
I tried to get a job in that field.I often worked as an extra in movies and TV shows—standing in the background while actors are in the foreground.This was fun for a while,but I wanted a real acting job,where I was speaking! Sadly,in Los Angeles,there is too much competition.Every race and age is represented:old,young,black,white,Asian,and Midwestern types like me.Being an extra couldst make enough money for me to live in Los Angeles.I had to do something else for money.
After three years of trying,I gave up my dream of being an actor and started a different career.I then tried network marketing,but in the end,that failed.Seven years after graduating from college,I was still in debt,still searching for a satisfactory life.I decided to go back to engineering.
However,I was starting to get disappointed with my life.Why is life not like what I expected? I expected to have made a lot of money,gotten married,with a house and nice cars,kids,freedom,etc.Millions of people lead lives with their dreams on the shelf , existing but not really living. I wanted my life to be different,more satisfactory,more alive.I wanted a life filled with adventure,romance,friendships,Successes,and dreams realized.But America was not providing that for me.
…
Struggling in the US?
I decided to move to China.
53.What does the underlined sentence mean?
A.A lot of people are living but they are not enjoying their life.
B.A lot of people are living and their life is enjoyable.
C.A lot of people realize their dreams but live a bad life.
D.A lot of people don’t have dreams,nor do they want to live either.
54.What did the writer do before he finally decided to move to China?
A.Marketing→engineering→extra.
B.Extra→marketing→engineering.
C.Engineering→extra→marketing.
D.Extra→engineering→marketing.
55.What can we infer from the passage?
A.Life is difficult in China.
B.Life in the US is easy.
C.There is always somewhere in the world where you can enjoy life.
D.It is certain that more and more Americans will move to China.
56.How can we describe the writer’s attitude toward life?
A.Impractical. B.Passive. C.Disappointed. D.Positive.
Hawaii’s Big Island
Nickname: Hawaii’s Island of Adventure
Size: 4,028 square miles
Population: 148,677.The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and
Kailua——Kona on the west.
Temperature: Averages between 71°F and 77°F year round (expect the mercury (水银
柱)to drop at higher heights)
Highest Peak: Mauna kea,13,796 feet
Agriculture: Hawaii’s agricultural products are mainly grown and processed On the Big
Island,including coffee,macadamia nuts and papaya.
Lodging: 9,655 rooms total;Nightly rates range from$35 to$5,000.
Airports: Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on
the west side.
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo
International and Kona International Airports as well as numerous resorts.In
addition,Hilo,Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxis.
Resources: Call(800)648—2441 to order a video poster,brochures and maps from
the Big Island Visitors Bureau.See WWW.Bigisland,org for updated
information.
Shopping: The large shopping centers are in Hilo,Kona,Waimea and the Kohala Coast.
49.The passage is intended to be read by
A.tourists B.businessmen C.students D.immigrants
50.The average population per square mile on the island is about.
A.28 B.32 C.44 D.37
51.What does the underlined part“expect the mercury(水银柱)to drop at higher heights ” mean?
A.Things are easy to lose weight at higher places.
B.Dropping things from higher places is expected.
C.Temperature is expected to be lower at higher places.
D.Temperature is expected to be higher at higher places.
52.Which is NOT mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island?
A.By train. B.By air.
C.By rental car. D.By taxi.