Moving can bring out the best and the worst in people, I’m finding. And I’ve discovered where a very generous spirit lives: Defiance, Ohio.
After suffering through many months of unemployment, my wife and I had to move this week from Colorado to Ohio, where she would work as a sales assistant. Not knowing a person there, we were pretty concerned about all the work, including how we’d get all the things unloaded without killing ourselves.
We decided to pay a couple of college students to help with all the heavy lifting once we got there. But one neighbor after another stopped by and joined in. “What? Have we moved to some other country? Maybe we’ve died and gone to heaven!” I thought.
Unloading actually became fun as we connected with so many wonderful new friends as we worked. The more people that helped, the easier the work became. A job we were afraid might take days for the two of us alone was done in just a few hours. Many total strangers would either walk by or drive by to ask us if we were moving in. Many were delighted that this fine old house that had sat empty for so long was coming to life again. We were invited to an outdoor meal yesterday by neighbors on the same street.
All the while, my brain was on this new sense of hope that people could be outgoing and kind to strangers. Among all the conversations were lots of offers to be of help to one another in a variety of ways. It’s wonderful to live in such a kind little town. I feel so grateful to be here, and wish the rest of the world could see how an entire society can be a model for what it’s like to look out for one another. I used to stay away from friendships with strangers, but now I live in Defiance! The author and his wife moved to Defiance because ________.
A.they thought moving often brought out the best |
B.a couple of students had promised to help them |
C.they liked this little town |
D.his wife had found a job |
When offered help, the author at first felt________.
A.grateful | B.surprised | C.embarrassed | D.excited |
The neighbors did all of the following EXCEPT________.
A.help them unload | B.invite them to a dinner |
C.offer to drive them around | D.welcome their coming |
What can we know about the author’s past life?
A.He hated to live in a little town. |
B.He liked to make friends with strangers. |
C.He usually offered some help to others. |
D.He refused to make friends with strangers. |
The author mainly wants to tell us ________.
A.we don’t know what is good until we have lost it |
B.kindness is the sunshine of social life |
C.where there is a will, there is a way |
D.there is no place like home |
阅读(共两节,满分40分)
阅读理解(共15小题,每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A , B , C , 和 D中,选出最佳选项。
A
Tony Bennett, the American singer recenlty touring Britain, can’t remember how many times he has sung his standard hit “I left My Heart in San Fransisco”. He sang it again to his audience at the London Palladium last night.
“I never get tired of singing it.” He said. “I like ti too much . It’s a great city and it’s a good song.”
Bennet is to record a TV special with American singer Lens Home while he is here. And a new LP recorded by him in London for Philips titled Listen Easy”will be published in June.”I like it here.” He added quietly over whiskey. “I would like to live here so many months of the year.”
He already keeps a large flat in Grosenor Square, where he is staying with his actress wife Sandie Grant and their three-year-old daughter Joanna. It has a studio where he likes to paint. Tony plans to have his first exhibition later in the year and he has already sold one picture for $4000. At the end of the year Tony is to star in a musical film , which has been specially written for him called “Two Bits”, an informal expresson for 50 cents. It’s about an Italian immigrant who goes to America ,but he becomes a failure.
“In many ways it’s very close to my life the way the story has been written,” said Bennett. “My father, an Italian ,was ill and died when I was nine.He always wanted me to sing, but he never lived long enough to be a part of my success.
41. The underlined phrase “standard hit” most nearly means______
A. Bennett’s favourite song but is’s not very popular.
B. a song that is always popular
C. a song which makes hm standard
D. a song which is like a heavy blow to his audience
42. What does tony Bennett want to do?
A. Buy a house and live in England. B. Stay with his wife and daughter in England.
C. Live part of each year in England D. Leave American and setle in England
43. What’s Tonny’s hobby?
A. Singing B. Drinking C. Playing D. Painting
44. What can we learn about Tony’s father from this passage?
A. He liked his son’s singing.
B. He was born in Italy and died when Tonny Bennett was a small boy
C. He was a part of Bennett’s achievement
D. He was glad that his son became famous.
45. What kind of man is Tonny Bennett
A. hardworking and humours B. family-centered and hardworking
C. enthusiastic and kindly D. ambitious and trustworthy
C
Have you ever heard the story of the four-minute mile? Many years ago, people believed that it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Banister proved it wrong in1954.
What happens if you put an animal in a pond? Any animal, big or small, will swim its way through. What happens when someone, who does not know how to swim, falls in deep waters? They drown. If an animal who has not learned swimming could escape by swimming, why not you? Because you believe you will drown while the animal does not.
Have you ever wondered why the letters are organized in a particular order on hour keyboard? You might have thought it is to increase the typing speed. Most people never question it. But the fact is that this system was developed to reduce the typing speed at a time when typewriter parts would jam if the operator typed too fast.
These three cases show the power of our beliefs. There is no other more powerful directing force in human behavior than belief. Your beliefs have the power to create and to destroy. A belief delivers a direct command to your nervous system.
I used a snake in my workshops for children to show them how unrealistic some of their beliefs are. Students of a school in India, said snakes were slippery, slimy (黏糊糊的) and poisonous. After doing an exercise for changing beliefs, they handled my snake and found it to be dry and clean. They also remembered that only three types of poisonous snakes exist in India.
Did this story end the way you thought? Review your beliefs now and find out which ones you need to change.
51. In the author’s opinion, if a person in deep water doesn’t know how to swim he will drown because _________.
A. he is afraid of water B. he doesn’t want to live in the world
C. he hasn’t learned to swim before D. he believes he will drown
52. The author thinks that the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard in order to _________.
A. reduce one’s typing speed B. satisfy the operator
C. save more spaceD. increase one’s typing speed
53. The author’s experiment shows that __________.
A. snakes in India aren’t poisonous B. snakes can be caught easily
C. snakes are slimy and poisonousD. snakes are dry and clean
54. According to the passage, we know that ________.
A. students from India have unrealistic beliefs on how to live a better life
B. an animal who has not learned to swim will drown if you put it in a pond.
C. Roger Banister was the first person who ran a mile in less than four minutes.
D. most people don’t like the order the letters are arranged on your keyboard
55. The main idea of this passage should be that _______.
A. beliefs make us seem stupid
B. beliefs are very powerful
C. changing your beliefs now if necessary
D. people should always believe in themselves
B
What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
46. We can infer from the first paragraph that ________.
A.learning better at school shows power in your job
B.the better you are at school subjects, the more helpful they are in your career.
C.learning each subject well is an ability in many jobs.
D.we should think about how to find our career
47. From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he will _____.
A. have no hope in his future work
B. be hopeful to find a suitable job
C. regret not having worked harder at school
D. have an opportunity of a new beginning in his future work
48. All the subjects may have direct value for job hunting except _________.
A. mathematics B. English C. history D. technical drawing
49. The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in Paragraph 3) probably means “_________”.
A. heavy- handed B. the best C. important D. skilled
50. The passage mainly discusses ___________.
A. The relationship between school performance and career
B. how to get a job
C. How to show strengths in your work
D. working experience and knowledge at school
第三部分:阅读 (共两节,满分40分)
第一节阅读理解 (共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries – old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship(演出技巧)。
“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s manipulation (处理) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passersby, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.
41. The story is about ________.
A. why people love magic B. how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician
C. how fashionable magic is D. what magic tricks are
42. People love to watch magic because ________.
A. they love watching magicians make the impossible happen
B. it arouses their curiosity
C. they can’t figure out the secret of magic
D. it is a centuries – old art
43. Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
A. He was interested in magic when he was little.
B. He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.
C. He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.
D. He became an amateur magician in his spare time.
44. What does the underlined word “seasoned” in Paragraph2 mean?
A. experienced B. freshman C. amateur D. unskillful
45. Liu Qian improved his performing skills by ______.
A. learning from David Copperfield.
B. learning magic in a university
C. performing in public on streets
D. joining in Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest
C
Invented in Turkey and patented by Nanopool, a German company, the spray-on liquid glass might become one of the most useful inventions in the field of nanotechnology. The product was tested at the Saarbrücken Institute for New Materials.
It is worth mentioning that the invention is transparent and non-poisonous. The liquid glass can protect any type of surface from damages caused by water, UV radiation, dirt, heat, and bacterial infections. Besides, it is flexible and breathable, which means that the liquid glass can be applied on plants and seeds as well. Researchers found that the spray greatly increases the resistance of plants to bacteria-caused diseases. The trials also showed that the sprayed seeds grew faster.
Depending on the type of surface that is to be covered, researchers can add water or ethanol to the spray. Scientists say that their latest invention has a long-lasting anti-bacterial effect. The spray produces a coating that is just 100nm thick. Trials by food processing plants in Germany have concluded that foods covered with the glass can store longer than those stored in normal condition.
According to Neil McClelland, UK project manager with Nanopool, due to its capabilities, the spray-on liquid glass can become one of the most useful inventions around the world, ending up being used by a lot of industries that will cover their products. At present, the invention is being used by a train company and a hotel chain in the UK, as well as a hamburger chain in Germany that are carrying out tests of the liquid glass for various uses.
The spray-on liquid glass was also tested in a Lancashire hospital, where it showed “very promising” results, being used to cover medical equipment and bandages. The invention could be also used on clothing, because it cannot be seen by the naked eye, thus clothes could become stain resistant. Due to its unique characteristics, the liquid glass can be used to cover bathrooms, sinks and many other surfaces in the home. According to the researchers, the spay-on glass can last for a year. It is expected to hit the DIY stores across Britain at a price of 5 pounds.
51. Which of the following about the liquid glass is NOT true?
A. We can still see an object clearly covered with the liquid.
B. It will cause plants to have some kind of disease.
C. Plants still have access to oxygen when covered by it.
D. It can speed up the growth of seeds.
52. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 imply?
A. Water or ethanol must be added to the spray to produce the effect.
B. The coating of the spray-on liquid is thick.
C. The liquid glass can protect foods from bacteria.
D. The long-lasting anti-bacterial effect protects the liquid glass.
53. According to Neil McClelland, the spray-on liquid glass_________.
A. are being tested by some industries
B. are being used by various companies
C. can be eaten together with hamburgers
D. are widely used by train companies
54. The writer’s attitude towards the application of the new liquid glass is _________.
A. pessimistic B. doubtful C. cautious D. optimistic
55. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. We don’t have to wash our clothes with the new invention.
B. The liquid glass can be used to wash yourself in the bathroom..
C. The liquid glass will be widely used in many fields.
D. The DIY stores will not welcome the liquid glass.