Today, as I was relaxing at the beach, I couldn't help but eavesdrop(窃听,偷听) on a conversation four high school kids were having on the beach blanket next to me. Their conversation was about making a positive difference in the world. And it went something like this…
"It's impossible to make a difference unless you're a huge company or someone with lots of money and power," one of them said.
"Yeah man," another replied. "My mom keeps telling me to move mountains – to speak up and stand up for what I believe. But what I say and do doesn't even get noticed. I just keep answering to ‘the man’ and then I get slapped back(山谷回声) in place by him when I step out of line."
"Repression…" another snickered.
I smiled because I knew exactly how they felt. When I was their age, I was certain I was being repressed and couldn't possibly make a difference in this world. And I actually almost got fired from school once because I openly expressed how repressed(压抑) I felt in the middle of the principals’ office.
I Have A Dream.
Suddenly, one of the kids noticed me eavesdropping and smiling. He sat up, looked at me and said, "What? Do you disagree?" Then as he waited for a response, the other three kids turned around too.
Rather than arguing with them, I took an old receipt out of my wallet , tore it into four pieces, and wrote a different word on each piece. Then I crumbled the pieces into little paper balls and handed a different piece to each one of them.
"Look at the word on the paper I just gave you and don't show it to anyone else." The kids looked at the single word I had handed each of them and appeared confused. "You have two choices," I told them. "If your word inspired you to make a difference in this world, then hold onto it. If not, give it back to me so I can recycle the paper." They all returned their words.
I walked over quickly , sat down on the sand next to their beach blanket and laid out the four words that the students had returned to me so that the words combined to form the simple sentence, "I have a dream."
"Dude, that's Martin Luther King Jr.," one of the kids said.
"How did you know that?" I asked.
"Everyone knows Martin Luther King Jr." the kid snarled. "He has his own national holiday, and we all had to memorize his speech in school a few years ago."
"Why do you think your teachers had you memorize his speech?" I asked.
"I don't really care!" the kid replied. His three friends shook their heads in agreement. "What does this have to do with us and our situation?"
"Your teachers asked you to memorize those words, just like thousands of teachers around the world have asked students to memorize those words, because they have inspired millions of repressed people to dream of a better world and take action to make their dreams come true. Do you see where I'm going with this?"
"Man, I know exactly what you're trying to do and it's not going to work, alright?" the fourth kid said, who hadn't spoken a word until now. "We're not going to get all inspired and emotional about something some dude said thirty years ago. Our world is different now. And it's more screwed up than any us can even begin to imagine, and there's little you or I can do about it. We're too small, we're nobody."
Together
I smiled again because I once believed and used to say similar things. Then after holding the smile for a few seconds I said, "On their own, ‘I' or ‘have’ or ‘a’ or ‘dream’ are just words. Not very compelling or inspiring. But when you put them together in a certain order, they create a phrase that has been powerful enough to move millions of people to take action – action that changed laws, perceptions, and lives. You don't need to be inspired or emotional to agree with this, do you?"
The four kids shrugged and struggled to appear totally indifferent, but I could tell they were listening intently. "And what's true for words is also true for people," I continued. "One person without help from anyone else can't do much to make a big difference in this crazy world - or to overcome all of the various forms of repression that exist today. But when people get together and unite to form something more powerful and meaningful then themselves, the possibilities are endless.
Together is how mountains are moved. Together is how small people make a big difference.Why were the kids repressed?
A.Because they were scolded by their teachers |
B.Because they lacked confidence of making a difference in the world |
C.Because they didn’t have lots of money or power. |
D.Because one of them almost got expelled from school. |
What did the writer do when one of the kids noticed him eavesdropping?
A.He argued with them. |
B.He played a game with them. |
C.He scooted over sat down on the sand next to their beach blanket . |
D.He took an old receipt ,ripped it into four pieces, and wrote a different word on each piece. |
Which of the following is not true?
A.“I Have A Dream” was delivered by Martin Luther King. |
B.A national holiday was named after Martin Luther King to honor him. |
C.Teachers asked kids to memorize Martin Luther King’s famous speech. |
D.Martin Luther King made a difference because he is a man with power. |
Give a proper Chinese translation to explain the underlined sentence.
A.车到山前必有路 | B.从我做起 |
C.团结就是力量 | D.三人行,必有我师 |
Which of the following sentences is true according to the story.
A.The kids and the writer are complaining about their life. |
B.All of the four kids don’t believe they can change the world. |
C.The word on the paper inspires the four kids. |
D.The writer’s purpose is to tell them to a faith in the life. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the story?
A.How adults persuade kids |
B.How small people make a big difference |
C.How young adults build up their confidence |
D.How create a better world to live in |
Timetable
Menu |
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lFrench Slam $4.29 French toast, two eggs and style, two pieces of bacon and two sausage links. lSandwich with Salad or Soup $4.35 Chicken breast on bread. Served with your choice of garden salad, Caesar salad, vegetable beef ![]() lThe Classic Hamburger $4.99 Over 1/3 pound. Topped with tomato, red onions and cheese. |
lChicken-Fried Steak $5.09 A southern style! Golden-fried and covered with French cheese. lThe S ![]() Thin flat pieces of chicken breast with Swiss cheese, bacon and tomato on bread. lChinese Chicken Sala ![]() Chicken breast, mushroom, green peppers and onions. Topped with tomatoes and fried noodles. Served with bread. |
If one wants to attend a business lunch in London at l2:00, the latest train that he should take at Oxford leaves at_____________.
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Which of the following is TRUE of the membership card?
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If one would like to have something fried, he may choose ________.
A.Chicken-Fried Steak & The Super Bird® |
B.French Slam & The Classic Hamburger |
C.Chicken-Fried Steak & Chinese Chicken Salad |
D.The Super Bird® & Sandwich with Salad or Soup |
T
he chart shows that from 2005 to 2008,______________.
A.the percentage of the Spanish families with a computer rose 35 points |
B.the number of the Black families with a computer was on the decrease |
C.the percentage of the White families with a computer remained unchanged |
D.the number of the Asian families with a computer showed the sharpest increase |
Susan Sontag (1933 — 2004) was one of the most noticeable figures in the world of literature. For more than 40 years she made it morally necessary to know everything — to read every book worth reading, to see every movie worth seeing. When she was still in her early 30s, publishing essays in such important magazines as Partisan Review, she appeared as the symbol of American culture life, trying hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art. With great effort and serious judgment, Sontag walked at the latest edges of world culture.
Seriousness was one of Sontag’s lifelong watchwords (格言), but at a time when the barriers between the well-educated and the poorly-educated were obvious, she argued for a true openness to the pleasure of pop culture. In Notes Camp, the 1964 essay that first made her name, she explained what was then a little-known set of difficult understandings, through which she could not have been more famous. Notes on Camp, she wrote, represents “a victory of ‘form’ over ‘content’, ‘beauty’ over ‘morals’”.
By conviction she was a sensualist (感觉论者), but by nature she was a moralist, and in the works she published in the 1970s and 1980s, it was the latter side of her that came forward. In Illness as Metaphor —published in 1978, after she suffered cancer—she argued against the idea that cancer was somehow a special problem of repressed(被压抑的) personalities, a concept that effectively blamed the victim for the disease. In fact, re-examining old positions was her lifelong habit.
In America, her story of a 19th century Polish actress who set up a perfect society in California, won the National Book Award in 2000.But it was as a tireless, all-purpose cultural view that she made her lasting fame.
“Sometimes,” she once said, “I feel that, in the end, all I am really defending …is the idea of seriousness, of true seriousness.” And in the end, she made us take it seriously too.
51. The underlined sentence in paragraph 1 means Sontag ______.
A. was a symbol of American cultural life
B. developed world literature, film and art
C. published many essays about world culture
D. kept pace with the newest development of world culture
52. She first won her name through _______.
A. her story of a Polish actress
B. her book Illness as Metaphor
C. her explanation of a set of difficult understandings
D. publishing essays in magazines like Partisan Review
53. From the works Susan published in the 1970s and 1980s, we can learn that _______.
A. She was more a moralist than a sensualist
B. She was more a sensualist than a moralist
C. She believed repressed personalities mainly led to illness
D. She would like to re-examine old positions
54. According to the passage, Susan Sontag would agree to the ideas except _______.
A. We should try hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art.
B. Cancer can be defeated because it is a special problem of repressed personalities.
C. “Form” should be over “content”, “beauty” should be over “morals”.
D. We should defend the idea of seriousness, of true seriousness.
55. What is the passage mainly about?
A. A lifelong watchword: seriousness.
B. How Susan Sontag became famous.
C. Susan Sontag is the symbol of American culture.
D. An introduction to Susan Sontag and her watchword.
A special education teacher and former police officer was honored by President Barack Obama at the White House as the 2009 National Teacher of the Year for his innovative(创新的)approach, community focus, and teamwork with other teachers. “In a global economy where the greatest job qualification isn't what you can do, but what you know, our teachers are the key to our nation's success,” President Obama stated.
Mullen, a ninth-through twelfth-grade special education teacher at the ARCH School in Connecticut, is the 59th National Teacher of the Year. Mullen's goal is to provide passion, professionalism(职业特质), and perseverance as an educator. “A teacher can receive no greater reward than the knowledge that he or she helped recover a lost student,” Mullen remarked. He will travel for one year as a full-time national and international spokesperson for education beginning June 1, 2009.
The National Teacher of the Year Program focuses public attention on teaching excellence and is the oldest and most famous national honors program for teachers. “ACEI is a proud participant in the selection process for the National Teacher of the Year, and we are pleased to see Anthony Mullen selected. Mr. Mullen is a dedicated individual who possesses a wealth of talents and skills as a teacher. His devotion to young people, however, reaches beyond the call of duty. Mr. Mullen extends himself to adviser and guides children who need to know that they are not forgotten and that they, too, are unique and special,” stated ACEI Executive Director Diane Whitehead.
ACEI is one of 15 national education organizations that select the National Teacher of the Year from among the state teachers of the year, including those representing the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra state departments.
46. What is the passage mainly about?
A. A White House ceremony.
B. An innovative teaching approach. C. The 2009 National Teacher of the Year.
D. The national education organizations.
47. We can learn from the first paragraph Obama stresses ____________.
A. teachers’ role B. community lives
C. teachers’ teamwork D. innovative approach
48. According to Mullen, his success as an educator lies in ____________.
A. being a full-time national and international spokesperson
B. providing passion, perseverance and professionalism
C. helping those who cannot find their way home
D. helping the students achieve high scores
49. Which of the following statements of Mr. Mullen is NOT true?
A. He is totally devoted to the students.
B. He gets the honor for his special talents.
C. He is a talented teacher as well as an adviser.
D. He encourages children to achieve a better future.
50. It can be inferred from the passage that___________.
A. the National Teacher of the Year Program hasn’t been well-known
B. ACEI is the only organization in charge of selecting excellent teachers
C. Mullen is devoted to teaching the students for the call of duty
D. Mullen’s success may be due to his previous work experience.
III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
题卡上将该项涂黑。LONDON, England(CNN)--- The youngest person to sail solo around the world returned home Thursday from his 30,000-mile, 282-day ocean journey.
Mike Perham, 17, sailed into Lizard Point in Cornwall, the southernmost point in Britain, at 9:47 a.m., his race team said.
“It feels absolutely brilliant,” Mike told CNN by phone hours before crossing the finish line. “I'm really, really excited to be going across the line at last. It doesn't feel like long since I crossed it first.”
Mike set off on his round-the-world trip on November 18, 2008. He has been sailing his yacht, TotallyMoney.com, single-handedly, though a support team has been sailing next to him along the way.
The teen has now achieved the title of Youngest Sailor to Circumnavigate the Globe Solo, according to the Guinness World Records.
Mike learned how to sail when he was seven years old from his father, Peter and at age 14, he sailed across the Atlantic alone.
The teenager's school --- which Mike describes as “highly supportive” of his trip --- has redesigned his coursework to fit in with his trip. It also gave him some coursework to do during “quiet moments,” according to Mike's Web site.
There haven't been many of those quiet moments. Repeated autopilot failures forced him to stop for repairs in Portugal, the Canary Islands, South Africa, and twice in Australia, according to his Web site.
Bad weather in the Southern Ocean --- between Australia and Antarctica --- forced Mike to battle 50ft waves and 57 mph winds. He said at one point, a “freak wave” picked up the boat and turned it on its side.
“My feet were on the ceiling at the time,” he told CNN. “That was a really hairy moment, and I was certainly thinking, ‘Why am I here?’ But we took the sails off and the day after I thought, ‘This is brilliant!’”
Mike describes his father as his biggest hero, always supportive of what he wanted to achieve. Peter Perham said he wasn't too worried about his son facing dangerous situations at sea, as long as he knew what to do and stayed safe.
41. Mike Perham returned to Britain in ________.A. August B. SeptemberC. October D. November
42. Mike Perham is ________ that went on the round-the-world trip in the world up till now.A. the first B. the bravest C. the luckiest D. the youngest
43. We can infer from the passage that ________.A. the English school is the same as ours
B. the English school doesn’t care for students
C. the English school has a humane management
D. the English school gives students a lot of course work
44. According to the passage, Mike did anything EXCEPT ________ on his trip.A. regret B. worry C. abandon D. fear
45. The passage mainly tells us ________.A. Mike’s exciting sail trip around the globe
B. how Mike’s father taught him to sail a boat
C. why CNN wanted to report the news to the public
D. the introduction of the Guinness World Records
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。
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