There are people in Italy who can’t stand soccer. Not all Canadians love hockey. A similar situation exists in America, where there are those individuals you may be one of them who frown when somebody mentions baseball. Baseball to them means boring hours watching grown men in funny tight outfits standing around in a field staring away while very little of anything happens. They tell you it’s a game better suited to the 19th century, slow, quiet, and gentlemanly. These are the same people you may be one of them who love football because there’s the sport that values “the hit”.
By contrast, baseball seems abstract, cool, silent, still.
On TV the game is divided into a dozen perspectives, replays, close-ups. The geometry(几何学) of the game, however, is essential to understanding it. You will view the game from one point as a painter does his subject; you may, of course, project yourself into the game. It is in this projection that the game affords so much space and time for involvement. The TV won’t do it for you.
Take, for example, the third baseman. You sit behind the third base and you watch him watching home plate. His legs are apart, knees flexed(弯曲). His arms hang loose. He does a lot of this. The skeptic(怀疑论者) still cannot think of any other sports so still, so passive. But watch what happens every time the pitcher throws: the third baseman goes up on his toes, flexes his arms or brings the glove to a point in front of him, takes a step right or left, backward or forward, perhaps he glances across the field to check his first baseman’s position. Suppose the pitch is a ball. “Nothing happened,” you say. “I could have had my eyes closed.”
The skeptic and the innocent must play the game. And this involvement in the stands is no more intellectual than listening to music is. Watch the third baseman. Smooth the dirt in front of you with one foot; smooth the pocket in your glove; watch the eyes of the batter, the speed of the bat, the sound of ball on wood. If football is a symphony of movement and theatre, baseball is chamber music, a spacious interlocking(连锁) of notes, chorus(和声)and responses.The passage is mainly concerned with .
A.the attraction of baseball |
B.the superiority of football |
C.the different tastes of people for sports |
D.the different characteristics of sports |
Those who don’t like baseball may complain that .
A.it is only to the taste of the old |
B.it is not exciting enough |
C.it involves fewer players than football |
D.it is pretentious and looks funny |
The author admits that .
A.baseball may seem boring when watched on TV |
B.football is more attracting than baseball |
C.baseball is more interesting than football |
D.baseball is too peaceful for the young |
By stating “I could have had my eyes closed”, the author means (4th paragraph last sentence) .
A.The consequence was so bad that he could not bear to see it |
B.The third baseman is so good at baseball that he could finish the game with eyes closed all the time and do his work well |
C.Even if the third baseman closed his eyes a moment ago, it could make no difference to the result |
D.The third baseman would rather sleep than play the game |
It was about 11:15 pm on the passenger ship California. The night was freezing cold and the water was filled with ice from the North Pole, making it difficult for the ship to sail on.
In the radio room, ship California’s operator Cyril Evans listened to the radio-talk between a nearby passenger ship and the telegraph station on the Canadian island of Newfoundland. Evans interrupted it and said, “We’re stopped and surrounded by ice. Be careful as you pass through these waters.” The radio operator on the nearby ship replied, “I’m too busy to talk now. I have many messages to send to the telegraph station. ” Twenty minutes later, as he turned off his radio and went to bed, Evans could still hear the ship sending its passengers’ telegrams.
Earlier in the evening the California’s captain, Stanley Lord, had seen another ship approaching. It looked about the size of his own, but attempts to contact the ship failed. It lay dark and mysterious about 10 miles away. At 00:40 am there appeared a sudden flash of light just over the mystery ship. Captain Lord, thinking the ship might need help, ordered his officers to signal the ship by lamp. There was no reply. Three more rockets then exploded, none appeared to go higher than halfway up the mast(桅杆)of the mystery ship. Then at about 2:00 am it turned and slipped into the darkness.
In the light of the dawn there was no mystery ship, but 20 miles away was the scene of a great disaster. Unfortunately, the mystery ship had stopped directly in front of the California, preventing people on board from seeing clearly. If this ship had not been there, Captain Lord would have recognized that the rockets were SOS rockets that came not from the mystery ship but from a more distant ship which the California could not see. If Cyril Evans had kept his radio on for just 30 minutes more he would have heard SOS signals coming from that distant ship he spoke with the night before. That ship was the Titanic which was sinking fast, leaving 1,500 of its passengers dead. It was April 14, 1912.Why were the rockets really fired?
A.To celebrate the journey. |
B.To signal for help. |
C.To contact the Titanic. |
D.To warn other ships. |
What is the main function of the last paragraph of this passage?
A.It shows how unlucky the Titanic was. |
B.It describes how the Titanic sank. |
C.It indicates that the people on the California were careless. |
D.It lists how many people died in the disaster. |
How many ships are mentioned in the passage?
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
From the passage we know that .
A.the rockets were fired from the mystery ship |
B.Cyril Evans worked on the mystery ship that night |
C.the Titanic started sinking at dawn the next day |
D.the Titanic sent out many telegrams that night |
The Swiss army knife is a popular device that is recognized all over the world. In Switzerland, there is a saying that every good Swiss citizen has one in his or her pocket. But the knife had poor beginnings.
In the late nineteenth century, the Swiss army issued (发给) its soldiers a gun that required a special screwdriver (螺丝刀) to take it apart and clean it. At the same time, canned food was becoming common in the army. Swiss generals decided to issue each soldier a standard knife to serve both as a screwdriver and a can opener.
It was a lifesaver for Swiss knife makers, who were struggling to ask for cheaper German imports. In 1884, Carl Elsener, head of the Swiss knife manufacturer (maker) Victorinox, seized that opportunity with both hands, and designed a soldier’s knife that the army loved .It was a simple knife with one big blade (刀片), a can opener, and a screwdriver.
A few years after the soldier’s knife was issued, the “Schweizer Offizer Messer,” or Swiss Officer’s Knife, came on the market, Interestingly, the Officer’s Knife was never given to those serving in the army. The Swiss army purchasers considered the new model with a corkscrew (瓶塞钻) for opening wine not “essential for survival,” so officers had to buy this new model by themselves. But its special multi-functional design later launched(发行)the knife as a global brand. After the Second World War, a great number of American soldiers were stationed in Europe. And as they could buy the Swiss army knife at shops on army bases, they bought huge quantities of them. However, it seems that “Schweizer Offizer Messer” was too difficult for them to say, so they just called it the Swiss army knife, and that is the name it is now known by all over the world.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To emphasize the importance of the Swiss army knife. |
B.To introduce the functions of the Swiss army knife. |
C.To explain the origin of Swiss army knife. |
D.To tell a story about the designer of the Swiss army knife. |
What does “It” in the third paragraph refer to?
A.Canned food was becoming popular in Swiss army. |
B.Every good Swiss citizen had a knife in his pocket. |
C.The Swiss army needed a knife for every soldier. |
D.Swiss knives were competing with imported knives. |
Why didn’t the Swiss army purchase the Swiss Officer’s Knife?
A.The new design was not considered necessary for officers to own. |
B.The army had no budge to the purchase. |
C.The knife was sold out to American soldiers. |
D.The design of the knife was too simple. |
Who gave the name “ the Swiss army knife” to the knife discussed in the passage?
A.Swiss generals | B.Carl Elsener |
C.German businessman | D.American soldiers. |
The day of my holiday arrived, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. I had little money and had only been able to afford to stay with my Aunt Rosa in Spain. So, I wasn’t really excited as I knew exactly what it was going to be like; Lots of noisy cousins and Aunt Rosa begged me to take her for a ride.
After I had checked in, I made my way slowly to the departure gate. As I was waiting to board the plan, I kept thinking about my ideal holiday destination; Jamaica, with its long, sandy beaches and crystal clear water.
As soon as the plane took off, I fell fast asleep and only woke to the sound of the announcement; “Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts, as we will shortly be landing in Kingston.” I froze in my seat. Was I dreaming? Kingston? Jamaica? I had boarded the wrong plane!
Immediately after the plane landed, I explained the situation to the authorities. It seems there were also three of other passengers heading for Spain. Apparently it had been the airline’s fault, since the flight numbers for Spain and Jamaica were exactly the same! Therefore, with no flight to London for a week, the airline had no choice except to pay for our stay.
So there I was, lying on the beach, enjoying the music and marvelous food of Jamaica! As for Aunt Rosa, I suppose she just had to live without me!Why did the waiter choose to spend her holiday with her aunt in Spain?
A.She could hardly afford any better trip. |
B.Her aunt begged her to go there. |
C.She missed her cousins very much. |
D.Spain was her ideal destination. |
In the story, the writer ended up _____.
A.heading for Spain from Jamaica |
B.flying to London immediately |
C.enjoying a free beach holiday |
D.complaining to the authorities |
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A.Terrible Adventure | B.Nice Dream |
C.A Well-Planned | D.A Lucky Mistake |
When asked to point out one or two things that are most important to themselves, many put friends ahead of homes, jobs, cloth and cars.
A true friendship carries-a-long history of experience that determines who we are and keeps us connected.It is a treasure we should protect.Unfortunately, the better friends you are, the more probably you’ll have disagreements.And the result can be what you don’t want an end to the relationship.
The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended First, don’t let your pride get in your way.Most of us can forgive each other when differences are brought out in the open .second, apologize when you’re wrong – even if you’ve been wronged.Over the course of a friendship, even the best people make mistakes.Sometimes, it may be best if the wronged person takes the lead and apologizes.When you apologize, give your friend a chance to admit that he has been wrong.Third, see things from your friend’s point of view.And finally, accept that friendships change as our needs and lifestyle change.Making friends can sometimes seem easy.The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that have an effect on all relationships .My suggestion: Consider friendship an honor and a gift , and worth the effort to treasure and nurture .What would be the best title for the text?
A.Easy Ways to Make Friends |
B.Ups and Downs in Friendship |
C.How to Mend a Troubled Friendship |
D.How to Take the Lead in Making Friends |
The “wronged person” underlined in the text refers to a person
A.who has been mistaken for another |
B.who has been blamed unfairly |
C.who has treated friends badly |
D.who has admitted his mistakes |
According to the text a friendship can last long only if
A.we have much in common |
B.we know our friends’ mistakes |
C.we treat our disagreements wisely |
D.we have know one another for long |
What should we do if we follow the author’s second suggestion?
A.Stick to our own prints of view |
B.Avoid making mistakes |
C.Make an apology first |
D.Change our lifestyles |
One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest(卑微的) to the most powerful came for breakfast.I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled.He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone.I asked if I might join him.He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.
We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide rang of things.We never introduced ourselves.I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat.So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,
“May I get you something?”
“A coffee would be nice.”
Then I bought him a cup of coffee, We talked more, and he accepted another cup of coffee, Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit.At the door I met one of my friends.He asked,
“How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath?”
“Who?”
“The man you were sitting with.He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”
I could hardly believe it.I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!
My few minutes with Mr. Galbreath changed my life.Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and no matter another human being with kindness and sincerity.What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?
A.Unfriendly. | B.Untidy. |
C.Gentle. | D.Kind. |
The author bought coffee for the old man because
A.he thought the old man was poor |
B.he wanted to start a conversation |
C.he intended to show his politeness |
D.he would like to thank the old man |
What is the message mainly expressed in the story?
A.We should learn to be generous. |
B.It is honorable to help those in need. |
C.People in high positions are not like what we expect. |
D.We should avoid judging people by their appearances. |