An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same tome.
In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起)the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.
In Chicago, the mayor(市长)appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighbourhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.
The only problem arose in New York, where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity(一致)can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point ,putting all their energy
And passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.
Ultinatel was Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process. or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word. What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?
A.To invite authors to guide readers. |
B.To encourage people to read and share. |
C.To involve people in community service. |
D.To promote the friendship between cities. |
.Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the project?
A.They had little interest in reading. |
B.They were too busy to read a book. |
C.They came from many different backgrounds |
D.They lacked support from the local government |
According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?
A.In large communities with little sense of unity |
B.In large cities where libraries are far from home |
C.In medium-sized cities with a diverse population |
D.In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached |
The underlined words “shared a word” in Paragraph 5 probably mean
A.exchanged ideas with each other |
B.discussed the meaning of a word |
C.gamed life experience |
D.used the same language |
According to Nacy, the degree of students of the project is judged by
the careful selection of a proper book
the growing popularity of the writers
C. the number of people who benefit from reading.
D. the number of books that each person reads.
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,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Can you imagine a stranger will read your e – mails without your permission or scan the website you’ve visited or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills? All of the things may happen to you one day.
In fact,it’s likely that some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is,they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen or even do something that may bring a disaster to you.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, and that it's important to reveal to friends, family and lovers at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain nowadays. The digital bread crumbs (碎屑) you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to know who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can leak the deepest thought in your mind. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret.
The key question is:Does that matter? For many Americans, the answer apparently is “no”.
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most of them say they are really concerned about losing it. And 60 percent of the respondents say they feel their privacy is “slipping away, and that bothers me”.
But people say one thing and do another.Only a small of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy.Few people turn down a discount attollbooths (收费站)to avoid using the EZ—Pass system that can track automobile movements. Privacy economist Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will give up personal information such as telephone number, address, or social security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon(优惠券). But privacy does matter—at least sometimes.It's like health;when you have it,you don’t notice it.Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it. Without privacy, one will be naked in front of others.
41.What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?
A.Friends should open their hearts to each other.
B.Friends should always be faithful to each other.
C.There should be a distance even between friends.
D.There should be fewer quarrels between friends
42.Why does the author say “we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret”?
A.Modern society has finally developed into an open society.
B.People leave traces around when using modern technology.
C.There are always people who are curious about others’ affairs.
D.Many search engines profit by revealing people’s identities.
43.What do most Americans do about privacy protection?
A.They change behavior that might disclose their identity.
B.People turn down a discount at tollbooths to avoid using the EZ – Pass system.
C.They rely more and more on advanced technology.
D.They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.
44.According to the passage,privacy is like health in that___________.
A.people will make every effort to keep it
B.its importance is hardly understood
C.It is something that can easily be lost
D.people don’t value it until they lose it
45.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.No privacy, no health.
B.Treasure your privacy.
C.Boundaries are important between friends.
D.The information age has its own shortcomings.
E
Computer mouse is no longer so strong. A Canadian engineer has invented a system that enables a computer user to push a cursor(光标)across a screen simply by moving his or her nose .He calls his nose-driven mouse a mouse.
The inventor ,Dmity Gorodnichy ,came up with the idea for the mouse while building computer software that would help astronauts operate the Canadarm—a long robotic arm on the U.S. space shuttle .His system employs a web-camera that recognizes a computer user’s nose from 25 pixels ,or points of light. Dmity chose the nose because its position remains relatively constant no matter which way the head moves .The system keeps track of the pixels, and the user matches the movements of his or her nose with the progress of the cursor across the screen.
The mouse keeps track of the eyes too. Two blinks(眨眼)are a “double click,” which turns the mouse on or off.
The mouse has received mixed comments from those who hold opposite opinions. One called it “a pointless waste of technology” . Another predicted that the nouse will fail to catch on because it makes users “look silly.” Dmity has already adapted the nouse for NousePong, a video game ,and NousePaint ,a drawing program.
He also predicts that the mouse will attract the people who have suffered from specific disease-pain ,senselessness ,or trembling in the hand caused by the frequent repetition of movements of the wrist and fingers ,such as typing at a computer keyboard .His next plan is to adapt the nouse for use by paralyzed(瘫痪)patients in hospitals .With two blinks of the eyes ,patients could double-click for help.
72.The best title for this passage is probably.
A.Mouse Driven by Nose
B.Cursor Moved Without fingers
C.New Computer System for Astronauts
D.New Type of Mouse for Patients
73.The nouse is a system working by means of .
A.keeping track of the points of light
B.moving one’s nose or blinking
C.moving cursor across the screen
D.matching the user’s nose with eyes
74.The underlined phrase “catch on” means “”.
A.become popular B.be used C.get improved D.be made
75.Dmity predicts that the nouse will be more used to help .
A.those who have eye trouble
B.develop a video game and drawing program
C.those traveling in space
D.the disabled with the hand and paralyzed patients
D
If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.
Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz with a fare(车费) of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.
The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration(登记) card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.
The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the rate. From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly.
With so many loopholes (漏洞)in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”. But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.
68. The underlined words in this passage means to “______”。
A. be ready to help othersB. make good use of one’s friends
C. be a little ahead of others D. gain something at other’s loss
69. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. While taking a taxi in Finland, you can get off without first paying your fare.
B. In a big hotel in Finland, you can enjoy free meals if you’re living in the hotel.
C. The bosses in Finland pay the employees according to registration of their working hours.
D. The workers are always honest with their working hours.
70. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. the Finnish society is of very high moral level
B. there are many loopholes in everyday life in Finland
C. in Finland, most taxi drivers will not charge you anything
D. everyone in Finland is like a gentleman, for they have faith in themselves
71. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Life in Finland B. A Society with “Foolish” People
C.What a Life D. Honest accounts of the Finns
C
Perhaps you have a big test coming up and you are feeling nervous. You know you have got to do well. The pressure is on, so you may be losing sleep and the ability to concentrate. How can you deal with the stress, study effectively, and take the test with confidence? Maybe you should try meditation(沉思).
When people think about meditation, many pictures of old men’s sitting cross-legged on remote mountaintops will appear in mind. People describing meditation frequently mention elements such as relaxation and “thinking about nothing”.
It is not necessary to travel to a mountaintop to enjoy the benefits of meditation because it is actually more about awareness than just relaxation. The secret of meditation is breathing.
To star meditating, find a place where you can sit or stand comfortably for a little while and concentrate. Close your eyes and start taking slow breaths. Focus on the air moving in and out of your body. If your mind starts to wander and you begin to think about something else, refocus your attention on your breathing.
Meditation has little to do with escaping problems or thinking about nothing. Instead, the breathing techniques help you calm down and think more clearly about your feelings. The issues on your mind unfold clearly, as if they were in slow motion.
This clarity(清晰)is called “mindfulness”. Being mindful means that you are aware of what you are thinking without becoming caught up in your thoughts. It takes practice, but with time, that big test will not scare you anymore. You will realize through meditation that fear is just a product of not being mindful.
64. What is the best way to reduce the pressure if one faces a big test?
A. To climb up to the top of a mountain for a rest.
B. To sit on the top of a mountain without thinking anything.
C. To sit or stand comfortable and begin to meditate.
D. To sit quietly with one’s legs crossed.
65. What should a person do if his mind begins to wander while meditating?
A. Stop meditating.
B. Concentrate on breathing again.
C. Involve himself in his thoughts.
D. Close eyes immediately.
66. From the passage we can learn that by practicing meditation we’ll__________.
A. not be stuck in our thoughts
B. pass the examinations easily
C. realize fear is a product of too much thought
D. never be afraid of big tests
67. From the passage we can know the writer’s purpose is to let the readers know__________
A. how to deal with the stress before a big test
B. what is meditation
C. how a big test scares the students
D. where is the best place to relax
B
“There is nothing more rewarding than taking a pack of 40 dogs to the beach for a pack walk,” says Millan.
Cesar Millan, star of the National Geographic Channel’s show Dog whisperer and author of the best—selling book Cesar’s way, has a special gift for working with these animals.
Growing up on a farm in Mexico, Millan knew he wanted to work with dogs. His first job, at age 15, was helping a veterinarian(兽医) . He was so good at calming scared dogs and handling all kinds of situations, so people started calling him le perrero, Spanish for “the dog boy.” Since then, he has built a rewarding career around his favorite animal.
“My grandfather taught me at an early age not to work against nature,” he explains. In nature,dogs are pack animals. They form a group and follow one leader. Millan’s specialty is teaching people to be pack leaders for their dogs. Everyone in the family should lead, he says.
He says a lot of people get it backwards because they don’t realize what dogs really need. So the Dog Whisperer doesn’t just train dogs; he trains owners to understand that their pets need rules. At his Dog psychology Center in Los Angeles, California, Millan also works with dogs whose dangerous behavior has prevented them from finding homes. He teaches them to be loving, gentle pets.
Through dog whisperer, viewers can actually see the change in dogs with troublesome behavior. Some dogs go crazy when visitors arrive, for example, while some have more unusual problems.
To find the right career, Millan encourages his kids to do what they enjoy. “A lot of people don’t realize I’ve been working with dogs for more than 20 years ——long before my TV show of book. Success followed me because I was following my dream of being the best dog trainer in the world.”
60. Dog whisperer is .
A. a best —selling bookB. a TV show
C. a dog psychology center D. Millan’s nickname
61. Cesar Millan’s being called el perrero suggests that__________.
A. he was a successful veterinarian B. he was popular with people
C. he liked dogs very much D. his work was fully recognized
62. The key to Millan’s success as a dog trainer is that__________
A. he follows the habits of dogs B. he walks dogs every day
C.he likes working with dogs D. he makes rules for dogs
63. What advice does Millan give on his kids’ career?
A. To become the best dog trainer in the world.
B. To choose what they like and stick to it.
C. Not to work against mature.
D. Not to be influenced by others.