I grew up in a house where the TV was seldom turned on and with one wall in my bedroom entirely lined with bookshelves, most of my childhood was spent on books I could get hold of. In fact, I grew up thinking of reading as natural as breathing and books unbelievably powerful in shaping perspectives (观点) by creating worlds we could step into, take part. in. and live in.
With this unshakable belief, I, at. fourteen, decided to become a writer. Here too, reading became useful. Every writer starts off knowing that he has something to say, but being unable to find the right ways to say it. He has to find his own voice by reading widely and discovering which parts of the writers he agrees or disagrees with, or agrees with so strongly that it reshapes his own world. He cannot write without loving to read, because only through reading other people’s writing can one discover what works, what doesn’t and, in the end, together with lots of practice, what voice he has.
Now I am in college, and have come to realize how important it is to read fiction (文学作品)．As a. law student, my reading is in fact limited to subject matter—the volume (量) of what I have to read for classes every week means there is little time to read anything else. Such reading made it all the clearer to me that I live in a very small part in this great place called life. Reading fiction reminds me that there is life beyond my own. It allows me to travel across the high seas and along the Silk Road, all from the comfort of my own armchair, to experience, though secondhand, exciting experiences that I wouldn't necessarily be able to have in my lifetime. What can be inferred about the author as a child?
| A． He never watched TV. |
| B． He read what he had to. |
| C． He found reading unbelievable. |
| D． He considered reading part of his life. |
The underlined word "voice" in the second paragraph most probably means “ ”.
| A．an idea |
| B．a sound quality |
| C．a way of writing |
| D．a world to write about |
What effect does reading have on the author?
| A．It helps him to realize his dream. |
| B．It opens up a wider world for him. |
| C．It makes his college life more interesting. |
| D．It increases his interest in worldwide travel. |
Which of the following can be the best title of this text?
| A．Why do I read? |
| B．How do I read? |
| C．What do I read? |
| D．When do I read? |
Peter Onruang, a Hollywood businessman, has paid $310,000 to clone his best friend Wolfie, a lovely dog. He said, “Wolfie was more than just a pet to me.” Wolfie died two years ago, at the age of 15. But long before she and her sister Bubble passed away, Onruang had plans to bring them back to life. Onruang said, “I buried them at home. Each time I visit them, I say, ‘Hi, I’m making a new body for you.’”
Finally, Onruang found the South Korean biotechnology company RNL Bio, which can and will clone animals. Onruang collected his dogs’ stem cells (干细胞), and then he started a website MyFriendAgain.com, so he could earn and save the $310,000 that the cloning would cost.
The new dogs should look identical (完全相同的) to Wolfie and Bubble. When the cloning process is done, Onruang may end up with several clones of each dog. But Onruang admits he’s still not sure that they will be exactly the same.
Scientists cloned the first animal, a sheep named Dolly, in 1996 in Scotland. That project has raised ethical (伦理的) questions about where science should draw the line. Another question is whether such technique will lead to a day when humans could be cloned.
“If I had an opportunity to clone myself, I would do it readily,” Onruang said. “Because it’s me, I’m raising myself. I have already known exactly my strengths and weaknesses. This person is going to be the new and improved me, and will live the life I’ve always wanted to live.”Onruang started the website MyFriendAgain.com in order to.
| A．encourage more people to clone their pets |
| B．draw people’s attention to cloning |
| C．collect his dog’s stem cells |
| D．raise money to pay for the cloning |
The purpose of the fourth paragraph is to tell us.
| A．when and where scientists cloned the first sheep Dolly |
| B．people are in favor of the clone technology |
| C．there are arguments about the clone technology |
| D．cloning will be of great benefit to humans |
What is Onruang’s attitude towards cloning humans?
| A．He doesn’t care about it. |
| B．He is enthusiastic about it. |
| C．He strongly opposes it. |
| D．He never thinks about it. |
The wedding（婚礼） took place in a Birmingham hotel. The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sports car. Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras. The bride wore a silk wedding dress. She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the very first time.
Carla Germaine and Greg Cordell were the winners of a radio station’s competition. The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other. Miss Germaine, 23, is a model. Mr. Cordell, 27, is a TV salesman. They were among the two hundred people who entered for a particular “experiment” organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham, England. Greg and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on radio. They took a lie detector （测谎仪）test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities. The competition judges included an astrologer（占卜家）who declared that they were suited.
The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening, but not everyone shared their joy. Miss Germaine’s mother looked anxious through-out the wedding and Mr. Cordell’s parents are reported to be less than delighted.
Organizations, including the marriage guidance service Relate, have criticized the marriage. As one expert put it, “we have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously. Marriage should always be about love.”
The couples are now on a Caribbean honeymoon followed by journalists. Their other prizes include a year’s free use of a wonderful apartment in the centre of Birmingham, and a car. But will it last?How did the couple’s parents react to the wedding?
| A．The bride’s mother shared their joy. |
| B．The bridegroom’s parents were quite delighted |
| C．The bridegroom’s parents were not that joyful. |
| D．The bride’s father felt uncomfortable about the wedding. |
Some experts believe that ________.
| A．marriage without the couple’s meeting each other first ends up in divorce. |
| B．most young people take marriage seriously except this couple. |
| C．young people nowadays are too careless about marriage. |
| D．taking a lie detector test can not solve all the marriage problems. |
One of the prizes for the couple is ________.
| A．to spend their honeymoon wherever they like. |
| B．to use an apartment free for some time. |
| C．to have a wedding dress free. |
| D．to own an American sports car. |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．Two Strangers and a Wedding. | B．A Wedding Based on love. |
| C．A Short--lived Marriage. | D．A Well--Matched Couple. |
Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners（小餐馆）for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.
A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t a real diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.
Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.
Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.
Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is the word “diner” in quotation marks(引号)？
| A．Because it is spelled differently from “ dinner” |
| B．Because diner was a new word |
| C．Because the first diner was not what it is now |
| D．Because it is a special kind of restaurant |
According to paragraph 3, diners changed in __________
| A．Two ways | B．four ways |
| C．three ways | D．five ways |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Diners existed before a fast-food restaurant |
| B．The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee |
| C．Sandwiches became bigger |
| D．Burger King is a fast-food restaurant |
The main idea of the passage is that ______________.
| A． Samuel Johns built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside |
| B． The diner is a traditional , popular place to eat in the United States |
| C． American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers |
| D． Diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways |
One day an old woman was traveling alone in the mountains. Suddenly she saw something shining in the stream. When she came close, she found it was a precious stone. She put the stone into her bag and went on with her trip.
The next day the old woman met a young man, who was also a traveler in the mountains. The young man looked very hungry, so the old woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked carefully, “The stone is beautiful. Would you like to give it to me?”
“Sure. Why not?” the woman said, and handed the stone to him.
The young man left happily with the stone. He knew it was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back and hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within your bag.”
The woman opened her bag. It was almost empty. She looked at the young man and smiled, “I have nothing special in my bag, but I do have something precious — the joy of giving!” The young man felt ashamed and left silently. How did the young man find the precious stone?
| A．He found it in his food. |
| B．He dug it out in a valley. |
| C．He saw it in the woman’s bag. |
| D．He noticed it shining in the stream. |
What does the underlined word “security” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．Money. | B．Worry. | C．Health. | D．Trouble. |
The man returned the stone to the woman because ______.
| A．he found the stone was not precious |
| B．he understood the real meaning of joy |
| C．he felt embarrassed at taking away the stone |
| D．he wanted to get something even more precious |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．A special stone |
| B．The joy of giving |
| C．A woman and a young man |
| D．An experience in the mountains |
One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?
Listen — Listen when they are talking. Don't say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it's not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.
Help them — If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don't do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra (额外的) pencil or pen with you to classes in case (以防) they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.
Be there for them — Try to make something for your friend to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and encouraging them are among the nicest things you can do for a friend. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U．S. actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control. But if you can't stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve (值得) to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don't want to stay with your friends when they're in hard times, then you don't deserve to be with them when they're having a good time!
Make plans — Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you'll remember these things when you're all old!While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should ________.
| A．give him or her some advice |
| B．calm him or her down |
| C．just listen unless asked |
| D．share your feelings as well |
When we provide help for our friends, we should_______
| A．put them before ourselves | B．try to do everything for them |
| C．Change their bad habits first | D．ignore their faults |
What can we learn from Marilyn Monroe’s words?
| A．Life without a friend is death. |
| B．A friend is easier lost than foud |
| C．A man is known by his friends |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How to find a good friend. |
| B．How to be a good friend. |
| C．How to help friends in trouble. |
| D．How to make more friends. |