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? |
E
The CEO of Apple,Steve Jobs’story about death
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life.
I was diagnosed with cancer.The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months.My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors' code for preparing yourself to die.
I lived with that diagnosis all day.I was completely in despair.Later that evening, I had another biopsy (活组织检查) and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery.I had the surgery and I'm fine now. This was the closest I've been to facing death.
To tell the truth, no one wants to die.And yet death is the destination we all share.No one has ever escaped it.It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Your time is so limited that you shouldn't waste it repeating someone else's life.Don't be trapped by dogma (教条)-which is living with the results of other people's thinking.Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become.Everything else is secondary. The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because________.
| A．he had to rest at home |
| B．his disease was not serious at all |
| C．his disease couldn't be cured |
| D．he had to wait for the result of the test |
How did the author feel after the diagnosis?
| A．Angry. |
| B．Excited. |
| C．Optimistic. |
| D．Hopeless. |
What does the author think of death?
| A．He thinks it is nothing to be scared of. |
| B．He thinks it is not the end of life. |
| C．He thinks it is impossible to avoid. |
| D．He thinks it is the beginning of a new life. |
In Steve Jobs' opinion, we should ________.
| A．follow others' advice |
| B．take no notice of diseases |
| C．take exercise and keep healthy |
| D．have the courage to follow our heart |
D
Something big is happening to the human race， something that could be called the Great Transformation.
The Transformation consists of all the changes that are occurring in human life due to advancing technology. For thousands of years such progress occurred slowly. Now everything is changing so fast that you may find yourself wondering where all this progress is really leading.
Nobody knows what all these changes really will mean in the long run. But this mysterious Transformation is the biggest story of all time. it is the story of the human race itself.
Some people worry about what will happen when the deposits (蕴藏) of petroleum are gone， but already researchers are finding all kinds of new ways to obtain energy. Someday， solar power collected by satellites circling the earth or fission (裂变) power produced by mankind may give us all the energy we need for an expanding civilization. Space exploration promises to open up much new land for human settlement， as well as leading to the harvest of mineral resources.
Like it or not， our advancing technology has made us masters of the earth. We not only control all the other animals， but we are reshaping the world's plant life and even its soil and rocks， its waters and surrounding air.
Technology gives us the power to build a magnificent new civilization， if we can just agree on what we want it to be. But today， there is little global agreement on goals and how we should achieve them.
So it remains to be seen what will happen as a result of our technology. Pessimists (悲观者) worry that we will use the technology eventually to blow ourselves up. But they have been saying that for decades， and so far we have escaped. Whether we will continue to do so remains unknown， but we can continue to hope. The great Transformation is caused by___________.
| A．changes in human life |
| B．the development of science and technology |
| C．space exploration |
| D．unknown reasons |
Today it is impossible for people to build a remarkable new civilization because___________.
| A．nobody is optimistic about the future |
| B．human beings are unable to do so |
| C．people disagree with each other in many ways |
| D．people are worried too much |
According to the passage， pessimists believe that___________ .
| A．the future of the world will remain unknown |
| B．technological advances will destroy the human race at last |
| C．technological advances help little in people's life |
| D．there is no need to develop technology |
C(2010 ‘江苏)
Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of correct answers. That question is‘What’s your name?’ Everyone gives a different answer. but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean?
People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used Some parents choose the name of a well-known person A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means‘ bright’; Beatrice means‘0ne who gives happiness’; Donald means‘world ruler’ ;Leonard means 6 as brave as a lion’.
The earliest last names, or Surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near a brook（小溪） ; someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are : Carter – a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter-a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Tallman John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or-son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish People added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell. Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?
| A．Places where people lived. |
| B．People’s characters. |
| C．Talents that people possessed. |
| D．People’s occupations. |
According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably___________.
| A．owned or drove a cart |
| B．made things with metals |
| C．made kitchen tools or containers |
| D．built houses and furniture |
Suppose an English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named___________.
| A．Beatrice Smith |
| B．Leonard Carter |
| C．George Longstreet |
| D．Donald Greenwood |
The underlined word ‘descendants’ in the last paragraph means a person’s___________.
| A．later generations |
| B．friends and relatives |
| C．colleagues and partners |
| D．later sponsors |
B(2010 天津)
Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules. . . planning your next move. . . acting as a team member. . . these are all ‘game’ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek Such games are entertaining and fun But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating(合作)．
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination（协调） needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world People on all continents play it-some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He I created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life. Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to___________．
| A．be a team leader |
| B．obey the basic rules |
| C．act as a grown-up |
| D．predict possible danger |
The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can___________
| A．describe life in an exciting way |
| B．turn real-life experiences into a play |
| C．make learning life skills more interesting |
| D．change people’s views of sporting events |
According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?
| A．It inspires people’s deep love for the country. |
| B．It proves the exceptional skills of the winners. |
| C．It helps the country Out of natural disasters. |
| D．It earns the winners fame and fortune. |
Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to______.
| A．bring fun to poor kids |
| B．provide soccer balls for children |
| C．give poor kids a chance for a better life |
| D．appeal to soccer players to help poor kids |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A Games benefit people all their lives.
B. Sports can get all athletes together.
C. People are advised to play games for fun
D. Sports increase a country’s competitiveness.
Science can't explain the power of pets, but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure (血压) and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack, reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer.
Any owner will tall you how much joy a pet brings. For some, an animal provides more comfort than a husband/wife. A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress (紧张) levels and blood pressure in people - half of them pet owners –while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic (算术) or held a hand in ice water. Subjects completed the tasks alone, with a husband/wife, a close friend or with a pet. People with pets did
It best .Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned Most quickly to baseline heart rates .With pets in the room ,people also made fewer math mistakes Than when doing in front of other companions. It seems people feel more released(放松)around Pets, says Allen, who thinks it may be because pets don't judge.
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits. Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a Year studying 36 fat people and were put on a diet-and-exercise programs; a separate group of 56 fat people without pets were put on a diet program. On average，people lost about 11 pounds， Or 5% of their body weight .Their dogs did even better，losing an average of 12 pounds，more then 15%of their body weight .Dog owners didn't lose any more weight than those without dogs but ,say Researchers，got more exercise overall –mostly with their dogs –and found it worth doing. What does the text mainly discuss?
| A．What pets bring to their owners |
| B．How pets help people calm down |
| C．people's opinions of keeping pets |
| D．Pet's value in medical research |
We learn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if ____________
| A．he has a pet companion |
| B．he has less stress of work |
| C．he often dose mental arithmetic |
| D．he is taken care of by his family |
According to Allen, why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks?
| A．They have lower blood pressure. |
| B．They become more patient. |
| C．They are less nervous. |
| D．They are in higher spirits. |
The research mentioned in the last paragraph reports that
| A．people with dogs did more exercise |
| B．dogs lost the same weight as people did |
| C．dogs liked exercise much more than people did |
| D．people without dogs found the program unhelpful |