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? |
Tanzania Tarangire is a national park in Tanzania. The park itself covers an area of around 2,850 square kilometers, making it the sixth largest park of its kind in the country. I recently visited it to see what it was like.
One of the first sightings upon entering the park I found was a huge group of elephants. Our guide told us Tarangire was probably the best place in Tanzania to find large groups of elephants. We continued to watch the elephants as they stood under trees and scratched(搔)themselves against the trees to hit the spot of an itch(痒)．
To the right of the elephant group, we noticed a big tree. Our guide informed us that this was a baobab tree and that Tarangire was one of the best national parks in Africa to see so many baobab trees.
As we continued our drive through the park, we finally reached a watering hole. Our guide warned us there were lions all around us. Most of them were resting in the shade under bushes, but there was one that was drinking from the watering hole directly in front of us. We then noticed there were a couple of fresh zebra corpses(尸体)—it seemed as if the resting lions had killed them!
Our final big sighting was one that none of us were expecting to see！We pulled over to where there was a large gathering of cars, with a sleeping leopard there！We took photos happily and excitedly and observed its surprising body before returning to our hotel as it was getting late.
So I hope you enjoyed my description of Tarangire，and that I've inspired you to add this amazing park to your very own Tanzania travel plan.we can learn from the passage that Tanzania Tarangire ______.
| A．is the sixth largest park in Tanzania |
| B．is one of the best places to hunt animals. |
| C．is famous for its amazing animals and plants |
| D．has the largest number of elephants in the world |
Elephants scratched themselves against the trees because______ .
| A．they felt uncomfortable |
| B．the weather was too hot |
| C．they were angry about something |
| D．they were playing with each other |
How did the author travel in Tanzania Tarangire?
| A．By bicycle. | B．By train. |
| C．On foot. | D．By car. |
What does the author think of his trip in Tanzania Tarangire?
| A．Boring. | B．Enjoyable. |
| C．Dangerous. | D．Challenging. |
Harriet Tubman was an AfricanAmerican woman who fought against slavery. She was born in 1820. She helped many people escape from slavery through the Underground Railroad. It was an organized effort to help slaves from the southern states to areas that banned slavery.
Slaves could be sold freely. Families were often separated. Harriet married a free black man named John Tubman in 1844, yet she remained a slave. In 1849, the farmer who owned her died. Then she ran to the home of a white woman who had offered to help her.
This woman told her how to reach another home where she could hide. Harriet Tubman went from place to place in this way. This was how the Underground Railroad operated. Finally，she went into the northern state of Pennsylvania. During the next ten years，she led an expanded Underground Railroad，and helped 300 slaves escape.
Harriet Tubman found another way to fight against slavery during the Civil War. She went into the southern states to spy(做间谍) for the North. After the Civil War，Harriet Tubman settled in New York State. She gave speeches to raise money for better education for black Americans, worked for women's rights and sought help for older adults who had been slaves.
Harriet Tubman died in 1913.By that time, she had been recognized as an American heroine(女英雄)．What does the passage mainly tell us?
| A．The Underground Railroad. |
| B．The history of American slavery. |
| C．Harriet's hard life and bravery. |
| D．Harriet's fight against slavery. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The Underground Railroad was a way to freedom. |
| B．Everyone knew that there was a way to free land. |
| C．Black people were cared about by many white people. |
| D．Black people looked down upon white people. |
From Paragraph 4, we learn that when the Civil War broke out, Harriet________.
| A．worked for the South |
| B．did a lot of work for the patients as a doctor |
| C．helped everyone to go to school |
| D．got secret information for the North |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Harriet was recognized as a heroine. |
| B．Harriet fought against slavery in many ways. |
| C．Harriet helped only black people in her life. |
| D．Harriet helped black people to get better education. |
London’s newest skyscraper (摩天大楼) is called the Shard and it cost about 430 million pounds to build. At a height of almost 310 metres, it is the tallest building in Europe. The Shard has completely changed the appearance of London. However, not everyone thinks that it is a change for the better.
The Shard was designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano. When he began designing the Shard for London, Piano wanted a very tall building that looked like a spire (尖顶). He wanted the glass surfaces to reflect the sky and the city. The sides of the building aren’t regular. So the building has an unusual shape. It looks like a very thin, sharp piece of broken glass. And that is how the building got the name: the Shard. Piano says that the spire shape of the Shard is part of a great London tradition. The shape reminds him of the spires of the churches of London or the tall masts (桅杆) of the ships that were once on the river Thames.
The Shard has 87 floors. At the top, there is an observatory. At the moment the building is empty, but eventually there will be a five-star hotel. There will also be top quality restaurants, apartments and offices.
Before building work began, a lot of people didn’t want the Shard though the plans were approved. Now they are still unhappy about the Shard. Some critics say that such a tall skyscraper might be good in a city like New York, but not in London. They say that the best thing about the Shard is its spire shape. But that is the only thing. There is no decoration, only flat surfaces. The Egyptians did that 4,500 years ago. They also think the Shard is too big for London. It destroys the beauty of the city.
Other critics don’t like what the Shard seems to represent. They say that the Shard shows how London is becoming more unequal. Only very rich people can afford to buy the expensive private apartments and stay in the hotel. But the people who live near the Shard are among the poorest in London. So the Shard seems a symbol of the division in society between the very rich and the poor.
The Shard now dominates the London skyline. It is not certain, however, that ordinary London citizens will ever accept it as a valuable addition to the city. London’s newest skyscraper is called the Shard because of ______.
| A．its cost | B．its size |
| C．its shape | D．its height |
When he designed the Shard, Piano wanted it to ______.
| A．change London’s skyline |
| B．inherit London’s tradition |
| C．imitate the Egyptian style |
| D．attract potential visitors |
Some people criticize the Shard for the following reasons except that_______.
| A．it has a spire shape |
| B．it is too tall a building for London |
| C．the design of its surfaces is somewhat outdated |
| D．it ruins the beauty of London |
The critics who refer to social division think the Shard ______.
| A．is only preferred by the rich |
| B．is intended for wealthy people |
| C．is far away from the poor area |
| D．is popular only with Londoners |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Shard: Cheers and Claps |
| B．The Shard: Work of a Great Architect |
| C．The Shard: New Symbol of London? |
| D．The Shard: A Change for the Better? |
People aren’t walking any more---if they can figure out a way to avoid it..
I felt superior about this matter until the other day I took my car to mail a small parcel. The journey is a matter of 281 steps. But I used the car. And I wasn’t in any hurry, either. I had merely become one more victim of a national sickness: motorosis.
It is an illness to which I had thought myself immune, for I was bred in the tradition of going to places on my own two legs. At that time, we regarded 25 miles as good day’s walk and the ability to cover such a distance in ten hours as sign of strength and skill. It did not occur to us that walking was a hardship. And the effect was lasting. When I was 45 years old I raced –and beat—a teenage football player the 168 steps up the Stature of Liberty.
Such enterprises today are regarded by many middle-aged persons as bad for the heart. But a well-known British physician, Sir Adolphe Abrahams, pointed out recently that hearts and bodies need proper exercise. A person who avoids exercise is more likely to have illnesses than one who exercises regularly. And walking is an ideal form of exercise--- the most familiar and natural of all.
It was Henry Thoreau who showed mankind the richness of going on foot. The man walking can learn the trees, flower, insects, birds and animals, the significance of seasons, the very feel of himself as a living creature in a living world. He cannot learn in a car.
The car is a convenient means of transport, but we have made it our way of life. Many people don’t dare to approach Nature any more; to them the world they were born to enjoy is all threat. To them security is a steel river thundering on a concrete road. And much of their thinking takes place while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
I say that the green of forests is the mind’s best light. And none but the man on foot can evaluate what is basic and everlasting.What is the national sickness?
| A．Walking too much |
| B．Traveling too much |
| C．Driving cars too much |
| D．Climbing stairs too much. |
What was life like when the author was young?
| A．People usually went around on foot. |
| B．people often walked 25 miles a day |
| C．People used to climb the Statue of Liberty. |
| D．people considered a ten-hour walk as a hardship. |
The author mentions Henry Thoreau to prove that________.
| A．middle-aged people like getting back to nature |
| B．walking in nature helps enrich one’s mind |
| C．people need regular exercise to keep fit |
| D．going on foot prevents heart disease |
What is compared to “a steel river” in Paragraph 6?
| A．A queue of cars | B．A ray of traffic light |
| C．A flash of lightning | D．A stream of people |
What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?
| A．To tell people to reflect more on life. |
| B．To recommend people to give up driving |
| C．To advise people to do outdoor activities |
| D．To encourage people to return to walking |
Following some of the tips for green living helps save our planet. All of these involve just a few changes to our daily habits.
Just walk and limit the use of your car. One of the poster images of pollution is our vehicles. It burns fuel. It is not as efficient as we hope it could be, and we use it every single day. To lessen the effects of the air pollution caused by our vehicles, we should limit their use. If we can walk to our destination then just let us go. Not only do we lessen our carbon dioxide emissions, but we also get a good exercise out of it.
Use a laptop instead of a computer desktop. Laptops are more energy efficient compared to their bigger counterparts. A laptop is generally 50 percent more efficient in using electricity. Aside from that there are other benefits of a laptop. It is portable so you can work anywhere you like and that you get powerful features without the large size of desktop units.
Turn off the faucet while you are brushing your teeth. It is always a better idea to use a glass when we are brushing our teeth and not to just let the faucet keep on running. Therefore，there is less water to waste while we are cleaning our pearly whites. Simply turn off the faucet when you are not using it.
Make good use of natural light. We have a great and natural lamp --- the sun, and we should learn how to take full advantage of it during daytime. So instead of turning on our lights or lamps even if it is still not evening, we should pull up the drapes and let the natural light come in from the windows.
These are just some of the best tips for green living, but of course there are still many of these tips if you just search for them. But you can do your own variation any time just always prioritize how you can use less energy and produce even lesser trash and pollution.What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Save Our Planet |
| B．How to Change Our Daily Habits |
| C．Tips for Green Living Today |
| D．Green Living and Serious Pollution |
Compared with a computer desktop, a laptop is__________.
| A．less energy efficient | B．faster at work |
| C．easy to repair | D．easy to carry |
How many tips does the passage mention for green living today?
| A．Three | B．Four |
| C．Five | D．Six |
The underlined word “prioritize” in the last paragraph can be replaced by the word_________.
| A．decrease | B．consider |
| C．imagine | D．guess |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．A few changes to daily habits can help a lot. |
| B．While washing teeth we should turn off the faucet. |
| C．Vehicles bring pollution and we should try to avoid. |
| D．In the daytime we should not pull up the drapes. |