How words came into being is unknown. All we assume（推测）is that some early men invented certain sounds, in one way or another, to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be put together to show those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken or written in letters, are called words.
The power of words, then, lies in their associations - the things they bring up to our minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary style（文体）. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly, or they will make our speech silly and common.We learn from the text that language might have begun with
| A．actions | B．expressions | C．sounds | D．signs |
What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?
| A．The relation of human experience with words. |
| B．The gradual change and development of words. |
| C．The learning of new words. |
| D．The importance of old words. |
In the last paragraph, what does the author suggest that we should do?
| A．Associate with listeners. | B．Make musical speeches. |
| C．Learn poems by heart. | D．Use words skillfully. |
In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. “How much is an ice cream sundae?” “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied a number of coins in it. “How much is a dish of plain ice cream?” he required. Some people were now waiting for a table and the waitress was a bit impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she said rudely. The little boy again counted the coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the bill and departed. When the waitress came back, she began wiping down the table and then swallowed hard at what she saw. There, placed nearly beside the empty dish, were two five-cent coins and five one-cent coins---her tip.
1. In the days , an ice cream is ______________.
A. dearer than usual B. as dear as usual
C. much cheaper than usual D. as cheap as usual
2.How much money did the boy probably have in his pocket?
A. thirty-five cents. B. More than fifty cents.
C. only fifty cents. D. Less than fifty cents.
3.Why did the little boy have only a dish of plain ice cream?
A．The plain ice cream cost him much less.
B．He enjoyed the cheaper ice cream better.
C．The coins were not enough for an ice cream sundae.
D. He wanted to save some coins to tip the waitress.
4.We can infer that the waitress might have felt _____ when she got the tip.
A. very surprised. B. a bit of shame
C. quite pleased D. a little worried
No one wants to look stupid or do the wrong thing at a new job. It is important to make the right impression from the very first day. You will face new people. You will be in a new place.
It may be difficult to know what to do. Here are five tips to help you make it through the first days at a new job:
1. First impressions can last forever. Make sure you make a good one. Before your first day, find out if your new job has a dress code (rules about what you can wear to work). If so, be sure to follow it. No matter what, always be neat and clean.
2. Get to work on time. Give yourself an extra(额外的)15 minutes to make sure you arrive on time.
3. Pay attention to introductions. One of the first things that your supervisor may do is to introduce you to co-workers(同事). These co-workers will be important to you. They are the ones who will answer your questions when the boss is not around.
4. Ask plenty of questions. Make sure that your supervisor has told you what is expected of you. If he or she has not told you your duties, ask for a list. Set daily and weekly goals for yourself.
5. Never be the first one to leave. Observe(观察) what your co-workers do around quitting time (下班时间). It does not look good for you to be eager to leave.
1. Before you arrive at work on the first day, you should __________.
A. dress in a right way
B. introduce yourself
C. know your duties
D. know your co-workers well
2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. You should be the first one to arrive at work.
B. You should ask your co-workers about your duties.
C. You should not be eager to go back home after work.
D. You are required to arrive 15 minutes earlier.
3. According to the passage, your supervisor is most likely your _____________.
A. visitor B. teacher C. workmate D. leader
4. What is the best title for this passage?
A. Getting a New Job.
B. Tips on How to Work.
C. The First-day Work.
D. The Importance of Co-workers.
Because he wrote his name so that it could be read easily, John Hancock has a place in the dictionary.
John Hancock was a wealthy man who helped the patriots in the American Revolution. He was president of the Continental Congress. He was also governor of Massachusetts and one of the first men of sign the Declaration of Independence. Yet he is remembered best for his large signature.
The story is told that when Hancock sat down to sign the Declaration of Independence, he said that he would write his signature large enough for John Bull to read without his glasses. Hancock’s signature on the Declaration is four the three-quarter inches long—an inch longer than his usual signature.
Today John Hancock can be used to mean any person’s signature.
1. The passage is mainly about______________.
A. the American Revolution
B. John Hancock’s handwriting
C. how an American expression began
D. signing the Declaration of Independence
2. Hancock is remembered best because he________.
A. was governor of Massachusetts
B. helped the patriots in the Revolution
C. signed his name in large letters
D. was president of the Continental Congress
3. According to the dictionary, a John Hancock is a________.
A. governor B. man who sign petitions
C. strong patriotD. person’s signature
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Miss Gorgers taught physics in a New York school. Last month she explained to one of her classes about sound, and she decided to test them to see how successful she had been in her explanation. She said to them, “Now I have a brother in Los Angeles. If I was calling him on the phone and at the same time you were 75 feet away, listening to me from the street, which of you would hear what I said earlier, my brother or you and for what reason?”
Tom at once answered, “Your brother. Because electricity travels faster than sound waves.” “That’s very good,” Miss Gorgers answered; but then one of the girls raised her hand, and Miss Gorgers said, “Yes? Kate.”
“I disagree. Your brother would hear you earlier because when it’s 11 o’clock here and it’s only 8 o’clock in Los Angeles.” Kate said.
1. Miss Gorgers was teaching her class ______.
A. how to telephone B. about electricity
C. about time zone D. about sound
2. Miss Gorgers raised this question because she wanted to know whether ______.
A. it was easy to phone to Los Angeles
B. her student could hear her from 75 feet away
C. her students had understood her lesson
D. sound waves were slower than electricity
3. Kate thought Tom was wrong because ______.
A. clocks in Los Angeles showed a different time from those in New York
B. electricity was slower than sound waves
C. Tom was not good at physics at all
D. Tom’s answer had nothing to do with sound waves
4. Whose answer do you think is correct according to the law of physics?
A. Tom’s. B. Kate’s. C. Both A and B. D. Neither A nor B.
Foreign drivers will have to pay on-the-spot fines of up to ￡900 for breaking the traffic law to be carried our next month.
If they do not have enough cash or a working credit card, their vehicles will clamped（扣留）until they pay—and they will face an additional fee of &80 for getting back their vehicles .
The law will also apply to British citizens. The fines will be described officially as “deposits” when the traffic law take effect, because the money would be returned if the driver went to court and was found not guilty, In practice, very few foreign drives are likely to return to Britain to deal with their cases.
Foreign drivers are seldom charged because police cannot take action against them if they fail to appear in court. Instead, officers often only give warnings.
Three million foreign-registered(注册) vehicles enter Britain each year . Polish vehicles make up 36 percent, French vehicles 10 percent and German vehicles 9 percent.
Foreign vehicles are 30 percent more likely to be in a crash(相撞) than British-registered vehicles .The number of crashes caused by foreign vehicles rose by 47 percent between 2003 and 2008. There were almost 400 deaths and serious injuries and 3,000 slight injuries from accidents caused by foreign vehicles in 2008.
The new law is partly intended to settle the problem of foreign lorry drivers ignoring limits on weight and hours at the wheel. Foreign lorries are three times more likely to be in a crash than British lorries. Recent spot checks found that three quarters of Lorries that failed safety tests were registered overseas.
The standard deposit for a careless driving offence —such as driving too close to the vehicle in front or reading a map at the wheel—will be ￡300. Deposits for speeding offences and using mobile phones will be ￡60. Foreign drivers will not get points as punishment added to their licenses(执照), while British drivers will.
1. The first paragraph serves as a(n)_________.
A. explanation B. introduction C. comment D. background.
2. The foreign drivers who break the traffic law and do not pay on the spot are likely to be fined up to_________.
A. ￡60 B. ￡300 C. ￡900 D. ￡980
3. We can learn from the passage that_________.
A. many foreign drivers have been fined by Britain police
B. 300,000 German vehicles enter Britain every year
C. 25 percent of foreign vehicles entering Britain have failed safety tests
D. British drivers will be punished with points and fines for breaking the traffic law
4. The new traffic law mainly plans to_________.
A. limit the number of foreign vehicles entering Britain
B. increase the British movement’s additional income
C. lower the rate of traffic accidents and injuries
D. get foreign drives to appear in count