(2013·湖北，A)
Some years ago, writing in my diary used to be a usual activity. I would return from school and spend the expected half hour recording the day's events, feelings, and impressions in my little blue diary. I did not really need to express my emotions by way of words, but I gained a certain satisfaction from seeing my experiences forever recorded on paper. After all, isn't accumulating memories a way of preserving the past?
When I was thirteen years old, I went on a long journey on foot in a great valley, wellequipped with pens, a diary, and a camera. During the trip, I was busy recording every incident, name and place I came across. I felt proud to be spending my time productively, dutifully preserving for future generations a detailed description of my travels. On my last night there, I wandered out of my tent, diary in hand. The sky was clear and lit by the glare of the moon, and the walls of the valley looked threatening behind their screen of shadows. I automatically took out my pen...
At that point, I understood that nothing I wrote could ever match or replace the few seconds I allowed myself to experience the dramatic beauty of the valley. All I remembered of the previous few days were the dull characterizations I had set down in my diary.
Now, I only write in my diary when I need to write down a special thought or feeling. I still love to record ideas and quotations that strike me in books, or observations that are particularly meaningful. I take pictures, but not very often—only of objects I find really beautiful. I'm no longer blindly satisfied with having something to remember when I grow old. I realize that life will simply pass me by if I stay behind the camera, busy preserving the present so as to live it in the future.
I don't want to wake up one day and have nothing but a pile of pictures and notes. Maybe I won't have as many exact representations of people and places; maybe I'll forget certain facts, but at least the experiences will always remain inside me. I don't live to make memories—I just live, and the memories form themselves.
Before the age of thirteen, the author regarded keeping a diary as a way of ________.
| A．observing her school routine |
| B．expressing her satisfaction |
| C．impressing her classmates |
| D．preserving her history |
What caused a change in the author's understanding of keeping a diary?
| A．A dull night on the journey. |
| B．The beauty of the great valley. |
| C．A striking quotation from a book. |
| D．Her concerns for future generations. |
What does the author put in her diary now?
| A．Notes and beautiful pictures. |
| B．Special thoughts and feelings. |
| C．Detailed accounts of daily activities. |
| D．Descriptions of unforgettable events. |
The author comes to realize that to live a meaningful life is ________.
| A．to experience it |
| B．to live the present in the future |
| C．to make memories |
| D．to give accurate representations of it |
What will man be like in the future——in 5000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make guesses, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly changing all the time.
Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is relatively short period of time, so we may assume that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity. As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and eventually we shall need larger ones! This is likely to bring about a physical change to the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger.
Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses. But over very long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.
On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life.
But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald.
Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own. The passage mainly tells us that____.
| A．man’s life will be different in the future |
| B．future man will look quite different from us |
| C．man is growing taller and uglier as time passes |
| D．the functions of man’s organs(器官) will function as well as today |
Which of the following serves as the evidence that man is changing?
| A．Man’s hair is getting thinner and thinner. |
| B．Man has got stronger eyes now than he ever had. |
| C．Man has been growing taller over the past 500 years. |
| D．Man’s arms and legs have become lighter and weaker. |
The change in man’s size of forehead is probably because__________
| A．he makes use of only 20 % of the brain’s capacity. |
| B．the other 80% of his brain will grow in due（预定的） time. |
| C．his brain has grown larger over the past centuries. |
| D．he will use his brain more and more as time goes on. |
Which of the following is true about a human being in the future?
| A．He thinks and feels in different way. |
| B．He has smaller eyes and wears better glasses. |
| C．He is hairless because hair is no longer useful. |
| D．His fingers grow weaker because he doesn’t use them. |
It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
| A．future life is always predictable（可预测的） |
| B．human beings hope for a change in the future life |
| C．human beings will become less attractive in the future |
| D．Less use of a bodily organ may lead to its degeneration（衰退） |
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission(录取) to medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she taught school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling.
In 1849, after graduation from medical school, she decided to further her education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon(外科医师) , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea.
Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and children Besides being the first woman physician and founding her own hospital , she also set up the first medical school for women. Why couldn’t Elizabeth Blackwell realize her dream of becoming a surgeon?
| A．She couldn’t get admitted to medical school |
| B．She decided to further her education in Paris |
| C．A serious eye problem stopped her |
| D．It was difficult for her to start a practice in the United States |
What main obstacle(障碍) almost destroyed Elizabeth’s chances for becoming a doctor?
| A．She was a woman. |
| B．She wrote too many letters. |
| C．She couldn’t graduate from medical school. |
| D．She couldn’t set up her hospital. |
How many years passed between her graduation from medical school and the opening of her hospital?
| A．Eight years | B．Ten years |
| C．Nineteen years | D．Thirty-six years |
According to the passage, all of the following are “firsts” in the life of Elizabeth Blackwell, except that she ______.
| A．became the first woman physician |
| B．was the first woman doctor |
| C．and several other women founded the first hospital for women and children |
| D．set up the first medical school for women |
Elizabeth Blackwell spent most of her life in _______.
| A．England | B．Paris |
| C．the United States | D．New York City |
Last year more than 13 Korean TV series were introduced in China. Turn on the TV, and Korean beauties are appearing during peak viewing times(黄金时段). Some of the dramas are being repeated, but audiences continue to watch them. Why are the South Korean TV series loved by so many Chinese people? Cheng Yiting, a student from East China Normal University, gives us her reasons. She thinks that the good-looking actors with cool clothes and the beautiful sight in the dramas are the selling points for South Korean TV dramas. But what attracted the young audiences most is the pure and moving love stories.
And it seems that South Korean TV series have also won the hearts of middle-aged people. They are touched by the morals in the shows. These include the importance of respecting elders and social order. Though some people think South Korean TV series are too slow and too long, most of the Chinese audiences like them. Maybe we are really tired of Western TV series. Compared with that, South Korean TV series are not bad.What does the underlined word "moral" in the third line mean?
| A．志向 | B．情节 | C．道德 | D．垃圾 |
Which of the following is not mentioned about South Korean TV?
| A．Love | B．Morals |
| C．Social order | D．Self-respect |
What is the most important reason why South Korean TV series are popular with the young audiences?
| A．The series are slow and long. |
| B．The actors wear cool clothes. |
| C．The stories are pure and moving. |
| D．The actors are good-looking. |
What do you know about South Korean TV series from the passage?
| A．Thirteen more South Korean TV series will be introduced to China. |
| B．Young audiences like South Korean TV series better than middle aged people. |
| C．All the South Korean TV series will be repeated this year. |
| D．Some Chinese think part of South Korean TV series are worth watching twice. |
What does the writer want to tell us?
| A．We are tired of South Korean TV series. |
| B．South Korean TV series are a great success and popular in China. |
| C．South Korean TV series are better than Chinese TV series. |
| D．We can learn a lot from Korean TV series so we need to watch them again and again. |
A young woman carrying a three-year-old child got on a bus. The conductor hurried to give her a warm welcome and then kindly asked the other passengers to make more room for the woman and her child. On seeing this, people began to talk. "You know this conductor used to be very rude. Now suddenly he has changed his bad behavior , "said a middle-aged man.
"Yes, he should be praised and we must write a letter to the company," said a second passenger. "That's right," another lady said, "I wish a newspaper reporter were here so that more people could learn from this conductor."
Just then a gentleman who looked like a teacher turned to the conductor and said, "Excuse me, but can I know your name, please? Your excellent service must be praised..."
Before he could open his mouth, the three-year-old child sitting on the young woman's lap interrupted, "I know his name. I call him Dad." The passengers were ________ to see the conductor's kindness to the woman and the child.
| A．excited | B．pleased |
| C．interested | D．surprised |
One passenger suggested writing a letter to the company to ______ .
| A．make a demand for more buses |
| B．thank the conductor for his good service |
| C．criticize the conductor for his rude behavior |
| D．invite a newspaper reporter to write about the conductor |
What was the gentleman?
| A．A teacher. |
| B．A newspaper reporter. |
| C．Not known from the story. |
| D．The conductor's friend from his company. |
The word "he" in the last paragraph refers to _______.
| A．the gentleman | B．the conductor |
| C．the middle-aged man | D．the three-year-old child |
It is clear from the story that the conductor ______.
| A．has changed his attitude towards his work |
| B．has now been kind and polite to all passengers |
| C．has not changed his rude behavior to passengers |
| D．has now been kind and polite to women with children |
An advertisement
| One of the finest buys on the market in Tara. Spacious home with large living room, separate 15-foot dining with built-in shelves, family room with fireplace, huge kitchen with lots of cabinets（柜厨）, big breakfast room, 2 baths, 4 huge bedrooms (one is separate and could be a playroom or offers a guest room with a separate entrance). There is a beautiful courtyard. Better than new with new air conditioners. Call Lane Hitch (home) 926-6043. |
Who might buy the house after reading the above advertisement?
| A．Some young students. |
| B．A couple with little money |
| C．A big rich family |
| D．A big poor family |
What room has several possible uses?
| A．The living room. | B．The bedroom. |
| C．The dining room. | D．The kitchen. |
What is emphasized（强调）in the description of each room?
| A．Floor. | B．Entrance. |
| C．Size. | D．Windows. |