I hear many parents saying that their teenage children are rebellion（反叛的）. I wish it were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are all taking the same way of showing that they degree with their parents. Instead of striking out bravely on their own, most of them are trying to seize at one another’s hands for safety.
They say they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon(蚕茧) -----into a larger cocoon.
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly opened up a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from newspapers and TV what a teenager should have and be. And many of today’s parents have come to award（奖励） high narks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to great difficulty for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the difficulty is worth getting over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don’t care to share at once with your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come-----with the people who respect you for who you are. That’s the only kind of popularity that really counts.The writer’s purpose in writing this passage is to tell_______.
| A．readers how to be popular in the world |
| B．parents how to control and guide their children |
| C．teenagers how to learn to decide things for themselves |
| D．people how to understand and respect each other |
According to the writer, many teenagers think they are brave enough to act on their own, but, in fact, most of them______.
| A．are not sure of themselves |
| B．have much difficulty in understanding each other |
| C．dare not do things |
| D．are very much afraid of getting lost |
During the teenage years, one should learn to_____.
| A．become different from others in as many ways as possible |
| B．find one’s real self |
| C．get into the right reason and become popular |
| D．rebel against parents |
Drawings of human colonies on other planets often picture the entire community under a glass or plastic bubble. The bubble is intended to create an atmosphere with adequate oxygen and other essential elements. But similar bubble-like structures have also been constructed on earth. One of the most famous, and controversial, is a site in the Arizona desert.
Biosphere 2, as it is called, was built not far from Tucson in 1984 and is now run by Columbia University. This huge（7,200,000-cubic-foot）glass and steel construction contains several separate ecosystems, including a desert, a rain forest, and a 900,000-gallon “ocean.” The climatic conditions-humidity, temperature, air quality-are regulated by sensors and can be adjusted as needed or desired. For example, a rainstorm can be created to increase the humidity. The adjustable features of Biosphere 2 make it an ideal location to perform experiments to help determine the effects of such climatic changes as global warming.
The current conditions at Biosphere 2 are vastly different from those in 1993, when eight people who had moved into the environment with great fanfare two years earlier moved out in failure. Though promising to be self-sufficient（自足的）, these “colonists” had so much trouble regulating the environment that they reportedly had food smuggled into them. Oxygen levels became dangerously low; most plants and animals died. In taking over the unsuccessful site, Columbia hopes to erase its notorious past by focusing on small research projects that gradually answer some of Biosphere 1’s — that is, Earth’s most basic environment questions.This passage primarily deals with _________.
| A．conditions of life in Biosphere 2 |
| B．building controlled environments on other planets |
| C．why Biosphere 2 failed in the past |
| D．what makes a good biosphere colonist |
Biosphere 2 is now run by _________.
| A．a group of eight colonists |
| B．Columbia University |
| C．the city of Tucson |
| D．scientists who hope to establish Biosphere 3 |
The passage suggests that earlier colonists of Biosphere 2 _________.
| A．did not like living in a controlled environment |
| B．found it very difficult to live in a controlled environment |
| C．still are involved with Biosphere 2 |
| D．have now left the country in disgrace |
The writer helps you understand what Biosphere 2 is like by _________.
| A．comparing its features with those of an outer space biosphere |
| B．explaining the process by which it was constructed |
| C．referring to an interview with one of former inhabitants |
| D．describing its appearance and conditions |
In paragraph 3 the word “notorious” means _________.
| A．well known for something good | B．well known for something bad |
| C．very dangerous | D．quite interesting |
Making an apology is not the same as making amends. Sometimes we apologize just because it’s the easiest thing to do. What’s actually important is to identify where we go wrong, take full responsibility for our mistakes and , if possible, try to make up for them.
A recent case involving Hewlett-Packed, the US computer giant, shows the importance of presenting a sincere apology. The Chinese consumers who had bought notebook computers of certain models, which have been put on Chinese market since 2007, suffered a massive flash screen failures and overheating problems. Through investigation, Chinese AQSIQ (国家质检总局) identified these HP computers had quality problems and HP admitted this. HP made a proposal that they would extend the warranty (保修) period of such computers, but this could not satisfied the consumers. What they needed was a thorough description of the truth. HP has “sincerely” apologized. But the consumers remain angry, and say that only a product recall — as HP has done in the past — will prove that the apology is sincere.
Another apology that fell flat on its face was that of Thierry Henry, the famous French footballer. His deliberate handball in November 2009 created the goal which knocked Ireland out of the 2010 World Cup. The incident caused great anger in the football world, and eventually Henry issued an apology. Two days later, he wrote, “I’m not the referee…but if I hurt someone I’m sorry.” Better late than never, perhaps, but even then he passed the blame onto the referee!
Such high-profile cases, which attract a lot of publicity often under the spotlight, but similar incidents occur in our everyday lives. Stress caused by schoolwork and tiredness can sometimes result in outbursts of anger against friends and family. Have you ever lost your temper for minor reasons? After calming down, most people are quick to realize their mistake and apologize. But it’s just as important to identify what caused the error in the first place and take action to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
No one should hold a negative attitude to making a sincere apology. Empty words are easy to say, but they are as useless as they sound. A real show of remorse（痛悔;自责）demands hard work and commitment to put error right.What does the author intend to tell us in the case of HP?
| A．A true apology needs sincere actions. |
| B．HP should recall all the faulty computers. |
| C．Good quality makes a good company. |
| D．A company should apologize and pay for their mistakes. |
According to the author, when we do anything wrong we firstly _________.
| A．make an apology face to face honestly |
| B．admit we were wrong and try to make the wrong right |
| C．take the responsibility for apologizing to others |
| D．choose the easiest thing to do |
We can infer from the case of Thierry Henry that _________ .
| A．it’s never too late to say “I’m sorry.” |
| B．writing an apology is not a good idea |
| C．Henry didn’t identify his fault. |
| D．the football fans were mad with Henry. |
Which of the following can best explain the word “commitment” in the last paragraph?
| A．Decision. | B．Promise. | C．Agreement. | D．Responsibility. |
What’s the best title of this passage?
| A．What really puts things right |
| B．Don’t apologize easily |
| C．Making an apology — no one is out of exception |
| D．How to judge an apology — sincere enough? |
The idea about the phoenix goes back to Ancient Egypt, where we find the phoenix described as a handsome, eagle-like bird, with part-golden, part-red plumage, that spent most of its life in the Arabian deserts. It was rarely seen and according to one version of the story, only appeared in Egypt once every five hundred years, when it flew to Heliopolis, “city of the sun”, and deliberately burnt itself to ashes by settling on the altar (祭坛) flame there! However, it seems it did not really die because from those same ashes a young, fully formed phoenix was born and flew away, apparently back to Arabia.
It is pretty obvious that no one has ever seen or will see a living phoenix. The interesting thing is that we can find certain clues which may explain one aspect of the Egyptians’ idea. It may sound unbelievable, but some birds are apparently quite charmed by flames and small fires, especially members of the crow family. One zoologist actually proved this by setting fire to some straw near to a tame（驯养的）rook, a large black bird like a crow. Far from becoming nervous and backing away, the bird deliberately stood over the flames, with raised and vibrating wings. It didn’t get burnt, but the image it presented by its strange behavior was almost exactly like that shown in illustrations of the mythical phoenix!
Why birds should occasionally behave in this strange way is not clear. One idea is that they carefully use the heat of the flames to relieve the annoyance caused by their feather mites (虱) which all birds have. Whatever the reason, it is quite possible that the Ancient Egyptians saw birds behaving in this way, from time to time, and used it as the basis of their phoenix myth, adding fanciful details which closely linked it to their worship of the sun and their belief in resurrection.
Nowadays, the phoenix is much less important to us than it was to the Egyptians. But the logo of modern fire insurance companies, which employ the phoenix as one of their symbols, refers that in one sense the idea of it remains. According to the passage, the phoenix _________ .
| A．is a handsome and eagle-like bird living in Arab |
| B．used to be seen when the Egyptians held religious activities |
| C．has never really existed in the world |
| D．is the king of all kinds of birds |
The reason why birds stand above flames is probably that _________ .
| A．the phoenix used to do so | B．they may get rid of the mites |
| C．they want to burn their feather | D．they can heat themselves |
Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
| A．The ancient Egyptians worshiped the phoenix. |
| B．The scientists have discovered why birds are attracted by fire. |
| C．The modern people still favor the idea of the phoenix. |
| D．The mythical tales about the phoenix were based on facts. |
Which of the following is closest to the underlined word “resurrection” in the 3rd paragraph?
| A．living forever | B．offering warmth |
| C．coming back to life | D．staying healthy |
What does the phoenix probably mean in the logo of a fire insurance company?
| A．Our company can protect you from being harmed by fire. |
| B．If your property is destroyed by fire, we will help you build it up again. |
| C．Our company will always be energetic and wealthy. |
| D．If needed, we will save you at the risk of losing lives. |
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填人一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为16 ~ 25的相应位置上。
As a child, I was always out exploring my local area, whether swimming at the beaches or hiking through the bush. Australia’s outdoor lifestyle had me hooked on adventure and nature. I always wanted to explore 16else was out there. Going on family holidays to many of the East Coast beach towns was always 17fun adventure into the 18(know). I came to love the beauty of world, and began to recognize just 19much the planet had to offer, even 20my experience of it was only in my backyard.
Also, Australia is very remote and detached from the rest of the world. 21(Europe) often drive into other countries for 22 summer vacations. We never had that luxury and international travel seemed all the more exotic and 23(adventure) to me. Very often, we 24(expose) to other countries through TV and movies, 25I wanted to experience it for myself.
Hans was an honest fellow with a funny round good-humored face. Living alone, every day he worked in his garden. In all the countryside there was no garden so lovely as his. All sorts of flowers grew there, blooming in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to see, and pleasant odors to smell.
Hans had many friends, the most devoted being the Miller. So devoted was the rich Miller to Hans, that he’d never go by his garden without plucking a large bunch of flowers or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with fruits. The Miller used to talk about noble ideas, and Hans nodded and smiled, felling proud of having such a friend.
The neighbors thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave Hans anything in return, though he had hundreds of sacks of flour, many cows and sheep; but Hans never troubled his head about these, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things about the unselfishness of true friendship.
In spring, summer, and autumn Hans was very happy, but when winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to sell, he suffered from cold and hunger. Though extremely lonely, the Miller never came to see him then.
“There’s no good in going to see Hans while the snow last.” The Miller said to his wife, “When people are in trouble they shouldn’t be bothered. So I’ll wait till the spring comes when he’s happy to give me flowers.”
“You’re certainly very thoughtful,” answered his wife, “It’s quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship.”
“Couldn’t we ask Hans up here?” said their son. “I’ll give him half my meal, and show him my white rabbits.”
“How silly you are!” cried the Miller; “I really don’t know what’s the use of sending you to school. If Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, our good supper, and our red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I am his best friend, and I’ll always watch over him, and see that he’s not led into any temptation. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me for some flour. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they shouldn’t be confused. The words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that” He looked seriously at his son, who felt so ashamed that he hung his head down, and grew quite scared, and began to cry into his tea.
Spring coming, the Miller went down to see Hans. Again he talked about friendship. “Hans, friendship never forgets. I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life. See, how lovely your roses are!”
Hands said he wanted to sell them in the market to buy back his things which were sold during the hard time of the winter.
“I’ll give you many good things. I think being generous is the base of friendship.” said the Miller. “And now, as I’ll give you many good things, I’m sure you’d like to give me some flowers in return. Here’s the basket, and fill it quite full.”
Poor Hans was afraid to say anything, he ran and plucked all his pretty roses, and filled the Miller’s basket, imagining the many good things promised by the Miller.
The next day he heard the Miller calling: “Hans, would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?”
“I’m sorry, but I am really very busy today.”
“Well,” said the Miller, “considering that I’m going to give you my things, it’s rather unfriendly of you to refuse. Upon my word, you mustn’t mind my speaking quite plainly to you.”
Poor Hans was driven by his friendship theory to work hard for his best friend, leaving his garden dry and wasted.
One evening Hans was sitting by fire when the Miller came.
“Hans,” cried the Miller, “My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I’m going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it’s such a bad windy night. It has just occurred to me that you can go instead of me. You know I’m going to give you my good things, so you should do something for me in return.”
“Certainly,” cried Hans. He struggled into the stormy night, and got the doctor to ride a horse to the Miller’s house in time to save the boy. However, Hans got lost in the darkness, and wandered off into a deep pool, drowned.
At Hans’ funeral, the Miller said: “I was his best friend. I should walk at the head of the procession.” Every now and then he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. .From the passage, we can learn that Hans ______.
| A．was extremely wise and noble | B．was highly valued by the Miller |
| C．admired the Miller very much | D．had a strong desire for fortune |
. “Flour is one thing, and friendship is another” can be understood as ______.
| A．“Different words may mean quite different things.” |
| B．“Interest is permanent while friendship is flexible.” |
| C．“I’m afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life.” |
| D．“I think being generous is the base of friendship.” |
.Hans worked a lot for the Miller because he ______.
| A．was convinced of the Miller’s noble talk | B．owed the Miller many valuable things |
| C．was treated as a best friend by the Miller | D．intended to show off his unselfishness |
.From the Miller’s talk at home, we can see he was ______.
| A．serious but kind | B．helpful and generous | C．caring but strict | D．selfish and cold-hearted |
. What’s the main cause of Hans’ tragedy?
| A．True friendship between them | B．A lack of formal education |
| C．A sudden change of weather | D．Blind devotion to a friend |
. The author described the Miller’s behavior in order to ______.
| A．entertain the readers with an incredible joking tale |
| B．show the friendship between Hans and the Miller |
| C．warn the readers about the danger of a false friend |
| D．persuade people to be as intelligent as the Miller |