The light from the campfire brightened the darkness, but it could not prevent the damp cold of Dennis’s Swamp (沼泽地) creeping into their bones. It was a strange place. Martin and Tom wished that they had not accepted Jack’s dare. They liked camping, but not near this swamp.
“So,” Martin asked as they sat watching the hot coals. “How did this place get its name?”
“Are you sure you want to hear it? It’s a scary story,” warned Jack.
“Of course!” cried out Tom. “If there were anything to be scared of, you wouldn’t have chosen this place!”
“Ok, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” said Jack, and he began this tale.
“Way back in time, a man called Dennis tried to start a farm here. He built that cottage over there to live in. In those days, the area looked quite different ---- it was covered with tall trees and the swamp was a crystal-clear river. After three hard years, Dennis had cleared several fields and planted crops. He was so proud of his success that he refused to listen to advice.
“You are clearing too much land,” warned one old man. “The land is a living thing. It will hit back at you if you abuse it.”
“Silly fool,” said Dennis to himself. “If I clear more land, I can grow more crops. I’ll become wealthier. He’ s just jealous(妒忌的)!”
“Dennis continued to chop down trees. Small animals that relied on them for food and shelter were destroyed. He was so eager to expand his farm that he did not notice the river flowing slowly towards his door. He did not notice salt seeping to the surface of the land. He did not notice swamp plants choking all the native plants.”
“What happened?” Martin asked. It was growing colder. He trembled, twisting his body closer to the fire.
“The land hit back ---- just as the old man warned,” Jack shrugged. “Dennis disappeared. Old folks around here believe that swamp plants moved up from the river and dragged him underwater. His body was never found.”
“What a stupid story,” laughed Tom. “Plants can’t…” Before he had finished speaking, he screamed and fainted (晕倒). The other two boys jumped up with fright, staring at Tom. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Some green swamp ivy (常春藤) had covered Tom’s face. It was a while before Tom could appreciate the joke.The underlined word “dare” in Paragraph 1 is closed in meaning to ________.
| A．courage | B．assistance | C．instruction | D．challenge |
Dennis ignored the warning of the old man because ________.
| A．the old man was jealous of him |
| B．the old man was foolish |
| C．he was too busy to listen to others |
| D．he was greedy（贪婪的）for more crops |
Why did Tom scream and faint?
| A．He saw Dennis’s shadow. |
| B．He was scared by a plant. |
| C．His friends played a joke on him. |
| D．The weather became extremely cold. |
What lesson can we learn from the story of Dennis?
| A．Grasp all, lose all. |
| B．It is no use crying over spilt milk. |
| C．No sweat, no sweet. |
| D．He who makes no mistakes makes nothing. |
I went over my grandmother’s house today and she didn’t have time for me. You see, the lady’s husband downstairs died and my Grandmother wanted to make some cookies for her. My grandmother did not analyze (分析) how the lady treated her, or if the lady needed any cookies, or even if the lady would like the cookies. She didn’t think how much the lady has done for her. She simply began baking.
My Grandmother turned 94 last week and this I believe is her secret to life. My grandmother is generous (慷慨) and hard-working in a way that is rare for our time. She lives by a simple belief: if someone needs your help, you help. Never mind all the analyzing and thinking whether the person deserves or appreciates the help. My grandmother doesn’t sit around thinking about who might be making use of her: she simply does what is needed.
At 94, she is busy in life. She is making a blanket for a new great grandchild, and worried that I don’t have enough kitchen towels for my home. She is bringing soup to a sick neighbor, and teaching the new wife of her cousin (who is 88) how to cook Italian food.
My grandmother had every right to give up, but she didn’t — and amazingly life did bring her good things, like a husband with twinkling blue eyes who was much ahead of his time and believed that men should do an equal amount of cooking and cleaning in the home, three beautiful children (my father and two aunts), 22 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. My grandmother is not afraid to give someone she barely knows a bowl of soup. She never keeps herself out of the world.
61. The reason why my grandmother made cookies for the lady downstairs is that ________.
A. she thought the lady was too busy
B. she would make them as thanks to her
C. she thought she should do something for the lady at the special time
D. they had had an agreement before
62. In the writer’s opinion, ________.
A. my grandmother has a secret way of living
B. my grandmother does everything on careful consideration
C. few people are as generous as my grandmother now
D. my grandmother will get something in return
63. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. My grandmother cares for her children even some strangers.
B. My grandfather does not treat women in an unfair way.
C. This is a family in which there are nearly 30 people now.
D. My grandmother never keeps everything for herself.
64. We may infer from the text that the writer ________.
A. thinks his grandmother is living a tired life
B. thinks his grandmother is doing what she should do
C. thinks his grandmother should not be so kind
D. is proud of his grandmother
Foods from Around the World
Foods that are well known to you may not be familiar to people from other countries. Here are four people’s experiences with foreign food.
Shao Wong is a student in France. He comes from China. “I’d never tasted cheese or even milk before I came here. Cattle are rare in my part of China, so there are no dairy products. I tried milk when I first arrived in France. I hated it! I sampled cheese too, but couldn’t manage more than one bite. I love ice cream, though, and that’s made from milk.”
Birgit is from Sweden. She traveled to Australia on vacation. “I was in a restaurant that specialized in fish, and I heard some other customers order flake. So I ordered some too and it was delicious. Later, I found out that flake is an Australian term for shark. After that pleasant experience, whenever I see a new food I try it out on purpose. You know why? I remember how much I enjoyed flake.”
Chandra is a dentist in Texas. She originates from India. “I’m frightened of eating new foods because they might be made from beef. I’m a Hindu, and my religion forbids me to eat meat from the cow. It’s a sacred animal to Hindus, so that’s the reason I can’t eat hamburgers or spaghetti with meatballs.”
Nathan is American. He taught for a year in China. “My friends gave me some 100-year-old eggs to eat. I didn’t like the look of them at all. The insides were green, but my friends said the color was normal. The Chinese put chemicals on fresh eggs. Then they bury them in the earth for three months. So the eggs weren’t really very old. Even so, I absolutely refused to touch them.”
Life in a new country can be scary, but it also can be fun. Would you sample a 100-year-old egg? Would you order shark in a restaurant?
56. Which of the following sentences is true about Shao Wong?
A. He is a French – Chinese.
B. Cattle are seldom raised in his hometown.
C. He doesn’t like any diary products.
D. He didn’t taste cheese because he hated it.
57. What kind of girl is Birgit?
A. Religious. B. Brave. C. Confident. D. Open- minded.
58. Chandra is frightened of eating food made from beef, because _________.
A. It’s against Hindus’ religion.
B. She is a doctor and she thinks beef is not easy to chew and digest.
C. She is an Indian.
D. Hindus think beef is not tasty.
59. The underlined word “Sacred” in paragraph 4 means _________.
A. frightening B. large C. man – eating D.greatly respected
60. What can you infer from this passage?
A. Foods that are well known to you may not be familiar to people from other countries.
B. Despite (虽然) cultural differences in food, have a try and maybe you’ll get used to it.
C. A vacation is a good way to learn about new foods. Be sure to go on vacation more often.
D. People dislike eating new foods only because their religion forbids it.
D
For Chinese, it’s a time for dragon boat racing and Zongzi（粽子）. But across the Yellow Sea, South Korea, wrestling（摔跤）and swing play are the highlights. However, both events go by the same name---the Dragon Boat Festival---which falls on May 5 of the lunar calendar.
One festival, two cultures: does one nation have the right to call its own? It has been reported that South Korea will apply to the United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization（UNESCO联合国教科文组织）to make the celebration its cultural heritage（文化遗产）. If successful, people from other countries may see the Dragon Festival as a Korean creation.
As the birthplace of the yearly event more than 2,000 years ago, China is not happy with the situation. “It would be a shame if another country successfully made a traditional Chinese festival part of its own cultural heritage ahead of China,”said Zhou Heping, deputy culture minister. The Ministry of Culture is even thinking of making its own application to UNESCO, covering all traditional Chinese festivals, including the Dragon Boat event.
Over the years, the Dragon Boat Festival has spread throughout the world. In Japan and Viet Nam, as well as South Korea, the festival has mixed with and become part of local culture.
With this in mind, some experts say that it is meaningless to argue about which country the festival belongs to. “No one can deny that it came from China,”said Long Haiqing , an expert from Hunan Province. “But if all the countries involved can protect culture heritage together, they will all benefit.”
56. The underlined word “highlights”can be probably replaced by “ ”.
A. most exciting events B. highest lights on the building
C. brightest lights at night D. most famous festivals
57. It can be inferred that South Korea ______.
A. has proclaimed（宣布）the Dragon Boat Festival as a part of its cultural heritage
B. has the exactly same Dragon Boat Festival as China
C. has no idea that China has such a festival
D. is paying more attention to its cultural heritage than China
58. China is not happy with the situation because .
A. it created the festival
B. it is also making an application
C. South Korea has no right to call the festival its own
D. UNESCO may approve（批准）South Korea’s application
59. If South Korea’s application to UNESCO is successful, _____.
A. China will also make its own application to UNESCO
B. it will be meaningless to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival
C. people from other parts of the world will think South Korea created the festival
D. the Dragon Boat Festival will become part of local culture
60. The author would probably support____ .
A. a move by South Korea to cancel its application
B. China getting UNESCO’s approval of the festival first
C. the opinion of Zhou Helping
D. China paying more attention to its cultural heritage
C
One day , Wilson was walking quietly along the road when someone hit him hard on the back of his neck. He looked behind him, and saw a young man whom he had never seen before.
“How dare you hit me like that?” shouted Wilson.
The young man said he had mistaken Wilson for a friend of his and that he thought Wilson was making a lot of noise about nothing.
This insult (侮辱) made Wilson even angrier, of course, and he at once decided to bring the young man before a judge.
Now, the judge, who heard the case was a friend of the young man's father's, and, although he pretended to be quite fair, he was thinking about what he could do to protect the young man from being punished while at the same time not to be appearing unfair.
Finally he said to Wilson, “I understand your feelings in this matter very well. Would you be satisfied if I let you hit the young man as he hit you?”
Wilson said he would not be. The young man had insulted him and should be properly punished.
“Well, then,” said the judge to the young man, “I order you to pay ten coins to Wilson.”
Ten coins was very little for such a crime, but the young man did not have it with him, so the judge allowed him to go and get it.
Wilson waited for him to return with the money. He waited an hour, and then two hours, while the judge took care of other business.
When it was nearly time for the court to close, Wilson chose a moment when the judge was especially busy, came up quietly and hit him hard on the back of the neck. Then he said to him, “I am sorry, but I can’t wait any longer. When the young man comes back, tell him that I have passed my right to the ten coins on to you.”
52. Why did the young man hit Wilson from behind?
A. Wilson had hit him before.
B. He had mistaken Wilson for a friend of his.
C. Wilson was a stranger there.
D. Wilson made a lot of noise when he was walking.
53. The judge thought about how to protect the young man because
A. he thought it a small matter
B. as a judge, he should be fair
C. he thought the man too young to be punished
D. the young man was his friend’s son
54. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. The young man was ordered to hit himself as hard as he had done on Wilson.
B Wilson was allowed to hit the young man as hard as he had done.
C. Wilson was allowed to do more insulting on the young man.
D. The young man was ordered to hand a lot of money to Wilson.
55. The best title for this passage is ________.
A. I’ve passed my right on to you B. The judge and Wilson
C. Wilson and the young manD. The young man was set free
B
I started teaching English abroad when I was 22 , soon after I graduated from university. I’m 35 now and have been doing it ever since. If you want to travel the world, there’re a few ways to earn money while you do so. You can pick fruit, pull pints or teach English. The third one has definitely suited me best. I taught in Russia, Argentina, Spain and Slovakia and stayed an average of two years in each country.
Our flat is in the Sanlitun area, not far from the main football stadium , and I work at various schools in the city. The demand for English language teachers is staggering. Basically , if a Chinese person wants a job with an international company such as Hewlett Packard, then English is a must .
In China there’s no shortage of work, though the pay can vary. If you teach English as a second language at an international school, you can earn 22,000 yuan a month, about
￠2,200 or￡1,500. If you’re short of cash, you can always do a bit of extra private tuition, which pays really well—about ￡30 an hour .
The best thing about Beijing is that you aren’t going to be lonely. There’s a huge expat (侨民) community here, mostly based in Sanlitun and growing all the time. I don’t know my way around Dublin or London very well, but I can tell you Beijing is the restaurant capital of the world .
49. Why did the author stay in Beijing to teach English ?
A. He wanted to make a fortune . B. Beijing made a good impression on him .
C. He wanted to live in China for ever . D. He wanted to travel around the world .
50. The underlined word “staggering” in Paragraph 2 means “________”.
A. very weak B. often changing C. great D. unsteady
51. It can be inferred from the passage that the author ____ .
A. often felt lonely in SanlitunB. was satisfied with living in China
C. was very familiar with Dublin D. liked Chinese restaurants best