Most of the people who appear most often and most gloriously in the history books are great conquerors and generals and soldiers, whereas the people who really helped civilization forward are often never mentioned at all. We do not know who first set a broken leg, or launched a seaworthy boat, or calculated the length of the year, or manured(施肥)a field; but we know all about the killers and destroyers. People think a great deal of them, so much so that on all the highest pillars (纪念柱) in the great cities of the world you will find the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier. And I think most people believe that the greatest countries are those that have beaten in battle the greatest number of other countries and ruled over them as conquerors. It is just possible they are, but they are not the most civilized.
Animals fight; so do savages (野蛮人); hence to be good at fighting is to be good in the way in which an animal or a savage is good, but it is not to be civilized. Even being good at getting other people to fight for you and telling them how to do it most efficiently -this, after all, is what conquerors and generals have done -is not being civilized. People fight to settle quarrels. Fighting means killing, and civilized peoples ought to be able to find some way of settling their disputes other than by seeing which side can kill off the greater number of the other side, and then saying that that side which has killed most has won. And it not only has won, but, because it has won, has been in the right. For that is what going to war means; it means saying that might is right.
That is what the story of mankind has on the whole been like. Even our own age has fought the two greatest wars in history, in which millions of people were killed or disabled. And while today it is true that people do not fight and kill each other in the streets -while, that is to say, we have got to the stage of keeping the rules and behaving properly to each other in daily life - nations and countries have not learnt to do this yet, and still behave like savages.In the opening sentence the author indicates that ________.
| A.conquerors, generals and soldiers should not be mentioned in history books. |
| B.history books focus more on those who helped civilization forward. |
| C.those who truly helped civilization forward is rarely mentioned in history books. |
| D.most history books were written by conquerors, generals and soldiers. |
In the author’s opinion, the countries that ruled over a large number of other countries are
| A.certainly both the greatest and the most civilized |
| B.neither the most influential nor the most civilized. |
| C.possibly the most civilized but not the most powerful. |
| D.likely the greatest in some sense but not the most civilized. |
The meaning of “it means saying that might is right.”(The last sentence of Paragraph 2) is that ________.
| A.in a war only those who are powerful will win. |
| B.those who are right should fight against those who are wrong. |
| C.only those who are powerful have the right to go to war. |
| D.those who fight believe that the winner is right and the loser wrong. |
In the third paragraph, what the author wants to convey to us is that ________.
| A.we have fought fewer wars but suffered heavier casualties. |
| B.modern time is not so civilized compared with the past. |
| C.our age is not much better than those of the past. |
| D.World War I and World War II are different from previous wars. |
According to the passage, who helped civilization forward?
A. The pioneers in science and technology.
B. Conquerors and generals.
C. Those setting disputes by force.
The experts in military matters This passage is most likely taken from an article entitled ________.
| A.Who Should Be Remembered |
| B.Civilization and History |
| C.War and World Peace |
| D.Great conquerors in the world |
第四部分:阅读理解(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,并在答题纸上将该项标号涂黑。
A
TV Shows and Long Bus Trips
Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end-with commercials thrown in every three or four minutes. The commercials are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window. “Buy Super Clean Toothpaste.” “Drink Good’n Wet Root Beer.” “Fill up with Pacific Gas.” Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of “You Need It! Buy It Now!”
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you’ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed-new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly reckless(不计后果的) or daring, the ride can be as thrilling as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right or the left-hand lane? After a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat, of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you’ve sat with you legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the am rests---even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at the right time. There are just no more ways to sit.
61. According to the passage, what do the passengers usually see when they are on a long bus trip?
A.buses on the road. B.films on television.
C.advertisements on the board. D.gas stations.
62.What is the purpose of this passage?
A.To give the writer’s opinion about long bus trips.
B.To persuade you to take a long bus trip.
C.To explain how bus trips and television shows differ.
D.To describe the billboards along the road.
63.The writer feels long bus rides are like TV shows because .
A.the commercials both on TV shows and on billboards along the road are fun
B.they both have a beginning, a middle, and an end, with commercials in between
C.the drivers are always reckless on TV shows just as they are on buses
D.both traveling and watching TV are not exciting
64.Why does the writer think that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning?
A.Because both are exciting. B.Because both are comfortable.
C.Because both are tiring. D.Because both are boring.
D
He looks like somebody important! I remember thinking about a middle-aged man standing at a checkout counter. Something set him apart. Even the boy bagging groceries seemed to sense it. He sped up than usual as he glanced with respect at the man.
Trying to find out what was different about him, I found that he looked quite ordinary. Although he gave the impression of being tall, I could see he was actually a little shorter than average. His appearance wasn’t particularly outstanding, and he was wearing plain weekend sports attire ( 运动休闲装 ). Not until the man was leaving did it strike me. He carried himself as if he were somebody worth caring about. Head up and chest out, he walked proudly from the market. I watched the other shoppers as they looked down over their baskets. And me? In the glass of the store’s side doors, I saw reflected ( 映现 ) a worn-out housewife who looked as if she’d carried too many bags of groceries.
Suddenly, the words I’d heard my mother repeat hundreds of times as I was growing up held new meaning. “Stand up straight ! Lift yourself by pretending strings are pulling you from the tops of your ears.” I thought of myself being pulled up . I felt taller as I came nearer to the market’s doors. This time I saw reflected a woman who looked as if she knew where she was going! But as I rushed home in five o’clock traffic and tried to fix dinner before a seven o’clock meeting, my good manners disappeared. It wasn’t until the next day as I was trying on clothes in a department store that I remembered again. Each thing I put on seemed wrong. Suddenly I recalled the man in the supermarket. I lifted myself up. The dress looked nicer on me. I liked the dress! Sure enough, I looked five to seven pounds lighter. Dieting titles I’d read came to mind, such as “How to Lose Pounds in Weeks?” Now I had a new title: “How to Look Thinner in Seconds.”
68.The boy bagging groceries glanced with respect at the man because ____ .
A.the man gave him some tips for his service
B.the man walked in a strange way in the supermarket
C.his manners was different from the other people in the supermarket
D.the man was a special person for him
69.The writer looked five to seven pounds lighter because _________ .
A.she was having a diet
B.she stood straight up
C.she was taking exercise
D.she wore a beautiful dress
70.The underlined phrase “ set him apart ” in the first passage probably means .
A.made him unordinary
B.made him strange
C.made him handsome
D.upset him
C
A letter to Edward, a columnist
Dear Mr. Expert,
I grew up in an unhappy home. I always promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20, I have a good job and a nice house, and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.
Here’s the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine — so much so that they make mine theirs.
It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and stay out forever.
I enjoy having my friends here sometimes— it makes the place feel comfortable and warm— but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can’t I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy?
Joan
Edward’s reply to Joan
Dear Joan,
If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.
And if you’ve gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere, you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with— or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it’s okay to put your own needs first from time to time.
Be clear about the message you want to send. For example, “I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call before you come over.”
64.We can learn from the first letter that Joan Edward.
A.lives away from her parents
B.takes pride in her friends
C.knows Mr. Expert quite well
D.hates her parents very much
65.We can infer from the first letter that.
A.Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy
B.Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept
C.Joan doesn’t like the parties at all
D.Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over
66.According to Mr. Expert, why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?
A.She is afraid of hurting her friends
B.She does not understand true friendship
C.Her family experience stops her from doing so
D.She does not put her needs first
67.The second letter suggests that Mr. Expert.
A. is worried about Joan’s problem
B. warns Joan not to quarrel with her friends
C. advises Joan on how to refuse people
D. encourages Joan to be brave enough
B
One cold morning in winter, when I was a little boy, a smiling man with an ax on his shoulder stopped me, saying: “My pretty boy, has your father a grindstone(砂轮)”
“Yes, sir,” said I.
“You are a fine little fellow!” said the man. “Will you let me grind(磨) my ax?”
Pleased with the flattery, I answered, “Oh, yes, sir. The grindstone is down in the shop.”
Patting me on my head, he said, “Will you get me some hot water?” I ran and brought the hot water.
“How old are you, and what is your name?” he asked without waiting for a reply, “I’m sure you are one of the finest boys I have ever seen. Will you turn the grindstone a few minutes for me?”
Hearing the flattery again, I went to work with a will. It was a new ax, and I worked hard until I was almost tired to death. The school bell rang, but I could not get away, because the ax was not half ground.
At last, however, it was sharpened. Then the man turned to me and said, “Now, you little rascal(小坏蛋), you’ve played truant(逃课)! Run to school, or you’ll be sorry!”
“Alas!” thought I. “It was hard enough to turn a grindstone this old day, but now to be called a rascal is too much.”
The memory of turning the grindstone that winter morning sank into my mind. I have thought of it since. Now, whenever I hear words of flattery, I say to myself. “That man has an ax to grind.”
60.In this passage, the word “flattery” means _____.
A.an order or direction
B.nice words used beyond truth
C.kind words spoken by elder people to children
D.good manners
61.The man asked the boy many questions because _____.
A.he liked the boy very much
B.he wanted to know the boy’s name
C.he wanted to sharpen his ax
D.he wanted to know how old the boy was
62.The man called the boy “rascal” because _____.
A.his ax was damaged by the boy
B.he didn’t like the boy’s play truant
C.he didn’t need the boy any more
D.he thought that boy should go to school on time
63.Today in the writer’s vocabulary “That man has an ax to grind” means _____.
A. that man has some selfish reasons for his actions
B. that man works with an ax
C. that man is very kind and polite to boys
D. that man needs to sharpen his ax
四、阅读理解
A
George Banks was a clever journalist. He worked for a good newspaper, and he liked arguing with anybody, and about anything. Sometimes the people whom he argued with were as clever as he was, but often they were not.
He did not mind arguing with stupid people at all: he knew that he could never persuade them to agree, because they could never really understand what he was saying, and the stupider they were, the surer they were that they were right, but he often found that stupid people said very amusing things.
At the end of one argument which George had with one of these less clever people, the man said something which George has always remembered and which has always amused him. It was, “Well, sir, you should never forget this: there are always three answers to every question, your answer, my answer, and the correct answer.”
56.George liked arguing.
A. neither with anybody nor about anything
B. either with anybody or anything
C.not with anybody but about anything
D. not only with anybody but also about anything
57.The people whom George often argued with were.
A.those who were cleverer than him
B. those who were stupider than him
C.both such clever people as he and those who were not
D.only the clever people
58.George thought the stupider they were, the surer they were that they were right
because .
A.the stupider they were, the less knowledge they had
B. they were not worth arguing
C. stupid people often said very amusing things
D. clever people were always right
59.According to one of these less clever people's words, “there are always three answers
to every question, …” meant.
A. George's answer was right
B. the man's answer was right
C. George's and the man's answers were not right
D. there was not a right answer