Below is adapted from an English dictionary. Use the dictionary to answer the following questions.
figure / fīgə / noun, verb
● noun
1. a number representing a particular amount, especially one given in official information: the trade / sales figures
2. a symbol rather than a word representing one of the numbers between 0 and 9: a six-figure salary
3. (informal) the area of mathematics that deals with adding, multiplying, etc. numbers
4. a person of the type mentioned: Gandhi was both a political and a religious figure in Indian history.
5. the shape of a person seen from a distance or not clearly
6. a person or an animal as shown in art or a story: a wall with five carved figures in it
7. the human shape, considered from the point of view of being attractively thin: doing exercise to improve one’s figure
8. a pattern or series of movements performed on ice: figure-skating
* be / become a figure of fun: be / become sb. that others laugh at
* cut a…figure: sb with a particular appearance: He cut a striking figure in his dinner jacket.
* put a figure on sth: to say the exact price or number of sth.
* a fine figure of man / woman: a tall, strong-looking and well-shaped person
* figure of speech: a word or phrase used in a different way from its usual meanings in order to create a particular mental image or effect
* figurehead: someone who is the head or chief in name only (with no real power or authority)
● verb
1. to think or decide that sth. will happen or is true: I figured that if I took the night train, I could be in Scotland by morning.
2. to be part of a process, situation, etc. especially an important part: My opinion of the matter didn’t seem to figure at all.
3. to calculate an amount or the cost of sth: We figured that attendance at 150,000.
* figure in: to include (in a sum): Have you figured in the cost of hotel?
* figure on: to plan on; to expect sth. to happen: I haven’t figured on his getting home so late.
* figure out: to work out; understand by thinking: Have you figured out how much the trip will cost?
* It / That figures!: That seems reasonable.According to the information above, which of the following sentence is not right?
| A．This year’s sales figures were quite excellent. |
| B．I couldn’t figure out what the teacher was talking about. |
| C．She was the leading figure in British politics in the 1980s. |
| D．He was about to speak but she put a figure on his lips to stop him. |
— She was coming late again for the work.
— ______! That’s typical of her. You just can’t do anything to stop her doing that.
| A．It figures her out | B．She is a figure of fun |
| C．It cuts a poor figure | D．It figures |
The phrase “watch my figure” in the sentence “Don’t tempt me with chocolate; I am watching my figure.” means “______”.
| A．add the numbers | B．have sports |
| C．try not to get fat | D．watch games |
Which sentence is used as figure of speech?
| A．John is fond of animals and raises a rabbit as a pet. |
| B．In some countries, bamboo can be used to build houses. |
| C．We all regard Mr. Smith as an important figure in our company. |
| D．I didn’t really mean my partner was a snake. |
One of my wonderful memories is about a Christmas gift. Unlike other gifts, it came without wrap(包装).
On September 11th. 1958. Mum gave birth to Richard. After she brought him home from hospital, she put him in my lap, saying. "I promised you a gift, and here it is. " What an honor! I turned four a month earlier and none of my friends had such a baby doll of their own. I played with it day and night. I sang to it. I told it stories. 1 told it over and over how much I loved it!
One morning, however, I found its bed empty. My doll was gone! I cried for it. Mum wept and told me that the poor little thing had been sent to a hospital. It had a fever. For several days, I heard Mum and Dad whispering such words as "hopeless", "pitiful", and "dying", which sounded ominous.
Christmas was coming. "Don’t expect any presents this year." Dad said, pointing at the socks I hung in the living room. "If your baby brother lives, that'll be Christmas enough. " As he spoke, his eyes filled with tears. I'd never seen him cry before.
The phone rang early on Christmas morning. Dad jumped out of bed to answer it. From my bedroom I heard him say. "What? He's all right?" He hung up and shouted upstairs. " The hospital said we can bring Richard home!"
"Thank God.'" I heard Mum cry.
From the upstairs window, I watched my parents rush out to the car. I had never seen them happy. And I was also full of joy. What a wonderful day! My baby doll would be home. I downstairs. My sacks still hung there flat. But I knew they were not empty; they were filled with love! what happened to the author on September 11 1958 ?
| A．He got a baby brother |
| B．He got a Christmas gift |
| C．He became four years old |
| D．He received a doll |
What does the underlined word “ominous” in Paragraph 3 probably mean？
| A．Impossible. | B．Boring |
| C．Difficult | D．Fearful |
Which word can best describe the feeling of the father when Christmas was coming?
| A．Excitement. | B．Happiness. |
| C．Sadness. | D．Disappointment. |
What is the passage mainly about ?
| A．A sad Christmas day |
| B．Life with a lovely baby |
| C．A special Christmas gift. |
| D．Memories of a happy family |
People travel for a lot of reasons. Some tourists go to see battlefields or other historic remains（遗址). Others are looking for culture, or simply want to have their pictures taken in front of famous places. Most European tourists are looking for a sunny beach to lie on.
Northern Europeans are willing to pay a lot of money for the sun because they have so little of it. People of cities like London, Copenhagen and Amsterdam spend much of their winter in the dark because the days are so short, and much of the rest of the year are in the rain. This is the reason why the Mediterranean has always attracted them. Every summer many people travel to Mediterranean resorts(度假胜地) and beaches for their vacation. They all come for the same reason: sun!
The huge crowds mean lots of money for the economics of Mediterranean countries. Italy's 30, 000 hotels are booked without a break every summer. And 13 million people camp out on French beaches, parks, and roadsides. Spain's long sandy coastline attracts more people than anywhere else. 37 million tourists visit there yearly, or one tourist for each person living in Spain.
But there are signs that the area is getting more tourism than it can deal with. The Mediterranean is already one of the most polluted seas on earth. None of these, however, is ruining anyone's fun. Obviously, they don't go there for clean water. They allow traffic jams and seem to like crowded beaches. They don't even mind the pollution. No matter how dirty the water is, the coastline still looks beautiful. And as long as the sun shines, it's still better than sitting in the cold, rainy in Berlin, London, or Oslo.The writer seems to imply(暗示) that Europeans travel mostly for the reason that ______.
| A．they want to see historic remains |
| B．they wish to escape from cold, dark and rainy days |
| C．they would like to take pictures in front of famous places |
| D．they are interested in different cultural and social customs |
According to the passage, which of the following countries attracts more tourists than the others?
| A．Italy. | B．Greece |
| C．France. | D．Spain. |
The underlined part in the last sentence in paragraph 3 means ______.
| A．all the 37 million people living in Spain are tourists |
| B．every person living in Spain has to take care of a tourist |
| C．every year almost as many tourists visit Spain as there are people living in that country |
| D．every family in Spain is visited by a tourist every year |
According to the passage, which of the following might ruin the tourists' fun at Mediterranean resorts and beaches?
| A．Polluted water. | B．Crowded buses. |
| C．Rainy weather. | D．Traffic jams. |
Everyone needs friends. We all like to feel close to someone. It is nice to have a friend to talk, laugh, and do things with. Surely, there are times when we need to be alone. We don’t always want people around. But we will feel lonely if we never have a friend.
No two people are just the same. Sometimes friends don’t get along well. That doesn’t mean that they no longer like each other. Most of the time they will make up and go on being friends. Sometimes friends move away. Then we feel very sad. We miss them very much. But we call them and write to them. It could be that we would even see them again. And we can make new friends. It is surprising to find out how much we like new people when we get to know them.
Families sometimes name their children after a close friend. Many places are named after men or women who have been friendly to people in a town. Some libraries are named this way. So are some schools. We think of these people when we go to these places.
There’s more good news for people who have friends. They live longer than people who don’t. Why? It could be that they are happier. Being happy helps you stay well. If someone cares about you, you will feel good.The first paragraph tells us.
| A．what the feeling of having no friends is |
| B．we always need friends around us |
| C．making friends is a need in people’s life |
| D．we need to be alone in our life |
Which of the following places people name after their friendly people is NOT mentioned (提到) in the passage?
| A．A town. | B．A room. |
| C．A school. | D．A library. |
Why do people who have friends live longer?
| A．They know more about friendship. |
| B．They feel happier and healthier. |
| C．They take less care of themselves. |
| D．They care more about their friends. |
King’s College Winter School is an annual(每年的) training program for all the high school students who want to improve their English. Courses are given by the teachers of King’s College and other colleges in New York. Trips to museums and culture centers are also organized. This year’s winter school will be from November 1 to December 15. More information is as follows:
| Application(申请) date Students in New York should send their applications before October, 18, 2014. Students of other cities should send their applications before October 16, 2014. Foreign students should send their applications before October 10, 2014. |
Courses English Language Spoken English:22 hours Reading and Writing: 10 hours American History: 16 hours American Culture:16 hours |
| Steps A letter of self-introduction A letter of recommendation(推荐) ★ The letters should be written in English with all the necessary information. |
Cost Daily lesson:＄200 Sports and activities: ＄100 Travels: ＄200 Hotel service: ＄400 ★ You may choose to live with your friends or relatives in the same city. |
| Please write to: Thompson, Sanders 1026 King`s Street New York, NY 10016, USA Email: KC-Winter-School@yahoo.com |
You can most probably read the text in _____________.
| A．a newspaper | B．a travel guide |
| C．a textbook | D．a telephone book |
Which of the following is TRUE about King’s College Winter School?
| A．Only top students can take part in the program. |
| B．King’s College Winter School is not organized every year. |
| C．Visits to museums and culture centers are part of the program. |
| D．Only the teachers of King’s College give courses. |
If you are to live in your friend’s home in New York, you will have to pay the school_________.
| A．＄200 | B．＄400 | C．＄500 | D．＄900 |
What information can you get from the text?
| A．The program will last 2 months |
| B．You can write to Thompson only in English. |
| C．As a Chinese student, you can send your application on October 14, 2014. |
| D．You can get in touch with the school by telephone or by e-mail. |
Students who say they never or hardly ever used dictionaries may speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes.
The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. Therefore they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English.
The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context (上下文). Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check this in a dictionary.The writer thinks that .
| A．choose a good dictionary, and you’ll be successful in learning English |
| B．dictionaries are not necessary to the students who learn English |
| C．it is very important for students to use good dictionaries in a right way |
| D．using dictionaries very often can’t help to improve writing |
Which is NOT talked about in this passage?
| A．How to make good use of a dictionary. |
| B．When to use a dictionary. |
| C．How to improve spoken English. |
| D．How to practice reading fast. |
When does the writer advise students to use a good dictionary?
| A．At the beginning of the reading |
| B．At the end of the reading |
| C．During the first reading |
| D．After the first reading |
This passage mainly tells us .
| A．that students shouldn’t use small two-language dictionaries |
| B．what the shortcomings of small two-language dictionaries are |
| C．why students should use large college edition dictionaries |
| D．what dictionary students should choose and how to use it |