To err is human. To blame the other guy is even more human.
Common sense is not all that common.
Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?
These three popular misquotes（戏谑的引语）are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature. To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don’t want to accept the responsibility for having made a mistake. They naturally look for someone else who could be responsible for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human nature went like this：“To err is human, to forgive, divine（神圣的）.” This saying mirrors an ideal：people should be forgiving of others’ mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite—find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a mark of great maturity.
Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine. Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything . People say that in a large company, “the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”
And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people, get the idea that it’s okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary（直接推论）to that：if a good excuse is “good” even if it isn’t honest, then where is the place of the truth?According to the passage, which of following seems the most human?
| A．To search for truth. |
| B．To achieve one’s ideal. |
| C．To make fun of others’ mistakes． |
| D．To criticize others for one’s own error. |
Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?
| A．A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company. |
| B．A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather. |
| C．A company’s next move follows a good plan. |
| D．A lawyer acts on fine judgments. |
What is the author’s opinion about a good excuse?
| A．Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy. |
| B．Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas. |
| C．A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty. |
| D．Bitter truth is better than a good excuse. |
What would be the best title for his passage?
| A．A Mirror of Human Nature |
| B．To Blame or to Forgive |
| C．A Mark of Maturity |
| D．Truth or Excuse |
It was a cold night in Washington, D.C. and I was heading back to the hotel when a beggar walked up to me. He asked if I would give him some money so he could get something to eat. After a short hesitation, I shook my head and kept walking. With helplessness, he said, “I really am homeless and I really am hungry! You can come with me and watch me eat!” But still, I kept on walking.
The incident bothered me for the rest of the week. In fact, I had money in my pocket and it wouldn’t have killed me to hand over a dollar or two even if he had been lying. On a freezing cold night, I wondered what would happen to a hungry man.
Flying back to my hometown, Anchorage, I couldn’t help thinking of him. I tried to find excuses for my failure to help. After all, government agencies, churches and charities were there to feed him. Besides, you’re not supposed to give money to beggars.
But I just couldn’t forget the incident and began to think I must do something. At that time, I was writing a garden column(专栏) for the local Daily News. Suddenly, I came up with an idea. Why not try to get all my readers to plant one row in their gardens donated to Bean’s? Bean’s Cafe, the soup kitchen which has volunteered to feed hundreds of hungry people every day for many years.
The idea began to take off. I began to receive more e-mails and calls from kind people. They tried their best to show their concerns about the hungry. Food was sent by different warm-hearted people and even those who only grew flowers sent their flowers. They are food for the spirit, which comforted me a lot.
Next year, the Garden Writers Association of America held their annual conference in Anchorage and after learning of Anchorage’s program, Plant a Row for Bean’s became Plant a Row for the Hungry. You can imagine how happy I was then.According to the passage, the reason why the author refused to give some money to the beggar probably is that ________.
| A．he happened not to take money then |
| B．he wasn’t fond of beggars |
| C．he thought that the beggar was lying |
| D．he didn’t like being bothered |
Why did the author can’t help thinking of the beggar ?
| A．Because he felt he had done wrong for his failure to help him. |
| B．Because he wanted to know whether the beggar had lied to him. |
| C．Because he was worried that the beggar might die from hunger. |
| D．Because some agencies, churches and charities should help the beggar. |
What does the underlined phrase “take off” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．remove clothes. | B．leave suddenly. |
| C．become successful. | D．come into being. |
What’s the correct order to record the author’s launch of the program “Plant a Row for the Hungry?”
① He ran into a beggar.
② He was regretful.
③ He came up with the idea of planting a row for Bean’s.
④ The Plant a Row for Bean's became Plant a Row for the Hungry.
⑤ He went back home.
⑥ Writers gathered in Anchorage.
| A．①②③④⑤⑥. | B．①⑤②③④⑥. |
| C．①②⑤③④⑥. | D．①②⑤③⑥④. |
In the last couple of years, there has been a craze about time –traveling TV series in China. This year, it seems like the South Korean drama writers have fallen in a deep ,never-ending love with the time –travel trend.
Rooftop Prince
A prince from the Joseon era (18th century ) , Lee Gak is catapulted 300 years forward into the future in Seoul 2012 with his entourage（随从） when he tries to investigate the suspicious circumstances which surround the death of the woman he loves . In the present, he finds a young woman who looks exactly like his beloved crown princess.
Queen In-hyun’s Man
The drama ,set during the Josen era, features the hero Kim Boong-do as he tries to restore the exiled Queen In-hyun. It is in this time period he is given the time-traveling power that transports him to the future world where he makes friends with an actress playing the role of Queen In-hyun for a drama in her time .
Dr Jin
Jin Hyuk is a genius neurosurgeon.Through a mysterious power, Jin finds himself transported back in time 150 years. He begins treating people there, but the lack of equipment and medical knowledge of the period forces him to seek new ways to aid the sick .Through this challenging process, Jin eventually becomes a genuine doctor.
Operation proposal
Kang Baek-ho realizes that he is love with his best friend, HamYi-seul , on the day of her wedding to another man. He travels back in time to various events of their lives hoping to change the outcome of their relationship .Will Kang be able to change the course of their future?Which of the following words can replace “catapulted ” in Paragraph 2?
| A．captured | B．transported |
| C．traveled | D．deserted |
What do the three TV series have in common ?
| A．They are all about love. |
| B．They all describe what happened in ancient times. |
| C．They are all based on true stories . |
| D．They all feature time –travel. |
.If you are interested in prince –and –princess story ,which will you tune in to ?
| A．Rooftop Prince | B．Queen In-hyun’s Man |
| C．Dr Jin | D．Operation proposal |
How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.
The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless connection.
The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don’t forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you’re brushing long enough. “It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.
The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for instance, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. “We try to make it smart but also fun,” Several says.
Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said “yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.
The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, for $99 to $199, developing on features. The U.S. is the first target market.
Serval says that one day, it’ll be possible to replace the brush on the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.Which is one of the feature of the Kolibree toothbrush?
| A．It can sense how users brush their teeth. |
| B．It can track users’school performance. |
| C．It can detect users’fear of seeing a dentist. |
| D．It can help users find their phones. |
What can we learn from Serval’s words in Paragraph 3?
| A．You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist. |
| B．You should see your dentist on a day-to –day basis. |
| C．You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist. |
| D．You’d like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day. |
Which of the following might make the Kolibree toothbrush fun?
| A．It can be used to update mobile phones. |
| B．It can be used to play mobile phone games |
| C．It can send messages to other users |
| D．It can talk to its developers. |
What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?
| A．How Serval found out his kids lied to him. |
| B．Why Serval thought brushing teeth was necessary. |
| C．How Serval taught his kids to brush their teeth. |
| D．What inspired Serval to invent the toothbrush |
What can we infer about Serval’s children?
| A．They were unwilling to brush their teeth |
| B．They often failed to clean their toothbrushes. |
| C．They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head. |
| D．They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home. |
What can we learn about the future development of the Kolibree?
| A．The brush handle will be removed. |
| B．A mobile phone will be built into it. |
| C．It will be used to fill holes in teeth |
| D．It will be able to check users’ teeth |
Elizabeth Freeman was born about 1742 to African American parents who were slaves. At the age of six months she was acquired, along with her sister, by John Ashley, a wealthy Massachusetts slaveholders. She became known as “Mumbet” or “Mum Bett.”
For nearly 30 years Mumbet served the Ashley family. One day, Ashley’s wife tried to strike Mumbet’s sister with a spade. Mumbet protected her sister and took the blow instead. Furious, she left the house and refused to come back. When the Ashleys tried to make her return, Mumbet consulted a lawyer, Theodore Sedgewick. With his help, Mumbet sued(起诉) for her freedom.
While serving the Ashleys, Mumbet had listened to many discussions of the new Massachusetts constitution. If the constitution said that all people were free and equal, then she thought it should apply to her. Eventually, Mumbet won her freedom---- the first slave in Massachusetts to do so under the new constitution.
Strangely enough, after the trial, the Ashleys asked Mumbet to come back and work for them as a paid employee. She declined and instead went to work for Segdewick. Mumbet died in 1829, but her legacy lived on in her many descendants(后裔). One of her great-grandchildren was W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the founder of the NAACP, and an important writer and spokesperson for African American civil rights.
Mumbet’s tombstone still stands in the Massachusetts cemetery where she was buried. It reads, in part: “She was born a slave and remained a slave and remained a slave for nearly thirty years. She could neither read nor write, yet in her own sphere she had no superior or equal.”What do we know about Mumbet according to Paragraph 1?
| A．She was born a slave |
| B．She was a slaveholder |
| C．She had a famous sister |
| D．She was born into a rich family |
Why did Mumbet run away from the Ashleys?
| A．She found an employer |
| B．She wanted to be a lawyer |
| C．She was hit and got angry |
| D．She had to take care of her sister |
What did Mumbet learn from discussions about the new consititution?
| A．She should always obey her owners’ orders |
| B．She should be as free and equal as whites |
| C．How to be a good servant |
| D．How to apply for a job |
What did Mumbet do after the trial?
| A．She chose to work for a lawyer |
| B．She found the NAACP |
| C．She continued to serve the Ashleys |
| D．She went to live with her grandchildren |
Running like the wind, roaring (咆哮) like thunder, tigers have long been feared and respected as a king of the animal world. But last week a report said that there are no more than 30 wild tigers left in south China.
This was the conclusion of a team of scientists from China's State Forestry Administration and the World Nature Fund.
The South China tiger, also known as the Chinese tiger, is native to southern China. In the 1950's, there were over 4000 tigers found in mountain forests in the country. But due to the destruction of their natural habitat and uncontrolled hunting, it has been pushed on to the list of the world's top ten most endangered species.
Sixtysix of the big cats can be found in the cages of a dozen zoos around China. But they are nothing like their wild cousins. They have lost their natural skills such as hunting and killing. If they were set free they could not look after themselves.
“Breeding has damaged the quality of the species”， said Pei Enle, deputy director of the Shanghai Zoo.
To reintroduce the species into the wild, the country started a programme to send five to ten young tigers to South Africa. Four of them have already arrived. Progress has been made as two elder tigers have recovered some of their instincts(本能) and can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base.
“South Africans are very experienced in reintroducing big animals to the wild. The country has very good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in”， said Lu Jun, office director of the National Wildlife Research and Development Center. “We tried in Fujian Province, but it was not successful as there was not a complete ecochain(生物链) and there was a lack of space.”
The tigers should return to China in 2007 when the reservations in Fujian are ready.What is the main reason for the South China tiger becoming one of the world's top ten most endangered species?
| A．Because it has lost its natural instincts. |
| B．Because there is not a complete ecochain. |
| C．Because there is no space for it. |
| D．Because uncontrolled hunting has destroyed its natural living conditions. |
How is the programme of sending several tigers to South Africa getting on?
| A．Its effect still remains to be seen. |
| B．Two tigers can already compete with their wild cousins. |
| C．Some of the tigers are already on the road to recovering their natural skills. |
| D．The tigers should be able to recover their instincts completely by 2007. |
By saying “but they are nothing like their wild cousins”， the writer means that________.
| A．they are no longer feared by other wild animals |
| B．they don't know how to hunt or kill |
| C．a complete change has resulted in the species because of breeding |
| D．to reintroduce them into the wild has become an urgent task |
What is the purpose of sending young tigers to South Africa?
| A．To help the tigers recover their ability to live in the wild. |
| B．To provide them with a better environment. |
| C．To get the tigers to go on a tour. |
| D．To find a complete ecochain for them. |
Which one is NOT the reason for South Africa being chosen as the training place?
| A．Because the tigers can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base. |
| B．Because South Africans are skilled at dealing with the tigers. |
| C．Because there is a complete ecochain and enough space there. |
| D．Because the country has good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in. |