The artist Grandma Moses became famous for her simple, bright, cheerful paintings of American farm life．Her full name was Anna Mary Robertson Moses．But she was known to everyone as Grandma Moses because she did not begin to paint seriously until in her seventies．
Born on a farm in New York, Anna had little schooling．Her days were filled with farm chores．But she often found time to make pictures．Soon, however, she became too busy to draw or paint．At the age of 12, she went to work as a servant for a family nearby．She worked for other people for many years．Then, when she was 27, she married Thomas Moses, a farmer．And they began raising a family of their own．
Anna Moses could no longer do heavy farm work with age．Then, in her seventies, she began to paint in oils．Her pictures showed things she recalled from childhood-farm scenes, ice-skating, bringing home the Christmas tree．Later, she began to display her art at county fairs．Her pictures recorded a way of life that was quickly passing away．People everywhere loved these happy scenes, and soon her paintings were shown in art galleries．Grandma Moses became famous partially on account of her age, but mainly because her approach to art was modest and simple compared to many other painters of her time．Without formal training or even knowledge of Modernism, she relied on her own simple techniques to create her landscapes and scenes．She continued to paint almost until her death, on December 13, 1961 , at the age of 101．
The themes in her paintings provided the comfort of a rural life that many busy Americans treasured from their past．The threat of nuclear arms that appeared on television screens and in magazines had Americans starving for something more．Grandma Moses' art appealed to those who had lost hope for the future．Her classic paintings still appear on TV commercials, greeting cards, and magazine and book covers．What can be inferred from the fact that Grandma Moses picked up a paintbrush?
| A．She had no other ways to kill time． |
| B．Her friend and family suggested it． |
| C．She had had a love for painting since her childhood． |
| D．She needed to make a living by selling her paintings． |
The key reason for her success is ___ .
| A．her old age |
| B．her plain style |
| C．her lack of training |
| D．her modern knowledge |
We can know from the passage that ______．
| A．her paintings raised people's hope for the future |
| B．her paintings expressed the reality of her old age |
| C．many Americans were interested in purchasing art works |
| D．people wanted to get comfort by remembering grandmas |
After ruling the tennis world for almost five years, Roger Federer is adjusting to life at NO.2. But, like any king whose throne(王冠) has been taken away, the Swiss star is already planning secretly his return to power, beginning at this week’s US Open.
The problem is, many experts think he will never do it. They blame everything from age and tough competition to his racket（球拍）and psychology.
For years Federer, 27, had enjoyed the view from the top. Competitors saw him as undefeated, and for the most part he was. However, before the 2008 season began, Federer had an illness that stole his strength and clearly affected his play on the court. Ever since, he has struggled to return to form, winning just two of his last 14 tournaments.
“Twenty-seven is an age when your body starts talking back to you.” tennis great John McEnroe told the New York Times.
Pancho Sefura, another tennis great, noted that Federer is also facing a maturing crop of young talents. “There are too many great players now,” he said, naming Britain’s Andy Murray, 21, and Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis, 20.
US magazine Sports illustrated tennis columnist Jon Wertheim suggested that part of Federer’s problem could be his insistence on using a small racket. He says that the smaller head demands ball control. But we see time and again that racket makers try to get players to use a certain stick — one they would like to market to consumers and it has a negative effect on the professional game.
Sports psychologist Jim Loehr told the Times that Federer is probably feeling “a sense of doubt” after being considered as undefeated for so long. If Federer is to recover his state of being undefeated, Loehr said he must overcome his doubt. “Federer doesn’t need fame and money. But he has to get better. He has to go to a whole new level. That’s the only way he stays in the game,” he said.
As for beginning his first Grand Slam in ages as the NO.2 seed, Federer said it might be for the best. “Five years almost, I was expected to win every tournament I entered,” he said, “so maybe Rafael Nadal now feels what I had to feel for a very long time. It will be interesting to see how he handles it.”What does the underlined sentence “your body starts talking back to you” in Para.4 mean?
| A．Your strength is beginning to decline. |
| B．Your body often argues with you. |
| C．You are more easily to have quite terrible diseases. |
| D．You can do whatever you want. |
From the passage, we know the main reason why Federer’s throne was taken away is that _____.
| A．he is facing a maturing crop of young talents. |
| B．he insisted on using a small racket. |
| C．he had an illness that stole his strength. |
| D．he is becoming older and older. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．the racket makers aim at the players’better performance in games. |
| B．It is impossible for Federer to return to power. |
| C．Federer has never won a Grand Slam before. |
| D．Now it is Nadal who has replaced Federer as the No.1 tennis player. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Federer Hopes to Recover His Magic |
| B．Federer — Always Undefeated |
| C．Nadal — The No.1 Tennis Player |
| D．State of Mind Plays an Important Role |
Maybe it is true that we do not know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we do not know what we have been missing until it arrives．
It takes an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone．Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back．Do not expect love in return; but if it does not, be content it has grown in yours．Do not rely on one’s appearance; it can trick you．Do not rely on wealth; even that fades away．Rely on someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright．
There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them．Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do．
The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past．You cannot go on well in life until you let your past failures and heartaches go off．May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trails to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy．The happiest of people do not necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way．Happiness waits for those who cry, those appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives．Always put yourself in others’ shoes．If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too．
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling．Live your life so that when you die, you are the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying．In this passage, the writer wants to tell us ______．
| A．where to go with other persons |
| B．how to treat our life |
| C．how to get on well with other persons |
| D．what to do in our life |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．If it takes you a short time to love someone, you will easily forget the person． |
| B．If you give someone your love, you are sure to receive love in return． |
| C．It is wise not to rely on anybody because you are likely to be deceived． |
| D．We often don’t know what we have lost until it comes someday． |
If you put yourself in another person’s position, ______．
| A．you should depend on your imagination |
| B．you should put on other people’s shoes |
| C．you shouldn’t do what will hurt other people |
| D．you should believe in other people |
In the last paragraph the writer is actually telling us that a person in the world should be one who ______．
| A．has made a lot of money for himself before he dies |
| B．can live happily and forget the past |
| C．does good for other people and is respected and loved by them |
| D．can accept the suggestions made by others |
Cafe Hub
Next to the Castle lies The Hub, home of the Edinburgh International Festival and one of the most talked about spots in town. Our cafe is open every day for mouth-watering lunches, snacks and fine dining. Come in and enjoy the atmosphere of The Hub or watch the world go by from our beautiful terrace.
The Hub, Castlehill, Royal Mile, Edinburgh. Open every day from 9:30 a.m. till late.
Tel: 0131 473 2067 www.thehub-edinburgh. com
Farm World
Enjoy being "A Farmer for a Day". Join in delivering and feeding our spring babies -- bottle feeding sessions twice daily. Fun for all family. Horse Rides, BMX Bikes Cross Country Course, Tractor Ride through 600 acres, New Adventure Playground, Nature Trails. Full details on website.
Open: May—Oct Wednesdays to Saturdays and daily during school holidays 11 a. m.--5 p. m.
Tel: 01797 260256/260321 www. farmworld-rye, co. uk
Enter the Europe-wide student competition!
Are you curious, creative and energetic? Are you interested in the new media? Are you between 12 and 19 years of age? Then Join Multimedia 2006 is for you!
Your challenge will be to build a team and develop a multimedia presentation in English -- based on one of three different topics. You can register(报名) between May I and June 15, 2006 and will bare to turn in your entry before September 15, 2006.
The rewards are wonderful: ￡150,000 in prize for schools and teams and the chance to attend a European student camp -- plus new experiences, an opportunity to make friends throughout Europe!
For further information and registration forms go to: www. siemens, com/join _ multimedia. You' 11 have to register first if you want ________.
| A．to enter the Europe-wide student competition |
| B．to try Tractor Ride through 600 acres |
| C．to enjoy delicious food |
| D．to watch the world go by from the beautiful terrace |
According to the passage, there will be _______ rewards for the Europe-wide student competition.
| A．three | B． only one | C．two | D．four |
You can visit Farm World________.
| A．at 2 p.m. at Christmas |
| B．at 10:30 a.m. during school holidays |
| C．on Monday in May |
| D．any day in October |
From the advertisements above, we can learn that ________
| A．families can enjoy Horse Rides on New Adventure Playground |
| B．the Europe-wide student competition will be held on June 15, 2006 |
| C．Farm World provides lunches, snacks and fine dining |
| D．Cafe Hub is a popular place in the local area |
When six the very best students from different cities in Guangdong province all together chose universities in Hong Kong; when the very best students of Beijing picked up HK University while giving up the nearby Peking or Tsinghua University; when the highest enrollment (录取) rate of Hong Kong Science and Industry University reached 48:1, it’s the high time to ask where the real education heaven for students in China is.
Years ago, the answer certainly would be “Peking or Tsinghua University”. But now no one could give the exact reaction without hesitation. The only sure thing is that HK universities have gradually showed an unusual attraction to a great many mainland students.
It's no doubt to call this HK craze (狂热), which is even out of the expectation of those HK universities themselves.
How can HK universities shake the steady foundations of Peking and Tsinghua and attract so many mainland students?
First, Hong Kong universities offer large-amount scholarship, especially for the top students who can receive the sum scholarship as much as 400,000 HK dollars. Since higher education has become a kind of heavy burden of many families, it’s easy to understand why the reaction to the generous offering of HK universities is great.
Second, most HK universities receive professors and students from all over the world and carry out bilingual (双语) education. This kind of excellent language atmosphere is another attraction for mainland students.
Furthermore, university students in Hong Kong have a better chance to study abroad as exchange students.
Can mainland top universities like Peking or Tsinghua University calm as before when facing the unexpected competition from HK? Will they take relevant measures to win back the top students who once help them set the worldwide reputation? Time will explain it.
The fierce competition brought by HK universities can be a good thing for an entire improvement of education in China. After the awakening and action taking of mainland universities, they can perform better together with HK universities.
At least, it reminded the mainland universities the tuition fees (学费) are among students’ top concern when they are choosing universities. It’s time to move.What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．The competition between HK University and Peking University. |
| B．Higher education in Hong Kong. |
| C．Some thought brought by the enrollment of HK universities. |
| D．The fall of mainland universities. |
Top students from mainland apply for HK universities because ______.
| A．HK universities offer higher scholarship, better environment and more opportunities for their further study |
| B．they concern only about the tuition fees when choosing universities |
| C．many students now would love to study abroad to get a better experience |
| D．Peking university has lost its worldwide reputation |
From the passage we can see HK universities _______.
| A．didn’t mean to enroll top students from mainland |
| B．are proud of their teaching staff and facilities |
| C．have strict enrollment rules and only 1 out of 48 students can get the chance to study there |
| D．didn’t expect their enrollment of mainland students would be so popular |
What does the author mean by saying “It’s time to move” in the last paragraph?
| A．The opportunities come for top students to study abroad. |
| B．Mainland universities should take measures as soon as possible to attract students. |
| C．Mainland universities should make full preparations to challenge HK universities. |
| D．Top students should be offered further education free of charge. |
Look at the following timetable and answer questions.
Time Table
| Lv.(Leave) Boston |
Ar.(Arrive) Midway |
Ar. New York |
| 5:00 AM Ex.(Except) Sun. 7:10 AM Daily 9:10 AM Ex. Sat. & Sun. 10:00 AM Ex. Hol.(Holiday) 1:15 PM Daily 3:40 PM Ex. Hol. 5:20 PM Daily |
7:00 AM 9:00 AM 11:00 AM 11:45 AM 3:15 PM 5:40 PM 7:20 PM |
10:45 AM 12:45 PM 2:45 PM --------- 5:45 PM 8:45 PM 9:55 PM |
What is the shortest time between Boston and New York by train?
| A．5 hours 35 minutes | B．5 hours 5 minutes |
| C．4 hours 25 minutes | D．4 hours 30 minutes |
On Christmas Day, how many trains at least will go from Boston to New York?
| A．Two | B．Three |
| C．Four | D．Five |
You are traveling in the 9:10 AM train. In Midway you get off and stay there for an hour. If you want to get to New York before dark, which train from Boston should you change?
| A．The 1:15 PM train. | B．The 5:20 PM train. |
| C．The 3:40 PM train. | D．The 10:10 AM train. |