I was doing a weekend seminar (研讨会) at the Deerhurst Lodge, north of Toronto. On Friday night a tornado swept through a town north of us called Barrie, killing dozens of people and doing millions of dollars worth of damage. Sunday night, as I was coming home, I stopped the car when I got to Barrie. I got out on the side of the highway and looked around. It was a mess. Everywhere I looked there were smashed houses and cars turned upside down.
That same night Bob Templeton was driving down the same highway. He stopped to look at the disaster just as I had; only his thoughts were different than my own. Bob was the vice-president of Telemedia Communications, which owns a string of radio stations in Ontario and Quebec. He thought there must be something we could do for these people with the radio stations they had.
The following night I was doing another seminar in Toronto. Bob Templeton and Bob Johnson, another vice-president from Telemedia, came in and stood in the back of the room. They shared their conviction (信念) that there had to be something they could do for the people in Barrie.
After the seminar we went back to Bob's office. He was now committed (坚定的) to the idea of helping the people who had been caught in the tornado.
The following Friday he called all the executives (执行委员会) at Telemedia into his office. At the top of a flip chart (海报) he wrote three 3s. He said to his executives, "How would you like to raise 3 million dollars 3 days from now in just 3 hours and give the money to the people in Barrie?" There was nothing but silence in the room.
Finally someone said, "Templeton, you're crazy. There is no way we could do that."
Bob said, "Wait a minute. I didn't ask you if we could or even if we should. I just asked you if you'd like to."
They all said, "Sure we'd like to." He then drew a large ‘T’ underneath the 333. On one side he wrote, "Why we can't." On the other side he wrote, "How we can."
"I'm going to put a big X on the 'Why we can't' side. We're not going to spend any time on the ideas of why we can't. That's of no value. On the other side we're going to write down every idea that we can come up with on how we can. We're not going to leave the room until we figure it out." There was silence again.
Finally, someone said, "We could do a radio show across Canada."
Bob said, "That's a great idea," and wrote it down. Before he had it written, someone said, "You can't do a radio show across Canada. We don't have radio stations across Canada." That was a pretty valid (有效的) objection. They only had stations in Ontario and Quebec.
Templeton replied, "That's why we can. That stays." But this was a real strong objection because radio stations are not very compatible (和谐相处的). They usually don't work together. They are very cutthroat. They fight each other. To get them to work together would be virtually impossible according to the standard way of thinking.
All of a sudden someone said, "We could get Harvey Kirk and Lloyd Robertson, the biggest names in Canadian broadcasting, to anchor (主持) the show.” (That would be like getting Tom Brokaw and Sam Donaldson to anchor the show. They are anchors on national TV. They are not going to go on radio.) At that point, it was absolutely amazing how fast and furious the creative ideas began to flow.
That was on a Friday. The following Tuesday they had a radiothon (广播募捐). They had fifty radio stations all across the country that agreed to broadcast it. It didn't matter who got the credit as long as the people in Barrie got the money. Harvey Kirk and Lloyd Robertson anchored the show and they succeeded in raising three million dollars in three hours within three business days!
You see, you can do anything if you put your focus on how to do it rather than on why you can't.The first paragraph is written to______.
A.arouse the readers’ curiosity about the tornado. |
B.tell the readers why the writer got out on the side of the highway and looked around. |
C.introduce the background of the story. |
D.tell the readers the influence of the tornado. |
Why did Bob Templeton called all the executives at Telemedia into his office the following Friday? Because he wanted ______.
A.them to help him decide whether they should raise money for the people in Barrie |
B.them to help him think of ways to raise money for the people in Barrie |
C.them to discuss how to do a radio show across Canada |
D.to share his conviction that there had to be something they could do for the people in Barrie |
Which of the following does NOT result in the fact that they could not do a radio show across Canada?
A.Telemedia only had stations in Ontario and Quebec. |
B.Radio stations are very compatible. |
C.It is virtually impossible to get the radio stations to work together. |
D.Radio stations are very cutthroat, and they fight each other. |
What do the underlined sentences mean in the passage?
A.That’s the reason why we can do a radio show across Canada, so it remains. |
B.That is a real strong objection. |
C.The idea of doing a radio show across Canada belongs to the side of “how we can”, so it should stay. |
D.The idea shows why we can help the people in Barrie. |
That Tom Brokaw and Sam Donaldson are mentioned in the passage is because ______.
A.they are anchors on national TV |
B.they are not going to go on radio |
C.they are biggest names in Canadian broadcasting |
D.they are to national TV as Harvey Kirk and Lloyd Robertson are to Canadian broadcasting |
We can conclude from the passage that Bob Templeton is______.
A.compassionate and determined |
B.stubborn and simple-minded |
C.independent and strong-willed |
D.passionate and stubborn |
第三部分:阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
请认真阅读下列短文,从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Around the age of 40, honest people may already admit to noticing changes in their mental abilities. This is the beginning of a gradual decline that in all too many of us will end with full-blown dementia(痴呆).
However, a few drugs that might do the job, known as “cognitive enhancement(认知增强)”, are already on the market, and a few dozen others are on the way. Perhaps the best-known is modafinil. Licensed to treat narcolepsy, the condition that causes people to suddenly fall asleep, it has notable effects in healthy people too. Modafinil can keep a person awake and his or her attention fixed for 90 hours straight, with none of anxiety, nervousness and bad concentration. In fact, with the help of modafinil, people who can hardly go to sleep can perform even better than their well-rested, un-medicated(未服药的) selves.
It’s an open secret that many, perhaps most, prescriptions for modafinil are written not for people who suffer from narcolepsy, but for those who simply want to stay awake. Similarly, many people are using Ritalin not because they suffer from attention problem or any other disorder, but because they want superior concentration during exams or heavy-duty activities.
Some drugs have also been specially designed to improve memory. Many of these seem to work, and without any major side effects. So why aren’t we all on cognitive enhancers already?
“We need to be careful what we wish for,” says Daniele Piomelli at the University of California at Irvine. Repairing and improving memory may have unwanted effects, he warns. “Eventually we may end up remembering things we don’t want to.”
56. According to the message, we can learn that originally modafinil is a drug designed for _____.
A. for both healthy and unhealthy people
B. the treatment of dementia
C. people who can hardly go to sleep
D. those suffering from falling asleep suddenly
57. The passage mainly talks about _____.
A. dementia—a threat to the old people B. modafinil—a nice drug for dementia
C. relevant drugs to a better brain D. cognitive enhancement
58. The underlined sentences in paragraph two wants to tell us that _____.
A. without modafinil people suffering from sleep problems cannot rest well
B. people lacking sleep can work better than they are in a healthy state if taking modafinilC. modafinil has greater effects on healthy people if they take it
D. with modafinil people suffering from narcolepsy can fall asleep easily
59. What’s the writer’s attitude to the drugs mentioned in the passage?
A. Positive. B. Negative. C. Objective(客观的). D. Doubtful.
E
Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes – they are failing because the academic classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well- rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art – there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge – certainly not a good preparation for the real world.
72. Music and drama are not included in the high- school curriculum mainly because ________.
A. the school committee pays no attention to them
B. the school is afraid of losing financial support
C. the students are not interested in both of them
D. the state standardized test is more important
73. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test
B. Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’ s school system
C. Students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons
D. The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts
74. We can learn that music and art can ______.
A. motivate students in creativity and expression
B. make students round-shaped people in future
C. provide students with analytical thinking
D. prevent students graduating from high school
75. The best title of the passage can be ______.
A. Who Killed Music and Drama? B. Can Curriculum Go Without Music?
C. Why is Music So Important? D. How To Prepare For the Real World?
D
In the computer age, most of us take a broadband Internet connection for granted. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a catch, of course: You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.
Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs, it’s relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely (稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables (光纤电缆) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.
Still, the “last mile” problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication (迹象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.
68. The underlined part “a catch” (in Paragraph 2) probably means “_____”.
A. a rare challenge B. a desirable plan
C. an efficient device D. a hidden problem
69. What can we know from the third paragraph?
A. Internet connection has not been popular in most cities.
B. Internet service providers care about rural customers.
C. Computer is popular in developing countries.
D. It is hard to bring Internet access to users in remote areas.
70. Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements _____.
A. make TV and telephone available everywhere
B. bring great change to people’s everyday life
C. make it possible for more people to use the Internet
D. bring faster Internet connections to users
71. What may eventually settle the “last mile” problem?
A. The broadband connection’s getting faster.
B. More and more Internet users.
C. more and more Internet connections.
D The rapid progress in cell phone technology.
C
Visit one of the most outstanding prehistoric sites in the United Kingdom, and enjoy amazing historic English attractions. Please notice that every tour starts and ends in London. Have a tour with Visiting Britain.
Stonehenge Direct Tour
Visit one of the most outstanding prehistoric sites in England and in the world: Stonehenge.
Duration: l day
Price: Adults£29.99, Children£28.99
Stonehenge and Bath Tour
Enjoy a late breakfast before heading to the Stonehenge site and end your day with an original visit of the Roman Baths.
Duration: l hours (departure l0:30 am return 8:30 pm).
Price: Adults£64, Children£60
Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle Tour
Explore three of England’s most popular sites to visit: Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and the Roman Baths.
Duration: 1 day (return 8:30 pm)
Price: Adults£64.80, Children£61.20
Stonehenge, Lacock and Bath Tour
Come and feel the warmth of Bath, see the pleasant village of Lacock, and solve the mystery of Stonehenge.
Duration: l day (return 6 pm)
Price: Adults£85, Children£78
Stonehenge, Windsor and Oxford Tour
Choose Stonehenge, Windsor and Oxford Tour and enjoy ancient mysticism, royal history and illustrious knowledge.
Duration: l day
Price: Adults£72, Children£68
Stonehenge, Bath and Stratford Tour
Take a tour to make the most of the English historic attractions: the Stonehenge site, Bath and Stratford, the birthplace of playwright William Shakespeare.
Duration: l day (return 8 pm)
Price: Adults £79, Children£68
64. The purpose of the passage is to _____.
A. advertise some popular English attractions
B. recommend some different tours in England.
C. tell readers how to save money while traveling
D. persuade readers to join Visiting Britain
65. Two 15-year-old foreign students who want to visit Stonehenge and Oxford University will have to pay at least _____.
A. £136 B. £170 C. £l10 D. £126
66. When can you come back to London after visiting Stonehenge and the Roman Baths?
A. At 6 pm. B. At 7 pm. C. At 8 pm. D. At 8:30 pm.
67. If you plan to travel with your kid who is a fan of Shakespeare, you would choose _____.
A. Stonehenge Direct Tour
B. Stonehenge, Bath and Stratford Tou
C. Stonehenge, Windsor and Oxford Tour
D. Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor Castle Tour
B
BUNOL, Spain (AFP) — Tens of thousands of people from around the world threw tons of ripe tomatoes at each other in an annual food fight that painted the eastern Spanish town of Bunol red.
More than 40,000 people, including many visitors from Australia, Britain and the United States, took part in the food fight known as the “Tomatina”, now in its 64th year, a spokeswoman for Bunol’s town hall said.
They were provided with over 100 tons of tomatoes by the town council for the battle which lasted about one hour and left participants covered in red.
Many men were shirtless while others wore old clothes, hardhats, goggles or protective plastic sheets.
Shopkeepers put up huge plastic covers on their store fronts or boarded them up to protect their properties from the sea of red mush (糊状物).
After the battle, governmental workers and local residents used “giant hoses” to clear the walls and streets of the tomato pulp in just half an hour while the participants headed to a nearby river where temporary showers were set up.
The event cost the town of some l0,000 residents 40,000 dollars, Spanish media reported.
The “Tomatina” is held each year in Bunol, located in a fertile (富饶的) region about 40 kilometres north of the coastal city of Valencia, Spain’s third-largest city, on the last Wednesday in August.
The origins of the event are unclear although it is thought to have its roots in a food fight between childhood friends in the mid-1940s in the city.
It has grown in size as international press coverage brought more and more people to the festival.
60. To keep their stores safe, the shopkeepers _____.
A. kept their store fronts covered B. hung plastic sheets on the walls
C. closed all the doors and windows D. stopped people throwing at them
61. Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the underlined word “pulp” (in
Paragraph 6)?
A. skin. B. color. C. mush. D. value.
62. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A. the “Tomatina” brings in huge profits
B. the festival attracted more tourists this year
C. no one knows the history of the festival
D. tourism plays an important role in Bunol
63. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. It is fun to throw tomatoes B. An exciting story about tomatoes
C. Fighting and sightseeing in Bunol D. Spanish town painted red in tomato fight