When I heard the piano, I walked to Mrs. Windsor’s house and waited outside as I always did. That meant she was working with another student, and I was not supposed to bother them by ringing the bell. I stood against the wall and daydreamed what I’d rather be doing. “Almost anything”, I sighed dejectedly. I had been tutored enough to read, understand, and even write some musical compositions, but I just didn’t have a gift for it. It didn’t come to me naturally. I thought back to happier times when I was writing stories and acting them out with my friends, cutting up old clothes to make dresses that performers wear in plays, and building scenery out of old things we found. But Mrs. Windsor had offered to give me the lessons for free, so I felt my duty to try.
The door opened and Wendy Barton came out. I walked in, sat down on the piano bench and began to sort through my sheet music.
“Hello,” I heard a voice behind me say softly. I turned around to see a little girl standing behind me, eating an apple. But before I could make any response, Mrs. Windsor walked into the room in her usual urgent manner and announced,“Jennifer, this is my niece, Pasha. Pasha, this is Jennifer. Pasha will be giving you your lesson today. I’m up to my ears in something else!” she then exited to the kitchen.
Pasha set her apple down on the side table and slid beside me on the piano bench.
“What piece do you like best?”she asked.
“What do you mean?” I asked. “They’re all the same to me. I don’t know.
“You mean you don’t have a favorite?”
“No, not really.”
Pasha looked at me, rather puzzled, then opened my sheet music to the beginning page and asked me to play. I arranged my fingers on the keys and studied the notes on the page for a moment. Then I frowned and concentrated to make the notes on the page match the finger movements. I have to admit I was a rather mechanical pianist.
After about a page or two, Pasha gently put her hand on top of mine as if to calm my fingers. There was a long pause. “What are you hearing in the music?” I looked at her rather strangely and admitted I didn’t know what she meant.
“Like a story. What story is being playing out within the music?”
“I guess I’ve never thought about it before. I don’t know.”
“Here, let me try and you listen,” Pasha advised.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, letting her fingers dance lightly over the keys. Then, she began to play. “See, it begins here beside some kind of river. Hear the water flowing beside you?”
Her fingers rose and fell gently on the keys.“Now the princess appears and she’s picking flowers from the water’s edge.”A carefree, happy piece of music filled the air in time to Pasha’s dancing fingers. “Oh, but she slips!”The music changed. “And our princess is being carried off by the fast-flowing stream. Quickly, the princess’s horse sees her plight (困境),” Pasha continued, and races to the river’s edge where he swims out to let her catch hold of him. They make it to the bank and she hugs her faithful horse and swears she will never again wear princess skirts that weigh her down. She will only wear jeans and T-shirt from now on.” Pasha finished with a big smile and then looked at me.
“Aren’t you the girl who tells the stories?” she asked.
“I guess. I do tell a lot of stories.”
“Oh, yes! All the kids talk about them. I’ve heard about you. Well, all you have to do is learn to hear the stories in the music. That’s all there is to it.”
“I’ve never thought it that way.”
“Let’s try another one, shall we?”Pasha smiled and together we played that afternoon, finding the stories in the music and learning that sometimes it takes a friend to pull you out of the river onto dry land again.The underlined word “dejectedly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______
| A．nervously | B．desperately |
| C．impatiently | D．unhappily |
Jennifer got lost in thought when she ________
| A．played the piano with Pasha for the first time |
| B．listened to Pasha tell her story about the princess |
| C．remembered happier times of writing stories and acting them out |
| D．discovered that Mrs. Windsor’s niece would be giving the piano lesson |
By describing herself as a mechanical pianist, the author showed ______
| A．she could remember the notes in a short time |
| B．she was playing the piano without thinking |
| C．Pasha was showing off her skills |
| D．it had been a long time since she played last time |
58. Which of the following can best describe Pasha?
| A．Creative | B．Naughty |
| C．Humorous | D．Brave |
Which of the following is the best title for the text?
| A．Never Give up | B．A Piano Lesson |
| C．Why I Hated Playing the Piano | D．A Friend for Ever |
This text would be probably found in ______
| A．a collection of stories about friendship and learning |
| B．a book of daily records about famous young musicians |
| C．a magazine series about the challenges of overcoming fears |
| D．a series of newspaper articles about musical instruments |
From the earliest times，man has been interested in art．People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures．
Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris，France．The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries．
The Louvre has not always been a museum．The first building was a fort（炮台）．In 1190，it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower．It had a moat to prevent his enemies from walking in ．
Over the years，the number of buildings around the castle grew．By 1350，the castle was no longer needed as a fort．The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens．
During times of peace，new treasures were brought in．Du
ring days of war，many treasures were stolen，and the buildings were damaged．
When Francis I became king of France in 1515，he brought in artists from many countries．One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy．Da Vinci's"Mona Lisa"is the best known painting in the museum today．
In 1793，the Louvre became a public museum，just as it is now．It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy．On the whole，this passage is mainly about____.．
| A．an art museum called the Louvre |
B．an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci |
C．a king of France named Francis I |
D．the best known painting in Louvre |
Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums？
| A．It helps people remember who the King of France is． |
B．It keeps people out of the palaces． |
C．It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art． |
D．It helps people to know who is the greatest artist． |
From the passage we know that _____．
| A．it is not possible for treasures to be stolen |
B．old forts always make the best museums |
C．great art should be shared with all the people |
D．king Francis I of France brought in artists from an old fort |
In the third paragraph the word"moat"probably means_____．
| A．a high tower built in former times where soldiers watched out for enemies |
B．a long and deep ditch（沟） dug round a castle and was usually filled with water |
C．a cart pulled by horses on which soldiers fought |
D．a long and high wall around castle |
阅读下列短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society, and we should return to the old traditions of family and community then we will have a better life．To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?
In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major ch
anges．While people traditionally prioritize caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be more self-absorbed and self-concerned．
Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life．They say that it is a jungle out there．To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy．Obviously greedy and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas．In a compan
y, employees do everything they can to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues．We are in any way advocating any selfish conduct．It is just that people are pressured to act in a certain way due to outside influences．
In spite of common practice, it is hard to conclude that modern society is built on greed and selfishness, both of which are not newly invented vocabulary．In ancient times people also did greedy and selfish things though such behaviors were more condemned then．But we can not ignore the fact that people in the past lived a relatively more isolated life and faced less pressure compared with their modern counterparts．
Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer either．Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the opposite．But I personally think that people should not be too selfish．Caring for others can actually encourage the development of a mutually beneficial relationship．
In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to strong outside pressure．However, we should encourage people to 
know the importance of being caring and generous and to build a mutually beneficial relationship with others．
Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish?
| Main comparisons |
Contexts |
| __ |
In the past people put caring, sharing and generosity in the first ____ |
| Nowadays, people seem to be more ___ |
|
| ___ |
People in the past appeared to be modest and self-effacing（谦让的）． |
| People may strive to achieve their own |
|
| The author’s understanding |
|
| __ |
Fierce |
| The author’s __ |
A relationship which can __ |
A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me．” However, that’s not really true．Words have the power to build us up or tear us down．It doesn’t matter 
if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting．
We all talk to ourselves sometimes．We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though．In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit．
This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down．Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative．So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves．We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back．The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”
Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have．But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others．For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange．And th
e clerk will probably respond in a similar manner．Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive．
Words possess power because of their lasting effect．Many of us regret something we once said．And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid．
Words possess power: both positive and negative．Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively．We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best．Negative words destroy all those things．Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The 
choice is ours．The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________．
| A．not sticks and stones but words will hurt us |
| B．inspiring words give us confidence |
| C．negative words may let us down |
| D．words have a lasting effect on us |
There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______
| A．almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves |
| B．we can benefit from talking to ourselves |
| C．talking to ourselves always gives us courage |
| D．it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone |
The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______ ．
| A．praise ourselves | B．remind ourselves |
| C．make ourselves relaxed | D．give our selves amusement |
The author would probably hold the view that ___________
| A．encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers |
| B．negative words may encourage us to make more progress |
| C．people tend to remember friendly words |
| D．it is better to think twice before talking to others |
In so many ways, cyberspace（网络空间） mirrors the real world．People ask for information, play games, and share hobby tips．Others buy and sell products．Still others look for friendship, or even love．
Some Internet users want more than just someone to chat with．They’re looking for serious love relationships．Is cyberspace a good place to find love? That answer depends on whom you ask．Some of these relationships actually succeed．Others end in tears．
Unlike the real world, however, your knowledge about a person is limited to words on a computer
screen．Identity and appearance mean very little in cyberspace．Rather, a person’s thoughts or at least the thoughts they type are what really counts．So even the shyest person can become a chat-room star．
Usually, this “faceless” communication doesn’t create problems．Identity doesn’t really matter when you’re in a chat-room discussing politics or hobbies．In fact, this emphasis on the ideas themselves makes the Internet a great place for exciting conversation．Where else can so many people come together to chat?
Suppo
rters of online relationships claim that the Internet allows couples to know how intelligent they are first．Personal appearance doesn’t get in the way．
But critics（批评者）of online relationships argue that no one can truly know another person in cyberspace．Why? Because the Internet gives users a lot of control over how others view them．Internet users can carefully choose their words to fit whatever image they want to give．And they don’t have to worry about what their “non-verbal ” communication is doing for their image．In a sense, they’re not really themselves．All of this may be fine if the relationship stays in cyberspace．But not knowing a person is a big problem in a love relationship．With so many unknowns, it’s easy to let one’s imagination “fill in the blanks”．This surely leads to disappointment when couples meet in person．How someone imagines an online friend is often quite different from the real person．
So, before looking for love in cyberspace, remember the advice of Internet pioneer Clifford Stoll, “Life in the real world is far richer than anything you’ll find on a computer screen．”Which would the critics of online relationships most probably disagree to?
| A．Nobody can truly know another person in cyberspace． |
| B．Internet users can choose words to create any image they like． |
| C．The Internet allows couples know how intelligent they are． |
| D．In a sense, Internet users are not really themselves． |
Even the shyest person can become a chat-room star because what really counts is a person’s ______．
| A．non-verbal communication | B．thoughts typed on the screen |
| C．knowledge and appearance | D．identity shown in the chat |
The underlined word “This” （Paragraph 6） refers to ______．
| A．having exciting conversations online |
| B．forming personal relationship in cyberspace |
| C．imagining online friends with so many unknowns |
| D．knowing a person in a love relationship |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards finding love in cyberspace?
| A．Positive | B．Negative | C．Interested | D．Disinterested |
College libraries are designed primarily for research and study．To explain its use, let us choose a research topic and follow the step-by-step procedure of looking up the material for the paper．
Suppose your assignment is to write a paper on a novel called “The Sun Also Rises” by American writer Hemingway．The first step is to go to the main catalog．Many small drawers on the large wooden cabinets are lined up in alphabetical（字母的） order．Each of the drawers contains hundreds of alphabetical ordered cards．These cards are printed ref
erences to all material available in the library．Title cards are cataloged （为…编目录） by the firs
t word of the book title, leaving out the articles like “a”, “an” and “the”．And then you get the cards for the books you need．On the upper left corner of each card is the call number．This is the numerical code that shows where the book is located in the library．The library has open and closed stacks．If your book is on the open stacks, you can go to the open-stack room, and according to the call number find it out by yourself．There are only about 30,000 books on open stacks, while most of the 800,000 books in our library are kept in closed stacks, which are accessible only to teachers and graduate students．
For undergraduates like you, borrowing books from the closed stacks have to be done with the help of our librarian．In that case, you must fill out a call slip（纸条） for the book, showing the call number, author and title．You can get call slips on tables near the catalog cabinets．You show your call slip together with your library card to a librarian at the information desk．He or she will help you find the book out in the closed stacks．What is the main purpose of this text?
| A．To present readers a brief introduction to a college library． |
| B．To guide readers how to find books needed in a college library． |
| C．To tell readers how to fill out a call slip in a college library． |
| D．To show readers where to find books in a college library． |
What letter you should look for on the title card for the book “The Old Man and the Sea” by the Hemingway?
| A．The letter “t”． | B．The letter “h”． | C．The letter “s”． | D．The letter “o”． |
How are books arranged and shelved in the library?
| A．By call numbers． | B．By call slips of authors’ names． |
| C．In alphabetical order． | D．By the first word of book title． |
Supp
ose you are an undergraduate and you want to borrow a book from the closed stacks, which is the correct order to do it?
a．go to the main catalog b．show your call slip and library card
c．find out the call number d．fill out a call slip
e．get the cards for 
the books
| A．a-b-e-d-c | B．a-e-c-d-b |
| C．b-a-c-d-e | D．b-c-a-e-d |