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 |
I received a call today asking if I would be willing to bring food to a family in need. The mother was having a major operation and would be lying down for several weeks. Of course, I responded with an immediate “Yes!”. As I planned the meal in my head, I reflected on how many times over the years I had been asked to prepare food. I have done so countless times with a very open heart.
But the truly amazing thing is that I have received double over the course of my life. When my mother passed away, our house was filled with fresh dinners for weeks. A woman from the church of our community stopped by each evening with some food. The gift of food was her small way of trying to ease our pain.
Later in my life, when I was on bed rest during my pregnancy with twins, women of the church again stepped in to help. They arranged babysitting for my two-year-old daughter, and brought lovely dinners to our house. Even when I was put in the hospital, my husband would bring cooked meals to my hospital room. How we relied on these dinners to feed my tired husband and young daughter.
Food is all about comfort. It feeds our bodies, but it can also feed our souls. When you hear people talking about their favorite holidays, it usually includes their feelings connected with sharing food. I know that I will have many more opportunities in my lifetime to prepare food for others. It is truly a gift I want to prepare and deliver to someone in need.The author has given lots of food to others because .
| A．she is poor at cooking. |
| B．she is a church member. |
| C．she is friendly to others. |
| D．she has received others’ food. |
We can learn from the first paragraph that the author .
| A．had to stay in bed for several weeks. |
| B．knew the family in need very well. |
| C．was glad to be able to lend a hand. |
| D．was tired of preparing food. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the author?
| A．Her mother died when she was in hospital. |
| B．She didn’t get enough food during her pregnancy. |
| C．She received food as well as comfort in her hard times. |
| D．She thinks offering food is the best way to show love. |
According to the passage, which of the following conclusion can we get?
| A．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
| B．One good turn deserves another. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. |
| D．Every man has his faults. |
When Johnson called again, the manager received him very politely. “That is a most remarkable oil you brought us, Mr Johnson,” he said. Johnson nodded his smooth, dark head. That was something he knew very well. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” the manager admitted. Johnson nodded again. “No?” he said politely. Then he added, “But I think you will, sir. A very great deal of it.” He appeared to think for a moment. “I think you will find it will be on sale seven, perhaps, eight years from now.” He smiled.
The manager thought that was uncertain. He said, “It is better than our fish oils. I admit that.” “So I am told, sir,” agreed Johnson.
“Have you any plans to produce it yourself, Mr Johnson?”
Johnson smiled again. “Would I be showing it to you if I had?”
“We might add some chemicals to one of our own fish oils,” said the manager.
“It would be expensive to do that, even if you could.” Johnson said gently. “Besides,” he added, “I am told that this oil will be much cheaper than your best fish oils. Cheaper than any vegetable oil, in fact.”
“Perhaps,” said the manager. “Well, I suppose you want to make an arrangement, Mr Johnson, Shall we discuss it?”
“Of course,” said Johnson. “There are two ways of dealing with a situation of this sort. The usual one is to prevent it altogether or at least to delay it as long as possible. That is, of course, the best way,” The manager nodded. He knew plenty about all that.
“But I am so sorry for you, because, you see, that is not possible this time.” The manager had his doubts, but all he said was an inquiring(asking), “Oh?”
“The other way,” continued Johnson, “is to produce yourself before the trouble starts.”The manager thought of adding chemicals to the fish oil to make it ________.
| A．cheaper than the new oil | B．more quickly |
| C．more expensive | D．as good as the new oil |
Johnson’s new oil would be ________.
| A．more expensive than fish oil, but better |
| B．less expensive, and better |
| C．less expensive, but not good |
| D．more expensive, and not so good |
Johnson showed his new oil to the manager because he wanted ________.
| A．to produce it himself |
| B．to prevent it being produced |
| C．to be paid not to produce it |
| D．the manager to produce it |
At the time, I would go out in the evening with my parents. But this time I had borrowed a bicycle from a friend of mine. I didn’t know why, but once I was on my own bicycle, a kind of free feeling flooded through me. The faster I rode, the faster I wanted to go! Far ahead, I rode as if my life depended on it, head down, hands grasping the handbars. I meant to get to Jinghai Bar as fast as I could...
Oh! My hands! Don’t come any closer... Don’t touch me! That poor doctor just couldn’t get my gloves off. Each time he took a step towards me, I broke into painful shouting. Much later, I discovered that I had crashed heavily with another bicycle, and I hadn’t spoken one word of sense for at least three hours! After some time, my mother arrived at the hospital, her face as white as a sheet, and gave me a hug, only then did the doctor begin to stitch(缝合) my head wound, not only did he merrily cut off a long lock of my hair, but used no anaesthetic(麻药) either! Later， I seemed to hear faraway voices saying that my right hand was broken. I almost burst into tears. How would I ever play the piano again?On her way to Jinghai, the writer felt _______.
| A．nervous | B．comfortable |
| C．light-hearted | D．upset |
Why did the writer ride a bicycle to Jinghai Bar that evening?
| A．Because she wanted to attend a party on time. |
| B．Because she wanted to meet her friend who was waiting for her there. |
| C．Because she just wanted, to join some of her friends and drink some wine. |
| D．We are not quite sure about what she was really going there for. |
What did the writer think of the doctor?
| A．Friendly. | B．Cruel. |
| C．Hardworking. | D．Kind. |
One thing is sure, that is, before she was wounded she _______.
| A．often went to Jinghai Bar with her friends |
| B．liked playing the piano |
| C．didn’t like any doctors at all |
| D．would burst into tears when she was in trouble |
My father was a foreman of a sugar-cane plantation in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. My first job was to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields. I would walk behind an ox, guiding him with a broomstick. For $ 1 a day, I worked eight hours straight, with no food breaks.
It was very tedious work, but it prepared me for life and taught me many lasting lessons. Because the plantation owners were always watching us, I had to be on time every day and work as hard as I could. I’ve never been late for any job since. I also learned about being respectful and faithful to the people you work for. More important, I earned my pay; it never entered my mind to say I was sick just because I didn’t want to work.
I was only six years old, but I was doing a man’s job. Our family needed every dollar we could make because my father never earned more than $ 18 a week. Our home was a three-room wood shack with a dirty floor and no toilet. Nothing made me prouder than bringing home money to help my mother, father, two brothers and three sisters. This gave me self-esteem(自尊心), one of the most important things a person can have.
When I was seven, I got work at a golf course near our house. My job was to stand down the fairway and spot the balls as they landed, so the golfers could find them. Losing a ball meant you were fired, so I never missed one. Some nights I would lie in bed and dreamt of making thousands of dollars by playing golf and being able to buy a bicycle.
The more I dreamed, the more I thought. Why not? I made my first golf club out of guava limb(番石榴树枝) and a piece of pipe. Then I hammered an empty tin can into the shape of a ball. And finally I dug two small holes in the ground and hit the ball back and forth. I practiced with the same devotion and intensity. I learned working in the field — except now I was driving golf balls with club, not oxen with a broomstick.The writer’s first job was _______.
| A．to stand down the fairway at a golf course |
| B．to watch over the sugar-cane plantation |
| C．to drive the oxen that ploughed the cane fields |
| D．to spot the balls as they landed so the golfers could find them |
The word “tedious” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _______.
| A．difficult | B．boring |
| C．interesting | D．unusual |
_______ gave the writer serf-esteem.
| A．Having a family of eight people |
| B．Owning his own golf course |
| C．Bringing money back home to help the family |
| D．Helping his father with the work on the plantation |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．He wanted to be a successful golfer. |
| B．He wanted to run a golf course near his house. |
| C．He was satisfied with the job he got on a plantation. |
| D．He wanted to make money by guiding oxen with a broomstick. |
We spent a day in the country, picking wild flowers. With the car full of flowers we were going home. On our way back my wife noticed a cupboard (柜厨) outside a furniture shop. It was tall and narrow. “Buy it, ” my wife said at once. “We’ll carry it home on the roof rack. I’ve always wanted one like that.”
What could I do? Ten minutes later I was ￡20 poorer; and the cupboard was tied on the roof rack. It was six feet long and eighteen inches square, quite heavy too.
In the gathering darkness I drove slowly. Other drivers seemed unusually polite that evening. The police even stopped traffic to let us through. Carrying furniture was a good idea.
After a time my wife said, “There’s a long line of cars behind. Why don’t they overtake, I wonder?” In fact a police car did overtake. The two officers inside looked at us seriously as they passed. But then, with great kindness, they led us through the rush-hour traffic. The police car stopped at our village church. One of the officers came to me.
“Right, sir, ” he said. “Do you need any more help?”
I was a bit puzzled. “Thanks, officer, ” I said. “You have been very kind. I live just on the road.”
He was staring at our car, first at the flowers, then at the cupboard. “Well, well, ” he said, laughing. “It’s a cupboard you’ve got there! We thought it was something else.”
My wife began to laugh. The truth hit me like a stone between the eyes. I smiled at the officer. “Yes, it’s a cupboard, but thanks again.” I drove home as fast as I could.In fact the husband _______ the cupboard.
| A．would like very much to buy | B．badly wanted |
| C．was glad to have bought | D．would rather not buy |
Other drivers thought they were _______.
| A．carrying a cupboard to the church |
| B．sending flowers to the church |
| C．carrying nothing but a piece of furniture |
| D．going to attend a funeral(葬礼) at the church |
The police will be more polite to those who are _______.
| A．driving in gathering darkness |
| B．in great sorrow (悲痛) |
| C．driving with wild glowers in the car |
| D．carrying furniture |
What did the husband think of this matter?
| A．It was very strange. | B．He felt ashamed of it. |
| C．He took great pride in it. | D．He was puzzled at it. |