It’smidnightalready,buttheligh-优题课

You____have scolded him for his poor performance．After all，he had done his best．（　　）

A．

must

B．

should

C．

mustn't

D．

shouldn't

His vivid descriptions of country life quickly became popular，which established his_____as one of America's greatest writers．（　　）

A．

trust

B．

contact

C．

reputation

D．

theory

﹣You seem to be in a really good mood．

﹣I finished my last test today．____ ! Now I'm free．（　　）

A．	What a pity
B．	What a relief
C．	I've got it
D．	I've missed the point

After years of observing human nature，I have decided that two qualities make the difference between men of great achievement and men of average performance，curiosity and discontent．I have never known an outstanding man who lacked either．And I have never known an average man who had both．The two belong together．

Together，these deep human urges（驱策力）count for much more than ambition．Galileo was not merely ambitious when he dropped objects of varying weights from the Leaning Tower at Pisa and timed their fall to the ground．Like Galileo，all the great names in history were curious and asked in discontent，"Why？Why？Why？"

Fortunately，curiosity and discontent don't have to be learned．We are born with them and need only recapture them．

"The great man，" said Mencius（孟子），"is he who does not lose his child's heart．" Yet most of us do lose it．We stop asking questions．We stop challenging custom．We just follow the crowd．And the crowd desires only the calm and restful average．It encourages us to occupy our own little corner，to avoid foolish leaps into the dark，to be satisfied．

Most of us meet new people，and new ideas，with hesitation．But once having met and liked them，we think how terrible it would have been，had we missed the chance．We will probably have to force ourselves to waken our curiosity and discontent and keep them awake．

How should you start？Modestly，so as not to become discouraged．I think of one friend who couldn't arrange flowers to satisfy herself．She was curious about how the experts did it．How she is one of the experts，writing books on flower arrangement．

One way to begin is to answer your own excuses．You haven't any special ability？Most people don't；there are only a few geniuses．You haven't any time？That's good，because it's always the people with no time who get things done．Harriet Stowe，mother of six，wrote parts of Uncle Tom's Cabin while cooking．You're too old？Remember that Thomas Costain was 57 when he published his first novel，and that Grandma Moses showed her first pictures when she was 78．

However you start，remember there is no better time to start than right now，for you'll never be more alive than you are at this moment．

（1）In writing Paragraph 1，the author aims to　　．

A．propose a definition

B．make a comparison

C．reach a conclusion

D．present an argument

（2）What does the example of Galileo tell us？　　

A．Trial and error leads to the finding of truth．

B．Scientists tend to be curious and ambitious．

C．Creativity results from challenging authority．

D．Greatness comes from a lasting desire to explore．

（3）What can you do to recapture curiosity and discontent？　　

A．Observe the unknown around you．

B．Develop a questioning mind．

C．Lead a life of adventure．

D．Follow the fashion．

（4）What can we learn from Paragraphs 6 and 7？　　

A．Gaining success helps you become an expert．

B．The genius tends to get things done creatively．

C．Lack of talent and time is no reason for taking no action．

D．You should remain modest when approaching perfection．

（5）What could be the best title for the passage？　　

A．Curious Minds Never Feel Contented

B．Reflections on Human Nature

C．The Keys to Achievement

D．Never Too Late to Learn

For people，who are interested in sound，the field of sound technology is definitely making noise．In the past，sound engineers worked in the back rooms of recording studios，but many of today's sound professionals are sharing their knowledge and experience with professionals in other fields to create new products based on the phenomenon we call sound．

Sound can be used as a weapon．Imagine that a police officer is chasing a thief．The thief tries to escape．And the officer can't let him get away．He pulls out a special device，points it at the suspect，and switches it on．The thief drops to the ground．This new weapon is called a Long Range Acoustic Device（LRAD，远程定向声波发射器）．It produces a deafening sound so painful that it temporarily disables a person．The noise from the LRAD is directed like a ray of light and travels only into the ears of that person，but it is not deadly．

For those who hunger for some peace and quiet，sound can now create silence．Let's say you are at the airport，and the little boy on the seat next to you is humming（哼唱）a short commercial song．He hums it over and over again，and you are about to go crazy．Thanks to the Silence Machine，a British invention，you can get rid of the sound without upsetting the boy or his parents．One may wonder how the Silence Machine works．Well，it functions by analyzing the waves of the incoming sound and creating a second set of outgoing waves．The two sets of waves cancel each other out．Simply turn the machine on point it at the target，and your peace and quiet comes back．

Directed sound is a new technology that allows companies to use sound in much the same way spotlights（聚光灯）are used in the theater．A spotlight lights up only one section of a stage；similarly，a "spotsound" creates a circle of sound in one targeted area．This can be useful for businesses such as restaurants and stores because it offers a new way to attract customers．Restaurants can offer a choice of music along with the various food choices on the menu，allowing customers more control over the atmosphere in which they are dining．Directed sound is also beginning to appear in shopping centers and even at homes．

（1）What could be inferred from Paragraph 2 about the effect of the LRAD？　　

A．	It causes temporary hearing loss．
B．	It slows down a running man．
C．	It makes it easy to identify a suspect．
D．	It keeps the suspect from hurting others．

（2）The Silence Machine is a device specially designed to 　　．

A．	silence the people around you
B．	remove the sound of commercials
C．	block the incoming sound waves
D．	stop unwanted sound from affecting you

（3）What feature do spotsounds and spotlights share？　　

A．	They travel in circles．
B．	They clear the atmosphere．
C．	They can be transformed into energy．
D．	They can be directed onto a specific area．

（4）Directed sound can be used for 　　．

A．	creative designs of restaurant menus
B．	ideal sound effects on the theater stage
C．	different choices of music for businesses
D．	strict control over any suspicious customer

（5）What does the passage focus on？　　

A．	How professionals invented sound products．
B．	Inventions in the field of sound technology．
C．	The growing interest in the study of sound．
D．	How sound engineers work in their studios．

A．Online gaming	B．Beyond a virtual reality
C．Virtual cooperation	D．Real interaction