Sharingcarstoworkisnotunusual．-优题课

In 2008, the main candidates ( 候选人 ) for President each used this expression ：You can put lipstick ( 口红 ) on a pig, but it is still a pig.” This means that it is a waste of time to change something from ugly or unpleasant-looking to beautiful.
There are other expressions about improving a pig’s appearance, like this one: “ A hog in a silk waist coat is still a hog.” Hogs are similar to pigs, only bigger. Americans use many other expressions about pigs, hogs and female hogs called sows, like this one, “ You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” This means you cannot create something valuable from something that has no value. Then there is the expression “ Cast pearls before swine ( 猪 ).” That means wasting something valuable on someone who will not be thankful or care about it.
Hogs which are very large animals, take up a lot of space but people should not take up more than their share. If one of your children is taking up too much space sitting in front of the television, other children might say : “ Do not hog the couch.” And a road hog is a driver who uses more than his share of the road. Such a driver increase dangers for other drivers.
Pigs terms are also used in American politics. Farmers mark their pigs’ ears to identify them. In politics, earmarks are money set aside for projects in a congressman’s ( 议员 ) home state.
In many areas, pigs provide ham, bacon and other pork products to eat. All Americans want to be able to bring home the bacon because they want to earn enough money to provide the necessities of life. Experts say this term was first used in the 1920s. But it is believed to come from the much older game of catching a greased ( 涂了油的 ) pig. This was a popular event at country fairs in which the winner was awarded the pig.
66.The author writes this passage mainly to ________________.
A.express his support for the President Election
B.criticize ( 批评 ) the bad influence caused by expressions about pigs
C.discuss some problems caused by expressions about pigs
D.introduce some expressions used in American daily life
67.If you give a good book to a person who can’t read, which of the following is the most suitable to describe it?
A.Cast peals before swine.
B.You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.
C.A hog in a silk waistcoat is still a hog.
D.You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
68.A driver who takes up too much space on the road is often referred to as ________________.
A. a greased pigB. a couch hog C. a road hogD. a road earmark
69. How many words which refer to the same animal are mentioned in this passage?
A. Six B. Four C. Five D. Three
70. Which of the following expressions are similar to “ You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.?
A. When pigs fly! B. To eat like a pig.
C. To sell a pig in a pork. D. To sweat like a pig.

第三部分：阅读（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的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。
If you think American cooking means opening a package and throwing the contents into the microwave oven （微波炉）， think again. On one hand, it’s true that many Americans have cold cereal ( 谷类食品 ) for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and instant dinners. From busy homemakers to working people, many Americans enjoy the convenience of fast food that can be ready to serve in 10 minutes or less. On the other hand, many Americans realize the importance of cooking skills. Parents－especially mothers－see the importance of training their children－ especially daughters. Most Americans think that there’s nothing better than a good home-cooked meal. But with cooking, as with any other skill, good results don’t happen by accident.
Probably every cook has his or her own way of cooking. But there are some basic skills that most people follow. For example, baking is a main method of preparing food in America. For that reason, Americans would find it next to impossible to live without an oven. American cooks pay special attention to the balance of foods, too. In planning a big meal they try to include meat, a few vegetables, some bread and often a dessert. They also like to make sure the meal is colouful. Having several different colors of food on the plate usually makes for a healthy meal.
For those who need guidance in their cooking, or for those who have just run out of ideas, recipes are a great help. Recipes list all the ingredients for a dish ( generally in the order used ), the amount of each to use, and a description of how to put them together.
61.This passage mainly tells us that _______________.
A.Americans usually have fast food, but they pay special attention to cooking as well.
B.without an oven, Americans find it impossible to live conveniently.
C.Americans pay special attention to recipes and nutritious meals.
D.Americans like to have several different colors of food on the plate.
62.The underlined word “ convenience “ in the first paragraph means _______________.
A.the lower and acceptable price
B.being suitable to one’s comfort or needs.
C.The high quality and low price.
D.The unusual taste of the food.
63.Many Americans have cold cereal for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch and instant dinner because ______________.
A.they like instant food very much
B.they don’t like cooking at all.
C.most American working people are busy and don’t have time to cook
D.fast food is delicious and it usually contains a lot of vitamins.
64.By saying “ But with cooking, as with any other skill, good results don’t happen by accident, the author means _____________.
A.good cooking doesn’t come easily; it needs a lot of practice
B.just like any other skill, cooking may bring good results
C.cooking comes from one’s gift, not through practice
D cooking can lead to accidents
65.From the passage, we know that _____________.
A.Americans don’t care about food
B.Americans are not good at cooking because they like to use recipes
C.an oven plays an important role in cooking for Americans
D.while cooking, Americans usually run out of ideas

Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities(operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders(教会) or other non-profit groups.
Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government's Public Health Service.
Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100,000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would-be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20,000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10,000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency(实习阶段) in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.
Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other's patients in emergencies.
Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.
51. According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by _______.
A. a church B. a corporation C. a cityD. a state
52. The expenses for becoming a doctor are spent on _______.
A. setting up a medical practice B. practice in a hospital
C. facilities he or she uses D. education he or she receives
53. According to the passage, how long does it take for a would-be physician to become an independent physician in the USA?
A. About seven years. B. About eight years.
C. About ten years. D. About twelve years.
54. Sometimes several physicians set up a group medical practice mainly because __.
A. there are so many patients that it is difficult for one physician to take care all of them
B. they can take turns to work long hours
C. facilities may be too much of a burden for one physician to shoulder
D. no one wants to assume too much responsibility
55. Which of the following statements could fully express the author's view towards physicians’ payment in the USA?
A. For their expensive education and their responsibility, they deserve a handsome pay.
B. It is reasonable for physicians to have a large income because their work is very dangerous.
C. Physicians should be better paid because they work long hours under bad conditions.
D. Physicians have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well rewarded.

Some time ago I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended, as there are a whole lot of antique(古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception. I was quite wrong. The man wouldn’t even look at my chair.
The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same, and the third and the fourth－so I decided that my approach must be wrong.
I entered the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?” ”Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK,” he said, “I’ll give you twenty pounds.” “It’s got a slightly broken leg,” I said. “Yes, I saw that, it’s nothing.”
Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.” “I’ll buy it,” I said. “What do you mean? You’ve just sold it to me,” he said. “Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I am sorry. I’ll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.” “You must be crazy,” he said. Then, suddenly the penny dropped. “I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “You’re right,” I said. “And what would you have done if I had walked in and said, “Would you mend this chair for me?” “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don’t do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll mend this for you, shall we say for a fiver(五英镑钞票)?” He was a very nice man and was greatly amused by the whole thing.
46. We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer _________.
A. was rather impolite
B. was warmly received
C. asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair
D. asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair
47. The underlined word “Approach” in the second paragraph means _________.
A. plan for dealing with things B . decision to sell things
C. idea of repairing things D. way of doing things
48. The expression “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper _________.
A. changed his mind B.accepted the offer
C. saw the writer’s purposeD. decided to help the writer
49. How much did the writer pay?
A. ￡ 5. B. ￡ 7. C. ￡ 20. D. ￡ 27.
50. From the text, we can learn that the writer was _________.
A. honest B. careful C. smart D. funny

第三部分：阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
China launched its first manned spaceship at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, becoming the third country in the world to send a person into orbit after the former Soviet Union and the United States. Astronaut Yang Liwei became China’s first space man.
With a column of beautiful smoke, the Shenzhou V craft cut across a bright northwest China sky at exactly 9:00 a.m. Wednesday and went into orbit 10 minutes later.
China Central Television’s Channel One cut into its regular programming to announce the launch. The station later showed the Shenzhou V streaking(moving very fast)into the sky and disappearing, its tracer billowing (to fill with air and become larger)behind it.
Minutes after the launch, a CCTV announcer said that Shenzhou V and 38-year-old Yang Liwei, an air force pilot since 1983, had “entered orbit at 9:10.” It reported Yang was “reading a flight manual(手册) in the capsule of the Shenzhou V spacecraft and looked composed and at ease.”
The Shenzhou V launch came after four test launches of unmanned capsules that orbited the earth for nearly a week before parachuting back to China’s northern grasslands. Reports said the manned flight was expected to last about 22 hours.
President Hu Jintao watched the launch at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China’s Gansu Province.
Hu called the launch “the glory of our great motherland and a mark for the initial victory of the country’s first manned space flight and for the significant, historic step of the Chinese people in the advance of climbing over the peak of the world’s science and technology.”
He said that: “The Party and the people will never forget those who have set up the outstanding merit(贡献) in the space industry for the motherland, the people and the nation.”
“The launch of the Shenzhou V is long-awaited by the Chinese people,” Foreign Minister spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said on Tuesday. She said the flight was a key step in the “Peaceful development of space.”
NASA Administrator Sean O’ Keefe also congratulated on China’s first successful human space flight.
41. The following are countries succeeded in sending man into space EXCEPT ____
A. China B. Germany C. America D. the former Soviet Union
42. The underlined word “composed” in paragraph 4 means_____
A. happy B. nervous C. calm D. excited
43. According to the passage which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. It’s the first time that China has sent up its first manned spaceship.
B. Before the Shenzhou V launched, four test launches of it had moved around the earth.
C. The 38-year-old astronaut was sent into space by China’s ShenzhouⅤspacecraft and landed safely the next day.
D. Yang Liwei is China’s first astronaut in space.
44. The writer quoted(引用) Foreign Minister spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue’s words to express ________.
A. the Chinese have been expecting the successful space launch and it’s a great contribution to the peaceful development of space.
B. a lot of Chinese people are waiting for the launch.
C. this launch is the first time in China.
D. China’s manned spaceship made a peaceful development of space.
45. The description of Yang Liwei tells us that _______.
A. Yang didn’t know what to do and he was looking up a flight manual
B. it’s 10 years since he became an air force pilot
C. Yang entered orbit at exactly 9:00 a.m.
D. Yang trained himself well and felt very satisfied with everything in the space craft

A．Favorable.	B．Negative.
C．Unclear.	D．Doubtful.

A．Kids pooling.	B．Chinese parenting.
C．Sharing children.	D．Sharing cars.