Still seeking a destination for your weekend break? There are some places which are probably a mere walk away from your college.
King’s Art Centre
A day at the Centre could mean a visit to an exhibition of the work of one of the most interesting contemporary artists on show anywhere. This weekend sees the opening of an exhibition of four local artists.
You could attend a class teaching you how to learn from the masters’ or get more creative with paint—free of charge.
The Centre also runs two life drawing classes for which there is a small fee.
The Botanic Garden
The Garden has over 8,000 plant species; it holds the research and teaching collection of living plants for Cambridge University.
The multi-branched Torch Aloe here is impressive. The African plant produces red flowers above blue-green leaves, and is not one to miss.
Get to the display house to see Dionaea muscipula, a plant more commonly known as the Venus Flytrap that feeds on insects and other small animals.
The Garden is also a place for wildlife-enthusiasts. Look for grass snakes in the lake. A snake called “Hissing Sid” is regularly seen lying in the heat of the warm sun.
Byron’s Pool
Many stores surround Lord Byron’s time as a student of Cambridge University. Arriving in 1805, he wrote a letter complaining that it was a place of “mess and drunkenness”. However, it seems as though Byron did manage to pass the time pleasantly enough. I’m not just talking about the pet bear he kept in his rooms. He spent a great deal of time walking in the village.
It is also said that on occasion Byron swam naked by moonlight in the lake, which is now known as Byron’s Pool. A couple of miles past Grantchester in the south Cambridgeshire countryside, the pool is surrounded by beautiful circular paths around the fields. The cries of invisible birds make the trip a lovely experience and on the way home you can drop into the village for afternoon tea. If you don’t trust me, then perhaps you’ll take it from Virginia Woolf—over a century after Byron, she reportedly took a trip to swim in the same pool.As mentioned in the passage, there is a small charge for _____.
A.attending the masters’ class |
B.working with local artists |
C.learning life drawing |
D.seeing an exhibition |
“Torch Aloe” and “Venus Flytrap” are _____.
A.common insects |
B.impressive plants |
C.rarely-seen snakes |
D.wildlife-enthusiasts |
We can infer from the passage that Byron seemed _____.
A.to fear pet bears |
B.to like walking |
C.to be a heavy drinker |
D.to finish university in 1805 |
In the passage Byron’s Pool is described as a lake _____.
A.surrounded by fields |
B.owned by Lord Byron |
C.located in Grantchester |
D.discovered by Virginia Woolf |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.Some places for weekend break. |
B.A way to become creative in art. |
C.The colorful life in the countryside. |
D.Unknown stories of Cambridge University. |
One Canada, Two Languages
Canada is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages: English and French. There are 10 provinces in the country but only one of these—Quebec is known as “French Canada”. This is because it was founded by French explorers while British adventurers discovered the rest.
Canada left the British empire(帝国) in 1867 to become an independent country and English and French have been recognized as the official languages ever since.
Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country. Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast, French television is very rare.
The same goes for traffic signs and menus, for example, outside of Quebec, there are only a few places where you’ll see traffic signs in French. In restaurants, it’s almost impossible to find French on the menu unless you are in the heartland (中心地带) of French Canada. However, all products sold in Canada must, by law, have labels (标签) and instructions in both languages.
In Canada’s English speaking provinces, official bilingualism (双语) means that students can choose to complete a special French language course. Under this program, they are taught most of their subjects in French.
If a student begins the course in kindergarten (幼儿园) or Grade One, it is likely that all their lessons will be in French. However, if they start at junior high school, 25 percent of the teaching will continue to be in English.
59. How many provinces are there in Canada?
A. Ten.B. Nine.C. Eleven.D. Two.
60. Which country controlled Canada before its independence?
A. France. B. Britain.C. America.D. Germany
61. Where can you watch French television programs?
A. Only in Quebec.
B. In Quebec and a few other places.
C. From the two national television networks.
D. All over Canada
62. What do we know about the education in Canada?
A. In English speaking provinces only English courses are offered.
B. If you choose a special French language course, most of the subjects are taught in French.
C. The courses in primary school are all taught in English.
D. Most of the courses in junior high schools are taught in English.
第三部分 阅读理解(共两节20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
第一节:阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Shane Thomas is a 10-year-old pianist from England. He’s being called the next Mozart because of his amazing abilities.
He has only been having piano lessons for four months, and practices four hours a week, but he has already played difficult classical pieces. He was just seven when he sat down at the piano, and could play at once. He also says he never gets nervous.
When Shane was three years old, he said that he could play the piano, but nobody took him seriously. At school, he could listen to the teacher and do his work while composing (作曲) in his head. Shame remembers all the melodies(旋律),and when he gets home he plays them on the piano, while his father records them. Shane loves playing the piano, and when he grows up he wants to be a composer.
His tutor, Richard Goffin-Lecar, says he is like Amadeus Mozart, who lived during the 18th century in Salzburg, Austria, and was one of the most famous composers ever. Mr. Goffin-lecar says, “I don’t teach Shane very much. I just give him directions, then sit back and watch.”
His father, a single parent with two other children, says that although he has little money, he wants to send Shane to a good music school. “I’m a single father, but I have this gifted child. I don’t have much money, but I want to give him the best teachers, and also take him into a studio to record.”
56. When did Shane tell others that he could play the piano?
A. At age three. B. At age ten. C. At age seven. D. At age four.
57. Which of the following is TRUE about Shane?
A. He feels nervous while playing the piano
B. He can compose in his head while doing his work.
C. He wants to be a piano tutor when he grows up.
D. He doesn’t like to listen to the teacher at school.
58. What do we learn about Shane’s father?
A. He also plays the piano well.
B. He’s a single father with two children.
C. He believes in Shane’s talent for music and will support him.
D. Not having enough money, he will ask the teachers for help
Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook from scratch? Have you been doing internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can't you be bothered to do?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of adults are so lazy they'd catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain's largest health charity. The results were astonishing.
About one in six people surveyed said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
This led the report to conclude that it's no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese (very fat) before they start school.
Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said: "People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently their pets too.
"If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most rudimentary of tasks."
And Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most inactive city in the UK, with 75% surveyed admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
The results cause serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year.
71. What causes children in the UK to be obese?
A. Eating ready meal B. Watching TV
C. Doing Internet shopping D. Being lazy
72. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. British people are too lazy to do anything.
B. Internet shopping will do harm to your health.
C. Many people would not run to catch a bus in Britain.
D. People should be more active and take regular exercise to keep fit.
73. Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?
A. One sixth of British people use remote control when watching TV.
B. People will benefit not only themselves but their families by getting fit.
C. Fatness can cause diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
D. More people get obesity-related illnesses now than 40 years ago.
74. What does the underlined word rudimentary most probably mean?
A. basic B. serious C. vital D. hard
75. All the following are among the most lazy cities in the UK except ___________.
A. Glasgow B. Birmingham C. Nuffield D. Southampton
The world of the science-fiction 3-D film Avatar is so perfect that the line between fact and fiction has become somewhat blurred (模糊) .
Movie-goers have admitted being annoyed by depression at not being able to visit the planet Pandora. Set in the future when Earth's resources have been used up, director James Cameron's film tells the story of a company trying to exploit a rare mineral on a new planet. The humans clash with the natives — a peace-loving race of 7-foot-tall, blue-skinned creatures called the Na'vi, who exist in perfect harmony with nature.
Fans have flooded the Internet with their confused feelings. On the site Avatar Forums (论坛), the topic "Ways to deal with the depression of the dream of Pandora not being able to come true" has more than 1,000 posts. In a similar forum, Louis, one user, wrote: "When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed grey. It just seems so meaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep doing things at all. I live in a dying world." On the Avatar site Naviblue, a fan calling himself Jorba has even asked others to join him in starting a real Na'vi tribe.
This fantasy world, with its wonderful plants and animal life, is brought to life by using impressive special effects. Many people believe that 2010 is the breakthrough year for the technology helped by 3-D movies such as Avatar. "It has taken the best of our technology to create this virtual world and real life will never be as perfect as it seems on screen. It makes real life seem more imperfect."
66. What is the best title of the text?
A. A blockbuster movie: Avatar
B. The Avatar effect: movie-goers feel depressed after watching Avatar
C. 2010: a breakthrough year for. 3-D movies
D. Pandora: a perfect world
67. We can infer that Louis___________after watching the film Avatar.
A. will cherish his present life more
B. feels disappointed about the real world
C. will intend to create a real Na'vi tribe
D. is proud of living on the earth
68. Thanks to the success of Av'atar, ___________.
A. 3-D technology will probably develop quickly in 2010
B. most people look forward to living on another planet
C. many more science-fiction films will be made in the coming years
D. people have become more realistic about life
69. The underlined word "virtual" probably means___________.
A. unreal C. true B. perfect D. practical
70. According to the passage the natives on the planet are___________
A. not harmony with the nature B. blue-haired race
C. peace-loving creatures D. fond of fighting with human race
"A survey was conducted in Shanghai where interviewees were asked if they wanted to be a factory worker. One percent of all people interviewed said “YES," Wang Hongjun, a technician, said, raising his voice for dramatic effect. "But I can tell you, only a small part of that 1 percent are telling the truth."
I've met colorful people like Wang all over China. They are cynical (玩世不恭的) yet warmhearted, plain spoken but smart. And many of them are confined (局限于) to work in factories.
Wang is a top technician but also represents manual factory workers, who are China's most important natural resource. Their energy is powering China's economic boom, and their muscle is turning the wheel of the world's factory.
But does their unskilled labor give their life meaning? At school, did they tell their friends: "When I grow up I want to work in a factory making socks?" Did you?
Factory work has always been a stepping-stone from farm life to the city and a modern life. It's been happening for centuries, but today, with our space-age technology, it's outdated. Earning 1,200 yuan ($169) per month working in a factory is better than that on a farm, but as Wang points out, it's not a dream career. There should be better ways to earn your rice.
Many modern factories no longer have production line workers. Robots do the assembly (装配). People just do the monitoring. In this age of technology, in which China is now working smarter and not just harder, why are people still standing in production lines?
But life is cheap in China. So why not continue to exploit the low-cost labor situation and keep the economy growing fast, some entrepreneurs may ask.
But have these businessmen ever labored in a factory?
61. How many people surveyed really like to be factory workers?
A. One percent B. Only a small part
C. Only a small part of that one percent D. The writer didn’t mention it.
62. Which is NOT the writer's opinion of factory workers?
A. cynical B. unimportant C. warmhearted D. plain spoken
63. Wang Hongjun is a person who is___________.
A. difficult to get along with
B. humorous but serious
C. cynical but warmhearted, plain spoken but smart
D. full of energy but doesn't want to work hard
64. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Factory workers make contributions to China's economic boom.
B. Working in a factory is better than that on a farm.
C. Factory workers are satisfied with their living conditions.
D. Some entrepreneurs exploited the low-cost labor situation.
65. The writer uses___________ to begin the passage.
A. a lot of figures B. many examples C. some dialogue D. the result of a survey