One Sunday, my family had gathered at my parents’ house to feast upon Mom’s wonderful cooking.During the normal dinner chatter, I noticed that my father was slurring (说话含混) his words.No one mentioned this during dinner, but I felt compelled to discuss it with my mother afterward.
We decided that there was something seriously wrong and that Dad needed to see the doctor.
Mom phoned me two days later.“The doctor found a brain tumor (肿瘤).It’s too large at this point to operate.Maybe they can do something then, but the odds are long.”
Even with the treatment, my father’s condition worsened, and the doctor finally informed us that this condition was terminal.During one of his stays in the hospital, we brought our baby daughter Chelsey with us when we visited him.By this time he had great difficulty speaking.I finally figured out that he wanted Chelsey to sit on his stomach so he could make faces at her.
Watching the two of them together, I realized I was living an experience that would stay with me forever.Though grateful for the times they could share, I couldn’t shake the feeling of a clock ticking in the background.
On the visit to my parents’ home during what we all know was my father’s last days, my mother took Chelsey from my arms and announced, “Your father would like to see you alone for a minute.”
I entered the bedroom where my father lay on a rented hospital bed.He appeared even weaker than the day before.
“How are you feeling, Dad?” I asked.“Can I do anything for you?”
He tried to speak, but he couldn’t make out a word.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t understand you,” I said.
With great difficulty he said, “I love you.”
We don’t learn courage from heroes on the evening news.We learn true courage from watching ordinary people rise above hopeless situations.In many ways my father was a strict, uncommunicative man.He found it difficult to show emotion.The bravest thing I ever saw him do was overcome that barrier to open his heart to his son and family at the end of his life.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.The writer accompanied his father to a medical examination. |
B.The writer’s father got worse after the removal of the brain tumor. |
C.The writer’s father had known about his illness before the writer discovered it. |
D.The writer was quick to notice the strange condition of his father. |
What does the underlined sentence “the odds are long” mean?
A.It takes a long time for Father to recover. |
B.There’s little possibility for Father to recover. |
C.Father needs love and care from his family. |
D.They need a proper time to operate on Father. |
The father had never said “I love you” to the writer before because______.
A.he was not used to openly showing his emotions |
B.he was not so attached to the writer |
C.he thought there was no need to tell the writer |
D.he believed in strictness and punishment |
What does the writer attempt to tell us?
A.Life is short, so live your life to the fullest. |
B.Don’t wait to see a doctor till it is too late. |
C.Bravely express your love for your family. |
D.We don’t often value health until we lose it. |
第三部分:阅读理解(共12小题;每小题2分,满分24分)
阅读下列短文,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。
GARDEN RESTAURANT
Telephone :2706030
Address :920 Bridgeport Road
Open :Mon. to Fri. 7:00a.m.-2:30p.m. and 5:00p.m.-9:00p.m.
Sat. 7:00 a.m.-11:00a.m. and 5:00p.m.-9:30p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. -9:30 p.m.
NEW YORK MUSEUM
Telephone :7364431
Address :Vanier Park,1100 Chestnut St. New York America’s largest museum specializing in American history and art of our active people .
Open:Mon. to Fri. 9:00a.m. -5:00p.m. (Monday free) Sat. 9:00a.m.-1:00p.m.
LANSDOWNE PARK SHOPPING CENTER
Telephone :3562367
Address :5300 No. 3 Road
Open :Mon.,Tues.,and Sat.:9:30a.m.-5:30p.m.
Wed.,Thurs.,and Fri.:9:30a.m.-9:30p.m.
Sun : 11:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
SKYLINE HOTEL
Telephone :2785161
Address :3031 No. 3 Road(at Sat Island Way)
The Hangar Den :Wed. to Sun. lunch from 10:30a.m.
Coffee Shop :Mon. –Fri.6:30a.m. Sat.6:30a.m. and Sun. 7;00a.m.
Mon. –Wed. to 10:00p.m. Thurs. –Sun. to 11:00p.m.
46. If you want to go out for lunch on Sunday you can call up the number .
A. 2785161 or 1706030 B. 2706030 or 3562367
C. 7364431 or 2785161 D. 3562367 or 2785161
47. You do not have to pay on Mondays if you go to .
A. Skyline Hotel B. Lansdowne Park Shopping Center.
C. New York Museum. D.Garden Restaurant
48. If you want to enjoy yourself on Sunday mornings ,you can go to .
A. 5300 No. 3 Road B. Vanier Park , 1100 Chestnut St.
C. 9020 Bridgeport Road D. 3031 No. 3 Road
49. What can you do after 2 o’clock on Saturday afternoon?
A. Visit New York Museum.
B. Do some shopping in Lansdowne Park Shopping Center.
C. Have coffee in Skyline Hotel.
D. B or C.
In a few years, you might be able to speak Chinese, Korean, Japanese, French,and English — and all at the same time. This sounds incredible, but Alex Waibel,a computer science professor at US's Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Germany's University of Karlsruhe, announced last week that it may soon be reality. He and his team have invented software and hardware that could make it far easier for people who speak different languages to understand each other.
One application, called Lecture Translation, can easily translate a speech from one language into another. Current translation technologies typically limit speakers to certain topics or a limited vocabulary. Users also have to be trained how to use the programme.
Another prototype(雏形机) can send translations of a speech to different listeners depending on what language they speak. “It is like having a simultaneous translator right next to you but without disturbing the person next to you,” Waibel said.
Prefer to read? So-called Translation Glasses transcribe(转录) the translations on a tiny liquid-crystal(液晶) display(LCD) screen.
Then there's the Muscle Translator. Electrodes capture the electrical signals from facial muscle movements made naturally when a person is mouthing words. The signals are then translated into speech. The electrodes could be replaced with wireless chips implanted in a person's face, according to researchers.
During a demonstration held last Thursday in CMU's Pittsburgh campus, a Chinese student named Sang Jun had 11 tiny electrodes attached to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat. Then he mouthed — without speaking aloud — a few words in Mandarin(普通话) to the audience. A few seconds later, the phrase was displayed on a computer screen and spoken out by the computer in English and Spanish: “Let me introduce our new prototype.”
This particular gadget(器械),when fully developed, might allow anyone to speak in any number of languages or, as Waibel put it, “to switch your mouth to a foreign language”. “The idea behind the university's prototypes is to create ‘good enough’ bridges for cross-cultural exchanges that are becoming more common in the world,” Waibel said.
With spontaneous(自发的) translators, foreign drivers in Germany could listen to traffic warnings on the radio, tourists in China could read all the signs and talk with local people, and leaders of different countries could have secret talks without any interpreters there.
51. Which of the following statements is not true ?
A. A lecture translation can translate what you said into other languages easily.
B. Muscle Translators can translate what you think into speech if you just move your mouth.
C. There is no Muscle Translator in the world now.
D. The spontaneous translators will help us a lot.
52. What kind of equipment is NOT mentioned in this passage?
A. Lecture Translation. B. Multiple Translator.
C. Muscle Translator. D. Translation Prototype.
53. What's the final destination of inventing the language translators?
A. To make cultural exchanges between different countries easier.
B. To help students learn foreign languages more easily.
C. To make people live in foreign countries more comfortably.
D. To help people learn more foreign languages in the future.
54. What can be inferred from the seventh paragraph?
A. The translator is so good that it can translate any language into the very language you need.
B. The translator is becoming more and more common in the world as a bridge. C. With the help of the translator, you only need to open your mouth when you want to say something without saying the exact words at all.
D. The translator needs to be improved before being put into market.
55. Where can this passage probably be excerpted from?
A. A newspaper. B. A magazine on science.
C. A fairy tale. D. A scientific fantasy book.
As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities, others lose heart at the first sign of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "flight or fight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Since we can't remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.
46. People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because _____.
A. they regard working as their greatest enjoyment
B. they believe that work is superior to relaxation
C. they are traveling fast all the time
D. they are becoming busier with their work than ever before
47. According to the author, the most important character for a good manager is his _____.
A. strong will to hold out stress
B. knowing the art of relaxation
C. high sense of responsibility
D. having control over performance
48. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?
A. We can find quite a few ways to avoid stress.
B. Stress is always harmful to people's health
C. It's easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work.
D. Different people can bear different amount of stress.
49. In the last sentence of the passage, "do so" refers to _____.
A. "expose ourselves to stress"
B. "find ways to deal with stress"
C. "remove stress from our lives"
D. "establish links between diseases and stress"
50. According to the author, the right attitude toward stress is _____.
A. to avoid it
B. to try to cope with it
C. to regard it as a vital motivation
D. to find some relaxation
III阅读(共两节,满分40分)
第一节 阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从41~55各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卷上将该项涂黑。
Language learning begins with listening. Children are greatly different in the amount of listening they do before they start speaking, and later starters are often long listeners. Most children will “obey” spoken instructions some time before they can speak, though the word “obey” is hardly accurate as a description of the eager and delighted cooperation usually shown by the child. Before they can speak, many children will also ask questions by gesture and by making questioning noises. Any attempt to study the development from the noises babies make to their first spoken words leads to considerable difficulties. It is agreed that they enjoy making noises, and that during the first few months one or two noises sort themselves as particularly expressive as delight, pain, friendliness, and so on. But since these can’t be said to show the baby’s intention to communicate, they can hardly be regarded as early forms of language. It is agreed, too, that from about three months they play with sounds for enjoyment, and that by six months they are able to add new words to their store. This self-imitation(模仿)leads on to deliberate(有意的)imitation of sounds made or words spoken to them by other people. The problem then arises as to the point at which one can say that these imitations can be considered as speech. It is a problem we need to get out. The meaning of a word depends on what a particular person means by it in a particular situation and it is clear that what a child means by a word will change as he gains more experience of the world .Thus the use at seven months of “mama” as a greeting for his mother cannot be dismissed as a meaningless sound simply because he also uses it at other times for his father, his dog, or anything else he likes. Playful and meaningless imitation of what other people say continues after the child has begun to speak for himself, I doubt, however whether anything is gained when parents take advantage of this ability in an attempt to teach new sounds.
41. Before children start speaking________.
A. they need equal amount of listening
B. they need different amounts of listening
C. they are all eager to cooperate with the adults by obeying spoken instructions
D. they can’t understand and obey the adult’s oral instructions
42. Children who start speaking late ________.
A. may have problems with their listening
B. probably do not hear enough language spoken around them
C. usually pay close attention to what they hear
D. often take a long time in learning to listen properly
43. A baby’s first noises are ________.
A. an expression of his moods and feelings
B. an early form of language
C. a sign that he means to tell you something
D. an imitation of the speech of adults
44. The problem of deciding at what point a baby’s imitations can be considered as speech________.
A. is important because words have different meanings for different people
B. is one that should be properly understood because the meaning of words changes with age
C. is not especially important because the changeover takes place gradually
D. is one that should be completely ignored(忽略)because children’s use of words is often meaningless
45. The author implies________.
A. parents can never hope to teach their children new sounds
B. even after they have learnt to speak, children still enjoy imitating
C. children no longer imitate people after they begin to speak
D. children who are good at imitating learn new words more quickly
Two magazines recently listed the best cities to live in. Here are two of the cities listed as “the world’s best.”
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA The city has comfortable weather all year round (15°C to 26°C ). Housing is not very expensive in San Jose. Also, many of the city’s older neighborhoods are very beautiful and have small hotels and cafés(咖啡馆). Beautiful mountains are around the city. You can visit them easily from San Jose. So lots of people go sightseeing there every year. But air pollution is a problem in the city center.
HONG KONG, CHINA This lively city—once a small fishing village—is today an international business center. It is an interesting mix of East and West, old and new. Modern tall buildings are next to small temples (庙宇). Popular nightclubs are close to traditional teahouses. Busy people fill the streets at all hours of the day. But outside the city, there are parks for walking or relaxing. Hong Kong is famous for its wonderful native dishes. There’s also food from Europe, North America, and other parts of Asia. However, this small city has a large population. Nearly seven million people live in Hong Kong! That’s why housing is often very expensive. Traffic and air pollution are also a problem.
56. Which of the following is not mentioned about San Jose?
A. The weather. B. The mountains. C. The air. D. The traffic.
57. What makes Hong Kong the world’s best according to this passage?
A. The lively city and the wonderful dishes. B. The beautiful mountains and the lively city.
C. The expensive housing and the food. D. The city and the people.
58. The writer thinks housing in Hong Kong is expensive because .
A. it was a small fishing village B. it is a mix of East and West
C. it is famous for its wonderful food D. there are too many people in the city
59. What do the two cities have in common?
A. They both have beautiful mountains. B. They both have a large population.
C. Air pollution is a problem in both. D. They are both crowded.
60. From the passage, we can know that .
A. San Jose and Hong Kong are the only two cities of the world’s best
B. San Jose has more natural sights than Hong Kong does
C. the weather in both cities is fine
D. Hong Kong is the more popular city of the two