A punctual person is in the habit of doing a thing at the proper time and is never late in keeping an appointment.
The unpunctual man, on one hand, never does what he has to do at the right time. He is always in a hurry and in the end loses both time and his good name. A lost thing may be found again, but lost time can never be regained. Time is more valuable than material things. In fact, time is life itself. The unpunctual man is for ever wasting and mismanaging his most valuable asset (财产) as well as others. The unpunctual person is always complaining that he finds no time to answer letters, or return calls or keep appointments promptly. But the man who really has a great deal to do is very careful of his time. He knows that he can not get through his huge amount of work unless he faithfully keeps every piece of work when it has to be attended to.
Failure to be punctual in keeping one’s appointments is the sign of disrespect towards others. If a person is invited to dinner and arrives later than the appointed time, he keeps all the other guests waiting for him. Usually this will be regarded as a great disrespect to the host and all other guests present.
Unpunctuality, moreover, is very harmful when it comes to one’s duty, whether public or private. Imagine how it would be if those who are put in charge of important tasks failed to be at their proper place at the appointed time. A man who is known to be habitually unpunctual is never trusted by his friends or fellow men.What does the author think is the main difference between a punctual person and an unpunctual person?
| A．A punctual person does everything ahead of time. |
| B．An unpunctual person never does anything at the right time. |
| C．A punctual person has a lot of appointments. |
| D．An unpunctual person has little time to do anything. |
According to the passage, the main reason that a person is always unpunctual is that _______.
| A．he has more work to do than other people |
| B．he is always in a hurry when he works |
| C．he doesn’t care much about time |
| D．he always mismanages and wastes his time |
If someone isn’t punctual in keeping his appointments, he might ________.
| A．lose his life |
| B．mismanage his asset |
| C．be thought to disrespect others |
| D．do harm to others |
According to the third paragraph, when you are invited to dinner, you should arrive there ________.
| A．after other guests |
| B．before other guests |
| C．at the appointed time |
| D．after the host getting things ready |
Which of the following statements best describes the harm of unpunctuality?
| A．If you are an unpunctual person, you cannot be in charge of any important task. |
| B．If your friends know that you are unpunctual, they may not see you again. |
| C．Unpunctuality may bring about heavy losses for both public and private affairs. |
| D．Unpunctuality may make you miss a lot of appointments and lose friends. |
Son’s Help
Mr. Lang worked in a factory. As a driver, he was busy so he was paid much. His wife was an able woman and did all the housework. When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home. So he had enough time when he had a holiday. A few friends of his liked gambling(赌博) and he learned it soon. So he was interested in it and hardly forgot anything except gambling. He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on. His wife told him not to do it but he didn’t listen to her. She had to tell the police. He and his friends were punished for it. And he was hardly sent away. After he came out of lockup(拘留所), he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him.
It was New Year’s Day. Mr. Lang didn’t go to work. He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again. He called his friends and they came soon. But they were afraid the police would come. He told his five-year-old son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside and his son hated the bad habit of his father. They waited for a long time and didn’t think the police would come and began to gamble. Suddenly opened the door and in came a few policemen.
“I saw there weren’t any policemen outside, daddy,” said the boy, “so I went to the crossing and asked some to come.”
66. Mr. Lang was paid much because _______.
| A．he was a driver | B．he worked in a factory |
| C．he had a lot of work to do | D．he had worked there for a long time |
67. Mrs. Lang did all housework because _______.
| A．she couldn’t find any work |
| B．she thought her husband was tired |
| C．her husband spent all time in gambling |
| D．she wouldn’t stop her husband gambling |
68._______, so he was put into lockup.
| A．Mr. Lang often gambled |
| B．Mr. Lang was late for work |
| C．Mr. Lang didn’t help his wife at home |
| D．Mr. Lang wasn’t polite to the police |
69. The woman had to leave Mr. Lang because _______.
| A．he didn’t love her any longer | B．he wouldn’t stop gambling |
| C．he had been put into lockup | D．he was hardly sent away by the factory |
70. Which of the following is right?
| A．The boy expected his father to be put into lockup again. |
| B．The boy thought his father needed some policemen. |
| C．The boy expected his father to stop gambling soon. |
| D．The boy expected his mother to come back. |
Some people have the feeling that nothing can be done about their poor reading ability. They feel hopeless about it. Can you learn to read better, or must you agree that nothing can be done about it?
To be sure, people are different. You cannot expect to do everything as well as certain other people do. If all the students in a class tried out for basketball, some would be very good players; others would be very poor; and many would be in between. But even the very poor players can become much better players if they are guided in the right way, and with plenty of practice. It is the same with reading. Some seem to enjoy reading and to read well without any special help. Others find reading a slow and tiring job. In between, there are all degrees of reading ability.
Many experiments have shown that just about every poor reader can improve his reading ability. In these experiments, the poor readers were given tests of reading ability. After some of the causes of their reading were discovered, they were given special instruction and practice in reading. After a few months, another test of the same kind was given. In nearly all cases, these people had raised their reading scores.
61.With the example of basketball players, the author shows ________.
| A．why certain people are poor readers |
| B．that there are differences in people’s abilities (能力) |
| C．why some people are good basketball players |
| D．that good basketball players can be good readers |
62.To improve their reading ability, people should ________.
| A．work long and hard | B．take different forms of tests |
| C．have special help and practice | D．try different reading materials |
63.The experiments mentioned in the text show that ________.
| A．good readers seem to enjoy reading |
| B．almost all poor readers can make progress |
| C．causes of poor reading were difficult to find out |
| D．tests help people improve their reading ability |
64.What does the underlined sentence “many would be in between” mean?
| A．It means that many are the best basket players. |
| B．It means that many are the worst basket players. |
| C．It means that many are standing in the middle of the line. |
| D．It means that there are several levels of players in many students. |
65.What’s the purpose of the author’s writing this passage?
| A．To encourage people to improve their reading ability. |
| B．To suggest that readers should do practice only in reading. |
| C．To tell us that readers can’t improve their reading ability without special help. |
| D．To tell us that to be a good reader, one should be guided in the right way. |
Young people and older people do not always agree. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and teenagers live together in a friendly way.
Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and fun in work. Some teenagers work in the forests or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.
There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or drawing. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to pass his free time.
When people live together, they should have rules. In this program the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”
One of the teenagers has said something about it, “You have to stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.”
56. In one special program in New York State, young and older people_______.
| A．don’t work well together |
| B．work friendly with each other |
| C．teach each other new ways of building houses |
| D．spend eight weeks together, working as farmers |
57.All the members work some time every day mainly to________.
| A．lead a busy life | B．learn new skills of farming |
| C．get used to the life on the farms | D．find useful things and fun in work |
58.Living together,________.
| A．the teenagers don’t have to obey the rules |
| B．the members have to obey the rules the adults make |
| C．the members have no free time but on weekends |
| D．the members should not break the rules that they make together |
59.The best title for the passage is________.
| A．The Rules of Living Together | B．Life in New York State |
| C．Teenagers and Adults Together | D．Free Hours in the Special Work Group |
60.Which one is TRUE?
| A．If someone breaks a rule, he will deal with it by himself. |
| B．They are free on weekends. |
| C．Everyone works one hour each day |
| D．The teenagers teach adults skills |
The US first lady Michlle Obama is among the world’s 100 most powerful women in a list topped by German premier Angela Merkel for four years in a row, according to a Forbes ranking released on 19 August.
Michelle Obama debuted at No.40, coming in ahead of Talk Show host Oprah Winfrey at 41 and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth at 42.
Sheila Bair, chair of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, which insures bank deposits, remained No.2 after debuting on the Forbes list last year. She has gained increased fame as the US recession lasts.
The list is based on factors such as politics and economic impact ,media reach and career accomplishments.
The chief executives of Dupont and Sunoco are new to the top 10, replacing the Xerox Cop. Chair, who dropped to No. 15, and the former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who fell off the list after leaving office in January.
Rice’s successor, Hillary Clinton, came in at No.36,dropping from No.28 last year when her presidential bid made her the woman with the highest public profile on the list.
Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, retained No.35.
“Woman in power are rising to leadership positions in business, government and philanthropy(慈善)by making daring and unconventional moves,” Forbes said. “Gone are the days of women feeling they have to stick with one employer and patiently wait for promotions.”
“Highly ambitious women are moving across companies and industries, making big leaps with each change, and repositioning themselves for opportunities that allow them to gain a breadth of experience.” The business magazine said.
Merkel , 55, became the first female premier of Germany in 2005 and was successful in retaining power in a federal election on September 27.
Michelle Obama, 45,has won the support of fans for her down-to-earth personality, her views of healthy eating and the arts, and her fashion sense that has seen her grace several best-dressed lists.
41. What does the underlined word “debuted” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．Go on stage for the first time . |
| B．Make the first public appearance. |
| C．Appear on the list for the first time. |
| D．Introduce a film to the public for the first time. |
42. Condoleezza Rice was not included in the list probably because ________.
| A．she exercised less influence |
| B．she kept her new job a secret |
| C．she is no longer a public figure |
| D．she was silent after resignation |
43. Hillary Clinton ranked 28 last year because __________.
| A．she was the former first lady |
| B．she was running for president |
| C．she frequently appeared in public |
| D．she got support from her husband |
44. We learn from the text that powerful women today ______.
| A．change their jobs more frequently |
| B．are better political leaders than men |
| C．are not content with being housewives |
| D．have changed their traditional concept |
45. What is the author’s attitude towards Angela Merkel?
| A．Admiring. | B．Neutral. | C．Objective. | D．Extreme. |
In June, 2007, a group of students from eight high schools in Winnipeg, the capital of Canada’s Manitoba province, will begin test-launching (试发射) a satellite the size of a Rubik’s cube.
The one-kilogram Win-Cub satellite, named for its home city and its shape, will be put into low orbit. Once in space, it can perform for a few months or up to several years, communicating information that could help find the signs of earthquakes.
There are 80 similar satellite projects worldwide, but this is the first high-school based program of its kind in Canada. 30 Manitoba high school students are having a hand in designing and building the satellite, in cooperation with aerospace (航空航天的) experts and 10 students from the University of Manitoba, and with support from two other organizations.
The Win-Cube project is not something that goes on a piece of paper; it is real-world engineering, allowing high school students to have an opportunity to learn more about the exciting world of engineering through their participation in this challenging program. It is also taken as a wonderful example of the unique partnerships within Manitoba. Designing, building and launching a satellite with high-school participation will bring this world-class educational project into reality and Manitoba closer to space.
“These Manitoba high school students deserve congratulations for their enthusiasm, innovation (创新), and a strong love for discovery,” said Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjomson. “We want to make science more relevant, interesting and attractive to high school students by showing them how classroom studies can relate to practical experience in the workplace or, in this case, in space,” Bjomson added.
The Win-Cube program is mainly aimed at inspiring a strong desire for discovery on the part of the students. It also shows Manitoba’s devotion to research and innovation and the development of a skilled workforce — all important drivers of knowledge-based economic growth.
36. According to the passage, the Win-Cube satellite is .
| A．named after Manitoba and its shape |
| B．intended for international communication |
| C．designed like a Rubik’s cube both in shape and size |
| D．challenged by university students around the world |
37. According to Mr. Bjomson, .
| A．those Manitoba high school students are worth praising |
| B．the study of space can be practically made in classrooms |
| C．Manitoba high schools are famous for the study of space |
| D．scientific research is too far away from high school students |
38. The primary purpose of the project is to .
| A．find the early signs of earthquakes |
| B．relate studies to practical |
| C．help high school students study real-world engineering |
| D．inspire a strong desire for discovery among the students |
39. Which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．In Canada there are 80 similar satellite programs in all. |
| B．These students will have an opportunity to learn more about engineering through the project. |
| C．These high school will have a strong love for discovery and be interested in science. |
| D．This Win-Cube program is very successful in Canada. |
40. The best title for this passage may be .
| A．Manitoba School | B．Win-Cube Program |
| C．Space Co-operation | D．Satellite Launching |