Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was born Agatha May Clarissa Miller in Devon, England in 1890, the youngest of three children in a conservative, well-to-do family. Taught at home by a governess and tutors, as a child Agatha Christie never attended school. She became skillful at creating games to keep herself occupied at a very young age. A bashful child, unable to adequately express her feelings, she first turned to music as a means of expression and, later in life, to writing.
In 1914, at the age of 24, she married Archie Christie, a World War I fighter pilot. While he was off at war, she worked as a nurse. It was while working in a hospital during the war that Christie first came up with the idea of writing a detective novel. Although it was completed in a year, it wasn’t published until 1920, five years later.
“The mysterious Affair at Styles” gave the world the unique Hercule Poirot, a retired Belgian police officer who was to become one of the most enduring characters in all of fiction. With his waxed moustache and his “little grey cell,” he was “meticulous (careful to do things correctly), a tidy little man, always neat, orderly and a bit absurd.”
Christie wrote more than 30 novels featuring Poirot. Among the most popular were” The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”(1926), “Murder on the Orient Expredd”(1934), and “Death on the Nile” (1937).
Another of Christie’s most well-known and beloved characters was introduced in “Murder at the Vicarage” in 1930. Miss Jane Marple, an elderly single in the old- fashioned English village of St. Mary Mead, solved all manner of mysteries with intense concentration and instinct.
Christies ultimately (finally)became the acknowledged Queen of the Golden Age. In all, she wrote over 66 novel, numerous short stories and screenplays, and a series of romantic novels using the pen name Mary Westmacott. Several of her works were made into successful feature films, the most notable being Murder on the Orient Express (1974). In short, she is the single most popular mystery writer of all time. In 1971 she was awarded the high honor of becoming a Dame of the British Empire.Which of the following is the correct order in which the events happened?
a. Agatha became a Dame of The British Empire.
b. Agatha worked as a nurse
c. The Mysterious Affair at Styles was published.
d. Murder on the Vicarage Express was published
e. Murder on the Orient Express was filmed
f. Archie Christie went to the front as a fighter pilot.
| A．f-b-d-c-e-a | B．f-b-c-d-a-e |
| C．f-d-b-c-a-e | D．f-d-c-b-e-a |
What does the underlined word “bashful” probably mean?
| A．Shy | B．Conservative | C．Stupid | D．Sensitive |
Mary Westmacott is_________________.
| A．Agatha’s governess |
| B．the name of Agatha’s novel |
| C．another name for Agatha |
| D．the heroine of Agatha’s novel |
Which of the following is NOT true about Hercule Poirot?
| A．He was once a policeman |
| B．He paid much attention to details |
| C．He sometimes seems rather foolish |
| D．He solved mysterious with a sixth sense |
In Agatha Christie’s life, What were the most popular novels that she wrote?
A; biography B. detective novel
C. romantic fiction D. science fiction
Who are these people rushing by you in the street? More than 215 million people now call America “home’’, but most of them can trace their families back to other parts of the world. If you look at the names on shop windows, you will see that Americans come from many different lands. The idea that these people, who once were strangers to the United States, have lost the customs and cultures of their original countries and have become “American’’is really not true. In fact, what exists in America is more often a kind of “side-by-side”, living in which groups of people from other countries often have kept many of their customs and habits. They join the general American society only in certain areas of their lives—such as in schools, business, and sports-but they keep many of their own native customs and manners socially and at home. This living “side-by-side” has both advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes it may cause disagreements to develop between groups whose ways of life are very different from one another. However, there are also great advantages that come from the variety of cultures brought by settlers from other lands. There is great freedom of choice among ideas and dress, food, and social customs in America. Everyone can find some part of his or her familiar world in the United States, in Churches, music, food, national groups, or newspapers.More than 215 million people call America “home” because .
| A．they buy their houses there | B．they settle there now |
| C．they get married there | D．they were born there |
“Side-by-side” living style means.
| A．making friends with native people |
| B．the groups of people who live nearby |
| C．keeping their own customs while sharing American ones in certain areas |
| D．that they get closer to American society |
According to the passage, people in the USA .
| A．share American customs and culture |
| B．1ive in a kind of “side-by-side'' society |
| C．keep their own customs and habits firmly |
| D．make no choice to accept American customs |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．They always stick to their own customs and habits. |
| B．“Side—by—side’’living style is not suitable. |
| C．They face the society they are not familiar with. |
| D．The advantages coming from the variety of cultures make life in America colorful. |
Which title of the following can best take the place of “Different Cultures in America”?
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages. |
| B．Different Customs and Habits. |
| C．Home for the People |
| D．“Side—by—side”Living Style in America. |
Hank Viscardi was born without legs. He had not legs but stumps (残肢) that could he fitted with a kind of special boots, People stared at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him‘Ape Man’(猿人) because his arms practically dragged on the ground.
Hank went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years to finish his schooling instead of the usual twelve. After graduating from school, he worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, he had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. He would soon have to use a wheel chair.
Hank felt himself got cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificiallegs(假腿). Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror, for the first time he saw himself as he has always wanted to be-a full five feet eight inches tall. By this time he was already 26 years old.
Hank had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of the room, and marched back again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. He climbed stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it.
When World War II came, he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. He marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, a man without legs.Children laughed at Hank and called him ‘Ape Man’ because.
| A．he didn’t talk to them |
| B．he kept away from them |
| C．his arms touched the ground when he moved |
| D．he couldn’t use his arms |
It can be inferred from the story that five feet eight inches tall is.
| A．an average height for a fully grown person |
| B．too tall for an average person |
| C．too short for an average person |
| D．none of the above |
The sentence “he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job” implies that the Red Cross.
| A．was only glad to give him a job |
| B．give him a job because he was a good soldier |
| C．gave him a job after he talked to someone whom he knew in the organization |
| D．was not willing to give him a job at first |
When Hank marched and drilled along with the other soldiers, he.
| A．did everything the other soldiers did |
| B．did most of the things the other soldiers did |
| C．did some of the things the other soldiers did |
| D．took some special training |
The writer suggests that Hank Viscardi.
| A．had no friends |
| B．never saw himself as different from others |
| C．was very shy |
| D．was too proud to accept help from others |
Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.
The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy alcohol(酒) in this country if you are under l8 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.
Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don’t make unnecessary noise, particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.
Thirdly, crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings(人行横道) and do not take any chances when crossing the road.
My next point is about litter(throwing away waste material in a public place). It is an offence(违法行为) to drop litter in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a litter bin.
Finally, as regards smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco(烟草) if you are under l6 years of age.
I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact your local police station, who will be pleased to help you.
Now, are there any questions?The main purpose of this speech would be to.
| A．prepare people for international travel |
| B．declare the laws of different kinds |
| C．give advice to travelers to the country |
| D．inform people of the punishment for breaking laws |
How many laws are there discussed in the speech?_______
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five | D．Six |
From the speech we learn that
| A．In this country, if you are under l8 years of age, you may not buy alcohol, but your friend can buy it for you. |
| B．You may not buy cigarettes or tobacco unless you are above l6 years of age. |
| C．Because the traffic moves on the left side of the road, you must use pedestrian crossings when crossing the road. |
| D．You can’t make noise except at night. |
The underlined word “contact’’ in the seventh paragraph means.
| A．keep in touch with | B．get in touch with | C．join | D．report |
Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?
| A．A policeman. | B．A lawmaker. | C．A teacher. | D．A lawyer. |
Last Friday, I was coming home late after spending time with friends and thought I’d go down to the $99 cent pizza place. On the way, I saw a man sitting on the stairs alone there. I’d seen him before every day I run late to work, but this time I had no place to rush off to.
There was something about him, a quiet manner, different from many of other homeless people I had seen in New York City. I walked past him, went to the pizza place, and those 10 seconds waiting in line was enough to practice stepping outside of my usual, familiar flow. So with a few slices in hand, I went back to join him. I asked him if he was hungry. He said yes, but not for pizza because it made him uncomfortable. He’d rather have a few bucks for chicken and rice since it was easier on his stomach. It’s funny, in that moment, he became more real to me.
This man I had seen almost every day was someone with specific conditions, needs, and experiences. We exchanged names and ended up talking for a little over an hour that night as Kevin told me stories from his life, how he had done things when “he was younger and didn’t know any better” and how he tried to make amends (补偿) but too much time had passed. He shared his views on the value for young adults to learn the history of other people.
He talked about his one wish being in his 60’s before he leaves this earth, which is to share his story with the teenagers and young adults so they could avoid the mistakes he went through. Throughout the conversation, he eventually got his chicken and rice and gifted me a rose he had been carrying. Shortly afterwards, I made my way home, thinking to myself, “I met an amazing homeless person”.The writer’s purpose in writing the passage is to ____.
| A．share his experience | B．show his generosity |
| C．express his thoughts | D．exchange his opinions |
The homeless man refused pizza because he ____.
| A．did not feel very hungry at that moment |
| B．had something wrong with his stomach |
| C．preferred some chicken and rice to pizza |
| D．might feel ashamed to be given something |
What’s the homeless man’s last wish?
| A．To become a lot younger again. |
| B．To make amends for his early life. |
| C．To have enough chicken and rice to eat. |
| D．To teach the young not to follow his example. |
It can be inferred from the text that ____.
| A．The homeless man is different from others |
| B．The writer showed his pity to the homeless man |
| C．What the homeless man thought shocked the writer |
| D．What the homeless man did was not very meaningful |
How do you like the homeless man after reading the passage?
| A．Learned. | B．Honorable. | C．Determined. | D．Promising. |
It is known to us that computer users are being warned by industry experts to pay attention to secret codes which could be used to record their conversation.
E-mails, screen savers, and electronic greeting cards can carry a secret code which is able to turn on the computer’s microphone, make a recording, and forward it to someone else without the user’s knowledge.
In fact any attachments (附件) sent to a computer, whether it is a game of Space Invaders, or a moving picture, can possibly be used to spy (窥探).
Experts say people should always think twice about opening attachments because --- although not common --- bugging (窃听) by computer can and has been done.
Bill Lyons, head of the Internet Security Company Finjan, said, “People in the army have tested this and you can be sure, if people in general are aware of it, then computer hackers (黑客) are aware of it. The frightening thing is that there are tools on the Internet which people, using a simple search method, can find, and which will enable them to attach this dangerous code to simple attachments.”What is the advice given in the passage?
| A．Use secret codes to record other people’s conversation. |
| B．Be careful when opening an attachment. |
| C．Never open any attachments. |
| D．Never use secret codes. |
What worries the experts is that ___ .
| A．nobody seems to believe such things |
| B．nobody knows the danger of the code |
| C．tools can easily be used to tie dangerous codes to e-mails |
| D．effective ways can never be found to deal with the problem. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．A moving picture cannot be used to spy. |
| B．Electronic greeting cards cannot carry a secret code. |
| C．A secret code is used to destroy the computer system. |
| D．Any attachments sent to a computer may carry a secret code. |