E
An old man in a faded yellow shirt sat in a windowless room on a raised concrete form. The only source of heat came from somewhere beneath the plastic mattress and the rough blanket the blank-faced police woman had handed him after taking his thumb prints. He heard voices and metallic clang as the cell door swung open.
At the front desk a tired looking policeman handed the old man back his belongings, his worn-out cap and the Seiko watch that had stopped working the day his beloved Evelyn left. The policeman dramatically held the blue plastic bag at an arm’s length to the old man who took it and made sure its contents were undamaged: the goat meat, palm oil, leaves and spices. He ignored the confused expression on the officer’s face and signed the document declaring he had been returned the possessions they had taken off him the night before.
No one spoke to him as he walked slowly towards the exit. “Mr. Easy-nwa?” He stopped and prayed to the God who now took care of Evelyn to please take him far away from this unhappy place of expressionless faces, clipped accents and people who did not even attempt to pronounce his name right.
“Ezenwa,” He said and looked at a woman with tangerine lips, her name tag said Jessica Harlow, Social Services. “A bit far from home，，，she said as she drove fast and with confidence the way Evelyn used to. He wondered if she meant the 50 miles from Liverpool or the 50,000 miles from Enugu，a city in Nigeria. He did not bother replying as this woman had plenty to say about the weather, bad drivers, her daughter’s school play...
At last she drew up outside the block of flats where he lived.
“Got here in the end”，said she seriously, “Really Mr. Easy-nwa, if you keep getting lost, we will have to consider moving you into a home”.
“No need, I was not lost，，，he answered. He carefully rolled up the sleeves of the oversize bomber jacket he wore and turned on the tap to wash his hands, relieved the pipes were not frozen. In a clean pan he placed the chopped pieces of goat meat. The herbs and spices that had taken him three months to track down, the uziza seeds had taken him into the heart of Granby Market in Liverpool, his uchanwu leaves down a shady back alley in Manchester, and yesterday, among other food items, the finest goat meat from a Sierra Leonean Butcher in Birmingham. That had taken some time, so much he missed the last train and when the police found him shivering outside the locked up station, so cold he couldn’t answer loudly enough the pink-faced big copper who yelled in his face, “What’s your name sir?” spraying his face with spittle (吐沫）as he did so, leaving them with no choice but to search an exhausted, frozen old black man and finding him in possession of mysterious condiments (调味品）including a bag of dried bitter-leaf which could of course be mistaken for anything that resulted in him getting read his rights and charged with ...possession???
He lifted the lid of the bubbling soup, the room was filled with the rich and spicy scent of his culinary (烹饪的）effort. He served two bowls, taking the chipped one and placing the other opposite where Evelyn would have sat. He would tell her about his adventure, it was their anniversary and this was the perfect pepper soup to celebrate.
Ken Onyia, UK (Nigeria) Commonwealth Sport Short Story PrizeMr. Ezenwa was taken to the prison for a night because________________.
| A．he was too weak to move |
| B．he couldn’t find his way back home |
| C．he then had nowhere else to go |
| D．he was suspected of possessing drugs |
Which is the right order of the following events?
a. Ezenwa cooked the buddling soup.
b. Ezenwa searched for all kinds of condiments.
c. A social worker drove him back home
d. Ezenwa was sent to prison.
e.Evelyn passed away.
| A．b, e, c,a ,d | B．d, e, c, b, a |
| C．e, b, d,c,a | D．e, d, b, a, c |
Why did Mr. Ezenwa cook the buddling soup?
| A．To give his wife a present. |
| B．To give a surprise to his wife. |
| C．To entertain himself. |
| D．To celebrate their wedding anniversary. |
What words can be used to describe Mr. Ezenwa?
| A．Hopeless and pessimistic. |
| B．Mysterious and troublesome. |
| C．Affectionate and persistent. |
| D．Energetic and sympathetic. |
C
Paris has the Eiffel Tower; New York has the Statue of Liberty; and Brussels, the Manneken
Piss.
Think of the Belgian capital and, if anything, you think of the small peeing (撒尿) boy ____ a 60-meter-high bronze figure standing on a block, supplying a constant stream of water to the basin under him.
Some might laugh. But for Jacques Stroobants, the statue is up there with the best of them.
“I’m proud of him. People come from all around the world to see him,” says 60-year-old Stroobants with a fatherly glance at the little boy.
As the most famous landmark of Brussels, Manneken Piss has a very special place in the heart of Belgians.
The original Manneken Piss dates back to 1388, but the statue tourists see today dates from 1619 when the city built a second one after the original was destroyed.
Many stories go round Manneken Piss. Nobody knows why he was made. One story is that he saved Brussels by putting out the flames of a deadly fire with his well-aimed piss. But the most believable story is that the boy, the son of a wealthy man, was kidnapped. The father had a statue built in honor of the way his son was found-peeing against a tree.
Perhaps best-known for his naked beauty, the “peeing boy” has also been clothed in some of the finest clothes money can buy.
Stroobants has been changing his clothes for the last 29 years. On average, he has clothes on 300 days a year. And on special days, he pees beer.
A few of the ways he’s been dressed are; a football player, Mozart and an army general. Now, he has more than 600 pieces of clothes.
There is no strict charge for those wishing to provide clothes for the little boy. But certain conditions must be met.
“The clothes cannot include either advertising or political message,” said Stroobants, because they would cheapen the national treasure.
But Manneken Piss is still something local people can make money from ___ by selling all kinds of souvenirs.
72. Which of the following is NOT true about Maneken Piss?
A. It has a history of more than 600 years. B. It stands in Brussels.
C. It is best known for the clothes he wears. D. It is 60 meters high.
73. The Manneken Piss has a special place in the heart of Belgians because .
A. it’s good-looking with water running constantly
B. it brings joys to people who see it
C. it helps people make beer
D. it’s a symbol of the city.
74. We can learn from the passage that .
A. for most of the year, the boy is naked
B. Stroobants is probably in charge of taking care of the statue
C. people can provide any clothes for Manneken Piss
D. people make money by advertising Manneken Piss
75．Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A. Tourists cannot provide clothes for the peeing boy.
B. The Manneken Piss has attracted many visitors.
C. The peeing boy is the national treasure of Belgium.
D. Local people make money by selling souvenirs.
B
To: manager@ tastytreat.com.ca
Date: Monday, 7 October, 3:34p.m.
From: raymondyuen@ canada.net
Subject: Complaint
Dear Mr. Price,
I have eaten in your restaurant many times and have always been happy with the food and service. This makes what happened last Saturday even more disappointing.
It was my son’s birthday so we booked a no-smoking table at your restaurant for 7:30 p.m. We arrived on time but were told that our table was not yet ready. At 8:00 p.m., we were given a table in the smoking section. I asked to move but I was told that there were no other tables. A lot of people were smoking so it was uncomfortable and unhealthy.
Our first waitress, Janet, was very polite and helpful. She gave us free drinks for waiting so long. Our food also came quickly and looked fresh and tasty. When my wife had eaten most of her meal, she found a dead cockroach (蟑螂) in her vegetables. She was shocked and wanted to leave. At first, the waitress told us it was a piece of garlic(蒜). When we told her that garlic does not have legs, she apologized and took the food away.
We asked for the bill, expecting not to pay for my wife’s meal. Nobody came. After 15 minutes, I asked to see the manager. The head waiter told us that you were on holiday. I complained again about the horrible cockroach. He told me Janet had finished work. He didn’t believe my story and gave me a bill for three meals. I argued with him but was forced to pay.
The waitress, Janet, was always friendly, but I would like an apology from your impolite head waiter and a full refund (退款) for our meal. It cost $68. Until then, I will not be eating at your restaurant or recommending it to anyone.
You can contact me at 742-3254 or through e-mail if you want more information.
Thank you for your attention.
Yours sincerely,
Raymond Yuen
69. We learn from the text that last Saturday Mr. Yuen _____.
A. was satisfied with the restaurant. B. was disappointed with the restaurant
C. had to wait for his food D. ate for the first time at the restaurant
70. The writer had to pay the bill because _______.
A. the head waiter would not believe his story
B. the manager was on holiday
C. Janet didn’t believe there was cockroach in the vegetables
D. his wife had eaten most of her meal
71. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A. Mr.Yuen demanded that the head waiter apologize to him.
B. Mr.Yuen asked for a full refund for their meal.
C. Mr.Yuen will not eat at the restaurant any more.
D. The head waiter was not as polite as Janet.
Section B
Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C, and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
A
After my husband died suddenly from a heart attack, my world crashed around me. My six children were all under 10, and I was burdened with the responsibilities of earning a living, and caring for the children. I was fortunate to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the children during the week, but from Friday nights to Monday mornings, the children and I were alone.
One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big pretty German Shepherd(牧羊犬) on our doorstep. This dog seemed to intend to enter the house. The children liked “German” immediately and begged me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement. That night I slept peacefully for the first time in many weeks.
The following morning we made phone calls and checked lost-and-found ads for German’s owner, but with no results.
On Sunday I had planned to take the children on a picnic. Since I thought it best to leave German behind in case his owner came by, we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas, we were amazed to see German racing to the gas station after us. No way was he going to be left behind.
Monday morning I let him out for a run. He didn’t come back and we were all disappointed. We were convinced that we would never see him again. We were wrong. The next Friday evening, German was back on our doorstep. Again he stayed until Monday morning, when our housekeeper arrived.
This pattern repeated itself every weekend for almost 10 months. We grew more and more fond of German. We took comfort in his strong, warm presence, and we felt safe with him near us. As German became part of the family, he considered it his duty to check every bedroom to be sure each child was cozy in bed.
Each week, between German’s visits, I grew a little stronger, a little braver and more able to handle; every weekend we were no longer alone and enjoyed his company. Then one Monday morning we patted him on the head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. We never saw German again.
65. The dog first came to the family when________.
A. it was needed most B. the writer became strong enough
C. the writer was away on a business trip D. the writer was busy on the weekday
66. The family planned to go on a picnic without the German Shepherd because_______.
A. it was too wild to control B. it was too young to walk so far
C. the owner might come by to pick it up D. it might spoil the trip
67. The writer was ________ the German Shepherd.
A. afraid of B. grateful to C. cruel to D. annoyed with
68. Which of the following can’t be used to describe the dog?
A. Loyal B. Beautiful. C. Lovely. D. Wild.
(B)
Make sure you don’t miss Australia’s largest and most exciting kite-flying festival this year, which promises to be a great day out for the whole family. The skies will come alive with hundreds of kites of all shapes and sizes from local and international kite makers and fliers.
It’s not just the experts who can fly their kites — come down and fly your own. If you don’t have a kite, you can buy one from one of the stalls in the park, or better still, make one at one of our kite-making workshops.
Then there’s the multicultural entertainment program in the Pavilion Courtyard Amphitheatre of great music, dance and performance. The headline act this year is Rastawookie. Their music is a fusion (结合) of many different styles from South America, the Caribbean and western countries. There will also be free music and dance workshops, so why not try your hand at one of these? For the children there will be additional rides, face painting, jugglers (变戏法者), stilt walkers, and clowns. After all these activities, you probably can’t wait to eat. Choose from one of our fabulous multicultural food stalls offering food and drinks from all over the world or for something simpler — nothing could be better than a good old-fashioned sausage!
There’s so much to do and so much to see, so if you’re up for a great day, then the only place to be on Sunday, September 9th is down at Bondi Beach for Sydney’s most exciting, fun and family-friendly festival.
60. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The kite-flying festival is the largest festival in the world.
B. The majority of visitors are people out of Australia.
C. The kite-flying festival only reflects（反映）the culture of Australia.
D. Not only professional kite makers and fliers attend this festival.
61. What is the most important part of the entertainment program during the festival this year?
A. Tricks for children. B. Various styles of dance.
C. Rastawokie’s music. D. Shows preformed by visitors.
62. During the festival, the author recommends all the following places to go EXCEPT _______.
A. music and dance workshops B. parks for children
C. kite-making workshops D. food stalls
63. According to the passage, the kite-flying festival is suitable for ______.
A. the whole family who want to spend a day out
B. lovers who want to have a quiet day of their own
C. the elderly who want to take a walk
D. travelers who like adventure
第三部分：阅读理解：（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
(A)
What makes a house a home? A home is a place of companionship with people in it who love each other, who are harmonious (和谐的) and closer with one another than with those in the workplace or with classmates at school. A home is a place that’s so magnetic（有吸引力的） that it’s difficult to leave. In a home there is love, sharing and appreciation, and the members help one another.
I have seen families on the street. But if they live, sleep, talk, and eat together, they are a family, even if they are poorly off. You don’t need a roof to make a home. The truly homeless are some of the rich people who build multi-million-dollar houses and are too busy to really live in them. The truly homeless are those who have turned their home into a hotel lobby. The parents work and the children misbehave. They don’t talk and eat together every day. They rarely see each other. The truly homeless people are those with babysitters, caretakers, gardeners and maids. However, people are unaware of this, as they are too busy making money outside the home that they don’t live in. This is another way of looking at the rich and the homeless. Who is to be pitied?
Control of the computer and the Internet is also important to make a house into a home. If the computer is on all the time, the house turns into an office, even if everyone is at home. Many homes these days are just offices. Human communication has stopped. The computer eats up all the time that one should be giving to others within the home. Using the computer moderately gives us time for play and communication, not with a screen, but with other people.
56. Which of the following may serve as the best title for this passage?
A. How to make a house a home?
B. What makes a house a home?
C. Who are truly homeless?
D. What is a home for?
57. The purpose of the first paragraph is to _________.
A. tell us that where there is home there is love
B. tell us what people think a home is
C. tell us the author’s concept（理解）of home
D. tell us how to have a happy home
58. The underlined word “those” refers to ________.
A. people who build multi-million-dollar houses
B. people who have lost their family members
C. people who don’t spend time with the family
D. homeless families living on the street in America
59. Which of the following is FALSE according to the passage?
A. A home is a place where you are willing to stay.
B. Even the poorest people can have a happy home.
C. Computers and the Internet are important for a happy home.
D. Sometimes it’s the rich that should be pitied.