B
It happened to me recently. I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President. A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a brilliantly written book”. However, he then went on to talk about Mr. Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In the World Book Day’s “Report on Guilty Secrets”, Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The report lists ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading, and as I’m not one to lie too often (I’d hate to be caught out), I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that, unlike 42 percent of people, I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s really brilliant.
The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven’t read him, but haven’t lied about it either) and Herman Melville.
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to “impress” someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in–depth!
But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, people named J. K. Rowling, John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella (ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I’ll come clean: I do this and am astonished that 58 percent said they had never done so).What is the meaning of the underlined word “liar”?
| A．A person who hates books. |
| B．A person who tells lies. |
| C．A person who loves reading. |
| D．A person who is honest with everything. |
From the second paragraph we can know _____.
| A．only 42 percent of people have read George Orwell’s 1984 |
| B．two thirds of people haven’t read a book. |
| C．“Dreams From My Father” is listed the first of the top ten books |
| D．the writer haven’t read all of the top ten books |
Why does a person lie about books?
| A．Because they want to appear learned. |
| B．Because they want to attract others’ attention. |
| C．Because they do so out of habit. |
| D．Because they want to play tricks on others. |
Which of the following statement is right?
| A．The writer often leaves a book unfinished. |
| B．The writer was once caught out for telling lies. |
| C．The writer often reads the end of a book first before finishing the story. |
| D．The writer likes Barack Obama from the very beginning. |
What do you think of the author?
| A．Thoughtful and talkative. |
| B．Smart and helpful. |
| C．knowledgeable and experienced. |
| D．Wise and honest. |
One thing the tour books don’t tell you about London is that 2,000 of its residents are foxes. They ran away from the city about centuries ago after developers and pollution moved in. But now that the environment is cleaner, the foxes have come home, one of the many wild animals that have moved into urban areas around the world.
“The number and variety of wild animals in urban areas is increasing,” says Gomer Jones, president of the National Institute for Urban Wildlife, in Columbia, Maryland. A survey of the wildlife in New York’s Central Park last year tallied the species of mammals, including muskrats, shrews and flying squirrels. A similar survey conducted in the 1890s counted only five species. One of the country’s largest populations of raccoons (浣熊) now lives in Washington D.C., and moose (驼鹿) are regularly seen wandering into Maine towns. Peregrine falcons(游隼) dive from the window ledges of buildings in the largest U.S. cities to prey on (捕食) pigeons.
Several changes have brought wild animals to the cities. Foremost(首要的) is that air and water quality in many cities has improved as a result of the 1970s pollution-control efforts. Meanwhile, rural areas have been built up, leaving many animals on the edges of suburbs. In addition, urban wildlife refuges (避难处)have been created. The Greater London Council last year spent￡750,000 to buy land and build 10 permanent wildlife refuges in the city. Over 1,000 volunteers have donated money and cleared rubble from deserted lots. One evening last year a fox was seen on Westminster Bridge looking up at Big Ben.
For peregrine falcons, cities are actually safer than rural cliff dwellings (悬崖栖息地). By 1970 the birds had died out east of the Mississippi because the DDT had made their eggs too thin to support life. That year, scientist Tom Cade of Cornell University began raising the birds for release in cities, for cities afforded abundant food.
Cities can attract wild animals without turning them harmful. The trick is to create habitats where they can be self-sufficient but still be seen and appreciated. Such habitats can even be functional. In San Francisco, the local government is testing different kinds of rainwater control basins to see not only which ones retain (保持) the cleanest water but which will attract the most birds.The first paragraph suggests that ________.
| A．environment is vital for wildlife |
| B．tour books are not always a reliable source of information |
| C．London is a city of fox |
| D．foxes are highly adaptable to environment |
Which of the following is NOT a reason that wildlife is returning to the cities?
| A．Food is plentiful in the cities. |
| B．Wildlife is appreciated in the cities. |
| C．Wildlife refuges have been built in the cities |
| D．Air and water quality has improved in the cities |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．Londoners are putting more and more wild animals into their zoos. |
| B．Londoners are happy to see wild animals return to their city |
| C．Londoners are trying to move wild animals back to the countryside |
| D．Londoners have welcomed the wild birds, but found foxes a problem |
My father had always been an alert(警觉的) observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone, he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did. Dad was always right---they didn’t pass my test either. After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.
That’s when Jack arrived on the scene. He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother, discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test. But what about Dad’s?
Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”
When I got there, we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage(胸花). The florist put the corsage in a box.
The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet. “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk. “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident, he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered. We both sat dumbfounded, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.
“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door. “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her. She opened it up. Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Mom, what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received. I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away(眨掉) tears. Dad’s test? I knew Jack had passed.According to the text, we know the writer’s father was __________.
| A．interested in observing things around |
| B．good at judging one’s character |
| C．strict with her boyfriend |
| D．fond of challenges |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
| A．Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s. |
| B．Jack was different from any other boy. |
| C．Jack was getting on well with Mother. |
| D．Jack knew a lot about piano. |
The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means __________.
| A．piece of advice | B．wedding ceremony |
| C．celebration of birthday | D．offer of marriage |
On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt.
| A．pleased | B．worried | C．surprised | D．disappointed |
Why did the writer’s mother cry?
| A．The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her. |
| B．She had never received such a beautiful gift. |
| C．Her daughter found her life partner at last. |
| D．The gardenia corsage was too expensive. |
Do you know blood types?
Special care must be taken in selecting new blood for a badly injured person, who would be killed by the transfusion (输血) if the blood is too different from his own.
There are four basic types of blood A. B. A B. and O. Blood type, like hair and height, comes from parents. Basically, A and B can not be mixed. AB, sometimes called the universal recipient (万能受血者), may receive A or B,. O type, often called the universal donor (万能输血者), gives his blood to any other group. Patients usually receive nothing, but salt or plasma (血浆) until their blood can be matched as exactly as possible in the blood bank of a hospital. There is a relationship between your blood type and your nationality (国籍). Among Europeans, about 42 % have type A while 45 % have type O. The fewest is the type B. Which of the following show the correct relationship in blood transfusion ("→"means giving blood to...)?
| A． | B． | C． | D． |
Usually person who has been injured and lost too much blood should be given a blood transfusion______.
| A．after he receives salt and plasma | B．before he feels uncomfortable |
| C．when the new blood fits his body | D．as soon as accident happens |
From this passage we can know that among Europeans ______ 13 % have the type B.
A. about B. no more than C. less than D. at most
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 wine in this country if you are under 18 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, especially 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 (人行道) and do not take any chances when crossing the road.
My next point is about rubbish. It isn't lawful to drop rubbish 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 dustbin.
Finally, as regards (至于) smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age.
I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact the police, who will be pleased to help you. You can call, write or directly go to ask any policeman. Who do you think is most likely to make the speech?
| A．A guide | B．A person who makes laws |
| C．A teacher | D．An English officer |
How many laws are there discussed in the speech?
| A．Four | B．Three | C．Six | D．Five |
The main purpose of this speech is to __________.
| A．tell people that those above 18 can drink and smoke there |
| B．declare (宣布) the different laws of England |
| C．give advice to travelers to the country |
| D．warn people against going to the country |
The underlined word "contact" in the last paragraph means to __________.
| A．keep in touch with (联系) | B．turn to | C．make a call to | D．write to |
Learners of English, especially self-taught learners may have troubles in understanding speeches by native speakers. The following ways might help improve their listening ability.
First of all, do things step by step. It is not good to listen to something beyond your level. Better choose a proper course and start with the first book. Go on to the second book only after you are sure you understand the first one.
Secondly, stick to (坚持) one course of study. Don't change books often. Never let your attention be attracted (吸引) by another course just because it seems to be more "fashionable" (时髦).
Thirdly, listen to the English news program over the radio from time to time. Better go through the news stories in the Chinese-language newspaper first. That will make it easy for you to understand the English news on the radio.
Fourthly, if you have time, listen to some interesting stories in Special English from the V. O. A. or other listening materials（材料）of the same level as that of your textbook. This is a piece of advice to learners of English on how to ______.
| A．improve their listening ability | B．read fast |
| C．write better English and read faster | D．speak correctly |
If you want to understand the English news program on the radio, you should ________.
| A．read the Chinese-language newspaper step by step |
| B．read again and again the Chinese-language newspaper |
| C．go through the Chinese-language newspaper |
| D．be able to recite the Chinese language newspaper |
"Beyond your level" means something _______.
| A．easy for you |
| B．too difficult for you |
| C．not too easy and not too difficult for you. |
| D．just all right for you |
The author advised that once you have taken up a course, you ______.
| A．should stick to it |
| B．should begin with the last book |
| C．should take up other courses if they are more fashionable |
| D．shouldn't do anything else |