Italy is one country where beauty is prized more than any other virtue. That is, except in the small town of Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People. The road sign at the edge of the town even warns visitors that they are entering the ugly zone. People who consider themselves ugly have been gathering in Piobbico since the 1960s. That’s when Ugly Club president Telesforo Lacobelli established a dating agency for women who believed they were too ugly to attract husbands. Lacobelli believes that he is ugly himself because he has a short nose in a country where long or large noses have always been considered beautiful.
People from around the world travel to Piobbico to tell their sad stories of ugliness. During the annual Festival of the Ugly, which occurs on the first Sunday of every September, hundreds of people gather in Piobbico’s town square to elect the president of the Ugly Club. Lacobelli wins the election every year. The Ugly Club has over 20, 000 members. They carry ID cards that grade their ugliness from bearable to extreme. A prize is awarded to Ugly Club members who qualify as extremely ugly.
The Ugly Club president insists that ugliness is a virtue. Since beautiful people get a lot of attention for their beauty alone, they have to work hard to prove their other virtues. Ugly people, on the other hand, are genuine and do not have to prove anything to anybody, according to Lacobelli.
Lacobelli is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. He believes that the uglier one is, the better life can be. Though the club enjoys making fun of beauty, especially beauty contests, Lacobelli has a serious side as well. He believes that too many people suffer from financial and emotional pressures because they don’t meet society’s standards of beauty. The fact that beautiful people are more successful in the workforce is a problem that Lacobelli has attempted to bring forward to the Italian public and government.
Piobbico is rather special in that .
| A．it is a very small town |
| B．it is home to ugly people |
| C．it receives no visitors |
| D．it is the capital of Italy |
Why is Lacobelli elected the president of the Ugly Club every year?
| A．Because he is the ugliest person in the whole world. |
| B．Because his ugliness is always graded as bearable. |
| C．Because he is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. |
| D．Because he has won the members’ trust and admiration. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Ugly people are most respected in Italy. |
| B．The Festival of the Ugly is held every two years. |
| C．Ugly people are unfairly treated in society. |
| D．The uglier one is, the better life he or she lives. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Ugly Capital of the World |
| B．The Ugliest Person of the World |
| C．Festival of the Ugly |
| D．Beauty Contests Should be Banned |
四、阅读理解
A
George Banks was a clever journalist． He worked for a good newspaper, and he liked arguing with anybody, and about anything． Sometimes the people whom he argued with were as clever as he was, but often they were not．
He did not mind arguing with stupid people at all: he knew that he could never persuade them to agree, because they could never really understand what he was saying, and the stupider they were, the surer they were that they were right, but he often found that stupid people said very amusing things．
At the end of one argument which George had with one of these less clever people, the man said something which George has always remembered and which has always amused him． It was, “Well, sir, you should never forget this: there are always three answers to every question, your answer, my answer, and the correct answer．”
56．George liked arguing．
A． neither with anybody nor about anything
B． either with anybody or anything
C．not with anybody but about anything
D． not only with anybody but also about anything
57．The people whom George often argued with were．
A．those who were cleverer than him
B． those who were stupider than him
C．both such clever people as he and those who were not
D．only the clever people
58．George thought the stupider they were, the surer they were that they were right
because ．
A．the stupider they were, the less knowledge they had
B． they were not worth arguing
C． stupid people often said very amusing things
D． clever people were always right
59．According to one of these less clever people's words, “there are always three answers
to every question, …” meant．
A． George's answer was right
B． the man's answer was right
C． George's and the man's answers were not right
D． there was not a right answer
E
Plants are very important living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air,water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air,water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals.Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live.This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.
If you look carefully at the plants around you,you will find that there are two kinds of plants:flowering plants and non-flowering plants.
Flowering plants can make seeds（种子）. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit. Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores（胚芽）. Spores are very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores are all on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.
72. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.
A. plants are important for life B. plants cannot grow without air
C. there are many plants in the world D. we can not live without water
73. Plants can make food from______.
A. flower, water and air B. water, sunlight and air
C. air, water and soil D. air, sun and light
74. What can we inferfrom the passage ？
A. Of all living things animals are most important
B.Spores are seeds
C. All fruits of flowering plants have seeds
D.Without plants, man will die out
75. This passage may be taken from______.
A. a medicine book B. a novel
C. a science magazine D. an experiment report
D
Even a child knows that nodding(点头) the head means “Yes”. But some people will probably be puzzled when they first come to India. When they talk to an Indian, he often shakes his head. They might think that the Indian does not like what he said, but on the contrary he is expressing agreement.
The Indians have a habit of shaking their heads slightly when they talk to somebody. It doesn’t mean “No”, but “Yes”.If a person doesn’t know this, it might cause misunderstanding.
At one time a foreigner in India told his driver who was an Indian to take him to his office. The driver shook his head. The foreigner repeated his request and the driver shook his head again. At last, the foreigner shouted angrily, “Drive me to my office at once!” The driver said in a low voice, “Yes, sir,” smiling and shaking his head again at the same time.
68. Generally speaking, nodding the head means _______, and shaking the head means _______.
A. Yes, No B. No, Yes C. Yes, Yes D. No, No
69. According to the habit of India, if someone agrees with you, he will _______.
A. nod his head
B. shake his head
C. neither nods his head nor shakes his head
D. either nod his head or shake his head
70. Why did the Indian driver shake his head when the foreigner asked him to drive him to his office? Because _______.
A. the Indian driver has something important to do
B. the foreigner promised to give him only a little money
C. The driver felt uncomfortable at that time
D. In India shaking the head means agreement
71. Why did the foreigner become angry? Because _______.
A. the Indian driver didn’t want to send him to his office
B. the Indian driver asked him for a lot of money
C. He misunderstood the meaning of shaking the head in India
D. he asked the driver to send him to his office, but the driver didn’t say any words
C
Do you ever find yourself longing for (渴望) some time for yourself? Many of us are so busy with work and school and there is little time left to do something that we enjoy. What follows are some ways to find to slow down and enjoy life.
1. Evenings with Yourself. Try to save certain weeknights just for you. If others ask you to do something else, just tell them your plans. Use the time for gardening, reading or doing exercise.
2. Monthly Treat. Schedule a treat for yourself once a month. Maybe you can go to see a movie, have a haircut, play golf or whatever treat you’re always thinking about but rarely get to.
3. Buy Tickets in Advance. Sports, theater, concerts or any other event you would enjoy. Schedule the plans with a friend later. Having the tickets already in hand will force you to make it happen!
4. Join a Group. Here are some ideas of groups that can allow you some time away from work and study: singing group, book club, biking/walking/running/etc clubs, ski club, etc. What are you interested in? Look up a club in your area today and join! If you can’t find a club, consider starting one by yourself!
5. Exercise. For busy people it can be difficult to make time for this. All you have to do is decide today and then make it a reality tomorrow. A new habit is started with just one step. Take that first step tomorrow. Walk for 20 minutes in the morning. Then build on that success daily.
64. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Do more Exercise B. How to Keep Fit
C. Find Time for Yourself D. Spend Time with Your Friends
65. What are the main reasons why people have almost no time for relaxation?
A. Because people are eager to achieve success in life.
B. Because people are busy with their jobs and study.
C. Because people find it difficult to make their dreams come true.
D. Because people are too tired of life.
66. According to the passage, which of the following can NOT help you relax?
A. Do some exercise regularly, at least start to do some exercise.
B. Take part in some groups or build up a circle of your own.
C. Schedule certain evenings for yourself and enjoy them.
D. Stay late at your office and spend evenings with your colleagues.
67. According to the author, what is the most important step for an extremely busy man to do some exercise?
A. Buying some sports equipment. B. Just doing it first.
C. Making a long-term plan.D. Joining a health club.
(B)
The Internet has become part of teenage life．There’s report on 3375 students aged from 10 to 18 in seven Chinese cities．It says that 38 percent of them believe they use the Internet often．While most of them get useful information and use the Internet to help in their studies, some are not using it in a good way．Many are playing online games too much．A few even visit Web sites they should not look at．Bad things can happen if young people spend too much time on the Internet．
In order to help young people use the Internet in a good way, a textbook on good Internet behavior has started to be used in some Shanghai middle schools this term．It uses real examples to teach students all about good ways of using the Internet．It gives useful advice such as its good to read news or find helpful information to study．Some students also make online friends．But if you are meeting a friend offline, let your parents know．
Teachers and parents all think the book is a very good idea．It will teach students how to be a good person in the online world．It will be a guide for teens to use the Internet and keep students away from bad sites．
60．The underlined word“it”means____________．
A．the book B．report C．the Internet D．useful information
61．From the report，aboutstudents between 10～18 years old in the seven cities use the Internet often．
A．3 375 B．1 280 C．2 100 D．3 000
62．What do most of the students do on the Internet?
A．To make online friends．
B．To play online games．
C．To get useful information to help in their studies．
D．To visit Web sites they should not look at．
63．Why do teachers and parents think the book is a good idea?
A．Because it helps with the students’ studies．
B．Because it gives useful information for studying．
C．Because it is used in Shanghai middle schools．
D．Because it teaches students how to be a good person in the online world．