It’s amazing how we grow from careless kids to responsible teens. What happens in the course that makes us responsible now? It’s the seed that we sow in the beginning which grows and becomes a huge tree. As I sit here, silently thinking about my growth, I wonder over some questions which don’t have an answer but it’s because of such unanswerable situations that life has become a roller coaster ride.
As a kid, I used to read a lot of story books. In one particular book, I read a story of a bird. From then on, that has become an integral (必不可少的) part of my life. It described a male bird which takes a lot of pain to build a nest and the female bird takes shelter in it and nourishes the baby. When the bird learns to fly, the whole family flies off to a different place leaving behind the beautiful nest for other birds to grow their family in it. It made me wonder. How could they so easily sacrifice their house built with so much effort?
One night, when I was deep in sleep, I got this particular dream. I was walking miles on the endless road, totally isolated but lined with beautiful trees on the either side. Fascinated by the greenery, I marched towards it only to end up deeper and deeper into the greenery. I happened to stop upon seeing something. It was a massive, wonderful house. I fell in love with that amazing part of art. Yeah, it was indeed a piece of art with every nook and corner touched artistically and lovingly. I don’t know why I felt that it was done lovingly. Maybe because, things turn out to be beautiful only when we put our love into it — just like the food prepared by mom which tastes more delicious with her love.
I explored the house only to fall more in love with it. There was a sloping roof which matched with the greenery around; the large central open courtyard reminded me of the activities that might have taken place there which felt lively even now when it is completely deserted. The small water body that kept the house cool added to the beauty of the house — of course, it was all dried up now. It’s really wonderful how such things add life to the spaces which otherwise just become structures. Such liveliness and happening turns the house into a home. They say ‘THE HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS’, but now I began to feel it. This is where my heart belongs. This is what I’m destined to do.
When I woke up from the dream, I was clear about everything. I realized where that mile of walk was intending me to lead. I realized what message my dream wanted to convey me. And years later, when finally my turn of choosing my destination came, I simply closed my eyes, held that book in my hand, pressed it against my chest and relived the dream. When I opened my eyes, I was sure what to do. I decided to choose the road — less traveled. Yes, I took up architecture as my profession because this is what I am destined to do. I wanted to do the same thing that the male bird in the story did, to take pain in building a beautiful house and let others stay in it. This is my dream come true and the happiness that I gain now from this profession is indescribable.When the writer read the story of the bird, he probably felt _______.
| A．upset | B．confused | C．amazed | D．amused |
To the writer, “the seed that we sow in the beginning” (Paragraph 1) is _______.
| A．the house in his dream | B．his mother’s food |
| C．the story of the bird | D．his story books |
Mom’s food always tastes better because _______.
| A．mom cooks with her love |
| B．we are so familiar with mom’s food |
| C．moms are better cooks than fathers |
| D．mom is experienced in cooking |
In the writer’s dream, what part of the house attracted him most?
| A．The greenery surrounding the house. |
| B．The body of water that keeps the house cool |
| C．The liveliness he sensed around the house. |
| D．The fact that the house was very large. |
The above passage is mainly about _______.
| A．how the writer finally becomes an honest citizen |
| B．where the true meaning of responsibility lies |
| C．what we need to do when we are seeking fortune |
| D．why the writer takes up architecture as his career |
Treasure hunts （寻宝）have excited people’s imagination for hundreds of years both in real life and in books such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island .Kit Williams ,a modern writer ,had the idea of combining the real excitement of a treasure hunt with clues （线索）found in a book when he wrote a children’s story Masquerade, in 1979. The book was about a hare ,and a month before it came out, Williams buried a gold hare in a park in Bedfordshire .The book contained a large number of clues to help readers find the hare ,but Williams put in a lot of “red herrings ”,or false clues ,to mislead them.
Ken Roberts ,the man who found the hare ,had been looking for it for nearly two years .Although he had been searching in the wrong area most of the time ,he found it by logic （逻辑）,not by luck .His success came from the fact that he had gained an important clue at the start .He had realized that the words :“One of Six to Eight” under the first picture in the book connected the hare in some way to Katherine of Aragon ,the first of Henry VIII’s six wives. Even here ,however ,Williams had succeeded in misleading him .Ken knew that Katherine of Aragon had died at Kimbolton in Cambridgeshire in 1536 and thought that Williams had buried the hare there .He had been digging there for over a year before a new idea occurred to him. He found out that Kit Williams had spent his childhood near Ampthill ,in Befordshire and thought that he must have buried the hare in a place he knew well ,but he still could not see the connection with Katherine of Aragon ,until one day he came across two stone crosses in Ampthill Park and learnt that they had been built in her honor in 1773.
Even then his search had not come to an end. It was only after he had spent several nights digging around the cross that he decided to write to Kit Williams to find out if he was wasting his time there .Williams encouraged him to continue ,and on February 24th 1982 ,he found the treasure. It was worth £ 3000 in the beginning ,but the excitement it had caused since its burial made it much more valuable .The underlined word “them”（paragraph1）refers to .
| A．red herrings | B．treasure hunts |
| C．Henry VIII’s six wives | D．readers of Masquerade |
What is the most important clue in the story to help Ken Roberts find the hare ?
| A．Two stone crosses in Ampthill |
| B．Stevenson’s Treasure Island |
| C．Katherine of Aragon |
| D．Williams’ hometown |
The stone crosses in Ampthill were built .
| A．to tell about what happened in 1773 |
| B．to show respect for Henry VIII’s first wife |
| C．to serve as a road sign in Ampthill Park |
| D．to inform people where the gold hare was |
Which of the following describes Roberts’ logic in searching for the hare ?
a.Henry VIII’s six wives
b.Katherine’s burial place at Kimbolton
c.Williams’ childhood in Ampthill
d.Katherine of Aragon
e.stone crosses in Ampthill Park
| A．a—b—c—e—d | B．d—b—c—e—a |
| C．a—d—b—c—e | D．b—a—e—c—d |
What is the subject discussed in the text ?
| A．An exciting historical event |
| B．A modern treasure hunt |
| C．The attraction of Masquerade |
| D．The importance of logical thinking |
During a recent phone interview with a mom who had just moved to Colorado, the conversation turned to disaster planning.” I am standing here looking out of the window at the smoke from wildfires,” she told me, “and have absolutely no idea what we will do if the wind shifts our way.” Fortunately, the fire was put out, saving her home.
Making a disaster plan isn’t something anyone does for fun. But being caught without one in a time of need is worse. Emergency management officials say too few families have a disaster plan ,even in areas that have been hit hard by hurricanes or flooding.
I have prepared food, water, flashlights, candles, a battery-powered radio and firewood since our family was hit years ago by a hurricane that blocked off streets and knocked out our power for more than a week. Still we lack the medications, emergency contacts, and emergency-meeting and pet-care plans we should also have .Officials in my state of Oregon have warned us that one of us is really ready for the major disaster which is very likely to hit here---- a big earthquake.
Working parents need to coordinate(协调)their disaster plans with their children’s schools or child-care centers. Many parents in the 2003 New York blackout（断电）weren’t able to get home to their children because public traffic was stopped and lights were out. After that, many parents made detailed plans with child-care providers about where to meet in emergencies, an whom to contact if unable to reach each other.
Good emergency planning and training helped teachers at a child-care center in the World Trade Center successfully move children to a safe place during the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Do you have an emergency plan for your home? If not, you know what to do.According to the first paragraph , the mom_____.
| A．lived alone in her home. |
| B．didn’t have a disaster plan |
| C．never thought her house would catch fire |
| D．was not frightened in front of the wildfires |
What can we infer from what emergency management officials said in Paragraph2?
| A．Few people have fully realized the importance of making disaster plans. |
| B．The state of Oregon has been ready for a possible earthquake. |
| C．Hurricanes and flooding cause people to make disaster plans. |
| D．Many people consider making a disaster plan is fun. |
Which of the following things has the writer NOT prepared for disasters?
| A．food | B．Candles |
| C．A radio | D．Medicine |
We can infer that the 2003 New York blackout _____.
| A．was not serious enough to attract parents’ attention |
| B．showed how careful the teachers had always been |
| C．made parents realize the importance of having a disaster plan |
| D．helped parents know the importance of teachers to their children |
The fifth paragraph is mainly written to tell us that_____.
| A．some people have disaster plans |
| B．children may be in danger any time |
| C．a good disaster plan can be helpful |
| D．child-care centers are not that safe |
At the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, the sport of canoe racing was added to the list of international competitions. The favorite team in the four-man canoe race was the Unites States team. One member of that team was Bill Havens.
As the time for the Olympics neared, it became clear that Bill’s wife would give birth to their first child about the time that the US team would be competing in the Paris games. In 1924, there were no jet airliners from Paris to the Unites States, only slow ocean-going ships. Bill found himself in a dilemma. Should he go to Paris and risk not being at his wife’s side when their baby was born? Or should he stay with his family?
Bill’s wife insisted that he go to Paris. But after much soul searching, Bill decided to stay at home, where he could support his wife when the child arrived. As it turned out , the Unites States four-man canoe team won the gold medal in Paris. And Bill’s wife was late in giving birth to their child. In fact, Bill could have competed in the event and returned home in time to be with her when she gave birth. People said ,” what a shame!”
The child finally born to Bill and his wife was a boy, whom they named Frank. Twenty-eight years later, in 1952, Bill received a telegram from Frank. It was sent from Helsinki, Finland, where the 1952 Olympics were being held. The telegram read, “Dad, I won. I am bringing home the gold medal you lost while waiting for me to be born.” Frank had just won the gold medal for the Unites States in a rowing event, a medal his father had dreamed of winning but never did. When people asked Bill about his decision he made twenty-eight years ago, he said he would make the same choice if he was in such a situation again.If we say some is in a dilemma, we probably mean he/she _____.
| A．lives a very hard life |
| B．has to make a difficult choice |
| C．has to give up all that he/she has |
| D．doesn’t know what he/she wants |
From Paragraph3 we know Bill’s wife ____.
| A．knew the baby would be born late |
| B．knew what her husband really wanted |
| C．wanted to support her husband to win the gold medal. |
| D．was not understanding enough to support her husband |
What is the main reason why people said” what a shame!”？
| A．Bill didn’t give his wife any support at home. |
| B．Bill’s decision caused the team to perform badly. |
| C．Bill didn’t know what was more important to him. |
| D．Bill could have returned home with the gold medal in time. |
What happened twenty-eight years later after the baby’s birth?
| A．Bill received a gold medal from Finland. |
| B．Bill’s son helped make his dream come true. |
| C．Bill earned the respect of all the American people. |
| D．Bill took part in the Olympic Games and won. |
After reading the passage, we infer that ____
| A．Bill thought his decision was right. |
| B．Bill trained his son to win the medal. |
| C．Bill loved fame more than his family |
| D．Bill hated his decision very much |
Hearing live music is one of the most pleasurable experiences available to human beings. The music sounds great, but it sounds greater when you get to watch the musicians as they create it. No matter what kind of music you love, try listening to it live.
This guide focuses on classical music, a tradition that originated before recordings, radio, and the Internet, back when all music was live music. In those days live human beings performed for other live human beings, with everybody together in the same room. When heard in this way, classical music can have a special excitement. Hearing classical music in a concert can leave you feeling refreshed and energized. It can be fun. It can be romantic. It can be spiritual.
Classical music concerts can seem like snobby (高傲的) affairs full of foreign terms and unusual behavior. It can be hard to understand what’s going on. It can be hard to know how to act. But don’t worry. Concerts are no stranger than any other amusement, and the rules of behavior are much simpler and easier to understand than the stock market, football, or system software upgrades.
If you haven’t been to a live concert before, or if you’ve been confused by concerts, this guide will explain, so you can relax and enjoy the music.From Paragraph 1, we can see that the author encourages us _______.
| A．to watch the musicians to compose music |
| B．to experience the spirit of classical music |
| C．to attend live concerts and enjoy live music |
| D．to obtain pleasure from different kinds of music |
Which of the following can replace the underlined word “originated” in Paragraph 2?
| A．listened | B．started |
| C．performed | D．disappeared |
The author considers that live classical music _______.
| A．is full of foreign terms |
| B．is too difficult to understand |
| C．is stranger than other amusements |
| D．is exciting to both players and listeners |
The passage is _____ which focuses on live classical music.
| A．a review | B．a conclusion |
| C．a summary | D．an introduction |
SHEFFIELD
LINCOLN COLLEGE OF ENGLISH
Classes for foreign students at all levels
3 months, 6 months, 9 months and one year course Open all year
Small class (maximum(最大限度) 12 students)
Library, language laboratory and listening center
Accommodation(膳食供应) with selected families 25 minutes from London
Course fees for English for one year are ￡1, 380, with reduction for shorter periods of study.Lincoln College of English _______.
| A．is at the centre of London |
| B．lies far away from London |
| C．takes in foreign students, from beginners to the advanced |
| D．accepts students only at the beginning of the year |
While you stay there, _______ will take care of you.
| A．the school where you study |
| B．the family you have chosen |
| C．your classmates |
| D．your own parents |
If you go there for a one-term course, you will pay _______ for it.
| A．￡1, 380 | B．over ￡1, 380 |
| C．much less than ￡1, 380 | D．nothing |