Many young people tell me that they want to be writers. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there is a big difference between being a writer and writing. In most cases these people are dreaming of wealth and being famous, not the long hours alone at the typewriter.
When I became a writer, I had no future. What I had was a friend called George. He found me a home. It was cold and had no bathroom. I could only afford a used typewriter. A year later, however, I still hadn’t received a break and began to doubt myself. But I knew I wanted to write. I would keep putting my dream to the test—even though it meant living with fear of failure. This is the shadow land (阴影) of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there. Then one day I got a call from a friend who asked me to be an assistant for $6,000 a year. As the dollars were dancing in my head, something brought me to my sense. “Thanks, but no,” I heard myself saying. After that, I walked around my little room and started to feel like a fool. I felt a little low.
Later, I gradually began to sell my articles. It was after 17 years of being a writer that Roots was published. At once I had the kind of fame and success that few writers ever experienced. The shadows had turned into great sunlight. Before that, it was a long and slow climb out of the shadows.The second paragraph is mainly about ______.
A.the job chance the author ever had |
B.the difficulties before the author succeeded |
C.the great help from the author’s friends |
D.the important choices the author made |
The underlined word “something” in Paragraph 2 refers to _______.
A.the author’s dream of being a writer |
B.the author’s trouble in making money |
C.the author’s hard life before success |
D.the author’s wish to be successful |
How did the author feel after he refused the job offer?
A.confident | B.angry |
C.excited | D.Unhappy |
Alex knew colors and shapes.He learned about 150 English words.With his language ability he made himself known as perhaps the world’s most famous talking bird.
But Alex,a parrot,died two weeks ago when he was 31.Irene,a psychologist(心理学家) at Harvard University,studied and worked with the parrot for nearly 30 years.
In 1977,Irene,then an excellent student in chemistry at Harvard,bought Alex from a pet store.At that time,scientists were not quite sure whether birds could learn to communicate with humans.
But using the methods of teaching.Irene helped Alex to learn about 150 words,and to count small numbers,as well as colors and shapes.
In experiments,Irene would give Alex a small reward,like a grape.Alex learned to ask for the grape by watching what the trainer was doing to get it.The researchers then worked with the bird to help him with pronunciation.
Alex showed a surprising ability to learn.For example,when he was shown a blue paper circle.he could tell what color the paper was.what shape it was,and after touching it,what it was made of.
Like other parrots,he also picked up some words when staying in the lab,like“calm down”and“good morning”.He could also show his happiness and sadness.
Even before the week he died,Alex was working with Irene on difficult words.As she put him into his cage for the night that Thursday,Irene said that Alex looked at her and said,“You be good.See you tomorrow.I love you.”
He was found dead in his cage the next morning.
1.Alex is the name of ________.
A.an excellent student B.a clever bird
C.a trainer D.a psychologist
2.How did Irene get the parrot?
A.A friend gave it to her. B.She caught it in a forest.
C.She bought it from the market. D.The passage doesn’t mention it.
3.The underlined words“picked up”in the seventh paragraph mean ________.
A.捡到 B.挑选 C.举起 D.学到
4.The passage is probably taken from a ________.
A.history textbook B. novel C.newspaper D. dictionary
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(A、B、C和D) 中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
1. If you’re interested in music, you can read “_______”.
A. National spots B. Sad movies
C. The planetsD. Weather service
2. You can learn something abut weather in _______.
A. Unit 1B. Unit 2 C. Unit 3D. Unit 4
3. Words about ______ are in Unit 5.
A. music stars B. weather conditions
C. sports toolsD. space news
The literal meaning of philosophy is “love of wisdom”.But this meaning does not tell us very much.Unlike the other disciplines, philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it si actually unlimited.Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: are, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy.For this reason you get a Doctorate(博士学位)of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology.
Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy.Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking.It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasonign.The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and periods in the development of philosophy.
Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement.It is necessary for understanding other disciplines.Only philosophy questions the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines.And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field.
There are a number of general uses of philosophy.It strengthens one’s ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important from a large quantity of data.These general uses are of great benefit in the career field, not necessarily for obtaining one’s first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management and leadership later on.It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one’s first job.The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement.No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict.
41.According to paragraph 1, philosophy can best be described as the study of .
A.social sciences B.natural sciences
C.both social and natural sciences D.the subject matter of politics
42.What does “discipline” mean in the first paragraph?
A.subject B.science C.literature D.occupation
43.With the study of philosophy, you can .
A.become a great leader
B.succeed in everything
C.find a good job soon after graduation
D.make progress in your career development
44.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Philosophy is an independent discipline.
B.Logic helps you to become a better thinker.
C.The study of philosophy brings you immediate benefits.
D.The meaning of philosophy is too limited to define.
45.From the passage, we can conclude .
A.not all the subjects have to do with philosophy
B.a person will get a Ph. D.if he/she studies philosophy
C.philosophy can be helpful for the study of any other subjects
D.philosophy is the only solution to all the problems in the world
When I met him, I had a lot of anger inside of me.I’ve lived my whole life in Spanish Harlem, but in my neighborhood, there are shoot-ups all the time.I know kids who have been shot or beaten up.I have friends who ended up in prison.I could have ended up that way, too, but Mr.Clark wouldn’t let that happen.
Mr.Clark worked long hours, making sure I did my work.My grades rose.In fact, the scores of our whole class rose.One day, he took our class to see The Phantom of the Opera, and it was the first time some kids had ever been out of Harlem.Before the show, he treated us to dinner at a restaurant and taught us not to talk with our mouths full.We did not want to let him down.
Mr.Clark was selected as Disney’s 2000 Teacher of the Year.He said he would draw three names out of a hat; those students would go with him to Los Angeles to get the award.But when the time came to draw names, Mr.Clark said, “You’re all going.”
On graduation day, there were a lot of tears.We didn’t want his class to end.In 2001, he moved to Atlanta, but he always kept in touch.He started giving lectures about education, and wrote a bestselling book based on his classroom rules, The Essential 55.In 2003,
Mr.Clark took some of us on a trip to South Africa to deliver school supplies and visit the orphanages(孤儿院).It was the most amazing experience of my life.It’s now my dream to one day start a group of women’s clubs, helping people from all backgrounds.
36.Without Mr.Clark, the writer .
A.might have been put into prison B.might not have won the prize
C.might have joined a women’s club D.might not have moved to Atlanta
37.The Essential 55 is .
A.a show B.a speech
C.a classroom rule D.a book
38.How many students’ names were finally drawn out of a hat by Mr.Clark?
A.None B.Three C.Fifty-five. D.All.
39.What can we learn in the short reading?
A.It was in Harlem that we saw The Phantom of the Opera for the first time.
B.Mr.Clark taught us not to talk with our mouths full, and we did.
C.Mr.Clark was selected as Disney’s 2000 Teacher of the Year in Los Angeles.
D.In 2003, Mr.Clark moved to Atlanta, and he always kept in touch with us.
40.In the passage, the writer intends to tell us that .
A.Mr.Clark went to South Africa because he liked travelling
B.Mr.Clark helped to set up a group of women’s clubs
C.a good teacher can help raise his or her students’ scores
D.a good teacher has a good influence on his or her students
The literal meaning of philosophy is “love of wisdom”.But this meaning does not tell us very much.Unlike the other disciplines, philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it si actually unlimited.Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: are, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy.For this reason you get a Doctorate(博士学位)of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology.
Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy.Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking.It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasonign.The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and periods in the development of philosophy.
Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement.It is necessary for understanding other disciplines.Only philosophy questions the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines.And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field.
There are a number of general uses of philosophy.It strengthens one’s ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important from a large quantity of data.These general uses are of great benefit in the career field, not necessarily for obtaining one’s first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management and leadership later on.It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one’s first job.The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement.No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict.
31.According to paragraph 1, philosophy can best be described as the study of .
A.social sciences B.natural sciences
C.both social and natural sciences D.the subject matter of politics
32.What does “discipline” mean in the first paragraph?
A.subject B.science C.literature D.occupation
33.With the study of philosophy, you can .
A.become a great leader
B.succeed in everything
C.find a good job soon after graduation
D.make progress in your career development
34.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Philosophy is an independent discipline.
B.Logic helps you to become a better thinker.
C.The study of philosophy brings you immediate benefits.
D.The meaning of philosophy is too limited to define.
35.From the passage, we can conclude .
A.not all the subjects have to do with philosophy
B.a person will get a Ph. D.if he/she studies philosophy
C.philosophy can be helpful for the study of any other subjects
D.philosophy is the only solution to all the problems in the world