Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy---they’re given after all. Choice can be hard.
I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year. I’d never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me, I had just turned 30 years old , and I’d been married for a year, I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t work since most start-ups don’t , and I wasn’t sure what to expect, MacKenzie told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I’d been a garage inventor, I’d always wanted to be an inventor, and she wanted me to follow my passion.
I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, “That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job.” That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.
After much consideration, I took the less safe path to follow my passion, and I’m proud of that choice, For all of us, in the end, we are our choice. What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore?
| A．His dream if being an inventor. |
| B．The support of his wife. |
| C．The greatly increasing usage of the Internet. |
| D．Millions of exciting titles. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence?
| A．The idea of not trying would keep coming to his mind and disturb him. |
| B．He would be very excited if he tried it out. |
| C．He would be always having a doubt if he didn’t try. |
| D．The decision to not try the online bookstore would terrify him. |
We can know from the passage that ______.
| A．the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author |
| B．the author wanted someone else to try the idea |
| C．the author might not regret if he failed the idea |
| D．the author might go back to his boss if he failed |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Cleverness and Kindness |
| B．The Starting of Amazon |
| C．Following My Passion |
| D．We Are What We Choose |
第三部分：阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节 阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从41~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卷上将该项涂黑。
(A)
In 1901, H.G. Wells, an English writer, wrote a book describing a trip to the moon. When the explorers landed on the moon, they discovered that the moon was full of underground cities. They expressed their surprise to the “moon people” they met. In turn, the “moon people” expressed their surprise. “Why,” they asked, “are you traveling to outer space when you don’t even use your inner space?”
H.G. Wells could only imagine travel to the moon. In 1969, human beings really did land on the moon. People today know that there are no underground cities on the moon. However, the question that the “moon people” asked is still an interesting one. A growing number of scientists are seriously thinking about it.
Underground systems are already in place. Many cities have underground car parks. In some cities, such as Tokyo, Seoul and Montreal, there are large underground shopping areas. The “Chunnel”, a tunnel connecting England and France, is now complete.
But what about underground cities? Japan’s Taisei Corporation is designing a network of underground systems, called “Alice Cities”. The designers imagine using surface space for public parks and using underground space for flats, offices, shopping, and so on. A solar dome (太阳能穹顶) would cover the whole city.
Supporters of underground development say that building down rather than building up is a good way to use the earth’s space. The surface, they say, can be used for farms, parks, gardens, and wilderness. H.G. Wells’ “moon people” would agree. Would you?
1. The explorers in H. G. Wells’ story were surprised to find that the“moon people” ___________.
A. knew so much about the earth B. understood their language
C. lived in so many underground cities D. were ahead of them in space technology
2. What does the underlined word “it” (Paragraph 2) refer to?
A. Discovering the moon’s inner space. B. Using the earth’s inner space.
C. Meeting the“moon people”again. D. Traveling to outer space.
3. What sort of underground systems are already here with us?
A. Offices, shopping areas, power stations.
B. Tunnels, car parks, shopping areas.
C. Gardens, car parks, power stations.
D. Tunnels, gardens, offices.
4. The word “wilderness” in the last paragraph means___________.
A. wildlife B. poor districts
C. desert D. an area that is not allowed to build on
5. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Alice Cities — cities of the future
B. Space travel with H. G. Wells
C. Enjoy living underground
D. Building down, not up
A man walks into a doctor’s office. He has a cucumber (黄瓜) up his nose, a carrot in his left ear and a banana in his right ear. “What's the matter with me?” he asks the doctor. The doctor replies, “You’re not eating properly.”
This is a popular joke among British school children. It shows Britain's famous dry and satirical (讽刺的) way of seeing the funny side of life. People say this unique sense of humor is one of Britain's national characteristics.
The British sense of humor is different from other countries because it is often more negative. When it comes to making the British laugh, there is nothing that works better than a socially inappropriate (不恰当的) joke. It reflects the culture where mocking (嘲弄) is part of everyday life.
While most Britons don’t take these jokes too seriously, foreigners often don’t understand them. A recent survey found that most foreigners who visited Britain think the British are “unfriendly and have almost no sense of humor”.
Are the British just not as funny as they think they are? Leo McKinstry, a British journalist, thinks the British are funny. “Accusing the British of having no sense of humor is like telling Rolls-Royce (劳斯莱斯) that its cars are cheap and not good in quality,” he says.
56. What does the doctor actually mean by the remark “You’re not eating properly”?
A. What you have had is the cause of these problems. B. You are not having the right food.
C. You don’t eat the way people usually do. D. You eat with the wrong cutlery. ( 餐具 )
57. The word “dry” in Paragraph 2 means ________.
A. without water or liquid inside B. special and popular among school children
C. dull and meaningless D. funny and clever while seeming to be serious
58. Why do most visitors, who once visited Britain, think that the British are unfriendly?
A. Because the British always take things seriously.
B. Because the British have no sense of humor.
C. Because the British are cold and difficult to get along with.
D. Because the British have a different sense of humor.
59. Which of the following is NOT the characteristics of British humor?
A. dry and satirical B. negative and mocking
C. encouraging and gentle D. clever and witty
Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?
Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbacks (平装本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.
Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全书), though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books, science textbooks, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems . Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.
67. It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
A. TV programs are a chief provider of knowledge.
B. cinemas are the best choice in getting information.
C. reading is a cheap way of learning and having fun.
D. newspapers are an expensive way to enjoy oneself.
68. What does the sentence “Television has not killed reading, however” underlined in the second paragraph suggest?
A. People only need reading, though. B. Reading is still necessary today.
C. Reading is more fun than television D. Watching television doesn’t help reading.
69. Which of the following is mainly discussed in the last paragraph?
A. Types of books B. Kinds of dictionaries.
C. Lists of history books D. Collections of stories and poems
70. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Fewer and fewer people will buy books.
B. A good dictionary should be kept in every home.
C. Books with hard covers sell better than paperbacks.
D. More people like TV programs about famous men.
Welcome to the Ambassador Hotel. To make your stay as enjoyable as possible, we hope you will use our facilities（设施）to the full.
Dining Room
Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8 to 9:30 a.m.. Alternatively, the room staff will bring a breakfast tray to your room at any time after 7 a.m., if you place an order for it by telephone. In this case, please fill out a card and hang it outside your door when you go to bed. Lunch: 12:00 to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Telephone:48752
Room Service
This operates 24 hours a day. Phone the Reception Desk, and your message will be passed on to the room staff.
Telephone:48759
Telephone
To make a telephone call, dial 0 for Reception and Laundry (洗衣店), and ask to be connected. We apologize for delays in putting calls through when the staff are very busy. There are also public telephone booths (电话亭) near the Reception Desk. Early calls should be booked with Reception.
Shop
The hotel shop is open for souvenirs（纪念品）, gifts and toiletries（化妆品）from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Telephone:48687
Laundry
We have a laundry on the premises（附属）and will wash, iron and return your clothes within 24 hours. Ask the room staff to phone the laundrymen to collect them.
Telephone:48867
Bar
The hotel bar is open from 12 to 2 p.m., and 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.. The Reception staff will cash cheques and exchange money in many foreign currencies（货币）.
64.The announcement mainly gives us information about ________.
A. facilities in the hotel B. providing passengers all kinds of service
C. the ways of serving D. carrying out the promise of the hotel
65.The card in a bedroom of the hotel is announced that _________.
A. you should keep silence when walking past the room
B. the passenger of the room is taking a rest
C. the waiters mustn’t enter the room
D. any visitors won’t bother the hotel guest
66.You have arrived to stay at the hotel at 2 a.m., and want a snack (快餐), What should you do ?
A. Go to the hotel shop. B. Go to the hotel bar.
C. Give a message to the waiter. D. Phone Reception
Sydney—Mobile phone has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for the school this year. Several children have got mobile phones as Christmas gifts, and more students want them.
Mary Bluett, an official, said mobile phone use is a distraction (分心的事) to students during school hours and it also gives teachers so much trouble in their classrooms. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t get in touch with their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school offices. They also said there were many reasons why the students should not have mobile phones at school: they were easy to lose and were a distraction from studies.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.
60. Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones________.
A. because they are students B. when they are free
C. when they are at school D. because they are young
61. We know from the passage that some children get mobile phones from________.
A. the makers and sellers B. some other strangers
C. their parents and friends D. some mobile phone users
62. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t _______ during school hours.
A. use their mobile phones B. leave their mobile phones
C. help the teachers with their work D. get in touch with their children
63. The underlined word “they” in the fifth paragraph refers to________.
A. many teachers B. some messages
C. mobile phones D. some students