LittleTommywasdoingverybadlyin-优题课

D
I read about it in the paper, in the subway, on my way to work. I read it, and I couldn't believe it, and I read it again. Then perhaps I just stared at it, at the newsprint spelling out his name, spelling out the story. I stared at it in the swinging lights of the subway car, and in the faces and bodies of the people, and in my own face, trapped in the darkness which roared(隆隆响) outside.
It was not to be believed and I kept telling myself that, as I walked from the subway station to the high school. And at the same time I couldn't doubt it. I was scared, scared for Sonny. He became real to me again. A great block of ice got settled in my belly and kept melting there slowly all day long, while I taught my classes algebra. It was a special kind of ice. It kept melting, sending trickles(涓涓细流)of ice water all up and down my veins(血管), but it never got less. Sometimes it hardened and seemed to expand until I felt my heart was going to come spilling(溢出) out or that I was going to choke or scream. This would always be at a moment when I was remembering some specific thing Sonny had once said or done.
When he was about as old as the boys in my classes his face had been bright and open; and he'd had wonderfully direct brown eyes, and great gentleness. I wondered what he looked like now. He had been picked up, the evening before, in a sudden search on an apartment down-town, for selling and using heroin.
I couldn't believe it: but what I mean by that is that I couldn't find any room for it anywhere inside me. I had kept it outside me for a long time. I hadn't wanted to know. I had had suspicions(怀疑), but I didn't name them, I kept putting them away. I told myself that Sonny was wild, but he wasn't crazy. And he'd always been a good boy, he hadn't ever turned hard or evil or disrespectful, the way kids can, so quick, so quick, especially in Harlem. I didn't want to believe that I'd ever see my brother going down, coming to nothing, all that light in his face gone out, in the condition I'd already seen so many others.
67. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refers to ____.
A. the swinging light of the subway car B. the news of Sonny’s being arrested
C. everything trapped in the darkness D. newspaper
68. We can learn from the passage that ____.
A. the news on the paper was unbelievable.
B. I was too scared to believe the news
C. I was ill because a great block of ice was in my belly
D. Sonny and I hadn’t seen each other for a long time
69. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Sonny and I were brothers.
B. Sonny had always been a good boy before being arrested.
C. I didn’t care about Sonny.
D. Many young men turned bad in Harlem.
70. Which of the following can best describe the author’s feelings towards Sonny?
A. Concern, affection, expectation. B. Concern, hatred, expectation.
C. Affection, regret, sympathy. D. Regret, understanding, sympathy.

C
Arthritis, stroke, osteoporosis(骨关节炎), heart disease and dementia are what we’ve got to look forward to in old age. But conditions like these don’t have to be impossible to avoid, says New Zealand cook Robyn Martin. She firmly believes that we are what we eat and we can choose to consume foods that can slow the aging process and even prevent certain illnesses. That’s why her latest cookbook is devoted to recipes that use ingredients with a large number of anti-aging benefits. Stop the Clock—the Anti-Aging cookbook looks at a variety of health problems—from brain decline and joint aches and pains to heart disease and high cholesterol(胆固醇)—then lists foods that can improve or prevent them and offers a selection of recipes using those ingredients. “I wrote this book so I can offer people lots of information about foods that can give them a better old age.”
Six foods that can help slow the aging process:
1. Lentils
The important substance included in lentils is the one that can help you avoid the unpleasant symptoms of menopause(更年期), like mood swings.
2. Blueberries
Blueberries slow and, in some cases, reverse damage in aging brains. They are also rich in some chemicals which keep your looking young and help relieve arthritic(关节炎的) pain.
3. Carrots
Carrots have high levels of beta-carotene, which changes to vitamin A in the body. So they may help with memory, do good to the skin and are also thought to lower cholesterol.
4. Oats
The protein, calcium and phosphorus in oats all help build strong bones and connective tissue. The fibre they contain helps lower cholesterol and high blood pressure.
5. Spinach
Spinach is a good source of two important substances involved in protecting the DNA in our cells from oxication(氧化). It not only helps to strengthen the memory and turn off genes that can step up aging, but also can help improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
6. Soy
Soy products help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and are rich in phytoestrogens, which can help prevent hormone-related cancers. Soy can also be helpful to the skin, making it firm and youthful.
Did you know? Tomatoes contain a powerful substance which is not only useful for preventing problems in the heart, and lungs, but also prevents diseases like cancer. To gain the most benefit, tomatoes should be cooked.
64. If memory often fails you, which of the following combination will be good to you?
A. soy and carrots B. oats and soy
C. lentils and blueberries D. carrots and spinach
65. This passage mainly deals with _____.
A. foods and ingredients B. foods and health C. foods and nutrition D. foods and diseases
66. The passage is written _____.
A. to tell the readers recipes play an important role in keeping healthy
B. to advertise the foods mentioned in the passage
C. to tell the readers how to slow the aging process
D. to tell the readers how to cure some diseases by taking right foods

B
I am a person who does not like to wait in line. However, I realize anger will get me nowhere. Considering this, I have decided to turn my frustration(沮丧) to productive ends. In short, I am constantly hunting around for what I call “waiting in line books”, especially those that are designed for being read in snippets(文摘), so there is no extended story line to lose track of. Another requirement is that they be small enough to slip neatly into my back pocket.
The other day I went to the supermarket and was surprised to see that the place was crowded with shoppers, but no worries. I parked my cart behind five others and pulled out my vocabulary builder. Within a few seconds I was totally absorbed, and rather than seething at the 15 minutes it took to advance to the cashier, I learned that nankeen is “a yellow cotton cloth”, or, in the plural, “trousers made of it”. The acquisition of new words led me into a place where I would otherwise not have enjoyed myself so much.
Once, at a yard sale, I found two small pocket books titled Sidelights on American History (copyright 1919). The seller approached as I looked through the pages. “You want them?”
“First I need to see if they fit,” I told him. He watched as I slipped Volume 1 into my back pocket. “Perfect. I’ll take them.”
10 minutes later, I was at the carwash, where the waiting line was six vehicles long. Thank goodness for my books! By the time my car was being soaped and power sprayed, I had learned about the Annapolis Convention, the early life of Aaron Bur.
The more the world demands that I wait, the more I learn from my waiting library. In fact, I have become so fond of my “waiting” books that my spirits actually rise when I see a long line I must stand in. It is most likely I would be regarded as a bookish, lonely soul. But little would they realize that I was enjoying the company of those “waiting” books. And just as Disraeli said, “Everything comes if a man will only wait”.
60. When buying a book the writer _____.
A. has his own rules B. prefers books of small size
C. chooses books by famous writers D. has no particular appetite
61. The truth behind the story is that the writer wants to tell us _____.
A. reading is not only important but also practical
B. one is expected to learn to adjust oneself rather than complain
C. reading is the best way to kill time
D. knowledge is power and wisdom is fortune
62. The underlined expression in paragraph 3 “seething at” probably means _____.
A. angry at B. delighted at C. surprised at D. excited at
63. The sentence in Paragraph 2 “there is no extended story line to lose track of” shows that _____.
A. what the writer reads is not difficult to understand
B. the writer likes to read interesting stories while waiting in line
C. the writer can stop wherever needed with no plot to leave out
D. the writer does not necessarily reach his understanding

第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Around the age of 40, honest people may already admit to noticing changes in their mental abilities. This is the beginning of a gradual decline that in all too many of us will end with full-blown dementia(痴呆).
However, a few drugs that might do the job, known as “cognitive enhancement(认知增强)”, are already on the market, and a few dozen others are on the way. Perhaps the best-known is modafinil. Licensed to treat narcolepsy, the condition that causes people to suddenly fall asleep, it has notable effects in healthy people too. Modafinil can keep a person awake and his or her attention fixed for 90 hours straight, with none of anxiety, nervousness and bad concentration. In fact, with the help of modafinil, people who can hardly go to sleep can perform even better than their well-rested, un-medicated(未服药的) selves.
It’s an open secret that many, perhaps most, prescriptions for modafinil are written not for people who suffer from narcolepsy, but for those who simply want to stay awake. Similarly, many people are using Ritalin not because they suffer from attention problem or any other disorder, but because they want superior concentration during exams or heavy-duty activities.
Some drugs have also been specially designed to improve memory. Many of these seem to work, and without any major side effects. So why aren’t we all on cognitive enhancers already?
“We need to be careful what we wish for,” says Daniele Piomelli at the University of California at Irvine. Repairing and improving memory may have unwanted effects, he warns. “Eventually we may end up remembering things we don’t want to.”
56. According to the message, we can learn that originally modafinil is a drug designed for _____.
A. for both healthy and unhealthy people
B. the treatment of dementia
C. people who can hardly go to sleep
D. those suffering from falling asleep suddenly
57. The passage mainly talks about _____.
A. dementia—a threat to the old people B. modafinil—a nice drug for dementia
C. relevant drugs to a better brain D. cognitive enhancement
58. The underlined sentences in paragraph two wants to tell us that _____.
A. without modafinil people suffering from sleep problems cannot rest well
B. people lacking sleep can work better than they are in a healthy state if taking modafinil
C. modafinil has greater effects on healthy people if they take it
D. with modafinil people suffering from narcolepsy can fall asleep easily
59. What’s the writer’s attitude to the drugs mentioned in the passage?
A. Positive. B. Negative. C. Objective(客观的). D. Doubtful.

E
Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes – they are failing because the academic classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well- rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art – there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge – certainly not a good preparation for the real world.
72. Music and drama are not included in the high- school curriculum mainly because ________.
A. the school committee pays no attention to them
B. the school is afraid of losing financial support
C. the students are not interested in both of them
D. the state standardized test is more important
73. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test
B. Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’ s school system
C. Students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons
D. The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts
74. We can learn that music and art can ______.
A. motivate students in creativity and expression
B. make students round-shaped people in future
C. provide students with analytical thinking
D. prevent students graduating from high school
75. The best title of the passage can be ______.
A. Who Killed Music and Drama? B. Can Curriculum Go Without Music?
C. Why is Music So Important? D. How To Prepare For the Real World?