Etymology, the study of words and word roots, may sound like the kind of thing done by boring librarians in small, dusty rooms． Yet etymologists actually have a uniquely interesting job． They are in many ways just like archaeologists （考古学家） digging up the physical history of people and events． The special aspect of etymology is that it digs up history, so to speak, through the words and phrases that are left behind．
The English language, in particular, is a great field to explore history through words As a language, English has an extraordinary number of words． This is partly due to its ability to adapt foreign words so readily． For example, " English" words such as kindergarten （from German）, croissant （from French）, and cheetah （from Hindi） have become part of the language with little or no change from their original sounds and spellings． So English-language etymologists have a vast world of words to explore．
Another enjoyable thing about etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries（谜）． No, etymologists do not go around solving murders, like the great detective Sherlock Holmes． What these word experts solve are mysterious origins of some of our most common words
One of the biggest questions English language experts have pursued is how English came to have the phrase OK． Though it is one of the most commonly used expressions, its exact beginning is a puzzle even to this day． Even its spelling is not entirely consistent-unless you spell it Okay, it is hard even to call it a word．
Etymologists have been able to narrow OK’s origin down to a likely, although not certain, source（来源）． It became widely used around the time of Martin Van Buren's run for president in 1840． His nickname was Old Kinderhook． What troubles word experts about this explanation is that the phrase appeared in some newspapers before Van Buren became well known． It is likely that Van Buren could be called its primary source Etymologists will doubtlessly keep searching for the initial source． However, it is clear that OK’s popularity and reputation have topped those of the American president to whom it has been most clearly linked．
The author mentions the words like "croissant" in Paragraph 2 to indicate ．
| A．words have changed a lot in the two languages |
| B．what English-language etymologists are exploring now |
| C．English has absorbed many words from other foreign languages |
| D．the English vocabulary is difficult to the non-English-speaking people |
The underlined word "pursued" in Paragraph 4 means ．
| A．looked upon | B．dug up |
| C．put in | D．set down |
We can learn from the passage that etymologists ．
| A．discover the possible origin of words |
| B．help detectives to solve mysterious murders |
| C．write interesting stories for some newspapers |
| D．explore the English language as well as the recent events |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To present the history of English words |
| B．To explain the procedure of an etymologist's job |
| C．To introduce the pleasure of the study of words and word roots． |
| D．To teach readers how to distinguish English and non-English words |
I was born in Tuckahoe，Talbot Country，Maryland. I have no accurate(准确的)knowledge of my age，never having seen any record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs，and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant(不知情的)．I do not remember having ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They seldom come nearer to it than plantingtime，harvesting，springtime，or falltime. A lack of information concerning my own was a source of unhappiness to me even during childhood. The white children could tell their ages，but I could not tell. Why the same right ought to be taken away from me！I was not allowed to ask my master about it. He considered all such questions on the part of a slave improper and impolite. The nearest estimate(估计)I can live makes me now between twentyseven and twentyeight years of age. I come to this，from hearing my master say，some time during 1835，I was about seventeen years old. My mother was named Harriet Bailey. She was the daughter of Isaac and Betsey Bailey，both colored，and quite dark.
My father was a white man. The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father；but of the correctness of this opinion，I know nothing and I have no means to know. My mother and I were separated when I was but an infant—before I knew her as my mother. It is a common custom，in the part of Maryland from which I ran away，to part children from their mothers at a very early age. Frequently，before the child has reached its twelfth month，its mother is taken from it，and hired out on some farm a considerable distance off，and the child is placed under the care of an older woman，too old for field labor.It can be learned from the text that________.
| A．the slaves forgot the exact time when they were born |
| B．the writer didn't know whether his master was his father |
| C．the writer was about twentyseven years old in 1835 |
| D．the writer's mother left him as soon as he was born |
The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refers to________.
| A．their birthday | B．my age |
| C．a record | D．Maryland |
The author was most probably raised________.
| A．by his grandparents |
| B．by an old woman slave |
| C．with his master's support |
| D．together with other children |
How does the writer feel about not knowing his age?
| A．Curious. | B．Unhappy. |
| C．Astonished. | D．Ashamed. |
About the year 1900，a small，darkhaired hot boy named Charlie Chaplin was often seen waiting outside the back entrance of London Theatre.He looked thin and hungry.He was hoping to get work in show business.He could sing and dance；above all，he knew how to make people laugh.But he couldn't get work and so he wandered about the city streets.Sometimes he was sent away to a home for children who had no parents.
But twenty years later this name Chaplin became the greatest，bestknown，and bestloved comedian in the world.Any visitor to the cinema must have seen some of Chaplin's filmstrips (胶片)．People everywhere have sat and laughed at them until the tears ran down their faces.Even people who don't understand English can enjoy Chaplin's films though most of them are silent.It isn't what he says that makes people laugh.His comedy doesn't depend upon words and languages.It depends upon little actions which mean the same thing to people all over the world.Acting out，without words，common human situations play an important part in the dances and plays of many countries.It's a kind of world language.
Chaplin lived most of his life in America and died in Switzerland on Christmas Day,1977，at the age of eightyeight.The world was astonished at the news of the death and burst into sadness.Why was young Chaplin waiting outside the back entrance of the theatre?
| A．Because he had no money to buy a ticket. |
| B．Because he wanted to get a returned ticket. |
| C．Because he wanted to play a part in a play in order to make a living. |
| D．Because he wanted to see the famous actors or actresses after the performance. |
It was ________that made people enjoy his films.
| A．wonderful dialogues | B．the beautiful music |
| C．his funny appearance | D．his own manner of acting |
The reason why Chaplin is regarded as king of comedy is that ________.
| A．his films are most silent |
| B．he knew how to make people laugh |
| C．he could not only act but also write comedies |
| D．he acted out the common human situation best in his comedy |
What's the best title of this passage?
| A．Charlie Chaplin，A Famous Humorous Actor |
| B．Charlie Chaplin，A Worker |
| C．Charlie Chaplin，A Small Boy |
| D．Charlie Chaplin，A Director |
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In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied (依赖) on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit (追求) of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn't matter because I really didn't try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one's self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve(缓解) can we discover a new meaning in competition.What does this passage mainly talk about?
| A．Competition helps to set up self-respect. |
| B．Opinions about competition are different among people. |
| C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development. |
| D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition. |
Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?
| A．It pushes society forward. |
| B．It builds up a sense of duty. |
| C．It improves personal abilities. |
| D．It encourages individual efforts. |
The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means ______.
| A．those who try their best to win |
| B．those who value competition most highly |
| C．those who are against competition most strongly |
| D．those who rely on others most for success |
What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a “desire to fail”?
| A．One's worth lies in his performance compared with others. |
| B．One's success in competition needs great efforts. |
| C．One's achievement is determined by his particular skills. |
| D．One's success is based on how hard he has tried. |
Which point of view may the author agree to?
| A．Every effort should be paid back. |
| B．Competition should be encouraged. |
| C．Winning should be a life-and-death matter. |
| D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition. |
That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring practice at the theatre. With opening night only a week ago, I was still learning my lines. I was having trouble dealing with my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously about giving up both acting and San Francisco. City life had become too much for me.
As I walked down empty streets under tall buildings, I felt very small and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers (抢劫犯). Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment (公寓房间), I heard a sound behind me. I turned quickly, half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. All I saw was a shining streetlight. Still, the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run faster. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
Suddenly I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to where I’d heard the noise. Although I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about to give up the search, I heard the garbage truck (垃圾车) pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice called from the inside, “Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an amused look in his eye. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, holding up a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 A.M. by the time I got into bed. I wouldn’t get much sleep that night, but I had gotten my wallet back. I also had gotten back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place as long as people were welling to help each other.How did the writer feel when she was walking home after work?
| A．Cold and sick. |
| B．Fortunate and helpful. |
| C．Satisfied and cheerful. |
| D．Disappointed and helpless. |
From the first paragraph, we learn that the writer was busy ______.
| A．solving her problem at the bank |
| B．taking part in various city activities |
| C．learning acting in a n evening school |
| D．preparing for the first night show |
On her way home the writer ______.
| A．lost her wallet unknowingly |
| B．was stopped by a garbage truck driver |
| C．was robbed of her wallet by an armed man |
| D．found some homeless people following her |
In the fifth paragraph, why did the writer say she was dreaming?
| A．Someone offered to take her back home. |
| B．A red-haired man came to see her. |
| C．She heard someone call her name. |
| D．Her wallet was found in a garbage truck. |
From the text, we can infer that the writer ______.
| A．would stop working at night |
| B．would stay on in San Francisco |
| C．would make friends with cleaners |
| D．would give up her job at the bank |