Jeanne Calment, a French woman, became a record breaker on 17 October of 1995, when at the age of 120 years and 238 days, she became the longest-lived human being on record. A Japanese man died in 1986 at the age of 120 years and 237 days.
Jeanne Calment lives in a small old people’s home in the south of France; her husband, her only child and her grandson have all died. She is nearly blind and deaf and is always in a wheelchair, but her doctor describes her as being more like a 90-year-old in good health than someone of 120. She still has a lively sense of humor. When asked on her 120th birthday what she expected of the future, she replied: A very short one. She also remarked that she thought the good Lord had forgotten all about her.
So what is the key to a long life? According to some doctors, diet, exercise and no smoking are the three important factors. Jeanne Calment has followed two of the tips. She has always eaten a healthy diet, and she used to do exercise every day until she broke her leg at the age of 115. However, until recently she drank two glasses of strong red wine a day, and she does smoke (now only a little). Besides, Jeanne Calment might have got very good genes from her parents. Her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to 86.
A local lawyer bought her house when she was 80 under an agreement that he would pay her some money every year until her death. It must have seemed a good move at the time, but so far the lawyer has paid her at least three times the value of the house. Every year on her birthday Jeanne Calment sends him a card saying:
Sorry, I’m still alive!How does Jeanne Calment feel about her old age?
A.She is miserable and unhappy. |
B.She is cheerful and humorous. |
C.She would like to live much longer. |
D.She feels she is going to die very soon. |
Jeanne Calment owes her good health and long life to _______.
A.smoking only a little every day |
B.her giving up smoking and drinking |
C.drinking two glasses of strong red wine every day |
D.the good genes from her parents, a healthy diet and some exercise |
Which of the following could best replace the word “move” in the fourth paragraph?
A.deal | B.trick | C.march | D.sport |
Why does Jeanne Calment say “Sorry, I’m still alive” to the local lawyer every year on her birthday?
A.Because she had an agreement at 80 with the lawyer which was to her advantage. |
B.Because she has asked the lawyer to pay her more rent than they first agreed. |
C.Because the lawyer has paid her much more money than the value of the house. |
D.Because the house she sold to the lawyer isn’t worth the money he has already paid. |
Ⅳ.阅读理解
He was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 15, 1929. He was black. He died in his thirties, but he became world-famous during that short time. He grew up in the southeastern part of the United States. He studied at Morehouse College, where he met many outstanding men whose ideas he found important and exciting. There he read the writings of Thoreau, which gave him many ideas about freedom.
After he finished studying in Morehouse, he went on to study at the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and Boston University. At Boston University, he met his wife, Corretta. In 1954, after he got his Ph. D. degree (哲学博士学位), he became a minister (牧师) of a small church in the South. Then he became the leader of the black people, who were poor and powerless. He gave speeches and led parades. For his ideas and actions, he was in prison for a short time.
Many years later, in Washington D.C. he spoke to a crowd of 250,000 people. He told them "I have a dream". That speech is still famous today. In 1964 he won the Nobel Peace Prize. His work was not finished when he died on April 4. 1968. Who was he? He was Martin Luther King Jr..
46. Where did Martin Luther King Jr. get the ideas of freedom?
A. In the University of Pennsylvania. B. In Harvard University.
C. In Morehouse College. D. In Boston University.
47. Why was Martin Luther King Jr. in prison?
A. Because he was a minister of a small church.
B. Because he was black and world-famous.
C. Because he gave a speech called “I have a dream”.
D. Because he often gave talks in public and organized the parades .
48. How old was Martin Luther King Jr. when he died?
A. Twenty-five years old. B. Thirty-five years old.
C. Thirty-seven years old. D. Thirty-nine years old.
49. How is Martin Luther King’s speech “I have a dream” ?
A. It is so famous that people today still remember it.
B. It was such a famous speech that he won the Nobel Peace Prize.
C. It was famous only before he died.
D. It didn’t become famous until he died.
Napoleon, as a character in Tolstoy’s War and Peace, is more than once described as having “fat little hands.’’ Nor does he “sit well or firmly on the horse.’’ He is said to be “undersized.’’ with“short legs’’ and a “round stomach”. The issue here is not the accuracy of Tolstoy’s description — it seems not that far off from historical accounts but his choice of facts:Other things that could be said of the man are not said. We are meant to understand the difference of a warring commander in the body of a fat little Frenchman. Tolstoy’s Napoleon could be any man wandering in the streets and putting a little of powdered tobacco up his nose — and that is the point.
It is a way the novelist uses to show the moral nature of a character. And it turns out that, as Tolstoy has it, Napoleon is a crazy man. In a scene in Book Three of War and Peace, the wars having reached the critical year of 1812, Napoleon receives a representative from the Tsar(沙皇), who has come with peace terms. Napoleon is very angry:Doesn’t he have more army? He, not the Tsar, is the one to make the terms. He will destroy all of Europe if his army is stopped. “That is what you will have gained by engaging me in the war!” he shouts. And then, Tolstoy writes, Napoleon “walked silently several times up and down the room, his fat shoulders moving quickly.’’
Still later, after reviewing his army amid cheering crowds, Napoleon invites the shaken Russian to dinner. “He raised his hand to the Russian’s … face,” Tolstoy writes, and “taking him by the ear pulled it gently ….” To have one’s ear pulled by the Emperor was considered the greatest honor and mark of favor at the French court. “Well, well, why don’t you say anything?’’ said he, as if it was ridiculous in his presence to respect any one but himself, Napoleon.
Tolstoy did his research, but the composition is his own.
51. Tolstoy’s description of Napoleon in War and Peace is ____ _______ ____.
A. far from the historical facts B. based on the Russian history
C. based on his selection of facts D. not related to historical details
52. Napoleon was angry when receiving the Russian representative because _________.
A. he thought he should be the one to make the peace terms
B. the Tsar's peace terms were hard to accept
C. the Russians stopped his military movement
D. he didn’t have any more army to fight with
53. What did Napoleon expect the Russian representative to do?
A. To walk out of the room in anger. B. To show agreement with him.
C. To say something about the Tsar. D. To express his admiration.
54. Tolstoy intended to present Napoleon as a man who is _____ ______ ____.
A. ill-mannered in dealing with foreign guests
B. fond of showing off his iron will
C. determined in destroying all of Europe
D. crazy for power and respect
55. What does the last sentence of the passage imply?
A. A writer doesn’t have to be faithful to his findings.
B. A writer may write about a hero in his own way.
C. A writer may not be responsible for what he writes.
D. A writer has hardly any freedom to show his feelings.
Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. But sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge, it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.
Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about US. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.
The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.
It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.
The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat(拍) yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!
46. You need to build a positive self-image when you ___ _______ _ ___.
A. dare to challenge yourself B. feel it hard to change yourself
C. are unconfident about yourself D. have a high opinion of yourself
47. According to the passage, our self-images _____.
A. have positive effects B. are probably untrue
C. are often changeable D. have different functions
48. How should you change your self-image according to the passage?
A. To keep a different image of others. B. To make your life successful.
C. To understand your own world. D. To change the way you think.
49. What is the passage mainly about?
A. How to prepare for your success.
B. How to face challenges in your life.
C. How to build a positive self-image.
D. How to develop your good qualities.
50. Who are the intended readers of the passage?
A. Parents. B. Adolescents.
C. Educators. D. People in general.
Ⅲ 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)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,
并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?’” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent-child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue int0 adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the ‘before’ side of that change, but today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It’s not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”
41. The underlined word gulf in Para.3 most probably means ___ ______.
A. interest B. Distance C. Difference D. separation
42. Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?
A. Parents help their children develop interests in more activities.
B. Parents put more trust in their children’s abilities.
C. Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs.
D. Parents share more interests with their children.
43. The change in today’s parent-child relationship is ____ _____.
A. more confusion among parents
B. new equality between parents and children
C.1ess respect for parents from children
D. more strictness and authority on the part of parents
44. By saying “today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side.” the author means that today’s parents ___ _____ ____ _ _ ___.
A. follow the trend of the change
B. can set a limit to the change
C. fail to take the change seriously
D. have little difficulty adjusting to the change
45. The purpose of the passage is to ____ ___ _____ ____.
A. describe the difficulties today’s parents have met with
B. discuss the development of the parent-child relationship
C. suggest the ways to handle the parent-child relationship
D. compare today’s parent-child relationship with that in the past
A couple from Miami, Bill and Simone Butler, spent sixty –six days in a life-raft (救生艇) in the seas of Central America after their boat sank.
Twenty-one days after they left Panama in their boat, Simony, they met some whales (鲸鱼). “They started to hit the side of the boat,” said Bill, “and then suddenly we heard water.” Two minutes later, the boat was sinking. They jumped into the life-raft and watched the boat go under the water.
For twenty days they had tins of food, biscuits, and bottles of water. They also had a fishing-line and a machine to make salt water into drinking water— two things which saved their lives. They caught eight to ten fish a day and ate them raw (生的). Then the line broke. “So we had no more fish until something very strange happened. Some sharks (鲨鱼) came to feed, and the fish under the raft were afraid and came to the surface. I caught them with my hands.”
About twenty ships passed them, but no one saw them. After fifty days at sea their life-raft was beginning to break up. Then suddenly it was all over. A fishing boat saw them and picked them up. They couldn’t stand up. So the captain carried them onto his boat and took them to Costa Rica. Their two months at sea was over.
68. Bill and Simone were traveling ______ when they met some whales.
A. in a life-raft B. in Miami C. in Simony D. in Panama
69. During their days at sea, ______ saved their lives.
A. tins of food and bottles of water B. a fishing-line and a machine
C. whales and sharks D. Twenty passing ships
70. After their boat sank, the couple ______.
A. jumped into the life-raftB. heard water
C. watched the boat go under water D. stayed in the life-raft