Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in the town!”
George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.
Then Richard married a mysterious girl. The couple spent their honeymoon on the coast—but Richard never came back. The police found his wallet on a deserted beach but the body was never found. He must have drowned.
Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow, old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his formal rival. Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries. He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.
“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rival Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia.”George and Richard were ______ at school.
A.roommates | B.good friends |
C.competitors | D.booksellers |
How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?
A.He envied Richard’s marriage. |
B.He thought of Richard from time to time. |
C.He felt lucky with no rival in town. |
D.He was guilty of Richard’s death. |
What can we infer from this article?
A.Richard’ wife played an important part in his career. |
B.Competition could make close friends become rivals. |
C.George got information about Richard from the wrapping paper of a book. |
D.Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success. |
Next time a customer comes to your office, offer him a cup of coffee. And when you’re doing your holiday shopping online, make sure you’re holding a large glass of iced tea. The physical sensation(感觉) of warmth encourages emotional warmth, while a cold drink in hand prevents you from making unwise decisions—those are the practical lesson being drawn from recent research by psychologist John A. Bargh.
Psychologists have known that one person’s perception(感知) of another’s “warmth” is a powerful determiner in social relationships. Judging someone to be either “warm” or “cold” is a primary consideration, even trumping evidence that a “cold” person may be more capable. Much of this is rooted in very early childhood experiences, Bargh argues, when babies’ conceptual sense of the world around them is shaped by physical sensations, particularly warmth and coldness. Classic studies by Harry Harlow, published in 1958, showed monkeys preferred to stay close to a cloth “mother” rather than one made of wire, even when the wire “mother” carried a food bottle. Harlow’s work and later studies have led psychologists to stress the need for warm physical contact from caregivers to help young children grow into healthy adults with normal social skills.
Feelings of “warmth” and “coldness” in social judgments appear to be universal. Although no worldwide study has been done, Bargh says that describing people as “warm” or “cold” is common to many cultures, and studies have found those perceptions influence judgment in dozens of countries.
To test the relationship between physical and psychological warmth, Bargh conducted an experiment which involved 41 college students. A research assistant who was unaware of the study’s hypotheses(假设), handed the students either a hot cup of coffee, or a cold drink, to hold while the researcher filled out a short information form: The drink was then handed back. After that, the students were asked to rate the personality of “Person A” based on a particular description. Those who had briefly held the warm drink regarded Person A as warmer than those who had held the iced drink.
“We are grounded in our physical experiences even when we think abstractly,” says Bargh.
51. According to Paragraph 1, a person’s emotion may be affected by ______.
A. the visitors to his office
B. the psychology lessons he has
C. his physical feeling of coldness
D. the things he has bought online
52. The author mentions Harlow’s experiment to show that ______.
A. adults should develop social skills
B. babies need warm physical contact
C. caregivers should be healthy adults
D. monkeys have social relationships
53. In Bargh’s experiment, the students were asked to ______.
A. evaluate someone’s personality
B. write down their hypotheses
C. fill out a personal information form
D. hold coffee and cold drink alternatively
54. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. abstract thinking does not come from physical experiences
B. feelings of warmth and coldness are studied worldwide
C. physical temperature affects how we see others
D. capable persons are often cold to others
55. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Drinking for Better Social Relationships.
B. Experiments of Personality Evaluation.
C. Developing Better Drinking Habits.
D. Physical Sensations and Emotions.
I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke(唤起) an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with.
Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” English. But feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than “broken”, as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness. I’ve heard other terms used, “limited English,” for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions(认识)of the limited English speaker.
I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is ,because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won’t get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for lack of a better term might be described as “broken”, and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese, her internal(内在的) language, and for that I sought to preserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure: I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show; her intention, her feelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.
46. By saying “Language is the tool of my trade”, the author means that ______.
A. she uses English in foreign trade B. she is fascinated by languages
C. she works as a translator D. she is a writer by profession
47. The author used to think of her mother’s English as ______.
A. impoliteB. Amusing C. imperfect D. practical
48. Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?
A. Americans do not understand broken English.
B. The author’s mother was not respected sometimes.
C. The author’ mother had positive influence on her.
D. Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts.
49. The author gradually realizes her mother’s English is _____.
A. well structuredB. in the old style C. easy to translateD. rich in meaning
50. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The changes of the author’s attitude to her mother’s English.
B. The limitation of the author’s perception of her mother.
C. The author’s misunderstanding of “limited” English.
D. The author’s experiences of using broken English.
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。
Eddie McKay, a once-forgotten pilot, is a subject of great interest to a group of history students in Canada. It all started when Graham Broad, a professor at the University of Western Ontario, found McKay’s name in a footnote in a book about university history. McKay was included in a list of university alumni(校友)who had served during the First World War, but his name was unfamiliar to Broad, a specialist in military history. Out of curiosity, Broad spent hours at the local archives (档案馆) in a fruitless search for information on McKay. Tired and discouraged, he finally gave up. On his way out, Broad’s glance happened to fall on an exhibiting case showing some old newspapers. His eye was drawn to an old picture of a young man in a rugby uniform. As he read the words beside the picture, he experienced a thrilling realization. “After looking for him all day, there he was, staring up at me out of the exhibiting case,” said Broad. Excited by the find, Broad asked his students to continue his search. They combed old newspapers and other materials for clues. Gradually, a picture came into view.
Captain Alfred Edwin McKay joined the British Royal Flying Corps in 1916. He downed ten enemy planes, outlived his entire squadron (中队) as a WWI flyer, spent some time as a flying instructor in England, then returned to the front, where he was eventually shot down over Belgium and killed in December 1917. But there’s more to his story. “For a brief time in 1916 he was probably the most famous pilot in the world,” says Broad. “He was credited with downing Oswald Boelcke, the most famous German pilot at the time.” Yet, in a letter home, McKay refused to take credit, saying that Boelcke had actually crashed into another German plane.
McKay’s war records were destroyed during a World War II air bombing on London — an explanation for why he was all but forgotten.
But now, thanks to the efforts of Broad and his students, a marker in McKay’s memory was placed on the university grounds in November 2007. “I found my eyes filling with tears as I read the word ‘deceased’ (阵亡) next to his name,” said Corey Everrett, a student who found a picture of Mckay in his uniform. “This was such a simple example of the fact that he had been a student just like us, but instead of finishing his time at Western, he chose to fight and die for his country.”
41. What made Professor Broad continue his search for more information on McKay?
A. A uniform of McKay. B. A footnote about McKay.
C. A book on McKay. D. A picture of McKay.42. What did the students find out about McKay?
A. He trained pilots for some time.
B. He lived longer than other pilots.
C. He died in the Second World War.
D. He was downed by the pilot Boelcke.
43. McKay’s flying documents were destroyed in .
A. Belgium B. Germany C. Canada D. England
44. We can learn from the last paragraph that McKay .
A. preferred fight to his study
B. went to war before graduation
C. left a picture for Corey Everrett
D. set an example for his fellow students
45. What is the text mainly about?
A. The research into war history. B. The finding of a forgotten hero.
C. The pilots of the two world wars. D. The importance of military studies.
It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me. I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride, today, Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Those were the last words I said to him that morning.
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later. I forgot to be mad at them and went. I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”.
When I reached the hospital, my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive. “Your father told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911, thank God! If he had moved Daddy, there’s no telling what might have happened. A broken rib (肋骨) might have pierced (穿透) a lung....”
My mother may have said more, but I didn’t hear. I didn’t hear anything except those terrible words: Leave me alone. My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more. How much had I hurt him when I hurled (愤慨地说出) those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation. I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him.
“Daddy... I am so sorry....”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll be okay.”
“No,” I said, “I mean about what I said to you that day. You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, I don’t remember anything about that day, not before, during or after the accident. I remember kissing you goodnight the night before, though.” He managed a weak smile.
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power. They can hurt or they can heal. And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on. The author was in bad mood that morning because ________.
A.his father had a terrible accident |
B.he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends |
C.his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema |
D.his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends |
Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
A.Because he didn’t go along with his father. |
B.Because he was rude to his father that morning. |
C.Because he failed to come earlier after the accident. |
D.Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital. |
The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that ________.
A.he had a poor memory |
B.he didn’t want to forgive his son |
C.he just wanted to comfort his son |
D.he lost his memory after the accident |
What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
A.Don’t treat your parents badly. |
B.Don’t hurt others with rude words. |
C.Don’t move the injured in an accident. |
D.Don’t be angry with friends at small things. |
Books for Children
Fleabag and the Ring's End Beth Webb More stories of Fleabag, the talking cat—star of this wonderful set of 3 books. Ages 8—13, 208 pages, paper-back 07459 44116, £3.99 |
The little White House Elizabeth Goudge A fairy tale and winner of the Carnegie Medal. Ages 8—12, 240 pages, paper-back 07459 45783, £4.99 |
My Very First Christmas Book Lois Rock and Alec Ayliffe A big, bright book, which presents the story simply, and delightfully for very young children. Ages 0—3, 12 pages, 200mmx200mm, board 07459 40560, £4.99 |
First Festival: Christmas Lois Rock An all-in-one book to help grown-ups and children prepare their Christmas celebration together. Presents, activities and customs. Ages 5—8, 48 pages, 290mmx250mm, hardback 07459 39074, £8.99 |
Star of Wonder Pat Alexander A wonderful collection of Christmas stories and poems. Full of lively pages to read and enjoy. Ages 7—12, 224 pages, paperback 07459 39323, £4.99 |
The Not-So-Wise Man Alan MacDonald and Andrew Rowland We all know about the 3 Wise Men who traveled to Bethlehem(伯利恒)and discovered the baby Jesus Christ. This is the tale of another one, who always missed the point. Ages 5—9, 32 pages, 270mm×210mm, hardback. 07459 38922, £8.99 |
If you want to make a Christmas plan together with your children, which book do you prefer?
A.Star of Wonder | B.The Not-So-Wise Man |
C.First Festival: Christmas | D.My Very First Christmas Book |
Which number would you dial if you want to order a book for your 2-year-old child?
A.07459 40560. | B.07459 38922. |
C.07459 45783. | D.07459 44116. |
If your child wants to read stories of animals, whose book will be your choice?
A.Pat Alexander. | B.Beth Webb. |
C.Lois Rock. | D.Elizabeth Goudge. |