Arthur Miller (1915-2005) is universally recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. Miller's father had moved to the USA from Austria Hungary, drawn like so many others by the "Great American Dream". However, he experienced severe financial hardship when his family business was ruined in the Great Depression of the early 1930s.
Miller's most famous play, Death of a Salesman, is a powerful attack on the American system, with its aggressive way of doing business and its insistence（坚持，强调） on money and social status as indicators of worth. In Willy Loman, the hero of the play, we see a man who has got into trouble with this system. Willy is "burnt out" and in the cruel world of business there is no room for sentiment（感伤）: if he can't do the work, then he is no good to his employer, the Wagner Company, and he must go. Willy is painfully aware of this, and at a loss as to what to do with his lack of success. He refuses to face the fact that he has failed and kills himself in the end.
When it was first staged in 1949, the play was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, and it won the Tony Award for Best Play, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It was the first play to win all three of these major awards.
Miller died of heart failure at his home in Roxbury, Connecticut, on the evening of February 10, 2005, the 56th anniversary of the first performance of Death of a Salesman on Broadway.
Why did Arthur Miller's father move to the USA?
| A．He suffered from severe hunger in his home country. |
| B．He was attracted by the "Great American Dream" |
| C．He hoped to make his son a dramatist. |
| D．His family business failed. |
The play Death of a Salesman________.
| A．exposes the cruelty of the American business world |
| B．discusses the ways to get promoted in a company |
| C．talks about the business career of Arthur Miller |
| D．focuses on the skills in doing business |
What can we learn about Willy Loman?
| A．He treats his employer badly. |
| B．He runs the Wagner Company |
| C．He is a victim of the American system. |
| D．He is regarded as a hero by his colleagues. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Arthur Miller and his family |
| B．The awards Arthur Miller won |
| C．The hardship Arthur Miller experienced |
| D．Arthur Miller and his best-known play |
The penny is getting a change．The United States Mint (制币厂) revealed four new designs for the 1-cent piece, to celebrate the coming 200th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's birth．United States Mint Director Ed Moy announced the new looks for the penny today in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C．"These coins are a tribute (赞辞) to one of our greatest Presidents, whose legacy (遗教) has had a lasting impact on our country," Moy said.
The heads side of the new pennies will continue to bear the profile (侧面) likeness of President Lincoln and the motto "In God We Trust." The back sides will pay tribute to four major parts of Lincoln's life.
The first redesigned penny will feature a log cabin that represents Lincoln's birthplace,near Hodgenville, Kentucky．The second design shows Lincoln reading a book while sitting on a log with his ax beside him．It shows how young Lincoln educated himself while working as a rail-splitter in Indiana．The third design shows Lincoln as a young man in front of the Capitol (议会会堂) in Illinois．The fourth and final design shows a half-finished United States Capitol dome, which was completed in 1863 despite the violent Civil War．The writing, on the back sides of the coins will remain "United States of America," "E Pluribus Unum" and "One Cent."
The first penny will be released into circulation on February 12, 2009, Lincoln's 200th birthday．This day is also the 100th anniversary of the release of the first penny, on February 12, 1909．One new coin will be released into circulation every three months in 2009.
"This is an important occasion in the history of our nation's coin-age because these designs represent the first change in the Lincoln cent in half a century," said Director Moy．A commemorative (纪念性的) Lincoln silver dollar will also be released in 2009．Why does the United States Mint get the Lincoln cent changed?
| A．Because the design is out of date． |
| B．Because the design doesn’t match Lincoln’s life. |
| C．Because the old coin is hard to be released into circulation． |
| D．Because the country wants to honor Lincoln on his 200th birthday. |
Which is the correct order of the new coins according to the description in the passage?
| A．a, b, c, d | B．b, a, d, c | C．c, d, a, b | D．b, c, a, d |
How many new Lincoln coins will be released in 2009?
| A．One | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five |
All the newly designed coins feature the following EXCEPT．
| A．the profile likeness of President Lincoln |
| B．the motto "In God We Trust" |
| C．the portrait of young Abraham Lincoln |
| D．the writing "United States of America" |
Which of the following does Penny Image 4 show?
A．Professional Life in Illinois． B．Presidency in Washington, DC．
C．Formative Years in Indiana． D．Birth and Early Childhood in Kentucky.
When you’re surfing the Internet on your laptop from your dorm or home, do you know your personal details are being gathered secretly? And would you be surprised to know the information may be sold cheaply to advertisers and marketers?
According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, all it takes is a tiny file in a computer-a single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters- to record the computer user’s age, gender, location, favorite movies and hobbies.
The newspaper reports that Lotame Solutions Inc., a New York company, uses sophisticated(高科技) software called a "beacon" to capture what people are typing on a website.
Lotame packages that data into profiles（个人资料）about individuals, only without their names, and sells the profiles to companies seeking customers．Batches of such data may be sold for a few dollars.
The Wall Street Journal survey discovered that spying on Internet users is one of the fastest-growing businesses on the World Wide Web.
The "cookie"- a tiny text file put on your PC by websites or marketing firms which might be used to remember your preferences for one site, or to track you across many sites is already old news．There are new and more complex tools such as "beacons" which scan in real time what people are doing on a webpage．These beacons instantly assess the Internet user’s location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions.
Millions of Internet users around the world also face unprecedented（空前的）threats．Private, sensitive, personal and business information is being gathered and sold without their knowledge.
Companies insist the information they gather is anonymous and the data is used harmlessly.But the technology has grown so powerful that even some of the biggest websites in the US don’t know that they were installing intrusive files on visitors’ computers．These include MSN.com and Yahoo.com.
Next time you visit a webpage and find an ad banner advertising something you’ve been planning to buy, don’t be amazed that your computer can read your mind.The purpose of the passage is to .
| A．introduce a tiny file in a computer-a single code |
| B．show how your individual information was let out when you surf the Internet |
| C．show how to protect your privacy |
| D．introduce a sophisticated software called a "beacon" |
All of the following statements is True except .
| A．Lotame sells the profiles about individuals to companies seeking customers with their age, gender, location, hobbies and names |
| B．spying on Internet users is the fastest-growing businesses on the World Wide Web |
| C．some of the biggest websites in the US know they were installing intrusive files on visitors’ computers |
| D．a tiny file in a computer-a single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters can record users’ information |
It can be inferred that .
| A．because the data is used harmlessly．Internet users around the world will not face threats |
| B．when a person surf the Internet, his personal details may be let out without his knowledge |
| C．your computer can really read your mind |
| D．MSN.com and Yahoo.com．use software to capture what people are typing on a website |
According to the passage, “beacon” .
| A．is a tiny text file put on your PC by websites |
| B．is a soft ware that can package that data into profiles about individuals |
| C．can assess the Internet user’s location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions |
| D．is not more complex than the "cookie" |
What’s the writer’s attitude to this problem?
| A．Neutral | B．Worried | C．Optimistic | D．Indifferent |
Life comes in a package.This package includes happiness and sorrow, failure and success, hope and despair. Life is a learning process.Experiences in life teach us new lessons and make us a better person.With each passing day we learn to handle various situations．
Love
Love plays a pivotal role on out life．Love makes you feel wanted．Without love a person could go Hayward(不归路) and also become cruel and ferocious．In the early stage of our life, our parents are the ones who show us with unconditional love and care, they teach us about what is right and wrong, good and bad．But we always tend to take this for granted．It is only after marriage and having kids that a person understands and becomes sensitive to others feelings．Kids make a person responsible and mature and help us to understand life better．
Happiness and Sorrow
Materialistic happiness is short-lived, but happiness achieved by bringing a smile on others face gives a certain level of fulfillment．Peace of mind is the main link to happiness.No mind is happy without peace.We realize the true worth of happiness when we are in sorrow．Sorrow is basically due to death of a loved one, failure and despair.But these things are temporary and pass away.
Failure and Success
Failure is the path to success.It helps us to touch the sky, teaches us to survive and shows us a specific way.Success brings in money, fame, pride and self-respect.Here it becomes very important to keep our head on our shoulder.The only way to show our gratitude to God for bestowing success on us is by being humble, modest, courteous and respectful to the less fortunate ones.
Hope and Despair
Hope is what keeps life going.Parents always hope their children will do well．Hope makes us dream.Hope builds in patience.Life teaches us not to despair even in the darkest hour, because after every night there is a day.Nothing remains the same we have only one choice keep moving on in life and be hopeful.
Life teaches us not to regret over yesterday, for it has passed and is beyond our control.Tomorrow is unknown, for it could either be bright or dull.So the only alternative is work hard today, so that we will enjoy a better tomorrow.In the passage, the author compares life to．
| A．package | B．joy and sorrow | C．failure and success | D．hope and despair |
In which section can readers probably read the passage?
| A．Opinions | B．Politics | C．Education | D．Lifestyles |
How is the passage organized?
| A．In order of rules． | B．In order of frequency. |
| C．By making comparison． | D．In order of importance. |
What’s the general meaning of the last sentence of the whole passage?
| A．If you work hard, you’ll have a better life in the future． |
| B．when choosing between “today” and “tomorrow”, you’d better enjoy tomorrow better. |
| C．What you only can choose is to work hard today rather than tomorrow. |
| D．Enjoying a better tomorrow is your only choice． |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To encourage people to love each other． |
| B．To tell people how to deal with happiness and sorrow． |
| C．To remind people of keeping having a beautiful dream． |
| D．To give readers some information about life. |
Whether you’re headed to another country for business or pleasure, it is likely that you need to keep in touch with family or business partners in the United States. But if you plan to do that using your cell phone, you could have an unwelcome surprise. U,S. cell phones don't work abroad. U.S. companies use different forms of technology, not like most of the international community, including Europe.
However, there is an easy, cost-effective solution to staying in touch while you're traveling, You can rent a phone that is guaranteed to work in the countries you're visiting. Roadpost offers a 30-day cell phone rental plan that includes call waiting services, free incoming calls and free voicemail.
The service is convenient and simple. You can place your order online and your phone will be shipped to arrive on the date you want. If an unexpected business trip comes up, Roadpost can provide next-day delivery for most cities. In addition to the phone, Roadpost provides a spare battery, travel Charger and a leather carrying case.
When your phone is shipped from Roadpost, you receive an e-mail confirmation that contains your international cell phone number so you can leave it with family members and business partners: Roadpost even provides business cards preprinted with your international phone number.
Those who don’t want to be without e-mail while traveling can rent an international BlackBerry. It can be hard to stay in touch by e-mail when traveling. With an international BlackBerry, you can email as much as you like, without worrying about an expensive bill.
If you're traveling to very remote areas, you may want to consider renting a satellite phone. Because they receive their signals from satellites, these phones work anywhere the planet, including oceans and mountains. When you return, simply ship the phone BlackBerry back to Roadpost using the return kit the company provides.According to the text, Roadpost probably is______ .
| A．an organization that offers some free services |
| B．a person who offers some advice to foreign tourists |
| C．a company that rents cell phones to Americans going abroad |
| D．a person who makes travel plans for Americans |
The first paragraph mainly tells us that______ .
| A．Americans need to change their cell phones |
| B．European form of technology is different from America’s |
| C．U.S. cell phones don't work abroad |
| D．Americans who go abroad will meet an unwelcome surprise |
Which of the following will help you a lot in mountainous areas?
| A．BlackBerry. | B．The return kit. |
| C．E-mail. | D．Satellite phones. |
According to the text, it can be inferred that_______ .
| A．an international BlackBerry is mainly used to send ,.-mail for free |
| B．Roadpost can offer cell phones used in different areas |
| C．you should select a bag used to send your cell phone |
| D．Roadpost's service is convenient and simple |
Which of the following services is free of charge from Roadpost?
| A．Voicemail. | B．Sending e-mail. |
| C．Shipping the phone back. | D．Call waiting services. |
Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5：30 and at 6：30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club. At last, the traffic was moving. She swung quickly racing to her house. As she opened the door , she nearly tripped over (被绊倒)Sheba.
“Hey, Sheba,” she said, “I've got no time for you now, but I'll take you out as soon as I get back from tennis club.” Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking. Obviously, she could hardly breathe. Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet (兽医).
When she got there, the vet was just about to close for the day. Seeing the state of Sheba, Dr. Sterne brought her quickly into his office.
“Listen, doctor, I'm really in a rush to get to a meeting, can I leave her with you, and go and get changed? I'll be back in ten minutes to pick her up, and then I'll take her on to the meeting with me. Is that OK?”
“Sure.” said the doctor.
Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes. As she was once moreentering the hallway, the phone by the door began to ring.
“This is Dr. Sterne,” said an anxious voice. “I want you to get out of that house immediately, ”said the doctor's voice. “I'm coming round right away, and the police will be there any time now. Wait outside!”
At that moment, a police car screeched (发出尖锐的声音)to a stop outside the house. Two policemen got out and ran into the house. Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened. Then the doctor arrived.
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?” shouted Joanne.
“She’s fine, Joanne. I took out the thing which was choking her, and she’s OK now. ”
Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white—faced man, who could hardly walk. There was blood all over him.
“My God, ” said Joanne,“how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?”
“I think he must be a burglar.” said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat：it turned out to be three human fingers.”What was Joanne supposed to do at 6：30？
| A．To walk her dog. |
| B．To see her doctor. |
| C．To attend a club meeting. |
| D．To play tennis with her friends. |
Joanne wanted to get back to her home again __________ . .
| A．to dress up for the meeting |
| B．to phone the police station |
| C．to catch the badly hurt burglar |
| D．to wait for her dog to be cured |
From the passage, we can infer that________ .
| A．Sheba fought against the burglar |
| B．the police found the burglar had broken in |
| C．Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting |
| D．the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog |
In this passage, the writer intends to tell us that the dog is _________.
| A．clever | B．friendly | C．frightening | D．devoted |
The underlined word “a burglar” in the last paragraph probably means ________.
| A．a cleaner | B．a physician | C．a thief | D．a murderer |