阅读理解。阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Two men were sitting together in a plane. They were on a long journey. One of the men was a businessman. The other was a farmer. They sat without talking for a while, then the farmer said,“Let’s do something to pass the time.”
“What do you want to do?” the businessman asked. “We can ask each other riddles.” The farmer said,“You start.”“Let’s make the rules first,” the businessman said. “That’s not fair. You are a businessman with much knowledge. You know more things than I do. I am just a farmer.”
“That’s true.” The businessman said. “What do you want we should do?” “If you don’t know the answer to a riddle, you pay me $100. And if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $50.” The farmer said. The businessman thought about this, then he said, “OK. That’s fair. Who will go first?”
“I will,” The farmer said. “Here is my riddle. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?” The business man repeated the riddle, “What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies? Mm, that’s a good one. I’m afraid I don’t know the answer.” He gave the farmer $100, then said, “Tell me the answer. What has three legs when it walks, but only two legs when it flies?”“I don’t know.” The farmer said and gave him $50.The story happened ____________.
| A．on a farm |
| B．in a shop |
| C．before a long plane journey |
| D．between two passengers |
What does the word “riddle” mean in this story?
| A．A difficult question to find the answer to. |
| B．Something to help to make rules. |
| C．Something to win money. |
| D．a kind of game on doing business. |
Why did the businessman agree to give more money if he lost?
| A．He made much more money than the farmer. |
| B．He thought he knew more than the farmer. |
| C．He was interested in making riddles. |
| D．He was better at playing riddle games. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The two men made rules for their riddle. |
| B．The farmer was much cleverer than the businessman. |
| C．The two men made their riddle game more interesting by paying it for money. |
| D．The businessman knew the answer to his riddle. |
It was Monday.Mrs.Smith’s dog was hungry,but there was not any meat in the house.
Considering that there was no better way,Mrs.Smith took a piece of paper,and wrote the following words on it “Give my dog half a pound of meat.” Then she gave the paper to her dog and said gently,“Take this to the butcher,and he’s going to give you your lunch today.”
Holding the piece of paper in its mouth,the dog ran to the butcher’s.It gave the paper to the butcher.The butcher read it carefully,recognized that it was really the lady’s handwriting and soon did it as he was asked to.The dog was very happy,and ate the meat up at once.
At noon,the dog came to the shop again.It gave the butcher a piece of paper again.After reading it,he gave it half a pound of meat once more.
The next day,the dog came again exactly at noon.And as usual,it brought a piece of paper in the mouth.This time,the butcher did not take a look at paper,and gave the dog its meat,for he had regarded the dog as one of his customers (顾客).
But,the dog came again at four o’clock.And the same thing happened once again.To the butcher’s more surprise,it came for the third time at six o’clock,and brought with it a third piece of paper.The butcher felt a bit puzzled.He said to himself,“This is a small dog.Why does Mrs.Smith give it so much meat to eat today?”
Looking at the piece of paper,he found that there were not any words on it!The little dog went to the butcher’s altogether during the two days.
| A．three times | B．four times | C．five times | D．six times |
The butcher did not give any meat to the dog .
| A．before he felt sure that the words were really written by Mrs.Smith on Monday |
| B．when he found that the words on the paper were not clear |
| C．because he had sold out all the meat in his shop |
| D．until he was paid enough by Mrs.Smith |
From the story,we can know that the dog was very .
| A．kind | B．clever | C．honest | D．foolish |
At the end of the story,you’ll find that .
| A．the dog was clever enough to write on the paper |
| B．the dog dared not go to the butcher’s any more |
| C．the butcher was told not to give any meat to the dog |
| D．the butcher found himself cheated(欺骗) by the dog |
As an English teacher,I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many countries all over the world.I’ve seen people celebrate everything from the arrival of new babies to the delivery of new cars.I’ve attended weddings,parties and religious celebrations in countries such as Argentina and Japan,and I’ve noticed that gold—the metal or the colour of it—is always part of cultural events,traditions and celebrations.
It makes me wonder:Why do people love gold?
For some people,gold seems to be a status(地位)symbol.Indian businessman Datta Phuge loves gold so much that he even bought a shirt made of gold at a cost of $250,000.I’m not sure I’d spend so much money on a shirt,would you?But Datta Phuge has his reason.He explains,“Some people want to own an Audi or a Mercedes.I choose gold.”
For other people,gold is an investment(投资).The price of gold generally increases over time and in European markets,it reached even $1,500 per ounce in 2011.
And for many people,a family heirloom(传家宝)brings together status and investment.My mother has a gold bracelet(手镯)that was given to her by her grandmother who,in turn,inherited it from her own grandmother.It’s quite a heavy piece and probably worth quite a lot of money.But its mental value is greater than its value in dollars.It’s a beautiful object that holds many family memories.When the time comes,my mum will give the bracelet to me,and one day,I’ll pass it on to the younger generation.
Therefore,status and investment are good reasons to value gold.However,I think that the real reason why people love gold is that it can be made into beautiful objects.Think about Tutankhamen’s death mask.Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?
People love gold because it holds their minds,their imaginations and,above all,their hearts.The main idea of the first paragraph is that .
| A．the author has traveled to many countries |
| B．people celebrate almost everything |
| C．there are many ways to use gold |
| D．people all over the world love gold |
Datta Phuge bought a shirt made of gold because .
| A．gold is a status symbol to him |
| B．he loves this kind of shirt |
| C．people there love gold so much |
| D．he is a successful businessman |
According to the passage,in Europe,gold could be per ounce in 2010.
| A．$1,550 | B．$1,500 | C．$1,450 | D．$1,600 |
The gold bracelet is the heirloom for the author’s family mainly because .
| A．it’s worth a lot of money |
| B．it brings status and investment |
| C．it’s a beautiful object |
| D．it holds family memories |
Looking back on my childhood,I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made.Although we were all brought up in the same way,my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects.Unlike them,I had no ear for music and languages.I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.
Before World War Ⅰ we spent our summer holidays in Hungary.I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in,of my room and my toys.Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents,aunts,uncles and cousins who gathered next door.But I do have a clear memory of the dogs,the farm animals,the local birds,and above all,the insects.
I am a naturalist,not a scientist.I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm led me into varied investigations.I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil while reading about other people’s observations and discoveries.Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind.
Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle,because it all seems to fit together.This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books,which some might honor with the title of scientific research.
But curiosity,a keen eye,a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist:one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline,a quality I lack.A scientist requires not only self-discipline,but hard training,determination and a goal.A scientist,up to a certain point,can be made.A naturalist is born.If you can combine the two,you get the best of both worlds.The first paragraph tells us the author .
| A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood |
| B．lost his hearing when he was a child |
| C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters |
| D．was born to a naturalist’s family |
The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because .
| A．he didn’t live very long with them |
| B．the family was extremely large |
| C．he was too young when he lived with them |
| D．he was fully occupied with observing nature |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?( )
| A．The author is a naturalist,but not a scientist. |
| B．The author is a scientist as well as a naturalist. |
| C．The author is first of all a scientist. |
| D．The author is neither a naturalist nor a scientist. |
The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he .
| A．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic |
| B．lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist |
| C．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries |
| D．comes up with solutions in a most natural way |
Marketing Professionals
A major US corporation in the health and nutritional industry has announced the opening of its direct selling division in Taiwan.
The company offers the most lucrative compensation plan in the industry and has paid over NTD (新台币) 3.5 billion in commissions in just 6 years in the US.We are a group of top earners.
Applicants should meet the requirements：
(1)Taiwan citizen
(2)Have experience in marketing
(3)Aggressive，energetic，and willing to learn
If you believe you have what it takes to develop this business，please dial 27426996.
Job B
An international company requires a
Service Technician
To service and maintain electronic medical equipment，applicants should have degree in electronics.The selected candidate will have a training program to be conducted by our manufacturer’s trained technical personnel.
Interested candidates please apply immediately with a resume (简历)and mail to P．O.Box 594.Or telephone Ms Chang at 2945－0027 for an immediate interview. ,
Job C
Wanted：Reporters & Editors
Qualifications：
* Strong command of English language
* Chinese speaking and reading ability a must
* A university degree
* Journalism education and/or experience preferred
* Flexible working hours( 30 hours per week)
* Good work environment and medical insurance，etc.
Fax resume and work samples，if any，to The China Post at(03) 25957952. ,
Job D
Southeastern Travel Services
Tour Guides
Duties：To conduct escorted tours (陪游)for foreign
visitors；to assist with travel and transportation arrangements.
Qualifications：Good appearance.High school diploma.
Good knowledge of English.Outgoing personality.
Dial 27032172 after 3∶00 pm.Ask for Gary. , Which of the following is required for marketing professionals?
| A．A university degree. |
| B．Good appearance. |
| C．Good computer knowledge. |
| D．Some marketing experience. |
Wendy is good at Chinese and doesn’t like to work on fixed schedules.Which of the four jobs might be suitable for her?
A．Job A.B．Job B. C．Job C. D．Job D.Charles has a strong interest in technology service.Which phone number should he dial?
| A．27426996. | B．29450027. | C．25957952. | D．27032172. |
Mary has attractive looks and a good command of English with an outgoing character.Which of the following would she choose?
A．Job A. B．Job B. C．Job C. D．Job D.
The latest research suggests that the key factor separating geniuses from the merely accomplished is not I.Q., a generally bad predictor of success. Instead, it’s purposeful practice. Top performers spend more hours practising their craft. It you wanted to picture how a typical genius might develop, you’d take a girl who possessed a slightly above average language ability. It wouldn’t have to be a big talent, just enough so that she might gain some sense of distinction. Then you would want her to meet, say, a novelist, who coincidentally shared some similar qualities. Maybe the writer was from the same town, had the same family background, or shared the same birthday.
This contact would give the girl a vision of her future self. It would hive her some idea of a fascinating circle who might someday join. It would also help if one of her parents died when she was 12, giving her a strong sense of insecurity and fuelling a desperate need for success. Armed with this ambition, she would read novels and life stories of writers without end. This would give her a primary knowledge of her field. She’s be able to see new writing in deeper ways and quickly understand its inner workings.
Then she would practise writing. Her practice would be slow, painstaking and error-focused. By practising in this way, he delays the automatizing process. Her mind wants to turn conscious, newly learned skills into unconscious. Automatically performed skills. By practising slowly, by breaking skills down into tiny parts and repeating, she forces the brain to internalize a better pattern of performance. Then she would find an adviser who would provide a constant stream of feedback, viewing her performance form the outside, correcting the smallest errors, pushing her to take on tougher challenges. By now she is redoing problems—how do I get characters into a room—dozens and dozens of times. She is establishing habits of thought she can call upon in order to understand or solve future problems.
The primary quality our young writer possesses is not some mysterious genius. It’s the ability to develop a purposeful, laborious and boring practice routine; the latest research takes some of the magic out of great achievement. But it underlines a fact that is often neglected. Public discussion is affected by genetics and what we’re “hard-wired” to do. And it’s true that genes play a role in our capabilities. But the brain is also very plastic. We construct ourselves through behaviour.The passage mainly deals with.
| A．the function of I.Q. in cultivating a writer |
| B．the relationship between genius and success |
| C．the decisive factor in making a genius |
| D．the way of gaining some sense of distinction |
By reading novels and writers’ stories, the girl could.
| A．come to understand the inner structure of writing |
| B．join a fascinating circle of writers someday |
| C．share with a novelist her likes and dislikes |
| D．learn from the living examples to establish a sense of security |
In the girl’s long painstaking training process, ________.
| A．her adviser forms a primary challenging force to her success. |
| B．her writing turns into an automatic pattern of performance |
| C．she acquires the magic of some great achievement |
| D．she comes to realize she is “hard-wired” to write |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A．A fuelling ambition plays a leading role in one’s success |
| B．A responsible adviser is more important than the knowledge of writing. |
| C．As to the growth of a genius, I.Q. Doesn’t matter, but just his/her effort. |
| D．What really matters is what you do rather then who you are. |