One of the greatest contributions to the first Oxford English Dictionary was also one of its most unusual. In 1879, Oxford University in England asked Prof. James Murray to serve as editor for what was to be the most ambitious dictionary in the history of the English language. It would include every English word possible and would give not only the definition but also the history of the word and quotations (引文) showing how it was used.
This was a huge task, so Murray had to find volunteers from Britain, the United States, and the British colonies to search every newspaper, magazine, and book ever written in English. Hundreds of volunteers responded, including William Chester Minor. Dr. Minor was an American surgeon who had served in the Civil War and was now living in England. He gave his address as “Broadmoor, Crowthorne, Berkshire,” 50 miles from Oxford.
Minor joined the army of volunteers sending words and quotations to Murray. Over the next 17 years, he became one of the staff’s most valued contributors.
But he was also a mystery. In spite of many invitations, he would always decline to visit Oxford. So in 1897, Murray finally decided to travel to Crowthorne himself. When he arrived, he found Minor locked in a book-lined cell at the Broadmoor Asylum (精神病院) for the Criminally Insane.
Murray and Minor became friends, sharing their love of words. Minor continued contributing to the dictionary, sending in more than 10,000 submissions in 20 years. Murray continued to visit Minor regularly, sometimes taking walks with him around the asylum grounds.
In 1910, Minor left Broadmoor for an asylum in his native America. Murray was at the port to wave
goodbye to his remarkable friend.
Minor died in 1920, seven years before the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was completed. The 12 volumes defined 414,825 words, and thousands of them were contributions from a very scholarly and devoted asylum patient.
According to the text, the first Oxford English Dictionary _________.
| A．came out before minor died |
| B．was edited by an American volunteer |
| C．was intended to be the most ambitious English dictionary Murray |
| D．included the English words invented by Murray |
How did Dr. Minor contributed to the dictionary?
| A．He helped Murray to find hundreds of volunteers. |
| B．He sent newspapers, magazines and books to Murray. |
| C．He went to England to work with Murray. |
| D．He provided a great number of words and quotations |
Why did Dr. Minor refuse to visit Oxford?
| A．He lived far from Oxford |
| B．He was shut in an asylum |
| C．He was busy writing a book |
| D．He disliked traveling |
Prof. Murray and Dr. Minor became friends mainly because __________.
| A．They had a common interest in words |
| B．They both served in the Civil War |
| C．Minor recovered with the help of Murray |
| D．Murray went to America regularly to visit Minor |
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 Tolstoys 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. Tolstoys 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. 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 |
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 |
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. |
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 |
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. |
At exactly eleven Sir Percival knocked and entered,with anxiety and worry in every line of his face.This meeting would decide his future life, and he obviously knew it.
“You may wonder,Sir Percival,”said Laura calmly,“if I am going to ask to be released(免除)from my promise to marry you.I am not going to ask this. I respect my father’s wishes too much.”
His face relaxed a little,but one of his feet kept beating the carpet.
“No,if we are going to withdraw(退出)from our planned marriage,it will be because of your wish,not mine.”
“Mine?”he said in great surprise.“What reason could I have for withdrawing?”
“A reason that is very hard to tell you,”she answered.“There is a change in me.”
His face went so pale that even his lips lost their color. He turned his head to one side.
“What change?”he asked,trying to appear calm.
“When the promise was made two years ago,”she said,“my love did not belong to anyone. Will you forgive me,Sir Percival,if I tell you that it now belongs to another person?”
“I wish you to understand,”Laura continued,“that
I will never see this person again,and that if you leave me,you only allow me to remain a single woman for the rest of my life.All I ask is that you forgive me and keep my secret.”
“I will do both those things,”he said. Then he looked at Laura,as if he was waiting to hear more.
“I think I have said enough to give you reason to withdraw from our marriage,”she added quietly.
“No.You have said enough to make it the dearest wish of my life to marry you,”he said.How did Percival feel during his meeting with Laura?
| A．Angry. |
| B．Calm. |
| C．Nervous. |
| D．Excited. |
We can learn from the passage that _________.
| A．Laura had once promised to marry Percival |
| B．Laura’s father wished to end her marriage |
| C．Percival had been married to Laura for two years |
| D．Percival asked to be released from the marriage |
The passage is probably taken out of __________.
| A．a novel |
| B．a report |
| C．a diary |
| D．an essay |
You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years.Since you’ve been away,has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative（保守的）.The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant（移民）myself,I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got. After a short overseas holiday, people tend to________.
| A．notice small changes |
| B．expect small changes |
| C．welcome small changes |
| D．exaggerate small changes |
How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?
| A．Cautiously. |
| B．Positively. |
| C．Skeptically. |
| D．Critically. |
When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by__________ .
| A．the relaxed policemen |
| B．the messy arrivals hall |
| C．the tight security |
| D．the bank robbers |
Which might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Life in Britain. |
| B．Back in Britain. |
| C．Britain in Future |
| D．Britain in Memory. |
Big Brothers Big Sisters is based on the simplicity and power of friendship. It is a program which provides friendship and fun by matching vulnerable young people (ages 7-17) with a volunteer adult who can be both a role model and a supportive friend.
Volunteer tutors come from all walks of life — married,single,with or without children. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are not replacement parents or social workers. They are tutors:someone to trust,to have fun with,to talk and go to when needed.
A Big Sister and Little Sister will generally spend between one and four hours together three or four times each month for at least twelve months. They enjoy simple activities such as a picnic at a park,cooking,playing sport or going to a football match. These activities improve the friendship and help the young person develop positive self-respect, confidence and life direction.
Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations exist throughout the world. It is the largest and most well-known provider of tutor services internationally and has been operating for 25 years.
Emily and Sarah have been matched since March 2008. Emily is a 10-year-old girl who has experienced some difficulties being accepted by her schoolmates at school.‘I was pretty sure there was something wrong with me.’
Emily’s mum came across Big Brothers Big Sisters and thought it would be of benefit to Emily by ‘providing different feedback（反馈） about herself other than just relying on schoolmates to measure her self-worth.’
Sarah wanted to get involved in a volunteer program.‘I googled it and found out how to be a part of it. I thought it would be fun for me to get involved in making time to do something because sometimes it’s all work and no play.’
Big Brothers Big Sisters has been of great benefit and enjoyment to both Emily and Sarah. They love and look forward to their time together and the partnership has certainly helped Emily be more comfortable in being the wonderful, happy and unique girl she is!What is the aim of Big Brothers Big Sisters?
| A．To offer students public services. |
| B．To help students improve their grades. |
| C．To organize sport activities for young people. |
| D．To provide partnership and fun for young people. |
A volunteer is usually expected to work within a year for at least _________.
| A．24 hours |
| B．36 hours |
| C．48 hours |
| D．72 hours |
According to Emily’s mother, this program may provide Emily with___________ .
| A．advice from her teachers |
| B．a new way to assess herself |
| C．a new way to judge her schoolmates |
| D．more comments from her schoolmates |
Why did Sarah want to get involved in the program?
| A．She used to be a volunteer. |
| B．She needed a part-time job. |
| C．She felt a bit bored with her life. |
| D．She wanted to get a challenging job. |
You are given many opportunities in life to choose to be a victim or a creator.When you choose to be a victim, the world is a cold and difficult place.“They” did things to you which caused all of your pain and suffering.“They” are wrong and bad,and life is terrible as long as “they” are around. Or you may blame yourself for all your problems,thus internalizing（内化） your victimization. The truth is, your life is likely to stay that way as long as you feel a need to blame yourself or others.
Those who choose to be creators look at life quite differently. They know there are individuals who might like to control their lives,but they don’t let this get in the way. They know they have their weaknesses,yet they don’t blame themselves when they fail. Whatever happens,they have choice in the matter. They believe their dance with each sacred(神圣的) moment of life is a gift and that storms are a natural part of life which can bring the rain needed for emotional and spiritual growth.
Victims and creators live in the same physical world and deal with many of the same physical realities,yet their experience of life is worlds apart.Victims relish (沉溺) in anger,guilt,and other emotions that cause others—and even themselves—to feel like victims,too. Creators consciously choose love,inspiration,and other qualities which inspire not only themselves,but all around them. Both victims and creators always have choice to determine the direction of their lives.
In reality,all of us play the victim or the creator at various points in our lives. One person,on losing a job or a special relationship,may feel as if it is the end of the world and sink into terrible suffering for months,years,or even a lifetime. Another with the same experience may choose to first experience the grief,then accept the loss and soon move on to be a powerful creative force in his life.
In every moment and every circumstance,you can choose to have a fuller, richer life by setting a clear intention to transform the victim within, and by inviting into your life the powerful creator that you are.What does the word “they” in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?
| A．People and things around you. |
| B．Opportunities and problems. |
| C．Creators and their choices. |
| D．Victims and their sufferings. |
According to Paragraph 2,creators________.
| A．seem willing to experience failures in life |
| B．possess the ability to predict future life |
| C．handle ups and downs of life wisely |
| D．have potential to create something new |
What can we learn from Paragraph 3?
| A．Creators and victims face quite different things in life. |
| B．Creators and victims are masters of their lives. |
| C．Victims can influence more people than creators. |
| D．Compared with victims,creators are more emotional. |
The examples mentioned in Paragraph 4 show that__________ .
| A．strong attachment to sufferings in life pulls people into victims |
| B．people need family support to deal with challenges in life |
| C．it takes creators quite a long time to get rid of their pains |
| D．one’s experiences determine his attitude toward life |