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English is the most widely used language in the history of our planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More than half of the world’s books and three quarters of international mail are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary — perhaps as many as two million words.
However, let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweetmeats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square,  public bathrooms have no baths in them.
And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese — so one moose, two meese?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of human beings. That’s why, when stars are out, they are visible; but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.
According to the passage __________.

A.pineapples are the apples on the pine tree
B.there should be an egg in an eggplant
C.sweetmeats and sweetbreads are different things
D.boxing rings should be round

The underlined words “wind up” in the last paragraph maybe means “__________”.

A.blow B.finish C.get hurt D.roll up

Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are ____________.

A.lazy B.crazy C.clever D.dull
科目 英语   题型 阅读理解   难度 中等
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May : Happenings from the Past
May 5 , 1884
Isaac Murphy , son of a slave and perhaps the greatest horse rider in American history, rides Buchanan to win his first Kentucky Derby. He becomes the first rider ever to win the race three times.
May 9 , 1754
Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette produces perhaps the first American political cartoon , showing a snake cut in pieces , with the words “Join or Die” printed under the picture.
May 11 , 1934
The first great dust storm of the Great Plains Dust Bowl, the result of years of drought (干旱) , blows topsoil all the way to New York City and Washington , D. C.
May 19, 1994
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, former first lady and one of the most famous people of the 1960s, died of cancer in New York City at the age of 64.
May 24, 1844
Samuel F. B. Morse taps (轻敲) out the first message, “What hath God wrought,” over the experimental long-distance telegraph line which runs from Washington, D. C, to Baltimore, Md.
53. We know from the text that Buchanan is _______________.
A. Isaac’s fatherB. a winning horse
C. a slave taking care of horsesD. the first racing horse in Kentucky
54. What is the title of the first American political cartoon?
A. Join or DieB. Pennsylvania Gazette
C. What Hath God WroughtD. Kentucky Derby
55. In which year did the former first lady Jacqueline die?
A. 1934 B. 1960 C. 1964 D. 1994
56. Which of the following places has to do with (与...有关)the first telegram in history?
A. Washington, D. C.B. New York City
C. KentuckyD. Pennsylvania


When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining.One exception was France, where Mr.Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary(子公式) to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers’ favourite enemy operates.
So far Mr.Henncquin is doing well.Last year European sales increased by 5.8% and the number of customers by 3.4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years.Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales.December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly(垄断).
Mr.Hennequin's recipe for revival(复兴) is to be more open about his company's operations, to be "locally relevant", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants. McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American.Mr.Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns.
He introduced "open door" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular.In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year.The Nutrition Information Initiative(倡议)launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, "the details are also printed on tray-liners.
49.Which of the following statement is RIGHT?
A.Denis Hennequin has been boss of McDonald since 2004.
B.The sales of McDonald is increasing in France.
C.Denis Hennequin tries his best to increase the sales of McDonald in the world.
D.The nutrition information is always launched on McDonald products.
50.McDonaId's is blamed in Europe for the following reasons EXCEPT _________
A.making people fat B.exploiting workers
C.treating animals cruelly D.earning too much
51.Which of the following is not included in the McDonaId's packaging?
A.attentions B.fat C.protein D.salt content
52.What did Denis Hennequin do to increase the sales of McDonald in Europe?
A.He visited all the McDonaId's branches in Europe.
B.He introduced "open door" visitor's days in each country.
C.He had done a reliable job as head of the group's French subsidiary.
D.He engaged in a dialogue with the public.


Dealing with School Pressure
College can be a very demanding time for students.These tips can help keep college stress at a minimum before it becomes too hard to handle.
Get organized.By becoming more organized, you can reduce your stress level drastically(彻底地)Make a daily schedule of all your activities.Another way to become more organized is by getting your supplies and desk in order.Label folders(文件夹) for each class and arrange your notes and assignment by topic or date so you can easily find information.
Don't procrastinate.Putting off doing your schoolwork will only make you more stressed.If you get an assignment that is due in a month, and you don't have any other assignment to finish, go ahead and begin working on it.
Exercise.Performing some sort of physical activity for thirty minutes three times a week will considerably lower your stress level.Taking the time to exercise will help get your mind off the chaos and stress in your life.
Get plenty of sleep and eat healthily.You need between seven to eight hours of sleep per night in order to rest your mind and body so they can perform well during the day.Eating well-balanced meals will provide your with enough energy to accomplish your daily activities.
Adopt a positive attitude.If you are always negative, then stress will overwhelm you.By looking at things in a positive light, you will not only reduce your stress, but you will also feel better about yourself.
Realize that it's okay to say "no".If you already have a full schedule, don't attempt to add anything else to it.If your friends want you to go out at the last minute but doing so would conflict with your schedule, don't feel bad about turning them down.They will understand.They have been stressed before too.
45.According to the tips, your life will be_________if you study without a proper schedule.
A.organized B.in disorder C.free D.busy
46.Which is NOT TRUE according to the tips?
A.The more you sleep, the less stressed you will feel.
B.A balanced diet will make you energetic.
C.Regular exercise will help you feel relaxed.
D.Everything in a mess will increase one's stress.
47.What does the underlined word " procrastinate" mean?
A.ahead of time. B.delay. C.give up. D.make up.
48.If your good friend invites you to do something while you are busy.what should you do so as not to increase stress?
A.You should accept the invitation. B.You had better say "no".
C.You should keep silent. D.You should feel bad.

第二部分阅读理解(共25小题。第一节每小题2分,第二节每小题1分;满分45分)
第一节阅读下列短文,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。
Our listener question this week comes from Abdullahi Farah, who wants to know about the life and work of Doctor Benjamin Carson.
Doctor Carson is an internationally recognized doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the hospital for twenty-five years. At the age of thirty-three, he became one of the youngest doctors in the United States to hold that position. And he was the first African-American to have that position at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Ben Carson is known for his work as a brain surgeon for children. For example, in nineteen eighty-seven, he led a team of seventy doctors and nurses in an operation to separate two babies joined at the head. Earlier attempts by other surgeons on other babies had failed. Doctor Carson successfully performed the operation. Both babies were able to survive independently.
Doctor Carson has written four books. His first book, "Gifted Hands," tells the story of his life. Benjamin Carson was born in nineteen fifty-one in Detroit, Michigan.
As a boy, Ben was not a good student. In fact, he was the worst in his class. When his mother learned of his failing grades she asked her sons to read two library books every week. She limited the amount of time they watched television. And she told them to respect every person.
Ben Carson soon became the top student in his class. He went on to study at Yale University, one of the best universities in the country, and later to medical school at the University of Michigan.
Doctor Carson has received many awards and honors. Last year he received the nation's highest civilian honor. Former President George W. Bush presented Benjamin Carson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House.
41. The passage is probably taken from _____.
A. a radio B. a magazine C. TV D. a paper
42. What does the word “surgeons” in paragraph 3 mean?
A. nurses B. doctors C. hospitals D. points
43. Benjamin Carson’s change in study was largely because of ______
A. his hard work B. his teacher C. his mother D. his father
44. What’s the aim to write the passage?
A. To call on us to learn from Benjamin Carson.
B. To praise Benjamin Carson for his achievements.
C. To show us how Benjamin Carson succeeded
D. To introduce Benjamin Carson’s life and work

When I was a child, I was shocked at the idea that my sisters could be my best friends. Now, I wouldn’t have it any other way. At the time, the idea of my tow sisters being my closest friends seemed strange to me. we fought all the time over toys, food, attention, what to watch on television-you name it, we quarreled about it at some point. How could my sisters be my best friends? They weren’t the same age as I. we all had our own friends in school.
My mother never let the three of us forget that sisters are lifelong friends. Her wish like most parents’ was to give us something that she never had. Growing up as an only child, she longed for siblings. When she gave birth to three daughters, the fulfillment of her dream had only just begun. She had given each of us a gift and she wanted to make sure we did not take that gift for granted. She would frequently tell us how lucky we were. But there were others, more subtle ways that she encouraged us to grow closer. She never showed favoritism to one daughter over the other-skating, shopping, swimming-so we developed common interests. And when we were teenagers, Mom always punished us equally, giving us yet another bonding(结合的)experience.
We didn’t always get along beautifully and fought just like any other siblings. But somewhere in between Mom’s lectures, the family vacations and the shared memories, we realized that our mother was right. Today I share things with my sisters that I do with no one else. My sister Cindy and I ran the New York City Marathon together, side by side, even holding hands when we crossed the finish lien. When my sister Karen got married, I was her maid of honor. Cindy and I traveled through Europe together and even shared an apartment for two years. The three of us trust each other with our greatest secrets.
It was twenty-three years ago that my mother first asked me who my two best friends were. Today she doesn’t have to. She already knows.
72. As a child, the author was shocked at her mother's idea because________
A. her sisters seemed strange to her
B. her sisters didn't like to be her friends
C. none of the girls had their own friends
D. she and her sisters shares little in common
73. The underline word "siblings" in the second paragraph means________
A. sisters B. parents C. daughters D. friends
74. How did the author's mother encourage her three daughters to grow closer?
A. She punished her daughter differently.
B. She showed equal love to her daughters.
C. She encouraged her daughters to do sports.
D. She often took her daughters to many places.
75.The best title of the passage could be _________.
A. The Greatest Gift B. Mother's Love
C. Growing Experiences D. Unforgettable Memories

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