Benjamin West,the father of American painting, showed his talent for art when he was only six years of age. But he did not know about brushes before a visitor told him he needed one. In those days ,a brush was made from camel's hair. There were no camels nearby. Benjamin decided that cat hair would work instead. He cut some fur from the family cat to make a brush.
The brush did nott last long. Soon Benjamin needed more fur. Before long, the catbegan to look ragged (蓬乱). His father said that the cat must be sick. Benjamin was forced to admit what he had been doing.
The cat ' s lot was about to improve.That year, one of Benjamin's cousins, Mr.Pennington, came to visit. He was impressed with Benjamin's drawings. When he went home, he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes. He also sent six engravings (版画)by an artist. These were the forst pictures and first real paint and brushes Benjamin had ever seen.In 1747,when Benjamin was nine years old,Mr.Pennington retured for another visit .He was amazed at what Benjamin had done with his gift.He asked Benjamin's parents if he might take the boy to Philadelphia for a visit.
In the city, Mr.Pennington gave Benjamin materials for creating oil paintings.The boy began a landscape (风景) painting.Wiliams ,a well-known painter,came to see him work . Wiliams was impressed with Benjamin and gave him two classic books on painting to take home .The books were long and dull. Benjamin could read only a little,having been a poor student.But he later said,"Those two books were my companions by day,and under my pillow at night."While it is likely that he understood very little of the books,they were his introduction to classical paintings.The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist.
21. What is the text mainly about?
| A. |
Benjamin's visit to Philadelphia. |
| B. |
Williams' influence on Benjamin. |
| C. |
The beginning of Benjamin's life as an artist. |
| D. |
The friendship between Benjamin and Pennington. |
22. What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 suggest?
| A. |
The cat would be closely watched. |
| B. |
The cat would get some medical care. |
| C. |
Benjamin would leave his home shortly. |
| D. |
Benjamin would have real brushes soon. |
23. What did Pennington do to help Benjamin develop his talent?
| A. |
He took him to see painting exhibitions. |
| B. |
He provided him with painting materials. |
| C. |
He sent him to a school in Philadelphia. |
| D. |
He taught him how to make engravings. |
24. Williams' two books helped Benjamin to ________.
| A. |
master the use of paints |
| B. |
appreciate landscape paintings |
| C. |
get to know other painters |
| D. |
make up his mind to be a painter |
At present, in many American cities especially, many teachers in the public schools say they are underpaid. They point to jobs such as secretary or truck driver, which often pay more to start than that of a teacher. In many other fields, such as law, medicine, computer science, a beginning worker may make more than a teacher who has taught for several years.
Teaching has never been a profession that attracted people interested in high salaries. It is by history a profession that has provided rewards in addition to money—the satisfaction of sharing knowledge, of influencing others, of guiding young people. But in the past several years, there are more difficulties in teaching, for many, than there are rewards.
Unruly students, especially in big cities, large classes and a lack of support from the public in terms of money and understanding have led many public school teachers to leave the profession.
As a result, many of the best students, who would have chosen teaching as their life career in the past, are going into other fields.
Another reason for this change in teacher candidates is the changing status of women in the United States. Until the late 1960s and 1970s, one of the most popular choices for women was teaching. But as other professions, such as law and medicine opened up to women, women stopped pouring into teacher training programs. Thus, a major pool of excellent candidates for the teaching profession dwindled.
Bit by bit government officials and others realized that the status of the teacher had suffered. They talked about change. But the change in a vast society like the United States is not easy. People’s attitudes have formed over many years, and sometimes change takes many years.
63. The underlined word “that” in Paragraph 1 refers to “”.
A. money B. job C. secretary D. truck driver
64. What is the present situation of the teaching?
A. Teachers work harder and get underpaid.
B. Teachers have no opportunities to work in other fields.
C. Teaching can attract best students to work as a teacher.
D. Teaching can provide rewards as well as high salaries.
65. Many public school teachers turn to other professions because.
A. the unruly students and large classes
B.the difficulties of teaching as well as a lack of money, support and understanding
C.the attracting power of other jobs
D.a lack of satisfaction of sharing knowledge and influencing others
66. The author believes that change in teachers’ status in the United States.
A. is not great B. impossible
C. influences people’s attitude D. needs time
Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer.Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands—on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking (潜伏) around every ember! The museum is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday,and from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August.
Call 01733 864663 for details
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun:Young people aged 13-19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club, Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road, Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm. PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm.
Call 01353 720274 for details
Houghton Mill
Alicethrough the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th. August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5 : 30 pro performance 6:30pm—8:30pm. Tea room will be open until end of the interval. Adult £10. Child£7. Family £20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Gaines:From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches,come and join the Farmland Team.Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette (玫瑰形饰物) that is fit for a winner!No need to book, just turn up between 12: 00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August Suitable for children aged four and above,each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost£7 per child.
For further information, call 01223 810080.
59. If you are interested in cooking, you can go to.
A. Peterborough Museum B. Houghton Mill
C. Saxon Youth Club D. Farmland Museum
60. You want to watch the new play with your parents,so it will cost you.
A. £21 B. £17 C. £27 D. £20
61. Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
A. Playing farmland games. B. Watching a new play.
C. Competing in spots activities. D. Visiting the dinosaur exhibition.
62. If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19, he will haveactivities
to choose from for himself.
A. one activity B. two activities
C. three activities D. four activities
The World Expo 2010 Shanghai China is to be staged in Shanghai from May 1 to October 31, 2010. If you plan to visit the Shanghai Expo this summer, the
China Pavilion is a must-see area for you.
The China Pavilion, which is called Oriental Crown
(东方之冠), is located at the center of the Expo site. Standing 63 meters tall, the China Pavilion takes the shape of an emperor’s crown, with the upper layers larger than the lower ones. Covering 160,000 square meters in floor space, the pavilion consists of a national hall and a regional hall. Construction on the China Pavilion began on Dec. 18, 2007. The design of the China Pavilion was picked from a total of 344 designs put forward by Chinese from around the world. The pavilion possesses both traditional and modern features, which helps develop the theme of the 2010 Expo “Better City, Better Life”. For example, it is red in appearance, which contains the elements of traditional Chinese culture, and it is green indoors, with the use of energy-saving techniques. The Shanghai World Expo is expected to attract 70 million visitors from across the globe. It is estimated that 400,000 people will visit the Expo and its 140 pavilions every day during the period, but the China Pavilion is only able to receive about one tenth of the total. How to accommodate so many people in the pavilion remains a tough task. Luckily, the China Pavilion is built as a permanent landmark.
During the Expo, the main structure will be used for an exhibition based on the theme of “Chinese wisdom in urban development" by explaining the values of harmony, nature and spirit. The three-story pavilion has three sections. The top floor’s "Footprint of the East" will show some of the changes in Chinese cities. There, you can see a film which shows how Chinese cities have changed, especially in the past 30 years. According to Lu Chuan, director of the film, the scenery is like something from The Lord of the Rings. On the second floor, "Journey of Wisdom” will explain China’s four great inventions. And the ground’s “Blossoming City” will display scenes from cities of the future.
55. Which of the following words can be used to describe the China Pavilion?
A. Tiny. B. Round.
C. Foreign. D. Environment-friendly.
56. The China Pavilion can receive visitors at most per day.
A. 40,000 B. 400,000 C. 100,000 D. 20,000
57. We can infer that .
A. the China Pavilion will be pulled down after the World Expo 2010 is over
B. the China Pavilion will probably continue to be open to visitors after the Expo is over
C. you can continue to visit the Japanese Pavilion after the Expo is over
D. some foreign friends took part in the designs of the China Pavilion
58. On the second floor of the China Pavilion, you can .
A. enjoy a film about the changes of cities in China
B. learn what Shanghai looked like in the 1920s
C. find out how paper was invented
D. see how Chinese cities will look like in the future
第三部分 阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
A gentle breeze blew through Jennifer's hair. The golden red sun was setting. She was on the beach, looking up at the fiery (火红的) ball. She was amazed by its color, deep red in the middle, softly fading into yellow. She could hear nothing but the waves and the seagulls flying up above in the sky.
The atmosphere relaxed her. After all she had been through, this was what she needed. "It's getting late," she thought, "I must go home. My parents will be wondering where I am."
She wondered how her parents would react, when she got home after the three days she was missing. She kept on walking, directing herself where she spent every summer holiday. The road was deserted. She walked slowly and silently. Just in a few hundred meters she would have been safe in her house.
It was really getting dark now. The sun had set a few minutes before and it was getting cold too. She wished she had her favorite sweater on: it kept her really warm. She imagined having it with her. This thought disappeared when she finally saw her front door. It seemed different. Nobody had taken care of the outside garden for a few days. She was shocked: her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now... It all seemed deserted. She couldn't understand what was going on.
She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen where she saw a note written by her father. It said: "Dear Ellen, there is some coffee ready. I went looking." Ellen was her mother but-where was she? On the right side of the hallway was her parents' room. She went in. Then she saw her. Her mother, lying on the bed, was sleeping. Her face looked so tired, as if she hadn't slept for days. She was really pale. Jennifer would have wanted to wake her up but she looked too tired. So Jennifer just fell asleep beside her. When Jennifer woke up, something was different-she wasn't in her mother's room and she wasn't wearing the old clothes she ran away in. She was in her cozy bed in her pajamas.
It felt so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice, "Are you feeling better now, dear? You know you got us very, very scared."
51. Three days later Jennifer came back home.
A. at sunrise B. at sunset C. at night D. at midday
52. What does the underlined phrase "This thought" most probably mean?
A. The idea of going back home.
B. Her anxiety about her parents.
C. The feeling of being warm in her favorite sweater.
D. The feeling of getting back home safely.
53. Her father didn't take care of the garden because.
A. he was busy looking for her
B. he had to look after his wife
C. he was not strict with his job
D. he no longer enjoyed working in the garden
54. What can we infer from this passage?
A. In fact Jennifer's mother had been sick for days.
B. As Jennifer walked towards home, she became increasingly scared.
C. When she found the garden deserted, she realized she was wrong.
D. Having experienced a lot outside, Jennifer felt home was safest for her.
When Mary Moore began her high school in 1951, her mother told her, “Be sure and take a typing course so when this show business thing doesn't work out, you'll have something to rely on.” Mary responded in typical teenage fashion. “From that moment on, the very last thing I ever thought about doing was taking a typing course,” she recalls.
The show business thing worked out, of course. In her career, Mary won many awards. Only recently, when she began to write Growing Up Again, did she regret ignoring her mum,” I don't know how to use a computer,” she admits.
Unlike her 1995 autobiography, After All, her second book is less about life as an award-winning actress and more about living with diabetes (糖尿病). All the money from the book is intended for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), an organization she serves as international chairman. “I felt there was a need for a book like this,” she says.” I didn't want to lecture, but I wanted other diabetics to know that things get better when we're self-controlled and do our part in managing the disease.”
But she hasn't always practiced what she teaches. In her book, she describes that awful day, almost 40 years ago, when she received two pieces of life-changing news. First, she had lost the baby she was carrying, and second, tests showed that she had diabetes. In a childlike act, she left the hospital and treated herself to a box of doughnuts (甜甜圈). Years would pass before she realized she had to grow up again and take control of her diabetes, not let it control her. Only then did she kick her three-pack-a-day cigarette habit, overcome her addiction to alcohol, and begin to follow a balanced diet.
Although her disease has affected her eyesight and forced her to the sidelines of the dance floor, she refuses to fall into self-pity. “Everybody on earth can ask, 'why me?' about something or other,” she insists. “It doesn't do any good. No one is immune (免疫的) to heartache, pain, and disappointments. Sometimes we can make things better by helping others. I’ve come to realize the importance of that as I’ve grown up this second time. I want to speak out and be as helpful as I can be.”Why did Mary feel regretful?
| A.She didn’t achieve her ambition. | B.She didn’t take care of her mother. |
| C.She didn’t complete her high school. | D.She didn’t follow her mother’s advice. |
We can know that before 1995 Mary .
| A.had two books published | B.received many career awards |
| C.knew how to use a computer | D.supported the JDRF by writing |
Mary’s second book Growing Up Again is mainly about her _______.
| A.living with diabetes | B.successful show business |
| C.service for an organization | D.remembrance of her mother |
When Mary received the life-changing news, she _______.
| A.lost control of herself | B.began a balanced diet |
| C.had to get a treatment | D.behaved in an adult way |
What can we know from the last paragraph?
| A.Mary feels pity for herself. | B.Mary has recovered from her disease. |
| C.Mary wants to help others as much as possible. | D.Mary determines to go back to the dance floor. |