Zachariah Fike has an unusual hobby. He finds old military(军队的)medals for sale in antique stores and on the Internet. But unlike most collectors, Zac tracks down the medals' rightful owners, and returns them.
His effort to reunite families with lost medals began with a Christmas gift from his mother, a Purple Heart with the name Corrado A. G. Piccoli, found in an antique shop. Zac knows the meaning of a Purple Heart-he earned one himself in a war as a soldier. So when his mother gave him the medal, he knew right away what he had to do.
Through the Internet, Zac tracked down Corrado's sister Adeline Rockko. But when he finally reached her, the woman flooded him with questions: "Who are you?2What antique shop?" However, when she hung up, she regretted the way she had handled the call. So she called Zac back and apologized. Soon she drove to meet Zac in Watertown, N.Y. "At that point, I knew she meant business," Zac says. "To drive eight hours to come to see me."
The Piccolis grew up the children of Italian immigrants in Watertown. Corrado, a translator for the Army during WWII, was killed in action in Europe.
Before hearing from Zac, Adeline hadn't realized the medal was missing. Like many military medals, the one Zac's mother had found was a family treasure." This medal was very precious to my parents. Only on special occasions(场合)would they take it out and let us hold it in our hands," Adeline says.
As a child, Adeline couldn't understand why the medal was so significant. "But as I grew older," Adeline says, "and missed my brother more and more, I realized that was the only thing we had left." Corrado Piccoli's Purple Heart medal now hangs at the Italian American Civic Association in Watertown.
Zac recently returned another lost medal to a family in Alabama. Since he first reunited Corrado's medal, Zac says his record is now 5 for 5.
(1)Where did Zac get a Purple Heart medal for himself?
A. | In the army. |
B. | In an antique shop. |
C. | From his mother. |
D. | From Adeline Rockko. |
(2)What did Zac realize when Adeline drove to meet him?
A. | She was very impolite. |
B. | She was serious about the medal. |
C. | She suspected his honesty. |
D. | She came from a wealthy family. |
(3)What made Adeline treasure the Purple Heart?
A. | Her parents' advice. |
B. | Her knowledge of antiques. |
C. | Her childhood dream. |
D. | Her memory of her brother. |
From the earliest times,man has been interested in art.People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures.
Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris,France.The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries.
The Louvre has not always been a museum.The first building was a fort(炮台).In 1190,it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower.It had a moat to keep out his enemies.
Over the years,the number of buildings around the castle grew.By 1350,the castle was no longer needed as a fort.The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens.
During times of peace,new treasures were brought in.During days of war,many treasures were stolen,and the buildings were damaged.
When Francis I became king of France in 1515,he brought in artists from many countries.One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy.Da Vinci's"Mona Lisa"is the best known painting in the museum today.
In 1793,the Louvre became a public museum,just as it is now.It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy.
56.On the whole,this passage is mainly about____. .
A.an art museum called the Louvre B.an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci
C.a king of France named Francis I D.the best known painting in Louvre
57.Which of the following is not true?
A.The Louvre used to be a fort a very long time ago.
B.French kings and queens once lived in it.
C.The Louvre was taken by enemies in 1190.
D.Many treasures were brought into the Louvre over the years.
58.Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums?
A.It helps people remember who the King of France is.
B.It keeps people out of the palaces.
C.It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art.
D.It helps people to know who is the greatest artist.
59.From the passage we know that _____.
A.it is not possible for treasures to be stolen B.old forts always make the best museums
C.great art should be shared with all the people
D.king Francis I of France brought in artists from an old fort
60.In the third paragraph the word"moat"probably means_____.
A.a high tower built in former times where soldiers watched out for enemies
B.a long and deep ditch dug round a castle and was usually filled with water
C.a cart pulled by horses on which soldiers fought
D.a long and high wall around castle
There is an endless supply of stories about sleepwalkers(梦游者). People have been said to climb on roofs, solve mathematical problems, write music, walk through windows, and do murder in their sleep.
In Revere, Masachusctts, a hundred policemen scarched for a lost boy who left his home in his sleep and woke up five hours later on a strange sofa in a strange living room, with no idea how he had got there.
At the University of Lowa, a student was reported to have the habit of getting up in the middle of the night and walking three—quarters of a mile to the lowa River. He would take a swim and then go back to his room to bed.
An American expert on sleep claims(声称) that he has never seen a sleepwalker. He is said to know more about sleep than any other living man, and during the last thirty—five years he has lost a lot of sleep watching people sleep. He says, “Of course, I know that there are sleepwalkers because I have read about them in the newspapers. But none of my sleepers ever walked, and if I were to advertise for sleepwalkers for an experiment, I doubt whether I would get many takers(应征者).”
Sleepwalking, however, is a scientific reality. It is one of those strange things that sometimes looks quite fantastic(奇特的). Doctors say that sleepwalking is much more common than is generally supposed. Many sleepwalkers do not try to find help and their sleepwalking is never recorded.
52. Generally speaking, sleepwalkers are people who __________.
A. climb on roofs B. walk through windows
C. do fantastic things during their sleepD. walk in a half—awake state
53. It was reported that a boy ________.
A. was found on a strange sofa, telling how he had got there
B. slept in his own room but woke up in a strange room
C. lost his way five hours after he left home
D. was searched for by policemen when he lost his way
54. There was a college student who got into the habit of ___________.
A. getting up in the middle of the night and walking down to the river
B. walking three—quarters of a mile every day
C. swimming in the lowa River before going to bed
D. walking about before he went to bed
55. Why do people think sleepwalking is nothing but a fantastic thing which doesn’t have any explanation?
A. It is so common that it needn’t be recorded.
B. Scientists take no interest in it.
C. Most sleepwalkers do not seek help for their problem.
D. No records about it have been made.
The Museum of Childhood is spread over 4 floors, with the first floor acting like a balcony around the edge of the building, so you can look down over the ground floor central hall with the shop, Information Desk and Benugo Café.The museum of Childhood is housed in a large Victorian building in east London. It has been on this site since 1872. It has undergone refurbishment (翻新) and reopened in 2006 and an elevator now makes all floors accessible.
This is not a quiet place and children are allowed to have fun here. Child safety is extremely important and a member of staff remains by the front door at all times. Also, note the “Code of Behavior” notice, which includes: children under 12 must be supervised by an adult; no eating in the galleries and no running.
Toy exhibits are in glass cases and there are plenty of low-level exhibits for younger children to see. The glass cases have lots of thought-inspiring questions on them to encourage discussion between adults and children. When you or the children need some quiet time, there are sofas at either end of the second floor with reading books available.
Pros: Many free activities for kids
Cons: Can be too warm insideVisit Duration: 1.5 hours
Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. Last admission is 5:30 p.m.
The Museum is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January every year.
Admission: Admission the Museum is free. There is a small charge for some activities.
48. In the Museum of Childhood, _______.
A.people can reach any floor by elevatorB.there are sofas at either end of the first floor
C. there are exhibits on the museum history D.the Information Desk can be found on each floor
49. The Museum of Childhood may be attractive to _______.
A. parents who only have children under 12
B. children who are fond of toy exhibits
C. parents and children who need quiet time
D. kids who like playing games with their parents
50. What is the disadvantage of the museum?
A. Low-level exhibits are too boring. B. Children may feel slightly hot in it.
C. Parents have to stay with their kids. D. No staff members attend to the kids.
51. What information can we get about the museum?
A.All the activities for children are free.
B.The museum is located in west London.
C.Children are allowed to enter after 5:30.
D.The museum is unavailable on Christmas Day.
When she looked ahead, Florence Chadwick saw nothing but a solid wall of fog. Her body was numb(全身麻木). She had been swimming for nearly sixteen hours. Already she was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. Now, at age 34, her goal was to become the first woman to swim from Catalina Island to the California coast.
On that fourth of July morning in 1952, the sea was like an ice bath and the fog was so dense she could hardly see her support boats. Sharks cruised toward her lone figure, only to be driven away by rifle shots. Against the cold sea, she struggled on ---- hour after hour ---- while millions watched on national television.
Alongside Florence in one of the boats, her mother and her trainer offered encouragement. They told her it wasn't much farther. But all she could see was fog. They urged her not to quit. She never had … until then. With only a half mile to go, she asked to be pulled out.
She told a reporter hour later, "Look, I'm not excusing myself, but if I could have seen land I might have made it." It was not tiredness or even the cold water that defeated her. It was the fog. She was unable to see her goal.
Two months later, she tried again. This time, despite the same dense fog, she swam with her goal clearly pictured in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind that fog was land and this time she made it! Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel, eclipsing(超出) the men's record by two hours!
44. Florence Chadwick was the first woman to swim across ________.
A.the English ChannelB.the Catalina Channel
C.the California coastD.Catalina Island
45. Florence failed on her first trial mainly because of _______.
A. the sharks B. the tiredness C. the cold water D. the bad weather
46. The underlined word “then” in this passage refers to the period when _______.
A. she had swum nearly sixteen hours B. sharks swam toward her
C. she couldn’t see her support boats D. millions of people watched her on TV
47. We can infer from the passage that it was ______ that resulted in her success.
A. her family’s encouragementB. her iron will
C. her swimming skills D. the good weather
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,从媒体所给的四个选项(A,B,C,D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
Students who say they never or hardly ever used dictionaries may speak English well but usually write poorly, because they make many mistakes.
The students who use dictionaries most do not learn especially well either. The ones who look up every new word do not read fast. Therefore they do not have time to read much. Those who use small two-language dictionaries have the worst problems. Their dictionaries often give only one or two words as translations of English. But one English word often has many translations in a foreign language and one foreign word has many translations in English.
The most successful students are those who use large college edition dictionaries with about 100,000 words but do not use them too often. When they are reading, these students first try to get the general idea and understand new words from the context. Then they reread and use the dictionary to look up only key words that they still do not understand. They use dictionaries more for writing. If they are not sure how to spell a word, they always use a dictionary. Also, if they think a noun might have an unusual plural form, they check this in a dictionary.
41. According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?
A. Dictionaries have little effect on learning to speak English.
B. Whatever new words you meet while reading, never use dictionaries.C. Small two-language dictionaries have serious shortcomings.
D. Reading something for the first time, you’d better not use dictionaries.
42. This passage mainly tells us .
A. that students shouldn’t use small two-language dictionaries
B. what were the shortcomings of small two-language dictionaries
C. why students should use large college edition dictionaries
D. what dictionary students should choose and how to use it
43. Which is NOT mentioned in this passage?
A. How to make good use of a dictionary. B. When to use a dictionary.
C. How to improve spoken English.D. How to practice reading fast.