Swedish master medical photographer Lennart Nilsson is a pioneer in medical photography.In association with researchers and with the help of advanced, specially designed equipment, he has documented the inside of man down to the level of a cell with his camera.
Born in Strängnäs, a satellite city of Stockholm, in 1922, Nilsson got his first camera from his father when he was 11 years old.From the early stage, he has been interested in looking at ants and taking photos of them.Throughout the years, he has devoted special attention to capturing the creation of a human being, from conception to birth.
In 2006 when his photo book Life was published in both Swedish and English, he was invited to give a lecture at the Stockholm bookstore.He vividly described to the public how he took the photos so that the development process of the embryo can be understood better.Finally when he was signing his name in the book, I asked him what made him so passionate about working on this, he stopped writing and thought for a second, “I think it is the respect for life,” Nilsson said.
Nilsson began his career as a photographic journalist in the middle of the 1940s and published a number of photo-essays in Swedish and foreign magazines, including "Polar Bear Hunting in Spitzbergen" (1947) and Midwife.
“When I went to the professor to take the embryo photo, I was looking around and then I saw something which was unbelievable, it was a tiny human embryo lies in a very special place, a 10-20 millimeter embryo with hands, arms and eyes, and I got a shock,” Nilsson said.
Nilsson began experimenting with new photographic techniques in the mid-1950s to report on the world of ants and life in the sea.His revealing macro-studies were published in his book on ants, Myror (1959), and in the Life in the Sea (1959), and in Close to Nature (1984).In the 1960s special designed, very slim endoscopes (内窥镜))made it possible for him to photograph the blood vessels and the cavities (空洞) of the body with the necessary depth of field and, in 1970, he used a scanning electron microscope for the first time, he was also considered the pioneer for three dimension digital pictures of the body organs.
After his photographs of human embryo were published, he was encouraged to continue photographing the origins of human being.
Nilsson is very modest and sincere.At age of nearly 88, he is still cooperating with colleagues in Karolinska Institute where the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is selected every year.
“He can forget all the other things when he is working and he is still working diligently,” Mrs Nilsson told People’s Daily Online.
Why does Nilsson want to document the creation of a human being?
A.Because he is a pioneer in medical photography. |
B.Because he has been interested in taking photos. |
C.Because he thinks it a way to show respect for life. |
D.Because he wished to win a Nobel Prize. |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.Nilsson was the only expert in medical photography. |
B.Nilsson’s camera is specially designed. |
C.Nilsson’s photo book Life is better received than his other books. |
D.Nilsson has always been working alone. |
How many books written by Nilsson are mentioned in this passage?
A.3. | B.4. | C.5. | D.6. |
Which of the following word can Not be used to describe Nilsson?
A.Passionate. | B.Devoted. | C.Forgetful. | D.Dillgent. |
What can be the title for the passage?
A.Nilsson, a pioneer medical photographer. |
B.Nilsson, a pioneer medical publisher |
C.Nilsson, a person of rich experience |
D.Nilsson, a talented photographer |
The World's Largest Insect
This giant insect can be used as a toy.
A child ties one end of a string to a stick and the other end around the "neck" of an insect. Holding the stick, the child lets the insect go. With a loud whirring sound, the insect takes off, pulling the string in a large curve over the child's head. The child laughs as the stick jumps around. The child is African, and the toy is the African Goliath beetle, the largest insect in the world.
The Goliath is a true insect because it has six legs and a body that is divided into three parts. Like all beetles, it has two pairs of wings. The front pair are thick and stiff and protect the back pair, which are soft. It is these soft back wings that make the beetle fly forward. They also cause the loud whirring sound the beetle makes when it flies. To steer, the beetle twists and turns its legs the same way you steer a bike by turning its front wheel.
African children often use the Goliath beetle as a toy. Although it is over 15 centimeters long, it is quite harmless.
The African Goliath beetle is _______.
A.the world's largest insect |
B.a toy used in many parts of the world |
C.the only insect found in Africa |
D.the world's smallest insect |
What made the whirring sound that the child heard?
A.The curved string. | B.The beetle's soft wings. |
C.The beetle's six legs. | D.The beetle's body. |
We know the Goliath beetle is a true insect because it _______.
A.makes a whirring sound when it flies | B.has both soft and hard wings |
C.has six legs and a body with three parts | D.can fly |
When flying, the Goliath steers by_______.
A.turning its soft back wings |
B.twisting and turning its hard front wings |
C.twisting and turning its legs |
D.twisting and turning its whole body |
Here is a question I have often asked at dinner parties:
You're on an island with only one other person, your best friend. He's dying of cancer. In his final days, he tells you, "I have 100,000 dollars in a bank back home. When I die, make sure my son goes to medical school." Then he dies. But his son is a no-good playboy who has no interest in going to medical school and will waste that money away in a very short time. But your son is entering college, and he is willing to become a doctor. Which one do you give the money to for medical school?
I've asked this question of everyone from the president of a famous university to an ordinary young soldier, and it has never failed to get a discussion going. Everyone has an opinion, most of them different, but all of them correct. Sometimes this one topic lasts the whole evening.
Which of the following is TRUE to the passage?
A.Only the clever people can answer the question rightly. |
B.Some people refuse to answer such a silly question. |
C.Everyone at the dinner party seems to be interested in the question. |
D.Most of the people have the same answer. |
What the writer often says at dinner parties is _______.
A.not a true story | B.a true story |
C.a strange story | D.just a joke |
Why does the writer often ask people such a question? Because ______.
A.he wants to find the answer for a research |
B.he is interested in such a question |
C.he likes to make fun of people at parties |
D.he wants to offer people a topic in which everyone could say something |
Which of the following decisions is most likely NOT correct?
A.You give the money to your friend's son. |
B.You give the money to your son for medical school. |
C.You keep the money for your future medical care. |
D.You keep the money for your friend's son. |
My life as a ‘runner’ began by running in a playground near my home in order to lose weight about 2 years ago. As time went by, I found myself so good at running that sometimes, I even forgot how many rounds I ran around the playground.
Thanks to all this practice, I was able to win the 5th place in short course marathon game at ‘BASF Yeosu Site Athletic Competition’ held in October 2002. This event inspired(鼓舞)me to take part in public short-course marathon games such as 10km, 20km and half-course competitions. Finally, in May 2003, I was able to complete a full course (路线) marathon for the first time of my life. My next challenge was the Boston Marathon race, which is the world's oldest and most famous marathon races. To qualify for the Boston Marathon, one should meet the designated time standard of their age group at a certified marathon. So I took part in ChunCheon Marathon in Korea. I had to finish the full coursewithin 3 hours and 30 minutes to meet the time standard for my age group (45 to 49 years old). But to my pleasant surprise, I recorded 3 hours 22 minutes, which is 25 minute faster than my previous best record!
In April 2004, I was finally able to go to Boston. I was very pleased and proud because I could play a role to promote BASF all across the world through this sport. And it really happened! When I ran in the Boston Marathon wearing BASF logo(标记), people along the streets rooted for me shouting ‘BASF! BASF!’. I was very touched and so proud of my company. Of course I completed the full course successfully. After the game, I was interviewed by Korean local newspapers and had an opportunity to appear on several TV shows, which helped me to promote BASF in the community.
The author first began running in order to ______.
A.build up his strength | B.prepare for a marathon race |
C.lose weight | D.train for a sport meet |
From the passage we can learn that BASF is ______.
A.a company | B.a book |
C.a piece of sports equipment | D.a city |
We learn from the passage that the author is NOW______.
A.in his thirties | B.in his late forties |
C.in his twenties | D.in his fifties |
According to the passage, the author first took part in a full course marathon in ______.
A.2002 | B.2003 | C.2004 | D.2005 |
In 1995, Susan Boyle went to Glasgow to audition (试演) for My Kind of people, a televised talent show popular in the UK. She was immediately rejected. She was nervous during the audition, and felt she didn't perform well, but her brother said that she was rejected because of her plain looks. Boyle was not discouraged and continued to sing at church and at the karaoke nights in a local pub.
Boyle suffered a personal loss in 1997, when her father passed away. After his death. Boyle put her big dreams on hold to care for her sick mother Bridget Boyle. The mother and daughter often talked of Susan's possible fame. Bridget Boyle encouraged her daughter to take part in singing competitions. “She was the one who said I should enter Britain's Got Talent. We used to watch it together.” Susan later told reporters. “She thought I would win.”
In 1999, Boyle used all of her savings to pay for a professional demo (样本唱片) tape. which she sent to record companies. In 2002, Boyle began taking singing lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil.
In 2007, Boyle's mother passed away at the age of 91. A neighbor reported that when Bridget Boyle died, her daughter “wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone.” She lived alone with her cat, Pebbles. For over a year, she refused to sing. But in August of 2008, O'Neil urged her to try out for Britain's Got Talent. Convinced that the performance would be an honor to her mother, Boyle auditioned in Glasgow, Scotland. She sang I Dreamed A Dream in the first round of the show, which was aired on 11 April 2009.
The 47-year-old Scottish woman's plain looks provided a sharp contrast (对比) to her powerfully beautiful voice. The performance astonished the audience and the judges. Online videos of her performance totaled over 40 million views within a week. Although she failed to win the final of Britain's Got Talent, Susan Boyle became globally popular. Her first album I Dreamed A Dream has sold over five million copies.
Bridget Boyle's attitude towards her daughter's musical talent can be described as .
A.critical | B.doubtful | C.indifferent | D.optimistic |
From Para. 4 we learn that Boyle .
A.was slightly discouraged by her voice coach |
B.entered Britain's Got Talent to prove her ability |
C.decided to give up her singing career |
D.was deeply affected by her mother's death |
Which of the following is TRUE about Susan Boyle?
A.Her international fame grew rapidly in 2008. |
B.Her audition for My Kind of People failed. |
C.She has never stopped singing since 1995. |
D.She was the winner of Britain's Got Talent. |
In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to .
A.tell us how Boyle's dream came true |
B.let us know more about Boyle's personal life |
C.show how Boyle was influenced by her family |
D.explain how to enter and win a talent show |
He had travelled thousands of miles in the hope of earning some money,but 18-year-old Lin Kongming never knew danger was waiting for him.
He and six other migrant workers from Fujian Province spent 36 hours in Iraq as international hostages(人质). But luckily,they were set free last Tuesday morning,unharmed by the people who had taken them hostage.
After hard work by Chinese diplomats(外交官)in the region the Iraqi kidnappers(绑架者)agreed to hand them over to a local religious group.“The friendly relations between the Chinese and Iraqi peoples have played a key role in the release of the hostages,”said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan. China refused to join the US-led coalition(联军)in the Iraq war.
Since April 4,over 60 hostages from 12 countries,including America,Italy and Japan,have been taken in Iraq. Some have been released, others were killed.
The Iraqi resistance groups have started taking foreigners hostage in an attempt to force the US-led troops out of their country. As a result,many foreigners have left,fearing the situation will get worse. Some nations are also considering removing their troops from Iraq. Thailand has ordered its forces not to leave their camp and may bring them home before September as originally planned. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark is considering similar action.
But Dan Senor,spokesman for the US-led coalition in Baghdad,said that it would not negotiate(谈判)with “terrorists or kidnappers” to get hostages released.
The seven workers from Fujian were set free mainly because ______.
A.they were too poor to pay anything |
B.kidnappers didn’t know they were Chinese |
C.China didn’t take sides with the US-led coalition |
D.kidnappers were friendly to the Chinese |
Why did the Iraqi resistance groups start to take foreigners hostage?
A.To show their anger towards the occupation of foreign troops. |
B.To tell the world they would fear nothing. |
C.To make foreign armies leave their country. |
D.To resist the American troops. |
The author mentioned Dan Senor to show the US ______.
A.wouldn’t give in to Iraqi terrorists or kidnappers |
B.had enough power to station in Iraq |
C.wouldn’t give up unless it could get something |
D.had no plan to bring its troops home |
The passage mainly tells us ______.
A.the hostage crises in Iraq |
B.foreigners were not welcome in Iraq |
C.the Chinese hostages were set free |
D.keeping away from Iraq is a wise choice |
Last April, on a visit to the new Mall of America near Minneapolis, I carried with me a small book provided for the reporters by the public relations office. It
included a variety of “fun facts” about the mall, for example, 140,000 hot dogs are sold each week, there are 10,000 full-time jobs, 44 sets of moving stairs and 17 lifts, 12,750 parking places, 13,000 tons of steel and $ 1 million is drawn weekly from 8 ATMs. Opened in the summer of 2005, the mall was built where the former Minneapolis Stadium had been. It was only a five-minute drive from the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport. With 4.2 million square feet of floor space ----- twenty-two times the size of the average American shopping center –the Mall of America was the largest shopping and family recreation center under one roof in the United States.
I know already that the Mall of America had been imagined by its designers, not only as a marketplace, but as a national tourist attaction. Eleven thousand articles, the small book informed me, had been written about the mall. Four hundred trees had been planted in its gardens, $ 625 million had been spent to build it, and 350 stores were already in business. Three thousand bus tours were expected each year along with a half-million Canadian visitors and 200,000 Japanese tourists. Sales are expected to be at $ 650 million for 2008 and at $ I billion for 2009. Pop singers and film stars such as Janet Jackson and Amold Schwarzenegger visited the mall. It was five times larger than Red Square and it included 2.3 miles of hallways and used almost twice as Knott’s Camp Snoopy.
60. We know from the text that the Mall of America is _________.
A.near an old stadium B.close to an airport
C.higher than the Eiffel Tower D.bigger than most American parks
61. Why are the pieces of information provided by the Mall of America referred to as “fun facts”?
A.They are largely imagined. B.They are surprising figures(数字)
C.They give exact descriptions. D.They make people feel uneasy.
62. Why does the author mention popular stars who have been to the mall?
A.To show its power of attraction.
B.To show that few rich people like to shop there.
C.To tell the public about a new movie being made about it.
D.To tell people that they have chances of meeting famous stars there.
63. We can infer from the text that _______.
A.Japanese visitors are most welcome to the mall
B.Canadian visitors would spend $ I billion at the mall
C.Knott’s Camp Snoopy was next to the Mall of America
D.the Mall of America was designed to serve more than one purpose(目的)
Both my parents came from towns in Mexico. Then I was born in E1 Paso,Texas and when I was four, my family moved to a housing project in East Los Angeles.
Even though we struggled to make ends meet, my parents stressed to me and my four brothers and sisters how fortunate we were to live in a great country with limitless opportunities. They influenced us with the concepts of family, faith and nationalism.
I got my first real job when I was ten. My dad injured his back working in a cardboardbox factory and was retrained as a hairstylist. He rented space in a little shopping mall and gave his shop the fancy name of Mr.Ben’s Coiffure.
The owner of the shopping center gave Dad a discount on his rent for cleaning the parking lot three nights a week,which meant getting up at 3 a.m..To pick up rubbish, Dad used a little machine that looked like a lawn mower. Mom and I emptied garbage cans and picked up litter by hand. It took two to three hours to clean the lot. I’d sleep in the car on the way home.
I did this for two years,but the lessons I learned have lasted a lifetime. I acquired discipline and a strong work ethic(道德), and learned at an early age the importance of balancing life’s competing interests-in my case,school,homework and a job. This really helped during my senior year of a high school, when I worked 40 hours a week flipping burgers at a fastfood joint while taking a full load of college preparation courses.
The hard work paid off. I attended the U.S.Military Academy and went on to receive graduate degrees in law and business from Harvard. Later, I joined a big Los Angeles law firm and was elected to the California State Assembly(州议会).In these jobs and in everything else I’ve done, I have never forgotten those nights in the parking lot. The experience taught me that there is dignity in all work and that if people are working to provide for themselves and their families that is something we should honor.
59. Before my father got injured,we________.
A. didn’t like living in the USA B. lived a poor but happy life
C. were lucky to move to the USA D. had many ways to make money
60. When he recovered,to make a living my father________.
A. ran a small shopping mall B. did a parttime job
C. worked as a barber D. became a street cleaner
61. Working in the parking lot for two years had taught me________.
A. how to obey school discipline B. how to do two things well at a time
C. that discipline and work were of equal value
D. that I must do as many things as possible at a time
62. The author tells us in the last paragraph that we should be proud of those who________.
A. have done all kinds of jobs B. are cleaning the parking lot
C. have achieved a lot in their lives D. are bearing their responsibilities
Carlos Gardel was born on Dec. 11, 1890, just at the right time. The recording and film industries were jus starting to impact the world. Carlos had good looks and a pleasant voice. His death occurred at the peak of his career and popularity in a tragic accident.
Carlos Gardel was the first great singer of tango and to this day remains an icon (崇拜对象) in Argentina, Uruguay and much of the world. As a result of his important role in tango, there are three countries that claim him as their own: France, Uruguay and Argentina.
Carlos’s mother, Berthe, was an unmarried mother and his father did not recognize him. His mother took Carlos to Buenos Aires in 1893. They lived in a poor part of town and Carlos spent his time in the streets; he dropped out of school in 1906 at the age of 15 and started singing in bars.
For the next few years, Carlos toured the clubs and theaters of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. His most constant singing partner was Jose Razzano, a folk singer Carlos had met earlier during a singing match. In 1915, after playing in a club in Brazil, Carlos was shot in the left lung, where the bullet stayed for the rest of his life. “Mi Noche Triste” was the hit song that sent Carlos skyrocketing in popularity. It became the first recorded vocal tango and the public was grabbed by the recording of the song. Carlos and Rozzano spent the next years touring through Latin America. In 1923, they left the continent and struck out for Europe. In 1935, Carlos decided to go on tour through the Caribbean and northern South America. On June 24, a plane he was a passenger in was hit by another plane on the runway. Everyone on board was killed.
Carlos may be gone, but he is far from forgotten.
6. The passage was mainly written to ______.
A. show us the history of tango B. introduce the first singer of tango
C. teach us how tango developed D. advertise a tango class
7. We can infer from the passage that _____.
A. Carlos lived a poor life with his mother in Buenos Aires
B. Carlos had only been to France, Uruguay and Argentina
C. Carlos died at the age of 54.
D. Carlos was born when the film industry began to fail
8. What’s the RIGHT time order of the following events?
a. Carlos toured through Latin America.
b. Carlos was shot after playing in a club in Brazil.
c. Carlos toured the clubs and theaters of Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
d. Carlos moved to Buenos Aires.
A. cbad B. dcba C. cabd D. dcab
9. The underlined word “grabbed” in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by _____.
A. lied B. frightened C. cheated D. attracted
10. Which of the following statements about Carlos in NOT true?
A. His singing partner Jose was his brother.
B. He is an important figure in the world of tango.
C. His father did not recognize him
D. He died in a plane accident.
III.阅读理解(20×2)
When Sir Winston Churchill , the great British prime minister, reached his eightieth birthday in November 1954, he was presented with his portrait by a well-known modern artist, Granham Sutherland. The painting had been ordered and paid by the members of Parliament(国会), who wanted to honor the Grand Man of World war II.
Sir Winston and Lady Churchill were deeply moved by this mark of respect and affection. Neither of them, of course, allowed the donors(捐赠者) to see how much they both disliked the portrait. “It makes me look stupid—which I am not !” Churchill protested in private. Publicly, he only said that it was “a fine example of modern art”. His friends smiled: it was well-known that Sir Winston didn’t care for modern art.
Churchill was so unhappy about the portrait that finally his wife had it destroyed. Churchill died at ninety in January 1965. lady Churchill followed him in 1977. Shortly after her death, the public learned what had happened to Sutherland’s painting, and a heated argument broke out. The painter was understandably sad. The artistic community, shocked and angry, claimed that the destruction of the picture had been a crime. Historians said that they regretted the disappearance of a historical document. All agreed that Churchills didn’t have the right to do what they had done.
Well—did they ? A good part of the public felt that the owner of a portrait had the right to get rid of it if it made him so unhappy. The question, however, has been raised many times before: who has the right to a work of art—the sitter, the owner, the donor or the artist who created it? And when the painting is the portrait of a historical figure, should the right of posterity (后代) be considered, as the historians claimed?
1. To have Churchill’s portrait painted was the idea of ______.
A.a well-known modern artist B.Parliament
C.a friend of Churchill D.the public
2. Which of the following is true ?
A. Churchill liked the portrait but his wife not
B. Churchill didn’t like the portrait because he didn’t like the painter
C. Churchill liked the portrait because it was a fine modern art.
D . Churchill didn’t like the portrait and nor did his wife
3. When Churchill said it was “a fine example of modern art”, he was ______.
A. dishonest B. joking C. praising the portrait D. not been straight
4.When was the destruction of the portrait known to the public?
A . As soon as it happened B.After Churchill died in 1965
C. Soon after Lady Churchill’s death D. Not until recently
5. How did people reacted to the news?
A. People of the artistic community were all very sad.
B. The historians felt more strongly against it than the artistic community.
C.All people agreed that Chutchills had no right to destroy the picture.
D. while some were upset, quite a few people believed the Churchills had the right to destroy it.
Ⅱ 阅读(共两节,满分50分)
第一节:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A couple of years ago,before a trip to China,Nicole Davis and her US women’s volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (显著、突出) of coach “Jenny” Lang Ping in her native country.
“I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus,”said Davis.
Known as the “Iron Hammer” for her punishing spikes(扣球),Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s.She was a key player on China’s 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team.
When the US team arrived for the Olympics,Lang,48,who is from Beijing,had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans.
Then came the greatest moment to Lang:While the US team was playing in a packed gym,at least 8,000 Chinese fans unfurled an American flag.
“That really says it all,” Davis said.“They look at her as an icon(偶像).I’m sure it’s hard for them to see her coaching another country,but they love her so dearly that her success is their success.”
The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday,when China lost a match to the US.
“It’s a pity that China lost the match,but I’m still glad that Lang Ping’s team won,since she is the pride of China’s volleyball,” said Liu Chengli,a spectator.“We also cheered for
Lang’s victory.”
Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet.“It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.It’s the same.” Lang said.
Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players,said US volleyball player Lindsey Berg.
“It’s such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China,”she said.“The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous.The whole event has been unbelievable.”
26.What’s the passage mainly about?
A.Staying professional. B.Cheering for the Iron Hammer.
C.A match between China and the US. D.Lang Ping’s career as a coach.
27.Lang Ping avoided meeting the reporters and fans probably because she ________.
A.was afraid to be questioned about her strategy
B.didn’t want to be paid much attention to
C.disliked to be with her fans
D.didn’t want to disturb public order
28.What does the underlined word “unfurled” exactly mean?
A.destroyed completely B.tore into pieces
C.spread out to the wind D.rolled up
29.What does Lang Ping mean by saying “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.”?
A.American Volleyball Team will beat any team.
B.Chinese Volleyball Team is the same as other teams.
C.She just tried to stay professional.
D.The results of each match will be the same.
30.What impressed the US team players most?
A.The tolerance of Chinese people.
B.The popularity of volleyball in China.
C.Lang Ping’s coaching skills.
D.The loyalty for volleyball of the Chinese.
Having driven almost thirty hours, I decided to stay in South Carolina for a few days. The next morning, I purchased a three-day fishing license and bait (饵料) before heading to the lake.
Opening my trunk, I carefully took out my fishing gear (用具), put it on the lake’s edge, baited up and began to fish.
“Good morning,” said someone, walking up from behind me.
Turning around, I saw a game warden (猎场管理员) with a clip-board.
“Good morning,” I said, nodding my head.
“Catch any fish?” he asked.
“No sir, just relaxing and killing time.”
“Can I see your fishing license?”
I handed him the license I had purchased at the bait shop.
“Can I see your driver’s license, too?” he requested.
“I see the name on the driver’s license is spelled Kiser and the name on the fishing license is Kaiser,” said the warden.
“The gentleman at the bait shop must have written it wrong,” I told him.
“Well, I’m afraid I’ll have to write you up for fishing with an invalid license and take away your fishing gear.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I responded, with a surprised look on my face.
Sure enough I was written up and my fishing gear taken away. I was told that I would have to pay a fine and that my stuff would be sold at auction(拍卖).
I stood there almost in tears as he drove away. Those rods and reels were very special to me. I had used them over twenty years, fishing with my friends, who were now all dead.
After returning home in Georgia, I telephoned South Carolina trying to explain the situation, but no one would listen. I was told that the Department of Fish and Game had a “zero tolerance” for fishing and hunting violations. Finally, in tears I paid the fine and gave up the fight.
Nine months later, I received a letter. I had no idea who it was from as there was no return address. On a plain piece of notebook paper was written “Auction for the Department of Fish and Game held this Saturday at 11:00 am.”
On Saturday, at six in the morning I headed to South Carolina. By ten o’clock I had found the auction. There were numerous boats and piles upon piles of fishing equipment. All at once, there it was—my wonderful stuff all thrown in a pile as if it was worth nothing.
As the auction began I took my seat. In my wallet was twenty-seven dollars. For more than an hour I waited for my property to be brought to the auction block.
“We have three rods and reels here. I guess we will sell this as a unit,” said the auctioneer.
“50 dollars,” yelled someone in the crowd.
“51 dollars,” yelled another man.
I rose from my seat and walked out of the auction.
“66 dollars,” I heard as the bidding continued.
“100 dollars,” came another bid. The auction became silent.
“100 dollars once, 100 dollars twice, 100 dollars three times. Sold for 100 dollars,” went the auctioneer.
I walked to my truck, got in and just sat there. Suddenly I heard something hit the side of my truck. Turning around, I saw the back of a man putting my three rods and reels into my truck. It was the same game warden who wrote me the ticket almost a year ago!
As I got out of the truck he stuck out his hand and said, “I wasn’t wrong. It’s the law that is wrong.”
I shook his hand, thanked him and drove away. I cried as I crossed the South Carolina Georgia state line.
Who wrote a letter to the writer telling him about the auction?
A.The Department of Fish and Game. | B.The game warden. |
C.A person unmentioned in the passage. | D.The auction organizers. |
Why did the writer walk out of the auction while it was going on?
A.He realized he was unable to get back his fishing gear. |
B.He was too nervous to stay inside till the auction ended. |
C.He couldn’t bear hearing people selling his fishing gear. |
D.He knew the game warden was waiting for him outside. |
What did the game warden mean by saying “It’s the law that is wrong”?
A.It didn’t make any sense to prohibit people from fishing freely in South Carolina. |
B.The writer did break the law by fishing with an invalid license whatever the reason. |
C.The writer should have been allowed a chance to explain and get his things back. |
D.The auction should not have been held to sell the boats and fishing equipment. |
情景对话:(5‘)
--The plane is late, isn’t it?
--Yes,it is
--_______
--No, I don’t.I ‘m just a tourist.
--________
--Yes.I have been here twice before.
--_________
--Mount Gu,Xichan Temple,Jiangbin Park and so on.
--What do you think of Fuzhou?
--It’s beautiful.______ ______ That’s why I am here again.
--How do you like food in Fuzhou
--Very much._____ ____I must go now
--Wish you a happy journey!
--Thanks. Bye!
A.I don’t think so. |
B.Do you work here in Fuzhou? |
C.Oh,here’s my plane at last. |
D.What places have you been to? |
E.How long have you stayed in Fuzhou?
F.Have you everr been here before?
G.Great changes have taken place these years.
I had an experience some years ago, which taught me something about the ways in which people make a bad situation worse by blaming themselves. One January, I had to hold two funerals on successive days for two elderly women in my community. Both had died “full of years”, as the Bible would say. Their homes happened to be near each other, so I paid condolence (吊唁) calls on the two families on the same afternoon.
At the first home, the son of the deceased (已故的) woman said to me, “If only I had sent my mother to Florida and gotten her out of this cold and snow , she would be alive today. It’s my fault that she died.” At the second home, the son of the other deceased woman said, “If only I hadn’t insisted on my mother’s going to Florida, she would be alive today. That long airplane ride, the sudden change of climate, was more than she could take. It’s my fault that she’s dead.”
You see that any time there is a death, the survivors will feel guilty. Because the course of action they took turned out badly, they believe that the opposite course — keeping Mother at home, putting off the operation — would have turned out better. After all, how could it have turned out any worse?
There seem to be two elements involved in our willingness to feel guilty. The first is our pressing need to believe that the world makes sense, that there is a cause for every effect and a reason for everything that happens. That leads us to find patterns and connections both where they really exist and where they exist only in our minds.
The second element is the view that we are the cause of what happens, especially the bad things that happen. It seems to be a short step from believing that every event has a cause to believing that every disaster is our fault. The roots of this feeling may lie in our childhood.
A baby comes to think that the world exists to meet his needs, and that he makes everything happen in it. He wakes up in the morning and summons the rest of the world to its tasks. He cries, and someone comes to attend to him. When he is hungry, people feed him, and when he is wet, people change him. Very often, we do not completely outgrow that childish view that our wishes cause things to happen.
The author had to hold the two women’s funerals probably because .
A.he wanted to comfort the two families | B.he was an official from the community |
C.he had great pity for the deceased | D.he was priest of the local church |
People feel guilty for the deaths of their loved ones because .
A.they couldn’t find a better way to express their sorrow |
B.they believe that they were responsible |
C.they had neglected the natural course of events |
D.they didn’t know things often turn out in the opposite direction |
According to the passage, the underlined part in paragraph 4 probably means that .
A.everything in the world is predetermined |
B.the world can be interpreted in different ways |
C.there’s an explanation for everything in the world |
D.we have to be sensible in order to understand the world |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.Life and death is an unsolved mystery. |
B.Every story should have a happy ending. |
C.Never feel guilty all the time because not every disaster is our fault. |
D.In general, the survivors will feel guilty about the people who passed away . |
Margaret, married with two small children, has been working for the last seven years as a night cleaner, cleaning offices in a big building.
She trained as a nurse, but had to give it up when her elder child became seriously ill. “I would have liked to go back to it, but the shifts(工作班次)are all wrong for me, as I have to be home to get the children up and off to school.”
So she works as a cleaner instead, from 9 p.m. till 6 a.m. five nights a week for just £90, before tax and insurance. “It’s better than it was last year, but I still think that people who work ‘unsocial hours’ should get a bit extra.”
The hours she’s chosen to work mean that she sees plenty of the children, but very little of her husband. However, she doesn’t think that puts any pressure on their relationship.
Her work isn’t physically very hard, but it’s not exactly pleasant, either. “I do get angry with people who leave their offices like a place for raising pigs. If they realized people like me have to do it, perhaps they’d be a bit more careful.”
The fact that she’s working all night doesn’t worry Margaret at all. Unlike some dark buildings at night, the building where she works is fully lit, and the women work in groups of three. “Since I’ve got to be here, I try to enjoy myself—— and I usually do, because of the other girls. We all have a good laugh, so the time never drags.”
Another challenge Margaret has to face is the reaction of other people when she tells them what she does for a living. “They think you’re a cleaner because you don’t know how to read and write,” said Margaret, “I used to think what my parents would say if they knew what I’d been doing, but I don’t think that way any more. I don’t dislike the work though I can’t say I’m mad about it.”
Margaret quit her job as a nurse because _______.
A.she wanted to earn more money to support her family |
B.she had suffered a lot of mental pressure |
C.she needed the right time to look after her children |
D.she felt tired of taking care of patients |
Margaret gets angry with people who work in the office because _______.
A.they never clean their offices |
B.they look down upon cleaners |
C.they never do their work carefully |
D.they always make a mess in their offices |
When at work, Margaret feels _______.
A.light-hearted because of her fellow workers |
B.happy because the building is fully lit |
C.tired because of the heavy workload |
D.bored because time passes slowly |
The underlined part in the last paragraph implies that Margaret’s parents would _______.
A.help care for her children |
B.regret what they had said |
C.show sympathy for her |
D.feel disappointed in her |
试题篮
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