My mother was a household servant. Through her work, she observed that successful people spent a lot more time reading than they did watching television. She announced that my brother and I could only watch two to three pre-selected TV programs during the week. With our free time, we had to read two books each from the Detroit Public Library and write book reports. She would mark them up with check marks. Years later we realized her marks were a ruse. My mother had only received a third-grade education. Although we had no money, between the covers of those books, I could go anywhere, do anything and be anybody.
When I entered high school, I was an A-student, but not for long. I wanted the fancy clothes. I wanted to hang out with the guys. I went form being an A- student to a B- student to a C-student, but I didn’t care.
One night my mother came home and I complained about not having enough shirts. She said, “Okay, I’ll give you all the money I make this week cleaning floors and bathrooms, and you can buy the family food and pay the bills. With everything left over, you can have all the shirts you want.”
I was very pleased with that arrangement but once I got through allocating(分配) money, there was nothing left. I realized my mother was a financial genius to be able to keep a roof over our heads and any kind of food on the table, much less buy clothes.
I also realized that immediate satisfaction wasn’t going to get me anywhere. Success required intellectual(理智的) preparation. I went back to my studies and became an A-student again. I dreamed of becoming a doctor when I was just a kid. And now I have achieved my dream.
Over the years my mother’s changeless faith in God has inspired me, particularly when I found myself faced with my own medical illness. A few years ago I discovered I had a very serious cancer; I was told it might have spread to my spine(脊柱). My mother believed in God very much. She never worried. She said that God would never throw me away forever; there was no way that this was going to be a major problem. The abnormality in spine turned out to be not bad; I was able to have surgery and am cured.
My story is really my mother’s story -a woman little formal education or worldly goods who used her position as a parent to change the lives of her children. The underlined word “ruse” in the first paragraph probably means .
A.discovery | B.success | C.trick | D.pleasure |
When the author asked his mother to buy him shirts, she .
A.advised him to earn money by himself |
B.asked him to try to manage their money |
C.persuaded him not to buy them patiently |
D.agreed to buy them for him immediately |
What do we learn about the author?
A.He now works as a doctor. |
B.He disliked watching TV as a kid. |
C.He received little formal education. |
D.He often did housework when young. |
The underlined word “this” in the last but one paragraph refers to .
A.God’s throwing me away |
B.my own medical illness |
C.the operation on my spine |
D.my mother’s changeless faith in God |
In writing the passage, the author mainly shows us .
A.the happy relationships in his family |
B.the benefits of reading for young children |
C.the importance of formal education for adults |
D.his mother’s great influence on his development |
He was once referred to as the Picasso of poetry. Beloved by Chileans of all classes, he is one of the most widely read and respected poets in history. And this year is the 100th birthday of Pablo Neruda (1904-1973).
Born with the name Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basolto, he was a tall, shy and lonely boy. He loved to read and started to write poetry when he was ten. The American poet Walt Whitman, whose framed picture Neruda later kept on his table, became a major influence on his work.
However, his father did not like the idea of having a poet for a son and tried to discourage him from writing. To cover up the publication of his first poem, he took the pen name Pablo Neruda.
In 1924 Neruda gained fame with his most widely read work “Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair’’. Yet his rich experience as a diplomat and exile made him go beyond the theme of love. His work also reflected the political struggle of the left and development of South America. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971.
Neruda loved the sea which he saw as creative, destructive and forever moving. He found inspiration in the power and freedom of the waves and the seabirds on the coast. “I need the sea because it teaches me,” he wrote. “I move in the university of the waves.” He loved how the sea forever renewed itself, a renewal echoed in his work.
5. The underlined word “Picasso” can probably be replaced by “________”.
A. most important person B. famous person from Picasso
C. freedom fighter in Picasso D. poem fan
6. Neftali Ricardo Reyes Basolto took the pen name Pablo Neruda because ________.
A. literary greats usually used the pen name
B. his father encouraged him to use the name
C. he wanted to prevent his father knowing the publication
D. he was greatly influenced by other poets
7. Which of the following is not the theme of his works?
A. Love. B. Political struggle. C. Social reform. D. Development of South America.
8. The last paragraph mainly tells us ________.
A. the sea gave Neruda vast writing inspiration B. the beautiful scenery along the Chile coast
C. Neruda’s poems were widely read overseas D. Neruda loved to write his poems near the sea
Jimmy was a twenty-year-old man. His father was a teacher and taught physics in a middle school and his mother worked in a shop. They lived a happy life until his parents died one night when suddenly an earthquake broke out. Luckily his sister took him to see their aunt in the city and they did not stay at home. Everything was destroyed in the earthquake and the two children got into trouble. Thanks to their aunt who was not rich enough, they grew up but they lived a hard life. His sister was so sad that she became a nun(修女). After he finished middle school, he was introduced to and owner of a hotel and began to work there.
One day the young man fell to ground while he was cleaning a window on the second floor. One of his legs was broken and he had to be in hospital. He said to the nurse, “I’m a poor man, madam. Arrange a third-class ward(病房) for me, please.”
“Can’t anybody help you?”
“No, madam,” answered Jimmy. “I have only a sister. She’s a nun and she’s poor, too.”
“I don’t think so,” the nurse said angrily. “Nuns usually marry God. And God is the richest in the world, you know!”
“Well, then,” Jimmy said with a smile. “Please arrange a first-class ward for me and post the bill to my brother-in-law.”
1. Jimmy’s parents died .
A. in an accident B. in a war C. in an earthquake D. from a disease
2. Jimmy and his sister escaped from the earthquake because .
A. they played outside B. they were in a safe place
C. their parents saved them D. the aunt saved them
3. The sister and brother lived a hard life because .
A. they lost all B. they were too young
C. they were hurt in the earthquake D. they had to look after themselves
4. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The nurse would arrange a third-class ward for Jimmy.
B. Jimmy’s sister became a nun because of her illness.
C. The nurse would post Jimmy’s bill to God.
D. Jimmy had a rich brother-in-law.
Long ago, in days of the Roman Empire, people used to believe a god of farmings called “Saturn”. They believed that Saturn could make the weather good or bad, and that he had the power to control how much rain would fall.
Before a Roman farmer would plant his fields, he would try to get Saturn to give him good weather. He believed that if he killed an animal for Saturn, that would make Saturn happy. Then Saturn would make sure that the weather was good.
Not only did the people name a planet after Saturn but they also name a day of the week after him. They called this day “Saturni dies”, Latin words which mean “day of Saturn”. In English those words became Saturday.
6. What was Saturn believed to be in charge of?
A. Rainfall. B. The power of nature. C. Farming. D. Days in a week.
7. Why did a Roman farmer kill an animal before planting his fields?
Because .
A. killing an animal would bring him good luck
B. Saturn enjoyed eating animals
C. Saturn was happy to see animals being killed
D. he wanted to please Saturn so that Saturn would make the weather good for his planting
8. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
A. Saturn is also the name of planet.
B. The Roman people used to believe Saturn to be their god.
C. Saturn was named for the last day of the week.
D. Saturn had three meanings.
9. What’s the aim of the author in writing this passage?
A. How the Romans worshipped (崇拜) Saturn.
B. Why the Romans believed in Saturn.
C. The different meanings of the word Saturn.
D. How Saturday got its name.
Daniel Defoe (about 1660~1731) was an important novelist in the English literature(文学). When he was young, he served as a soldier and had been to Spain, Italy, France and Germany. At the same time, he went in for politics. He cared much about the development of capitalism(资本主义). He had written a lot of articles against it and he was put into prison twice for that. It was not until he was nearly sixty that he began to write the famous novel Robinson Crusoe, which was published in May, 1709. It spread so rapidly that the story was known to every household very soon.
Robinson Crusoe can be divided into three parts. The first part is about Crusoe’s three voyages, the second part about his hunting, hiding in caves farming and his hard struggles against nature on a small island, the third part about the things which happened after his return from the island. The second part is the body of the novel, in which Robinson’s characters are clearly shown.
Defoe wrote his novel in a simple style and his language is easy to understand. His novel-writing set a milestone of the modern English novel. In his later part of life, he was in poor health and lived very poorly. He died on April 24th, 1731..Daniel Defoe was ______ and the writer of ______.
A.an Englishman, “A Tale of Two Cities” | B.an American, “A Million Pound Note” |
C.a Frenchman, “The Lost Necklace” | D.an Englishman, “Robinson Crusoe” |
. How old was he when he began to write his famous novel “Robinson Crusoe”?
A.He was in his sixties. | B.He was in his fifties. |
C.He was over 60. | D.He was sixty. |
. Robinson Crusoe can be divided into ______ parts and the first is about _______.
A.two, his lonely life | B.three, his characters |
C.three, his journeys by sea | D.four, his fame |
. “Every household” in this passage means ______.
A.all members of a family | B.all people |
C.every building | D.persons living in the same house |
.What was Defoe’s contribution(贡献) to the English literature?
A.He wrote a very interesting story. |
B.He made people happy while reading his story. |
C.He set a milestone of the modern English novel. |
D.He was active in politics and was against capitalism. |
Gabby Logan was a gymnast when she was young. She is now the 39-year-old mother of seven-year-old twins, Reuben and Lois. The other day on TV she was dressed in a new swimsuit, which was designed to show off her nice figure, which was admired by a great number of television viewers.
Gabby, who won high praise for her television show of the Olympics, has asked the woman of the whole nation to go to the swimming pool, saying the secret of her figure is regular swimming. She is also making advertisements for the new Sculpture Swimwear of Speedo, an international swimsuit company, to help women find the perfect swimsuit.
Gabby said, "We all felt uneasy about getting into our swimwear at first. But we should be excited by the sporting achievements we have seen at the Olympics this summer. To get ourselves a little healthier, have a try and go to the swimming pool. " Then she said," Swimming is the perfect exercise if you want to feel healthy or simply relax. I find that going for a swim always clears my mind and also gives me some valuable 6 my time'. I like the calm of swimming which I can't experience when I am not in the pool. "
A study by Speedo, an International company, which sells swimsuits, reported the biggest reason why women were put off going to the pool was the way they looked in swimwear. More than half of the l,000 women surveyed have been reduced to tears when trying on swimwear. And 48 percent said they felt too self-conscious to go swimming with their children. Sally Polak, from Speedo, said, " We're hoping to give women the courage and confidence to get back into the water. "
What can we learn about Gabby Logan?
A.She has two children of the same age. |
B.She appeared on TV to show off her nice figure. |
C.She was a swimmer when she was young. |
D.She took part in the Olympic Games when she was young. |
What is the main reason why Gabby has a nice figure?
A.She is a gymnast. |
B.She often swims. |
C.She has a peaceful mind |
D.She wears Sculpture Swimwear. |
The biggest reason why most women were stopped from swimming is _ .
A.their shy mind of wearing the swimsuit |
B.their being too busy with their housework |
C.their not being comfortable in the swimsuit |
D.their being afraid of their child seeing them wear less |
What is the author's purpose of writing the text?
A.To introduce a famous woman. |
B.To discuss a TV show of the Olympics. |
C.To report a way of keeping a good figure. |
D.To encourage women to go swimming. |
At the age of ten I could not figure out what this Elvis Presley guy had that the rest of us boys did not have.I mean,he had a head,two arms and two legs,just like the rest of us.About nine o’clock on Saturday morning I decided to ask Eugene Correthers,one of the older boys,what it was that made this Elvis guy so special.He told me that it was Elvis’ wavy hair and the way he moved his body.
About half an hour later all the boys in the orphanage(孤儿院)were called to the main dining-room and told we were all going to downtown Jacksonville,Florida to get a new pair of Buster Brown shoes and a haircut.That is when I got this big idea,which hit me like a ton of bricks. If the Elvis hair cut was the big secret,then that’s what I was going to get.
A11 the way to town I told everybody, including the matron(女管家)from the orphanage who was taking us to town,that I was going to look just like Elvis Presley and that I would learn to move around just like he did and that I would be rich and famous one day, just like him.
When I got my new Buster Brown shoes, I could hardly wait for my new hair cut and now that I had my new Busier Brown shoes I would be very happy to go back to the orphanage and practice being like Elvis.
We finally arrived at the big barber shop,where they cut our hair for free because we were orphans(孤儿).I looked at the barber and said,“I want an Elvis hair cut. Can you make my hair like Elvis?”I asked him,with a big smile on my face.“Let's just see what we can do for you,little man,”he said.I was so happy when he started to cut my hair.Just as he started to cut my hair, the matron signed for him to come over to where she was standing.She whispered something into his ear and then he shook his head,like he was telling her “No”.Then he told me they were not allowed to give us Elvis hair cuts.Then I saw my hair falling onto the floor.In the author’s eyes,Elvis Presley was_________.
A.disgusting | B.admirable |
C.ambitious | D.dynamic |
From the passage,we can know that______________.
A.Buster Brown was more appealing than Elvis Presley |
B.An Elvis hair cut cost the orphans a lot of money |
C.The matron did not want the boy to have an Elvis hair cut |
D.The barber was unwilling to give the boy an Elvis hair cut |
We can learn from the underlined sentence that the boy was______.
A.excited to have an Elvis hair cut |
B.worried to think about the secret |
C.anxious to remove the ton of bricks |
D.careful to seize the chance |
How would the boy probably feel when he walked out of the barber shop?
A.Delighted. | B.Guilty. |
C.Self-satisfied. | D.Depressed. |
I was in a shopping mall recently, and I decided to go and get a cup of tea. As I was making my way to the coffee shop, I noticed an old gentleman rather poorly dressed sitting on a bench nearby. I knew from the first sight that he was in need of some kind of help. He had a little lunch in front of him and was wholeheartedly enjoying it.
There was a young man in front of me in the line also waiting to be served. The young man handed the servant a twenty-dollar bill and asked for an orange juice as well as a favor. The servant looked at the young man with a little surprise, not fully understanding him. The young man asked her to give the juice to the old gentleman eating his lunch outside on the bench. The young man also told her that he would be watching every second so that she would be completely safe at all times. Later, there was a wonderful exchange between the waitress and the old man. I only wished I had taken a photo of the smiles on both of their faces.
As I was thinking about this event later on, I wondered why the young man didn’t just perform this act of kindness himself. I thought he was hoping that this act of kindness might inspire others to do something for the old man as well. Thinking of the happy smiles on the old man’s face, I felt how worthwhile it is to help others.The underlined word “favor” in Para. 2 refers to________.
A.passing the young man a cup of orange juice |
B.buying lunch for the old man |
C.exchanging meals with the old man |
D.giving the juice to the old man |
Which of the following can be used to describe the young man?
A.Kind and considerate | B.Generous and proud. |
C.Rich and friendly. | D.Humorous and helpful. |
In the author’s opinion, the young man asked the servant to take the juice to the old man so that____________.
A.the old man could probably accept it |
B.he would become famous for his good deed |
C.more people would be inspired to do good deeds |
D.he would become a friend of the servant |
The world’s richest man might seem to have it all, but Bill Gates has one regret. The self-made billionaire said he felt stupid for not knowing any foreign languages.
Speaking in his third Ask Me Anything question-and-answer session for online forum Reddit(红迪网), the Microsoft founder said that he wished he spoke French, Arabic or Chinese.
He said: “I took Latin and Greek in high school and got A’s and I guess it helps my vocabulary. I keep hoping to get time to study one of these—probably French because it is the easiest. I did Duolingo for a while but didn’t keep it up.”
Gates, who is worth $79.3 billion, praised Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for surprising an audience in Beijing when he spoke fluent Chinese. “Mark Zuckerberg amazingly leamed Chinese and did a Q&A with Chinese students—unbelievable, isn’t it?” he said.
This isn’t the first time for Gates to admit his regret over language. He also showed his habits at home and personal insights.
Last February, Gates said he likes to do the dishes himself—to his own special standards every night and also told the interviewer that his wife, Melinda, would likely want Samuel L. Jackson to play her husband in a biopic(传记片).
He also admitted that he would pick up a $100 bill if he found it on the street.
As he took the top spot on Forbes(福布斯)28th Annual Billionaires list last year for the fourth time, he said he is pretty basic when it comes to so ending on clothes and food, but that he enjoys investing in shoes and racquets(球拍)when he plays tennis.
When asked a life lesson he had to learn the hard way, the billionaire said staying up too late is a habit he is still trying to break. “Don’t stay up too late even if the book is really exciting. You will regret it in the morning. Pam still working on this problem,” he said. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.An Interview with Bill Gates |
B.How Bill Gates Succeeded |
C.Bill Gates’ Regret |
D.The Richest Billionaire |
The underlined part in Paragraph 8 may actually mean that_____.
A.it is important to lay a good foundation of life |
B.food and clothing are basic needs for people’s life |
C.he doesn’t spend much money on food and clothes |
D.he never cares about buying food and clothing |
What advice did Bill Gates give?
A.Avoid staying up too late. |
B.Be a good language learner. |
C.Do the dishes yourself at home. |
D.Pick up the $100 bills in the streets. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Bill Gates is also the founder of Facebook |
B.Bill Gates topped the list of Forbes 28 times. |
C.Bill Gates was good at learning languages in high schoo1. |
D.Bill Gates’ wife wants Samuel to play a game with Gates. |
Ben and his wife Susan were on their way to have dinner with their friends. It was a dark,windy night, and they did not know the way very well. They drove through a town until they found what they thought was the road to Dorling,where their friends lived. But it soon became clear that they were not on the road to Dorling at all. The road that they were on was getting narrower,and there were no other cars on it. The wind was blowing harder with every minute that passed.
They came to a small village .They drove past a church and then two houses without lights on. There was nobody about to tell them where they were,or where the road went. Just then,Ben saw a telephone box,twenty meters or so further on. While he walked back along the road to see if there was a name outside the church,Susan telephoned their friends and told them that they were still on their way.
Their friends were just saying that the dinner was already getting rather cold,when Ben came back to the telephone box,his head down against the wind. He said that there was a tree lying across the road,and that the telephone lines were down. Susan heard nothing more from their friends about the dinner.Some time later Ben and Susan found they took a wrong road because ________.
A.their friends lived nearer than they drove |
B.the road was getting narrower and their car alone was on it |
C.the hard wind made them get lost |
D.the road was not the same as before |
Ben went to the church to see if there was a name outside because ________.
A.he was sure to find some people who knew Dorling |
B.he hoped to get help from there |
C.he wanted to telephone his friends where they were |
D.he wanted to stay there for the night |
Susan could hear nothing more from their friends because ________.
A.the telephone lines were broken by a tree |
B.the strong wind made too much noise |
C.they got angry |
D.they had all left |
From the passage we know ________.
A.Ben and his wife often went out for dinners |
B.Ben and his wife lived in the country |
C.both Ben and his wife were shortsighted(近视的) |
D.Ben and his wife seldom(很少) went to Dorling |
On a sunny day last August, Tim heard some shouting. Looking out to the sea carefully, he saw a couple of kids in a rowboat were being pulled out to sea.
Two 12-year-old boys, Christian and Jack, rowed out a boat to search for a football. Once they'd rowed beyond the calm waters, a beach umbrella tied to the boat caught the wind and pulled the boat into open water. The pair panicked and tried to row back to shore. But they were no match for it and the boat was out of control.
Tim knew it would soon be swallowed by the waves. "Everything went quiet in my head," Tim recalls(回忆). "I was trying to figure out how to swim to the boys in a straight line."
Tim took off his clothes and jumped into the water. Every 500 yards or so, he raised his head to judge his progress. "At one point, I considered turning back," he says. "I wondered if I was putting my life at risk." After 30 minutes of struggling, he was close enough to yell to the boys, "Take down the umbrella!" Christian made much effort to take down the umbrella. Then Tim was able to catch up and climb aboard the boat. He took over rowing, but the waves were almost too strong for him.
"Let's aim for the pier(码头)," Jack said. Tim turned the boat toward it. Soon afterward, waves crashed over the boat, and it began to sink. "Can you guys swim?" he cried. "A little bit," the boys said. Once they were in the water, Tim decided it would be safer and faster for him to pull the boys toward the pier. Christian and Jack were wearing life jackets and floated on their backs. Tim swan toward land as water washed over the boys' faces.
“Are we almost there?” they asked again and again. "Yes," Tim told them each time. After 30minutes, they reached the pier.Why did the two boys go to the sea?
A.To go boat rowing. |
B.To get back their football. |
C.To swim in the open water. |
D.To test the umbrella as a sail. |
What does "it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A.The beach. | B.The water. |
C.The boat. | D.The wind. |
Why did Tim raise his head regularly?
A.To take in enough fresh air. |
B.To consider turning back or not. |
C.To check his distance from the boys. |
D.To ask the boys to take down the umbrella. |
How did the two boys finally reach the pier?
A.They were dragged to the pier by Tim. |
B.They swam to the pier all by themselves. |
C.They were washed to the pier by the waves. |
D.They were carried to the pier by Tim on his back. |
Mr. Jackson lived in the center of London but he had a hotel near the airport. There a lot of foreigners stayed for night. He didn’t know any other language but English and he found it difficult for him to understand the foreign visitors. Sometimes he had to use the gesture to talk with them, and tried his best to make himself understood. But he was often misunderstood (误解) and it brought him a lot of trouble. A friend of his who taught a few foreign languages in a university would teach him. He was happy and studied hard. At first he learned some, but soon he found it wasn’t very easy to remember the words and expressions. His friend advised him to write down the useful expressions in his notebook so that he could use them when necessary. He did as he was told. He found it helpful for him to do so.
One evening there were plenty of people in the dining-room. They were all busy eating something except a Japanese. He was wandering (徘徊) there and waiting for his wife who was dressing herself up upstairs. Mr. Jackson thought to himself, “ The man wants to eat something but he doesn’t know any English. Let me help him.”
As he knew only a little Japanese, he had to bring out his notebook and showed it to the man, pointing to the sentence “I’m hungry.”
The Japanese had a look at it and gave him two pounds and left.Mr. Jackson knew only English because .
A.he was an English student |
B.he had never been abroad |
C.he couldn’t learn by himself |
D.he hadn’t studied any foreign languages |
Mr. Jackson had to use the gesture because .
A.he wanted the foreign visitors to understand him |
B.he wanted to learn the foreign languages from the visitors |
C.he hoped to know the foreign visitors’ custom |
D.he hoped more foreign visitors would stay for night in his hotel |
As not all foreign visitors understand his gesture, sometimes Mr. Jackson to communicate with them.
A.succeeded | B.lost heart | C.failed | D.gave up |
, so he decided to help the man.
A.Mr. Jackson thought the Japanese wanted to stay for night |
B.Mr. Jackson thought the Japanese was not hungry |
C.Mr. Jackson knew the Japanese was waiting for his wife. |
D.Mr. Jackson was sure the Japanese couldn’t speak English |
The Japanese thought , so he gave him two pounds.
A.Mr. Jackson was a beggar. | B.Mr. Jackson was a translator. |
C.Mr. Jackson could help him. | D.Mr. Jackson could ring his wife up. |
Mr. Brown’s horse was stolen at night. All of his friends were very sorry about it and came to see him together. After they had been told about it, one of them said, “Why did not you lock the door of your stable (马房)that night? I think it is your fault.”
“You aren’t deaf, are you?” the second man said, “Didn’t you hear anything at that moment? The thief must have driven the beast out of the gate, and couldn’t have carried it on his back.”
“I agree with them!” Blamed the third, “How careless you are! Every evening before I go to bed, I lock my stable first and hide the key in my box. Why didn’t you do so?”
The more they said, the more excited they became. At last Mr. Brown couldn’t bear it any more and said, “I am glad that you have come to see me. But none of you would help me either look for my horse or catch the thief. Do you think that it’s all my fault? Why don’t you blame the thief? The first man thought it’s Mr. Brown’s fault because _______.
A.let the door open | B.locked the door |
C.had the door unlocked | D.had the horse locked up |
The second man thought Mr. Brown _________________.
A.the horse must be driven out | B.Mr. Brown did hide his key in his box |
C.Mr. Brown wasn’t blamed by the third | D.Mr. Brown wasn’t careful. |
The more his friends said the more Mr. Brown ______________.
A. became excited B got angry C could bear D blamed them ____________ should be blamed.
A. Mr. Brown B his friends C The thief D All of them
第二节 完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)
阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Recently, I flew to Las Vegas to attend a meeting. As we were about to arrive, the pilot announced with apology that there would be a slight 36 before setting down. High desert winds had 37 the airport to close all but one runway. He said that we would be 38 the city for a few minutes waiting to 39 . We were also told to remain in our seats meanwhile with our seat belts fastened 40 there might be a few bumps.We11,that few minutes turned into about four—five minutes,including a ride that would make a roller coaster by comparison.
The movement was so fierce that several passengers felt 42 and had to use airsickness bags(呕吐袋). As you might guess,that’s not good thing to have happen in a(n) 43 space because it only 44 to increase the discomfort of the situation.
About twenty minutes into the adventure,the entire airplane became very 45 There was now a sense of anxiety and fear that could be 46 noticed.Every passenger simply held on for dear life …except one. A 47 was having a good time! With each bump of the 48 !he would let out a giggle(咯咯的笑)of delight As I observed this,I 49 that he didn’t know he was supposed to be afraid and worried about his 50 He neither thought about the past nor about the future Those are what we grown—ups have learned from 51 .He was 52 the ride because had not yet been taught to fear it. Having understood this,I took a deep breath and 53 back into my seat,pretending I was 54 on a roller coaster. I smiled for the rest of the flight. I even 55 to giggle once or twice ,much to the chagrin(随恼)of the man sitting next to me holding the airsicknessbag.
36.A.mistake B.delay C.change D.wind
37.A.forced B.warned C.swept D.reminded
38.A.watching B.visiting C.circling D.crossing
39.A.arrive B.enter C.stop D.land
40.A.if B.though C.because D.while
41.A.light B.pale C.easy D.quick
42.A.sick B.nervous C.angry D.afraid
43.A.empty B.narrow C.secret D.open
44.A.happens B.continues C.fails D.serves
45.A.quiet B.hot C.dirty D.crowded
46.A.partly B.gradually C.shortly D.clearly
47.A.pilot B.baby C.guard D.man
48.A.seats B.passengers C.flight D.airplane
49.A.realized B.hoped C.agreed D.insisted
50.A.health B.safety C.joy D.future
51.A.teachers B.books C.experience D.practice
52.A.learning B.taking C.missing D.enjoying
53.A.sat B.lay C.went D.rode
54.A.nearly B.finally C.really D.suddenly
55.A.attempted B.managed C.wanted D.decided
Parkour is a sport with the aim of moving from one point to another as smoothly, efficiently and quickly as possible using chiefly the abilities of the human body. It’s more similar to martial arts (武术) than to a sport. Parkour focuses on how any obstacle is dealt with, whether the obstacle is either physical or mental.
Inspiration for parkour came from the “Natural Method of Physical Culture” developed by Georges Hebert in the early twentieth century. French soldiers in Vietnam were inspired by Heber’s work and created what is now known as parcours du combatant (障碍训练课程). David Belle, who was introduced to this method by his father Raymond Belle, a Vietnamese soldier who had practiced it, had taken part in activities such as martial arts and gymnastics, and sought to apply his athletic skill in a manner that would have practical use in life.
After moving to Lisses, David Belle continued his journey with others. “From then on we developed,” says Sebastien Foucan, who helped to spread parkour, “and really the whole town was there for us; there for parkour.”
Over the years as devoted practitioners (实践者) improved their skills, their moves continued to grow in scale, so that building-to-building jumps and drops of over a storey(楼层) became common in media description, causing much misunderstanding on the nature of parkour.”
Although many practitioners say parkour isn’t an extreme sport, it does carry risk with it. The practice of running, jumping, and leaping from a variety of urban structures (roof tops, staircases, raised surfaces, walls, etc.) and landing on concrete, of course, carries the potential for injury. Some of the most common injuries include sprained (扭伤的) ankles and injuries to the knees.
According to one practitioner, “One of the biggest differences between parkour and other so-called ‘extreme’ sports is that it is not concerned only with physical skills, but also with one’s mental and spiritual pleasure.”
1. The second paragraph is mainly about _______.
A. Belle’s devotion to parkour B. the origin of parkour
C. the use of parkour during wartime D. the practical use of parkour in life
2. What do we know about David Belle?
A. He used to be a French soldier in Vietnam.
B. His attitude toward Hebert’s work was negative.
C. He and Foucan held different views on parkour.
D. He attempted to make full use of his athletic skill in life.
3. What do we infer from the passage?
A. The practitioners think parkour is worth the risk.
B. Parkour needs specially designed training places.
C. The practitioners are often blamed by the media.
D. Parkour was developed in the early twentieth century.
4. Parkour requires _______.
A. only the abilities of human body
B. move from one point to another
C. the ability to deal with mental problems
D. the ability to remove obstacles physically and mentally
5. According to the passage, which of the following is parkour?
A. B.
C. D.
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