1、高级英语阅读 期末考试试题 共 7 页 第 1 页试卷类型:A 考试形式:闭卷本试题共 4 大题, 7 页,满分 100 分,考试时间为 120 分钟,答案请写在答卷上,否则无效PART : Write a summary of the following text. This summary should include the main points in your own words with NO MORE THAN 200 words. (40%)Children Must be Taught to Tell Right from WrongWilliam KilpatrickMan
2、y of todays young people have a difficult time seeing any moral dimension to their actions. There are a number of reasons why thats true, but none more prominent than a failed system of education that eschews (回避) teaching children the traditional moral values that bind Americans together as a socie
3、ty and a culture. That failed approach, called “decision-making,” was introduced in schools 25 years ago. It tells children to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong. It replaced “character education. (品格教育 )” Character education didnt ask children to reinvent the moral wheel (浪费时间重新发
4、明早已存在的道德标准); instead, it encouraged them to practice habits of courage, justice and self-control.In the 1940s, when a character education approach prevailed, teachers worried about students chewing gum; today they worry about robbery and rape.Decision-making curriculums pose thorny (棘手的) ethical dil
5、emmas to students, leaving them with the impression that all morality is problematic and that all questions of right and wrong are in dispute. Youngsters are forced to question values and virtues theyve never acquired in the first place or upon which they have only a tenuous (薄弱的 ) hold. The assumpt
6、ion behind this method is that students will arrive at good moral conclusions if only they are given the chance. But the actual result is moral confusion.For example, a recent national study of 1,700 sixth- to ninth-graders revealed that a majority of boys considered rape to be acceptable under cert
7、ain conditions. Astoundingly, many of the girls agreed.This kind of moral illiteracy is further encouraged by values-education (价值观教育) programs that are little more than courses in self-esteem (自尊 ). These programs are based on the questionable assumption that a child who feels good about himself or
8、 herself wont want to do anything wrong. But it is just as reasonable to make an opposite assumption: namely, that a child who has uncritical self-regard will conclude that he or she cant do anything bad.Such naive self-acceptance results in large part from the non-directive (无指导性的), non-judgmental
9、(无是非观的), as-long-as-you-feel-comfortable-with-your-choices mentality (思想) that has pervaded (渗透) public education for the last two and one-half decades. Many of todays drug education, sex education and values-education courses are based on the same 1960s philosophy that helped fuel the explosion in
10、teen drug use and sexual activity in the first place.Meanwhile, while educators are still fiddling with (胡乱摆弄) outdated “feel-good” approaches, New York, Washington, and Los Angeles are burning. Youngsters are leaving school believing that matters of right and wrong are always merely subjective. If
11、you pass a stranger on 高级英语阅读 期末考试试题 共 7 页 第 2 页the street and decide to murder him because you need moneyif it feels rightyou go with that feeling. Clearly, murder is not taught in our schools, but such a conclusionjust about any conclusioncan be reached and justified using the decision-making meth
12、od.It is time to consign (寄出) the fads (风尚) of “decision-making” and “non-judgmentalism” to the ash heap of failed policies, and return to a proved method. Character education provides a much more realistic approach to moral formation. It is built on an understanding that we learn morality not by de
13、bating it but by practicing it.PART . Read the following poem and write the theme of the poem and your afterthoughts on the answer sheet. (30%)Whose woods these are I think I know.His house is in the village though;He will not see me stopping hereTo watch his woods fill up with snow.My little horse
14、must think it queerTo stop without a farmhouse nearBetween the woods and frozen lakeThe darkest evening of the year.He gives his harness bells a shakeTo ask if there is some mistake.The only other sounds the sweepOf easy wind and downy flake.The woods are lovely, dark and deep.But I have promises to
15、 keep,And miles to go before I sleep,And miles to go before I sleep.Part Reading Comprehension (20%)Passage oneA report consistently brought back by visitors to the US is how friendly, courteous and helpful most Americans were to them. To be fair, this observation is also frequently made of Canada a
16、nd Canadians, and should best be considered North American. There are, of course, exceptions. Small-minded officials, rude waiters, and ill-mannered taxi drivers are hardly unknown in the US. Yet it is an observation made so frequently that it deserves comment. For a long period of time and in many
17、parts of the country, a traveler was a welcome break in an otherwise dull existence.Dullness and loneliness were common problems of the families who generally lived distant from one another. Strangers and travelers were welcome sources of diversion, and brought news of the outside world. The harsh r
18、ealities of the frontier also shaped this tradition of hospitality.Someone traveling alone, if hungry, injured, or ill, often had nowhere to turn except to the 高级英语阅读 期末考试试题 共 7 页 第 3 页nearest cabin or settlement. It was not a matter of choice for the traveler or merely a charitable impulse on the p
19、art of the settlers. It reflected the harshness of daily life: if you didnt take in the stranger and take care of him, there was no one else who would. And someday, remember, you might be in the same situation. Today there are many charitable organizations which specialize in helping the weary trave
20、ler. Yet, the old tradition of hospitality to strangers is still very strong in the US, especially in the smaller cities and towns away from the busy tourist trails. “I was just traveling through, got talking with this American, and pretty soon he invited me home for dinneramazing.“ Such observation
21、s reported by visitors to the US are not uncommon, but are not always understood properly. The casual friendliness of many Americans should be interpreted neither as superficial nor as artificial, but as the result of a historically developed cultural tradition. As is true of any developed society,
22、in America a complex set of cultural signals, assumptions, and conventions underlies all social interrelationships. And, of course, speaking a language does not necessarily mean that someone understands social and cultural patterns. Visitors who fail to “translate“ cultural meanings properly often d
23、raw wrong conclusions. For example, when an American uses the word “friend“, the cultural implications of the word may be quite different from those it has in the visitors language and culture. It takes more than a brief encounter on a bus to distinguish between courteous convention and individual i
24、nterest. Yet, being friendly is a virtue that many Americans value highly and expect from both neighbors and strangers.1. In the eyes of visitors from the outside world, _.A. rude taxi drivers are everywhere in the USB. small-minded officials deserve a serious commentC. Canadians are not so friendly
25、 as their neighborsD. most Americans are ready to offer help2. It could be inferred from the last paragraph that _.A. culture exercises an influence over social interrelationshipB. courteous convention and individual interest are interrelatedC. various virtues manifest themselves exclusively among f
26、riendsD. social interrelationships equal the complex set of cultural conventions3. Families in frontier settlements used to entertain strangers _.A. to improve their hard lifeB. in view of their long-distance travelC. to add some flavor to their own daily lifeD. out of a charitable impulse4. The tra
27、dition of hospitality to strangers _.A. tends to be superficial and artificialB. is generally well kept up in the United StatesC. is always understood properlyD. has something to do with the busy tourist trails5. Whats the authors attitudes toward the Americans friendliness?A. Favorable. B. Unfavora
28、ble. C. Indifferent. D. Neutral.Passage TwoA new high-performance contact lens under development at the department for applied physics at the University of Heidelberg will not only correct ordinary vision defects but will 高级英语阅读 期末考试试题 共 7 页 第 4 页enhance normal night vision as much as five times, ma
29、king peoples vision sharper than that of cats.Bille and his team work with an optical instrument called an active mirror a device used in astronomical telescopes to spot newly emerging stars and far distant galaxies. Connected to a wave-front sensor that tracks and measures the course of a laser bea
30、m into the eye and back, the aluminum mirror detects the deficiencies of the cornea, the transparent protective layer covering the lens of the human eye. The highly precise data from the two instruments which, Bille hopes, will one day be found at the opticians (眼镜商) all over the world serve as a ba
31、sis for the production of completely individualized contact lenses that correct and enhance the wearers vision.By day, Billes contact lenses will focus rays of light so accurately on the retina (视网膜)that the image of a small leaf or the outline of a far distant tree will be formed with a sharpness t
32、hat surpasses that of conventional vision aids by almost half a diopter (屈光度). At night, the lenses have an even greater potential. “Because the new lens in contrast to the already existing ones also works when its dark and the pupil is wide open,” says Bille, “lens wearers will be able to identify
33、a face at a distance of 100 meters” 80 meters farther than they would normally be able to see. In his experiments night vision was enhanced by an even greater factor: in semi-darkness, test subjects could see up to 15 times better than without the lenses.Billes lenses are expected to reach the marke
34、t in the year 2000, and one tentative plan is to use the Internet to transmit information on patients visual defects from the optician to the manufacturer, who will then produce and mail the contact lenses within a couple of days. The physicist expects the lenses to cost about a dollar a pair, about
35、 the same as conventional one-day disposable lenses.6. The new contact lens is meant for _.A. astronomical observations B .the night blindC. those with vision defectsD. Optical experiments 7. What do the two instruments mentioned in the second paragraph refer to?A. The astronomical telescope and the
36、 wave-front sensor.B. The aluminum mirror and the laser beam.C. The active mirror and the contact lens.D. The aluminum mirror and the wave-front sensor.8. What does “individualized contact lenses” mean in paragraph 2?A. lenses to work like an astronomical telescope B. lenses to suit the wearers spec
37、ific needs C. lenses to process extremely accurate data D. lenses to test the wearers eyesight9. According to Bille, with the new lenses the wearers vision _. A. will be far better at night than in the daytimeB. may be improved about 15 times than without them C. can be better in the daytime than at
38、 night D. changes not so obvious at the day time. 10. Which of the following is true about Billes lenses?高级英语阅读 期末考试试题 共 7 页 第 5 页A. Their production can only satisfy a small group of customers.B. They will be sold at a very low price. C. They have to be replaced every day.D. Consumers can buy it di
39、rectly from the manufacturer. PART . Fast Reading. (10%)Top 10 travelers paradiseMaldives: The beaches here are set around a series of ancient coral reefs that expanded along the sides of prehistoric volcanoes, which make for astounding snorkeling and diving in the warm water lagoons. Celebs who lov
40、e this spot are Beyonc and Jay-Z, Kate Moss, Eva Longoria, Jude Law and Penelope Cruz. Mallorca, Spain: The largest of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca is a no-brainer for spotting famous beachgoers. Stars like Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas own property here, as well as athletes and pop sta
41、rs from all over the world. When youre done sunbathing on its glorious stretches of sand on the east and north coasts (rumored to be the best beaches on the island), take a Vespa tour through the rich Serra de Tramuntana mountain range and along olive groves and pine forests. Turtle Island, Fiji: Th
42、is South Pacific paradise is your best bet for celeb sightings - if you have the money and connections to get on land, that is. Pop stars like Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson have secured spots on the privately-owned island, which allows only 28 guests at a time. If funds allow, you can also rese
43、rve one of the islands 14 beaches, or the entire island itself. But were guessing if you have that kind of money, you might already be a celebrity and not looking to spot one. South Beach, Miami: The smooth Latin rhythm of South Beach, Miami, does something to its guests - or at least Jennifer Lopez
44、 and Shakira seem to think so. Ocean Drive runs along the Atlantic, where the rich and famous moor their yachts and play on the sand. A-listers especially flock to The Setai, a luxury accommodation where gods and goddesses of entertainment can lounge in the three azure pools, relax in the spa and je
45、t-ski in the rolling blue waves. Anguilla: The most wonderful thing about Anguilla is the sheer lack of development (there are no casinos or nightclubs) that seems to plague other idyllic islands. Theres a certain serenity here that celebrities like Courteney Cox-Arquette and David Arquette crave, s
46、o if you happen to bump into them on one of the unspoiled and tranquil beaches, keep the peace by maintaining Anguillas calm and quiet power. St. Tropez, France: Dont be confused - P. Diddy doesnt own the place, but he certainly has a stake in its social circle. His yacht parties on the beach have b
47、een known to cause an elegant ruckus or two and stars like Lara Flynn Boyle and Jack Nicholson frequent the beaches here as well. (No word on whether or not they hang with Diddy). Lake Como, Italy: Its not technically the point where the sand meets the water that attracts the celebrities; rather its
48、 the scenic area that surrounds the water. Menaggio and Tremezzo boast beautiful lakeside beaches on Lake Como, but the real highlights are the outdoorsy activities like boating, horseback riding and paragliding. Hey, if George Clooney likes it, were not arguing. Bora Bora, French Polynesia: In the
49、heart of French Polynesia, Bora Bora exists as a sort of honeymoon-land. Glam ladies like Charlize Theron, Sharon Stone and Nicole Kidman have been 高级英语阅读 期末考试试题 共 7 页 第 6 页spotted lounging on its golden beaches, most likely taking advantage of the private beach huts and tropical bungalows that offer views of volcano peaks and cobalt lagoons. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico: Cabo has always been a classic respite for big wigs, especially due to its close proximity to Los Angeles. Leg