1、一、I grew up on a 50-acre farm in the small rural community of Catawissa，Missouri ，as the sixth of seven children.My parents often noted during meals how everything on the table except the sugar and flour came from the land.Besides running the farm，Dad was also a carpenter.In the fall of 1970，he was
2、working on a house when the ladder broke.His back was fractured in two places.He stayed in the hospital for three weeks with his head and feet down，permitting his back to be straight correctly so the bones would combine.On Thanksgiving，Dad was still in the hospital.We always butchered hogs the day a
3、fter the holiday，and that year my uncle showed up with a couple of cousins to help my three elder brothers prepare our years supply of pork.After Dad returned home，he was in a back brace and unable to work.I wa s too young to realize our family had no money coming in as Christmas approached.One nigh
4、t we heard a car coming up the long driveway.We kids were curious about who was visiting.Peggy Phelan was at the door，holding an envelope filled with money.She told my dad she had collected money in the community and was there to deliver it.He tried to protest but Peggy would have none of it.I can s
5、till hear her saying， “Archie，whenever someones baler(打包机) is broken，you bale their hay.Someone passes away，Altha is cooking.Its our turn.” That evening，this 6-year-old understood what being a good neighbor was，and that because her parents were good neighbors，their kindness would be returned.I learn
6、ed later that my moms sisters all “adopted” one of us kids to help with Christmas，and we received gift baskets from more than one organization.My parents were used to being the givers and not the receivers of such generosity.They had a bit of pride to swallow，but continued all of their lives to show
7、 us kids the value of kindness.1.We know the writers father was very .A.hard-working B.unkindC.strict D.mean答案 A2.The underlined word “fractured” in Paragraph 2 probably means “ ”.A.connected B.brokenC.arranged D.transformed答案 B解析 词义猜测题。根据画线词所在句的后一句“He stayed in the hospital for three weeks with his
8、 head and feet down， permitting his back to be straight correctly so the bones would combine.”可知，作者的父亲背部骨折， “fractured”是“折断” 的意思。 3.Why did the writers uncle go to his house? A.To visit his sick father.B.To give them money.C.To spend holiday together.D.To help prepare for Christmas.答案 D4.What can we
9、 infer from Paragraph 4? A.The authors father liked to bale the hay.B.Peggy Phelan was a delivery man.C.The authors parents were helpful to others.D.We were curious about Peggy Phelan.答案 C解析 推理判断题。根据第四段的句子“Archie，whenever someones baler(打包机) is broken，you bale their hay.Someone passes away，Altha is
10、cooking.Its our turn.”可知，作者的父母是乐于助人的。5.Which of the following can match the passage? A.No pains，no gains.B.Great minds think alike.C.Misfortune may be an actual blessing.D.Good will be rewarded with good.答案 D二、As the pace of life continues to increase，we are fast losing the art of relaxation.Once yo
11、u are in the habit of rushing through life，being on the go from morning till night，it is hard to slow down.But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it.In fact，it is not the bad thing as it is often supposed to be.A
12、 certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purposes to life.It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual.Some people are not afraid of stress，a
13、nd such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities，others lose heart at the first sign of unusual difficulties.When exposed to stress， in whatever form，we react both chemically and physically.In fact，we make the choice between “fight or flight” and in more primitive days
14、 the choices made the difference between life or death.The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme，but however little the stress is，it involves the same response.It is when such a reaction lasts long，through continued exposure to stress，that health becomes endangered.Since we cant remove
15、stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could)，we need to find ways to deal with it.6.People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because .A.they regard working as their greatest enjoymentB.they believe that work is superior to relaxationC.they are traveling f
16、ast all the timeD.they are becoming busier with their work than ever before答案 D解析 推理判断题。由第一段第二句“Once you are in the habit of rushing through life，being on the go from morning till night，it is hard to slow down.”(一旦你养成了匆匆忙忙的习惯，从早到晚都在忙碌，就很难放慢脚步。)可推知，人们无法放松自己主要是因为比以前任何时候都要忙碌。7.According to the author，t
17、he most important character for a good manager is his .A.strong will to hold out stressB.knowing the art of relaxationC.high sense of responsibilityD.having control over performance答案 A8.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?A.We can find quite a few ways to avoid stress
18、.B.Stress is always harmful to peoples health.C.Its easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work.D.Different people can bear different amount of stress.答案 D解析 推理判断题。由第三段第一句“The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual.”可知，一个人能承受的压力很大程度上取决于个人。即不同的人所能承受
19、的压力是不同的，故选 D。9.In the last sentence of the passage， “do so” refers to .A.expose ourselves to stressB.find ways to deal with stressC.remove stress from our livesD.establish links between diseases and stress答案 C解析 词义猜测题。由“Since we cannot remove stress from our lives”(我们无法消除生活中的压力) 可知，括号里的内容是对前文的解释，故 d
20、o so 指的是“消除生活中的压力”，故选 C。10.According to the author，the right attitude toward stress is .A.to avoid itB.to try to cope with itC.to regard it as a vital motivationD.to find some relaxation答案 B三、What do you do if you dont get into your first choice of university？Thats the dilemma(困境) that faces thousan
21、ds of British students every year.Many candidates turn to Clearing，the service that helps find university places for students at the last moment.If they dont have the marks to get into their first choice of institution，Clearing tells them about places available at other universities， though they mig
22、ht have to read another subject.But this year has seen a record number of people applying to university.This，combined with the weak economy，an uncertain job market and budget cuts at universities，means that theres been even more of a scramble for places than usual.Some sources say six students have
23、applied for each remaining undergraduate university place.The British University Admissions Service，UCAS，says up to a quarter of this years university applicantsalmost 190,000 peoplestill dont have a place on a degree course.Thats a rise of over 46,000 students from last year.Faced with these figure
24、s，some British students might be thinking of an interesting alternative：studying abroad.The University of Nottingham，for example，is offering places at its campuses in Ningbo，near Shanghai，and Kuala Lumpur，Malaysia.Students here can gain University of Nottingham degrees in business，accounting，enginee
25、ring and English.Similarly， the University of Bolton says it has “unlimited” places at its campus in the United Arab Emirates.Given the problems getting into university，the UKs Higher Education Minister，David Willetts，encourages students who havent made the grade to consider alternatives to universi
26、ty，such as apprenticeships and studying at home.“There are a range of options available， ” he says.“People are able to reapply.They should think how they can spend their year adding that bit to their CV，which would help their applicationgetting practical work experience or extra skillsanything that
27、strengthens their chances next year.”But some experts say that rising university costs，poor long-term job prospects，and a drop in graduate recruitment mean its the worst time to be a university student in the UK.1.When the author says “theres been even more of a scramble for places”(Para.3)，he means
28、 .A.more people have applied to universityB.there is more competition between the candidatesC.there are more services that help find university placesD.more places are available答案 B解析 句意理解题。根据第三段最后一句“Some sources say six students have applied for each remaining undergraduate university place.”可知，每个名
29、额都有 6 个学生申请，可见竞争非常激烈，故选 B。2.According to UCAS，there are about university applicants this year.A.190,000 B.46,000C.236,000 D.760,000答案 D3.David Willetts encourages students faced with the lack of places on a degree course .A.to consider apprenticeships and studying at homeB.to study at campus outside
30、 the UKC.to ask Clearing for helpD.not to go to university in the UK答案 A解析 细节理解题。根据第六段中的“David Willetts，encourages students who havent made the grade to consider alternatives to university，such as apprenticeships and studying at home”可知，David Willetts 鼓励分数不够上大学的学生考虑其他选择，例如去做学徒或是在家学习，故选 A。4.Which of
31、the following is NOT the reason that may make this year the worst time to enter university?A.It costs more to study at university.B.Long-term job prospects are worse.C.Universities offer places in other countries.D.There are fewer chances to do graduate study.答案 C5.According to the passage，what can
32、students do if they dont get into their first choice of university?A.They can go to work in Clearing.B.They can get practical work experience or skills and reapply next year.C.They can spend the year writing a better CV.D.They do graduate study at home.答案 B解析 细节理解题。根据第七段中的“People are able to reapply
33、.which would help their applicationgetting practical work experience or extra skills”可知，未能如愿申请入学的学生应尽可能利用这一年做一些能帮助他们申请的事情，即取得实际的工作经验或技能，明年再重新申请，故选 B。 四、The public has voted the X-ray machine as the best invention.Out of nearly 50,000 votes cast，one in five people named it for having made the greates
34、t impact on the past，present and future.Ten of the most significant objects in science，engineering ，technology and medicine were selected for the vote.Information on all the items is found at the Science Museum in London.The first three positions were filled by medical inventions or discoveries，the
35、X-ray machine being followed by the discoveries of penicillin and the DNA double helix(螺旋) structure.X-rays provided the first possibility of looking inside someones body without cutting them opena massive medical advance.The particular X-ray machine in questionthe Reynolds machine in the Museums Ma
36、king the Modern World Gallerywas a “do-it-yourself” experiment by a father and his son who were so inspired by news of the discovery of the X-ray that they set about building the equipment in their own home.Museum curator(馆长) Katie Maggs said.“Its very inspirational to young scientists to learn that
37、 an invention now declared the most important in world history could be pioneered by enthusiastic amateur inventors.”Professor Andy Adam，president of the Royal College of Radiologi sts，was delighted to learn of the result.He said that the X-ray machine had revolutionized medical practice and that th
38、e technology had now advanced so much that we are reaching the era of the “transparent patient”.Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw said， “Any competition that pits the Apollo 10 spacecraft against Stephensons Rocket，and the DNA double helix against the Model T Ford，is bound to provide many talking point
39、s.”“The publics choice of the X-ray machine as the winner is a proof to our greedy curiosity to find out how things work.”The poll(投票) was conducted as part of the Science Museums events to mark its centenary(百年庆典).The 10 objects form a special Centenary Journey trail through the museum galleries.6.
40、Which of the following are the top three among inventions or discoveries?A.X-ray machine，Apollo 10 capsule and steam engine.B.X-ray machine，DNA double helix structure and penicillin.C.Stephensons Rocket，penicillin and the Model T Ford.D.Stephensons Rocket，Apollo 10 capsule and V2 Rocket Engine.答案 B7
41、.Which of the following is TRUE about the X-ray machine in the Gallery?A.It was made by the Reynolds Machine Company.B.It was a product directed by great scientists.C.It was built by a father and his son in their own home.D.It was small in size and advanced in technology.答案 C解析 细节理解题。由第五段内容可知，一对父子在自
42、己的家里造出了 X 光机，故选 C。8.From the underlined part in Para.8，we know Professor Andy Adam means .A.the X-ray machine has greatly improved medical practiceB.the patients are all transparent in the eyes of doctorsC.with the help of the X-ray machine，everything is transparentD.there is no need to cut someones
43、 body open during operations now答案 A解析 句意理解题。由第八段内容可知，由于 X 射线可以透视人体，因此人类已经进入了“透明病人”时代，即病人身体哪儿有病，都能用 X 光机看到，这是医疗史上的巨大进步，故选 A。 9.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?A.Top Ten Inventions of This CenturyB.The Most Important DiscoveriesC.What Makes Patients TransparentD.X-ray Mach
44、ineTop Scientific Invention答案 D10.This passage is most probably taken from .A.a science fiction B.a school textbookC.a news journal D.a medicine magazine答案 C解析 文章出处题。从内容来看，本文是在报道一件事，因此它属于新闻性质的文章，故选 C。五Holidays are really important.Many of us will have childhoo d memories of summer holidays where we
45、were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.But holidays are expensive and，for those on low wages or living on benefits，they are often unobtainable.Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to me
46、et.For working parents，the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare.When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks，there is a need to spread this across the year.Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday.For so
47、me，this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment.The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools
48、 have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day.Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support.Schools also have an important role in safe guarding childrens welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils.During the long su
49、mmer holidays，much of this is missed.While teachers are holidaying in the UK，many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live.The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.In setting out its plans for a five-term year，Nottingham City Council(委员会) is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down to four and a half weeks，with a more balanced five
