Throughout the history of the arts,the nature of creativity has remained constant to artists.No matter what objects they select,artists are to bring forth new forces and forms that cause change—to find poetry where no one has ever seen or experienced it before.
Landscape(风景) is another unchanging element of art.It can be found from ancient times through the 17th-century Dutch painters to the 19th-century romanticists and impressionists.In the 1970s Alfred Leslie,one of the new American realists,continued this practice.Leslie sought out the same place where Toomas Cole,a romanticist,had produced paintings of the same scene a century and a half before.Unlike Cole who insists on a feeling of loneliness and the idea of finding peace in nature,Lealie paints what he actually sees.In his paintings,there is no particular change in emotion,and he includes ordinary things like the highway in the background.He also takes advantage of the latest developments of color photography(摄影术) to help both the eye and the memory when he improves his painting back in his workroom.
Besides,all art begs the age-old question:What is real?Each generation of artists has shown their understanding of reality in one form or another.The impressionists saw reality in brief emotional effects,the realists in everyday subjects and in forest scenes,and the Cro-Magnon cave people in their naturalistic drawings of the animals in the ancient Forests.To sum up,understanding reality is a necessary struggle for artists of all periods.
Over thousands of years the function of the arts has remained relatively constant.Past or present,Eastern or Western,the arts are a basic part of our immediate experience.Many and different are the faces of art,and together they express the basic need and hope of human beings.
1.The underlined word “poetry” most probably means ______.
A.an object for artistic creation
B.a collection of poems
C.an unusual quality
D.a natural scene
2.Leslie’s paintings are extraordinary because ______.
A.they are close in style to works in ancient times
B.they look like works by 19th-century painters
C.they draw attention to common things in life
D.they depend heavily on color photography
3.What is the author’s opinion of artistic reality?
A.It will not be found in future works of art.
B.It does not have a long-lasting standard.
C.It is expressed in a fixed artistic form.
D.It is lacking in modern words of art.
4.What does the author suggest about the arts in the last paragraph?
A.They express people’s curiosity about the past.
B.They make people interested in everyday experience.
C.They are considered important for variety in form.
D.They are regarded as a mirror of the human situation.
5.Which of the following is the main topic of the passage?
A.History of the arts.
B.Basic questions of the arts.
C.New developments in the arts.
D.Use of modern technology in the arts.四、写作(共两节,满分35分)
The African elephant,the largest land animal remaining on earth,is of great importance to African ecosystem(生态系统).Unlike other animals,the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment.As a big plant-eater,it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna(大草原) surroundings in which it lives,therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat(栖息地).
It is the elephant’s great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat.In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day,it kills small trees and underbushes,and pulls branches off big trees.This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas.In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.
Take the rain forests for example.In their natural state,the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor.By pulling down trees and eating plants,elephants make open spaces,allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor.In such situations,the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.
What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species.If the elephant disappears,scientists say,many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna,greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Disappearance of African elephants.
B.Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants.
C.The effect of African elephants’ search for food.
D.The eating habit of African elephants.
2.What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean?
A.Fixing the time.
B.Worsening the state.
C.Improving the quality.
D.Deciding the conditions.
3.What do we know about the open spaces in the passage?
A.They result from the destruction of rain forests.
B.They provide food mainly for African elephants.
C.They are home to many endangered animals.
D.They are attractive to plant-eating animals of different kinds.
4.The passage is developed mainly by ______.
A.showing the effect and then explaining the causes
B.pointing out similarities and differences
C.describing the changes in spare order
D.giving examples
Dear all,
Please read Professor Hume’s email about his next lecture on Rosa I’arks.
Susan Miller
Secretary
Dear Susan,
Please forward this message to students of my history class.
Besides the life story of Bosa Parks in the textbook,the students are also required to read the passage below and some related stories that can be borrowed from the school library.
Ted Hume
The early experiences of Rosa Parks (1913-2005),long known as the “mother of the civil rights movement,”were not different from those of many African-Americans at that time.The black woman,however,turned the course of American history in December 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man.“By sitting down,”remarked John Lewis,“she was standing up for all Americans.”
Among the numerous awards Parks received in her life were the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1996) and the Congressional Gold Medal(1999).
Parks died on Oct. 24,2005,At St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Montgomery,a large crowd including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice celebrated her life.Rice said she and others,who grew up when the political activities of Parks held public attention,might not have realized her impact(影响) on their lives,“but I can honestly say that without Mrs. Parks,I probably would not be standing here as Secretary of State.”
After her casket(灵柩) was placed at the Capitol,U.S. President Bush,members of Congress and ordinary Americans paid their respects.In American history Parks is the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol,a very high regard usually reserved for Presidents of the United States.
1.What is the main purpose of Susan’s email?
A.To make arrangements for Professor Hume’s class.
B.To introduce to the students Rosa Parks.
C.To help the students organize a lecture.
D.To answer Professor Hume’s last email.
2.What does the underlined word “forward” mean?
A.Explain. B.Send.
C.Take. D.Read.
3.The political impact on Rosa Parks lies in the fact that she ______.
A.helped Condoleezza Rice achieve political success
B.joined the civil rights movement at a young age
C.made racial equality a common value in American society
D.set a good example in her early life for other black Americans
4.How was Rosa Parks treated after her death?
A.She was named “mother of the civil rights movement”.
B.She was received by President Bush at the Capitol.
C.She was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
D.She was honored to lie in state at the Capitol.
Camp memories last forever!We make sure they are unforgettable!
Shadow Ridge Summer Camps offer so many exciting things for campers to do.Unlike other camp programs that include horses as a small part of their program,at Shadow Ridge horses ARE the program!We are 100% horse from stable(马厩) management,nature walks,and track rides to bedroom furnishings.
Horses help us achieve many of our aims.Girls can learn to develop responsibility,self-confidence and personal connections in their lives while having fun.Using horses as a wonderful tool for education,our camps offer an interesting place for growth and learning.
Imagine each girl having her very own horse to spend time with and a best friend to love and take care of.Each camper is responsible for a horse for the week.Our riding program provides a lot of riding and lesson time.Campers will learn how to take care of the horse and the tack(马具),as well as how to ride.Days are filled with horse-related activities to strengthen the connection between each girl and horse,as the girls learn to work safely around the horses.
At Shadow Ridge we try to create a loving,caring family atmosphere for our campers.We have “The Bunkhouse” (4 girls),the “Wranglers Roost” (4 girls),and “The Hideout” (2 girls) in our comfortable 177-year-old farm house.All meals are home cooked,offering delicious and healthy food for the hungry rider.
Our excellent activities create personalized memories of your child’s vacation.Each child will receive a camp T-shirt and a photo album.(usually 300-500 pictures) of their stay at camp.
Our camps are offered during June,July and August 2007,for small groups of girls aged 13-16 years,not only from Canada but also other parts of the world.
We will send you full program descriptions at your request.
1.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To attract people to the camps.
B.To talk about camping experiences.
C.To describe the programs of the camps.
D.To explain the aims of the camps.
2.What do we know about the camp programs at Shadow Ridge?
A.Campers are required to wear camp T-shirts.
B.Horses play a central role in the activities.
C.Campers learn to cook food for themselves.
D.Horse lessons are offered all the year round.
3.The programs at Shadow Ridge mainly aim to help people ______.
A.understand horses better
B.enjoy a family atmosphere
C.have fun above other things
D.achieve an educational purpose
4.The passage is written mainly for ______.
A.horse riders B.teenage girls
C.Canadian parents D.international travelers
The very wealthy English Baron Fitzgerald had only one child,a son,who understandably was the apple of his eye.His wife died when the child was in his early teens.So Fitzgerald devoted himself to fathering the kid.Unfortunately the son died in his late teens.
Meanwhile,Fitzgerald’s wealth greatly increased.He spent a lot on art works of the masters.Later Fitzgerald himself because seriously ill.Before his death,he had carefully prepared his will as to how his wealth would be settled—to sell his entire collection at an auction(拍卖).
Because of the large quantity and high quality of his collection,a huge crowd of possible buyers gathered for the auction.Many of them were museum directors and private collectors eager to bid(出价).Before the auction,the art works were shown,among which was a painting of Fitzgerald’s son by an unknown artist.Because of its poor quality,it received little attention.
When it was time for the auction,the auctioneer gaveled(敲槌) the crowd to attention.First the lawyer read from Fitzgerald’s will that the first art work to be auctioned was the painting of his son.
The poor-quality painting didn’t receive and bidders...except one—the old servant who had served the son and loved him,and who for emotional reasons offered the only bid.
As soon as the servant bought the painting for less than one English pound,the auctioneer stopped the bidding and asked the lawyer to read again from the will.The crowd became quiet,and the lawyer read from the will:“Whoever buys the painting of my son gets all my collection.”Then the auction was over.
1.The English Baron Fitzgerald was ______.
A.a museum director B.a master of art
C.an art collector D.an art dealer
2.Why did the old servant bid for the painting of Fitzgerald’s son?
A.He was devoted to the family.
B.He saw that no one bid for it.
C.He knew the content of the will.
D.He found it cheap for him to buy.
3.Fitzgerald’s will showed ______.
A.his desire to fool the bidders
B.his invaluable love for his son
C.his sadness at the death of his son
D.his regret of having no children to take over his wealth
请阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
In the clinic,I asked if Michael could be retested,so the specialist tested him again.To my
1,it was the same score.
Later that evening,I 2told Frank what I had learned that day.After talking it over,we agreed that we knew our 3much better than an IQ(智商) test.We 4that Michael’s score must have been a 5and we should treat him 6as usual.
We moved to Indiana in 1962,and Michael studied at Concordia High School in the same year.He got 7grades in the school,especially 8biology and chemistry,which was a great comfort.
Michael 9Indiana University in 1965 as a pre-medical student.Soon afterwards,his teacher permitted him to take more courses than 10.In 1968,he was accepted by the School of Medicine,Yale University.
On graduation day in 1972,Frank and I 11the ceremony(典礼) at Yale.After the ceremony,we told Michael about the 12IQ score he got when he was six.Since that day,Michael sometimes would look at us and say 13.“My dear mom and dad never told me that I couldn’t be a doctor,not until after I graduated from medical school!”It is his special way of thanking us for the 14we had in him.
Interestingly,Michael then 15another IQ test.We went to the same clinic where he had 16the test eighteen years before.This time Michael scored 126,an increase of 36 points.A result like that was supposed to be 17.
Children often do as 18as what adults,particularly parents and teachers, 19of them.That is,tell a child he is “ 20,”and he may play the role of a foolish child.
1.A.joy B.surprise C.dislike D.disappointment
2.A.tearfully B.fearfully C.cheerfully D.hopefully
3.A.student B.son C.friend D.doctor
4.A.argued B.realized C.decided D.understood
5.A.joke B.mistake C.warning D.wonder
6.A.specially B.strictly C.naturally D.carefully
7.A.poor B.good C.average D.standard
8.A.in B.about C.of D.for
9.A.visited B.chose C.passed D.entered
10.A.allowed B.described C.required D.offered
11.A.missed B.held C.delayed D.attended
12.A.high B.same C.low D.different
13.A.curiously B.eagerly C.calmly D.jokingly
14.A.faith B.interest C.pride D.delight
15.A.looked for B.asked for C.waited for D.prepared for
16.A.received B.accepted C.organized D.discussed
17.A.imperfect B.impossible C.uncertain D.unsatisfactory
18.A.honestly B.much C.well D.bravely
19.A.hear B.learn C.expect D.speak
20.A.wise B.rude C.shy D.stupid