Hundreds of people lined up at Grand Central Terminal yesterday, but they weren’t there to catch a train. They came to New York City’s famous railroad station to trade in old dollar bills for the new George Washington Presidential $ 1 coin.
The gold-colored coin is the first in a new series by the U.S. Mint（造币厂）that honors former U.S. Presidents. The Mint will issue four Presidential $ 1 coins a year through 2016. Like the popular 50 State Quarters(纪念币) program, which issues coins in the order in which each state joined the Union, Presidential $ 1 coins will come out in the order in which each President served. The George Washington coin is the first to be released. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison coins will come out later this year.
The Presidential $ 1 coins will be the same size and color as the Sacagawea Golden Dollar. However, there is an important difference. For the first time since the 1930s, there is an inscription（题字）on the edge of each coin. Each coin will show a different President on its face, or head side. It will also show the President’s name, the order in which he served and his years in office. The other side of the coin will show the Statue of Liberty and the inscriptions “United States of America” and “$ 1”.
There will be one Presidential $ 1 coin for each President, except Grover Cleveland. He will have two! Cleveland is the only U.S. President to have served two nonconsecutive（不连续的）terms.
The last President scheduled to get a coin is Gerald Ford because a President must have been dead for two years before he can be on a coin.
1. Hundreds of people lined up at the railway station in order to ____________.
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A．exchange money |
B．visit a coin show |
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C．book train tickets |
D．do some shopping |
2. What may you find on the head side of the new US $ 1 coin?
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A．The Statue of Liberty |
B．The name of a U.S. president |
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C．The year when the coin was made |
D．The inscriptions “ United States of America” |
3. Why will Grover Cleveland have two coins ?
A. He is the only one who has served two terms
B. He is the most famous President in the U.S.
C. He served longer than any other President.
4.From the passage we can infer that_________.
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A．the new presidential coin can buy more than the old coin. |
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B．the U.S. Mint has issued all the presidential coins by now. |
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C．no presidential coin has been released for president Obama |
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D．the coins are issued to honor the greatest presidents in America |
Herta Müller, the Romanian-born German writer, has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature. Ms. Müller, 56, immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987. She is the first German writer to win the Nobel in literature since Günter Grass in 1999 and the 13th winner writing in German since the prize was first given in 1901. She is the 12th woman to gain the literature prize. But unlike previous winners like Doris Lessing and V. S. Naipaul, Ms. Müller is unknown inside of literary circles in Germany.
“I am very surprised and still cannot believe it,” Ms. Muller said in a statement released by her publisher in Germany. “I can’t say anything more at the moment.”
She has written some 20 books, but just 5 have been translated into English, including the novels “The Land of Green Plums” and “The Appointment.”
At a news conference on Thursday at the German Publishers & Booksellers Association in Berlin, where she lives, Ms. Müller, wearing all black, appeared overwhelmed(不知所措) by all the cameras in her face.
When asked what it meant that her name would now be mentioned in the same breath as German greats like Thomas Mann and Heinrich Böll, Ms. Müller remained philosophical(达观的). “I am now nothing better and I’m nothing worse,” she said, adding: “My inner thing is writing. That’s what I can hold on to.”
Earlier in the day, at a news conference in Stockholm, Peter Englund, secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Ms. Müller was honored for her “very, very distinct special language” and because “she has really a story to tell about…and growing up as a stranger in your own family.
1..we can learn from the passage that Ms. Muller is_______.
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A．the 1st writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature since 1999 |
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B．the 12th winner for the Nobel Prize in Literature since 1901 |
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C．the 13th woman writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature |
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D．a German citizen since she moved to German in 1987 |
2. Ms. Müller was surprised at the news about her winning the award because ____.
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A．she was born a Romanian person |
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B．she had failed many times in winning it |
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C．she had never wanted to win the prize |
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D．she was only an unknown writer |
3. The underlined expression “in the same breath” is the nearest in meaning to ____.
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A．instead of |
B．at the same moment |
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C．in a breath |
D．under the same roof |
4. We can infer according to the passage that ____.
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A．her honored works are based on her own experience |
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B．most of Ms. Müller’s novels are unsuccessful works |
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C．Ms. Müller is feeling much better after she becomes the award winner |
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D．Ms. Müller was honored because she’s described the Germans’ life vividly |
I first visited hutong as part of a tourist group several years ago. We rode on a trishaw（脚踏三轮车） with a guide explaining the history, architecture and lifestyle of the local inhabitants.
Having visited the "must-sees" of Beijing, like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Drum Tower and the Summer Palace, going into the hutong home of some famous ancient families gave the “Beijing experience” a human element.
My curiosity has sharpened over the years from reading about them at every opportunity. During the preparation for the Olympics I was eager to learn that some siheyuan courtyards in hutong were turned into accommodations（食宿） for visitors. I wished to stay in one someday.
Preparing for a recent trip to the capital, I eagerly sought one out. On my limited teacher’s salary, I settled on an affordable option, though I looked longingly at the more upscale courtyard accommodations.
As usual, I ended up having something closer to a true experience. A real family still lives in the courtyard, which is closer to the original. The rooms all opened into the central courtyard. Flowers were blooming, beans and peas were climbing up the bamboo fence, and the cat was napping in the sun. Every day after exploring the city, I'd hurry back to the hutong, take a quick shower and join the cat – snoozing（小睡） in a bamboo-made chair with a book ready nearby.
As the other guests came back we’d greet one another. There was a mother and young daughter from France, a guy from Canada, a mother and teenage daughter from the Netherlands, a teacher from England and several guests from various parts of China.
Coming and going through the narrow alleys（小巷） of the hutong, the residents would smile and give cheery “ni hao” （hello）. Laughing children were playing under the watchful eyes of the neighbors. I felt right at home in this friendly neighborhood.
1. The main idea of the passage is about ______________.
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A．hutong days realize my desires to live local life |
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B．Trishaw is the only way to visit the hutong |
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C．living in the hutong with other visitors |
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D．exploring the deeper of Beijing |
2. When did the author have the idea to visit Beijing hutong?
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A．As early as he was a little child |
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B．when he was reading the text books at school |
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C．during the preparation for the Olympics |
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D．the author doesn’t mention it specifically |
3. The underlined word “upscale” in the fourth paragraph means _________.
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A．inexpensive |
B．high-class |
C．appropriate |
D．secondary |
4. What is the impression of the author about the people in hutong?
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A．They came from all over the world. |
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B．They all wanted to enjoy the old life of Beijing. |
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C．They are living together in harmony. |
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D．They are living in a heavenly peace life. |
完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
When my children were small, the toughest part of the day was getting to work. There were diapers(尿布), formula(奶粉), 36 of clothes to worry about for the children. There was their breakfast, and I must 37 they were clean and ready for the day. It was pretty chaotic(混乱的). I have always been one to 38 more about making sure everyone else had what they needed than to take care of myself. 39 , I had my clothing and my packed lunch set out so that I could quickly get ready and then turn my 40 back to getting the children ready.
I tried to keep my 41 pretty easy in the morning. There just wasn’t time, but that was OK as long as I kept moving. I would manage a 42 look at myself in the full-length mirror just before I 43 out the door.
Once a week we had management team 44 and it was important to be there on time and to appear relaxed and 45 . We would go around the conference table, each 46 on successes and areas of concern. When it came around to my 47 , all eyes would be on me as I had my chance to brag(自夸) on my programs and increasing 48 .
I thought I was pretty 49 at playing the role of the cool, calm, collected program manager 50 one week I arrived at one of these management team meetings and as the 51 went around the table, getting to me. There were 52 looks on the faces of the others looking at me. I started to feel a little 53 as that “ what’s going on?” 54 grew more intense. My closest colleague started doing this strange nodding thing in my direction. It was then that I 55 that I had my dress on inside-out.
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9. A. work |
B. meetings |
C. spirits |
C. tasks |
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18. A. uneasy |
B. uncertain |
D. unhappy |
D. unfair |
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I have the same opinion as yours _____ we should carry out the experiment at once.
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A．that |
B．which |
C．whether |
D．where |
– We’ll spend the vacation in Hawaii. Don’t you think it is a wonderful idea?
-- ___ I have waited for it for a whole year. Now my dream has come true.
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A．I don’t think so |
B．No, it isn’t. |
C．How wonderful! |
D．Just so-so |
