Looking back on my childhood, I am quite sure that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon left their pressed flowers and insects completely forever. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental mathematics.
Before World War I, we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and of my toys. Nor do I remember clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world and my interest had led me into varied investigations. I love discussing my favorite subjects and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s discoveries. Then something happens that brings these discoveries together in my mind. Suddenly you imagine you see the answer to the question, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research.
But interest, a good eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and necessary qualities required is self-discipline(自我修养), a quality I lack. A scientist, up to point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.
1.The first paragraph tells us the author __________.
A. was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood
B. lost his hearing when he was a child
C. didn’t like his brothers and sisters
D. was born to a naturalist’s family
2.The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because __________.
A. he didn’t live very long with them
B. the family was extremely large
C. he was too young when he lived with them
D. he paid more attention to nature
3.The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he __________.
A. has a great deal of trouble doing mental mathematics
B. lacks some of the qualities required of s scientist
C. just reads about other people’s discoveries
D. comes up with solutions in a most natural way
At 50 I was the first woman to travel alone to the North Pole. But what should I do to celebrate my 60th birthday? What else, but a journey at the opposite end of the world, Antarctica. I began my almost 400-mile journey on November 1st, 1997,a few days before my birthday. I walked and skied alone. My dog team were not with me to pull my sled. Another journey of challenge and danger was about to begin.
The first days the weather was very good. The wind was icy but not very strong and there was bright sunshine 24 hours a day. But changes were just around the corner. On the third day I was struggling through stormy weather and during the nest week the wind grew stronger and I found myself spending a whole day in my tent.
I had traveled only two hours one day when the winds increased so much that I had to put my tent up before the winds became too strong. Within a few minutes the winds increased to a howling storm that threatened to blow me and the tent away, but none of that happened.
1.from the text we know the writer was born on ___.
A. 1st November 1937 B. 12th November 1937
C. 22nd November 1947 D .1st November 1957
2.Another journey of challenge and danger was about to begin. “ Another journey” here means ___.
A. the travel to the North Pole. B. another journey to Antarctica.
C .400- mile journey on November 1st 1997. D. a new trip that she was planning.
3.After reading the short passage, we can guess that ___.
A. the trip to the North Pole must be the same hard as that to the South Pole.
B. The trip to the Antarctica may be more dangerous than that to the Arctic
C. There was no danger though the trip to the South Pole was hard.
D. During the trip to the Antarctica, the weather, most of the time, was not so bad.
4.Do you think which kind of people the writer is?
A .mean B .generous C .brave D .handsome
Several different stories are told about the origin（由来） of Saint Valentine's Day（情人节）. One legend(传奇) dates as far back as the clays of the Roman Empire, according to the story, Claudius, the Emperor of Rome, wanted to increase the size of the army. He knew that it would be easier to get young man who were not married to join. Therefore he made a rule that no young man could marry until he had served a certain number of years in the army.
A priest（牧师） named Valentine broke the rule and secretly married a great many young people. Finally, Claudius found out about Valentine and put the priest in prison, where he remained until his death on February 14.
After his death, Valentine was made a saint, and the day of his death was named Saint Valentine's Day. It became the custom for lovers to send each other message on this day. Now Saint Valentine's Day is a time for people to send one another greeting of many kinds.
February 14, Valentine's Day, is a sweethearts' day, on which people in love with each other express their tender emotions. People sometimes put their love message in a heart-shaped box of chocolates, or a bunch of flowers tied with red ribbons. Words of letters may be written on the flower covered card, or something else. Whatever the form may be, the message is almost the same "will you be my Valentine?"
1.Valentine was put in prison because ________.
A. he secretly got married
B. he didn't serve in the army
C. he married many young people secretly
D. he broke the laws
2.According to the rule ________.
A. no young men could get married unless they were old enough
B. young men could marry if they served in the army for several years
C. no one could get married without the emperor's permission
D. young could marry only in the army
3.This passage mainly tells us about _________.
A. how Valentine died
B. the Emperor of Rome
C. how Valentine's Day is celebrated
D. the origin of Valentine's Day
4.February 14 is chosen Valentine's Day because __________.
A. lovers express their tender emotions on this day
B. people want to remember Valentine
C. people send one another greetings of many kinds on this day
D. people want to fix a date for lovers to express their emotions
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题四个选项（A,B,C,D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并将答案写在答题卡上。
Sometimes I really doubt whether there is love between my parents. Every day they are very busy trying to __21__ in order to pay the high tuition(学费) for my brother and me. They don’t act in the __22__ ways that I read in books or I see on TV. In their opinion, “I love you” is too __23__ for them to say. Sending flowers to each other on Valentine’s Day is even more out of __24__.
One day, my mother was sewing a quilt（缝被子）. I sat down beside her. “Mom, I have a question to ask you. Is there __25__ between you and Dad?” I asked her in a very low voice. She didn’t answer immediately. She __26__ her head and continued to sew the quilt.
I was very worried because I thought I had _27_ her. I was _28__ and I didn’t know what I should do. But at last I heard my mother say the following words: “Susan,” she said thoughtfully, “Look at this thread(线)．Sometimes it __29_, but most of it disappears in the quilt. The thread really makes the quilt __30__and durable（耐用的）. If life is a quilt, then love should be a thread．It can hardly be seen __31_, but it’s really there. Love is __32__.”
I listened carefully but I couldn’t__33__ her until the next spring. At that time, my father suddenly __34_ seriously. My mother had to stay with him in the hospital for a month. When they returned from the hospital, they both looked very __35 _. It seemed both of them had had a serious illness. After they were back, every day in the morning and dusk, my mother helped my father __36__ on the country road．
“Dad, how are you feeling now?” I asked him one day.
“Susan, don’t __37__ me.” he said gently. “To tell you the truth, I just like walking with your mom.”__38__ his eyes, I know he loves my mother deeply.
Once I thought love meant flowers, gifts and __39__. But from this experience, I understand that love is just __40__ in the quilt of our life. Love is inside, making life strong and warm.
1.A. keep fit B. rise early C. earn money D. collect money
2.A. ordinary B. romantic C. funny D. common
3.A. simple B. easy C. relaxing D. luxurious（奢侈）
4.A. the question B. question C. reach D. control
5.A. feeling B. love C. quarrel D. smile
6.A. raised B. shook C. nodded D. bowed
7.A. hurt B. injured C. wounded D. harmed
8.A. surprised B. embarrassed（难堪）C. sad D. regretted
9.A. happens B. comes about C. appears D. occurs
10.A. warm B. cool C. beautiful D. strong
11.A. somewhere and sometime B. anywhere or anytime
C. more or less D. here and there
12.A. inside B. outside C. faraway D. nearby
13.A. believe B. understand C. recognize D. realize
14.A. got sick B. got stuck C. got angry D. became weak
15.A. healthy B. pale C. excited D. fit
16.A. jump high B. go hurriedly C. run fast D. walk slowly
17.A. think about B. talk with C. worry about D. laugh at
18.A. Reading B. Seeing C. Saying D. Writing
19.A. fresh roses B. gold ring C. sweet kisses D. beautiful jewelry
20.A. a thread B. a needle C. the cloth D. the cotton
I found _______impossible for______ to work out the maths problem．
A．if, he B．that, he C．that, him D．it, him
____ this kind of computer ______well?
A. Is, sold B. Does, sell C. Are, sold D. Do, sell
