"Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television?" How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn't been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the "one-eyed monster" into our homes, we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilised pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, entertain our friends and be entertained by them, go outside for our amusements. We even used to read books and listen to music occasionally. Now all our free time is regulated by the "goggle box". We rush home for our meals to be in time for this or that programme. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do—anything, providing it doesn't interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a programme, he is quickly silenced.
Whole generations are growing up addicted to the television. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The television is a universal thing that makes people calm. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn't matter what the children will watch—so long as they are quiet.
Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness. Television may be a splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains. In quiet, natural surrounding, we quickly discover how little we miss the King television.
1..
. Through the passage, the writer aims to tell us ________.
A. how television is damaging our health
B. how to keep away from watching television
C. that television is doing harm to our life
D. all of us find it difficult to live without television
2..
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Second-hand experiences provided by television are harmful.
B. We can enjoy our life without television.
C. Television is a necessary way of communication.
D. Television is becoming irreplaceable in our daily life.
3..
. What's the main reason for parents to put the children before a television set?
A. To save more time for housework.
B. To help them sleep earlier.
C. To keep them quiet.
D. To help them learn more knowledge from television.
4..
By saying "we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time," the writer means ________.
A. television occupies too much of our spare time
B. it's easy for us to find some spare time to enjoy the television
C. we have less spare time after we have television
D. it's difficult to spend our spare time without a television
In the United States, friendships can be close, constant, intense, generous, and real, yet fade away in a short time if things change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greeting for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while—then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship where it's left off and are delighted.
In the States, you can feel free to visit people's homes and share their holidays without fear that you are taking on a lasting obligation. Do not hesitate to accept hospitality because you cannot give it in return. No one will expect you to do so for they know you are far from home. Americans will enjoy welcoming you and be pleased if you accept their hospitality easily.
Once you arrive there, the welcome will be full and warm and real. Most visitors find themselves easily invited into many homes there. In some countries it is considered inhospitable to entertain at home, offering what is felt as "merely" home cooked food, not "doing something" for your guest. It is felt that restaurant entertaining shows more respect and welcome. Or for various other reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties, or family custom, outsiders are not invited into homes.
In the United States, both methods are used, but it is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one's home than to go to a public place, except in pure business relationships. So, if your host or hostess brings you home, do not feel that you are being shown inferior treatment.
1..
. In the United States, friendships might ________ if things become different.
A. disappear little by little B. last forever
C. be heartbreaking D. end suddenly
2..
All the following factors but ________ prevent people from inviting their friends home for
dinner according to the passage.
A. different languages B. naughty children
C. different customs D. small houses
3..
. We can infer that ________ in America according to this passage.
A. friendships are difficult to get but easy to lose
B. it is hard for a person to pick up the friendship when he comes across his long lost friend
C. you might be considered as a person hungry for social activities if you accept an invitation too easily
D. people care little about where they are invited to go for dinner
4..
. Why is giving a dinner party at home considered less hospitable in some countries?
A. Because eating at the restaurant is a sign of respect.
B. Because having dinner at home seems less friendly.
C. Because dishes prepared at home are less delicious.
D. Because a dinner at the restaurant is more expensive.
He has lived through various dangers but time may be running out for the Palestinian leader, Yasser Arafat.
On September 11, Israel announced its decision to remove him, following several Palestinian suicide bomb attacks on Israel. “He should be punished for the killings,” an Israeli official said, “He has done nothing to stop the terrorist groups.”
But the decision has angered many other countries. China said that Arafat is the true leader, elected by the Palestinian people, and removing him would harm the peace in the Middle East. Other governments share this idea.
Arafat himself said: “They can kill me, but never get me out of my country.” He has spent most of his life in danger as the most important aim of Israel. But, just like a cat with nine lives, Arafat escaped every time.
For years he has made a practice of sleeping in a different bed each night, thinking a moving person is harder to hit. In 1985, Israel sent fighter planes to kill Arafat. The wild bombing destroyed his office in Tunis but Arafat himself was unhurt. In 1992, the aircraft in which he was flying over North Africa broke in two during a crash landing. The pilot was killed but he managed to remain alive.
What is so unbelievable is that he always remains calm in great danger. Israeli tanks and planes attacked his office building in Ram Allah in December 2001. When they saw the attackers coming, Arafat’s bodyguards took no notice of his orders to stay still and carried him to safety underground. Seconds later, several bombs were dropped nearby. Though safe, his bodyguards were so frightened that they were wet in sweat.
But, Arafat, with Israeli tanks only 200 meters away, showed no fear at all. He stayed in the damaged office, talking by phone with foreign leaders in hope of preventing further attacks from Israel.
All these experiences have made him a beloved leader to his people and an enemy to some others.
But has he used up the last of his nine lives? Only time will tell.
1.. According to the passage, which statement is true?
A. In 1992, Arafat’s plane crashed in South Africa.
B. Israeli officers thought Arafat himself sent the terrorist groups to Israel.
C. China is the only country against Israel’s decision of removing Arafat.
D. Being Palestinian leader, Arafat would rather die in his own country than be driven away
from his people.
2.. . What did the author mean by saying “just like a cat has nine lives” when he talked about Arafat?
A. Arafat is as clever as a cat.
B. Arafat can live as long as a cat.
C. Arafat can stay alive after accidents or disasters as if he has nine lives.
D. Arafat should have died for at least 8 times.
3.. The underlined phrase “took no notice of” can be replaced by __________.
A. obeyed B. ignored C. disagreed D. dissatisfied
4.. . What’s the writer’s attitude towards Arafat’s future, judging from the last sentence of the passage?
A. Hopeful. B. Interesting. C. Satisfactory. D. Doubtful.
As darkness fell, hundreds of people in the Swiss village left their houses. They were staring 36 at the mountain top in the distance. It was covered with 37 , beautiful and dangerous.
The huge mountain is called Matterhorn. Mountain climbers had 38 the top, using the southern route. But no one had ever dared to try a winter climbing up the 39 side. But now one man was daring to try the 40 route. He was Walter Bonatti, a great mountain climber from Italy.
For two days he had climbed. The village people had watched him 41 . Now they were waiting to see his 42 . If he planned to 43 the next day, he would light a green signal. A red light would mean that he was 44 .
A tiny green light 45 high on the mountain side. Bonatti was not giving up! The people 46 .
The next day he 47 his way upward. He was so lonely and so tired! But he would not give up. Again that night he lit the 48 light.
In the morning, Bonatti looked up. He could not see the top, but he knew he was 49 there. 50 the climb was painful, he moved up.
Bonatti had spent months 51 for the climb. Was the training enough? Did he have the strength and 52 to climb to the top?
He was finally at the top! News about his 53 was radioed to the world.
The trip down the southern 54 was easy. He was warmly welcomed in the village. He had done the " 55 ", and would be well remembered as a climber of all time.
1... A. up B. down C. back D. forward
2... A. green trees B. flowers C. rocks D. ice and snow
3.. A. passed B. reached C. climbed D. watched
4.. A. eastern B. western C. northern D. southern
5.. A. different B. difficult C. easy D. same
6.. A. anxiously B. carefully C. patiently D. eagerly
7.. A. signal B. flag C. face D. figure
8.. A. go down B. come back C. go on D. give up
9.. A. turning around B. turning back C. moving up D. in danger
10.. A. raised B. rose C. disappeared D. appeared
11.. A. cheered B. shouted C. laughed D. jumped
12.. A. stopped B. abandoned C. continued D. ended
13.. A. green B. yellow C. blue D. red
14.. A. already B. surely C. almost D. no longer
15.. A. Because B. Though C. Since D. When
16.. A. asking B. planning C. preparing D. training
17... A. money B. wish C. effort D. skill
18.. A. victory B. climb C. courage D. thing
19... A. pace B. route C. path D. passage
20... A. necessary B. great C. important D. impossible
—Guess what! I came across an old friend at the party last night.
—________ I’m sure you had a wonderful time.
A. Sound good! B. Very well. C. All right. D. How nice!
—It is said that we will have another examination next week.
—Really? ________, we must begin to prepare right now.
A. If so B. If possible C. Great D. Unfortunately
