One man tells of driving on a long and lonely road, the last 65 miles of it unpaved, in order to watch Indian dances in the state of Arizona. After the dances, he returned to his car only to find that it had a flat tire. He put on the spare and drove to the only service station in that town.
“Do you fix flats?” he inquired of the attendant.
“Yes,” came the answer.
“How much do you charge?” he asked.
With a twinkle in his eye, the man replied, “What difference does it make?”
This is what has been called a “Hobson’s choice”. A Hobson’s choice is a situation that forces a person to accept whatever is offered or go without.
According to Barbara Berliner, the phrase was inspired by sixteenth-century entrepreneur (企业家) Thomas Hobson. There was no choice by the customer — it was strictly Hobson’s choice.
But often we really have a choice, and the choice does make a difference. We may not always believe it. We may feel as if we have no choice, but almost always there is a choice in the matter. And when we realize that we do most things by choice, then we are taking control of our own lives.
Someone challenged me to try an experiment that completely changed my perspective. “For the next seven days,” he said, “eliminate the words ‘I have to’ from your vocabulary and say ‘I choose to’. Don’t say, ‘I have to work late tonight’. Instead, say, ‘I choose to work late’. When you choose to do it, you take control of your life. Instead of saying, ‘I have to stay home’, try ‘I choose to stay home’. The way you spend your time is your choice. You are responsible. You have control.”
In just seven days I was no longer saying “I have to” and I felt better about my decisions. I learned that there is very little in my life I actually have to do. You and I decide to do certain things because we believe that it will be for the best. When we eliminate “I have to” from our vocabularies, we take control.
Try it for a week and you see what happens. I think you’ll see it’s a change for the better.
1. What did the attendant mean by saying “What difference does it make”?
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A．The man didn’t need to pay for the work. |
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B．It was unnecessary for the man to ask about the price. |
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C．There was no need for the man to have the tire fixed. |
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D．The man should keep silent. |
2.The author learnt from the experiment that he .
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A．could become more challenging |
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B．could spend more time relaxing himself |
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C．should take pleasure in helping others |
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D．actually changed his attitudes towards life |
3.What does the underlined word “eliminate” mean?
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A．Remember. |
B．Repeat. |
C．Remove. |
D．Recite. |
4.What is the situation where we have a “Hobson’s choice”?
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A．We have no choice but to follow. |
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B．We should often change our choice. |
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C．We should make preparations before a journey. |
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D．We should think twice before taking action. |
5. The purpose of writing this text is to .
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A．advise us to become active in life |
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B．explain what Hobson’s choice is |
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C．tell an interesting story about the author |
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D．accept others’ advice modestly |
When a lion was asleep, a little mouse began running up and down beside him, ___1.__made some noise. This soon wakened the lion. ___2.__(lose)his temper, he caught the mouse in his paws and was about to kill it. The mouse, terrified, pleaded to the lion to spare ___3.___life.
"Please let me go," it cried, "and one day I will repay you for your ___4.___(kind)." The idea of so small a creature ever being able to do anything for him amused the lion so much __5._he laughed aloud. He thought, “How could this little mouse help me?” ___6.__, he lifted his paws and let it go.
But the mouse's chance came after all. A few days later, when the lion was wandering in the forest, he __7.__ (catch) in a trap.
The hunters wanted to take him alive to the king, __8.___he tied him to a tree, and went away to look for a wagon.
Just then the little mouse passed ____9.__, and saw the sad lion. It went up to him and soon gnawed away(啃断) the ropes. “Was I right?” asked the little mouse. This lion ___10.__ (nod) his head and thanked the little mouse.
One day, a train was approaching the small town of Cheekyville. On the train was a 1 man with a big suitcase. He was called William Warbler and he looked very 2 indeed. But what made him most unusual was the fact that whenever he needed to 3 , he did so by singing opera. Even if someone said “good day” to him, he would clear his throat and 4 : “Goood dayyy to youuuuuu..... toooooo!”
Almost everyone considered William unusual, since no one could get a normal 5 word out of him. As no one knew how he made his living — he lived quite 6 , always wearing the same old second-hand suit — they often had no ___7__for him and sometimes even made fun of him.
William had been in Cheekyville for some years, when one day a rumor (谣言) spread that William had received a role in a very important 8 in the nation’s capital, that there had been posters everywhere advertising the event, and that it had been a great 9 . And to everyone’s surprise, when William was being interviewed by reporters, he answered their questions by speaking with good 10 , and with a clear and pleasant voice.
From that day on, William gave up 11 at all hours. Now he sang only during his stage appearances. People wouldn’t have thought him 12 if they had seen what William kept in his big suitcase. It was a large 13 , with a hand-carved message on it.
The message said, “Practice every second, for you never know when your 14 will come.” Little did people realize that he only got the role in the opera because the 15 had heard William singing while out buying a newspaper.
1. A. tall B. sensitive C. handsome D. strange
2. A. common B. concerned C. wealthy D. confident
3. A. appear B. practice C. communicate D. debate
4. A. whisper B. respond C. repeat D. tease
5. A. advised B. printed C. written D. spoken
6. A. simply B. naturally C. calmly D. fortunately
7. A. mercy B. respect C. trust D. money
8. A. concert B. documentary C. opera D. film
9. A. experience B. benefit C. discovery D. success
10. A. movements B. manners C. efforts D. signs
11. A. pretendingB. recording C. singing D. wandering
12. A. mad B. skillful C. artificial D. desperate
13. A. knife B. stone C. medal D. diamond
14. A. solution B. inspiration C. performance D. chance
15. A. neighbor B. visitor C. director D. Teacher
读写任务(共l小题，满分25分)
阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
No doubt the planet is warming. Over the last century, the temperature has risen by around one degree Fahrenheit. It’s reported that the global temperatures will rise by 3-10 degrees Fahrenheit—enough to have the polar caps almost melted. If the ice caps melt, buildings, homes and even lives will be under water.
While we know about global warming, what can we do to save the planet? The answer is simpler than supposed. You don’t have to go miles away to protest, or spend much money. Here are several simple steps to begin with.
Firstly, plant a tree.Trees , when fully grown, will keep the plante cooler.
Secondly, reduce pollution. Sometimes as simple as walking instead of taking the car will reduce pollution. Besides stop pollution, you are giving yourself exercise. So whenever you get into your car, just ask yourself, “do I have to make this journey by vehicle?”
When you get a little cold in winter, put a jumper on and don’t adjust the heating. The extra heat produced by homes also affect the planet.
Finally, reduce, reuse and recycle. Only buy what you need and reuse whatever you can, like containers and paper, and recycle what you cannot reuse.
If everyone stuck to these rules, we would be doing a great thing by protecting the Earth. It is our next generation that will feel the effects.
[写作内容]
1. 以约30个词概括这段短文的内容 ;
2. 然后以约120个词就“阻止全球变暖从我做起”进行议论，内容包括：
（1）全球变暖危及人类生存；
（2）阻止全球变暖要从小事做起；
（3）你的做法。
[写作要求]
1. 在作文中可以使用自己亲身的经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2. 标题自定。
[评分标准]
概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。
基础写作（共1小题；满分15分）
请根据以下情景说明，使用5个句子描述全部所给的信息内容。
[情景说明] 根据下面提示，用英语写一篇100~130词的短文，介绍中国的海南岛。
1. 海南岛就像一只雪梨，横卧中国南部南海(the South China Sea)之上。
2. 面积：35,000平方公里（中国第二大岛）；
3. 历史：6,000多年；
4. 人口：7,110,000,包括十个民族；
5. 居民谋生方式：种水稻、捕鱼；
6. 不但气候四季宜人，而且风景名胜众多。（用倒装句）
[写作要求]
必须使用5个句子介绍所给的全部内容
将5个句子组织成连贯的短文。
信息匹配 (共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分)
阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。
A
Power Chord Academy is the benchmark （基准尺度） for teenage musician training. At Power Chord Academy, students play in a band, record a CD, make an MTV video, play concerts, and more! Power Chord Academy offers courses in San Diego, St. Louis and New York with teenage musicians attending from around the world.
B
The Idyllwild Summer Program: Every summer, more than 1,300 children, teens, and adults attend Idyllwild’s workshops(讲习班) under the pines, showing interest in creative writing, dance, music, theatre, and visual arts, which are taught by some of the America’s finest artists. The resulting experience is unforgettable, exciting, and funny.
C
Guitar Workshop Plus（特长班）: We own a strong commitment (承担的义务) to music education. Join us this summer and treat yourself to a fun and educational music-filled week! Courses are offered for all levels, ages, and styles including blues, jazz, rock, classical music, and song writing. Bass, drum, and keyboard classes are offered as well.
D
UW-Green Bay is a best choice for summer youth camps! Parents love the attractive setting — one that is not too close to a downtown, city environment. Students love the modern facilities, easy access to all campus buildings and all on-site conveniences(现场的便利设施).
E
Keyboard Discoveries Summer Camp is a residential（提供食宿的） music camp designed for the young piano student who has completed grades（级别） five, six, seven, or eight. Students who have completed grade four may enroll(登记) as day campers. The camp welcomes different levels of study. However, all students should have completed at least two years’ piano study.
F
Camp Curtain Call lies in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and it offers children (7-18) an exciting combination of traditional summer camp and sports activities with specialized performing and visual arts programming in one of the most beautiful settings in the world. Campers can plan their experience themselves by choosing their own activities.
请阅读以下有关学生的信息，然后匹配他们所要选择的营地：
1. David is a boy of sixteen who likes music very much. In his spare time he often practices playing jazz. And he also shows great interest in playing the drum.
2. Michael is a tall and strong boy who studies in a middle school. It is natural that he likes sports. What’s more, Michael is planning to learn how to perform beautifully.
3. Sarah is a lovely girl who is only nine years old. Not only does she like music, but she likes dance. She often sings while dancing with her best friends.
4 Daniel is good at playing the piano. As we all know he has passed grade six successfully. He is going camping only in the daytime to improve his skills of piano further.
5. James lives in England. He is a university student whose major is computer. But he is especially interested in music. This summer he is going to learn how to make videos.
申请学生 活动营地
1.David A. Power Chord Academy
2.Michael B. The Idyllwild Summer Program
3.Sarah C. Guitar Workshop Plus
4.Daniel D. UW-Green Bay
5.James E. Keyboard Discoveries Summer Camp
F. Camp Curtain Call
