Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.
Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns(角) had not yet developed. A century later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from early nineteen hundreds. A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling, jealousy(嫉妒). The green-eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay rise and he does not.
44. A greenhorn now refers to ____.
A. a person who is new in a job B. a new solider
C. a young horse D. a cow without horns
45. A person who has a green thumb is a person ____.
A. who is good at growing plants B. whose thumbs are of green color
C. whose garden is greener than others’ D. who is younger than his neighbors
46. The author is actually talking about ____.
A. colors B. language C. politics D. agriculture
47. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. In about the 16th century, a greenhorn meant an experienced soldier.
B. The Green Revolution may have some connection with green thumbs.
C. The green-eyed monster was probably created by William Shakespeare.
D. The green-eyed monster can be used to describe a person who is jealous.
Read the advertisements, and then choose the best answers.
Driver Wanted Clean driving license(执照) Must be of smart appearance. Aged over 25. Apply to(申请):Capes Taxis, 17 Palace Road , Boston |
Air Hostesses(空姐)for International Flight Wanted Applicants(申请者) must be between 20 and 33 years old. Height 1.6m to 1.75m. Education to GCSE standard. Two languages. Must be able to swim. Apply to: Recruitment office, Southern Airlines, Heathrow Airport West HR37KK |
Teachers Needed For private language school. Teaching experience unnecessary. Apply to: The Director of Studies, Instant Language Ltd, 279 Canal Street |
41. What prevent Jack, an experienced taxi driver, working for Capes Taxis?
A. Fond of beer and wine.
B. Punished for speeding and wrong parking.
C. Unable to speak a foreign language.
D. Not having college education.
42. Ben, aged 22, fond of swimming and driving, has just graduated from a college and can speak two foreign languages. Which job might be given to him?
A. Driving for Capes Taxis.
B. Working for Southern Airlines.
C. Teaching at Instant Language Ltd.
D. None of the three jobs mentioned above.
43. If Mary wants to work for Southern Airlines, she must _____.
A. be over 25 years old
B. have some similar working experience
C. look smart and beautiful
D. speak another language besides her own
Carl lost his job. He had so little money that he spent his days at home. He watched his neighbor’s room, where an old professor lived. He found the rooms were full of old furniture and vases. Carl thought, “Why haven’t I got an old and valuable vase? I can sell it for a lot of money.”
Carl had an old gun. It had been his great grandfather’s favorite thing a long time before. Carl didn’t want to use the gun but he thought, “Anything could happen.” He wanted to hide the gun under his coat but it was too long so he cut the end off with a saw(锯子).
Next morning he watched the professor leave home at 10 o’clock. Carl broke the window and entered the house. He didn’t know much about arts. He couldn’t choose. He reached his hands towards a big vase when he heard a noise. The front door opened and someone entered the house. It was the professor. He had forgotten to take an important document. Carl became so afraid that he pulled out the gun, “I haven’t stolen anything. I just want to go away or I will shoot.” cried Carl. “With that gun? ”asked the professor and he began to laugh. He wasn’t afraid of Carl at all.
He said, “You can’t shoot with that old gun. Its place should be in a museum.”
“Is this really an old gun? ” asked Carl. “How much is it worth?”
“It was worth about 27,000 dollars,” said the professor, “But now you can get 20 dollars for it.”
“Why?” asked Carl.
The professor said, “Because its end is missing.”
36. Carl wanted to steal because he was interested in beautiful vases.
37. He cut the end of the gun off in order to hide it easily.
38. The professor came back because he saw Carl enter his house.
39. The professor was not afraid of Carl because he thought Carl dared not shoot.
40. The gun is worth 20 dollars now because Carl cut off its end.
完形填空(共20小题;每小题1分,满分20分)
阅读下面短文,从短文后所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中,选出可以填人空白处的最佳答案,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Once a group of tourists who were staying at a hotel in Birmingham were having dinner in the restaurant. Fish was brought in and while they were 16 it, some of them told interesting stories about 17 pearls and other 18 things inside fish.
An old gentleman, who up to now had 19 quietly to their conversation, at last said,
“ I’ve heard all your stories, now I’ll tell you 20 . When I was a young man I was working in a large importing factory in New York, and 21 is usual with young persons, I fell in 22 with a pretty young girl. Very __23__ we were engaged(订婚). About two months __24___ our marriage was to take place, I was suddenly 25 to Birmingham on a very important business. I left my sweetheart, 26 to write to her. ”
“ I had to stay in Birmingham longer than I had 27 . At last my work was done and I could leave Birmingham. But just before I 28 New York, I bought a beautiful and very expensive diamond 29 , planning to give it to my sweetheart. ”
“ On my way to New York, I was__30___ the morning newspaper, which had been brought on board by the sailor. Suddenly I 31 an announcement of my sweetheart’s 32 with another. This made me so angry that I threw the ring overboard. A few days 33 , when I was eating fish, I bit(咬) on something 34 . What do you think it was ? ”
“ The diamond ring, ” cried his companions. “ No ” , said the old gentleman 35 , “ it was a fish-bone.”
16. A. eating B. cooking C. peeling D. weighing
17. A. exchanging B. tasting C. finding D. searching
18. A. valuable B. terrible C. common D. cheap
19. A. sat B. listened C. stood D. thought
20. A. one B. all C. some D. another
21. A. it B. which C. that D. as
22. A. trouble B. debt C. quarrel D. love
23. A. quickly B. fast C. soon D. lucky
24. A. when B. before C. after D. since
25. A. reported B. sent C. caught D. taken
26. A. promising B. agreeing C. refusing D. wishing
27. A. regretted B. wondered C. expected D. finished
28. A. left for B. left to C. returned back D. returned from
29. A. watch B. ring C. earring D. necklace
30. A. looking at B. looking up C. looking through D. looking for
31. A. looked B. saw C. heard D. recognized
32. A. marriage B. fight C. talk D. agreement
33. A. before B. later C. earlier D. ago
34. A. hard B. sweet C. soft D. crisp
35. A. happily B. loudly C. angrily D. sadly
I will work as hard as I can _____ for the final exam.
A. prepare B. to prepare C. preparing D. prepared
_____ there are many different interpretations of our body language, some gestures seem to be universal.
A. When B. While C. Because D. Since