The United States will hold local, state and national elections this Tuesday. It seems that the Democrats (民主党) may be in a position to end Republican control of one or both houses of Congress.
Seventy percent of the fifty states will elect governors (地方长官). If the Democrats win four more of these than they have now, the Republicans would also lose their majority at the state level.
So both parties are fighting hard. Elections in America bring a flood of political advertising, especially on television. These messages are often negative (消极的) or attack ads.
Americans traditionally say they dislike negative ads, but political experts say these ads often work. In many cases, the candidates likely to gain from negative ads say that their own campaigns (活动) were not involved. Outside groups or national party committees often pay for these ads. Some are about issues, like a candidate’s position on the war in Iraq or immigration. But political ads increasingly seem to be attacking candidates personally.
Some political watchers say this year’s election has brought more negative ads than ever before. Whether this is true remains to be proven.
But some ads have made news, like a Republican National Committee ad against Harold Ford. The ad was based on the fact that last year he attended a Super Bowl party held by the men’s magazine Playboy. The ad showed an actress with bare shoulders saying she met him at the Play boy party. "Harold, call me," she says.
The ad might have seemed humorous, except that the woman is white and Mr. Ford is black.
63. The underlined word "some" in the fourth paragraph refers to ______.
A. campaigns B. Ads C. groups or party committees D. candidates
64. About political ads, the author ______.
A. doesn’t show his own opinion
B. thinks they are negative
C. considers them fair
D. disagrees with them
65. The author mainly discusses ______.
A. American elections
B. the ads campaign behind American elections
C. negative ads in the US
D. political advertising on TV
A new World Calendar is published every year, and provides the latest information about many places and things. For example, you can find the names of past academy-award winners, the names of award-winning athletes, and information about American cities and states.
The book also provides information about other nations. It includes world history, geography, business, science and technology and languages.
It presents the most important and most unusual news stories of the past year. And it gives interesting facts, such as the nation with the most refugees (难民) (Pakistan), the nation with the most vacation days each year (Italy), and the most popular breed (品种) of dog in the United States.
The New York World newspaper published the first World Calendar in 1868. The World Calendar website says the publication has even played a part in American politics. For example, in 1923, Calvin Coolidge was sworn (宣誓) in as president after the sudden death of President Warren Harding. Mr. Coolidge’s father, a judge, read the oath of office from a copy of the World Calendar. The website also says that several recent American presidents have used the book. It says there are photographs of presidents John Kennedy and Bill Clinton that show copies of the World Calendar on or near their desks.
The website also claims that the World Calendar is the best-selling American reference book of all time. It says that more than 80 million copies have been sold.
The World Calendar now also publishes a digital version (版本), as well as a separate calendar for children. The Kids Calendar provides information children might need for school reports. It also has games, puzzles and other activities children enjoy.
60. According to the passage, all the following are available in the new World Calendar EXCEPT ______.
A. information about famous awards in America
B. some interesting news stories
C. introductions to some American cities
D. Calvin Coolidge’s oath of office
61. Who is the owner of the World Calendar, according to the passage?
A. The New York World newspaper.
B. The World Calendar website.
C. John Kennedy.
D. The Kids Calendar.
62. According to the passage, the World Calendar has a history of about ______ years.
A. 140 B. 85 C. 55 D. 105
第三部分阅读理解(共10小题；每小题2分,满分20分)
How many times have you laughed today? Have you ever wondered what makes you laugh? In the whole animal kingdom, only we humans are capable (有能力的) of laughter. On average, we laugh about 17 times a day.
Laughter is a spontaneous reaction of the body to some-thing funny or pleasant. Have you noticed that when you laugh, many parts of your body respond (反应)? Your face changes expression, your breathing changes, and muscles throughout your body are affected.
An interesting story dates back to 1962. In a school in Tanganyika, in Africa, a group of schoolgirls started laughing uncontrollably over a joke. This laughter became epidemic (传染的), jumping from one person to the next, spreading across communities, and lasting for six months! So strong was the "laughter epidemic" that schools had to shut down till it ended.
How we laugh remains a mystery. Whatever the reasons, laughter, as the saying goes, "is the best medicine." In fact, science has proven that being happy and laughing can not only keep us healthy and fit but help deal with serious illnesses.
Laughing exercises all the important muscles, and keeps you fit. People have started forming laughter clubs that use laughter to treat illnesses. They meet at specific places at fixed times and laugh together. Laughter spreads, so this exercise works best in groups; once one person starts laughing, others automatically (自动地) join in.
56. The underlined word "spontaneous" in the second paragraph probably means "______".
A. perfect B. strange C. natural D. terrible
57. People have formed laughter clubs to ______.
A. kill time B. relax C. meet others D. keep healthy
58. The best title for the passage would be ______.
A. A Laughter Epidemic
B. Laughter, What It Is, and What It Can Do
C. The Relationship Between Laughter and Health
D. How Laughter Helps Cure Disease
59. The passage is probably taken from a(n) ______.
A. ad B. novel C. magazine D. medical book
第二节完形填空(共20小题；每小题1分,满分20分)
Once there was a woman whose only son had died. In her sorrow she went to ask a wise man whether there was a way to bring her son back to 36 . "Bring me a mustard seed (芥菜籽) from a home that has never known 37 . I will use it to help you," he said to her, 38 sending her away or trying to persuade her that there was hope. At once she 39 to look for that mustard seed. The first 40 she came to was a huge building. Knocking on the door, she said, "I’m 41 a house that has never known suffering. Is this the place? It’s very 42 to me." "You have come to the 43 place," they told her, and began to 44 out all the sad things that had happened to 45 ."Who is better able to 46 the misfortune (不幸) these poor people have suffered than I, who have 47 sadness?" she thought. 48 she stayed there and comforted them 49 setting off again to look for a house that had never known sorrow. The woman went on, full of 50 , and came across a51 on the road. She asked the farmer the same question, but 52 he too said no. Wherever she went, from huts (茅屋) to palaces, there was no one without tales of 53 and misfortune. She came to be so 54 listening to other people’s sad stories that she 55 about looking for the mustard seed. Listening to the sorrow of others had driven the sorrow from her own heart.
36. A. attention B. truth C. health D. life
37. A. happiness B. sorrow C. value D. wealth
38. A. for fear of B. because of C. in spite of D. instead of
39. A. set off B. took off C. put off D. went off
40. A. expression B. memory C. place D. chance
41. A. caring for B. looking for C. paying for D. leaving for
42. A. important B. strange C. fair D. common
43. A. different B. right C. wrong D. certain
44. A. turn B. pour C. carry D. work
45. A. it B. them C. him D. her
46. A. preserve B. describe C. share D. accept
47. A. experienced B. treated C. controlled D. connected
48. A. However B. While C. Though D. So
49. A. unless B. after C. before D. until
50. A. hope B. pleasure C. regret D. fear
51. A. factory B. palace C. sign D. hut
52. A. hopefully B. strangely C. originally D. Unfortunately
53. A. happiness B. endings C. sadness D. promises
54. A. disappointed B. busy C. happy D. Free
55. A. forgot B. cared C. worried D. found
. He was so ______ that he tricked me into giving him $500.
|
A．persuasive |
B．common |
C．strange |
D．disappointed |
She suddenly became ____ a man following her, so she went into a shop to get rid of him.
|
A．tired of |
B．aware of |
C．satisfied with |
D．pleased with |
