From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized (免疫) from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and medical treatment. It is almost certain that one day cures will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable slaughter (屠杀) of men, women and children on the roads. Man vs the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel (方向盘), his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and absolutely selfish. All their hidden disappointments and regrets seem to be brought by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so kindly on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost impossible to live in because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time a world system of laws were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. As for driving, the laws of some countries are not strict and even the strictest are not strict enough. Here are a few examples of some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strict annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can affect a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (wher
e they exist) should be made much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be introduced on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications (规范) for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound inordinately severe. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
1.The main idea of this passage is_________.
A. Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.
B. Thousands of people the world over are killed each year.
C. The laws of some countries about driving are not too strict.
D. Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents.
2.What does the author think of society toward motorists?
A. Society laughs at the motorists.
B. Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns.
C. Victims of accidents are nothing.
D. Society forgives their rude driving.
3.Why does the author say: “his car becomes the extension of his personality?”
A. Driving can show his real self.
B. Driving can sh
ow the other part of his personality.
C. Driving can bring out his character.
D. His car can express his temper.
4. The attitude of the author is_________.
A. ironical B. critical
C. appealing D. favorable
It is of great importance for students to be able to get a feel for the rhythm and sounds of a poem---more so than for most pieces of prose (散文). This isn’t always easy in a second language, and so listening to their teacher read the poem, or to a professional recording, perhaps by the poet or by an actor, is, I feel, necessary.
As with any listening activity, students w
ill need some kind of preparation and task so that they can be actively engaged. They might be asked to check predictions that arose from a warm-up discussion, to compare their suggested rhyming couplets with the poet’s, or to identify stressed words and syllables.
You might also want to get your students to listen to recorded or live discussion
s about poems. This can, for example, take the form of a couple of teachers or a group of students giving their views on a poem, or even an interview with the poet.
I’m a big fan of jigsaw listening because of the natural information gap. If your school has the facilities, you might like to:
divide your students into two, or even three
groups
give each group a different cassette or CD and tasks to work on
then they come back together 
to share what they have learned.
Remember that your own enthusiasm is a key factor in any activity relating to literature in the classroom.
Finally, don’t forget to encourage art for art’s sake. Listening for pleasure, to poetry (or to anything else, for that matter), is to be fostered at every opportunity, because of the obvious benefits which include motivation, vocabulary acquisition and learner independence. Many good song lyrics (歌词) could be termed poetry and treated accordingly in the classroom, copyright rules permitting.
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. An English student will have difficulty understanding Li Bai’s poems.
B. an English student will have some difficulty understanding Walt Whitman.
C. A Chinese student will have some difficulty understanding Du Fu’s works.
D. An American student will have some difficulty understanding William Shakespeare.
2.What kind of preparations should the students do in the listening activity？
a. They’d better predict what the poem is about.
b. They’d better have a warm-up discussion.
c. They will share their own works with their classmates
d. They should know the stressed words.
e. They should make clear the stressed syllables.
f. They should first go to an actor.
A. abcf B. abde C. cdef D. bcdf
3.Who do you think is this passage written for?
A. The students. B. The poets.
C. The teachers. D. The readers.
4.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. How to use poems to develop the students’ skills.
B. Listening to poem is more difficult than reading prose.
C. The schools should encourage the students to study poems.
D. Preparations should be done before teaching.
阅读理解
What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt？Or is it the look on the recipient's face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?
This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming, and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lone dandelion (蒲公英) standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.
I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood, I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate. Christmas soon arrived. The minute I sa
w the look on my dad’s face as he unwrapped those black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.
1.The author's inspiratio
n for the gift came from _________.
A. a photo of a flower B. a story about a kid
C. a call from the mother D. a text about Christmas
2.The author made the gift by ________.
A. searching for the poems online
B. drawing the background by hand
C. painting the letters in three colors
D. matching the words with pictures
3. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To show how to design images for gifts
B. To suggest making gifts from one’s heart
C. To explain how computers help create gifts
D. To describe the gifts the author has received
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Evelyn Glennie was the first lady of solo percussion in Scotland. In an interview, she recalled how she became a percussion soloist (打击乐器独奏演员) in spite of her disability.
“Early on I decided not to allow the of others to stop me from becoming a musician. I grew up on a farm in northeast Scotland and began piano lessons when I was eight. The older I got, the more my passion for music grew. But I also began to gradually lose my . Doctors concluded that the nerve damage was the and by age twelve, I was completely deaf. But my love for music never me.
“My was to become a percussion soloist, even though there were none at that time. To perform, I to hear music differently from others. I play in my stocking feet and can the pitch of a note (音调高低) by the vibrations (振动). I feel through my body and through my . My entire sound world exists by making use of almost every that I have.
“I was to be assessed as a musician, not as a deaf musician, and I applied to the famous Royal Academy of Music in London. No other deaf student had this before and some teachers my admission. Based on my performance, I was admitted and went to with the academy’s highest honors.
“After that, I established myself as the first full-time solo percussionist. I and arranged a lot of musical compositions since had been written specially for solo percussionists.
“I have been a soloist for over ten years. the doctor thought I was totally deaf, it didn’t that my passion couldn’t be realized. I would encourage people not to allow themselves to be by others. Follow your passion; follow your heart, they will lead you to the place you want to go.”
1.A. conditions B. opinions C. actions D. recommendations
2.A. enjoying B. choosing C. taking D. giving
3. A. sight B. hearing C. touch D. taste
4.A. evidence B. result C. excuse D. cause
5.A. left B. excited C. accompanied D. disappointed
6.A. purpose B. decision C. promise D. goal
7.A. turned B. learned C. used D. ought
8.A. tell B. see C. hear D. smell
9.A. carefulness B. movement C. imagination D. experience
10.A. sense B. effort C. feeling D. idea
11.A. dissatisfied B. astonished C. determined D. discouraged
12.A. done B. accepted C. advised D. admitted
13.A. supported B. followed C. required D. opposed
14.A. usually B. finally C. possibly D. hopefully
15.A. study B. research C. graduate D. progress
16.A. wrote B. translated C. copied D. read
17.A. enough B. some C. many D. few
18.A. However B. Although C. When D. Since
19.A. mean B. seem C. conclude D. say
20.A. directed B. guided C. taught D. limited
The novel is so badly written that I can hardly ________what the writer is trying to say.
A. turn out B. make out C. let out D. try out
The fact that so many people still smoke in public places________ that we may need a nationwide campaign ________ awareness of the risks of smoking.
A. suggest; raise B. suggests: raising
C. suggest; raised D. suggests; to raise
