Ⅰ. CAREFUL READING Read the following passages carefully. Decide on the best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET.
Passage 1 Recently a new postage stamp has been issued to honor Flannery O'Connor and her great contributions to American literature. The stamp costs 93 cents and has a pretty picture of the writer herself on it. She wears a simple top with a jewel neckline, and pearls. Her pink porcelain face, framed in a 1940s hairstyle, glows with the barest hint of a how-do-you-do smile. This stamp does not, to my eyes, show Flannery O'Connor, the 20th-eentury master of the short story, the "hermit (隐士) novelist" who fused her art and life as a Southerner and a Roman Catholic with stories that are shocking, hilarious (令人发笑的) and often bloody, the one who lived with her mother in Georgia and raised pheasants (雉鸡), who got sick and died young in 1964,who gazed at the sin-stricken world through cat-eye glasses that are as much her visual signature as Hemingway's beard or Frida's eyebrow. This stamp shows the artist as a very young woman, barely 20 years old. It's based on a photo of her as an undergraduate at Georgia State College for Women. Her works then amounted to cartoons and stories for the college magazine. The United States Postal Service gave this job to an art director, who hired a freelance artist. I spoke with both of them, and learned that neither knew much about O'Connor, but they did their best with the images they had. The artist told me he had read one of her novels in college. He knew O' Connor had raised pheasants, so he framed her with feathers. The art director remembered that her work was "unsettling", and that she was a Catholic. I can't blame either of them for deciding on this striking portrait as the best fit for their tiny canvas, but I wish they and the Postal Service had produced a stamp that was more recognizably the grown-up Flannery, and contained some taste of her strange and noble artistic vision. I know she does not present an automatic illustrative equation, like mustache + steamboat=Mark Twain. But a better choice would be a painting made by the author herself, a self-portrait from 1953. She is wearing a yellow straw hat, holding a devilish-looking pheasant and looking straight at you, harmful and brilliant, as if she could smell your stupidity. It is gorgeous and rough and honest and perfect.
1. It can be learned from Paragraph 2 that Flannery O'Connor ______.
A.combined her life in the South with her story writing
Passage 2 It is difficult to form a correct idea of a desert without having seen one. It is a vast plain of sands and stones, with mountains here and there of various sizes and heights, without roads or shelters. They sometimes have springs of water. The most remarkable of deserts is the Sahara. This is a vast plain, but little elevated above the level of the ocean, and covered with sand and gravel (砂砾), with a mixture of sea shells. Amid the desert, there are springs of water, which burst forth and create verdant (翠绿的) spots, called oases. There are thirty-two of these which contain fountains, and date and palm trees; twenty of them are inhabited. They serve as stopping places for the caravans, and often contain villages. Were it not for these, no human being could cross this waste of burning sand. So violent, sometimes, is the burning wind that the scorching (灼热的) heat dries up the water of these springs, and then frequently, the most disastrous consequences follow. In 1805, a caravan consisting of 2,000 persons and 1,800 camels, not finding water at the usual resting place, died of thirst, both men and animals. Storms of wind are more terrible in this desert than on the ocean. Vast surges and clouds of red sand are raised and rolled forward, burying everything in there and it is said that whole tribes have thus been swallowed up. The situation of such is dreadful, and admits of no resource. Many die and become victims of the most horrible thirst. It is then that the value of a cup of water is really felt. To be thirsty in a desert, without water, exposed to the burning sun, without shelter, is the most terrible situation a human being can be placed in. If, unfortunately, any one falls sick on the road, he or she must either endure the fatigue of traveling on a camel, which is troublesome even to healthy people, or he or she must be left behind on the sand, without any assistance, and remain so until a slow death comes to relieve him or her.
Passage 3 The City of Melton has been awarded the UNESCO (联合国教科文组织) Learning City Award at UNESCO's 2nd International Conference on Learning Cities hosted by Mexico in September, 2015. The award was given in recognition of the City of Melton's efforts to develop a learning city and implement the UNESCO Key Features of Learning Cities through its Community Learning Plan. Melton City Council Mayor, Ms. Sophie Ramsey was proud to accept the award on behalf of the City of Melton. "It is a huge honour to receive the UNESCO Learning City Award and the fact that the City of Melton was selected as one of the case studies along with much larger cities such as Beijing, is evidence of the innovative work being done in Melton, "the Mayor said. The UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning launched its publication," Unlocking the Potential of Urban Communities: Case Studies of Twelve Learning Cities" at the conference. The first-of-its-kind publication highlights examples of cities from all over the world that use the learning city approach to enhance citizens' individual empowerment (权力), social combination, economic development, cultural prosperity and sustainable development. At the conference, Ms. Ramsey participated in a strategic forum of mayors from around the world. Ms. Ramsey emphasized the benefits of developing relationships internationally, highlighting the great potential for the City of Melton to attract and engage in international business delegations, education, cultural and knowledge exchanges. "We live in a global economy and we not only have a responsibility to provide opportunities for our residents, but to also be good global citizens," she said. "The City of Melton is experiencing some of the fastest urban growth in the country, and with growth comes opportunity." Due to its growing international reputation for work in this area, Melton City Council was invited to be one of the conference presenters. While at the conference, the Mayor was also elected by the delegates to chair a committee of experts to draft the UNESCO Statement on Sustainable Learning Cities. This invitation which was later approved by the 600 plus delegates from over 90 nations participating in the conference reflected very positively on the Council's standing within the international learning community and was a significant honour for both the Council and the Mayor.
1. What helped the City of Melton win the Learning City Award in 2015? ______
A.Its Community Learning Plan.
B.Its case studies on large cities.
C.Its performances at international conferences.
D.Its efforts to draft the UNESCO Key Features of Learning Cities.
Passage 4 The teenage years of an individual is marked by evaluating one's values, experiencing a shift in outlooks, and a tendency to act rebelliously. It can also he a time when someone becomes excessively vulnerable to negative influences and inclined towards dangerous situations. On the other hand, for parents the period of their children's adolescence means regular worrying about their safety and formation as a citizen. Thus, a method of ensuring teenagers' security is needed, and curfews are often seen as such a measure, since they have proved their efficiency. At the same time, certain peculiarities exist about establishing curfews for children. The first and foremost reason for establishing curfews is children's security. Typical curfews require that teenagers under 17 years stay out of streets starting from 11pm or midnight. This is believed to protect them from crimes committed after nightfall, as well as from violating the law, and there exists serious evidence in favor of this conviction. For example, when New Orleans enabled a dusk-till-dawn curfew in 1994,the rates of juvenile (青少年) crime were reported to fall more than 20 percent. Even more impressive results were recorded in Dallas, which reported a 30 percent decrease in violent juvenile crime, and a 21 percent decrease in the overall rates of crimes committed by young people. On the other hand, curfews can be seen as a preventive measure which infringes on (侵害) the rights of young people, limiting their freedom. This thesis is particularly supported by the fact that curfew violations and the respective charges are among the most often committed juvenile crimes in the United States. In addition, there were reports claiming that police arrested more non-white teenagers for curfew violations. All this can cause a teenager to believe that they have crossed a psychological line dividing them as criminals; thus, such teenagers may start to see themselves as outlaws, which can contribute to committing more serious crimes than a curfew offense. What is important for a parent to remember when establishing a curfew for their kids is that a teenager's misjudged perception of certain rules may cause them to react differently, or misbehave in some other way; this is proved by research conducted by the University of Minnesota, according to which teens tend to react angrily against what they see as unfair. Considering this, parents should avoid the authoritarian (独断专行的) style of establishing curfews; instead, they should have a conversation with their teenager that would be aimed at finding best conditions for a curfew that would satisfy both sides. Also, flexible curfews with teens' interests in mind tend to be more effective than rigid agreements.
1. The author thinks that teenagers as a particular group can be ______.
Ⅱ. SPEED READING Skim or scan the following passages, and then decide on the best answer and blacken the corresponding letter on the ANSWER SHEET.
Passage 5 The story of Cesar Estrada Chavez begins near Yuma, Arizona. He learned about justice or rather injustice early in his life. Cesar grew up in Arizona; in 1938 he and his family moved to California. He did not like school as a child, probably because at home he spoke only Spanish which was forbidden in school. He felt that education had nothing to do with his migrant (迁移的) way of life. In 1942 he graduated from the eighth grade, and became a migrant farm worker. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1946, and served for two years. Cesar returned to San Jose where he met and was influenced by Father Donald McDonnell. They talked about farm workers and strikes. Cesar began reading about St. Francis and Gandhi and nonviolence. After Father McDonnell came another very influential person, Fred Ross. Cesar became an organizer for Ross' organization, the Community Service Organization (CSO). His first task was voter registration. In 1962 Cesar founded the National Farm Workers Association, later to become the United Farm Workers (UFW). By 1970 the UFW got grape growers to accept union contracts and had effectively organized most of that industry. The farm workers and supporters carried banners with the black eagle, with HUELGA (strike) and VIVA LA CAUSA (Long live our cause). The marchers wanted the state government to pass laws which would permit farm workers to organize into a union and allow collective bargaining agreements. Cesar made people aware of the struggles of farm workers for better pay and safer working conditions. He succeeded through nonviolent tactics. Cesar Chavez and the union sought recognition of the importance and dignity of all farm workers. Cesar was willing to sacrifice his own life so that the union would continue and that violence was not used. Cesar fasted many times. In 1968 Cesar fasted for 10 days. He repeated the fast in 1972 for 24 days, and again in 1988 for 36 days. Cesar was able to use the hunger strikes to move legislators to change the laws to improve the lives of farm workers. Because of Cesar's actions, he was jailed many times. What motivated him to do this? He said," Farm workers are worried that we cannot win without violence. We can win and keep our own self-respect and build a great union that will secure the spirit of all people if we do it through a rededication and recommitment to the struggle for justice through nonviolence."
1. By whom was Cesar influenced through direct personal contact? ______
5. Which can best sum up Cesar as a well-known figure? ______
A.A man involved in all social activities.
B.A man with a strong sense of justice.
C.A man conducting voter registration.
D.A man striving for equal education.
A B C D
B
[解析] 推理判断题。由第四段最后一句话中的struggle for justice through nonviolence(通过非暴力的方式为正义而战)可知,凯撒所做的一切都是为了正义。由此可以推测,凯撒是一个非常有正义感的人,故选B。
Passage 6 Getting a good night's sleep tonight could guard children against weight gain in the future. According to a new study, putting preschoolers in bed by 8p.m. could reduce their chances of becoming overweight or obese (肥胖的) later in life by half. Preschoolers are children around the age of 4 or 5. The term "obese" refers to calculations of your Body Mass Index, what doctors call BMI. They use a person's height, weight and age to assess their amount of body fat. BMIs help tell whether a person is underweight, normal, overweight or obese. The World Health Organization says obesity can lead to serious long-term health problems like diabetes (糖尿病), heart disease and stroke. Researchers from the Ohio State University's College of Public Health have found that young children who go to bed after 9p.m. are twice as likely to be obese later in life. The lead author of the study is Sarah Anderson. She is an associate professor of epidemiology (流行病学). She studies how diseases spread and how they can be controlled. Anderson says that, for parents, the results of the study support the importance of creating a bedtime routine. She says that having a usual bedtime routine is something "families can do to lower their child's risk" of becoming overweight. A usual, early bedtime, Anderson adds," is also likely to have positive benefits on behavior and on social, emotional and cognitive development". Researchers used data from 977 children for the study. These children are part of a larger project called the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. The project follows healthy babies born in 1991 in 10 U.S. cities. The children were 4.5 years old when their mothers reported their usual weekday bedtime. Researchers then divided the children into three groups: A)those who went to bed by 8p.m. or earlier; B)those who went to bed between 8p.m. and 9p.m. and C)those whose bedtimes were after 9p.m. When these children turned 15 years old, the researchers looked at their rates of obesity. Of those with the earliest bedtimes, only one out of 10 was obese. Of those who went to bed between 8 and 9p.m., 16 percent became obese. And out of those with the latest bedtimes, 23 percent became obese. Anderson said putting children in bed early does not mean they will immediately fall asleep. But, she adds, it makes it "more likely that children will get the amount of sleep they need to be at their best".
1. What does the first paragraph tell us? ______
A.Preschoolers need more sleep, so they should go to sleep earlier.
B.Going to bed at 8p.m. enables children to reduce their weight.
C.A good night's sleep is very important to children's future.
D.Going to bed early will benefit children in their weight.
Ⅲ. DISCOURSE CLOZE The following is taken from the textbook. Read the passage and fill in the numbered spaces (there are more suggested answers than necessary). My father, Winston Churchill, began his love affair with painting in his 40s, amid disastrous circumstances. As First Lord of the Admiralty in 1915, he was deeply 1 in the Dardanelles that could have shortened the course of a bloody world war. But when the mission failed, 2 , Churchill paid the price, both publicly and privately. He was removed from the Admiralty and effectively sidelined. 3 —"I thought he would die of grief," said his wife, Clementine—he retired with his family to Hoe Farm, a country retreat in Surrey. There, as Churchill later recalled, "The muse of painting came to my rescue!" 4 , he chanced upon his sister-in-law sketching with watercolors. He watched her for a few minutes, then borrowed her brush and tried his hand. The muse had cast her spell! In painting, Churchill had discovered a companion with whom he was 5 that remained to him. After the war, painting would offer deep solace when, in 1921, the death of the mother was followed two months later by the loss of his and Clementine's beloved three-year-old daughter, Marigold. Battered by grief, Winston took refuge at the home of friends in Scotland, 6 . He wrote to Clementine, "I went out and painted a beautiful river in the afternoon light with crimson and golden hills in the background. Alas I keep feeling the hurt of the Duckadilly (Marigold's pet name)." Historians have called the decade after 1929, 7 and Winston was out of office, his wilderness years. Politically he may have been wandering in barren places, a lonely fighter trying to 8 , but artistically that wilderness bore abundant fruit. During these years he often painted in the South of France. Of the 500-odd canvases extant, roughly 250 date from 1930 to 1939. 9 to the end of his life. "Happy are the painters," he had written in his book Painting as a Pastime, "for they shall not be lonely. Light and color, peace and hope, will 10 to the end of the day." And so it was for my father.
(From Winston Churchill: His Other Life)
A. Wandering in the garden one day B. Painting remained a joy to Churchill C. Delighted with this distraction from his dark broodings D. Overwhelmed by the catastrophe E. awaken Britain to the menace of Hitler F. involved in a campaign G. keep them company H. to walk for the greater part of the years I. finding comfort in his painting J. when the Conservative government fell K. with great loss of life L. Churchill soon decided to experiment with oils
1.
F
2.
K
3.
D
4.
A
5.
H
6.
I
7.
J
8.
E
9.
B
10.
G
PART TWO
Ⅳ. WORD FORMATION Complete each of the following sentences with the proper form of the word in brackets. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
1. (deep) The project would ______ the river from 40 to 45 feet, to allow for larger ships.
deepen
2. (silent) He stood ______, tears rolling down his cheeks, while the music played.
silently
3. (pleasure) A friend of mine who taught in that country spoke with ______ about her terrible experience.
displeasure
4. (explain) Jack didn't give a very adequate ______ for being late.
explanation
5. (fit) ______ will help you stay in shape and enjoy your retirement as well.
Fitness
6. (approve) They'll create the full design of the book and send it to you for feedback and
approval
7. (likely) When you choose your partners, you increase the ______ of success.
likelihood
8. (friend) They quarrelled once, but they are quite ______ now.
friendly
9. (precise) These instruments are capable of very high ______.
precision
10. (conclusion) The jury ______ from the evidence that the defendant was innocent.
concluded
Ⅴ. GAP FILLING The following is taken from the textbook. Fill in the numbered gaps with the correct form of the words in the box (there are more words than necessary).
accuse blind catch
appoint majority misery
arrest constant police
behave grateful politics
American TV and movies once gave a tough and brutal picture of the American police, though now there are TV series which have cops as heroes and defenders of society. The police are 1 for the good publicity and their new image, especially in cities where there are black ghettos. White policemen are now careful of how they speak and 2 towards their fellow black citizens. The cop, or ordinary policeman, is a city or a State employee. He cannot 3 anyone outside his city or his State... Since the 4 of criminals are armed, American cops have to use their guns more often than most policemen in other places and the car chases through the crowded streets of Manhattan, which are a favorite feature of gangster movies, are not so exaggerated. American cops get shot down, run over, stabbed, beaten up, and their wives are in 5 fear that one day their men will not come home. Many policemen do a lot to help children whose parents are criminals. They understand better than most citizens the awful 6 of the ghettos. They feel sorry for the drug addicts, but often treat roughly the "pushers" who sell the drugs—when they can catch them. They have been 7 of making no serious attempt to break up the various drug rings. They claim that such a task would be never-ending. In big cities, the Police Commissioner (Head of the Force) is often 8 by Mayor and therefore senior police officers tend to be too closely linked to 9 . Their ambitions sometimes tempt them to turn a 10 eye or to accept bribes, which lowers the morale of the ordinary cop. The structure of the many different American police forces is said to be the most varied in the whole world.
(From The Police and the Intelligence Agents)
1.
grateful
2.
behave
3.
arrest
4.
majority
5.
constant
6.
misery
7.
accused
8.
appointed
9.
politics
10.
blind
Ⅵ. SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS The following questions are based en Passage 4 in this test paper. Read the passage carefully again and answer the questions briefly by referring back to Passage 4. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
1. Why are curfews established for teenagers?
(1)Teenagers tend to be rebellious yet vulnerable to negative influences, and inclined towards dangerous situations while staying outside after night falls. They should be protected from crimes on the one hand, and from violating laws themselves on the other. (2)Parents worry about their children's safety and formation as a citizen. Curfews can serve as a method of ensuring teenagers security.
2. What effects did the curfews bring about in New Orleans and Dallas?
(1)The rates of juvenile crime were reported to fall more than 20 percent in New Orleans when a dusk-till-dawn curfew was in effect in 1994. (2)In Dallas, rates of violent juvenile erimes fell 30 percent and there was a 21 percent decrease in the overall rates of crimes committed by young people.
Ⅶ. TRANSLATION The following excerpt is taken from the textbook. Read it carefully and translate into Chinese each of the numbered and underlined parts. It isn't always easy to forgive someone who has wrongfully harmed us. 1 In fact, we are often very reluctant to forgive. Simon Wiesenthal's book, The Sunflower, presents an interesting case study that illustrates this point... What accounts for our reluctance to forgive? Probably a number of factors, but here I want to focus on the factor of self-respect. 2 Any person who wrongfully harms another fails to show sufficient respect for the person he has harmed. Implicit in the act of wrongdoing, then, is the claim that the victim does not deserve a full measure of respect... 3 I think many of us believe that if we forgive an offender who is guilty of serious crimes against us (especially an unrepentant offender), we are essentially agreeing with the claim that we do not deserve a full measure of respect. In effect, we are saying "That's OK—it doesn't matter that you mistreated me. I'm not that important." If this is the case, then our reluctance to forgive may be the result of a healthy desire to maintain our own self-respect. 4 Although the desire to maintain our self-respect is certainly important to honor, I believe that it need not lead to a refusal to forgive. In fact I believe that if we truly respect ourselves, we will work through a process of responding to the wrong, and this process will lead to genuine forgiveness of the offender. 5 If we attempt to forgive the offender before we do this work, our forgiveness may well be incompatible with our self-respect. However, once this process is complete, it will be fully appropriate for the self-respecting individual to forgive the offender...