题目内容
No matter how long your life is, you will, at best, be able to read only a few books of all that have been written, and the few you do read should include the best. You can be pleased with the fact that the number of such is relatively small.
It is to be expected that the selections will change over time. Yet there is a surprising uniformity(一致性) in the lists which represent the best choices of any periold. In every age, the list makers include both ancient and modern books in their selections, and they always wonder whether the moderns are up to the great books of the past.
What are the signs by which we may recognize a great book? The four I will mention may not be all there are, but they are the ones I’ve found most useful in explaining my choices over the years.
Great books are probably the most widely read. They are enduring best sellers. Gone With the Wind has had relatively few readers compared to the plays of Shakespeare or Don Quixote. It would be reasonable to estimate that Homer Sliad has been read by at least 25,000,000 people in the last 3000 years.
Great books are popular, not pedantic. They are not written by specialists about specialties for specialists. Whether they are philosophy or science, or history or poetry, they treat of human, not academic problems. They are written for men, not professors. To read a textbook for advanced students, you have to read an elementary textbook first. But the great books can be considered elementary in the sense that they treat the elements of any subject matter. They are not related to one another as a series of textbooks, graded in difficulty or in the technicality of the problems with which they deal.
Great books are always contemporary, the most readable and instructive.
Great books deal with the continuously unsolved problems of human life. There are mysteries in the world that mark the limits of human knowing and thinking. Inquiry not begins with wonder, but usually ends with it also. Great minds acknowledge mysteries only honestly. Wisdom is encouraged, not destroyed, by understanding its limitations.
1. Which is NOT the criterion in the following when considering a great book?
A. Although not a best seller, it must be the most widely read.
B.A great book can be read without any effort.
C. Great books are never out of date.
D. Great books will not disappoint you if you try to read them well.
2. According to the author, Gone With the Wind is .
A. a best seller B. disliked by readers who like Shakespeare
C. read more often than Don Quixote D. a great book
3. In the passage the underlined word“pedantic”means .
A. showing the feelings, esp, those of kindness, which people are supposed to have
B. serving as practical examples
C. being elementary
D. paying too much attention to details in books
4. The best title for this passage is .
A. Great Books in Your Life B. Great Books in Your Specialty
C. How to Find a Great Book? D. What Is a Great Book?
DADD
As you grow rapidly through your teenage years, you will experience a lot lf changes．The changes may seem difficult and they may seem to happen quickly. Don’t panic! You will deal successfully with them! You are a young adult now!
With more responsibility, you will find more freedom to make your own choices. This is a time to be well informed about own choices. This is a time to be well informed about your choices so that you can make healthy balanced decisions that will help shape your future. You may already know your career path or you may have no idea at all what you want to do. Both situations are fine! Work hard and the right opportunity will present itself to you.
Young adulthood means greater freedom and more choices. You will probably want to be independent. But try not to shut your family out of your life. You should learn to think of others even though you are old enough to look after yourself. Your family have been with you since you came into this world.
It is also perfectly natural in this time for you to spend more time with your friends than your family. Choose your friends wisely. A true friend will stand by you no matter what happens.
This period is a part of the life cycle. There are some people who will be with you throughout life’s journey and there will be some people with whom you part and go separate ways. Leaving school can be hard. The reality is that you may not ever see all of your classmates again.
You are a young adult. It is your life. No one can live it for you. The choices that you make from now on will be your choices. So making the right choices will be important to you. Life is for living. Enjoy your life wisely!
【小题1】The best title for this passage would be ．
| A．The Choices in Life | B．The Key to Success |
| C．Say Goodbye to the Past | D．Becoming a Young Adult |
| A．your parents | B．your classmates | C．true friends | D．your relatives |
| A．a period of complete freedom |
| B．too hard for young people to get through |
| C．an important time for the young to make the right choices |
| D．a very important period for young students to leave their parents |
| A．Teenagers． | B．Teachers． | C．Young parents． | D．Adults． |
The old shopkeeper led me through to the back of the shop．The room was filled with boxes and
Surprises often come in boxes. Birthday presents wrapped in colorful paper, brown paper packages mailed from a friend. No matter what kind of box it is, people like to open it up and see what's inside. In America, and in many other countries, one special kind of box contains the future. It's called a ballot box. What people put into the box on election day can change the course of history.
Elections are the lifeblood of a democracy. The word democracy literally means "the people rule," an important concept in American history. In the mid-1700s, England began passing laws that made the American colonies angry. The colonists had to pay more and more taxes and enjoyed less and less freedom. They felt the government of England didn't represent their interests. On July 4, 1776, the colonies declared their independence from England. They wanted to establish a democracy where people could have a voice in government.
An effective democracy holds regular elections. In America, elections are held every two years for members of Congress. In these elections, all seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. In addition, every four years, voters go to the polls to elect the nation's president and vice-president. Voters also regularly cast their ballots for state and city government leaders and local school board members. Sometimes they also have to vote on a proposed law.
In the American electoral system, people don't really vote for presidential candidates. Instead, voters cast their ballots for "electors" who support each candidate. Each state has as many electors as the total number of its representatives in Congress. This equals two senators per state plus the number of its representatives in the House (which is based on the state's population). The candidate who has the most votes in a state wins all of the state's electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate must gain at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.
Over the years, the U.S. has made a number of election reforms. Some early reforms outlawed cheating, giving bribes and threatening voters. They also limited the amount of money candidates could receive from donors and spend on their campaigns. In 1870, black people gained the right to vote, and in 1920, that right was extended to women. In recent decades, laws against unfair rules for voting have been passed. No longer do people have to pay a special tax or pass a test in order to vote. In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18. Other reforms made voting easier for the blind, the disabled and people who couldn't read. In some areas, ballots had to be printed in languages besides English.
In November, Americans will again elect those who will represent them in government. Although some citizens aren't even registered to vote--and some registered voters don't bother to go to the polls--most Americans exercise their right to vote. They realize that their future is wrapped up in a special package--the ballot box. It's a package that must definitely be "handled with care."
【小题1】According to the context, what does a “ballot box” mean in Chinese?
| A．彩票箱 | B．投票箱 | C．礼品箱 | D．保险箱 |
| A．People couldn’t have a voice in a government. |
| B．In America, elections are held every four years for members of Congress. |
| C．Democracy is the lifeblood of elections. |
| D．Basically “ the people rule”, and it’s very important in American history. |
| A．Romney will win 20 votes in California. |
| B．Obama will win 20 votes in California. |
| C．Romney will win 37 votes in California. |
| D．Obama will win 37 votes in California. |
| A．People have to pay a special tax to vote. |
| B．There are bribes and threatening in elections now. |
| C．People above eighteen years old can vote now. |
| D．The disabled or the blind have tough access to voting. |
| A．Birthday boxes in the U.S. | B．Election systems in the U.S. |
| C．Election reforms in the U.S. | D．Democracy in the U.S. |
One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest(卑微的) to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.
We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide rang of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,
“My I get you something?”
“A coffee would be nice.”
Then I bought him a cup of coffee, we talked more, and he accepted another cup of coffee. Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked,
“How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath?”
“Who?”
“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”
I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!
My few minutes with Mr. Galbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and no matter another human being with kindness and sincerity.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?
| A．Unfriendly. | B．Kind. | C．Elegant. | D．Untidy. |
| A．he wanted to start a conversation |
| B．he thought the old man was poor |
| C．he intended to show his politeness |
| D．he would like to thank the old man |
| A．Surprised. | B．Pitiful. | C．Proud. | D．Regretful. |
| A．We should learn to be generous. |
| B．It is honorable to help those in need. |
| C．We should avoid judging people by their appearances. |
| D．People in high positions are not like what we expect. |