题目内容

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife, enjoying his extended family. He would miss the pay check, but he needed to retire.

The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He used shoddy materials to build the house. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the employer came to inspect the house, he handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in a home he hadn’t built very well.

It is the same with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up with less than the best. At important points, we don’t give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall, build wisely. It is the only life you ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plague (牌匾) on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.”

Who could say it more clearly? Your life today is the result of your attitudes and choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

1.Why was the carpenter ready to retire?

A. He wanted to have a relaxed life.

B. He found a better-paid job.

C. He could still survive without working.

D. He was tired of his job.

2.What does the underlined word “shoddy” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A. Beautiful. B. Best. C. Bad. D. General.

3.What is the main idea of the fifth paragraph?

A. We should build a good house to live in.

B. We always regret what we have done.

C. We should try our best to do things well.

D. We prefer to react, rather than act.

4.What does the author mainly want to tell us in the text?

A. We should build a house wisely.

B. Life is a do-it-yourself project.

C. Building a house is like building a life.

D. We should have the right attitude towards life.

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5.On a recent trip to California,I stopped by Natural Bridges,where the monarch butterflies overwinter.Many years ago,I livedclose enough to it that I could walk there regularly and study their gatherings-the most memorable experiences when living in California,This visit,however,turned out to be disappointing.Though the way to the protected monarch garden looked just as I remembered it,I spotted only a few butterflies there.So I had to drive about a mile south to Lighthouse Field a more open area visited by large numbers of bikers,dog walkers and tourists.Many monarehs-at least several hundred-gathered in a small forest of pines there.Why had they moved to this less hospitable habitat-John Dayton,a biologist from San Jose provided an answer.During the 1990s,a deadly disease killed off most large pines sheltering the monarch habitats at Natural Bridges,forcing monarchs to seek shelter elsewhere.Still,since the mid-1990s,the number of overwintering monarchs in California has declined by nearly 90 percent.Butterfly populations at Santa Paula  alone,for example,have dropped from about 120,000 to less than 1,000-the lowest figure in two decades.
In California,coastal development has reduced the area suitable for overwintering monarchs. Illegal logging,poorly regulated tourism and water withdrawals near the butterfly habitais are also  endangering the butterflies.
Throughout the butterflies'North American range,declines in milkweed plants-which monarchs need to reproduce-are also knocking down the insect's numbers.Chemicals are widely applied,wiping out the milkweed once growing in the agricultural land.
Climate change may worsen the monarchs'situation.As atmospheric levels of CO2 continue to rise,milkweeds are likely to produce fewer toxic compounds(有毒化合物) that protect both butterflies and caterpillars (幼虫) from their enemies.Milkweed leaves also may get tougher. Caterpillars will have a harder time chewing the leaves.
66.Why did the author feel disappointed during his revisit to Natural Bridges?C
A.Because it had been overpopulated with Monarchs.
B.Because the monarch's living habit was changed a lot.
C.Because fewer monarch butterflies overwintered there.
D.Because the people there were not so hospitable as before.
67.Where did the author find those monarchs moved?A
A.Natural Bridges                  B.Lighthouse Field                  
C.San Jose                         D.Santa Paula
68.What caused a sharp decline of overwintering monarchs according to Para 3?A
A.The loss of large pines.        B.A disease of monarchs.
C.Water pollution.                D.Too many caterpillars.
69.According to the passage,the decline of the milkweeds is connected withD.
A.coastal development              B.illegal logging
C.poorly regulated tourism        D.the abuse of chemicals
70.Which diagram shows correctly how the passage is developed?(P=paragraph)D

“Folk singers are more like poets than singers,” Li Yahe, a music businessman, once told China Youth Daily.

That saying perfectly describes Zhang Lei, the 34-year-old champion of the fourth “Voice of China” singing competition, which ended on Oct 7.

Critics thought Zhang’s success as a victory for folk singers. The Voice of China used to attach great importance to singing skills and vocal techniques, which are not necessarily what folk singers are good at. “Folk songs are more about emotions and storytelling,” said Li.

Folk is one of the oldest musical styles. It dates back to ancient times, when people sang about their everyday lives and the society around them.

A powerful comeback

Folk music became popular again in the Western world in the 1960s. During social revolutions, many young Westerners turned to the simple rhythms of folk. Pioneers included US singer Bob Dylan, whose songs are reflections of some social issues like the Vietnam War. Singers at that time used traditional folk instruments like the banjo, the upright bass, the mandolin and the piano.

In the late 1970s, folk music was introduced to Taiwan. The rise of singers like Lo Tayu and Chyi Yu popularized folk music, particularly among young Chinese people.

At that time, folk tunes were based on simple song structures, with pleasant chord progression and pretty lyrics, just like during old times. But they focused more on the dreams and sorrow of youth than on politics.

This continued to be the case when the folk “wave” swept Chinese mainland in the 1990s.

Folk pioneers

Sadly, it didn’t last long in China. Folk gave way to pop in the late 1990s, when people started living more fast-paced lives. But that didn’t mean folk music had disappeared from the music world entirely.

“The drop in the popularity of folk songs is because the business mode of the music industry is outdated, not because of the music itself,” folk singer Song Ke once said.

He was right. Recent years have seen folk songs gaining popularity, with the appearance of singers like Li Jian and Song Dongye.

“The popularity of the Internet has shocked the traditional profit model in music industry,” Lu Zhongqiang, manager of 13-Month, a music recording and publishing company, told Tencent Entertainment.

“Not-so-well-known music starts showing its strength when the production of mainstream music is declining,” he added.

1.Which would be the best title of the passage?

A. The History of Folk Music. B. Folk Music Pioneers

C. The Folk Music Industry. D. The Voice of China

2.The underlined world “it” in the last but four paragraph means________.

A. the popularity of folk music.

B. the focus of folk music.

C. the tradition of folk pioneers.

D. the new model of pop music.

3.Which statement is true according to the passage?

A. The Voice of China is very popular among young Chinese people.

B. Folk music once was a way to voice opinions about social issues.

C. Folk songs are more about expressing emotions than storytelling.

D. Outdated music mode is what leads to the decline of folk songs.

4.Which word can best describe the attitude of Lu Zhongqiang towards folk music?

A. Objective B. Confident.

C. Critical. D. Worried

When Julio Diaz stepped off the subway platform after work one night, he was simply planning to walk over to his ______ local diner for a meal. But when a teenager boy ______ him with a knife, Diaz knew the evening was about to take a more ______ turn.

The young man ______ Diaz’s wallet, and Diaz passed it over without ______. But just as the robber turned to walk away, Diaz called after him: “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something.”

The robber turned around, ______.

“If you’re going to be ______ people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you ______.”

The teenager looked at Diaz in ______, and asked why he would do such a thing. Diaz ______, “If you’re willing to risk your ______ for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money.” He told the young man that he’d just been heading out for dinner, and that he would be happy for some ______.

The young robber decided to take Diaz up on his ______, and they headed into Diaz’s favorite local haunt (常去的地方) together. As they were sitting at the table, the manager, the dishwashers, and the ______ all said hello to Diaz, and the young man was ______ at his popularity. “You’re even nice to the dishwashers!” he exclaimed.

“Haven’t you been taught that you should be nice to everybody?” Diaz asked him.

“Yes, but I didn’t think people actually ______ that way,” the teenager replied. Thanks to Diaz, he was beginning to see that ______ wasn’t such a strange phenomenon.

When the bill came, Diaz told the teenager that he’d have to pay for the meal. After all, he still had Diaz’s ______.

But the teenager slid the wallet back across the table without a moment’s thought, and Diaz ______ him to dinner. Diaz also gave the would-be robber a $20 bill to take with him—in ______ for the young man’s knife.

“I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right.” Diaz said.

1.A. popular B. favorite C. perfect D. wonderful

2.A. approved B. provided C. combined D. approached

3.A. dramatic B. smooth C. natural D. academic

4.A. picked B. demanded C. returned D. obtained

5.A. objection B. doubt C. exception D. invitation

6.A. excited B. relaxed C. surprised D. satisfied

7.A. greeting B. troubling C. robbing D. stealing

8.A. healthy B. warm C. glad D. rich

9.A. disbelief B. sorrow C. horror D. danger

10.A. reacted B. repeated C. recited D. replied

11.A. confidence B. peace C. freedom D. burden

12.A. comfort B. company C. assistance D. devotion

13.A. trick B. advice C. trap D. offer

14.A. nurses B. students C. waiters D. farmers

15.A. amazed B. bored C. tired D. interested

16.A. responded B. discovered C. chose D. behaved

17.A. happiness B. kindness C. darkness D. loneliness

18.A. wallet B. coat C. bag D. Hat

19.A. advised B. compared C. treated D. led

20.A. charge B. control C. support D. exchange

Once there was a great Sufi saint. In his last days, someone asked him about his master. The saint said, “Since you asked, I will certainly tell you about two masters.”

The first master was a thief.

Once I got lost and when I found a way and reached the village it was too late.1. At last I found a man who was trying to make a hole in a wall. I asked him if I could find a place to stay. He replied, “It will be difficult, but you can stay with me if it’s OK with you to stay with a thief.”2..Each night he would say, “I am going to work .You can rest and pray.” When he came back, I would ask him, “3.”H e would reply, “No, not tonight but tomorrow I will try again. God Willing.” He never lost hope and he was always happy. One month later, I left the thief.

When I got hopeless I would remember words of that thief - God willing. Tomorrow It is going to happen.

The second master was a dog.

Once I was going along the side of a river, I saw a dog that was very thirsty. I saw that as the dog looked into river to drink water, he saw his own image and got afraid. 4. But because the dog was too thirsty he would come hack. This happened many times but finally despite his fear, the dog jumped into water.

Seeing this I knew that it was a message from God. 5.

A.Did you get anything today?

B. I stayed with him for a month.

C. Can you tell me where it has gone?

D. With a Master you start learning to learn.

E. Everything was closed and there was no one outside.

F. Seeing his own reflection the dog barked and ran away.

G. It means that one has to go forward despite all of his fears.

One afternoon I was driving along the narrow dirt road. Ahead of me was a small red car with two people in the front seats. You can’t go very fast on a dirt road so I was driving carefully after it.

As we did, I began to watch the car in front of me. The driver was a middle-aged man with thinning hair, and beside him sat a woman with long, wavy blond hair. I could see the man’s face because he kept turning and talking and talking to the woman, but I couldn’t see her face because she never turned to look at him and answer.

As we drove along, the man turned again and again, talking to the woman. He leaned(靠) toward her and he smiled. But she sat without movement or response, staring straight ahead. She never once looked in his direction, and I wondered why.

I supposed of course that they were fighting. The long blond hair suggested someone beautiful. I thought she might be too coldhearted, the way a beautiful woman can usually be. I thought that the man might be her husband, or her lover, and that he was pleading with her. I thought she was turning cold to him: perhaps she was ending things completely, and he was trying to win her back.

We both slowed down to cross a little stone bridge, and once past it, on the straight, he turned again to her. I wondered then if I’d gotten it wrong. The man was definitely middle-aged, and the woman’s long, thick blond hair suggested youth. Perhaps the man was not her husband but her father. Maybe she was sitting silently still, not heartlessly. Or maybe she was weeping and unable to look at her father.

I watched them closely, trying to be sure. The man turned to her, smiling. She still did not look at him. We reached the stop sign at the end of Mount Holly Road, and the man turned once more to the blond woman. This time, at last, she turned toward him. She leaned over and licked his nose with her tongue. She was a golden retriever, a large dog used in hunting.

1.The real relationship of the two sitting in the front seats of the small red car is _______.

A. a husband and an angry wife

B. a loving father and a weeping daughter

C. a master and a big dog

D. lovers in quarrel

2.We can infer from the text that______.

A. the author followed the man out of curiosity at the very beginning

B. the man couldn’t match the woman beside him

C. the man loved the one sitting beside him very much

D. the man was a good husband or a good father

3.The underlined sentence in the text means_____.

A. he was begging her

B. he was playing with her

C. he was quarrelling with her

D. he was joking with her

4.Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A. A Poor Middle-aged Man

B. An Unexpected Companion

C. A Beautiful Proud Woman

D. An Unforgettable Experience

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