Shams and delusions are esteemed for soundest truths, while reality is fabulous. If men would steadily observe realities only, and not allow themselves to be deluded, life, to compare it with such things as we know, would be like a fairy tale and the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments. If we respected only what is inevitable and has a right to be , music and poetry would resound along the streets. When we are unhurried and wise, we perceive that only great and worthy things have any permanent and absolute existence, --that petty fears and petty pleasure are but the shadow of reality. This is always exhilarating and sublime. By closing the eyes and slumbering, by consenting to be deceived by shows, men establish and confirm their daily life of routine and habit everywhere, which still is built on purely illusory foundation. Children, who play life, discern its true law and relations more clearly than men, who fail to live worthily, but who think that they are wiser by experience, that is, by failure. I have read in a Hindoo book, that “there was a king’s son, who, being expelled in infancy from his native city, was brought up by a forester, and, growing up to maturity in that state, imagined himself to belong to the barbarous race with which be lived. One of his father’s ministers having discovered him, revealed to him what he was, and the misconception of his character was removed, and he knew himself to be a prince. So soul, from the circumstances in which it is placed, mistakes its own character, until the truth is revealed to it by some holy teacher, and then it knows itself to be Brahme.” We think that that is which appears to be. If a man should give us an account of the realities he beheld, we should not recognize the place in his description. Look at a meeting-house, or a court-house, or a jail, or a shop. Or a dwelling-house, and say what that thing really is before a true gaze, and they would all go to pieces in your account of them. Men esteem truth remote, in the outskirts of the system, behind the farthest star, before Adam and after the last man. In eternity there is indeed something true and sublime. But all these times and places and occasions are now and here. God himself culminates in the present moment, and will never be more divine in the lapse of all ages. And we are enabled to apprehend at all what is sublime and noble only by the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us. The universe constantly and obediently answers to our conceptions; whether we travel fast or slow, the track is laid for us. Let us spend our lives in conceiving then. The poet or the artist never yet had as fair and noble a design but some of his posterity at least could accomplish it.

The writer’s attitude toward the arts is one of

[A]. admiration. [B]. indifference. [C]. suspicion. [D]. repulsion

The author believes that a child.

[A]. should practice what the Hindoos preach.

[B]. frequently faces vital problems better than grownups do.

[C]. hardly ever knows his true origin.

[D]. is incapable of appreciating the arts.

. The author is primarily concerned with urging the reader to

[A]. look to the future for enlightenment. [B]. appraise the present for its true value.

[C]. honor the wisdom of the past ages. [D]. spend more time in leisure activities.

The passage is primarily concerned with problem of

[A]. history and economics. [B]. society and population.

[C]. biology and physics. [D]. theology and philosophy.

It didn’t take long at all for me to decide to come and study in the UK. With the approach of globalization, more and more people realize that it is necessary to study in an English-speaking country. UK does not only offer the chance to study the original English, it also has so many first-class universities, whose qualifications are widely respected all over the world. Besides the academic, there are many fun elements too; its famous football environment is definitely one for me!  Since UK has such a diverse society, I feel there is less chance that there would be any racism(种族歧视) at boarding school. This is one reason why I did not take any summer courses before I started my school. It was just so easy to settle in and pick up the language as you go along, because everyone is so friendly and helpful. At the moment I am doing 5 A-levels and 1 AS, which are Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Government and Politics and Chinese. I am aiming to achieve A’s in all my exams, and I hope to go to Oxford University to study Engineering Science in the autumn.

I still remember my first day at Merchiston Castle School, and I was really nervous about it, because I have never visited the school before and didn’t take any summer courses. Despite my anxiety, I soon relaxed once I arrived; the staff members were so nice that I felt that my spoken English was better than it actually was!  As soon as I walked into the day room (日间休息室) of my boarding house, I was absolutely amazed by the friendly atmosphere: Everyone was so friendly that a boy as shy as I had no difficulty in setting in, and I made many new friends on my very first day, although I was struggling to remember all the names.

61. What does the passage mainly tell us?

A. The author’s impression on UK.

B. The author’s plan for his study.

C. The author’s comments on British schools.

D. The report of achievements.

62. Which is NOT a reason that the author decided to study in the UK?

A. It’s less likely that racism would be found at boarding school.

B. He wanted to learn pure English.

C. There are many worldwide famous universities.

D. It provides a good environment for living.

63. The author thinks the British are_______ .

A. funny                                                   B. hard-working

C. friendly                                                       D. respectable

64. We can learn from the passage that the author_______ .

A. plays football very well

B. has been admitted to Oxford University

C. is a shy boy

D. is good at remembering names

65. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “_______”.

A. my first day at Merchiston Castle school

B. my oral English

C. Merchiston Castle School

D. one of my summer courses

It was a party. I was 18 and it was fresher(大一新生) week. I was at the beginning of a course in English Literature and full of enthusiasm for my subject. She was also 18 and enrolled in a course in physics.
“Your major is of no use to society. What will you do with it when you graduate, other than teach? Plus, you’re going to be poor your whole life,” she said. “You have no soul and your degree is boring. I don’t care how much money you’re going to earn. I’d rather be poor and don’t mind being a teacher. If I love my work I’ll have something far more meaningful than a big bank account!” came the reply.
And so it went, back and forth, neither of us giving the other an inch, each of us stubbornly committed to our prejudice. We were both ignorant, but our ignorance was also society’s ignorance. It had always been that way. Scientists mocked(嘲笑) humanists; humanists laughed at scientists. Back in the 1960s, the physicist-turned novelist C. P. Snow labeled the sciences-humanities divide “a problem of ‘the two cultures’” . He said it was bad for society. The modern world needed well-rounded people.
I think I know better now, but it would have helped if we had been encouraged to think a little more outside our science and arts “boxes”.
That’s why I believe it is healthy that China is beginning a debate on whether it’s wise for young people to have to choose which direction their careers – and lives – will take at such an early age. At the moment, in their second year of high school, students must choose either the sciences or the humanities. After making the choice, they focus their energies on passing the appropriate college entrance exam.
But now, people in China are asking: Is this forced, early decision good for young people or society? Young people need time to explore, to discover where their real talents and interests lie. There are more than just a few middle-aged people out there, stuck in jobs they hate because they made the wrong choice at the wrong time.
And from the point of view of society, isn’t it better for students to delay a while before they decide what to study? Scientists can benefit from learning to develop the critical skills associated with the humanities; students in the humanities, surely, only stand to gain by finding out a little more about science and technology, which are so important to the future of a developing country like China.
With any luck, in the future young people fresh to college will be better informed about the possibilities of education than people of my generation.
【小题1】The author describes what happened at a fresher party to ________.

A.show that he was ready to defend the subject he enjoyed
B.lead up his argument that the sciences-humanities divide is harmful
C.prove that doing something meaningful is better than having a lot of money
D.describe how fierce students of different majors can be when arguing with each other
【小题2】What was C. P. Snow’s attitude towards the sciences-humanities divide?
A. Indifferent.         B. Uncertain.        C. Positive.          D. Negative.
【小题3】In the sixth paragraph, an example mentioning middle-aged people is used to show that ________.
A.students should not make decisions too early
B.not all people have a talent for or are interested in the sciences
C.these people did not have the chance to make a choice earlier in life
D.the earlier young people make a decision, the better it will be for them
【小题4】According to the text, it is safe to say that ________.
A. sciences are more practical in the modern world
B. C. P. Snow was a novelist who became a physicist
C. future generations will be able to get more out of education
D. a command of both the sciences and humanities is important to society
【小题5】What’s the best title for the article?
A.The sciences or the humanities, which to choose?
B.High school education in China
C.Isn’t it better to delay the choice of the career direction?
D.A better time to decide what to study

Engineering students are supposed to be examples of practicality and rationality (理性), but when it comes to my college education I am an idealist and a fool. In high school I wanted to be an electrical engineer and, of course, any reasonable student with my aims would have chosen a college with a large engineering department, many famous professors and lots of good labs and research equipment. But that’s not what I did.
I chose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts (文科) university that doesn’t even offer a major in electrical engineering. Obviously, this was not a practical choice; I came here for more noble reasons. I wanted a broad education that would provide me with flexibility and a value system to guide me in my job. I wanted to open my eyes and expand my vision by communicating with people who weren’t studying science or engineering. My parents, teachers and other adults praised me for such a wise choice. They told me I was wise and grown-up beyond my 18 years, and I believed them.
 I headed off to the college and sure I was going to have an advantage over those students who went to big engineering "factories" where they didn’t care if you had values or were flexible. I was going to be a complete engineer: technical expert and excellent humanist all in one.
 Now I’m not so sure. Somewhere along the way my noble ideas crashed into reality, as all noble ideas finally do. After three years of struggling to balance math, physics and engineering courses with liberal-arts courses, I have learned there are reasons why few engineering students try to reconcile engineering with liberal-arts courses in college.
 The reality that has blocked my path to become the typical successful student is that engineering and the liberal arts simply don’t mix as easily as I supposed in high school. Individually they shape a person in very different ways. The struggle to reconcile the two fields of study is difficult.
【小题1】Why did the author choose to study engineering at a small liberal-arts university?

A.He intended to become an engineer and humanist.
B.He intended to be a reasonable student with noble ideals.
C.He wanted to be an example of practicality and rationality.
D.He wanted to communicate with liberal-arts students.
【小题2】According to the author, by communicating with people who study liberal arts, engineering students can ___________.
A.become noble idealists
B.broaden their knowledge
C.find a better job in the future
D.balance engineering and liberal arts
【小题3】 Which word below can replace the underlined word “reconcile”?
A.confuseB.compareC.combineD.compete
【小题4】The underlined sentence in 1st paragraph means ___________.
A.he has failed to achieve his ideal aims
B.he is not a practical and rational student
C.his choice of attending to a small liberal-arts university is reasonable
D.his idea of combining engineering with liberal - arts is noble and wise
【小题5】 The author suggests in this passage that ___________.
A.liberal-arts students are supported to take engineering courses
B.technical experts with a wide vision are expected in the society
C.successful engineering students are more welcomed in the society
D.engineering universities with liberal-arts courses are needed

We know the famous ones—the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells —but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper(雨刮器)?Shouldn’t we know who they are?
Joan Mclean think so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning “who” invented “what”, however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the “why” and ”how” questions. According to Mclean,” When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try.”
So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn’t be a built-in device for cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever(操作杆)on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.    
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations,It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan’s traffic light. It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible, Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?
【小题1】
By mentioning “traffic light” and “windshield wiper”, the author indicates that countless inventions are      .

A.beneficial, because their inventors are famous
B.beneficial, though their inventors are less famous
C.not useful, because their inventors are less famous
D.not useful, though their inventors are famous
【小题2】
Professor Joan McLean’s course aims to_____.
A.add colour and variety to students’ campus life
B.inform students of the windshield wiper’s invention
C.carry out the requirements by Mountain University
D.prepare students to try their own invention
【小题3】
Tommy Lee’s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was _________.
A.not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer
B.inspired by the story behind the windshield wiperC.due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm
D.not related to Professor Joan McLean’s lectures
【小题4】
Which 0f the following can best serve as the title of this passage?
A  How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers?
B  How to Design a Built-in Device for Cleaning the Window?
C  Shouldn’t We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper?
D  Shouldn’t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities?  

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