题目内容
A round of applause, please, for the Indian man who recently sang for 80 hours straight, setting a new Guinness world record. It’s an impressive feat, to be sure, but let’s just hope he still has a voice. According to Indian newspapers, Rajesh Burbure has been told to keep silent for several days so his vocal cords (声带) can heal.
It was reported that Burbure and his family are in a celebratory mood. “It’s a proud moment for all of us,” his wife told DNAIndia.com.
I, on the other hand, am unable to share their enthusiasm. Don’t get me wrong: I hope the 35-year-old Burbure lives forever, sells a million records and becomes an international celebrity. But his record–singing for 80 hours straight–is about as meaningful as most of the other curious but crazy feats listed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Granted , I’m not qualified to speak on the subject. I’ve got no world records to my name– and I never expect to have any. Then again, maybe I am qualified to speak for those of us who have better things to do than train for years to sing an 80-hour medley (混合曲) of pop songs.
But let’s not just pick on poor Burbure. He’s not the only person chasing meaningless accolades. The Guinness Book of World Records is full of the names of people who at one time grew the longest hair, or built the biggest bicycle, or baked the largest cheesecake.
To all of these enterprising (有进取心的) souls I ask, simply, “What was it all for?”
Congratulations! For all of your painstaking effort, you became a footnote in a thick book that no one reads, except for you and the person who will eventually surpass you–with one more hour of singing, a few more centimeters of steel or a few more pounds of cheese.
After all, records are made to be broken.
From the text, we can learn that the author .
A．has no Guinness records, so he admires Burbures’ feat
B．feels it is a pity he was not invited to share the happiness with the Burbures
C．thinks singing for 80 hours straight is completely meaningless
D．is quite worried about Burbure’s vocal cords
Before someone wins a Guinness record, he or she has to .
A．become an international celebrity
B．know all about Guinness record
C．practice a great deal
D．bear great stress for fear of injury
We can infer from the article that .
A．after the 80 hours of singing, Burbure could no longer speak
B．Burbure’ wife didn’t support his attempt to make a Guinness record
C．many have criticized Burbure for his stupid behavior
D．challenging a Guinness record may be harmful to the health
The author’s attitude to the Guinness world records mentioned in the passage is .
A．positive B．impressed
C．negative D．touched
What is the best title for the passage?
A．What Was the Point?
B．Records Are Made to be Broken
C．A New Indian Guinness Record
D．The Guinness Book Is Boring
I know I should have told the headmaster at the time. That was my real 36 .
He had gone out of the study for some 37 , leaving me alone. In his absence I looked to see 38 was on his desk. In the 39 was a small piece of paper on which were written the 40 “English Writing Prize 1949. History Is a Serious of Biographies (人物传记)”.
A(n) 41 boy would have avoided looking at the title as soon as he saw the 42 . I did not. The subject of the English Writing Prize was kept a 43 until the start of the exam so I could not 44 reading it.
When the headmaster 45 , I was looking out of the window.
I should have told him what had 46 then. It would have been so 47 to say: “I’m sorry, but I 48 the title for the English Writing Prize on your desk. You’ll have to 49 it.”
The chance passed and I did not 50 it. I sat the exam the next day and I won. I didn’t 51 to cheat, but it was still cheating anyhow.
That was thirty-eight years 52 when I was fifteen. I have never told anyone about it before, 53 have I tried to explain to myself why not.
The obvious explanation is that I could not admit I had seen the title 54 admitting that I had been looking at the things on his desk. 55 there must have been more behind it. Whatever it was, it has become a good example of how a little mistake can trap (使陷入) you in a more serious moral corner (道德困境).
36. A. plan B. fault C. grade D. luck
37. A. reason B. course C. example D. vacation
38. A. this B. which C. that D. what
39. A. drawer B. corner C. middle D. box
40. A. names B. words C. ideas D. messages
41. A. honest B. handsome C. friendly D. active
42. A. desk B. paper C. book D. drawer
43. A. question B. key C. note D. secret
44. A. help B. consider C. practise D. forget
45. A. disappeared B. stayed C. returned D. went
46. A. existed B. remained C. happened D. continued
47. A. tiring B. easy C. important D. difficult
48. A. saw B. gave C. set D. made
49. A. repeat B. defend C. correct D. change
50. A. take B. have C. lose D. find
51. A. remember B. learn C. mean D. pretend
52. A. past B. ago C. then D. before
53. A. either B. never C. nor D. so
54. A. by B. besides C. through D. without
55. A. But B. Though C. Otherwise D. Therefore
All our dreams have something to do with our feelings, tears, longings, wishes, needs and memories. But something on the “outside” may affect 1. we dream. If a person is hungry 2. tired or cold, his dream may include a feeling of this kind. If the blanket on your body has slipped 3. your bed, you may dream that you are sleeping or resting on the ice or snow. So the subject of your dream usually comes from something that has effect 4. you while you are sleeping(feeling of cold, a noise, a discomfort, etc.) and it may also use your past experiences and the wishes and interests you have now.
5. are some scientists who have made a special study of why we dream, what we dream and what those dreams mean. Their explanation of dreams, though a bit reasonable, is not accepted by everyone, it offers 6. interesting way of dealing with the problem. They believe that dreams are mostly expressions of wishes that did not come 7. . In 8. words, a dream is a way of having your wishes carried out.
He came to my class every week, but his attitude ________ he was not really interested in the subject.
A. expressed B. described C. explained D. suggested
One winter term during college, I took a history class to fulfill a requirement.
The professor was a 1 fellow with red hair. He would walk shyly into the room wearing his hooded (带帽的) winter coat, once not even 2 the hood during the lecture. He was terribly nervous in class and lowered his head 3 looking up through his glasses at his students.
So I 4 a little game for myself. I would try to find something in his lecture to ask him an intelligent question about, 5 me to pay attention rather than letting my eyes close. He was obviously 6 to have a question to answer. In fact, his answers were always interesting.
I continued to do this every day of the course and found myself actually enjoying the subject. The professor seemed to become a bit more 7 and some of the other students even 8 from time to time. My little game had saved me from being bored, as it was 9 to do. And, I learned quite a bit about ancient world history. Except for all of his strange __10 , he was indeed quite an expert in his field.
On the last day of his class, we gathered our 11 and headed out the door. The shy, red-haired professor 12 directly in front of me, with obvious efforts, as I reached the door, and put out his hand. He said, “I want to thank you for making this class so interesting.” As he shook my hand and 13 for the first time, I was so surprised. To me, it had been a pleasant way to 14 the time. I had no idea that all of my question asking had any 15 on him or the others at all.
Each of us, through the things we say and do, can have a great effect not just on our own experiences, but those of others.
1. A．strange B．patient C．popular D．proud
2. A．cleaning B．noticing C．removing D．wearing
3. A．hardly B．simply C．absolutely D．quickly
4. A．played B．continued C．created D．bought
5. A．reminding B．forcing C．allowing D．telling
6. A．angry B．surprised C．sad D．pleased
7. A．relaxed B．traditional C．reasonable D．concerned
8. A．gave up B．fell behind C．look back D．joined in
9. A．designed B．permitted C．challenged D．forbidden
10. A．explanation B．appearance C．secret D．hobby
11. A．collection B．friends C．game D．books
12. A．waited B．apologized C．greeted D．stepped
13. A．regretted B．smiled C．cried D．required
14. A．pass B．save C．fix D．waste
15. A．guidance B．result C．mercy D．effect
