题目内容

Last Sunday I made a visit to some new neighbors down the block. No specific purpose in mind, just an opportunity to sit at the kitchen table, have some tea and chat. As I did so, it occurred to me how rare the Sunday visit has become.

When I was a kid in the New Jersey of the 1960s, Sunday visits were routine. Most stores were closed, almost nobody worked, and the highways, as a result, were not the desperate steeplechases(障碍赛跑) they have become today. My family normally traveled eight city blocks to the home of my grandmother—the same house my father was raised in, where adults would sit on the front porch and chat while we children played hide-and-seek.

The Sunday visit was something to desire strongly. It was the repetition to church, our reward for an hour of devotion, an opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Dad was not at work, we were not in school, and there were no chores that couldn’t wait until Monday. Sunday was, indeed, different from all the other days of the week, because everyone seemed to be on the same schedule, which means that there was one day when everyone seemed to have time for everybody else.

    Sunday as a day of rest is, or was, so deeply rooted in the culture that it’s surprising to consider that, in a short span of time, it has almost entirely lost this association. In my childhood, it was assumed that everyone would either be home or visiting someone else’s home on Sunday.

But now the question is, “What do you plan to DO this Sunday?” The answer can range from going to the mall to participating in a road race to jetting to Montreal for lunch. If one were to respond, “I’m making a Sunday visit to family,” such an answer would feel sepia-toned, an echo from another era.

I suppose I should be grateful to live in Maine, a state of small towns, abundant land and tight relationships. Even though folks work as hard here as they do anywhere else, the state’s powerfully rural cast(特质)still harbors at least remnants of the ethic of yesterday’s America, where people had to depend on one another in the face of economic vagaries(反复无常的情况)and a challenging environment.

1.The writer’s general impression of the Sunday in the past was a day when _______.

A. everyone was paying a visit to some relative far away

B. everyone seemed to be free and could have some leisure

C. Dad was not at work while Mom was busy cleaning the house

D. nearly every adult would go to church and children were not at school

2.In the fourth paragraph, the writer compares the response “I’m making a Sunday visit to family” to an echo from another era because _______.

    A. people nowadays prefer staying at home on Sunday            

    B. such answers are rarely heard in our modern society

    C. people in the city dislike being disturbed on Sunday

    D. visiting someone on Sunday might take a lot of time

3.From the last paragraph we may infer that _______.

A. people in Maine suffer more from economic depression and the changed environment

B. people in Maine has abandoned their tradition and lived an absolute new life

C. land in Maine is short, thus the relationship between people is tense

D. people in Maine always help each other when they are in need

4..Which word we may use to describe the writer’s attitude towards the Sunday today?

A. Unsatisfied.         B. Anxious.             C. Treasured.           D. Teased.                 

 

【答案】

1.B2.B3.D4.A

【解析】略

 

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B
We have two daughters: Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four. Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner. I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that  their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang. Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests’ coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom.
The guests arrived. I introduced my two daughters to each of them. The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids.
Each of the guests made a particular fuss over Kelly, the younger one, admiring her dress, her hair and her smile. They said she was a remarkable girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age.
I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big “to do” over  the younger one because she’s the one who seems more easily hurt. We do it with the best of intentions.
But we seldom think of how it might affect the other child. I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being outshined. I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes. I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying.
I said, “What are you doing, my dear?”
She turned to me with a sad expression and said, “Mommy, why don’t people like me the way they like my sister?” Is it because I’m not pretty? Is that why they don’t say nice things about me as much?
I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging her to make her feel better.
Now, whenever I visit a friend’s home, I make it a point to speak to the elder child first.
59. The underlined expression “make a big ‘to do’ over” (Paragraph 4) means “_____” .
A. show much concern about               B. have a special effect on
C. list jobs to be done for                    D. do good things for
60. The guests praised Kelly for carrying coats upstairs because of her________.
A. beautiful hair                                 B. pretty clothes           
C. lovely smile                                   D. young age
61. Kristen felt sad and cried because_________.
A. the guests gave her more coats to carry
B. she didn’t look as pretty as Kelly
C. the guests praised her sister more than her
D. her mother didn’t introduce her to the guests
62. We can conclude from the passage that______.
A. parents should pay more attention to the elder children
B. the younger children are usually more easily hurt
C. people usually like the younger children more
D. adults should treat children equally

A year ago, at the annual pre-Grammy party, Whitney Houston, the great star, walked on stage and closed the evening with a brilliant performance.

Last Saturday, Houston was once again the focus before the Grammy, but her presence was a regrettable one.Earlier that day, the pop music's former queen was found dead in her hotel room.She was 48.This, no doubt, is sad news to the whole music industry and her fans all over the world.

At her peak(巅峰), Houston was the golden girl of the music world.From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists.She impressed audiences with her effortless, powerful and peerless performance.

Besides multi-million record sales, Houston made countless hits such as The Greatest Love of All, I Have Nothing, and the mostly famous I Will Always Love You.She also influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey.

But by the end of her career, there was a shocking fall for this superstar.Houston had been addicted to(上瘾) drugs.Her album sales declined (下降) and the hits stopped coming and her once beautiful voice became hoarse (嘶哑的), unable to hit the high notes as she used to.

In 2009, Houston staged a successful comeback with the album I Look To You, which fell on top of the charts.But hoarse voice, canceled concerts, and continuous illness-Houston's comeback trail wasn't smooth at all.In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2009, Houston admitted: "It (show business) is too much for me and I wanted out."

Now that Houston has finally taken a break from all the chaos(混乱), may she rest in peace.

1.Whitney Houston died ______.

A.shortly before the Grammy this year         B.earlier last Sunday

C.a year ago                             D.at the annual pre-Grammy party

2.The underlined word "peerless" in Paragraph 3 most probably means ______.

A.having no power                        B.having no equal

C.requiring no effort                      D.leaving no impression

3.The cause of the fall of Whitney Houston was that _____.

A.her album sales declined

B.show business was too much for her

C.her fans no longer love her

D.she had been addicted to drugs

4.According to the passage, which is not Houston’s achievement?

A.She made countless hits such as I Have Nothing.

B.She influenced a generation of younger singers.

C.She became the focus before the Grammy this year.

D.She staged a successful comeback in 2009.

 

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