题目内容

As Rosalie Warren stood at the mailbox in the lobby of her apartment building in May 1980, she shared the anxiety of many other college seniors. In her hand was an envelope containing her final grades. As she nervously opened it, Warren wondered whether her hundreds of hours of studying had paid off.

They had.

“I got five A’s,” she still recalls with elation. “I almost fell on the floor!”

Warren would graduate from Suffolk University with a Bachelor of Science degree in philosophy and history at age 80. Three years later, at age 83; she would receive her second degree from Suffolk, a master’s in education.

Now, with both diplomas proudly displayed in her apartment, Warren is not finished with learning. Now 93, she continues for her 18th year at Suffolk under a program that allows persons 65 and over to attend classes tuition free. “It’s my life to go to school, to enjoy being in an academic atmosphere,” she says. “That’s what I love.”

Warren was born Rosalie Levey on Aug.29, 1900. Two years after she entered high school, her father died. Warren had to leave school for factory work to help support her family’s 10 children. Warren describes herself as a “person who always liked school,” and she says the move “broke my heart completely because I couldn’t finish high school.”

In the end, however, “I went to school nights,” she recalls. “Any place I could find an outlet of learning and teaching, I was there.”

A short time later, her mother became ill, and Warren had to care for her, once again putting her education on hold.

Finally, in 1921, her mother, now recovered, drew from her saving to send Warren to Boston University for two years to study typing, stenography, and office procedures.

Those courses helped Warren gain several long-term office positions over the next 60 years, but her great desire “to be in the academic field” continued.

In 1924, she married Eugene Warren, and seven years later, her daughter, Corinne, was born. In 1955, by then a widow and a grandmother, Warren took a bus tour across the United States that was to last nine months. She said she wanted to see “things you never see in the West End.”

When she returned home, she took a bookkeeping position and also enrolled in courses in philosophy, sociology and Chinese history.

In 1975, when she was 75, Warren learned from a neighbor about Suffolk University’s tuition-free program for senior citizens.” I was at the registrar’s office the very next day,” she recalls. At first, she took one or two courses at a time, but encouraged by her professors, she enrolled as a degree candidate.

“I had not studied for so many years,” she says, “but I was determined.” For the next four years, Warren, who calls herself a “student of philosophy,” worked toward her degree.

Nancy Stoll, dean of students at Suffolk, says Warren is “an interesting role model for our younger students—that learning is a lifetime activity...She is genuinely enthusiastic about being here, and that permeates (散发) her activities and is contagious (传染的) to students and faculty.”

1.What does the word elation mean in the sentence “I got fives A’s”, she still recalls with elation”?

A. Great happiness.B. Great surprise.

C. Great pride.D. Great honor.

2.Which statement can be inferred from the underlined sentences?

A. Because Warren needn’t pay her tuition; she went to study at Suffolk University.

B. At first Warren had to pay for her courses at Suffolk University.

C. Most of the students at Suffolk University are older than 65.

D. Suffolk University encourages older people to take courses.

3.It can be inferred from this passage that Rosalie Warren _______.

A. came from a wealthy family

B. didn’t like working in an office

C. put her family before her education

D. didn’t like her family very much

4.What is the main topic of this passage?

A. Rosalie Warren’s family

B. Rosalie Warren’s life

C. Rosalie Warren’s education

D. Rosalie Warren’s studying at Suffolk University

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I remember when I was young, people often asked me, “What are you going to be when you grow up?”

Well, it ________ being a cowboy or some super hero. Later it was a fireman, a policeman, a lawyer—As I grew older, my dreams for the future ________. When, at last, I was in college, I set my ________ on becoming a teacher like my father. ________ I studied and prepared for that. I reached the ________ in the end and I was teaching ________ full-time for much of my adult life.

However, for many people, there is a “thief” that goes around stealing our ________. Sometimes, the thief will come as a parent, a relative(亲属), or a friend, but the ________ thief is usually ourselves.

We find ________ just about reaching the top, and a “small” ________ inside says, “You’ll never make ________.” “You can’t possibly do this.” On and on the “small” voice predicts (预示) our ________. Failure, ________ is one of the most important tools we have may teach us valuable ________. When we learn these lessons well, we are ready ________ success.

I always tell my children that you are ________ to do anything that your heart desires. Remember the saying, “Nothing is ________ to a willing heart.” There are ________ “overnight” success, but with determination, they will come. Imagine ________ a life you dream of. Then in your heart, believe it will happen to you. Then work, work, work. You’ll get the picture.

So, be true to your dream, and don’t let anyone ________ it from you—especially yourself.

1.A. insisted onB. kept on

C. felt likeD. started out

2.A. changedB. plannedC. failedD. left

3.A. eyeB. brainC. heartD. experience

4.A. ButB. OrC. SoD. As

5.A. agreement B. aimC. decisionD. position

6.A. hardlyB. nearlyC. slightlyD. extremely

7.A. moneyB. planC. friendsD. dreams

8.A. greatestB. poorestC. tallestD. oldest

9.A. themselvesB. ourselvesC. yourselvesD. itself

10.A. soundB. noiseC. voiceD. speech

11.A. itB. herC. himD. me

12.A. pityB. dangerC. failureD. accident

13.A. whereB. whoC. whenD. which

14.A. stagesB. lessonsC. suggestionsD. choices

15.A. toB. forC. atD. with

16.A. ableB. readyC. likelyD. necessary

17.A. interestingB. importantC. necessaryD. impossible

18.A. manyB. someC. differentD. no

19.A. spendingB. planningC. livingD. changing

20.A. buyB. foolC. stealD. borrow

Science has a lot of uses. It can uncover laws of nature, cure diseases, make bombs, and help bridges to stand up. Indeed science is so good at what it does that there’s always a temptation(诱惑) to drag it into problems where it may not be helpful. David Brooks, author of The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement, appears to be the latest in a long line of writers who have failed to resist the temptation.

Brooks gained fame for several books. His latest book The Social Animal, however, is more ambitious and serious than his earlier books. It is an attempt to deal with a set of weighty topics. The book focuses on big questions: What has science revealed about human nature? What are the sources of character? And why are some people happy and successful while others aren’t?

To answer these questions, Brooks surveys a wide range of disciplines(学科). Considering this, you might expect the book to be a dry recitation of facts. But Brooks has structured his book in an unorthodox(非常规的), and perhaps unfortunate, way. Instead of introducing scientific theories, he tells a story, within which he tries to make his points, perhaps in order to keep the reader’s attention. So as Harold and Erica, the hero and heroine in his story, live through childhood, we hear about the science of child development, and as they begin to date we hear about the theory of sexual attraction. Brooks carries this through to the death of one of his characters.

On the whole, Brooks’s story is acceptable if uninspired. As one would expect, his writing is mostly clear and, to be fair, some chapters stand out above the rest. I enjoyed, for instance, the chapter in which Harold discovers how to think on his own. While Harold and Erica are certainly not strong or memorable characters, the more serious problems with The Social Animal lie elsewhere. These problems partly involve Brooks’s attempt to translate his tale into science.

1.The author mentions the functions of science at the beginning of the passage to __________.

A. illustrate where science can be applied

B. demonstrate the value of Brooks’s new book

C. remind the reader of the importance of science

D. explain why many writers use science in their works

2.According to the author, which of the following could be a strength of the book?

A. Its strong basis. B. Its convincing points.

C. Its clear writing. D. Its memorable characters.

3.What is the author’s general attitude towards the book?

A. Contradictory. B. Supportive.

C. Cautious. D. Critical.

4.What is the author likely to write about after the last paragraph?

A. Problems with the book. B. Brooks’s life experiences.

C. Death of the characters. D. Brooks’s translation skills.

While the presence of rats in homes may cause anxiety and annoyance,they rarely result in driving out the residents.But that is exactly what happened to the inhabitants of the 10-square-mile Hawadax Island off the coast of Alaska,almost 230 years ago.Now thanks to a five-year effort by scientists,the terribly silent “Rat Island” as it had been called for many years has been returned to its rightful owners—birds!

Hawadax Island is part of a chain of volcanic islands in the Bering Sea called the Aleutian Islands.The rats that arrived there in 1780,when a Japanese ship carrying them broke down nearby,completely destroyed the native population because the environment of the island was not built to defend its animals from these predators.There isn't any tree on the island,which meant that the birds were accustomed to building their nests low in the ground,giving the rodents(啮齿动物) easy access to both eggs and baby chicks.As years passed,the birds that had called the island home for thousands of years became endangered and eventually,disappeared completely.

In 2007,the US FWS(Fish and Wildlife Service) started a serious plan to rid the island of the rats and try bringing back the beautiful birds that had once called it home.Given that there were an estimated 10,000 rodents inhabiting “Rat Island” and the fact that they reproduce rapidly,it was not an easy task.But by 2009,the island was officially declared rat free!

Then slowly but surely,the birds began to return. Unfortunately,some of the pioneers were unintentionally killed from the leavings of the raticide,a poison that had been used to wipe out the rodents.But now it seems things are becoming more stable and the island is starting to increasingly look like its former self.Before the transformation,“Hawadax”,also known as “Rat Island”,was a silent and ghostly place with bird bones,snail remains and rocks covered in rat feces(粪便).

Today,birds' singing and flying in and out is a common sight.Tufted puffins and song sparrows,which had long disappeared,are gradually making their way back.Scientists have also been observing an increase in ground nesting and shore birds.Though the island is still not back to its full glory,the signs are encouraging and things can only get better,as time passes.

1.The underlined word “that” in Paragraph 1 probably refers to ________.

A.birds' being driven out

B.the presence of rats

C.birds' returning to the island

D.residents' worrying about rats

2.Birds on Hawadax Island became an easy target because ________.

A.their chicks were extremely weak

B.they nested randomly

C.they reproduced too rapidly

D.this island was treeless

3.From the passage,we can know the plan of US FWS ________.

A.has helped the island fully recovered

B.cost little but benefited greatly

C.involved poisoning the rats on a large scale

D.accomplished its goal after exactly 24 months

4.Which would be the best title for the passage?

A.FWS help get rare birds back to alaska island

B.Japanese changed a bird paradise into rat island

C.Alaska's rat island returns to a bird paradise

D.FWS plan to drive rats out of rat Island

I was 20 years old when my mother passed away. It was the first real blow that life had dealt me, and I thought I would never recover. Then, by the time the following spring came, the pain was almost bearable and again I could find pleasure in the miraculous reward of nature.

At first, I went to the cemetery with trepidation. But then, amazingly, by tending her grave and decorating it with flowers, I was ridding myself of the painful memories.

The years passed. I moved from Kaposvar, Hungary, the town where I had been born and had spent my youth. So did my siblings. We only came together on feast days, especially on All Souls’ Day in the cemetery.

Father lived with me for many years, to a ripe old age. Now that he, too, rests beneath the white marble stone, I go even more eagerly to the cemetery. While I tend my parents’ grave site, again I am with them in thought.

One day I noticed a modest grave site behind my parents’ plot. It lay among the magnificent granite and marble markers of the other graves, its very simplicity calling attention to itself. Ivy(长春藤) had covered the site and its only decoration was a simple wooden cross on which was written in copper letters a name, and that she lived 22 years. Whenever I went by, the plot and its surroundings looked cared for and neat, and each time I felt curious about this mysterious woman who had lived all of 22 years.

Once I saw an elderly man leaving from there. I concluded that perhaps he had come to visit his wife. In 1996 I was preparing for All Souls’ Day in the cemetery when again I caught sight of him, tending the grave. Tall, somewhat bent, he was well passed middle age. We nodded to each other and continued our work. Occasionally I stole a glance at my neighbor. When I noticed that he hadn’t got the tools for a proper cleanup, I offered him mine, which he gratefully accepted. After this, it seemed only natural to engage him in conversation. I asked him whose grave it was. This was his answer:

“My mother’s. She died young, in 1912 when I was only a year-and-a half old. I really never knew her. I made her that cross and the copper letters.”

Then he went on:“No one comes to visit this grave but me because I was her only child. She died of pneumonia. My father remarried and my stepmother only cared for her own children. So then I always came here to my mother, whether in sadness or in joy. Later, life took me far afield, but I never forgot this grave. For me it was the same as the family home is for others. I always came home here.”

“With the years passing, it is getting more difficult for me to come, but as long as my legs will carry me, at least twice a year I visit my mother. I’m in my 80s. so who knows how long I can still make it.“

In stunned silence I listened. Tears clouded my eyes as I realized that I had never seen such boundless love. How much easier is my lot, I thought, for at any moment I can reach into my storehouse of memories and draw out the joyful or sad vignettes(小插图) that bind me to my parents with a thousand threads. What memories might this kindly old gentleman harbor? Perhaps a face from an ancient faded photograph of his mother.

What a great attachment throughout his long life must have led him back again and again to the resting place of that young woman whose motherly love he could never truly savor(尝到), only forever feels its enormous lack.

We said good-bye. I was deeply moved because I knew that I had been given a great gift. I had been allowed a glimpse of the royal and long-lasting affection that bound a simple and noble-hearted man to his mother. I decided I would tend the grave together with that of my parents, where, finally, the aged child will have met his youthful mother.

1.All Souls’ Day is a feast day ________.

A. to visit the cemetery and memorize the dead

B. for families to get together in the cemetery

C. to give gifts to family members

D. for daughters and sons to memorize their parents

2.From the passage, we know ________.

A. the author’s mother died young and her father, too

B. the author’s mother is dead while her father enjoys a long life

C. the man’s mother died very young before he was born

D. the author’s father lived long while the man’s mother died very young

3.The underlined words “calling attention to itself” in the 5th paragraph means ________.

A. desiring to be paid attention to

B. making it easily noticed

C. too modest to be noticed

D. calling itself to draw others’ attention

4.The author stole a glance at her neighbor because ________.

A. they were living in the same neighborhood

B. the man was tall and straight, well passed middle age

C. she was wondering about the dead young lady’s story

D. she knew the dead in the grave was the man’s mother

5.From Paragraph 10 we can conclude that ________.

A. the author lived near the cemetery and can visit her parents at any time

B. the poor gentleman had hardly any memory of his dear mother’s love

C. the author is bound to her parents with threads

D. the gentleman comes back “home” whenever he wants to

6.What message is conveyed in the passage?

A. Love is a length of thread to bind mother and children together.

B. Mother needs love from her children even if she is dead.

C. Parents’ love is always royal and long-lasting to children.

D. Mother’s love can be a boundless gift to their children.

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