Winston Churchill once described Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery(谜)inside a puzzle”．Observers of Russia in the 21st century could surely say the same of the country's president, Vladimir Putin．
Born in Leningrad, six months before the death of Stalin, the young Putin experienced a poverty-stricken childhood but received a good education．He developed lifelong interests in judo and spy novels, and first applied to the KGB(苏联国家安全委员会)at the age of 17．When they told him to go away and come back with a degree, he completed with an efficiency(效率)that would later serve him well．
Putin used his KGB training, plus his own discipline and common sense, in a series of jobs．He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move．Putin won the 2000 presidential election and in 2004 he was re-elected for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008．
Due to term limits, Putin was unable to run for a third presidential term．After the victory of Dmitry Medvedev, in the 2008 presidential elections, he was appointedto be Russia's Prime Minister．
Putin is regarded as one bringing political stability and re-establishing the rule of law．During his presidency, Russia's economy(经济)bounced back, seeing GDP increase by 72％, poverty cut more than half, and average monthly salaries increase from ＄80 to ＄640．Analysts have described Putin's economic reforms as impressive．At the same time, his conduct in office has been questioned by political opposition at home, foreign governments, and human rights organizations for leading the Second Chechen War, and for his record on human rights and freedoms．
Whether he wants to drive Russia into a new stage, or believes in the values of its Soviet past, he is determined to put his nation back on its feet．To do this, Vladimir Putin may have to show his true colors sooner rather than later．
(1)
What would be the best title for the text?
[ ]
A．
The Mysterious President of Russia
B．
Russia's High-growth Economy
C．
Russia's Far Past and Near Future
D．
The Political Situation in Russia
(2)
Which of the following helps Putin's success in presidential election?
[ ]
A．
His family background．
B．
His belief in Soviet．
C．
His efficiency in jobs．
D．
His love for freedom．
(3)
What happened in Russia during Putin's presidency?
Isaac Murphy, son of a slave and perhaps the greatest horse rider in American history, rides Buchanan to win his first Kentucky Derby．He becomes the first rider ever to win the race three times．
May 9, 1754
Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette produces perhaps the first American political cartoon(漫画), showing a snake cut in pieces with the words “Join or Die” printed under the picture．
May 11, 1934
The first great dust storm of the Great Plains Dust Bowl, the result of years of drought(干旱), blows topsoil all the way to New York City and Washington, D．C．
May 19, 1994
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, former first lady and one of the most famous people of the 1960s died of cancer in New York City at the age of 64．
May 24, 1844
Samuel F．B Morse taps out the first message, “What hath God wrought, ” over the experimental long-distance telegraph line which runs from Washington, D．C．, to Baltimore, Md．
(1)
We know from the text that Buchanan is ________．
[ ]
A．
Isaac’s father
B．
a winning horse
C．
a slave taking care of horses
D．
the first racing horse in Kentucky
(2)
What is the title of the first American political cartoon?
[ ]
A．
Join or Die
B．
Pennsylvania Gazette
C．
What Hath God Wrought
D．
Kentucky Derby
(3)
In which year did the former first lady Jacqueline die?
[ ]
A．
1934．
B．
1960．
C．
1964．
D．
1994．
(4)
Which of the following places has to do with the first telegram in history?
[ ]
A．
Washington, D．C．
B．
New York City．
C．
Kentucky．
D．
Pennsylvania．
阅读理解
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD)for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”．
“I'm delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout．
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising．”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor's degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master's in creative writing from San Francisco State University．She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think．
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed．”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don't feel as if it's better．”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq．The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006．
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not．“Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD．
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies．The new edition is scheduled to appear in May．
(1)
According to Rae Armantrout, ________．
[ ]
A．
her 10th book is much better
B．
her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected
C．
the media is surprised at her works
D．
she likes being recognized by her readers
(2)
Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
[ ]
A．
She published a poetry textbook．
B．
She used to teach Denise Levertov．
C．
She started a poets' group with others．
D．
She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley．
(3)
What can we learn about “Versed”?
[ ]
A．
It consists of three parts．
B．
It is mainly about the American army．
C．
It is a book published two decades ago．
D．
It partly concerns the poet's own life．
(4)
Rae Armantrout's colleagues think that she ________．
[ ]
A．
should write more
B．
has a sweet voice
C．
deserves the prize
D．
is a strange professor
(5)
What can we learn from the text?
[ ]
A．
About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed．
B．
Cancer made Armantrout stop writing．
C．
Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD．
D．
“Versed” has been awarded twice．
阅读理解
Don't go to Kauai．Go to any of the other Hawaiian Islands－Maui, Lanai, the Big Island－but leave Kauai for us．The weather on Kauai is so unpredictable that sometimes it rains all day－in fact, it's the second-wettest spot on the earth．Yes, there are giant double rainbows all the time, and the sunlight through the clouds is magical．But if you are not interested in these, go somewhere else．You just can't control the nature on Kauai, and who wants to surrender to the nature when you could be at a fine hotel, lying in a comfortable chair next to a swimming pool, with food served upon request?
So what if Kauai produces surf champions the way Texas produces cowboys?Most of its 300 white-sand beaches are unmarked．Unless you connect with the local people, the hidden spots are hard to find．While Hanalei is the most beautiful town you've ever dreamed of, you can forget about discos and clubs．Worse, it doesn't have one single four-star restaurant．What it does have is the original drive-through places where you pass by a rambutan tree(红毛丹树), and pick a piece of fruit．
Shopping in Kauai?Forget it－unless you are interested in shell necklaces and beautifully carved wood bowls．Kauai is not about pampering．It's about going natural and finding the nature within you．It's a do-it-yourself place that offers walking along the coast, driving and swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and lying on the beach．
Don't go to Kauai unless you have a lot of time, because there's only one road, which can be slightly dull．It winds through the beautiful scenery of waterfalls, rivers flowing into the ocean, and taro(芋头)fields．You have no choice but to look at everything, because the speed limit is 35 m．p．h．
If you're not interested in color, don't bother with Kauai, because that's what you get－red roads, blue oceans, and a hundred different shades of green．It's like diving on land．Many people on Kauai believe that this is Lemuria－a lost island in the Atlantic．Can you imagine?Those Hawaiians, surfers, New Agers, and people who love nature and beauty and want a different quality of life－what do they know, anyway?Forget about it－you're not going to like it．Go somewhere else．Leave Kauai for us．
(1)
After reading the text, we come to know that it is ________．
[ ]
A．
a piece of shocking news
B．
an exciting story
C．
an angry complaint about a tourist attraction
D．
a moving advertisement
(2)
It can be learned from the text that ________．
[ ]
A．
Kauai is an island near the Hawaiian Islands
B．
Kauai is another name of the Hawaiian Islands
C．
Kauai is one of the Hawaiian Islands
D．
Kauai doesn't belong to the Hawaiian Islands
(3)
In the writer's opinion, Kauai ________．
[ ]
A．
is not worth visiting at all
B．
is well worth visiting
C．
is not a beautiful island
D．
is a dangerous island
(4)
Who would like to visit Kauai?________
[ ]
A．
Those who love nature．
B．
Those who love city life．
C．
Those who love the comfort in a fine hotel．
D．
Those who love going shopping．
(5)
Which of the following statements is false?
[ ]
A．
Many more people will probably come to Kauai after reading the passage．
B．
You can practice in Kauai if you want to win a championship in surfing．
C．
The weather in Kauai is changeable．
D．
In Kauai there are top class hotels where food is served upon request．
阅读理解
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD)for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”．
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout．
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising．”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University．She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think．
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed．”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better．”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq．The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006．
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not．“Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry, ” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD．
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2, 700 copies．The new edition is scheduled to appear in May．
(1)
According to Rae Armantrout, _________．
[ ]
A．
her 10th book is much better
B．
her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected
C．
the media is surprised at her works
D．
she likes being recognized by her readers
(2)
Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
[ ]
A．
She published a poetry textbook．
B．
She used to teach Denise Levertov．
C．
She started a poets’ group with others．
D．
She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley．
(3)
What can we learn about “Versed”?
[ ]
A．
It consists of three parts．
B．
It is mainly about the American army．
C．
It is a book published two decades ago．
D．
It partly concerns the poet’s own life．
(4)
Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she _________．
[ ]
A．
should write more
B．
has a sweet voice
C．
deserves the prize
D．
is a strange professor
(5)
What can we learn from the text?
[ ]
A．
About 2, 700 copies of “Versed” will be printed．
B．
Cancer made Armantrout stop writing．
C．
Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD．
D．
“Versed” has been awarded twice．
阅读理解
Holiday is finally here！It’s time to get into the spirit of the happy season．Here are two activities you can try with your friends and classmates．
Jailbreak(越狱)
About the game
Some students from Lancaster University in the UK are going to have their annual Jailbreak Competition．It is organized by the university’s division of Students in Free Enterprise, a non-profit organization, run by students, which helps to fund sustainable projects in developing countries．
How to play
Traveling in pairs, participants have 36 hours to journey as far as possible, without spending any money．Before setting off, they are given posters and T-shirts to raise as much money as possible．When they reach their destination, students are required to take a photo and buy a newspaper to prove that they were there．Prizes are awarded for most money raised and furthest distance traveled．
Humans vs Zombies(僵尸大战)
About the game
You don’t have to wait until Halloween to play a zombie game．Created in the fall of 2005 at Goucher College, US by students Brad Sappington and Chris Weed, the game Humans vs Zombies has taken the US by storm and is now played on more than 200 college campuses across the country．Many find that the game is a good way to make friends．
How to play
Everyone playing the game starts as “human” with the exception of one：the original zombie．
If a player is touched by the zombie, he or she then becomes a zombie and is required to “tag”(感染)at least one human every 48 hours to stay in the game．
If a human player manages to “stun”(打晕)a zombie with a toy gun or a pair of rolled up socks, they are safe for the time being．The “stunned” zombie is not allowed to tag a human for a predetermined length of time．The game can last days, weeks or even all semester．If less than a certain number of humans survive the attack, the zombies win．
(1)
About Jailbreak, which is true?
[ ]
A．
A photo and a newspaper are evidence of their reaching the destination．
B．
The Jailbreak Competition is held every other year．
C．
As the organizer, Lancaster University provides money as award．
D．
Participants can set up groups without considering the group number．
(2)
According to the passage, a zombie _________
[ ]
A．
can become a human when tagged
B．
must tag 48 humans or he will die
C．
have to be a human at the beginning
D．
can’t tag a human for a time if stunned
(3)
What is students’ reaction to the two games?
[ ]
A．
Students in more than 200 colleges like Jailbreak．
B．
Students join in Jailbreak to raise money for developing countries．
C．
Students consider Humans vs Zombiesa good way to make friends
D．
Students should wait until Halloween to play a zombie game．
