【题目】

Bissel is a small village of the West Sahara. It lies next to a 1. 5square-kilometer oasis (绿洲), from where three days and nights are generally required to go out of the desert. However, before Ken Levin discovered it in 1926, none of the Bissel villagers had ever walked out of the desert. Reportedly, they were not unwilling to leave this barren land. Many had previously tried but failed, always somehow finding themselves back at the oasis after several days of trying to walk out.

When interviewed by Ken Levin, an expert at the British Royal College of Sciences, the villagers explained that no matter which direction they walked it always brought them back to the village.

Why couldn't the Bissel villagers walk out of the desert? Levin was very puzzled. He had, by himself, managed to walk north from the village and reach the nearest town in three and a half days. He decided to carry out an experiment to solve the mystery. He and a Bissel villager called Argutel, would walk out of the desert together. They prepared enough water for a half-a-month journey and two camels. But this time Ken Levin didn't bring his compass. Levin would follow Argutel.

Ten days later, they had walked for about 500 miles but were still in the desert. On the 11th morning, an oasis came into their view. They were back at Bissel. Levin now understood why the Bissel people couldn't escape the desert. They had no knowledge of the North Star, which had for centuries provided sailors and other travelers with a point of direction. In the desert, if a person goes forward relying only on their senses, they will not be able to travel in a straight line. Rather they will travel in a very large circle and eventually track back to where they began. Levin explained to Argutel the function of the North Star and said, "As long as you rest in the daytime and walk towards the brightest star at night, you would be able to walk out of the desert. " Argutel did as he was told. Three days later, he came to the edge of the desert.

Now in the West Sahara, Bissel has become a bright pearl, where tens of thousands of tourists come every year. Argutel's bronze statue stands in the center of the town. On its base are the words: __________.

【1】Villagers in Bissel had never walked beyond the desert because __________.

A. they had no method to find their way out

B. they were discouraged by their failures

C. they had a fear of the outside world

D. they had no desire to leave the oasis

【2】Ken Levin asked Argutel to walk to the north in order to __________.

A. see how far away Bissel was to the edge of the desert

B. prove that people could walk out of the desert

C. tell people not to walk in circles

D. show Argutel was a great person

【3】According to the passage, Ken Levin __________.

A. knew Argutel before he came to the village

B. came to Bissel to do experiments on behalf of his college

C. became the first man to walk out of the desert from Bissel Village

D. taught Bissel villagers knowledge of the North Star when he first arrived

【4】It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A. Ken Levin didn't walk south because it would take more days

B. the use of a compass was necessary to walk out of the desert

C. tourism in Bissel has been greatly developed and improved

D. Argutel became the leader of Bissel after his return

【5】Which of the following can most probably be found at the base of Argutel's statue?

A. Two heads are better than one.

B. Where there is a will, there is a way.

C. A long journey starts with the first step.

D. A new life starts from the fixed direction.

【题目】Alice’s mother died when Alice was five years old. Alice, who grew up to be my mother, told me that after her mother’s death her family was too poor to even afford to give her a doll.

In December 2012, I had a job at a local bank. One afternoon, we were decorating the tree in the bank lobby(大厅). One of my customers approached me with her beautiful handmade dolls. I decided to get one for my daughter, Katie, who was almost five years old. Then I had an idea. I asked my customer if she could make me a special doll for my mother—one with gray hair and spectacles(眼镜): a grandmother doll. And she gladly agreed.

A friend had told me that his dad who played Santa Claus would be willing to make a visit on Christmas morning to our home to deliver my Katie her presents, so I made some special arrangements.

Christmas Day arrived and at the planned time; so did Santa Claus. Katie was surprised that Santa had come to see her at her own house. As Santa turned to leave, he looked once more into his bag and found one more gift. As he asked who Alice was, my mother, surprised at her name being called, indicated that she in fact was Alice. Santa handed her the gift, with a message card that read:

For Alice:

I was cleaning out my sleigh(雪橇) before my trip this year and came across this package that was supposed to be delivered on December 25,1953. The present inside has aged, but I felt that you might still wish to have it. Many apologies for the lateness of the gift.

Love,

Santa Claus

My mother’s reaction was one of the most deeply emotional scenes I have ever seen. She couldn’t speak but only held the doll she had waited fifty-nine years to receive as tears of joy ran down her cheeks. That doll, given by “Santa”, made my mother the happiest “child” that Christmas.

【1】The reason why the writer’s mother couldn’t have a doll when young was that_________.

A. Santa Clause forgot to deliver the doll to her

B. her daughter couldn’t make a doll by herself

C. her parents left the doll in the Santa Clause’s sleigh

D. her family was badly off when she was a child

【2】It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A. the writer’s father played the Father Christmas

B. the writer’s mother was already in her sixties when she received the doll

C. the writer asked one of her friends to make the doll for her mother

D. the Santa Clause was too careless to deliver the doll on time

【3】When the writer’s mother received the doll that she had waited so long, she was __________.

A. pleased and inspired B. puzzled and angry

C. happy and excited D. curious and grateful

【4】The best title for this passage could be __________.

A. A Doll from Santa B. An unforgettable Christmas

C. A considerate daughter D. A help from Santa Claus

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