How men first learned to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery．All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down．Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters we call words．
The power of words, then, lies in their combinations－the things they bring up before our minds．Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases．
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts, but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and feelings．This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary(文字的)style．Above all, the real poet is a master of words．He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears．We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and rude．
(1)
The origin of language ________．
[ ]
A．
is reflected in sounds and letters
B．
is handed down from generation to generation
C．
dates back to the prehistoric period
D．
is a problem not yet solved
(2)
According to the passage, words are ________．
[ ]
A．
visual letters
B．
represented by sounds
C．
represented either by sounds or letters
D．
signs called letters
(3)
The secret of a writer’s success is the use of words that ________．
The Consulate General of Germany in Shanghai is hosting an exhibition of World Cup posters created by artists from around the world．Fourteen posters in different styles by artists from different countries and China are on display．
Venue(地点)：Consulate General of Germany(Shanghai)
Time：9∶00 am－12∶00 am and 1∶00 pm－4∶00 pm
Price：free
Tel：021 63912068
ay July 7
“Love Letter”
This play was written by American contemporary playwright Carol Rocamora．It's based on a love story by well known Russian short story writer and dramatist Anton Chekhov(1860-1904)．Now Shanghai Drama Arts Centre brings this romantic story to the stage．
Venue：Shanghai Drama Arts Centre
Time：7∶30 pm
Price：100 yuan
Tel：021－62172426
Saturday July 8
Pop Concert
S．H．E．will give a concert on the weekend．This three-girl group debuted in 2001 and became popular in Asia．This week, they will give their local fans a musical treat in a show featuring some of their best known songs．
Venue：Shanghai Stadium
Time：7∶30 pm
Price：320－1,080 yuan
Tel：021－62172426
Sunday July 9
Solo Violin Concert
A violin concert titled“Conversation between a leading conductor and violinist”will be held on the weekend in Guangzhou．The concert will be given by renowned Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit and talented violist Chantal Juillet from Canada．
Venue：Xinghai Concert Hall(Guangzhou)
Time：8∶00 pm
Price：80－280 yuan
Tel：020－87353869
Wednesday July 12
Piano Recital
Gary Graffman, the piano master from the US will give a piano performance in Shanghai．Graffman is the director of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and used to be the tutor of talented Chinese pianist Lang Lang．
Venue：Shanghai Grand Theatre
Time：7∶30 pm
Price：80－280 yuan
Tel：021－65430200
(1)
Which of following events will not happen in Shanghai?
[ ]
A．
Piano recital．
B．
Pop concert．
C．
Posters exhibition．
D．
Solo violin concert．
(2)
Who do you think is not a music performer?
[ ]
A．
Charles Dutoit．
B．
Chantal Juillet．
C．
Gary Graffman．
D．
Carol Rocamora．
(3)
The most expensive performance is ________．
[ ]
A．
“Love Letter”
B．
Pop concert
C．
Solo violin concert
D．
Piano recital
(4)
Posters exhibition is probably the best choice for ________．
[ ]
A．
football fans
B．
those who don’t work at all
C．
people who like to read romantic stories
D．
people on holiday
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
William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865．His childhood lacked the harmony(和睦)that was typical of a happy family．Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered “little of childhood but its pain”．In fact, he inherited(继承)excellent taste in art from his family－both his father and his brother were painters．But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama(戏剧)and poetry．
Yeats had strong faith in coming of new artistic movements．He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s．His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning．He didn’t lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama．
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats’s poems attract much admiring notice．The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging．Though Yeats generally relied on very tradisional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them．As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition．
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923．Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life．Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now his valued as a manor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who produces his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75．After Yeats’s death in 1939, W．H．Auden wrote, among others, the following lines：
Earth, recive an honoured guest：
William Yeats is laid to rest．
Let the Irish vessel(船)lie
Emptied of its poetry
(1)
Which of the following can describe Yeats’s family?
[ ]
A．
It filled Yeats’s childhood with laughter．
B．
It was shocked by Yeats’s choice．
C．
It was a typically wealthy family．
D．
It had an artistic atmosphere．
(2)
According to thse passage, what do we know about Yeats’s life?
[ ]
A．
Yeats founded the first Irish theater．
B．
Yeats stuck to modern forms in his peotry．
C．
Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s．
D．
Yeats was not favored by the publie until the 1923 Noble Prize．
(3)
What kind of feeling is expressed in W．H．Auden’s lines?
[ ]
A．
Envy
B．
Sympathy
C．
Emptiness
D．
Admiration
(4)
What is the passage mainly about?
[ ]
A．
Yeats’s literary achievements
B．
Yeats’s historical infuluence
C．
Yeats’s artistic ambition
D．
Yeats’s national honor
阅读理解
This is What a REAL Silver Dollar Looks Like
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You Can't Afford to Lose
Why are we releasing(发行)this silver dollar for such a remarkable price? Because we want to introduce you to what hundreds of thousands of smart collectors and satisfied customers have known since 1984-New York Mint is the place to find the world's finest high-grade coins．That's why we're offering you this Brilliant Uncirculated 2012 U．S．Silver Eagle for as little as ＄37.45(plus s/h)．
Timing is Everything
Our advice? Keep this to yourself．Because the more people who know about this offer, the worse it is for you．Demand for Silver Eagles in 2011 broke records．Experts predict that 2012 Silver Eagles may break them all over again．Due to rapid changes in the price of silver, prices may be higher or lower and are subject to(受．．．影响)change without notice．Supplies are limited．Call immediately to add these Silver Eagles to your holdings before it's too late．
Offer Limited to 40 per household 2012 American Silver Eagle Coin
Your cost 1-4 Coins ＄38.95 each＋s/h
5-9 Coins ＄38.45 each＋s/h
10-19 Coins ＄37.95 each＋s/h
20-40 Coins ＄37.45 each＋s/h
Note： ＄10 s/h(shipping and handling)for each purchase
For fastest service, call toll-free 24 hours a day
1-888-201-7143
Offer Code(代码)ASE177-04
Please mention this code when you call．
New York Mint 14101
Southcross Drive W．, Dept．ASE177-04
Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
www．NewYorkMint．com
(1)
What is stressed in the ad?
[ ]
A．
The coin is of high quality and worth collecting．
B．
The coin can be circulated as a currency．
C．
Limited supplies guarantee a stable price of the coin．
D．
Demand for the coin is bound to break records．
(2)
If you buy six 2012 U．S．Mint Silver Eagles by post, you should pay at least ________．
[ ]
A．
＄230.7
B．
＄233.7
C．
＄240.7
D．
＄243.7
(3)
The ad strongly encourages people to purchase the silver coins by ________．
