I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention. Finally, the driver, a man about 60, looked up from behind the wheel and apologized, “I’m sorry, but I was reading a letter.” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough.

Since I was in no hurry, I told him to finish his letter. He shook his head, explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart. Curious, I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild. “This isn’t family,” he replied. “though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family. Old Ed and I grew up together.”

They were always friends. But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago, it’d generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them. A couple of weeks ago, Ed died. “I should have kept in touch.” He repeated this, more to himself than to me. To comfort him, I said sometimes we just didn’t seem to find the time. “But we used to find the time,” he said. “Take a look.” He handed the letter over to me.

The first sentence “I’ve been meaning to write for some time, but I’ve always delayed it.” reminded me of myself. It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together. When I read the part where it said “Your friendship really means a lot to me, more than I can say because I’m not good at saying things like that”, I found myself nodding in agreement.

We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph: “So I thought you’d like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”

“I thought your friend’s name was Ed,” I said.

“I’m Tom,” he explained. “It’s a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he’d died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.

When I got to my hotel room I didn’t unpack right away. I had to write a letter and post it.

1. From Paragraph 4, we learn that the author of the passage _______.

A. often fails to write to his friends

B. doesn’t want to write to his friends

C. had many great moments with his friends

D. was good at expressing his feelings to friends

2. Who wrote the letter?

A. Old Ed B. The driver’s grandchild

C. The author D. Tom

3. What message does the passage probably try to convey?

A. Comfort your friends when they are feeling down.

B. Life is unpredictable so live each day as if it were your last.

C. Always make time to value and experience your lasting friendships.

D. Remember to always mail your letters after expressing your words.

Land Art, sometimes referred to as Earth Art or Earthworks, is a form of art which involves using physical landscapes to create art, taking art out of the museum and into the outside world. Modern Land Art movement really got going in the 1960s when American artists began creating Land Art on a large scale. Today, works of modern Land Art can be seen all over the world, sometimes right alongside much older pieces of Land Art created by people who lived thousands of years ago.

Land Art, which is not necessarily unchangeable, can take a number of forms. For examples, in 1970 Robert Smithson created the Spiral Jetty(螺旋状防波堤), made of a collection of stones and mud, in the Great Salt Lake. The American artist made a large jetty in a spiral shape which sticks out into the waters of the lake.

Reshaping the landscape is a common characteristic of Land Art, which can be created by moving parts around. People can also add things to the environment to create Land Art, like salt, which is added to the Spiral Jetty. It is possible to use plants. In all cases, Land Art is immovable.

Land Art is designed to gradually form, change, and eventually decay(衰落). That’s one of the biggest differences between Land Art and most of the art one sees in the museums. Some works of art can exist only for a few hours or days. Others are exposed to rain and wind so that they develop and decay over time, which is part of the attractiveness in the eyes of the artists.

1. What do we know about Robert Smithson?

A. He is a great creative artist.

B. He lives near the Great Salt Lake.

C. He made the most famous Land Art.

D. He was a pioneer in creating Land Art.

2.One of the unique characteristics of Land Art lies in _______.

A. it shows the extreme beauty of nature

B. it develops and decays gradually over time

C. it combines the landscapes around completely

D. it offers the artists a chance to get close to nature

3.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Works of Land Art. B. History of Land Art.

C. Changes of Land Art. D. Introduction of Land Art.

If you have a chance to go to Finland, you will probably be surprised to find how “foolish” the Finnish people are.

Take the taxi drivers for example. Taxis in Finland are mostly high-class Benz(奔驰)with a fare of two US dollars a kilometer. You can go anywhere in one, tell the driver to drop you at any place, say that you have some business to attend to, and then walk off without paying your fare. The driver would not show the least sign of anxiety.

The dining rooms in all big hotels not only serve their guests, but also serve outside diners. Hotel guests have their meals free, so they naturally go to the free dining rooms to have their meals. The most they would do to show their good faith is to wave their registration card to the waiter. With such a loose check, you can easily use any old registration card to take a couple of friends to dine free of charge.

The Finnish workers are paid by the hour. They are very much on their own as soon as they have agreed with the boss on the rate(价钱). From then on they just say how many hours they have worked and they will be paid accordingly(相应地).

With so many loopholes(漏洞)in everyday life, surely Finland must be a heaven to those who love to take “petty advantages”. But the strange thing is, all the taxi passengers would always come back to pay their fare after they have attended to their business; not a single outsider has ever been found in the free hotel dining rooms. And workers always give an honest account of the exact hours they put in. As the Finns always act on good faith in everything they do, living in such a society has turned everyone into a real “gentleman”.

In a society of such high moral practice, what need is there for people to be on guard against others?

1. While taking a taxi in Finland, _________.

A. a passenger can never be turned down by the taxi driver wherever he wants to go

B. a passenger pays two US dollars for a taxi ride

C. a passenger can go anywhere without having to pay the driver

D. a passenger needs to provide good faith demonstration before they leave without paying

2.We know from the passage that big hotels in Finland _________.

A. provide meals for only those who live in the hotels

B. provide meals for any diners

C. provide free wine and charge for food

D. are mostly poorly managed

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. The workers in Finland are paid by the hour.

B. The bosses in Finland are too busy to check the working hours of their employees.

C. The workers are always honest with their working hours.

D. The workers and their bosses will make an agreement in advance about the pay.

4.It can be concluded that ___________.

A. Finnish people are not smart enough in daily life

B. Finland has been a good place for cheats

C. the Finnish society is of very high moral level

D. all the Finns are rich

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出最佳选项,并将其答案标号涂在答题卡上对应题目的选项处。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Maybe you have heard the expression “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”. So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws.

1. The French take great pride in their language, so anyone who does not speak it may run the risk of being disrespected by his French colleagues or business partners. Also, another reason why learning French is important is that it is a great way to show every possible French business partner that you care and respect their country’s culture and language.

The first thing that you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look the person in the eye. In social meetings with friends, kissing is common.

Use first names only after being invited to. 2. The French will sometimes introduce themselves using their surname first, followed by their first name.

Dress well. 3. Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status. Always try to be tasteful and stylish. Women are advised to dress simply but elegantly. Wearing make-up is practiced widely by business women.

The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer, main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours. 4.

Do not begin eating until the host says, “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate. 5. This may suggest that you find the food tasteless. If eating in a restaurant, the person who invites always pays.

A. The French draw information about people based on their appearance.

B. This is a time for relationship building.

C. Remember to be as polite as possible.

D.Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France.

E. Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food.

F.Use Monsieur or Madame before the surname.

G.Make an appointment with your business partner in advance.

阅读下面短文,掌握其大意。然后从各题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Years ago, I worked at the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. One day, as I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front legs. It was that they could, at any time, break free, strangely enough, they didn’t. I asked a trainer the for this.

He said, “When they were very young, we used the size rope, and it was enough to hold them. As they grow up, they believe the rope can hold them, so they never try.”

Like the elephants, how many of you believe you cannot do a thing, simply because you once before? Do you often tell “I cannot dance” or “I’m not good at math”?

These are of self limiting beliefs. You must realize you’re for them. A limiting belief that says you’re poor at math may have as a reaction to the embarrassing experiences related to math, or the remarks made by someone important to you which you. The cool thing is that because you create the you can choose to change it! Here is how:

First, it with “I am good at math”. Once you change your , your subconsciousness(潜意识) will make this by driving you to act. That might be to take a math course or to go online help, etc. Gradually you’ll really see your math skills are .

This is such a simple process that you can it today. Don’t be like the poor elephants and make your life in a place because of a limiting belief you developed years ago.

1.A. excited B. confused C. discouraged D. worried

2.A. impossible B. doubtful C. uncertain D. obvious

3.A. but B. or C. and D. so

4.A. case B. result C. reason D. choice

5.A. same B. bigger C. smaller D. different

6.A. narrowly B. almost C. still D. hardly

7.A. did B. failed C. tried D. succeeded

8.A. yourself B. others C. your teacher D. your partner

9.A. causes B. stories C. results D. examples

10.A. conscious B. honest C. responsible D. depended

11.A. stopped B. referred C. changed D. originated

12.A. interested B. disappointed C. bored D. inspired

13.A. belief B. experience C. embarrassment D. remark

14.A. represent B. compare C. mix D. replace

15.A. action B. thought C. aim D. plan

16.A. come true B. run out C. on guard D. keep cool

17.A. at B. by C. for D. in

18.A. improved B. judged C. realized D. recognized

19.A. finish B. continue C. keep D. begin

20.A. involved B. stuck C. unfinished D. changed

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