In October 1961 at Crowley Field in Cincinnati Ohio an old deaf gentleman named William E. Hoy stood up to throw the first ball of the World Series. Most people at Crowley Field on that day probably did not remember Hoy because he had retired(退休) from professional baseball 58 years earlier in 1903. However he had been an outstanding player and the deaf people still talk about him and his years in baseball.

William E. Hoy was born in Houckstown Ohio on May 23, 1862. He became deaf when he was two years old. He attended the Columbus Ohio School for the deaf. After graduation he started playing baseball while working as a shoemaker.

Hoy began playing professional baseball in 1886 for Oshkosh(Wisconsin) of the Northwestern League. In 1888 he started as an outfielder(外场手) with the old Washington Senators. His small figure and speed made him an outstanding base runner. He was very good at stealing bases during his career. In the 1888 major league season he stole 82 bases. He was also the Senators’ leading hitter in 1888. Hoy was clever and he threw right-handed and batted left-handed. On June 19,1889 he threw out three batters(击球手) at the plate from his outfield position.

The arm signals used by judges today to show balls and strikes began because of Hoy. The judge lifted his right arm to show that the pitch was a strike and his left arm to signal that it was a ball.

For many years people talked about Hoy’s last ball game in 1903. He was playing for Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast Winter League. It was a memorable game because Hoy hit a wonderful ball which won the game. It was a very foggy day and therefore very hard to see the ball. In the ninth inning(棒球的一局) with two men out, Hoy managed to catch a fly ball to make the third out in spite of the fog. Los Angeles defeated their opposition and won the game.

　　After he retired Hoy stayed busy. He ran a dairy farm near Cincinnati for 20 years. He also became a public speaker and traveled giving speeches. Until a few years before his death he took 4-10 mile walks several mornings a week. On December 15, 1961 William Hoy died at the age of 99.

1. In which order did the following things happen in Hoy’s life?

　　a. Hoy worked as a shoemaker.

　　b. Hoy began to run a diary farm.

　　c. Hoy played a memorable game in the heavy fog.

　　d. Hoy threw the first ball of the World Series.

　　e. Hoy became deaf.

　　A. d e a c b            B. e a c b d            C. d a e c b            D. e a b c d

2. We can infer from the last paragraph that Hoy _______ in his late years.

　　A. became famous                       B. led a relaxed life

　　C. traveled around the world        D. was in good physical condition

3. This passage is mainly about _______.

　　A. a deaf player devoted to the game of baseball

　　B. baseball game rules and important players

　　C. the rise in the social position of the deaf people

　　D. where the baseball judge hand signals came from

4. What can be inferred from this passage?

　　A. Hoy was the greatest baseball player in his time.

　　B. Speaking and listening are not necessary in baseball games.

　　C. The judge had to study the hand signals very seriously.

    D. Hoy’s family encouraged him to become a baseball player.

E
In the old days, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. Now this is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters who have never been close by during of the birth a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.
　　Nowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we send them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit patients— even when those patients are their parents. This deprives（剥夺）the dying patient of family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.
　　Some of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed about 500 in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We were most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome.
　　It is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients’ communication in order to truly understand their needs, fears and fantasies. Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly, and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their reat need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to deal with the coming of death and finally to reach a true stage of acceptance before death.
82.The elders of today's Americans________ .
　　A. are often absent when a family member is born or dying
　　B. usually see the birth or death of a family member　　
C. are unfamiliar with birth and death
　　D. have often experienced the fear of death as part of life
83.Children in America are deprived of the chance to________.
　　A. visit a patient at hospital　　　　                             B. visit their family members
　　C. look after the patients　　　　                                          D. learn how to face death　
84.The need of a dying patient for people to accompany him shows________.
　　A. his wish for communication with other people　　             
B. his fear of death
　　C. his unwillingness to die                    　     
D. he feels very upset about his condition
85.It may be concluded from the passage that________.
　　A. dying patients should be truthfully informed of their condition
　　B. dying patients are afraid of being told of the coming of death
　　C. most patients are unable to accept death until it can’t be avoided
D. dying patients are not likely to be informed about their condition         

For the last 82 years, Sweden's Nobel Academy has decided who will receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, that means __36__ who will be raised from the great and the near great to the living for ever. __37__ today the Academy is coming under heavy criticism(批评) both from the without and from within. __38__ argue that the selection of the winners often has less to do with true __39__ ability than with the strange inside politics of the Academy and of Sweden itself. __40__ Ingmar Bjorksten, the cultural __41__ for one of the country's two major newspapers, the prize continues to represent " __42__ people call a very Swedish exercise: __43__ Swedish tastes."

The Academy has __44__ itself against such charges of provincialism(地方主义) in its selection by asserting(坚持) that __45__ physical distance from the great literary capitals of the world actually serves to __46__ the Academy from outside influences. This may be 47 , but criticsrespond that this very __48__ may also be responsible for the Academy's inability to notice true trends(倾向) in the __49__ world.

Regardless of concerns over the selection process, __50__ , it seems that the prize will continue to survive both as an indicator(指针) of the literature that we most __51__ praise, and as a __52__ that writers seek. If for no other reason, the prize will continue to be __53__ for the financial rewards that __54__ ; not only is the cash prize itself considerable, but it also dramatically increases __55__ of an author's books.

36. A. asking　 B. determining　 C. checking　 D. discovering

37. A. But　　　 B. So　　　　　　　　　C. Besides　　 D. Therefore

38. A. Anger　 B. Happiness　　　 C. Praises　　　 D. Critics

39. A. reading B. listening　　　　　　 C. writing　　　 D. speaking

40. A. Owing to B. As to　　　　　　 C. According to D. Referring to

41. A. editor　　　 B. reader　　　　　 C. writer　　　　　　 D. listener

42. A. how　　　　　B. where　　　　　 C. which　　　　　　 D. what

43. A. suggesting B. expressing　　 C. smelling　　　　　 D. exchanging

44. A. kept　　　　 B. defended　　　 C. stopped　　　　　 D. loved

45. A. his　　　　　　 B. one's　　　　　　 C. its　　　　　　　　　 D. her

46. A. persuade　 B. encourage　　　 C. fight　　　　　　　 D. protect

47. A. wrong　　　　B. similar　　　　　 C. false　　　　　　　　 D . true

48. A. distance　　　B. length　　　　　　 C. width　　　　　　　 D. number

49. A. literary　　　 B. space　　　　　　　C. art　　　　　　　　 D. movie

50. A. as well as　 B. however　　　　　C. in order that　 D. so that

51. A. hardly　　　　 B. highly　　　　　　 C. finally　　　　　　　 D. nearly

52. A. direction　　　 B. distance　　　 C. goal　　　　　　　　 D. suggestion

53. A. reasonable　 B. curious　　　　　 C. desirable　　　　 D. anxious

54. A. collect with　 B. give away　　　 C. set up　　　　　　 D. go with

55. A. sales　　　　　　 B. prizes　　　　　　　C. gifts　　　　　　　 D. praises