阅读理解

　　Many people take it for granted that black is a color of bad thing while white should always mean something good. This may be because, in their opinion, black is related to darkness and white to purity. However, that is not always the case. Did you know that the same one color may mean differently in different places of the world?

　　In the English－speaking world, black is the color of mourning－people wear black at the funeral. Red is concerned with danger or bloodshed. Yellow is the word for fear. If you axe afraid, you are yellow. Yet, none of these sayings is true outside the English－speaking world. In China and Korea white is the color of mourning. In Russia, China, and some other countries, red stands for beauty, life and excellence. In Italy and Germany, you are yellow with anger, not with fear.

　　Even within the English－speaking area, it is not difficult to find color contradictions (矛盾). A redcap in the United States is a porter in a railway station, in Britain, however, a redcap is a military policeman. Both names are logical. Because both men wear red caps. Similarly, the British term for an American white－collar worker is sometimes called a blackcoated worker.

　　One does not have to cross an area to find color differences. Would you rather be a redblooded or a blue－blooded? If we go back to the origin, we find that both terms are logical as both names suggest. The expression “blue blood” comes from Spain, where some noble families proudly told the world that they had “blue blood”. Actually they meant that they had no Moorish(摩尔人的) or Jewish blood. But then why “blue” blood? Because they were fair－skinned(皮肤白皙的), and it is only natural that their blood vessels stood out appearing blue.

1．Yellow is concerned with anger in ________.

[　　]

2．The two meanings of the term “redcap” result from a difference in ________.

[　　]

3．Both Britain and America would probably agree that ________.

[　　]

A．black is the color of mourning

B．a black－coated worker is employed in an office

C．red stands for beauty and excellence

D．a redcap is a porter in a station

4．It is not stated but implied(暗示) that some noble families in Spain had ________ color.

[　　]

5．The best title for this reading selection is ________.

[　　]

A．The Origin of Blue Blood

B．The Development of the Symbolic(象征性的) Use of Colors

C．Colors that carry Bad Meanings

D．The Meaning Concerned with Certain Colors

“To be or not to be.” Outside the Bible, these six words are the most famous in all the literature of the world. They were spoken by Hamlet when he was thinking aloud, and they are the most famous words in Shakespeare because Hamlet was speaking not only for himself but also for every thinking man and woman. To be or not to be, to live or not to live, to live richly and abundantly, or to live dully and meanly. A philosopher once wanted to know whether he was alive or not, which is a good question for everyone to put to himself occasionally. He answered it by saying: “I think, therefore I am.”
　　But the best definition of existence I ever saw was one written by another philosopher who said: “To be is to be in relations.” If this is true, then the more relations a living thing has, the more it is alive. To live abundantly means simply to increase the range and intensity(强烈) of our relations. Unfortunately we are so constituted that we get to love our routine. But other than our regular occupation, how much are we alive? If you are interested only in your regular occupation, you are alive only to that extent. So far as other things are concerned --- poetry and prose(散文), music, pictures, sports, unselfish friendships, politics, international affairs ---you are dead.
On the contrary, it is true that every time you acquire a new interest --- even more, a new accomplishment(成就) --- you increase your power of life. No one who is deeply interested in different kinds of subjects can remain unhappy. The real pessimist is the person who has lost interest.
　　Bacon said that a man dies as often as he loses a friend. But we gain new life by contacts with new friends, and new ideas and thoughts, too. Where your thoughts are, there will be your life too. If your thoughts are limited only to your business, only to your physical welfare, only to your narrow circle of the town in which you live, then you live a narrow restricted(有限的, 受约束的) life. But if you are interested in what is going on in China, then you are living in China. If you’re interested in the characters of a good novel, then you are living with those highly interesting people. If you listen intently to fine music, you are away from your immediate surroundings and living in a world of passion and imagination.
To be or not to be --- to live intensely and richly, or merely to exist, which depends on ourselves. Let us widen and intensify our relations. While we live, let us live!
【小题1】What does the author mainly want to do by this passage?

Paula Radcliffe, chasing a third London marathon title, says she has became a stronger person after her terrible experience at the 2004 Athens Games.

Radcliffe, who failed to complete the Olympic marathon and the 10,000m last August, said: "Athens made me a stronger person and it made me care less about criticism"

"In the past I wanted to please everyone, but now I am going to listen even more to the people around me."

She didn't care about criticism made at the weekend by Liz McColgan, who felt Radcliffe should have rested and let her body recover after her failure in Athens.

"Liz is someone I look up to but she hasn't spoken to me since last year and if she really cared for me, I'm sure she would have contacted me."

Instead Radcliffe won the New York City marathon just 11 weeks after Athens.

"In New York I wasn't in my best state but I did know I was good enough to win the race."

Radcliffe insisted her only goal in Sunday's race would be winning a third title and not chasing world records.

However, Radcliffe has not ruled out in the future chasing her "final" world record time and questioned sayings that marathon runners have the ability in their career to produce only four or five world-class times.

"I don't think that ——although I can't put a number on it," said. Radcliffe. "That changes from person to person."

Radcliffe is sure she can better her winning London 2003 performance at some point in the future. Following a successful three-month training period in the United States, the 31-year-old will chase a third title on Sunday after her first victory in 2002 and again 12 months later.

Radcliffe clocked a time of 2:18:56 in her first 42.2-kilometre race three years ago.

Afterwards she set a "mixed course" mark of 2:17:18 five months later in Chicago before lowering that to a time of 2:15:25 in the 2003 London event.

1.Radcliffe’s failure in Athens made her___________.?

A. develop respect for Liz?   B. love people around her more?

C. rest for five months?      D. face criticism calmly?

2.Which of the following is true according to the passage??

A. Radcliffe broke the world record in the New York City marathon.?

B. Radcliffe didn’t fully recover before the New York City marathon.?

C. Radcliffe won her first marathon title in the New York City marathon.?

D. Radcliffe had a 3-month training before the New York City marathon.?

3.By saying “I can’t put a number on it,” Radcliffe means she’s not sure ___________.?

A. if she has the ability to set a new world record?

B. if she can win another race though she has won many times?

C. how many times a marathon runner can set the world record?

D. if she has the ability to produce four or five world-class times?

4.According to the text, Radcliffe has won ___________ London marathon title(s).?

A. one　　　　　B. two?             C. three          D. four

5.What can we learn from Radcliffe’s story??

A. Practice makes perfect.?            B. Well begun is half done.?

C. Where there is a will, there is a way.?  D. A friend in need is a fried indeed.

Good advice is like medicine for the soul. What kind of 1　 have you recently received? Who do you go to got advice? Do you have a mentor(顾问)? A mentor is a　 2　 adviser.
　 Parents, teacher and friends are often great 　 3 .Sports figures, public officials can also be good 　4　 of mentors, but a person with whim you are a personal relationship will most likely be able to 　5 you the best advice.
　 Mentors teach things that seem to be 　6　 sense. Proverbs are wise old sayings that are common in every language and　 7　 , and can sometimes be　 8 for a nonnative to understand. For example, all that　 9　 is not gold(some things are not as 　　10 as they appear ).
　 Advice 11 in newspapers and magazines are another way to 12　 advice.
　 Talk shows on radio and television are also very popular. Americans and Canadians love to 　　 13　 themselves. Many people are not　 14 to ask for help or　 15 about a problem in order to receive advice. People generally will 16　 their own experience to 17 their friends. Overcoming a difficult situation is 18　 respecter in North America. People love to heat motivational (积极的) stories and 19　 . One proverb, a friend in need is a friend indeed, shares the concept that a true friend will help you out in times of 　 20　 .

1. A. success　　　　 　　　 　　　 B. measure　　　 　　　　　 C. position　　　　 　　　 D. advice

2. A. devoted　　　 　　　 B. united　　　　　 　　　　 C. trusted　　　　　 　　　　 D. expected

3. A. interviewers　 　　 B. mentors　　　　 　　　　　 C. followers　　　 　　　　　 D. competitors

4. A. examples　　　 　　　 B. mentors　　　　 　　　　　 C. manners　　　 　　　　　 D. services

5. A. consider　　　 　　　 B. exchange　　　 　　　　　　 C. adapt　　　　　 　　　　 D. offer

6. A. present　　　　 　　　 B. attractive　　　 　 　　　 C. common　　　 　　　　　 D. particular

7. A. experience　 　　 　　　 B. difference　　　 　　 　　　 C. culture　　　　　 　　　　 D. behavior

8. A. simple　　　　　 　　 　　　 B. difficult　　　　 　 　　　 C. natural　　　　　 　　　 　　　 D. brief

9. A. glitters B. packages C. acts D. forces

10. A. different　　　 B. negative　　　　 　 　　　 C. primary　　　　 　　　　　 D. valuable

11. A. columns　　 　 　　　 B. materials　　　　 　 　　　 C. wonders　　　 　　　　　 D. add

12. A. reduce　　　 　　　 B. add　　　　　　　 　　　　　 C. keep　　　　　　 　　　　　　 D. get

13. A. enjoy　　　　 　　　 B. teacher　　　　　 　　　 C. express　　　　 　　　　 D. defeat

14. A. brave　　　　 　　　 B. afraid　　　　　　 　　 　　　 C. honest　　　　　 　　　 D. lucky

15. A. talk　　　　　 　　　 　　　 B bring.　　　　　　　 　　 　　　 C. care　　　　　　　 　　　　　　 D. look

16. A. remind　　　　 　　　 B. suggest　　　　 　　　　 C. clone　　　　　 　　　　　 D. share

17. A. lead to　　　　 　　　 B. set free　　　　 　　　　 C. help out　　 　　　　 D. take over　　　　

18. A. originally　　 B. highly　　　　　 　　　　 C. equally　　　 　　　　　　 D. closely　　　

19. A. encouragementB. sadness　 　　　　 　　　 C. movement　 　　　　 D. adventure　　　

20. A. happiness　 　　 　　　 B. trouble　　　　　 　　　　 C. excitement　 　　　　 D. nature