“We started as a group of friends with the same problem: difficulty in our personal life to manage our time, being always in a hurry.” This thought was recently offered by Bruno to explain the origin of The Art of Living Slowly, an organization that he founded two years ago, with his wife, Ella.

Bruno and Ella said they decided to draw more people’s attention to the overlooked idea that “time is wealth.” On February 19th last year, they created a new holiday, the first Global Day of Slow Living. Despite its ambitious name, the event was limited almost entirely to Italy, where the couple arranged a number of events: a reverse bicycle race in which the last rider was declared the winner; an afternoon of grandfathers reading poetry to children etc.
One Monday in late February, 2008, the couple staged a New York version (版本) of the Day of Slow Living. “It has to be a Monday, the worst day to try to slow down.” Bruno explained. Bruno was wearing a police cap, mirrored sunglasses, and a sandwich board stating, “Watch out! Speed-walking camera is in action!” He flagged down passers-by and handed them postcards printed with fourteen “slowmandments.” For example, No. 4: Write your text message on your cell phone with no symbols and get in the habit of starting with “Dear …” No 7: Avoid being so busy that you don’t have time for yourself. Bruno told the passers-by to read them once a day and keep the doctor away.
Many said, “I can’t do this. New York is too fast.” Bruno admitted. But many stopped, they read and said. “This one is good for me, because trying to slow down is like trying to stop smoking.”
When asked about their plans for the future. Bruno and Ella looked at each other and chanted the name of the city they have chosen for next year’s Global Day of Slow Living, “Tokyo!”
68. The Art of Living Slowly was founded to help people         .
A．understand the truth of life.    B．know the difficulty in managing time
C．avoid being in a hurry all the time  D．make friends with the same problem
69. What did Bruno do in New York?
A．He advertised his idea on a sandwich board.
B．He stopped passers-by and delivered postcards.
C．He served as a policeman to prevent accidents.
D．He took photos for the people who walked fast.
70. Which statement may be included in the fourteen “slowmandments” in paragraph 3?
A．Wake up five minutes earlier.  B．Do two things at the same time.
C．Make a habit of writing letters.      D．Don’t work on weekends and relax.
71. What can be inferred from the passage?
A．The new holiday is usually celebrated on a fixed day.
B．Italian grandfathers enjoy reading poetry to children.
C．The couple tend to choose busy cities to promote the idea.
D．New Yorkers have a negative attitude towards slow living.

As far back as he could remember，Larry had longed to go to Hollywood and become a film star. The young man’s hopes for success were broken again and again, however. Hollywood just did not seem interesting. When he first came to California, Larry had decided never to give up and return home without success. Therefore, he kept on trying. Someday, he told himself, his big opportunity would come.

Larry found a job parking cars for one of Hollywood’s big restaurants. His pay was basic, but since the guests were kind enough to give him more money, he managed to make a living. One day he recognized an important film director driving into the parking lot（停车场）and getting out of his car. Larry had recently heard that the man was ready to make a new picture.

Larry got into the car and prepared to drive it on into the lot and park it. Then he stopped, jumped out, and ran over to the director. “Excuse me, sir, but I think it is only fair to tell you that it is now or never if you want me in your next picture. A lot of big companies are after me.”

Instead of pushing away the boy，the director laughed，then wrote something on a card and handed it to the young man.“ Come and see me tomorrow.”

Larry got a small part in the director’s next film. He was on his way!

1.Which of the following was Larry really interested in?

A. Working as a waiter.                              B. Becoming a film star.

C. Parking cars for film stars.                            D. Owning a big company.

2.Why did Larry find a job parking cars?

A. Because he liked the job.

B. Because the parking lot was near Hollywood.

C. To make a living and wait for the opportunity.

D. To see a lot of film stars and work for them.

3. After reading the story, what can we know about the film director ?

A. He wanted to laugh at Larry.                  B. He recognized Larry at first sight.

C. He was kind and gave Larry a try.           D. He thought Larry would become a star.

4.“He was on his way”refers to the fact that _______.

A. he gave up and returned home               

B. he began to work towards success

C. he took a journey to Hollywood                    

D. he had difficulty in playing the small part

_____, and I believe you will realize your dream.

A. Making a little bit more effort        

B. Make a little bit more effort

C. To make a little bit more effort        

D. If you make a little bit more effort

第二部分阅读理解（满分20分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.

So, you have to give a speech-- and you’re terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank goodness, it’s over. I’m just no good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again. ”

Cheer up! It doesn’t have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of time doing your research. Then spend plenty of time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they will help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Just remember: be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to -person contact with your audience.

If you follow these simple steps, you’ll see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? Give it a try and see what happens.

1. The main idea of this article is _________.

A. you can improve your speaking ability   B. a poor speaker can never change

C. always make a short speech            D. it is hard to make a speech

2. Paragraph 2 implies that ________.

A. many people are afraid of giving a speech   B. many people are happy to give a speech

C. many people do not prepare for a speech    D. many people talk too long

3. The phrase “talk over their heads” means ________.

A. speak too loudly      B. look at the ceiling

C. look down upon them   D. use words and ideas that are too difficult

4. All of the following statements are true except that ___________.

A. few people know how to make good speeches

B. a lecturer does not need to organize his speech

C. research is important in preparing a speech

D. there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability

5. The title for this passage may be _______.

A. Do Not Make a Long Speech   B. How to Give a Good Speech

C. How to Prepare for a Speech   D. Try to Enjoy a Speech  

In fact, it is not so helpful to give one some bread as it to teach him how to _____.