“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 for every thinking man and woman.To be or not to be----to live or not to live, to live richly and abundantly and eagerly, or to live dully and meanly and scarcely．A philosopher(哲学家) 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 （强度）of our relations．Unfortunately, we are so constituted (自作决定的)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, 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----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 also．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 in a narrow restricted (有限的) life．But if you are interested in the characters of a good novel, then you are living with those highly interested people; if you listen intently to fine music, you are always away from 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, that depends on ourselves.Let us widen and intensify our relations．While we live, let us live．

What does the author mainly want to do by this passage?

       A.Argue against an idea．             B.Put forward an idea．

       C.Introduce some famous sayings．     D.Explain some famous sayings．

What does the underlined word “pessimist” most probably mean?

       A.Somebody who always expects the worst to happen．

       B.Somebody who is always interested in making new friends．

       C.Somebody who always lives in a world of passion and imagination．

       D.Somebody who likes to live a rich and abundant life．

Which of the following behaviors is most probably NOT encouraged by the author?

       A.Thinking more than your own business．

       B.Caring only about your physical welfare．

       C.Reading good novels．

       D.Listening to fine music．

What is the main idea of the passage?

       A.To be or not to be, that is a question．     B.I think, therefore I am．

       C.To be is to be in relations．               D.A man dies as often as he loses a friend．

“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?

From good reading we can derive pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.
With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances. Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement.
One of the most valuable gifts bestowed by books is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart’s desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb lofty mountains, brave the perils of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mingle with the gay throngs of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.
53．Why is it that we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?
A．No one has come to disturb us.
B．Everything is so quiet and calm around us.
C．The book we are reading is so interesting and attractive.
D．Our book is so boring that we are to finish it at a fast speed.
54．How would you account for the fact that people like their friends in books even more?
A．They are like human friends exactly.      B．They are unfamiliar types we like.
C．They never desert us.                 D．They are purely imaginary.
55．Which of the following is true according to the text?
A．Your wish to visit some far-off place can be realized thought the pages of the books.
B．To escape from the dull realities of everyday life you should take up reading.
C．Books can always help you live a colourful life.
D．You may obtain valuable experience from reading good books.
56．By saying “…the whole world is ours for the asking,” the author implies that___________.
A．in books the world is more accessible to us
B．we can ask to go anywhere in the world
C．we can possess everything in this world
D．we can make a round-the-world trip free of charge

From good reading we can derive pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.
With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances. Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement. One of the most valuable gifts bestowed by books is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart's desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb lofty mountains, brave the perils of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mingle with the gay throngs of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.
【小题1】Why is it that we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?

“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!

1.What does the author mainly want to do by this passage?

A．Argue against an idea.

B．Explain some famous sayings.

C．Introduce some famous sayings.

D．Put forward an idea.

2.What does the underlined word most probably mean?

A．Somebody who always lives in a world of passion and imagination.

B．Somebody who is always interested in making new friends.

C．Somebody who always expects the worst to happen.

D．Somebody who likes to live a rich and abundant life.

3.Which of the following behavior is probably NOT encouraged by the author?

A．Thinking more than your own business.

B．Caring only about your physical welfare.

C．Reading good novels.

D．Listening to fine music.

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A．To be is to be in relations.

B．I think, therefore I am.

C．To be or not to be, that is a question.

D．A man dies as often as he loses a friend.