What is the basis of 'sick' humor? Whether we find a joke funny or not largely depends on where we have been brought up. The sense of humor is mysteriously connected with national characteristics. A Frenchman, for instance, might find it hard to laugh at a Russian joke. In the same way, a Russian might fail to see anything amusing in a joke which would make an Englishman laugh to tears.

 Most funny stories are based on comic situations. In spite of national differences, certain funny situations have a universal appeal. No matter where you live, you would find it difficult not to laugh at, say, Chaplin's early films. However, a new type of humor, which comes largely from US, has recently come into fashion. It is called 'sick humor'. Comedians base their jokes on tragic situations like violent death or serious accidents. Many people find this sort of joke distasteful. The following example of 'sick humor' will enable you to judge for yourself.

A man who had broken his right leg was taken to hospital a few weeks before Christmas. From the moment he arrived there, he kept on begging his doctor to tell him when he would be able to go home. He was afraid of having to spend Christmas in hospital and missing the fun. Though the doctor did his best, the patient's recovery was slow. On Christmas day, the man still had his right leg in plaster. He spent a miserable day in bed sadly. The following day, however, the doctor comforted him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good.

The man took heart and sure enough, on New Year's Eve he was able to hobble（蹒跚）along to a party. In order to make up for his unpleasant experiences in hospital, the man drank a little more than was good for him. In the process, he enjoyed himself thoroughly and kept telling everybody how much he hated hospitals. He was still mumbling something about hospitals at the end of the party when he slipped on a piece of ice and broke his left leg.

The man spent Christmas day feeling miserable because ________.

A. he thought he would miss the New Year’s Eve celebration

B. the doctor had failed to cure him

C. he hated the hospital and his roommates

D. being unable to walk, he could not enjoy himself.

The point of the joke taken to explain “sick humor” is that________.

   A. the man should have said how much he hated hospitals

   B. the man had not got a leg to stand on

C. no sooner had the man been out of hospital than he had to go back in again

D. being unable to walk, he did not enjoy the celebration

What can you learn about the man from the story?

A. The man got well soon because the doctor took good care of him.

B. He had to go to hospital again though he hated it.

C. On New Year’s Eve, the man was able to walk properly to the party.

D. At the party, he enjoyed himself but only drank a little.  

 (10·重庆E篇)

Humans are naturally drawn to other life forms and the worlds outside of our own. We take delight in the existence of creatures and even whole societies beyond our everyday lives.

This sense of wonder is universal. Look at the efforts that scientists have made to find out whether life of some kind exists on Mars, and the popularity of fantasy(幻想) literature or movies like The Lord of the Rings. This sense of wonder draws us to each other, to the world around us, and to the world of make-believe. But have we gone so far in creating worlds of fantasy that we are missing the pleasure of other worlds that already exist all around us?

Human beings, as biologists have suggested, possess an inborn desire to connect with and understand other life forms. However, people, especially in big cities, often lead rather isolated lives. In a study of British schoolchildren, it was found that children by age eight were much more familiar with characters from television shows and video games than with common wildlife. Without modem technology, a small pond could be an amazing world filled with strange and beautiful plants, insects, birds, and animals. When we lack meaningful interaction(交互) with the world around us, and sometimes even with our families and friends, we seek to understand and communicate with things that exist only in our imaginations or on a computer screen。

The world of make-believe is not necessarily bad. But when the world of fantasy becomes the only outlet(出路) for our sense of wonder, then we are really missing something. We are missing a connection with the living world. Other wonderful worlds exist all around us. But even more interesting is that if we look closely enough, we can see that these worlds, in a broad sense, are really part of our own.

72. The popularity of The Lord of the Rings proves       

A. the close connection between man and the fantasy world

B. the wonderful achievements of fantasy literature

C. the fine taste of moviegoers around the world

D. the general existence of the sense of curiosity

73. What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3?

A. People are far less familiar with the world of fantasy.

B. The world around us could serve as a source of wonder.

C. The world of fantasy can be mirrored by a small and lively pond.

D. Modern technology prevents us from developing our sense of wonder.

74. If our sense of wonder relies totally on the world of make-believe, we will       

A. fail to appreciate the joy in our lives

B. be confused by the world of make-believe

C. miss the chance to recognize the fantasy world

D. be trapped by other worlds existing all around us

75. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To show us the hidden beauty in our world.

B. To warn us not to get lost in the fantasy world.

C. To argue against the misuse of the sense of wonder.

D. To discuss the influence of the world of make-believe.

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）

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

Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meeting, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores (杂务). I started to dream of retirement. Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering, I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books. I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.

My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends. On the second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper … On the third day, … This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition（过渡）, that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough, But something was missing. 

A former colleague asked a favor. A group of students was going to Jamaica to work with children in the poorest neighborhoods. Would I interrupt my new found “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip. That’s all, My bags were packed and by the door.

The trip was very inspiring. I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense of responsibility of the young people on the trip. When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization. The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.

Now, it seems, the tables have turned. Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student. These young people have reawakened my commitment  (责任感)  to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war, Most important, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions. In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas. I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!

1.What did the writer expect to do after he retired?

  A. To stay away from busy schedules.          B. To write some great books.

  C. To do some voluntary work                D. To plan for his future.

2.Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?

       A. He missed his students in that country.

         B. He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor.

         C. He was concerned about the people there.

         D. He was not satisfied with his retired life.

3.The underlined part “the tables have turned”(Paragraph 5) means that the writer_________.

        A. improved the situation in his school

B. felt happy to work with students again

        C. became a learner rather than a teacher

         D. changed his attitude toward his retired life

4.What does the writer think of his retired life now?

         A. Disappointing    B. Troublesome     C. Promising            D. Meaningful

  In a recently published book, I came across some exercises with interesting names such as fishbone diagrams, lotus flowers and clustering. As I used these exercises in my classes, I noticed that students were interested. They said more and wrote more. They enjoyed expressing their ideas and sharing them in groups. They were no longer passively waiting for the bell , but actively taking part in the lesson. I find that creativity can act as a way to increase participation and improve fluency.

Creativity has become a popular word in recent years. Scholars in arts, psychology, business, education and science are all working to get a deeper understanding of it. Robert J. Stemberg is a creativity specialist and Yale professor of psychology. He defines creativity as “the ability to produce work that is both new (original) and appropriate(applicable to the situation ) ”. this definition is useful, as we want our students to use language in a new way and to use it correctly and properly. Mot scholars say there are two types of creativity: big “C” creativity and small “c” creativity. Big “C” creativity refers to genius level thinking that results in artistic masterpieces and scientific breakthroughs. Small “c” creativity refers to everyday level thinking that can be used in any situation our emphasis is on the latter. While it goes without saying that any of our students could go on to be the next Picasso or Edison, our aim is to help students produce more ideas and use language in a new way.

The underlined words “waiting for the bell ” in the first paragraph probably means______.

A. longing for a phone call        B. hoping to have a bell   

C. expecting the end of the class    D. waiting to speak in the class

It can be inferred from the passage that the author thinks the exercises in the book were _____.

 A. popular    B. useful    C. scientific     D. creative   

When you use a familiar word in a new way, you are ________.

A creative in the sense of big “C” creativity.

B. creative in the sense of small “c” creativity..

C. not creative in the sense of big “C” creativity..

D. not creative in the sense of small “c” creativity.

The main purpose of the passage is to _________.

A. show how useful the book is.

B, explain what creativity 

C. discuss how one can be creative 

D. tell what reaching aims at 

Farmers, as we all know, have been having a hard time of it lately, and have turned to new ways of earning income from their land. This involves not only planting new kinds of crops, but some __1__ ways of making money, the most unusual of which has got to be sheep racing. Yes, you heard me __2__! A farmer now holds sheep races on a regular basis, and during the past year over 100 000 people have __3__ to watch the race. “I was passing the farm on my way to the sea for a holiday,” one punter (赛马经纪人) told me, “and I thought I’d have a look. I didn’t believe it was serious, to tell you the truth.” According to a regular visitor, betting on sheep is more interesting than betting on horses. “At proper horse races everyone has already studied the form of the horse __4__, and there are clear favourites. __5__   nobody has heard anything about these __6__! Most people find it difficult to tell one from another in any case.” I stayed to watch the races, and I must admit that I found it quite __7__. In a usual sheep race, half a dozen sheep race down hill over a course of about half a mile. Food is waiting for them at the other end of the __8__ just to give them some encouragement, I ought to add! The sheep run surprisingly fast. __9__ they have probably not eaten for a while. Anyway, the crowd around me were obviously enjoying their day out at the races, __10__ by their happy faces and the sense of excitement. 

A. common  B. strange       C. swift   D. illegal

A. honestly  B. surprisingly       C. completely D. correctly

A. looked forward B. brought up       C. turned up   D. showed off

A. behind time    B. in progress C. in advance  D. in time

A. But  B. Therefore   C. Moreover   D. Otherwise

A. horses     B. sheep  C. races   D. stories

A. exciting   B. dangerous   C. boring D. peculiar

A. race B. hill     C. track   D. field

A. If     B. So      C. Yet     D. Although

A. observing      B. judging      C. considering       D. inferring