On December 8, 1980, John Lennon –an English musician who rose to fame as one of the founding members of Liverpool pop band The Beatles – was shot dead outside his New York apartment.

In the 1960s and 70s, Lennon was one of the most iconic（偶像的）men on the planet. Some 30 years ago on from his death, he is still respected by many people in the West.

The Beatles, formed in 1960 in Liverpool, were one of the most commercial successful acts on the history of pop music, with, according to some estimates, global record sales over 1.1 billion.

The band conveyed the progressive ideals in which many young people of the time believed.

In the 1960s and 70s, widespread tension developed in both British and American society, regarding issues such as women’s rights and the Vietnam War.

Lennon in particular became known for his message of peace and for his opposition to the war in Vietnam. This led to an attempt by former US president Richard Nixon to drive him away from the US. Lennon’s second-wife Yoko Ono was also politically active.

Lennon was also hugely admired for his musical abilities. Along with fellow-Beatle Paul, Lennon and McCartney were the Beatle’s song-writing team.

After Lennon was shot by crazy fan Mark Chapman，one of his most iconic songs, Imagine, became a humanist anthem(颂歌).

Lennon’s legacy survived his death and continued till this day. In 2008, he was ranked the fifth greater singer of all time in US-based Rolling Stone magazine.

Former possessions of Lennon or furnishings from his homes continue to be sold for vast sums.

In an auction(拍卖) to be held next week in London, lines written by Lennon on the back of a demand for an outstanding bill are expected to sell for ￡350,000(3.7 million yuan).

In August, a bathroom from his last home in Britain, was auctioned for ￡9,500. And in 2009, a British film describing his early years before the Beatles began, was one of the most successful films of the years in the UK.

But do Lennon and his music continue to resonate(共鸣) with the young people of today?

The passage is written here to show that Lennon has _______.

A. lasting appeal          B. long history        C. exciting records         D. great success

Which of the following is right about the Beatles according to the passage?

A. It was founded in the 1960s in London.         

B. It had 1.1 billion sales in Britain.

C. It was commercially successful.             

D. Many of today’s young people believe its ideals.

Lennon was forced to leave the US as a result of ________.

A. the tension between Britain and America        B. his wife’s political activity

C. his struggle for women’s rights                     D. his opposition to the war in Vietnam

We can guess that the rest of the passage will tell us ________.

A. why Lennon and his music are still popular with today’s young people

B. why Lennon and his music spoil today’s generations of young people

C. that today’s generations of young people don’t like Lennon’s songs

D. that today’s generations of young people like Lennon’s songs better

Writing stories and articles ________ what I enjoy most.

1. A.
   is
2. B.
   are
3. C.
   was
4. D.
   were

Due to the increasing number of violence acts produced in schools all over the world, more and more parents prefer to have their children educated at home rather than at school. This way they can assure their safety and well-being，although teachers and school representatives are trying to improve the situation in schools by increasing the number of the persons in charge of the safety of the students．

The main reason for violence acts are the films and cartoons that fill the children’s time．They want to do everything．they watch on TV and never think at the consequences，and they may hurt a classmate or a teacher．

On the other hand, parents are not fully satisfied with the children’s results obtained in classes and they consider private classes would have better results．

When a teacher has to watch 30 students in class he can’t probably see what each of them is doing，how he is writing，or if he understands the explanations．At home the teacher can explain in details everything the child doesn’t understand as many times as he considers proper．

And many times，the child grows fond of the teacher at home，who becomes his best friend，and who helps him whenever he needs someone to talk to．    

However, the best solution would be a mixture between the education received at school and that at home，because school makes children communicate and socialize．Keeping a child at home for fear that there might be something bad happening to him only makes the child’s character weak and prevents him from knowing what real life is．Staying in a crystal ball only does harm to the child．

All in all，schools have been created to help children，not to harm them，so it’s best to keep children in these special places，where they learn，laugh，have fun and make new friends．

53．The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to           ．

 A．teach parents the ways to keep theft children safe

 B．show solutions to developing children’s character

 C．explain the main reason for violence acts in schools

 D．analyze an education problem and give opinions

54．Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

 A．Advantages and Disadvantages of Private Classes

 B．Who is to Blame．Parents or Schools?   

 C．which is Better, School Study or Home Study  

 D．The Relationship between Teachers and Children   

55．Parents prefer to have their children educated at home because the following EXCEPT that            

 A．More and more violence acts occur in schools   

 B．Parents want to improve their Children's grades   

 C．Parents are concerned about their children’s safety

 D．The education system is far from satisfactory   

56． We can infer from the passage that           ．

A．violence TV programs have bad effects on children’s behavior

B．the teacher at home is more patient than the teacher at school

C．children today are weak from lack of sense of right and wrong

D．there ale too many students in class for a teacher to teach

完形填空（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分） 

阅读下面短文，从短文后16—25所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

The purpose of a letter of application is to help you to “sell” yourself. It should state  16    the job you want, and should tell what your abilities are and what you have   17  . It should be simple, personal and brief without leaving out any necessary fact.

In writing a letter of application, keep in   18   that the things a possible employer is most   19   to want to know about are your achievements and your aims. The opening paragraph is perhaps the most important part. If the first few sentences fail to draw the reader’s attention, the rest of the letter may not be read at all. Try to key your opening remarks to the needs or interests of your employer. For example, instead of beginning with “I saw your     20   in today’s paper,” you might say “I have made a careful study of your advertising during the past six months” or “I have made a survey in my neighborhood to find out how many housewives use your product and why they like it.”

Be clear about the kind of job for which you are now   21  . College graduates looking for their first positions often ask “What can I   22   in a letter? Employers want experience, which, naturally, no    23   has.” The answer is that everything you have ever done is experience.

It is important to write a good strong closing for your letter.   24   a specific request for an interview or give the possible employer something definite(明确的) to do or expect. An excellent idea is to enclose(内附) a stamped self-addressed envelope with your letter. That makes it   25   for a possible employer to get in touch with you.