“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.

A couple of years ago, I went to a lady’s house to buy some vitamins. Upon entering the house, I 　 31　 that there was an electronic keyboard on a stand, leaning　 32　 the wall. Being a piano music lover and 　 33 , I asked, if the woman played. She nodded and added that she had been 　34　 lessons—at age 54! I told her that it was very　 35　 that she was pursuing （追求） her passion（热情） to play the piano.

　 Then she asked me　 36　 question.

　 “I have been playing for 8 years now, ” I answered.

　 “Then you must play a song for me before you leave, ” she　 37 . I thought she was joking and I simply smiled. At the end of the deal of the vitamins, she　 38　 me of our musical “ 39　 ”. She then showed me to an old upright piano in the living room, 40 asked me to play a song for her. I thought　 41　 and decided to play David Lanz’s “Return to the Heart”, since she had so much passion for　 42　 , and it was my soul-searching song.

　 I played the song to the best of my ability, and with my emotions　 43　 into it as possible. She loved it. 　 44　 I was about to step out of the door, I heard a weak voice calling out, “Young man! ”

　 I turned around. And there was an old lady　 45　 one little step at a time with the help of another woman. “I wanted to come out to　 46　 you for the beautiful song that you played. I have been very sick, and it’s very hard for me to　 47　 my bed, but your music made me feel good, ”she said. With that, she turned around and walked　 48　 back to her room.

　 I was deeply　 49　 by her appreciation and felt a deeper understanding for the song. It served its purpose beautifully, returning to one’s　 50　 for peace and joy.

31. A. observed 　　　B. watched

C. noticed 　　　　　D. caught

32. A. on 　　　B. at

C. over 　　　 D. against

33. A. player 　　　B. teacher

C. composer 　　　D. starter

34. A. giving 　　　B. attending

C. teaching 　　　 D. reviewing

35. A. interesting 　　　B. wonderful

C. moved 　　　　　　D. impressive

36. A. another 　　　B. a different

C. the same 　　　　D. other

37. A. advised 　　　B. ordered

C. demanded 　　　D. requested

38. A. warned 　　　B. reminded

C. asked 　　　　　D. required

39. A. course 　　　B. task

C. discussion 　　　D. deal

40. A. and 　　　　 B. but

C. as a result 　　　D. what’s more

41. A. for the moment 　　　B. at the moment

C. for a moment 　　　　　D. at a moment

42. A. music 　　　B. songs

C. the piano 　　　D. vitamins

43. A. dropping 　　　B. falling

C. pouring 　　　　　D. running

44. A. Since 　　　B. As

C. While 　　　　 D. Because

45. A. taking 　　　B. making

C. having 　　　　 D. moving

46. A. thank 　　　B. praise

C. admire 　　　　D. owe

47. A. get on 　　　B. get up

C. get off 　　　　 D. get down

48. A. quietly 　　　B. calmly

C. happily 　　　　 D. slowly

49. A. shocked 　　　B. touched

C. delighted 　　　　D. disturbed

50. A. world 　　　B. heart

C. brains 　　　　 D. dreams

　　WASHINGTON: Chinese scientist Yuan Longping and Dr Monty Jones of Sierra Leone were named co－winners of the 2004 World Food Prize here on Monday for their contribution to world food security and rice production.

　　In announcing the recipients in a ceremony held at the US State Department, President of the World Food Prize Foundation Kenneth Quinn lauded both scientists for their “breakthrough scientific achievements” which have significantly increased food security for millions of people from Asia to Africa.

　　Quinn said it was particularly fitting that the two pioneering rice breeders rewarded the prize during the United Nations International Year of Rice, the crop identified as the staple(主要的) diet of more than 3 billion people around the world.

　　Professor Yuan Longping is director－general of the China National Hybrid Rice(杂交水稻) Research and Development Centre in Hunan Province, China. Jones is presently executive secretary of Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa.

　　Yuan is credited with(功劳在于……) developing the world's first successful and widely grown hybrid rice varieties, revolutionizing rice cultivation in China and tripling production over a generation.

　　Jones's work recaptured the genetic(遗传的) potential(潜能) of ancient African rice by combining African and Asian rice species.

　　Present at the ceremony hosted by US Secretary of State Colin Powell were UN Food and Agriculture Director－General Jacques Diouf, US Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman and Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy Lan Lijun.

　　The World Food Prize will be formally presented to Professor Yuan and Jones on October 14 this year in Iowa, the United States.

1．Which of the following is the best title?

[　　]

A．A．pioneer of the genetic research.

B．Passion for hybrid rice.

C．Scientists from China, Africa share food prize.

D．What is the World Food Prize?

2．The underlined word “lauded” can be replaced by ________.

[　　]

3．Jones won the 2004 World Food Prize for his achievements in ________.

[　　]

A．breeding(培育) hybrid rice

B．breeding hybrid wheat

C．improving ancient African rice

D．finding the genetic secret of rice

4．Which of the following is NOT true?

[　　]

A．The ceremony was held at the US State Department

B．Professor Yuan Longping attended the ceremony hosted by US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

C．Professor Yuan and Jones will go to the USA．in October to receive the World Food Prize.

D．3 billion people around the world live on rice.

When my father died, one of the tasks that fell to me was to sort through and decide which objects to save and which to throw away. Now I look at the   51   of my life as if I were dead,   52   what my children will do with the human skull(骷髅) that   53   on the bookcase next to my desk. I couldn’t   54   them if they threw it out. They’ve been wanting to do that for some years,   55   will they know how much can be learned from   56   with a skull? And what about my books?   57   they can find some place in their   58   for ten thousand books. However, I know they will look at the white, plastic head of a horse on my desk and   59   it into a Glad trash bag without any   60  , never knowing that it is the only place   61   from the first chess set (棋子)I owned.

How many boxes of mine will my children   62  ? Can I trust my children with my   63   ? Every object of our lives is a   64   , and emotion swirls(旋动) around it like fog, hiding and   65   a tiny truth of the heart.

I look at these objects that are mine and know, too, that they are   66   of how alone I am, how alone each of us is,   67   no one knows what any object means except he or she who   68    it. I have the memory of taking it home   69   one of my newly-born children from the hospital; only I have the memory of what it looked like when I lived in that apartment and where it sat in that house. I look at the objects that are mine, and the memories are   70   and permeated（渗透着）with love. I look at the objects that are mine and know that I’m going to miss me very much.

A. tasks              　　 B. objects                  C. books            D. pictures

A. wondering         B. designing       C. concluding        D. weaving

A. cries                B. sleeps             C. sits             D. smiles

A. educate              B. understand         C. blame           D. strike

A. and               B. so               C. or              D. but

A. helping     　　B. living             C. playing          D. speaking

A. Honestly           B. Luckily         C. Naturally       D. Surely

A. desks                B. bags            C. apartments        D. hearts

A. drag              B. take            C. move                   D. throw

A. hesitation          B. love            C. care              D. worry

A. casting           B. expanding      C. remaining        D. shining

A. enjoy            B. reserve           C. find           D. prepare

A. life             B. passion           C. respect          D. heart

A. mark              B. pleasure         C. belief                   D. memory

A. preventing        B. spreading       C. protecting        D. encouraging

A. symbols         B. phenomena        C. measures        D. tracks

A. when            B. once           C. unless            D. as

A. prefers           B. repairs                  C. owns            D. remembers

A. like             B. for              C. with           D. to

A. strange          B. warm          C. new           D. bitter