I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant , and ancient for a sportsman, Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to ave hung on me．Fifty is supposed to be my father’s age．but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means．

A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying,  “ Fifty is what forty used to be ．”He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill ?People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling hem that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now．

“ Your are not getting older, you are getting better ．” says Dr．Joyce Brothers ．This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion．

And so．as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net．I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you．I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally．Getting older．of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies（悼词）．In fact , a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all :

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to me．

Whether or not Browning was right , most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by．I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend （混合）of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher（哲学家） was right when he said ．”Old is always fifteen years from now．”

20．The author seems to tell us in Paragraph I that _____

       A．time alone will tell B．time goes by quickly

       C．time will show what is right   D．time makes one forget the past

21．When the author turned fifty , people around him _____

       A．tried to comfort him      B．got inspiration with him

       C．were friendlier with him        D．found him more talkative

22．The author considers his fifty years of life ______

       A peaceful            B．ordinary                              

       C．satisfactory             D．regretful

23．We can infer from the passage that _____

       A．the old should led a simple life      B．the old should face the fact of aging

       C．the old should take more exercise   D．the old should fill themselves with curiosity

Is there something that you’ve always wanted to try but just never had the time? Well, make plans to try it now since you are on summer vacation．Not all vacations call for taking a tour bus to take photos of famous landmarks. Some vacations allow you plenty of opportunities to learn.

The most difficult aspect of a learning vacation vacation may be choosing one because the possibilities are endless．If you enjoy cooking, various companies can take you to Italy, France, Spain, Mexico or even Peru. Once there, you can learn to prepare the local cuisine（烹饪）. Trips are often planned to fit in with local food festivals or special events.

The term “learning vacation” often brings language to mind. The best way to learn a language is in an environment where it’s spoken. Study Spanish, French or English. Or attempt a more unusual language like Polish, Estonian or Thai. You’ll be able to learn about the country and absorb the culture at the same time.

If you are fond of sports, you can polish your skills or learn new ones. Golf and tennis schools welcome players of all levels. If you want a bigger thrill, you can learn to surf, go climbing or race cars. It’s even possible to learn the art and techniques of bull fighting while on vacation!

You can also discover our inner artist. Many places offer painting classes in different mediums. The scenic locations of the schools offer plenty of subjects that provide inspiration for practice.

If you prefer capturing the world on film, take a photography vacation. Travel with a small group to photograph beautiful animals or scenery. You can also practise your technique on people or at historical sights.

Once you decide on a vacation, choose a company carefully. Request names of recent customers you can contact, and then ask them for an evaluation. The more you know before you go, the better prepared you’ll be. Then go out and learn something!

56．Why is it hard for you to decide on a learning vacation?

        A．Because it is hard for you to make plans.

         B．Because the possibilities are unlimited.

         C．Because there are many good foods from abroad.

         D．Because there’re too many food festivals or events.

57．The advantages of learning a language in its native country is that          .

         A．the environment is fit for you to use the language

         B．you are able to learn the original foreign language

         C．native speakers offer you a lot of chances to practise

         D．you can learn the language and experience its culture

58．Which of the following sports suit you if you don’t like thrills?

         A．Car racing.         B．Playing tennis.   C．Rock climb.         D．Surfing.

59．The structure of the text would be          .

查看习题详情和答案>> Most young architects ----particularly those in big cities ----can only dream about working in a building of their own. And marking that dream come true often means finding a building no one else seems to want, which is exactly what happened to David Yocum and his partner, Brain Bell. Their building is a former automobile electrical –parts firm in Atlanta. Form the outside, it looks too old, even something horrible, but open the door and you are in a wide, open courtyard, lined on three sides with rusting(生锈的) walls. In 2000, Yocum and Bell found this building in the city’s West End. Built in 1947, the structure had been abandoned years earlier and the roof of the main building had fallen down. But the price was right, so Yocum bought it. He spent eight months of his off-hours on demolition(拆除), pulling rubbish out through the roof, because it was too dangerous to go inside the building, The demolition was hard work, but it gave him time to think about what he wanted to do, and “to treasure what was there – the walls, the rust, the light,” Yocum said.” Every season, more paint falls off the walls and more rust develops. It’s like an art installation(装置) in there-a slow-motion show.” Since the back building had been constructed without windows, an all-glass front was added to the building to give it a view of the courtyard, and skylights were installed in the roof. The back of the building is a working area and a living room for Yocum and his wife. A sort of buffer(缓冲) zone between the front and the back contains a bathroom, a kitchen and a mechanical room, and the walls that separate these zones have openings that allow views through to the front of the studio and the courtyard beyond. Yocum and Bell, who have just completed an art gallery for the city, feel that the experience from decoration of their building, focusing on the inside rather than the outside, has influenced their work. It has also given these architects a chance to show how they can make more out of less. 1. According to the passage, it is      for most young architects in big cities to work in a building of their own. A．easy B．unnecessary C．unrealistic D．common 2.Yocum bought the old building because  __. A．it was a bargain to him B．it was still in good condition C．it was located in the city center D．it looked attractive from the outside 3. Working on the old building, Yocum and Bell＿. A．pulled rubbish out through the roof B．removed the skylights from the bathroom C．presented a slow–motion show in an art gallery D．built a kitchen at the back part of the old building 4.It can be inferred from the passage that Yocum and Bell __. A．benefited a lot from pulling down the roof B．turned more old buildings into art galleries C．got inspiration from decorating their old building D．paid more attention to the outside of the gallery 5.The main idea of the passage is that __. A．people can learn a lot from their failures B．it is worthwhile to spend money on an old building C．people should not judge things by their appearance D．creative people can make the best of what they have   查看习题详情和答案>>  Thomas Edison considered genius to be _____ one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.    A. composed of              B. constituted in       C. consisted of    D. comprised in 查看习题详情和答案>> Section One The city is an accumulation of human civilization. Just as the American social philosopher (哲学家) Lewis Mumford put it, it is a special system which, fine and compact, has been designed to preserve the fruits of human civilization. Many Western languages have developed their versions of the term “civilization” from the same Latin (拉丁语的) word “civitas”(meaning “city” ), and it is by no means a coincidence. The city has played a significant role in the perfection of order in human society. Section Two The emblem, showing the image of three people ― you, me, him/her holding hands together, symbolizes the big family of mankind. Inspired by the shape of the Chinese character “世” (meaning the world), the design conveys the organizers' wish to host an Expo which is of global scale and which showcases the various urban cultures of the world. Section Three Created from the inspiration of Chinese character “人”, the design roots deeply in Chinese culture. It tells the world the eternal core (永恒的核心) and theme of Shanghai World Expo will be always human. The mascot “Haibao” will become the messenger for the theme of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China “Better City, Better Life”. The basic structure of the Chinese character “人” in which each stroke supports each other also shows the concept that the beautiful life should depends on mutual-help. If the human are willing to support one another, the harmony among human, nature, and society will be available. Such an urban life will be nice.   Haibao’s confident smile is expressing his sincere greeting from China ― “World Expo 2010 Shanghai China welcomes you!” 71. Section One mainly tells about ______. A. the part cities play in human civilization  B. the development of the word “city” C. why the Expo is held in Shanghai           D. where human civilization originated 72. The underlined word “it” in Section One refers to ______. A. the civilization   B. the philosopher         C. the word                  D. the city 73. Which correctly matches the sections with the pictures they describe? Pictures A. Section One Section Two Section Three B. Section Two Section Three Section One C. Section Three Section Two Section One D. Section Three Section One Section Two 74. In Section Three, the second paragraph explains how the creation is connected with the _____ of the Chinese word “人”. A. story                   B. meaning              C. shape           D. usage 75. The underlined word “stroke” in the second paragraph of Section Three means ______. A. one of the ideas a word has                    B. a line made by a writing tool C. a member of a family or the society        D. a person who has met with trouble 查看习题详情和答案>> 关 闭 试题分类 高中 数学英语物理化学生物地理 初中 数学英语物理化学生物地理 小学 数学英语 其他 阅读理解答案已回答习题未回答习题题目汇总试卷汇总