A

No poem should ever be discussed or “analyzed”, until it has been read aloud by someone, teacher or student. Better still, perhaps, is the practice of reading it twice, once at the beginning of the discussion and once at the end, so the sound of the poem is the last thing one hears of it.

All discussions of poetry are, in fact, preparations for reading it aloud, and the reading of the poem is, finally, the most telling “interpretation” of it, suggesting tone, rhythm, and meaning all at once. Hearing a poet read the work in his or her own voice, on records or on film, is obviously a special reward. But even those aids to teaching can not replace the student and teacher reading it or, best of all, reciting it.

I have come to think, in fact, that time spent reading a poem aloud is much more important than “analyzing” it, if there isn’t time for both. I think one of our goals as teachers of English is to have students love poetry. Poetry is “ a criticism of life”, and “ a heightening(提升) of life”. It is “an approach to the truth of feeling”, and it “can save your life”. It also deserves a place in the teaching of language and literature more central than it presently occupies.

I am not saying that every English teacher must teach poetry. Those who don’t like it should not be forced to put that dislike on anyone else. But those who do teach poetry must keep in mind a few things about its essential nature, about its sound as well as its sense, and they must make room in the classroom for hearing poetry as well as thinking about it.

1. To have a better understanding of a poem, one should________.

A. discuss it with others           B. analyze it by oneself

C. copy it down in a notebook      D. practise reading it aloud

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a function of poetry?

A. Extending your life              B. Saving your life

C. Criticizing life                  D. Heightening life

3. According to the writer, one of the purposes of teaching English is to get students________.

A. to understand life.               B. to enjoy poetry.

C. to become teachers.              D. to become poets

4. What does the last sentence in the third paragraph imply?

A. More stress should be laid on the teaching of poetry.

B. Poetry is more important than any other subject.

C. One cannot enjoy life fully without an understanding of poetry

D. Poetry is the foundation of all language and literature courses

5. The phrase “make room” in the last paragraph could be best replaced by

A. “build a booth”                      B. “provide equipment”

C. “leave a certain amount of time”        D. “set aside enough space”

      No one can fail to stand in awed ( 令人敬畏的 ) admiration of the great discoveries of history—Newton' s laws of motion; Kepler' s principles of planetary movement, Einstein' s general theory of relativity. Equally awe-inspiring are artistic creations in painting, theatre, music and literature, which have also been brought about by discovery through personal efforts.  What do these extraordinary achievements of well-known scientists and artists have to do with problem solving?

     A great scientific discovery or a great work of art is surely the result of problem-solving activity. The solution to a problem, we are told, often comes to thinkers in a “flash of insight (顿悟) ”， although they may have been turning the problem over in their minds for some time. As a particular form of problem solving, these creative acts are based on the broad knowledge gained in the past, whether this be of the public" sort known to science, or of the "private" sort known to the artist.

      Many creative thinkers state that they have completely devoted themselves to the subject matter of the problem, often over fairly long periods of time. Indeed, it would be strange if they had not done this. Nothing in such statements supports the idea that there is anything very different about the problem solving that leads to discoveries of the great contributions to the society. The act of discovery, even in the relatively predictable (可以预见的) sense that it occurs in everyday learning, involves (涉及) a “sudden insight” which changes the problem situation into a solution situation. As we have seen, everyday discovery also requires that the learner have the knowledge of the rules gained in the past, which is involved in the solution.

52. Newton, Kepler and Einstein are mentioned in the first paragraph to_______.

      A. bring about the subject of the discussion        

   B. explain that scientists are more creative

      C. show the difference between science and arts

      D. prove that arts require more personal efforts

53. While knowledge from the past plays an important role in their achievements, thinkers sometimes also depend on their______.

      A. artistic tastes                    B. sudden insight

      C. admiration of discoveries  D. scientific experiments

54. What does the underlined word “this” refer to?

     A. Great contributions to the society            

   B.  Long-time study of the subject matter.

    C.  Various statements about problem solving.

    D. Complete devotion to artistic creation.

55. We may conclude from the passage that ______.

    A.it is more likely to make scientific and artistic discoveries in everyday learning.

    B. a sudden insight and knowledge from the past are required in making discoveries

    C. scientific discoveries or artistic creations are usually unpredictable in nature

    D. knowledge of the rules in the past is often developed in the changes of situation

A popular saying goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” However, that’s not really true. Words have the power to build us up or tear us down. It doesn’t matter if the words come from someone’s else or ourselves --- the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.

    We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We’re usually too embarrassed to admit it, though. In fact, we really shouldn’t be because more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

    This “self-talk” helps us motivate ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying “Good job!”

    Often, words come out of our mouths without us thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clear will probably respond in a similar manner. Or harsh（刻薄的）and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.

    Words possess power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn’t pass this test, then it’s better left unsaid.

    Words possess power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem（自尊）and motivate others to do their best. Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

The main idea of the first paragraph is that ________.

A. not sticks and stones but words will hurt us 

B. inspiring words give us confidence

C. negative words may let us down

D. words have a lasting effect on us

There is no sense for us to feel embarrassed when we talk to ourselves because _______

A. almost everybody has the habit of talking to themselves

B. we can benefit from talking to ourselves

C. talking to ourselves always gives us courage

D. it does no harm to have “self-talk” when we are alone

The underlined part in the third paragraph means that we should also timely _______

A. praise ourselves                                                         B. remind ourselves

C. make ourselves relaxed                                              D. give ourselves amusement

The author would probably hold the view that ___________

A. encouraging words are sure to lead to kind offers  

B. negative words may stimulate us to make more progress

C. people tend to remember friendly words

D. it is better to think twice before talking to others

A Concussion（脑震荡） happens when the brain is shaken, often in a car crash or a fall or a strike on; the head in sports．Concussions can be mild, but doctors may order a CT scan to look for a more serious injury．But a recent study warned that more children than necessary are being exposed to radiation this way．

A national team led by two doctors at the University of California, Davis, studied hospital records from thousands of children with head injuries. They found that in many cases, the risk of developing cancer from the radiation outweighed the risk of a serious brain injury.

The study found that one in five children over age two had a low risk of serious injury but received CT scans anyway. The same was true of almost one in four children under two years of age.

The researchers have developed rules to predict if a head injury is serious enough for a scan. For children under two, doctors are advised against it if there is:

·Normal mental activity.

·No swelling in the back of the head.

·No feeling of a broken bone in the skull. (头骨)

·And no loss of consciousness for more than five seconds.

Doctors should also consider how the child was injured and whether the parents say the child is acting normally.

For patients from two to eighteen, the guidelines are similar ——except there should be no loss of consciousness, no vomiting（呕吐） and no severe headache. 

 Earlier this year, the British Journal of Sports Medicine published new guidelines for concussions in children and teens. International experts said they should not return to sports or school until fully recovered. The brain also needs a "cognitive rest," they say, by restricting activities like video games, texting and watching TV.

It often takes young people longer than adults to recover from a concussion. The experts say individual progress and not a set time period should always guide a decision to return to play. More than one million cases of concussion are reported each year in the United States alone. A congressional committee has called a hearing Wednesday to discuss legal issues related to head injuries in football.

The researchers at the -University of California found that children who received CT scans

    A．were likely to suffer brain injuries

    B．wouldn't have normal mental activity

    C．would lose consciousness now and then   

    D．were likely to develop cancer

For patients from two to eight, the guidelines are similar to the ones for children under two except___________.

 A. there is normal mental activity.

B. there is no swelling in the back of the head.

C. there is no feeling of a broken bone in the skull.

D. there should be no loss of consciousness

What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

    A．Texting is harmful to patients’ recovery from concussions．

    B．Patients with brain injuries can play many sports．

    C．Adults need a longer time than teens to recover from concussions．

    D．It takes at least a year for individuals with brain injuries to fully recover．

The author of the passage mainly___．

    A．describes the risks of brain injuries

    B．suggests CT scans are of practical use

    C．tells us about the risks of brain injury tests

    D．argues against new guidelines for concussions

A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.

On one side stand those who see clothes dryers(干衣机) as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the “what-I –can do environmentalism(环境保护主义).”

On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) access the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This had led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people’s right to use clotheslines.

So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be move.

Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious(有生态意识的) person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighlzir had telephoned them about him clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warming and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. “Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters in their own hands,” says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.

North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.

Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful”. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.”

One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that ____.

A. clothes dryers are more efficient    B. clothesline drying reduces home value

C. clothes dryers are energy-saving    D. clothesline drying is not allowed in most U.S. states

Which of the following best describes Matt Reck?

   A. He is a kind-hearted man.          B. He is an impolite man.

   C. He is and experienced gardener.     D. He is a man of social responsibility.

Who are in favor of clothesline drying?

   A. housing businesses.               B. Environmentalists.

   C. Homeowners Associations.         D. Reck’s dissatisfied neighbors.

What is mainly discussed in the text?

   A. Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money.

   B. Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered.

   C. Opposite opinions on clothesline drying.

   D. Different varieties of clotheslines.