A metaphor is a poetic device that deals with comparison. It compares similar qualities of two dissimilar objects. With a simple metaphor, one object becomes the other: Love is a rose. Although this does not sound like a particularly rich image, a metaphor can communicate so much about a particular image that poets use them more than any other type of figurative language(修辞). The reason for this is that poets compose their poetry to express what they are experiencing emotionally at that moment. Consequently, what the poet imagines love to be may or may not be love we see it. Therefore, the poet’s job is to enable us to experience it, to feel it the same way as the poet does.
Let’s analyze this remarkably unsophisticated metaphor concerning love and the rose to see what it offers. Because the poet uses a comparison with a rose, first we must examine the characteristics of that flower. A rose is spectacular in its beauty; its petals(花瓣) are nicely soft, and its smell is pleasing. It’s possible to say that a rose is actually a feast to the senses of sight, touch, and smell. The rose’s appearance seems to border on(近似于)perfection, each petal seemingly symmetrical(对称的) in form. Isn’t this the way one’s love should be? A loved one should be a delight to one’s senses and seem perfect. However, there is another dimension added to the comparison by using a rose. Roses have thorns(刺). The poet wants to convey the idea that roses can be tricky(机警的). So can love, the metaphor tells us. When one reaches out with absolute trust to touch the object of his or her affection, ouch, a thorn can cause great harm! “Be careful,” the metaphor warns: Love is a feast to the senses, but it can overwhelm us, and it can also hurt us and cause acute suffering. This is the poet’s perception of love--a warning. What is the point? Just this: It took almost 14 sentences to clarify what a simple metaphor communicates in only four words! That is the artistry and the joy of the simple metaphor.
【小题1】According to the passage, what is a metaphor?

【小题1】If Mr. Black has a desire to be a sports teacher, he should contact_______.

To err is human.To blame the other guy is even more human.

Common sense is not all that common.

Why tell the truth when you can come up with a good excuse?

These three popular misquotes(戏谑的引语)are meant to be jokes, and yet they tell us a lot about human nature.To err, or to make mistakes, is indeed a part of being human, but it seems that most people don't want to accept the responsibility for the problem. Perhaps it is the natural thing to do. The original quote about human nature went like this：“To err is human, to forgive, divine(神圣的)．”This saying mirrors an ideal people should be forgiving of others' mistakes. Instead, we tend to do the opposite—find someone else to pass the blame on to. However, taking responsibility for something that went wrong is a making of great maturity.

Common sense is what we call clear thought. Having common sense means having a good general plan that will make things work well, and it also means staying with the plan. Common sense tells you that you take an umbrella out into a rainstorm, but you leave the umbrella home when you hear a weather forecast for sunshine.Common sense does not seem to be common for large organizations, because there are so many things going on that one person cannot be in charge of everything. People say that in a large company，“the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”

And what is wrong with a society that thinks that making up a good excuse is like creating a work of art? One of the common problems with making excuses is that people, especially young people. Get the idea that it's okay not to be totally honest all the time. There is a corollary(直接推论)to that: if good excuse is “good”even if it isn't honest, then where is the place of the truth?

6. According to the passage, which of the following seems the most human?

A. To search for truth.

B. To achieve one's ideal.

C. To make fun of others' mistakes.

D. To criticize others for one's own error.

7. According to the author, what is a sign of a man's maturity?

A. Doing things his own way.

B. Bearing responsibility for his mistakes.

C. Making as few mistakes as possible.

D. Thinking seriously about his wrongdoing.

8. Which of the following is NOT based on common sense?

A. A man tries to take charge of everything in a large company.

B. A student goes out with an umbrella in stormy weather.

C. A company's next move follows a good plan.

D. A lawyer acts on fine judgments.

9. What is the author's opinion about a good excuse?

A. Making a good excuse is sometimes a better policy.

B. Inventing a good excuse needs creative ideas.

C. A good excuse is as rewarding as honesty.

D. Bitter truth is better than a good excuse.

10. What would be the BEST title for his passage?

A. A Mirror of Human Nature

B. To Blame or to Forgive

C. A Mark of Maturity  

D. Truth or Excuse

阅读下面短文，并根据短文后的要求答题（请注意问题后的字数要求）。
［1］If you are worried about things and are under a lot of stress at work or school，then you are prob-ably not sleeping well. Worry can keep you awake，tossing and turning in bed until the early hours of the morning when you eventually fall asleep. When you wake up，you don't feel refreshed，but tired and worn out and unable to face a new day.
［2］ Dr. Henry Winkle，in a recent newspaper article entitled Stress and Sleep，indicates that       .Dr. Winkle says，“The more we worry，the less we sleep，the more we are unable to deal with stress. If  we can find a way to get a good night's sleep，”he adds，“we can often find the energy to deal with what's worrying us.”
［3］So，what is a good night's sleep? Research shows that the amount of sleep which people need in order to keep healthy varies a lot. Seven hours is about the average amount，though strangely enough，sleeping longer often gives you a headache instead of making you feel more refreshed.
［4］Dr. Winkle believes that preparing for sleeping is important. People who work late should try to give themselves a short break and do something restful before going to bed. This could be watching TV or listening to music. Doing some exercise earlier in the day should help you to feel physically as well as mentally tired. A bedtime drink can also help，but coffee or tea should be avoided as they contain caffeine and will keep you awake.
［5］ “When you put the light out，” Dr. Winkle says，“concentrate on relaxing your muscles，working slowly up from your feet，and you 'll be asleep before you know it.”
【小题1】What is the main idea of the text? (no more than 5 words)
                                                             
【小题2】Complete the following statement with words from Paragraph 2. ( no more than 3 words)
People shouldn't go to sleep immediately but should          after working late in the night.
【小题3】Point out the disadvantage of drinking coffee and tea before going to bed. (no more than 6 words)
                                                             
【小题4】Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. (no more than 10 words)
                                                             
【小题5】What does the word “it” (Line2，Paragraph5) probably refer to? (no more than 3 words)
                                                             

第二部分：阅读理解 (共45分)
第一节（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项
A
If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to the automakers in Detroit.
But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee(被提名): public education.
At its top level, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission(核心使命)---turning teenagers into educated college graduates--- much of the system is failing.
The United States does a good job enrolling (招生) teenagers in college, but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree.
So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis in the world’s largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called “Crossing the Finish Line” tries to do precisely that. Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael McPherson, and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chingos. The first problem they diagnose is something they call under-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into. They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive. About half of the low-income students with an average of at least 3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. “I was really astonished by the degree to which well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,” said Mr. Bowen.
In fact, well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates. Meanwhile, lower-income students -–even when they are better qualified—often go to colleges that excel（擅长）in producing drop-outs. “It’s really a waste,” Mr. Bowen said, “and a big problem for the country.” As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students. Instead, it appears to have fallen.
What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer.
41.Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to this passage?
A. The government.                      B. Public education
C. The Detroit automakers.                       D. The Wall Street firms.
42. What is a big problem with American higher education?
A. It is hard to enroll enough students into college.
B. Many colleges are experiencing low rate of graduation.
C. Many college students stay away from classes.
D. It is hard for many colleges to get financial aid from the government. 
43. The title of the book Crossing the Finish Line probably means______.
A. running to the end of the line                B. going to college
C. finishing college education                    D. working hard in college
44. Why do some students under--match ?
A. Because they have financial difficulty.  B. Because they face ambition crisis.
C. Because they lack confidence.             D. Because they can’t get guidance.
45. The passage is mainly about _______.
A. problems with secondary American education and possible solutions
B. America’s financial crisis, its cause and influence
C. low rate of American college graduation, its cause and its influence
D. relationship between American education and its economy