About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas（胰腺). I didn’t even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which was doctor’s code for preparing to die. It meant to try to tell your kids everything you thought you’d have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It meant to make sure everything was buttoned up so that it would be as easy as possible for your family. It meant to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy(活组织检查). I was calm, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.
This is the closest I’ve been to facing death. No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by the principle — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary

1. 1.

   The author's main purpose in writing the passage is to let the readers __________

   1. A.
      be brave when facing a cancer
   2. B.
      treasure their lifetime to fulfill their own business
   3. C.
      know a sorrowful experience of his won
   4. D.
      know how he treasured his family
2. 2.

   Why can the author's illness be cured so soon?

   1. A.
      He prepared everything in order
   2. B.
      He had a biopsy
   3. C.
      His pancreatic cancer can be curable with surgery
   4. D.
      His wife helped him
3. 3.

   The impression the author gave readers is that __________

   1. A.
      he was so optimistic that the incurable illness wouldn't bring him down
   2. B.
      he could leave death alone and had enough courage to become what he wanted to
   3. C.
      he was so determined that he wasn't scared at death
   4. D.
      he was such a responsible man that he prepared well before he died
4. 4.

   What does the underlined word "they" in the last paragraph refer to?

   1. A.
      Gods
   2. B.
      The doctors
   3. C.
      Heart and intuition
   4. D.
      Other persons

——What a fine day! Shall we go picnicking?
——______. But we need to be home before six o’clock for the football match.

Buster Brown was a thief-and a good one，too，he thought. He’d never been caught by the police because he never took chances. He was always prepared for any unforeseen event or emergency.  Confidently，he stood outside the house of his intended victim(受害者)and read
the sign on the front gate of the house. “Don't worry about the dog—be aware of the owner!” it said．Buster smiled and found his way in．
   The house looked quite normal outside，but inside it was very exotic with fascinating objects on display．As he began putting them into his bag，a dog came into the room．It stopped when it saw Buster，then wagged its tail madly and went over to him，licking his outstretched hand．"Good boy,” Buster whispered. “What a great guard dog you are—trying to lick me to death.”
   Satisfied he'd made friends with the dog，Bluster began to wander round the house，choosing items to put in his bag．His skilled eye picked out only the best antiques(古董)：a pair of silver candleholders，a silver tea-and-coffee service，etc．His new friend，the dog，sat and watched，as if wondering what was happening．
   “Well，boy，”Buster whispered，finally．“That might do．Any more and I won't be able to carry it!” He swung the heavy bag onto his shoulders, just as the lights came on, nearly blinding him. He shielded his eyes with his hand.
    "You're a very silly person," the figure in the doorway said, his voice dry as dust. As the man came closer, Buster could see he was well dressed. His face seemed familiar, but Buster couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.
    "You should have taken more notice of the sign outside," the man rasped. "I knew about this attempted robbery last week and I also know you will end up behind bars for 20 years. Fancy trying to rob the house of the world's greatest fortune-teller!"
64. Why was Buster so confident?
A. He was not afraid of dogs.      
B. He knew the owner of the house lived alone.
C. He had never been caught by the police.  
D. The house had no security alarm.
65. Which of the definitions is closest in meaning to the word "exotic" in the third paragraph?
A. Messy and untidy.                        B. Rich and expensive.
C. Comfortable and calming.                  D. Foreign and unusual.
66. How did Buster decide which objects to take?
A. He took those that were easy to carry in his bag.
B. He took only the best antiques.
C. He took those that he knew he could sell easily.
D. He looked for silver objects.
67. What punishment waits for Buster Brown?
A. A prison sentence with hard labour.        B. A long prison sentence.
C. A heavy fine.                          D. Community service for 20 years.

第二部分：阅读理解(共15小题：每小题2分, 满分30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, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The ability to do several things at once has become one of the great measures of self-worth for 21-century Americans. It is called multitasking, and it takes many forms. As one example, why go out to lunch when you can eat at your desk, talk to a client on the phone, scroll through your e-mail, and scan a memo simultaneously? And why simply work out on treadmill (单调的工作) when you could be watching television and talking on a portable phone at the same time? What a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment --- three activities for the time commitment of one! Ah, such efficiency. No wonder those who turn “to do” lists into a time-management art form tend to boast (自夸): “Look, me, how many things I can accomplish at once. If I’m this busy, I must be important.”
Yet last week the New York Assembly struck a blow against multitasking, at least behind the wheel, when it approved a bill banning drivers in the state from using handheld cellular phones. Too dangerous, the assembly said, citing research showing that drivers are four times more likely to have a collision when they are talking on a cellphone.
No one can argue against using time effectively. But accompanying the supposed gains are losses. Consider the woman out for an early-morning walk in a suburban neighborhood. She strides briskly, head down, cellphone clamped to her ear, chattering (喋喋不休) away, oblivious of the birds and flowers and glorious sunshine. Did the walk have any value?
More than a decade ago, long before multi-tasking became a word in everyday use, a retired professor of theology(神学) in Indiana with whom I corresponded (通信) made a case for what might be called uni-tasking — the old-fashioned practice of doing one thing at a time.
Offering the simplest example, he said, “When you wash the dishes, wash the dishes.” Good advice, I’ve found, whatever the task.
Perhaps, too, the ban on phoning-on-the-road will even spark a move away from other forms of dual activity. Who can tell? It could mark the first step in a welcome reconsideration of what really constitutes productivity and accomplishment.
1. The author thinks that multitasking has become one of the great measures of self-worth because ________.
A. it helps people to use time effectively                   
B. it makes people feel they are important
C. it means the ability to do several things at once     
D. people worship speed and desire
2. The bill approved by the New York Assembly is mentioned in the second paragraph in order to ________.
A. demonstrate the danger of multitasking                
B. show the high efficiency of multitasking
C. introduce the legislation system in America   
D. argue against using time effectively
3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “oblivious” in the third paragraph?
A. serious                     B. absorbed deeply      
C. not noticing                     D. forgetting
4. We learn from the passage that uni-tasking is ________.
A. the new fashion for 21-century Americans            
B. accepted by most residents in Indiana
C. created by a retired professor of theology
D. the traditional act of doing one thing at once
5. In the eyes of the author, multi-tasking ________.
A. could not be avoided in this fast-changing age
B. should be taken the place of by uni-tasking
C. robs people of time to focus and reflect
D. should not become a word in everyday use

Pride and Prejudice for the Modern Woman
Let us imagine how Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's most famous work, might be updated, 200 years on.
Austen's popularity is rooted in her intelligence. But today she would certainly have had a very different life, as would her characters. Here's my own suggestion. . .
It is a truth finally and universally acknowledged that a single woman with brains deserves to have equal opportunities to men, however disadvantaged she may feel by sexism.
" My dear husband," said his hopeful wife one day, " have you heard that the local store, standing empty for so long, is taken over by a bright young businesswoman?"
Her dull and indifferent (漠不关心的) husband replied that he had not. "But it is, it is," she replied excitedly. Mr Dull-Husband made no reply.
"Don't you want to know her plans?" she cried with some impatience.
"Well, clearly you think it matters to your silly little head. .. so I'd better listen. "
"Well, my dear, the rumour (传言) is that she has already set up a string of successful businesses in northern England, though how a woman can know anything about that is beyond me. She will move in herself next month. " "What is her name?" "Bingley. "
"Is she married or single?"
"What a question! And none of your business. But her coming will be a fine thing for our five boys. " "How so? How can it possibly affect them? "
"My dear love; those lazy boys need something to wake them up. There are bound to be jobs going. "
" Is that her point in settling here? Surely as a woman she has simply taken a fancy to the place. "
" Nonsense, my love, how little you've noticed the world has changed. She's got a first-rate degree and some sort of business qualification, I'm told. She surely needs one of our boys! Perhaps you might give her a call. "
" Me? No. Perhaps you can take an interest. You still have your looks, after all. She may even offer you a job. " "Oh, that's not likely. These new chances belong to the younger generation. But now you mention it, I think I'll go along all the same. "
And Mrs Bennet went along. That was 10 years ago. She is now managing director of a FTSE-listed company.
... It would remain the case, of course, that Mrs Bennet would be one of very few women on the company board, that her salary would be lower than her male colleagues, her bonus of a more "female" dimension and her lifespan (年限) among the city's business leaders shorter than theirs. Still, she'd no doubt have enjoyed Davos—and might even have hobnobbed (攀谈) with influential figures.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?