51. The passage starts with an elephant story in order to explain that in India _________.　　

　 A. people easily fall victim to elephants' attacks　 B. the man-elephant relationship is getting worse

　 C. elephant tamers are in short supply　　　　　 D. dogs are as powerful as elephants

答案：48-51 BACB

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 E

Humans are naturally drawn to other life forms and the worlds outside of our own. We take delight in the existence of creatures and even whole societies beyond our everyday lives.

This sense of wonder is universal. Look at the efforts that scientists have made to find out whether life of some kind exists on Mars, and the popularity of fantasy literature or movies like The Lord of the Rings. This sense of wonder draws us to each other, to the world around us, and to the world of make-believe. But have we gone so far in creating worlds of fantasy that we are missing the pleasure of other worlds that already exist all around us?

Human beings, as biologists have suggested, possess an inborn desire(渴望) to connect with and understand other life forms. However, people, especially in big cities, often lead rather isolated(隔离的)lives. In a study of British schoolchildren, it was found that children by age eight were much more familiar with characters from television shows and video games than with common wildlife. Without modem technology, a small pond (池塘)could be an amazing world filled with strange and beautiful plants, insects, birds, and animals. When we lack meaningful interaction(交互) with the world around us, and sometimes even with our families and friends, we seek to understand and communicate with things that exist only in our imaginations or on a computer screen.

The world of make-believe is not necessarily bad. But when the world of fantasy becomes the only outlet(出路) for our sense of wonder, then we are really missing something. We are missing a connection with the living world. Other wonderful worlds exist all around us. But even more interesting is that if we look closely enough, we can see that these worlds, in a broad sense, are really part of our own.

50. Indian elephants are getting increasingly angry and they revenge(报复) because __________.

　 A. they are caught and sent for heavy work　　　　　 B. illegal hunters capture them and kill them

　 C. they are attacked and their land gets limited　　　　 D. dogs often bark at them and chase them

49. Before Parbati studied in a boarding school,　　　　　　 .

　 　A. she spent her time hunting with her father　　　　 　 B. she learned how to sing love songs

　 C. she had already been called an elephant princess 　D. she was taught how to hunt tigers

48. For Parbati, catching elephants is mainly to　　　　　　 .

　 A. get long lasting excitement　　　　　　　 B. keep both man and elephants safe

　 C. send them back to the jungle　　　　　　 D. make the angry elephants tame

47. If there were only one question left, what would it most probably be?

A. What was your childhood dream?　　　　　　　　　 B. What is your biggest achievement?

C. What is your parents’ view of you?　 D. What was your hardest experience in the war?

答案：44-47 CCCB

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C

　 The elephant was lying heavily on its side, fast asleep. A few dogs started barking at it. The elephant woke up in a terrible anger: it chased the dogs into the village where they ran for safety.

That didn't stop the elephant. It destroyed a dozen houses and injured several people. The villagers were scared and angry. Then someone suggested calling Parbati, the elephant princess.

　 Parbati Barua's father was a hunter of tigers and an elephant tamer(驯象师). He taught Parbati to ride an elephant before she could even walk. He also taught her the dangerous art of the elephant round-up -- how to catch wild elephants.

　 Parbati hasn't always lived in the jungle. After a happy childhood hunting with her father, she was sent to boarding school in the city. But Parbati never got used to being there and many years later she went back to her old life. "Life in the city is too dull. Catching elephants is an adventure and the excitement lasts for days after the chase." she says.

　 But Parbati doesn't catch elephants just for fun. "My work," she says, "is to rescue man from the elephants, and to keep the elephants safe from man." And this is exactly what Parbati has been doing for many years. Increasingly, the Indian elephant is angry: for many years, illegal hunters have attacked it and its home in the jungle has been reduced to small pieces of land. It is now fighting back. Whenever wild elephants enter a tea garden or a village, Parbati is called to guide the animals back to the jungle before they can kill.

　 The work of an elephant tamer also involves love and devotion. A good elephant tamer will spend hours a day singing love songs to a newly captured elephant. "Eventually they grow to love their tamers and never forget them. They are also more loyal than humans." she said, as she climbed up one of her elephants and sat on the giant, happy animal. An elephant princess indeed!

46. How would Misbah prefer to communicate with his parents?

A. By chatting on the Internet.　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. By calling them sometimes.

C. By paying weekly visits.　　　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. By writing them letters.

45. What did Misbah desire most in his childhood?

A. A colorful life.　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. A beautiful house.

C. Peace and freedom.　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Money for his family.

44. In Misbah’s childhood,　　　 .

A. he was free from worry　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. he liked living in the countryside

C. he was fond of getting close to nature　　　　　　 D. he often spent holidays with his family

43. In which order did Mrs. Hanson do the following things?

　a. she began her studies at college.

　b. She finished high school.

　 c. She got married and gave birth of nine children.

d. She had her 73 rd birthday.

e. She went to the bank to borrow money.

A. a c b e d　　　　　 　　　　 B. b e c a d　　　　　 　　　　 C. b c e d a　　　　　 　　　　　　　 D. e d a c b

答案：41-43 ADB

B

Love, success, happiness, family and freedom----how important are these values to you? Here is one interview which explores the fundamental questions in life.

Question: Could you introduce yourself first?

Answer: My name is Misbah, 27 years old. I was born in a war-torn area. Right now I’m a web designer.

Q: What are your great memories?

A: My parents used to take us to hunt birds, climb trees, and play in the fields. For me it was like a holiday because we were going to have fun all day long. Those are my great memories.

Q: Does your childhood mean a lot to you?

A: Yes. As life was very hard, I used to work to help bring money in for the family. I spent my childhood working, with responsibilities beyond my age. However, it taught me to deal with problems all alone. I learnt to be independent.

Q: What changes would you like to make in your life?

A: If I could change something in my life, I’d change it so that my childhood could have taken place in another area. I would have loved to live with my family in freedom. Who cares whether we have much money, or whether we have a beautiful house? It doesn’t matter as long as I can live with my family and we are safe.

Q: How do your get along with your parents?

A: My parents supported me until I came of age. I want to give back what I’ve got. That’s our way. But I am working in another city. My only contact with my parents now is through the phone, but I hate using it. It filters(过滤)out your emotion and leaves your voice only. My deepest feelings should be passed through sight, hearing and touch.

42. The computer students welcomed Mrs. Hanson warmly because ___________.

A. she had got an excellent result in the exam　　 B. she was good at telling funny stories

　C. they wanted to get her help in their studies　　 D. they were deeply moved by her spirit