30、How men first learned to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery．All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down．Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters we call words．

　　The power of words, then, lies in their combinations — the things they bring up before our minds．Words become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases．

　　Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts, but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and feelings．This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary （文字的） style．Above all, the real poet is a master of words．He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears．We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and rude．

1．The origin of language _____．

A．is reflected in sounds and letters

　   B．is handed down from generation to generation

　   C．dates back to the prehistoric period

D．is a problem not yet solved

2．According to the passage, words are _____．

A．visual letters　              B．represented by sounds

C．represented either by sounds or letters       D．signs called letters

3．The secret of a writer’s success is the use of words that _____．

A．recall to us the glad and sad events of our past

B．are arranged in a creative way

C．are as beautiful as music

D．agree with certain literary style

4．The author of the passage advises us _____．

A．to use words carefully and accurately         B．not to use silly and rude words

C．to become a slave of words                  D．to use emotional words

23、

Dior was born in Normandy in 1905, and his family' s original plans for him included a career in the diplomatic service, but by the time he was twenty-three, with his parents' money, he opened a small art gallery in Paris. By 1931, the money had been used up. Dior' s friends in the art gallery, asked him to draw and he took his first step at designing and drawing. His first job was with Lucien Lelong from whom Dior learned his craft (手艺).

In February,  1947,  Dior started the New Look in his first major Paris collection. He was backed by a famous textile producer, Boussac, who looked after the dollars, while Dior looked after the fashions. Dior knew nothing about cutting and sewing, but he was good at fashion design.

The New Look started an entirely different look to costume, with a tiny waist, a rounded shoulder and a shapely bust (胸围) , usually with a low-cut neckline and a long, full skirt. To women who had lived through the war years, the femaleness of the New look was a great success, for people were tired of tile extremely plain, wartime restrictive fashions.

It is said that dresses by Dior were "constructed like buildings," but young people were attracted to his design, and all over the western world, manufacturers plunged (投入) into the production of his new style.  Dior's revolutionary designs lighted up a whole cycle of fashion, rounded, gentle, feminine, a delight in elegance. A New Look House of Dior opened in 1948, followed by one in London. Considered as King of Couture (women' s clothing) for years, the Dior empire grew until it covered every country in the western world, and included furs, hosiery, jewelry, perfumes, men's wear and on and on.  More than 1,000 people worked at the Paris headquarters then.

His sudden death in 1957 when he was 54 years old did not stop the growth of the House of Dior. Even now, so many years after his death, his name is closely connected with fashion throughout the world, and indeed is one of the most recognized names in the world. His first, great New Look, with its long skirts was an expression of freedom in the late 1940s.

1．Which of the following designs is close to Dior' s?

2．According to the passage, in Dior's life, he did NOT        .

   A．make creative fashion designs                B．work in a diplomatic service

   C．learn craft as his first job                       D．open a New Look House

3．We can infer from the passage that        .

   A．Dior and his supporter had different interests in business

   B．Dior' s New Look had little influence on people then

   C．Dior is only a brand of women' s fashion

   D．Dior' s fashion was not accepted at first

4．What is probably the best title for the passage?        .

   A．The History of the New Look

   B．The Growth of the Dior Empire

   C．An Expression of Freedom--Dior

   D．The Founder of the New Look—Dior