（天津市南开中学2010届高三下学期五月模拟考试A篇）

Grandma Moses is among the most famous twentieth-century painters of the United States, yet she did not start painting until she was in her late seventies. As she once said to herself: " I would never sit back in a rocking chair, waiting for someone to help me." No one could have had a more productive old age.

  She was born Anna Mary Robertson on a farm in New York State, one of five boys and five girls. At twelve she left home and was in domestic service until, at twenty—seven, she married Thomas Moses, the hired hand of one of her employers. They farmed most of their lives, first in Virginia and then in New York State, at Eagle Bridge. She had ten children, of whom five survived; her husband died in 1927.

  Grandma Moses painted a little as a child and made embroidery (刺绣) pictures as a hobby, but only changed to oils in old age because her hands had become too stiff to sew and she wanted to keep busy and pass the time. Her pictures were first sold at the local drugstore and at a market and were soon noticed by a businessman who bought everything she painted. Three of the pictures exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1940 she had her first exhibition in New York. Between the 1930's and her death, she produced some 2,000 pictures: detailed and lively portrayals of the country life she had known for so long, with a wonderful sense of color and form. "I think really hard till I think of something really pretty, and then I paint it" she said.

36. According to the passage, Grandma Moses began to paint because she wanted to_______.

 A. make herself beautiful              

 B. keep active

 C. earn more money                  

 D. become famous

37. Grandma Moses spent most of her life ________.

 A. nursing      B. painting              C. embroidering         D. farming

38. The underlined word “portrayals ” means ________.

 A. descriptions    B. expressions      C.explanations     D.impressions

39. From Grandma Moses' description of herself in the first paragraph, it can be inferred that she

  was ________.

 A. independent    B. pretty              C. rich                D. nervous

40. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

 A. Grandma Moses: Her Life and Pictures.    

 B. The Children of Grandma Moses.

 C. Grandma Moses: Her Best Exhibition.     

 D.Grandma Moses and Other Older Artists.

（陕西省宝鸡中学2010届高三考前适应性训练C篇）

Perhaps you have never heard of Katherine Lawes．Katherine was the wife of Lewis Lawes, warden （监狱长） at Sing Sing Prison from 1920 to 1941．In these 21 years he made many reforms --- and an important part of his success was due to his wife Katherine．

       Katherine took seriously the idea that the prisoners are human beings ,worthy of attention and respect ．She regularly visited inside the walls of Sing Sing．She encouraged the prisoners, took things to them and spent time listening to them．Most importantly, she cared about them．And as a result, they cared deeply about her．

       Then one night in October of 1937, news was "telegraphed" between the prison cells that Katherine had been killed in an accident．The prisoners asked the warden to allow them to attend her funeral．He agreed to their strange request and a few days later the south gate of Sing Sing swung slowly open．Hundreds of men who had committed almost every crime imaginable marched slowly out of the prison, later gathered again at the gate and returned to their cells．There were so many that they proceeded unguarded．But no one tried to escape．If he had, the others might have killed him immediately．So devoted were they to Katherine Lawes, the woman who daily walked into Hell to show the men a piece of Heaven．

       Katherine' s strength was to see the men less as prisoners and more as individuals．Thomas Moore once said, "We can only treat badly those things or people whose souls we show no respect for．"

54．When Katherine's husband was the warden at Sing Sing Prison, she did the following things EXCEPT_______________．

       A．encouraging the prisoners                B．visiting the prison houses

       C．doing some writing for the prisoner      D．spending time in listening to the prisoners

55．Why did the prisoners ask the warden to allow them to attend Katherine’s funeral?

       A．Because Katherine didn't look down upon them and cared about them．

       B．Because Katherine was the wife of the warden．

       C．Because Katherine made reforms in the prison．

       D．Because Katherine had been killed by one of them．

56．Whom does the underlined part “the others” refer to?

       A．The policemen at the funeral．            B．The other prisoners．

       C．The guards．                            D．The policemen from other prisons．

57．The best title of this passage is_________．

       A．Katherine Lawes' s Life                        B．Reforms at Sing Sing Prison

       C．To Honor Their Souls                           D．To Meet Their Requirement

（广东省汕头市苏北中学2010届高三第四次月考A篇）

Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries – old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.

    As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.

   Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.

    Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship(演出技巧)。

   “It’s actually thinking rather than one’s manipulation (处理) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.

   Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.

   Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.

   To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passersby, policemen and farmers.

   “Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.

41. The story is about ________.

   A. why people love magic            B. how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician

   C. how fashionable magic is          D. what magic tricks are

42. People love to watch magic because ________.

   A. they love watching magicians make the impossible happen

   B. it arouses their curiosity

   C. they can’t figure out the secret of magic

   D. it is a centuries – old art

43. Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?

   A. He was interested in magic when he was little.

   B. He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.

   C. He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.

   D. He became an amateur magician in his spare time.

44. What does the underlined word “seasoned” in Paragraph2 mean?

   A. experienced     B. freshman    C. amateur    D. unskillful

45. Liu Qian improved his performing skills by ______.

  A. learning from David Copperfield.

  B. learning magic in a university

  C. performing in public on streets

  D. joining in Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest

（广东省潮州市实验中学2010届高三4月月考C篇）

John Steinbeck once said, “All Americans believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like denouncing (公开指责) mother – love or hating moonlight.”

I can’t say that I’m the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember reading by him was “The pearl” when I was in middle school, but I couldn’t agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. Whether I am on a boat in the middle of the Lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon (大海鲢) or catching rainbow trout (红鲭鱼) in the Shoshone River of Wyoming, fishing is my life.

According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.

Though a beautiful picture to imagine fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life for many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Bush can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the job gets too stressful.

I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Mitchell. Although I didn’t understand what I doing. I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I’ve spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.

After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss. Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19 – inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life – changing experience for me. He not only showed my how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.

Since then, prime – time (黄金时间) season seems to take forever to arrive.

Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March in sight, the excitement of heading out Lake Tuscaloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned.

51．What John Steinbeck said in the first paragraph implies that             .

       A．Americans are believed to be the offspring (后代) of fishermen

       B．it is unthinkable for an American to admit his dislike of fishing

       C．all Americans are expert at fishing

       D．those who dislike fishing would not love their mother

52．The writer came to understand the real meaning of fishing            .

       A．when he was reading “The pearl” by John Steinbeck

       B．when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell

       C．after he had spent 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama

       D．after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone

53．What can be inferred from the text?

       A．The author is at most 21 years old.

       B．The author regards fishing as a very important part in his life.

       C．The author agreed with John Steinbeck the most when he was in middle school.

       D．President Bush often goes fishing in public in order to collect idea for his job.

54．According to the author,             .

       A．people can get to know VIPs when fishing.

       B．people can smooth away all the troubles by fishing

       C．Fishing is a way of communication

       D．Fishing is a way to make a living for most American people

55．What is the purpose of the writing?

       A．To describe the writer’s experience and understanding of fishing.

       B．To explain the reason why so many Americans like fishing.

       C．To make others understand the industry of fishing.

       D．To express his opinions about fishing in different time of the year.

【2011·福建漳州实验中学模拟】

    Richard Cantillon (1680s-May 1734) was an Irish economist and author of Essay on the Nature of Trade in General, a book considered by Willian Stanley Jevons to be the “cradle of political economy”. Although little information exists on Cantillon’s life, it is known that he became a successful banker and merchant at an early age. His success was largely gained from the political and business connections he was able to acquire through his family and an early employer. During the late 1710s and early 1720s, Cantillon took a chance, and helped finance John Law’s Mississippi Company, from which he acquired great wealth. His success, however, came at a cost to his debtors, who attempted to get him involved in criminal activities, and even murder plots until his death 1734.

    The Essay remains Cantillon’s only surviving contribution to economics. It was written around 1730 and circulated widely in manuscript form, but was not published until 1755. Despite having much influence on the early development of the physiocrat（重农主义者）and classical schools of thought, the Essay was largely forgotten until its rediscovery by Jevons in the late 19th century. Cantillon was influenced by his experiences as a banker, and especially by the speculative bubble（投机泡沫）of John Law’s Mississippi Company. He was also heavily influenced by previous economists, especially William Petty.

    The Essay is considered the first complete essay on economies, with a great many contributions to the science. These contributions include the development of spatial（与空间有关的）economics. Canutillo’s Essay had significant influence on the early development of political economy, including the works of David Hume and Adam Smith.

68. Which of the following about Cantillon is TRUE according to the first paragraph?

       A. He knew little about business though a successful banker.

       B. He owed all his success to his family and an early employer.

       C. John Law’s Mississippi Company brought him a great deal of money.

       D. His debtors tried to copy him by participating in some criminal activities.

69. Cantillon’s Essay ______________.

       A. was not much recognized until the late 19th century

       B. was highly thought of by the economists around 1730

       C. had great influence on the economist, William Petty

       D. helped Jevons to make some discoveries in science

70. What can be inferred from the passage?

  A. The Essay was not circulated widely until 1755.

  B. Cantillon was a successful banker, merchant and politician.

C. Cantillon turned a merchant in his fifties.

D. The Essay was largely forgotten for years.

71. What can be the best title for the passage?

A. Cantillon and his life.             B. Cantillon and his business.

C. Cantillon and his Essay.          D. Cantillon and his contribution.

【2011·内蒙古元宝山一中一模】

    Calvin Coolidge (1872 – 1933) was the thirtieth president of the United States. He looked down on a person as being unworthy of respect who was too fond of talking about the details of others people’s actions and private lives because he had no time for small talks. The following two incidents clearly show how Collidge treasured silence.

When he was vice president, Coolidge had plenty of opportunities to participate (参加) in Washington’s social life, especially the many dinner parties. As be ignored the art of conversation, he couldn’t exactly make himself dear to his hostesses. One lady felt she could solve this problem. She placed him next to Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of the former President Roosevelt. Mrs. Longworth, a very brilliant conversationalist (谈话者), began to talk in her usual charming manner, but all attempts to a wake the interest on the part of the vice president were unproductive. Finally, being shamed into anger, she said, “I’m sure that going to as many dinners as you do, you must get terribly bored.”

Without lifting his eyes from his plate, Coolidge said not very clearly, “Well, a man has to eat somewhere.”

Later, when he was president and once again at a dinner party, Collidge was seated next to an outstanding society woman, one of those busybodies, who seemed to take delight in trying to change the lives of everyone they met. “Oh, Mr. President,” she spoke with too much enthusiasm, “you are always so quiet. I made a bet (打赌) today that I could get more than two words out of you.”

60．President Collidge considered those people as being unworthy of respect          .

 A．who liked to talk about the affairs of others

 B．who never talked about anything serious

 C．who often spoke insincerely

 D．who talked much but did little

61．The hostesses thought Collidge was unfriendly because        in her eyes.

 A．he treated women coldly and rudely

 B．he paid no attention to conversational skills

 C．he was too serious to please any women

 D．he was pretty easy and quick to get angry

62．Mrs. Longworth got shamed and angry because         .

 A．the vice president took part in too many dinner parties

 B．the vice president didn’t lift his eyes from his plate

 C．the vice president didn’t speak exactly and clearly

 D．the vice president didn’t react to all her efforts

 63．The underlined sentence “Well, a man has to eat somewhere” probably means        .

  A．Mr. Coolidge didn’t want to talk with Mrs. Longworth at all

 B．Mr. Coolidge had really got tired of so many social dinners

 C．Mr. Coolidge was unhappy with the dinner he was eating that day

 D．Mr. Coolidge was really hungry and had to find something to eat

【2011·山东泰安一模】

Rachel Carson was an American author and environmental protection scientist. “Silent Spring” was her most famous book. The idea for the book developed from a suggestion from a friend. Rachel’s friend owned a protected area for birds. An airplane had flown over the area where the birds were kept and spread a powerful chemical called DDT. Many songbirds and harmless insects were killed by the DDT.

Miss Carson and other scientists were very concerned about the harmful effects of DDT and other insect-killing chemicals called pesticides (杀虫剂). Rachel Carson tried to get many magazines interested in publishing a report about the subject. However, none would agree to publish anything about such a disputed (有争议的) subject. They said no one wanted to hear that industrial companies could cause great ecological damage.

Miss Carson believed the public needed to know about this important issue. She decided to write a book about it. In her book “Silent Spring”, Miss Carson questioned the right of industrial companies to pollute without considering the effects on the environment. Miss Carson argued that this kind of pollution would result in ever-decreasing populations of birds and other wildlife. She said this would lead to the loss of the wonderful sounds of nature. The chemical poisoning of the environment, she said, would cause a silent spring.

The chemical industry felt threatened. Industry spokesmen and other critics said the book was non-scientific and emotional. They misunderstood the message of the book. Miss Carson did not suggest that all pesticides be banned. She urged that control of these substances be given to biologists who could make informed decisions about the risks involved.

Support for the book increased. By the end of 1962, there were more than forty bills in state laws proposing to control pesticides. Finally, in November, 1969, the United States government ruled that the use of DDT must stop in two years.

Rachel Carson did not live to see how her book influenced the government’s decision to ban DDT.  She died of breast cancer in 1964. 

71. What can be inferred from Paragraph 1?

A. Rachel’s friend was concerned about bird protection.

B. Rachel wrote a lot of books about chemicals.

C. DDT kills both insects and plants in the wild.

D. An airplane spread DDT to kill harmless insects.

72. No magazines agreed to publish the harmful effect of DDT because ______.

A. it was an unimportant subject for them

B. they were afraid of being involved in the dispute

C. they had no environmental consciousness at all

D. DDT was necessary for industry development

73. In her book “Silent Spring”, Miss Carson ______.

A. supported the development of industry

B. predicted bird population would increase

C. showed her anxiety about the environment

D. was confused about the cause of a silent spring

74. Industry spokesman’s attitude towards the book is that of ______.

A. tolerance           B. criticism            C. unconcern         D. praise

75. Which of the following is true according to the text?

A. DDT was forbidden to be used once “Silent Spring” was published.

B. Miss Carson was glad to see her book was appreciated by all.

C. Miss Carson suggested all pesticides should be banned.

D. Rachel’s book contributed a lot to the ban of DDT.

【2011·浙江六校联考】

Coming from the Bronx, Jennifer Lopez knew from an early age it would be tough to achieve her dream. In an interview in 2002 she remembered, “I had such a will in me. I had such a passion in me. I could overcome my situation. But a lot of people will get beaten down and be held back by that.” Lopez was not beaten by her situation. She worked hard dancing, singing, and acting in theaters and her hard work paid off with small roles in television and films.

Lopez’s big breakthrough came in 1996 when she played the main role in the movie Selena. For this movie, Lopez got paid $1 million and became the highest paid Latin actress of all time. Since then, she has had starring roles in several successful movies, including Out of Slight(1998) with George Clooney.

Then, Lopez turned her attention toward music. In 1999, she released first album, On the 6. Two songs from the album, “If You Had My Love” and “Waiting for Tonight,” both reached number one on the Billboard music charts. The album sold more than three million copies around the world.

After starring in The Cell (2000), Lopez released her second album, J. Lo, in 2001. The album went straight to the top of the Billboard chart. At the same time that her album came out, Lopez’s new movie, The Wedding Planner, opened in theaters. It became the number one movie at the box office. This meant that Lopez was the first entertainer to ever have a number one album and a number one movie at the same time! Like her first album, J. Lo went tripe-platinum.

But her entertainment career was not the only thing Lopez focused on that year. 2001 was also the year Lopez started her own line of clothing, called J.Lo, and she married Cris Judd, a dancer who performed in her videos. The marriage did not last long, and Lopez and Judd divorced nine months later.

In 2002, Lopez starred in the films Enough and Maid in Manhattan. Maid in Manhattan became Lopez’s biggest movie yet, earning $19 million during its first weekend in theaters. Lopez also put her third album, This Is Me… Then, and the single “Jenny from the Block” hit number one for a week. To go with her line of clothing, Lopez introduced her own perfume.

In an interview, Lopez was asked if she planned to do more acting, singing, designing, or something new. She answered, “Yes, yes, yes, and yes! All of those things. I love making music, I love doing movies and all the other things. I think that everyone should do everything that they have a passion for.”

49. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Lopez is better at singing than acting.     

B. Lopez has done many things in her career.  

C. Lopez grew up in a poor family.

D. Lopez has had many problems in her personal life.

50. Which of the following was most important in helping her career take off?

A. acting in the movie Selena       B. getting married to a dancer

C. releasing a second album        D. starring with George Clooney

51. Which is NOT true about Lopez?

A. She has had several number one songs.

B. She was a famous singer before she started acting.

C. She wants to do other things besides acting and singing.

D. She wanted to be an entertainer when she was young.

52. “… J. Lo went triple-platinum.” What does this mean about the album?

A. It was made by an actor or actress.

B. It sold more than three million copies.

C. It had songs from a movie on it.

D. It sold most of its copies outside the United States.

【2011·福建古田县高考适应性测试】

C

Susan Sontag（1933—2004） was one of the most noticeable figures in the world of literature. For more than 40 years she made it morally necessary to know everything—to read every book worth reading, to see every movie worth seeing. When she was still in her early 30s，publishing essays in such important magazines as Partisan Review，she appeared as the symbol of American culture life，trying hard to follow every new development in literature，film and art. With great effort and serious judgment，Sontag walked at the latest edges of world culture.

　　Seriousness was one of Sontag’s lifelong watchwords（格言），but at a time when the barriers between the well-educated and the poor-educated were obvious, she argued for a true openness to the pleasure of pop culture. In “Notes Camp”, the 1964 essay that first made her name，she explained what was then a little—known set of difficult understandings，through which she could not have been more famous.“Notes on Camp”，she wrote，represents “a victory of ‘form’ over ‘content’, ‘beauty’ over ‘morals’ ”.

    By conviction（信念）she was a sensualist（感觉论者），but by nature she was a moralist（伦理学者），and in the works she published in the 1970s and 1980s，it was the latter side of her that came forward. In “Illness as Metaphor”—published in 1978，after she suffered cancer—she argued against the idea that cancer was somehow a special problem of repressed personalities（被压抑的性格），a concept that effectively blamed the victim for the disease. In fact，re-examining old positions was her lifelong habit.

    In America，her story of a 19th century Polish actress who set up a perfect society in California，won the National Book Award in 2000. But it was as a tireless，all-purpose cultural view that she made her lasting fame.

    “Sometimes,” she once said，“I feel that，in the end，all I am really defending…is the idea of seriousness，of true seriousness.”And in the end，she made us take it seriously too.

64．The underlined sentence in paragraph l means Sontag ____________.

    A．was a symbol of American cultural life

    B．developed world literature，film and art

    C．published many essays about world culture

    D．kept pace with the newest development of world culture

65．She first won her name through____________.

    A．her story of a Polish actress

    B．her book Illness as Metaphor

    C．publishing essays in magazines like Partisan Review

    D．her explanation of a set of difficult understandings

66．Susan Sontag’s lasting fame was made upon____________.

    A．a tireless，all-purpose cultural view

    B．her lifelong watchword: seriousness

    C．publishing books on morals

    D．enjoying books worth reading and movies worth seeing

67．From the works Susan published in the 1970s and 1980s，we can learn that _____.

  A．she was more a moralist than a sensualist

    B．she was more a sensualist than a moralist

    C．she believed repressed personalities mainly led to illness

D．she would like to re-examine old positions

【2011·甘肃省普通高中第一次联考】

People fell in love with Elizabeth Taylor in 1944, when she starred in National Velvet-the story of Velvet Brown, a young girl who wins first place in a famous horse race, At first, the producers of the movie told Taylor that she was too small to play the part of Velvet. However, they waited for her for a few months as she exercised and trained—and added three inches to her height in four months! Her acting in National Velvet is still considered the best by a child actress.

Elizabeth Taylor was born in London in 1932. Her parents, both Americans, had moved there for business reasons. When World War II started, the Taylors moved to Beverly Hills, California, and there Elizabeth started acting in movies. After her success as a child star, Taylor had no trouble moving into adult(成人)roles and won twice for Best Actress: Butterfield 8(1960) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf ? (1966)

Taylor’s fame(名声)and popularity gave her a lot of power with the movie industry, so she was able to demand very high pay for her movies. In 1963, she received $1 million for her part in Cleopatra—the highest pay received by any star up to that time.

Elizabeth Taylor is a legend (传奇人物) of our time. Like Velvet Brown in National Velvet, she has been lucky, she has beauty, fame and wealth. But she is also a hard worker. Taylor seldom acts in movies any more. Instead, she puts her time and efforts into her businesses, and into helping others — several years ago, she founded an organization that has raised more than $40 million for research and education.

57. The producers didn’t let Taylor play the part of Velvet at first because they thought she ____.

A. was small in size                                  B. was too young

C. did not play well enough                       D. did not show much interest

58. What Elizabeth Taylor and Velvet Brown had in common was that they were both _____.

A. popular all their lives                             B. famous actresses

C. suecessful when very young                  D. rich and kind-hearted

59 Taylor became Best Actress at the age of          .

A. 12         B. 28                  C. 31          D. 34

60. In her later life , Elizabeth Taylor devoted herself to             .

A. doing business and helping others        B. turning herself into a legend

C. collecting money for the poor           D. going about research and education work