I don’t really care how many claws the animal in a comic book (漫画书) has. I’m not overly concerned whether the bird is colored green or grey. In fact I don’t think comic book “collector” really applies to me at all. I’m probably more of a comic book “appreciator”. My interest has always been in what can be accomplished with the medium of “visual story - telling”. In the respect, comic books are the best thing going. And there are some great comics out there.
I’m not sure exactly where this interest of mine came from. I do know that as a child, comic books allowed me to improve my reading – skills. The Mighty Thor made me develop an interest in Norse legends; Challengers of the Unknown got me interested in science fiction. The combination of words and pictures was a perfect springboard (起点) for my childhood imagination.
So just how does one learn to appreciate comic book art? There is a classic example. Writer Scott Macloud was philosophical (达观的) about what makes a comic book stand out in his best – selling book Understanding Comics. The book, first published in 1994, has been translated into 13 languages and is practically useful for students studying graphic illustration (图示说明).
On the Internet there are some cool comic book sites to be found. More than a few are mainly about superheroes and the like. But there are some choice sites that I would describe as “literary (文学的),” in that you can find some great resources that discuss the comic book as an art form. Among them there is a great article and interview at www.rcharvey.com discussing the influence of several artists and writers in the field.
Check it out. Spend two dollars on a comic book and read it with your children. You may find yourself enjoying what you see and read. You may even find yourself wanting more.
And wanting to read more is a good thing!
53．According to Para. 1 the author is concerned about          .
A．the color of the characters in a comic book
B．how many comic books he has collected
C．what he can learn from a visual story
D．whether a story is true to life
54．What do we know about Scott Macloud’s best – selling book?
A．There are many classic examples if comic books in it.
B．It is helpful 1 for students studying science fiction.
C．It suggests what good comic books are like.
D．It is mainly intended for parents.
55．In the passage, the author encourages people to         .
A．follow the example of superheroes from comic books
B．join in the discussion at www.rcharvey.com
C．consider comic books to be literary.
D．buy and read more comic books
56．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Children’s favorite books
B．Well – known comic books
C．Comic books – cooler than you think
D．How to become a good comic book writer

“I don’t believe in Santa Claus!” Trogmire announced.
Tremor looked shocked. “Why not?” he asked.
“Because he never leaves me any gifts at all,” Trogmire growled.
Tremor thought about the evidence for a few seconds. “Maybe,” he suggested, “it’s because when Santa checked his list, your name wasn’t in the ‘nice’ column.”
“So, he could at least bring me a lump of coal!” Trogmire replied. “And,” he went on, “Troubled doesn’t believe in Santa, either.”
“Right,” Tremor said, “because he saw his parents putting the ‘From Santa’ presents under the tree. But I know the truth about that. My mother found out from Troubled’s mother. When Troubled’s parents got an e-mail from Santa, saying that he would never bring Troubled another gift, they didn’t want to tell him the truth. So now they buy presents and pretend they’re from Santa.”
“What did Troubled do to get Santa so mad?” Trogmire questioned.
“I think it had something to do with the time he put glue paper all over the living room floor on Christmas Eve, and left a sign that said, ‘Trapped like a rat!’ hanging over the fireplace.” said Tremor.
“I guess Santa doesn’t have a sense of humour,” sighed Trogmire. “Well, at least I’m not the only one who Santa scratched off his name list.”
【小题1】Why doesn’t Santa leave presents for Trogmire or Troubled?

I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field dominated (控制) by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.
At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my PhD at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement --- jobs, research papers, awards --- was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures.
Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all annoyance. I don’t talk about that any more. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.
Today I research and teach at Bamard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.
【小题1】Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?

“I don’t speak English”-these are the first words I learned when I came to America. Soon I was able to pronounce the four words clearly, and said them whenever an American tried to talk to me. This answer was very effective（有效的）at ending our conversation and saving me from another uncomfortable situation, or I would have to communicate in a language that I was not familiar with.

Before coming to the States, I thought I knew English pretty well. But the truth is that the grammar and vocabulary-based English that is taught in schools overseas（海外的）is not the English people speak in America.

But fear not! Once you are in America, you can immediately begin to bridge the gap（弥补差距）between the learned English that you already know, and the spoken English that is all around you. To do this, first of all, it is important not to fear when you realize that you may not be as prepared for daily communication as you thought. For me, as soon as I stopped worrying about my accent and started speaking, I made rapid progress. Often the people didn’t notice my mistakes because they were so glad to finally be able to communicate with me.

Another good idea is to listen carefully and pay attention to the way in which ideas are expressed. For example, if you are working hard and you want to stop working and rest for a little while, you can either say “I would like to stop working and rest for a while” or “I want to take a quick break from work.” The first sentence, I quickly learned, sounds dry and too formal for any kind of communication, while the second is an idiom（成语）that is widely used in American English conversation.

Finally, use what you already know---the vocabulary, the grammar and the spelling. Try to use these into the spoken language for more impressive and accurate（精确）speaking results.

1.What’ s the main idea of this passage?

A．You’d better say “I don’t speak English” in the USA.

B．How you can improve your spoken English in the USA.

C．Idioms are widely used to express your ideas in the USA.

D．Listening is the best way to improve your spoken English in the USA.

2.At first the writer preferred to use the sentence “I don’t speak English” to       .

A．admit he is a foreigner

B．save much time for himself

C．prevent himself from being laughed at

D．avoid getting upset in communicating with others

3.What’s the problem with the English taught outside the English-speaking countries?

A．It is quite different from what the natives speak. 

B．It is taught in boring and wrong grammar.

C．It has nothing to do with English.

D．It has too small a vocabulary.

4.When did the writer make rapid progress in spoken English?

A．As soon as he paid attention to the way Americans spoke.

B．The minute he found what has been learned useless.

C．The moment he got rid of the fear of speaking.

D．Immediately he arrived in the USA.

5.All the following are tips given buy the writer EXCEPT “       .”

A．speaking bravely                                    B．listening carefully

C．using what you have learned                    D．making few mistakes

----- I don’t know about you, but I’m sick and tired of this weather.

----- _____.I can’t stand all this rain.

A. So am I                                           B. It’s hard to say

C. I hope so                                                  D. I don’t care