Passage 9.

My color television has given me nothing but a headache. I was able to buy it a little over a year ago because I had my relatives give me money for my birthday instead of clothes that wouldn’t fit. I let a salesclerk fool me into buying a discontinued model. I realized this a day later, when I saw newspaper advertisements for the set at 75 dollars less than I had paid. The set worked so beautiful when I first got it home that I would keep it on until stations signed off for the night. Fortunately, I didn’t get any channels showing all-night movies or I would never have gotten to bed.

Then I started developing a problem with the set that involved static(静电) noise. For some reason, when certain shows switched into a commercial, a loud noise would sound for a few seconds. Gradually, this noise began to appear during a show, and to get rid of it, I had to change to another channel and then change it back. Sometimes this technique would not work, and I had to pick up the set and shake it to remove the sound. I actually began to build up my arm muscles(肌肉) shaking my set.

When neither of these methods removed the static noise, I would sit helplessly and wait for the noise to go away. At last I ended up hitting the set with my fist, and it stopped working altogether. My trip to the repair shop cost me $62, and the set is working well now, but I keep expecting more trouble.

21. Why did the author say he was fooled into buying the TV set?

A. He got an older model than he had expected.

B. He couldn’t return it when it was broken.

C. He could have bought it at a lower price.

D. He failed to find any movie shows on it.

22. Which of the following an best replace the phrase “signed off” in paragraph 1?

A. ended all their programs B. provided fewer channels

C. changed to commercials D .showed all-night movies

23. How did the author finally get this TV set working again?

A.By shaking and hitting it B.By turning it on and off

C.By switching channels D.By having it repaired

24. How does the author sound when telling the story?

A.Curious B.Anxious C.Cautious D.Humorous

key:CADD

Passage 10.

Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown. "There's so much to learn," he'd say. "Though we're born stupid, only the stupid remain that way. " He was determined that none of his children would be denied ( fluff) an education.

Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. Though, as children, we thought this was crazy, it would never have occurred to us to deny Papa a request. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point.

Then came the moment—the time to share the day's new learning.

Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen.

"Felice," he'd say, "tell me what you learned today. "

"I learned that the population of Nepal is .... "

Silence.

Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation of the world would depend upon it. "The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well . . . . " he'd say. "Get the map; let's see where Nepal is. " And the whole family

went on a search for Nepal.

This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.

As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another's education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming our value, giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.

Later during my training as a future teacher /1 studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population of Nepal might prove useful.

60.What do we know from the first paragraph?

A. The author's father was born in a worker's family.

B. Those born stupid could not change their life.

C. The town elders wanted to learn about the world.

D. The poor could hardly afford school education.

61.The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to "

A. one new thing B. a request C. the news D. some comment

62.It can be learned from the passage that the author .

A. enjoyed talking about news

B. knew very well about Nepal

C. felt regret about those wasted days

D . appreciated his father's educational technique

63What is the greatest value of "dinner time" to the author?

A. Continual learning. B. Showing talents.

C. Family get-together. D. Winning Papa's approval.

64.The author's father can be best described as .

A. an educator expert at training future teachers

B. a parent insistent on his children's education

C. a participant willing to share his knowledge

D. a teacher strict about everything his students did

key:DCDAB

Passage 11.

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was one of the most popular of modern artists. The Pompidou Centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly The Persistence of Memory. There is also L’Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist’s showman qualities.

The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exiting through the brain.

The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities (无限). “From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figueras,” explains the Pompidou Centre.

The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration (合作)with the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

28. Which of the following best describe Dali according to Paragraph 1?

A. Optimistic. B. Productive. C. Generous. D. Traditional.

29. What is Dali’s The Persistence of Memory considered to be?

A. One of his masterworks. B. A successful screen adaptation.

C. An artistic creation for the stage. D. One of the best TV programmes.

30. How are the exhibits arranged at the World of Dali?

A. By popularity.B. By importance.C. By size and shape.D. By time and subject.

31. What does the word “contributions” in the last paragraph refer to?

A. Artworks. B. Projects. C. Donations. D. Documents.

key:BADA

passage12

There are many places to go on safari（观赏野生动物）in Africa, but riding a horse through the flooded waters of Botswana's Okavango Delta must rank as one of the world's most exciting wildlife journeys.

Several safari camps operate as the base for this adventure, providing unique rides twice a day to explore deep into the delta. The camps have excellent horses, professional guides and lots of support workers. They have a reputation for providing a great riding experience.

The morning ride, when the guides take you to beautiful, shallow lakes full of water lilies, tends to be more active. It is unlike any other riding experience. With rainbows forming in the splashing water around you and the sound of huge drops of water bouncing off your body and face. It is truly exciting. You are very likely to come across large wild animals, too. On horseback it is possible to get quite close to elephants, giraffes and many other animals. The sense of excitement and tension levels rise suddenly though, as does your heart rate, as you move closer to them.

In the evening, rides are usually at a more relaxed and unhurried pace. With golden light streaming across the grassy delta and the animals coming out to eat and drink. Sedate though they are, rides at this time of day are still very impressive. As the sun's rays pass through the dust kicked up by the horses, the romance of Africa comes to life.

Back at the camp you can kick off your boots and enjoy excellent food and wine. Looking back on your day, you will find it hard to deny that a horseback Safari is as close as you will ever come to answering the call of the wild.

48. What does the underlined word "They" refer to?

A. Flooded waters B. Wildlife journey C. Safari camps D. Unique rides

49. What does the author find most exciting about a horse safari?

A. Seeing and feeling the real African life.

B. Enjoying good food and wine at the camp.

C. Hunting large animals just as our ancestors did.

D. Being part of the scene and getting close to animals.

50. What does the underlined word "sedate" probably mean?

A. Wild and romantic B. Slow and peaceful

C. Hurry and thirsty D. Active and excited

51. The author introduced the riding experience in the OKavango Delta mainly by________.

A. Following space order B. Following time order

C. Making classifications D. Giving examples

key:CDBB