1 . The clearing of my parents’ home has made me think about the importance, even centrality of books to the house’s life and soul. The house, and our lives in it, would not have been the same without books. The force of the statement comes home to me as I see what happens when shelves are emptied. The rooms suddenly look uncomfortably bare.
I always rather took it for granted that books furnished a room. The only rooms in our house without books were the dining-room and the bathrooms. Otherwise there were books everywhere: in all the bedrooms, in the drawing-room and in the piano room which became my parents’ comfortable winter study.
I couldn’t help feeling that books were rather like people: some more formal and boring, others more entertaining; some simply for show, others with unpromising outsides but rich interiors. They had more, in fact, than furnish a room, and they were companions who will offer insights, good advice.
Now the books are being contributed (not all, to be sure, but very many), and I fear for their future, almost as if they were refugees (难民). “Habent sua fata libelli”, goes as the old Latin saying, originally written by Retentions; it meant that the fate and future of books were determined by the capability of the reader. But the meaning of the phrase has been misunderstood by time and is now associated with the physical fate of particular books, how they have passed from owner to owner. This is how Walter Benjamin read the saying when he wrote his essay “Unpacking My Library”, which analyses the extraordinarily close relationship between a collector and his or her books.
As I deal with the books –many are going to charity (慈善) shops and I hope they will find good homes–I can’t help wondering if my generation is the last that will oversee such a process. Books are disappearing, as more and more are bought in electronic form and exist only as bytes of information on E–books or other devices. Does this matter? Could books become more spiritual, as they lose their physicality?
1. When clearing the room, the author__________.A.realized the influence of books on his past life |
B.thought of the statement his parents once made |
C.felt upset to leave his parents’ books behind |
D.found some empty shelves left by his parents |
A.it’s important to pass books from owner to owner |
B.the meaning of books is misunderstood by time |
C.the future of books depends on readers’ capability |
D.the fate of books is related to their collectors |
2 . The clearing of my parents' home has made me think about the importance, even centrality of books to the house's life and soul. The house, and our lives in it, would not have been the same without books. The force of the statement comes home to me as I see what happens when shelves are emptied. The rooms suddenly look uncomfortably bare.
I always rather took it for granted that books furnished a room. The only rooms in our house without books were the dining-room and the bathrooms. Otherwise there were books everywhere: in all the bedrooms, in the drawing-room and in the piano room which became my parents' comfortable winter study.
I couldn't help feeling that books were rather like people: some more formal and boring, others more entertaining; some simply for show, others with unpromising outsides but rich interiors. They had more, in fact, than furnish a room, and they were companions who will offer insights, good advice.
Now the books are being contributed (not all, to be sure, but very many), and I fear for their future, almost as if they were refugees(难民). “Habent sua fata libelli”, goes as the old Latin saying, originally written by Retentions; it meant that the fate and future of books were determined by the capability of the reader. But the meaning of the phrase has been misunderstood by time and is now associated with the physical fate of particular books, how they have passed from owner to owner. This is how Walter Benjamin read the saying when he wrote his essay “Unpacking My Library”, which analyses the extraordinarily close relationship between a collector and his or her books.
As I deal with the books –many are going to charity (慈善) shops and I hope they will find good homes–I can’t help wondering if my generation is the last that will oversee such a process. Books are disappearing, as more and more are bought in electronic form and exist only as bytes of information on E–books or other devices. Does this matter? Could books become more spiritual, as they lose their physicality?
The underlined word “interiors” in Paragraph 3 refers to ___________.A.pages | B.notes |
C.covers | D.contents |
3 . My colleagues and I, who have been teaching powerful communication skills, talk about the power of words all the time. We think the words we use are at the heart of
Over the last twenty years, I have
There are lots of ways we can make someone feel excluded and
So, the next time you are in a
A.success | B.friendship | C.inclusion | D.sympathy |
A.praised | B.employed | C.criticized | D.coached |
A.assumptions | B.options | C.questions | D.suggestions |
A.treat | B.rescue | C.admire | D.follow |
A.competitors | B.outsiders | C.researchers | D.professionals |
A.gradually | B.rarely | C.temporarily | D.constantly |
A.hesitant | B.unlikely | C.afraid | D.unwilling |
A.unwelcome | B.regretful | C.envious | D.disappointed |
A.factor | B.result | C.change | D.dream |
A.sought for | B.tested out | C.cared for | D.left out |
A.contest | B.gathering | C.camp | D.classroom |
A.confident | B.courageous | C.thoughtful | D.patient |
A.imagine | B.consider | C.avoid | D.miss |
A.worried | B.curious | C.pleased | D.sure |
A.element | B.day | C.person | D.party |
4 . Flaco the owl (猫头鹰) is gone, but his life had all the elements of a classic hero’s story, not soon forgotten. Flaco lived a dozen years in a comfortable cage in the Central Park Zoo where little happened and less was needed. His life was a safe existence without freedom. Then, a year ago, someone released him.
On Friday, when he died of injury, perhaps from a collision (碰撞) with a Manhattan apartment building’s glass windows, his death offered us a chance to reckon with the question at the heart of many a hero’s journey: Can we put a price on freedom?
Flaco’s liberation from his cage came at a cost — he spent the final year of his life free, but threatened from all sides by a booming city. Was it worth it?
Almost from the moment he was released, Flaco became a symbol of hope for many of the people who followed his story and recognized parts of themselves in him. Some saw him as the symbol of the American dream, an outsider who had come to Manhattan and made a life for himself here, like millions of others who arrived penniless and unconnected in search of freedom.
As a result, he flew around the city. We were terrified that he’d succumb to (屈服于) the dangers of city life. Flaco had no experience living outside a cage, and New Yorkers initially doubted his chances of survival. We worried that he’d eat a rat with enough poison in its system to kill him. But Flaco never looked back. Perhaps freedom itself was the home he’d discovered.
And though we feared for him, his new life excited us. How many of us, our circumstances familiar and sale, are too frightened to seek our more fully realized selves?
How many of us, viewing our confinements as nothing out of the ordinary, have long stopped wondering what our wings are for?
Have we not all desired a life beyond the range of the one we lead? Flaco showed that our desire is not misplaced. His choice proved a truth that given a chance, living things choose freedom of movement.
1. What do the underlined words “reckon with” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?A.Bring up. | B.Deal with. | C.Reflect on. | D.Look into. |
A.He died a natural death. |
B.He was caught and returned to the zoo. |
C.He died from a collision with a building. |
D.He lived a free life but faced many threats. |
A.They were excited and supportive. |
B.They were worried about his survival. |
C.They were indifferent and unconcerned. |
D.They were angry and opposed to his release. |
A.The importance of protecting wildlife. |
B.The risks and rewards of seeking freedom. |
C.The value of overcoming challenges in life. |
D.The need for more awareness about animal rights. |
5 . I came across an image of a distance runner with a caption (说明文字) that told readers to keep going at all costs. It
In high school, I had
I’m not the only
That you’ve sunk time, effort, or money into something doesn’t mean you should
A.accused | B.convinced | C.reminded | D.informed |
A.approved of | B.jumped at | C.taken in | D.applied to |
A.reward | B.scholarship | C.celebration | D.welcome |
A.offered | B.refused | C.expected | D.explored |
A.exposed | B.committed | C.admitted | D.used |
A.initial | B.extra | C.minor | D.generous |
A.attending | B.skipping | C.switching | D.visiting |
A.physical | B.cultural | C.moral | D.financial |
A.victim | B.student | C.customer | D.loser |
A.competition | B.lifestyles | C.state | D.relationships |
A.harvest | B.invest | C.ignore | D.pursue |
A.permission | B.curiosity | C.determination | D.freedom |
A.breaking out | B.walking away | C.giving in | D.passing down |
A.realize | B.doubt | C.prove | D.regret |
A.funny | B.stupid | C.relaxing | D.painful |
6 . Like many new graduates, I left university full of hope for the future but with no real idea of what I wanted to do. My degree, with honors, in English literature had not really prepared me for anything practical. I knew I wanted to make a difference in the world somehow, but I had no idea how to do that. That’s when I learned about the Lighthouse Project.
I started my journey as a Lighthouse Project volunteer by reading as much as I could about the experiences of previous volunteers. I knew it would be a lot of hard work, and that I would be away from my family and friends for a very long time. In short, I did not take my decision to apply for the Lighthouse Project lightly. Neither did my family.
Eventually, however, I won the support of my family, and I sent in all the paperwork needed for the application. After countless interviews and presentations, I managed to stand out among the candidates and survive the test alone. Several months later, I finally received a call asking me to report for duty. I would be going to a small village near Abuja, Nigeria. Where? What? Nigeria? I had no idea. But I was about to find out.
After completing my training, I was sent to the village that was small and desperately in need of proper accommodation. Though the local villagers were poor, they offered their homes, food, and hearts as if I were their own family. I was asked to lead a small team of local people in building a new schoolhouse. For the next year or so, I taught in that same schoolhouse. But I sometimes think I learned more from my students than they did from me.
Sometime during that period, I realized that all those things that had seemed so strange or unusual to me no longer did, though I did not get anywhere with the local language, and returned to the United States a different man. The Lighthouse Project had changed my life forever.
1. Why did the writer enter for the Lighthouse Project?A.Because his major was connected with it. |
B.Because he was extremely familiar with it. |
C.Because he wanted to make the world a better place. |
D.Because new graduates had to work for it after graduation. |
A.Awkward. | B.Complex. |
C.Entertaining. | D.Effortless. |
A.Working as a teacher. |
B.Helping villagers build hospitals. |
C.Raising money for his students. |
D.Inviting locals to enter his Project. |
A.A Life-changing Voluntary Experience |
B.The Memorable and Rewarding life in Abuja |
C.Lighthouse Project—The Promise of African Education |
D.Lighthouse Project—a Volunteer Organization for New Graduates |
7 . I have been adopted by an American family since I was fifteen months old. Growing up in the second-whitest county in California, I had little interest in my
During my four years at Northern Arizona University (NAU), I took two years of
Through my class, I was introduced to the NAU Chinese culture club, where I
Then I had an opportunity to study abroad in Hong Kong for a year. Surrounded by mainly people who looked like me, I did not feel like I
After returning from my
A.experience | B.safety | C.community | D.identity |
A.changed | B.grew | C.disappeared | D.continued |
A.English | B.Japanese | C.Chinese | D.German |
A.understand | B.improve | C.teach | D.support |
A.lacked | B.furthered | C.ignored | D.finished |
A.tired of | B.aware of | C.dependent on | D.interested in |
A.stood out | B.worked out | C.gave up | D.turned up |
A.stably | B.strangely | C.incredibly | D.hardly |
A.culture | B.geography | C.scenery | D.architecture |
A.required | B.allowed | C.forced | D.instructed |
A.annoyance | B.pain | C.comfort | D.patience |
A.business | B.holiday | C.performances | D.adventures |
A.announced | B.explained | C.shared | D.admitted |
A.life-changing. | B.eye-catching | C.time-consuming | D.heart-breaking |
A.curious | B.hesitant | C.awkward | D.proud |
8 . I used to think my little comer of urban England was somewhere I could get away from the stress and strain of modern-day life — until they moved in next door. There are two of them. They are white, woolly and probably have sharp teeth as well as loud bark. But every time their constant barking interrupts my sleep, I remind myself that, in many respects, I am lucky. The neighbors don’t hold all-night parties, nor do they shout or throw crockery at each other, and though their dogs may bark, they don’t bite.
According to a recent consumer magazine report on “nightmare neighbors”, dogs are the fifth most common source of bad relations between neighbors. Noise of any description heads the list of complaints, followed by DIY enthusiasts, parking quarrelling, and arguments over house extensions.
So what alternatives are there? One is to take legal action. But this can be time-consuming and expensive and does nothing to improve already difficult relationships. The other alternatives are to sell up and go, or to try to reach a solution with the help of someone neutral. Mediation UK — the United Nations equivalent of garden fence conflicts — was set in 1984 to help resolve community disagreements.
In most cases, the lack of communication is found the main cause of conflict. David Nation of Plymouth Mediation points to poor public housing and widespread unemployment as additional factors. He also reports more cases of complaints from people who live in flats. Large houses built in the nineteenth century and designed as single-occupation family homes have, he says, been changed into flats with little or no attention to sound insulation. Dividing walls are paper thin and hardly block out sound at all.
Buyers can also be put off by the external appearance of neighboring houses. Anything from wild, uncared for gardens to unusual external color schemes can put off buyers — even though the offending property is next door. But it could be worse. John Gladden, of Norbury in Surrey upset his neighbors in St Oswald’s Road by mounting a huge fish in fiberglass (玻璃纤维) and putting it on the roof of his house. The local council argued that he should have got planning permission; residents thought the fish did nothing to improve the appearance of the neighborhood, and war broke out. Sightseers poured in and homes near the suburban property can now be hard to sell.
1. Why doesn’t the writer like her next-door neighbor’s dogs?A.They wake her up. | B.They occasionally bark. |
C.They are aggressive. | D.They remind her of sheep. |
A.dogs | B.noise | C.parking | D.DIY |
A.the color scheme | B.the garden | C.the situation | D.the house |
A.inform people what to do if they have problems with their neighbors |
B.describe the writer’s own problems with her neighbors. |
C.illustrate the types and causes of problems between neighbors |
D.explain the activities of the organization Mediation UK |
9 . My friend Megan texted about a puppy needing a home, attaching photos. As an animal shelter owner, I am always looking to
The puppy, Winnie, was deserted for its bad front legs, but instantly
At Pawsability, Winnie received
As Winnie’s family member, I am incredibly
A.unite | B.comfort | C.expand | D.defend |
A.purchase | B.rescue | C.contact | D.search |
A.housed | B.listed | C.found | D.reached |
A.healed | B.won | C.struck | D.attracted |
A.convinced | B.freed | C.reminded | D.informed |
A.heart-shaped | B.custom-made | C.hand-picked | D.mass-produced |
A.Enriched | B.Relieved | C.Driven | D.Inspired |
A.athletic | B.loyal | C.normal | D.disabled |
A.pity | B.doubt | C.praise | D.support |
A.work | B.update | C.grow | D.count |
A.optimism | B.strength | C.bravery | D.excellence |
A.patient | B.mindful | C.content | D.proud |
A.changed | B.told | C.taught | D.ordered |
A.seek | B.dream | C.tend | D.deserve |
A.closeness | B.care | C.beauty | D.kindness |
10 . With spring approaching, a foot of snow that had fallen rapidly melt. The runoff from the hills had filled the rivers and formed little
I
Sometimes we all do good things in this life only to get dirty water. When this happens just remember that the real reason you do good is because of the
A.steps | B.sculptures | C.ponds | D.footprints |
A.walking | B.driving | C.riding | D.running |
A.standing | B.hanging | C.sitting | D.lying |
A.emerge | B.skip | C.stop | D.check |
A.open | B.break | C.expand | D.examine |
A.Thankfully | B.Generally | C.Surprisingly | D.Hopefully |
A.position | B.order | C.rank | D.time |
A.conflict | B.injury | C.breakthrough | D.emission |
A.got out of | B.pulled over | C.slowed down | D.put away |
A.shorter | B.happier | C.heavier | D.easier |
A.observe | B.leave | C.release | D.move |
A.ashamed | B.depressed | C.relieved | D.relaxed |
A.politely | B.quickly | C.precisely | D.carefully |
A.reliable | B.angry | C.pleasant | D.sensitive |
A.kindness | B.curiosity | C.anxiety | D.regret |