阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Canyoning (蹦谷运动)
The sports of canyoning explore the high-energy environment where water meets rock on the coast. Protected by wetsuits and helmets (头盔), people jump from cliffs (悬崖) and waterfalls and discover caves that would not normally be arrived at.
It was first done in the U.K. by TYF Adventure (01437 721611, www.tyf.com) and several thousand people jump from the cliffs near St David’s each year. A half day canyoning trip costs ￡50 (￡30 for children under 16).
Diving (潜水)
Diving is not popular with British people. The difficulties of wild waters are greater because the water is colder and not clear enough, but the coasts of Cornwall, Wales and Scotland have some of the best diving in the world.
The British Sub Aqua Club (0870 112 9133, www.bsac.com) and the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (01580 819688, www.padi.com) run courses teaching the important skills.
Surfing (冲浪)
The best surfing places in the UK are on the southwest coast where it is warmer, especially in Cornwall. The best time of year to surf in the UK is late summer and autumn when water temperatures are warmer.
The British Surfing Association (01479 861256, www.britsurf.co.uk) has a list of famous surf schools around the country.
Rock climbing
The most popular natural rocks in Britain include the Peak District, the Lake District, while large areas of Scotland are a climber’s ideal place. Climbing courses and climbing walls can be found on the website of the British Mountaineering Council (0870 010 4878, www.thebmc.co.uk) which offers a series of short films that take the new climber through a step-by-step guide to visiting a climbing wall for the first time.
1. If a couple with their child of 15 join in Canyoning for a day, they will pay ______.
| A．￡130 | B．￡160 | C．￡260 | D．￡320 |
| A．01479 861256 | B．0870 010 4878 |
| C．01437 721611 | D．0870 112 9133 |
| A．Canyoning. | B．Diving. |
| C．Surfing. | D．Rock climbing. |
2 . Mrs Mullen had just got a new heart. She’d waited a year for it, she told me— not that she was complaining. In fact, Mrs Mullen never complain about anything. She just got on with it. Although she was getting over a serious operation, she didn’t even like to bother the nurses for a painkiller. She put me, and most of my patients in the hospital, to shame.
My generation are a generation of complainers. We think the world owes us something. But if the world owes anyone anything, it owes people like Mrs Mullen. She left school at 14, even though she’d won a place at grammar school. She worked in a factory until she retired. She never had a day off sick in her life and never had a holiday --not even when she gave birth to her three children. That’s nearly 50 years of hard work. I’ve never worked as hard as Mrs Mullen, and I’ll almost certainly never have to.
Mrs Mullen recovered well and soon left hospital. It never occurred to me that I’d see her again, so I couldn’t believe my eyes when a few weeks later I went to buy a sandwich from the hospital Friends’ shop.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “You’re supposed to be resting.”
“Oh I am,” she replied. “It’s only a few hours a week. I saw the ad for volunteers while I was staying here. It’s my way of saying thank you for all that this hospital has done for me.”
Thank you? Mrs Mullen is the sort of person who gives back more than she takes. I asked for a cheese and tomato sandwich. She handed me egg instead — it was all they had got. I hate egg, but I decided to eat it anyway and not to complain.
1. Mrs Mullen made the author feel ashamed because ______.| A．he liked bothering others |
| B．He often made complaints |
| C．He wasn’t as brave as her |
| D．He didn’t give her painkiller |
| A．was hardworking |
| B．was in debt for years |
| C．once taught at school |
| D．received a good education |
| A．felt very surprised |
| B．Treated her to a sandwich |
| C．Helped her get a job there |
| D．Asked her to rest immediately |
3 . Sunrise Hike
Saturday, October 21, 6:45 am---7:45 am
Enjoy sunrise from the hilltop as you learn about wildlife, plants, history and forest. Ages 8 and up; under 18 with an adult. To register (报名)by phone, call 630-933-7248.
Meet in the parking lot on the west side of Greene Road south of 79th Street. Dress for the weather, wear comfortable shoes and bring water.
Trick Or TreatSaturday, October 28, 9:00 am---11:30 am
You and your family are invited to join the YMCA for a Halloween hike up Badger Mountain! Make sure to wear your Halloween costumes (戏装)!
Free shirts for the first 200 kids registered. Remember to take away your shirt by 11:30 am or it will be given away.
Cost: Trick or Treat is a FREE event.
Discovery Hike
Thursday, October 26, 1:00 pm---4:00 pm; Ages 3-8
Fall is pumpkin time. Listen to a pumpkin story and learn how pumpkins grow. Then we will head out on the path in search of a little pumpkin just for you and maybe, we will find the great pumpkin along the way. $7 per child.
Harvest Day Camp
Monday, October 31, 8:00 am---5:00 pm
Harvest Camp is an opportunity for children aged 5-13 to find the wonder of autumn at Keystone Science School and enjoy all the fun the Halloween season offers. We’ll explore the ways our natural environment has changed from summer to fall. As always, our programming is focused on building skills, knowledge and confidence. Cost: $0.00.
1. What do these activities have in common?| A．They are designed only for children. |
| B．They are held in a mountain. |
| C．They are to celebrate Halloween. |
| D．They all take place in autumn. |
| A．Sunrise Hike |
| B．Discovery Hike |
| C．Harvest Day Camp |
| D．Trick Or Treat |
| A．Listen to a pumpkin story. |
| B．Hike with their parents. |
| C．Enjoy the beauty of autumn. |
| D．Learn about wildlife and forest. |
4 . When I was in fourth grade, I worked part-time as a paperboy. Mrs. Stanley was one of my customers. She’d watch me coming down her street, and by the time I’d biked up to her doorstep, there’d be a cold drink waiting. I’d sit and drink while she talked.
Mrs. Stanley talked mostly about her dead husband, “Mr. Stanley and I went shopping this morning.” she’d say. The first time she said that, soda(汽水) went up my nose.
I told my father how Mrs. Stanley talked as if Mr. Stanley were still alive. Dad said she was probably lonely, and that I ought to sit and listen and nod my head and smile, and maybe she’d work it out of her system. So that’s what I did, and it turned out Dad was right. After a while she seemed content to leave her husband over at the cemetery(墓地).
I finally quit delivering newspapers and didn’t see Mrs. Stanley for several years. Then we crossed paths at a church fund-raiser(募捐活动). She was spooning mashed potatoes and looking happy. Four years before, she’d had to offer her paperboy a drink to have someone to talk with. Now she had friends. Her husband was gone, but life went on.
I live in the city now, and my paperboy is a lady named Edna with three kids. She asks me how I’m doing. When I don’t say “fine”, she sticks around to hear my problems. She’s lived in the city most of her life, but she knows about community. Community isn’t so much a place as it is a state of mind. You find it whenever people ask how you’re doing because they care, and not because they’re getting paid to do so. Sometimes it’s good to just smile, nod your head and listen.
1. Why did soda go up the author’s nose one time?| A．He was talking fast. | B．He was shocked. |
| C．He was in a hurry. | D．He was absent-minded. |
| A．He enjoyed the drink. | B．He wanted to be helpful. |
| C．He took the chance to rest. | D．He tried to please his dad. |
| A．recover from her sadness | B．move out of the neighborhood |
| C．turn to her old friends | D．speak out about her past |
| A．Open up to others. | B．Depend on each other. |
| C．Pay for other’s help | D．Care about one another. |
5 . Benjamin West, the father of American painting, showed his talent for art when he was only six years of age. But he did not know about brushes before a visitor told him he needed one. In those days, a brush was made from camel’s hair. There were no camels nearby. Benjamin decided that cat hair would work instead. He cut some fur from the family cat to make a brush.
The brush did not last long. Soon Benjamin needed more fur. Before long, the cat began to look ragged（蓬乱）. His father said that the cat must be sick. Benjamin was forced to admit what he had been doing.
The cat’s lot was about to improve. That year, one of Benjamin’s cousins, Mr. Pennington, came to visit. He was impressed with Benjamin’s drawings. When he went home, he sent Benjamin a box of paint and some brushes. He also sent six engravings（版画） by an artist. These were the first pictures and first real paint and brushes Benjamin had ever seen. In 1747, when Benjamin was nine years old, Mr. Pennington returned for another visit. He was amazed at what Benjamin had done with his gift. He asked Benjamin’s parents if he might take the boy to Philadelphia for a visit.
In the city, Mr. Pennington gave Benjamin materials for creating oil paintings. The boy began a landscape(风景) painting. William Williams, a well-known painter, came to see him work. Williams was impressed with Benjamin and gave him two classic books on painting to take home. The books were long and dull. Benjamin could read only a little, having been a poor student. But he later said,＂Those two books were my companions by day, and under my pillow at night.＂While it is likely that he understood very little of the books, they were his introduction to classical paintings. The nine-year-old boy decided then that he would be an artist.
1. What is the text mainly about?| A．Benjamin’s visit to Philadelphia. |
| B．Williams’ influence on Benjamin. |
| C．The beginning of Benjamin’s life as an artist. |
| D．The friendship between Benjamin and Pennington. |
| A．The cat would be closely watched. |
| B．The cat would get some medical care. |
| C．Benjamin would leave his home shortly. |
| D．Benjamin would have real brushes soon. |
| A．He took him to see painting exhibitions. |
| B．He provided him with painting materials. |
| C．He sent him to a school in Philadelphia. |
| D．He taught him how to make engravings. |
| A．master the use of paints |
| B．appreciate landscape paintings |
| C．get to know other painters |
| D．make up his mind to be a painter |
6 . Minutes after the last movie ended yesterday at the Plaza Theater, employees were busy sweeping up popcorns and gathering coke cups. It was a scene that had been repeated many times in the theater’s 75-year history. This time, however, the cleanup was a little different. As one group of workers carried out the rubbish, another group began removing seats and other theater equipment in preparation for the building’s end.
The film classic The Last Picture Show was the last movie shown in the old theater. Though the movie is 30 years old, most of the 250 seats were filled with teary-eyed audience wanting to say good-bye to the old building. Theater owner Ed Bradford said he chose the movie because it seemed proper. The movie is set in a small town where the only movie theater is preparing to close down.
Bradford said that large modern theaters in the city made it impossible for the Plaza to compete. He added that the theater’s location (位置) was also a reason. “This used to be the center of town,” he said. “Now the area is mostly office buildings and warehouses.”
Last week some city officials suggested the city might be interested in turning the old theater into a museum and public meeting place. However, these plans were given up because of financial problems. Bradford sold the building and land to a local development firm, which plans to build a shopping complex on the land where the theater is located.
The theater audience said good-bye as Bradford locked the doors for the last time. After 75 years the Plaza Theater has shown its last movie. The theater will be missed.
1. In what way was yesterday’s cleanup at the Plaza special?| A．It made room for new equipment. |
| B．It signaled the closedown of the theater. |
| C．It was done with the help of the audience. |
| D．It marked the 75th anniversary of the theater. |
| A．It was an all-time classic. |
| B．It was about the history of the town. |
| C．The audience requested it. |
| D．The theater owner found it suitable. |
| A．It will be repaired. |
| B．It will be turned into a museum. |
| C．It will be knocked down. |
| D．It will be sold to the city government. |
| A．They are disappointed with Bradford. |
| B．They are sad to say goodbye to the old theater. |
| C．They are supportive of the city officials. |
| D．They are keen to have a shopping center. |
7 . Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying(联合) voice across cultures.
Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.
It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.
“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite,” Moran tells National Public Radio’s reporter Neal Conan. “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It’s actually color, and it’s actually digital.”
Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same,” says Moran.
Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party, “Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music,” says Moran. “For me, it’s the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion(情感) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight(感悟) on how to talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran, “so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.”
1. Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?| A．To remember the birth of jazz. |
| B．To protect cultural diversity. |
| C．To encourage people to study music. |
| D．To recognize the value of jazz. |
| A．Jazz becoming more accessible. |
| B．The production of jazz growing faster. |
| C．Jazz being less popular with the young. |
| D．The jazz audience becoming larger. |
| A．It will disappear gradually. |
| B．It remains black and white. |
| C．It should keep up with the times. |
| D．It changes every 50 years. |
| A．Exploring the Future of Jazz. |
| B．The Rise and Fall of Jazz. |
| C．The Story of a Jazz Musician. |
| D．Celebrating the Jazz Day. |
Smile!
It’s the easiest way to let someone know that you’re nice！
Be fun!
Listen!
Good conversations are important when you want to make a new friend，and sometimes you just have to be quiet and listen.When you do get chatting，pay attention to what they’re saying.
Ask people who take classes with you questions about what they study today.
| A．Change! |
| B．Ask a question! |
| C．Classwork is a great icebreaker. |
| D．Say “hello” and see what happens. |
| E．And don’t just talk about yourself all the time. |
| F．Even the shyest person can manage a little smile. |
| G．We all prefer spending time with people who make us feel happy. |
9 . A culture's values can be mirrored by its humor.Humor has been evaluated by many great minds such as Thomas Hobbes,who,in"On Nature",disliked humor,"Laughter is nothing else but sudden glory arising from sudden thought of feeling far better than others."He thought humor to be a negative quality of human narrow-mindedness.
However,Mordechai Gordon,PhD of Education,insists,"Humor allows us to view the world from an angle that is amusing rather than serious."I agree with Gordon.Learning to look at the world through humor is important.
In the United States,every four years an election occurs.Without humor as a way to express their feelings,how would Americans be willing to support the election?Television shows like "The Daily Show" have become important parts of American culture.They are mothering the masses by unconsciously inputting politics into our mouths.They make politics fun.
Of course, politics is only one type of humor.Social humor helps people through the twists and turns of the human condition.American pop culture promotes an unhealthy self image.On the topic of self-image,Hari Kondabolu stands out.He has a joke about the popular musical group "The Pussycat Dolls",describing their hit song "Don't Cha" as a negative representation of women.He points out an obvious offence in American culture.
A study from Loyola University of Maryland has shown that humor is one determining factor for selecting a mating partner.Amongst other things,mates look for an outstanding funny bone in a potential partner.
Of course,humor is not always used for good purposes.Humor can be linked to vulgarity（粗俗）and racism,but, like everything else,it has potential to unite human beings by allowing us to laugh at ourselves,our failures and our connection with one another.
Though life may seem tough and depressing at times,all I have to do is look in the mirror at my increased wrinkles（皱纹）to know that there is a comedy out there that even Chaplin wasn't aware of.
With that in mind,remember to laugh with humanity and sometimes at humanity.
1. Hobbes believes that humor_______.| A．resulted in narrow-mindedness of human beings |
| B．was only a way to laugh at others to make oneself feel better |
| C．had the power to mirror personal glory and national values |
| D．was for people to view the world from another angle |
| A．Worried | B．Disappointed |
| C．Curious | D．Appreciative |
| A．by process | B．by example |
| C．by comparison | D．by classification |
| A．Chaplin wasn't aware of being laughed at |
| B．The author feels helpless and sad about getting older |
| C．Never be the one who laughs at other people |
| D．The author is determined to face life with a sense of humor. |
The doctors note the number of young children with the chronic pain(慢性病) in their necks, arms and shoulders is on the increase sharp in recent years . They are not aging, they haven’t had an accident, the blood reports are fine, their X-rays are fine, and their MRIs are fine. Facts have proved that the pain is from the poor posture(姿势) while they are playing video games on smart phones or other electronic devices. 19-year –old student Nida feels pain in the finger which holds the weight of her smart phone most of the day. Nida almost uses her smart phone 24/7, which means 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or all the time.
Health experts predict there will be not only physical（身体的）but mental(精神的) problems resulting from the overuse of electronic devices. They encourage people to often take breaks and exercise from using computers, smart phones or other devices. Stand up! Stretch(伸展) the legs, back, shoulders and arms in all the possible directions. That’s the most effective way and maybe the key to solving the problem completely. After all, the medication doesn’t help sometimes.
1. What is Mehzabin worried about?
| A．Her son has no table manners. |
| B．Her son’s physical problems get worse. |
| C．Her son doesn’t work hard at school. |
| D．Her son spends much money on games. |
| A．Using a heavy smart phone will cause it. |
| B．Adults don’t have the problem. |
| C．It is caused by the wrong body position |
| D．Children with it often have other diseases. |
| A．best treatment for the chronic pain is exercising |
| B．people must take medicine to cure the chronic pain |
| C．people should stop using smart phones |
| D．the chronic pain has nothing to do with one’s mental health |
| A．To Play Games Well, Sit Up Straight |
| B．Too Much Gaming Is A Pain In The Neck |
| C．How To Avoid The Pain In The Neck |
| D．How To Be More Fit By Playing Games |
