1 . Philosophers have a bad reputation for expressing themselves in a dry and boring way. The ideals for most philosophical writing are precision, clarity, and the sort of conceptual analysis that leaves no hair un-split.
There is nothing wrong with clarity, precision, and the like — but this isn’t the only way to do philosophy. Outside academic journals, abstract philosophical ideas are often expressed through literature, cinema, and song. There’s nothing that grabs attention like a good story, and there are some great philosophical stories that delight and engage, rather than putting the reader to sleep.
One of the great things about this is that, unlike formal philosophy, which tries to be very clear, stories don’t wear their meanings on their sleeve — they require interpretation, and often express conflicting ideas for the reader to wrestle with.
Consider what philosophers call the metaphysics (形而上学) of race — an area of philosophy that explorers the question of whether or not race is real. There are three main positions that you can take on these questions. You might think that a person’s race is written in their genes (a position known as “biological realism”). Or you might think of race as socially real, like days of the week or currencies (“social constructionism”). Finally, you might think that races are unreal — that they’re more like leprechauns (一种魔法精灵) than they are like Thursdays or dollars (“anti-realism”).
A great example of a story with social constructionist taking on race is George Schuyler’s novel Black No More. In the book, a Black scientist named Crookman invents a procedure that makes Black people visually indistinguishable from Whites. Thousands of African Americans flock to Crookman’s Black No More clinics and pay him their hard-earned cash to undergo the procedure. White racists can no longer distinguish those people who are “really” White from those who merely appear to be White. In a final episode, Crookman discovers that new Whites are actually a whiter shade of pale than those who were born that way, which kicks off a trend of sunbathing to darken one’s skin-darkening it so as to look more While.
Philosophically rich stories like this bring more technical works to life. They are stories to think with.
1. What does the author think of philosophical stories?| A．The meaning behind is very obvious. |
| B．They am extremely precise and formal. |
| C．They often cause conflicts among readers. |
| D．They are engaging and inspire critical thinking. |
| A．Social constructionism. | B．Anti-realism. |
| C．Biological realism. | D．Literary realism. |
| A．Racial issues caused by skin colors. |
| B．A society view on race and self-image. |
| C．Black people accepted by the white society. |
| D．The origin of sun bathing among white people. |
| A．Stories Made Easy | B．Stories to Think with |
| C．Positions in Philosophy | D．Nature of Philosophical Writing |
Kuppan was a good badminton player. His rise within the ranks of the badminton players of the school was impressive but unusual. One day he was nothing, the next he was a member of the school team.
In the School Championships, he sprang a surprise by knocking out the top seed, Richard Lee, in the semi final. In the final, he easily beat another competitor Abdul Rauf by 15-3 and 15-10. He was the School Champion. It was unbelievable. The previous year he did not even get past the first round, This year he was the champion.
Success got into his head, He began to think he was really good, In fact, he arrogantly (傲慢地) told Richard Lee and the others that they would never beat him again. He claimed he was simply too good for them, in a league of his own.
Well, it was true that Kuppan was a good and skillful player. He had natural ability and talent. So he picked up the game very quickly and soon became the best. However. he did not realize that nobody can remain at the top all the time. What goes up must certainly come down. Kuppan thought he could stay up indefinitely.
The other players were annoyed by Kuppan’ s declaration. They resolved to train harder to beat the guy who had insulted (羞辱) them, They even trained on their own every day while Kuppan wandered around talking with pride about his success. The State Individual Championships were coming up，So was the Interschool Tournament. The school’s coach worked hard to improve the school players. All of them trained hard, except Kuppan. He would miss training or perform half- heartedly. He was more interested in entertaining the admirers that had gathered around him. He thought he was too strong to be defeated.
注意：1.续写词数应为150个左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The State Individual Championships reached us in time.
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Kuppan tried to make a difference in the second round,
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3 . “You’d be an intermediate (中级学生),” the clever salesgirl at the Apple Store said brightly. She was talking about the free classes one could sign up for. An intermediate, I thought with pride. “I’ve used Macs since they had green text and discs,” I said, eager to strengthen my position. “And I had a Mac Classic for years.” She smiled, or maybe she was thinking, “If it’s been that long, why are you still an intermediate?”
Why does one remain an intermediate? Sometimes it’s a matter of opportunity: Leaving New England was a blow to my cross-country skiing. No longer living on the banks of a river held up kayaking. Horseback riding, too, requires an opportunity. I know, however, a friend I rode with as a child bought herself a retired police horse in her 40s. A devoted kayaker would not have been prevented by the highways lying between her and rivers.
Sometimes, it’s ability. I have taken up piano later in life. I love music, but I can see that I have no particular gift for it. Gardening was another late job. I wasn’t a natural at that, either.
I admit I’m a little ashamed of being an intermediate. It seems to imply a lack of focus, an unwillingness to push myself to go deeper or further. Do I lack the persistence to become an expert? Am I too easily distracted to put in the 10,000 hours reportedly required to achieve mastery?
Maybe I have to accept that, for now at least, intermediate is my sweet spot. I’ve moved past the frustrations of beginnerhood without meeting the demands of expertise. A beginner is a beginner and an expert is just that. But an intermediate can be low, medium, or high. And wherever you are as an intermediate, you can always go forward, try harder, and learn more.
Who of us can claim to be an expert parent, wife, husband, child, or friend? At best, we’re the high intermediate with much to learn.
1. What did the writer want to prove to the salesgirl in the first paragraph?| A．Her position as a lifelong intermediate. |
| B．Her good knowledge about Apple computers. |
| C．Her eagerness to attend free courses. |
| D．Her ability to afford to buy expensive computers. |
| A．They are only excuses. |
| B．They appear just by accident. |
| C．They are waiting in our life. |
| D．They just come and go. |
| A．The writer’s worries. |
| B．The writer’s disappointments. |
| C．The writer’s curiosities. |
| D．The writer’s doubts. |
| A．It means the possibility to make improvement. |
| B．It marks the beginning to achieve mastery. |
| C．It presents the opportunity to become an expert. |
| D．It rids people of the difficulty to move on. |
One Saturday morning, I got a call from my aunt. She told me that she had to go with my uncle on a business trip for the day, and she wondered if I could look after my little 6-year-old cousin, Max. I knew that for them, leaving their dearest son for a day was the last thing in the whole world they would do, because they were what is known as “helicopter parents”, who keep watching everything their kids do. As a high school student, I knew exactly that children who were brought up by helicopter parents could end up having many problems and I hoped I could do something to improve the situation, so I accepted her request. Actually, I was honored to be trusted by such parents.
When I arrived there, my aunt and uncle were just ready to go out. The last thing my aunt said to me before they left was “Don’t let him hurt himself while we are away.” She repeated it several times until she thought I took it seriously. After they left, I tried to teach Max to play some games that might be against my aunt’s will, but failed. Max seemed not to be interested, and even frightened. I didn’t want to push him, so I decided to slow it down.
Around lunch time, Max asked me what was for lunch. I said, “I don’t know, what do you want?” He said, “Can you cook scrambled eggs?” I replied, “Of course I can!” “Well,” said Max, “I want some.” I asked him if he could cook. He looked at me in amazement, and said, “Of course not. Mom won’t allow me to approach the kitchen. She thinks I’ll be burnt if I try to do that, but I think it would be amazing to cook what I like on my own.”
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, I had an idea.
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Paragraph 2:
When my aunt and uncle returned, they saw Max cooking a dinner in the kitchen.
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Sophia frowned as she helped her mother and father set out the cooking supplies in the shiny steel kitchen. Her family had just moved here from San Francisco,having bought a small restaurant, which was set to open in the next few days.
“Moving here was a dumb idea," Sophia grumbled,mostly to herself. The girl had been joyless about the move, but her parents had made the decision and were now too busy getting ready for the grand opening to listen to her complaints.
The first few days at her new school hadn't been easy,either. She found it hard to talk to people she didn't know, and it seemed like the students hadn't even noticed her. Sophia sighed and got back to washing dishes.
On the day of the grand opening,Sophia' s parents were all smiling,welcoming customers into the restaurant, brightly decorated in gold and red. Even Sophia was in a good mood as she rushed around,seating guests,handing out menus,and pouring tall glasses of water. This was a big day for her family.
At one of the tables sat a family with two daughters who were about Sophia' s age. As she filled their glasses,Sophia realized the twins were in her class,Emily and Jenny. Sophia ducked her head down so her long hair covered her face,and she turned away from the table.
Sophia' s mother found her soon after, in the kitchen loading the dishwasher.
“Honey, what are you doing back here? We need you out front with the customers. ”
“Mom, I don't want to be out there. There are kids from school!”
“So?” her mother asked.“That's good! Go take them some fortune cookies and say hello!”She clucked her tongue disapprovingly at Sophia and disappeared out of the kitchen.
Sophia frowned. She grabbed a handful of fortune cookies that they gave out after every meal,but first she tore open a wrapper and cracked a cookie open for herself. She popped a sweet, crunchy piece in her mouth, and absently read the fortune paper it held.
“Many friends are found with a single smile,” it read.
注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Sophia sighed. She put a handful of cookies into a small tray and left the kitchen.
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Sophia blushed and nodded. This girl knew her name?
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One windy day in March, Kitty Miller was on her way to school, when she spotted a great pile of lovely red apples in a store window. "Oh, how lovely!” she said. If only Mamma could have one!"
Kitty's mother was very poor. She had been a dressmaker ever since Mr. Miller died, and had worked so hard to earn a living for herself and Kitty that she had become sick. She had to lie in bed all day, and when Kitty was away at school, the house was very lonesome to her.
When Kitty reached the school that day, her thoughts were full of her sick mother and the lovely apples. She was usually a good student, but today she made so many mistakes that the teacher looked at her in surprise. The little girl could only sit at her desk, with her book before her, and dream of those red apples. When school was dismissed, Kitty started slowly homeward. She had gone only a short distance when she saw a gentleman in front of her drop his wallet. Running quickly forward, she picked it up. It felt quite heavy in Kitty's little hand.
There must be a good deal of money in it, thought Kitty. "How I wish I could keep it. Then I could buy Mamma a red apple and so many other things she needs." But she knew this would not be right, so she hurried after the gentleman. Touching him on the arm, she said, "Please, Sir. You dropped your wallet." "Thank you, dear," said the gentleman, taking the wallet. Then noticing how poorly dressed she was, he said, “Why did you not keep the wallet, my child?”
"Because that would be stealing,,, replied Kitty. “But,” she continued honestly, "before I thought I must give it back to you, I did wish I could keep it, for then I could buy Mamma a red apple. "
注意：
1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
The gentleman was surprised.
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When Kitty reached home with her treasures, she found her mother asleep.
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7 . A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All day she felt
The woman arrived home that
She found him in the kitchen and told him the good
Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to
Someone has said that the
Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, “What can you do to
| A．nervous | B．pleased | C．calm | D．angry |
| A．spirit | B．strength | C．courage | D．money |
| A．fear | B．delight | C．sorrow | D．disappointment |
| A．week | B．morning | C．afternoon | D．evening |
| A．meal | B．gift | C．party | D．list |
| A．shop | B．home | C．office | D．restaurant |
| A．kept out | B．turned down | C．set aside | D．put off |
| A．position | B．income | C．news | D．job |
| A．found | B．wrote | C．designed | D．read |
| A．note | B．salary | C．present | D．raise |
| A．eat | B．sweep | C．clean | D．cut |
| A．hung | B．left | C．climbed | D．fallen |
| A．worry about | B．get through | C．end up | D．take up |
| A．somewhere | B．anyway | C．however | D．instead |
| A．price | B．measure | C．method | D．means |
| A．expression | B．operation | C．acceptance | D．reaction |
| A．suffers | B．fails | C．falls | D．loses |
| A．disease | B．problem | C．habit | D．pain |
| A．life | B．family | C．duty | D．work |
| A．protect | B．defend | C．challenge | D．help |
8 . Just several days ago, a violent storm hit our community. I looked out of the window and witnessed a tree being
After the storm had passed, the tree gracefully returned to its
For a long time I couldn’t understand why this tree
I couldn’t but ask myself how deep the roots are in my life.
Faced with
| A．crushed | B．abused | C．broken | D．removed |
| A．height | B．thickness | C．flexibility | D．outline |
| A．answered for | B．depended on | C．catered for | D．touched on |
| A．held | B．tied | C．pulled | D．raised |
| A．achieve | B．reach | C．establish | D．maintain |
| A．current | B．final | C．original | D．comfortable |
| A．explore | B．avoid | C．chase | D．survive |
| A．counts | B．differs | C．concerns | D．reveals |
| A．fixed | B．transferred | C．escaped | D．caught |
| A．strange | B．obvious | C．possible | D．reasonable |
| A．surroundings | B．resources | C．probability | D．stability |
| A．beating | B．stand | C．chance | D．turning |
| A．However | B．Therefore | C．Nevertheless | D．Besides |
| A．misbehaving | B．struggling | C．withdrawing | D．misunderstanding |
| A．security | B．deadline | C．money | D．community |
| A．surprises | B．choices | C．storms | D．changes |
| A．smile | B．bend | C．hesitate | D．advance |
| A．opportunities | B．challenges | C．tasks | D．differences |
| A．trick | B．argue | C．force | D．admit |
| A．courage | B．ambition | C．value | D．strength |
It amazed me—every time I saw Joe, he was smiling. It didn’t
Having observed Joe with other people, I
It made me think...What if I tried to smile more? A(n)
As I drove home, I was smiling. I
Now I know a smile is a small thing, but what if we were all to try to smile a few more times each day? I couldn’t believe how
| A．work | B．happen | C．matter | D．last |
| A．order | B．debt | C．hand | D．line |
| A．always | B．eventually | C．immediately | D．still |
| A．naughty | B．happy | C．active | D．humorous |
| A．decided | B．judged | C．noticed | D．considered |
| A．answers | B．complaints | C．excuses | D．comments |
| A．guidance | B．respect | C．sympathy | D．protection |
| A．perform | B．attempt | C．bother | D．help |
| A．experiment | B．life | C．project | D．program |
| A．meet | B．touch | C．know | D．contact |
| A．glared | B．greeted | C．approached | D．escaped |
| A．spare | B．long | C．hard | D．great |
| A．stopped | B．tried | C．kept | D．enjoyed |
| A．persuaded | B．accepted | C．supported | D．needed |
| A．thanked | B．changed | C．encouraged | D．invited |
| A．worried about | B．thought about | C．talked over | D．looked over |
| A．gesture | B．address | C．call | D．ticket |
| A．normal | B．great | C．reasonable | D．complicated |
| A．so | B．for | C．but | D．till |
| A．release | B．admire | C．display | D．lift |
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
Several years ago, while attending a communication course, I experienced a most unusual process. The instructor asked us to list
This seemed like a very
Then the man next to me raised his hand and volunteered this story: “Making my
After drinking a few beers, we climbed the tall water tank in the middle of the town, and wrote on the tank in bright red paint: Sheriff Brown is a SOB (畜生). The next day, almost the whole town saw our glorious
Nearly 20 years later, Sheriff Brown’s name
“And I want you to know that I did it.” Paused. “I knew it!” he yelled back. We had a good laugh and a
Jimmy inspired me to
| A．something | B．anything | C．somebody | D．anybody |
| A．ashamed | B．afraid | C．sure | D．proud |
| A．private | B．boring | C．interesting | D．funny |
| A．foolish | B．polite | C．simple | D．brave |
| A．expected | B．suggested | C．ordered | D．demanded |
| A．connect with | B．depend on | C．make apologies to | D．get along with |
| A．improve | B．continue | C．realize | D．keep |
| A．notes | B．list | C．plan | D．stories |
| A．any | B．most | C．none | D．all |
| A．part | B．game | C．trick | D．record |
| A．view | B．sign | C．attention | D．remark |
| A．also | B．even | C．still | D．ever |
| A．appears | B．considers | C．presents | D．remembers |
| A．angry | B．happy | C．doubtful | D．alive |
| A．words | B．rings | C．repeats | D．calls |
| A．cold | B．plain | C．nervous | D．lively |
| A．in case | B．so long as | C．unless | D．because |
| A．around | B．out | C．through | D．away |
| A．build up | B．make up | C．clear up | D．give up |
| A．regret | B．forgive | C．right | D．punish |
