Blind photography sounds strange．But a striking exhibition of photographs in California argues that it develops as a result of the contemporary art．The show "Sight Unseen", at the California Museum of Photography until Aug．29, includes everything: underwater scenes, landscapes, abstracts and everything else you might expect from a "sighted" photographer．

       How do the blind take their photographs? Some rely on assistants to set up and then describe the shots （镜头） , and others just point and shoot in the right place．"Just like any good artists," says McCulloh．"They have their unique ways of operating．" One participating photographer is Pete Eckert, an artist with multiple degrees in design and sculpture who only turned to photography after losing his vision in the mid-1990s．He opens the shutter （快门） on his camera and then uses flashlights, lights, and candies to paint his scene on film．A former fashion photographer in Chicago, Weston, lost his vision due to AIDS in 1996 and focuses on images of destruction and disability．His photos are also a star of the show．

       What do gallery-goers say? "I was very impressed by it．The technique and experience was amazingly different," says John Hesketh, a printmaker in Anaheim．"You never have a sense of feeling sorry for these people because they've worked very hard to prove their value．"

       Beyond the praise, however, the exhibition also makes a great example for disabled people everywhere．That point was explained in early May during a discussion on the TV show．At the very end of the talk, one attendee expressed his opinion．"This exhibition is extraordinary and revolutionary for many reasons．I think that by being an artist with a disability, you are continuing the work of those people who fought for basic civil rights to gain access and to have a voice．In that way, it's so wonderful that your photographs say it all．"

1．From the passage we know that some blind people take photos by

       A．describing the things to their assistants

       B．holding the camera and shooting randomly（随意地）

       C．opening the shutter with the help of others

       D．using special equipment designed for them

2．We can learn from the passage that blind photographers ______

       A．were not born blind                   B．do jobs related to art

       C．focus on different subjects                    D．like photos of destruction

3．The significance of the exhibition lies in the fact that ______．

       A．the California Museum of Photography receives praises for holding the show

       B．the public have a chance to know what the blind people are concerned about

       C．the blind photographers have a good place to show their works

       D．the exhibition can be very inspiring to the blind in the world

------Is Catherine seriously ill?

 ------ ____________. She is in hospital and remains unconscious.

A. I don’t think so  B. I’m not sure  C. I’m afraid so   D. I hope not

. ---Learning a language isn’t easy. It takes time.

---I agree. ________. There is no short cut.

A. All roads lead to Rome                         B. Rome was not built in a day

C. Practice makes perfect                   D. Slow but sure wins the race

．Why must I apologize to him? I am in no way_________for the quarrel, after all.

       A．blamed     B．to blame   C．to be blamed    D．being blamed

. Busy as he is, he ________ a few hours a week for physical exercise.

    A. set off         B. set about         C. set aside          D. set away

I have been told that the new law will come into_________on January 1st next year．

       A．effect               B．use                 C．service          D．existence 

第二节：完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）。

September 4 was my first day at Phillips Academy, my new school. It was also my 18th birthday. I received a warm  36  from my host family---the Steins. Gena was my host mum, and her daughter Lily would also be a new  37   at Phillips. They took me to the school and   38   me around the campus.

On our way to my dorm, we saw a huge truck delivering a student’s   39   to her room. Many students at the school were very rich, and they would fill their dorm with decorations. But I   40   not to because I thought it was a   41   of time and money.

I had a single room, which was about the   42   of a Chinese college dorm---the ones which normally hold six people.

  43   she helped carry my bags, Lily asked me, “What’s your favorite   44   , Teresa?”

    I thought for a moment before answering, “Orange.”

I didn’t know why she asked the question.

We   45   an introduction meeting after dinner.   46   of the students were native English speakers, so I felt a little  47   .

I returned to my room after the   48   tired and wanting to go to bed after a(n)   49  day.

When I opened my door, I found a big   50   . The bed was perfectly made with blankets and an orange sunflower pillow（枕头）. On the   51   was a sunflower-pattern mat （垫子）while a colorful lamp   52   beside the bed.

I opened mouth,   53   . How beautiful!

There was also a   54   card. I touched the little pillow on the bed as I read the card. A warm current (暖流)   55   through my body.

36    A. heart   B. card    C. service       D. welcome

37    A. student       B. teacher       C. citizen D. visitor

38    A. walked      B. introduced  C. showed      D. invited

38    A. belongings B. newspaper  C. letters D. furniture

40    A. warned      B. forced C. decided      D. supposed

41    A. matter B. waste  C. show   D. use

42    A. design B. size     C. pattern       D. example

43    A. As      B. Though      C. Because      D. While

44    A. fruit   B. weather      C. food   D. color

45    A. organized   B. planned      C. attended     D. opened

46    A. All     B. Most   C. Some  D. Few

47    A. pleased      B. nervous      C. angry  D. afraid

48    A. dinner B. class   C. meeting      D. teaching

49    A. exciting     B. ordinary     C. boring D. interesting

50    A. secret  B. joke    C. warmth      D. surprise

51    A. wall    B. desk    C. chair   D. ground

52    A. stood       B. lay      C. appeared    D. hung

53    A. frightened  B. moved       C. satisfied     D. understood

54    A. post    B. birthday     C. greeting     D. festival

55    A. flew   B. went   C. took    D. rushed

This is why Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo came back.

The Chinese pair finally won the Olympic gold medal that eluded （避开） them for so many years Monday night, a prize so compelling it lured（诱使）them out of the cozy life of a happily retired married couple. It wasn’t the best skate of their career, but it was good enough for gold and that was all that mattered.

Their score of 216. 57 points was more than three points ahead of teammates Pang Qing and Tong Jian. When Shen and Zhao finished their routine, Zhao knelt to the ice, burying his face in his hands while his wife patted his back. He pumped his fist several times while she smiled, her grin was so bright it could light up the entire arena（圆形运动场）.

Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany dropped to the bronze medal after a flawed free skate.

It’s the first time since 1960 that a Russian or Soviet couple isn’t atop the Olympic platform, ending one of the longest winning streaks in sports. Perhaps even more shocking, the Russians are leaving empty - handed, with no medals of any color.

Shen and Zhao, bronze medalists at the last two Olympic Games, retired after winning their third title in 2007.  They got married, and lived the easy life of retirees, doing shows and appearances. But something was missing--that gold medal.

1. Which statement is WRONG according to paragraph one?

A. It was the Chinese pair who eventurelly won the Olympic gold medal.

    B. The Chinese pair performed the excellent skate of their career.

    C. The Chinese pair have been living a comfortable life.

    D. The Chinese pair don’t get along well with each other.

2. From paragraph two and three, we can learn ________.

    A. Shen and Zhao’s efforts paid off at last

    B. Shen was so tired that she knelt to the ice

    C. Pang and Tong won the bronze medal

    D. The German pair ranked the second place

3. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “grin” ?

    A. wide smile     B. happy laugh       C. excited feeling     D. happiness

4. What can we know from the passage?

    A. The Soviet pair also got some medals in the Olympic.

    B. Shen and Zhao retired in 2007 and got married after they got their silver medal.

C. It’s the gold medal that lures them back to the Olympic.

    D. The German pair always performed well during the competition.

第三节 书面表达（满分30分）

你校（十四中学）在星期五下午3:30安排了海滨大学的美国教授Mr．Smith做题为《Task-based Learning》的英语讲座。你想邀请你的好友王强来参加，因为他对英语学习很有兴趣。请根据下面的示意图给他发一个E-mail告诉他讲座的内容、时间以及如何从他家乘车到你校。你将在3:10 在学校门口等他。

注意：1．开头以为你写好，不计入总词数。2．词数：100左右。3．可适当添加细节，使行文连贯。

参考词汇：Terminus 终点站; 十字路口 crossing

― Have you finished your composition already, Jack?

    ― Yes, I _____ it within half an hour.

      A．have finished     B．finish       C．finished        D．had finished