【2011·河北邯郸市二模】C

A collection of letters written by a young Elizabeth Taylor to her first love are to be sold at auction（拍卖）.

The 66 letters were penned by the late actress to her first fiance（未婚夫）, William Pawley, the son of a former US ambassador.

Written between March and November 1949, they give an insight into Dame Elizabeth’s rise to Hollywood fame.

The actress died in Los Angeles last month after a long history of ill health aged 79.

In one letter dated 28 March, Dame Elizabeth wrote: “I want our hearts to belong to each other throughout all our life.”

“I want us to be ‘lovers’ always, even after we’ve been married seventy – five years and have at least a dozen great – great – grandchildren.”

In another letter she told Mr. Pawley she “completely believed that you are the only man in the world that I shall ever love”.

By September, the actress was writing about giving back her diamond engagement ring at her fiance’s request, but appeared reluctant to end the relationship saying: “I know with all my heart and soul that this is not the end for us”.

The Oscar – winner went on to have seven husbands.

The collection was bought two years ago from Mr. Pawley, who is now retired, a spokesman for RR Auctions said.

“We rarely come across a collection as rich as this, the letters are in good condition,” Bobby Livingston said.

“William Pawley clearly loved and treasured them for all these years.” The online auction will take place between May 12 and 19.

49．We know from the text that Elizabeth Taylor         .

       A．died in Washington D.C                               B．was once a famous dancer in Hollywood.

       C．once won the Osear Award.                         D．married six times.

50．The letters to be sold at auction were written when Taylor was      years old.

       A．16                         B．17                          C．20                          D．25

51．Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “reluctant”?

       A．unwilling                 B．ready                      C．pleased                   D．satisfied

52．What can we infer from the text?

       A．The 66 letters were written by both Elizabeth Taylor and Mr. Pawley.

       B．Mr. Pawley valued the 66 letters.

       C．Mr. Pawley is retired now.

       D．Elizabeth Taylor and Mr. Pawley didn’t marry in the end.

Just like the young character in Hannah Montana, who so often fights with her father over her desire to be more independent, British teenagers also have their troubles.

A recent survey among 2,000 British parents shows that girls and boys experience similar kinds of stress, with some slight differences .

Girls want to grow up fast, demanding greater freedom. They feel pressure from their peers to be thin and sometimes dangerously experiment with alcohol .

Girls over 14 are more concerned with getting a boyfriend, make-up and going out with friends than with their schoolwork. They are more likely to complain about pocket money .

Parents found they have their toughest time with boys over the age of 15. Their sons are battling bad skin, are reluctant(不情愿的) to speak, and just like girls over 14 are little interested in their studies. Seven out of ten parents said their sons become frustrated(挫败的) when they are not understood .

Unsurprisingly, it isn’t just British teenagers who have such problems.

In a survey published in the US last month, two out of three high school students said their life was tough. There was a universal worry over body image and ability to fit in socially.

Plenty of the teenagers feel great pressures to get good grades, with nearly half regarding this as their top worry. The next biggest issue is pressure they face to get into good college. According to the survey, 66 percent reported saving their money to pay for all or part of college.

“Today’s American teens have witnessed what their families have endured during recent economic challenges, and they are much more aware of the importance of planning ahead,” said Stuart Rubinstein, managing director with TD Ameritrade, which carried out the survey.

What is the article mainly about?

         A. What makes the lives of teenagers so hard?

         B. How to deal with teen problems?

         C. Stress faced by UK and US teenagers.

         D. Peer pressure faced by UK and US teenagers.

According to the survey, boys over 15 often feel great pressure to ______.

         A. grow up fast                  B. experiment with alcohol

         C. get into a good college                  D. be more open and communicative

The underlined word “universal” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to ______.

         A. global                     B. common                C. average                 D. reasonable

How have recent economic challenges affected American teens?

         A. They have become more concerned about their future.

         B. They are now more worried about the ability to fit in socially.

         C. They are attempting to learn more about money management.

         D. They are spending more time developing their practical skills.

Violent gangs. Bar fights. Broken bones. No, we aren’t talking about a late night in Downtown Chico; we’re talking about the things that come to many people’s minds when the word, motorcycle, is mentioned.
Many Chico State students have learned of the convenience of small motorcycles and scooters when it comes to parking on or near campus. Motorcycle parking is something that is available when compared to the amount of vacant automotive parking—something especially valuable when running a bit late for class. Motorcycle-riding students have also learned to appreciate the 50 to 80 average miles per gallon, especially today when it seems as if gasoline prices are shooting up faster and more often than a back alley addict.
Still, some people are reluctant to ride the steel horse. Marc Lewis, a 24-year-old Chico State anthropology student, is one of those people. “I’ve had motorcycles in the past. I know what they’re about. I want another one, for recreational purposes,” Lewis said. The only things holding Lewis back are insurance costs and what he refers to as “unsafe drivers”. Safety and insurance costs certainly are important factors.
Chris Kelley, employee of Cost-U-Less Insurance Center at 166 Cohasset Road, Suite 3, admits that motorcycle insurance can get pricey. The average price per month for Chico State students in their 20s is about $100, Kelley said. “The most expensive rate I’ve ever charged was something like $32,000 a year,” Kelley said. “The guy had a horrible record.”
If a motorcycle is something that you’ve always been curious about but have been frightened by the dangerous image it is often given, try rethinking your position. Motorcycling is one of the most diverse activities in existence. Consider the information you find here a brief introduction to several of the more popular aspects of motorcycle riding.
44. When it comes to motorcycles, one tends to think of ____.
A. a late night in Downtown Chico           B. the horse made of steel
C. the money paid for insurance               D. a horrible image motorcycles give
45. According to the second paragraph, which of the following is NOT true?
A. It is very convenient for students to ride motorcycles.
B. The campus has enough parking place for motorcycles.
C. Students are often late for class riding motorcycles.
D. Motorcycles consume less gasoline.
46. Why are some people unwilling to ride the steel horse?
A. Because they often have their bones broken.
B. Because they are worried about the costly insurance and safety problems.
C. Because they have to pay for the pricey gasoline.
D. Because they don’t want to ride it for entertainment.
47. The writer intends to tell us in the last paragraph that ____.
A. we shouldn’t buy a motorcycle due to the danger it causes
B. many people are frightened by the dangerous image
C. we shouldn’t be curious about the motorcycle any more
D. motorcycles are still popular regardless of the disadvantages

 Billy，a hard-working student，is fourteen years old and in the ninth grade．He has a part-time job that   16  him up every morning at five o’clock，when most people are still  17    asleep．He is a newspaper boy.

    Each morning，Billy leaves the house at 5：15 to go to the   18  where the newspapers always are．The newspapers were   19   to the corner by truck at midnight．He always takes a wagon to  20   them．

       In the winter it is still dark  21  he gets up every day，but during the rest of the year it is   22  ．Billy must send the newspapers to the houses of people on his  23    in all kinds of weather．He tries to put each paper on the porch(门廊)where it will be  24  from wind and rain or snow．Sometimes his customers give him tips，  25  him very excited．

       Billy earns about$70 per month through hard   2 6 ，and he is saving some of the money to go to  27  ，where he has always been longing to go．Besides that，he  28  the rest of the earnings on records and clothes．Once a month，he has to collect the   29    at night since many of them work during the day．That is when he is  30  so that he is full of excitement．Luckily，he gets   31   supported by his family．Sometimes，when Billy is sick，his brother offers to deliver the newspapers for him．Once，his father was too   32  to help him,

    Billy has seventy customers now，but he doesn’t feel   33  about the number．

    He dreams that he will get  34  customers as possible some day．  35  ，he might win a prize for being an outstanding newspaper boy．He wants to win a trip to Europe，but he will be happy if he wins a new bicycle.

1.A．were         B．take           C．gets         D．pick

2.A．sound          B．falling             C．fall            D．soundly

3.A．corner         B．street            C．room             D．department

4.A．given           B．addressed    C．handed         D．delivered

5.A．carry           B．bring              C．send              D．load

6.A．at which    B．while            C．that         D．when

7.A．short                B．black            C．1ight          D．long

8.A．mad             B．way            C．route             D．path

9.A．protected   B．stopped          C．kept         D．prevented

10.A．making    B．1etting           C．1eading        D．causing  

11.A．attempt            B．job              C．work              D．struggle

12.A．abroad    B．school             C．college          D．hospital-

13.A．costs         B．spends         C．pays               D．uses

14.A．paper        B．money            C．newspapers      D．records

15.A．depressed           B．energetic         C．fulfilled          D．moved

16.A．very           B．great        C．greatly           D．a lot of

17.A．1ikely        B．reluctant       C．tired          D．willing

18.A．satisfying  B．pleasant          C．contented         D．happy

19.A．many more B．as much           C．as many        D．much more

20.A．If that       B．If so           C．Besides         D．What’s more

My friends and I had just finished lunch at a hotel when it started to pour  1  . When it became lighter, I decided to get my car, which was  2  at my office three streets away.
My friends argued that I shouldn’t go, mainly because I was seven months pregnant then. I assured them that I’d be very  3 .
I walked out of the  4 and started making my way to the car. At the traffic junction, a van stopped and the passenger got off with an umbrella. Before I knew what was happening, he walked right beside me and told me he’d escort(护送) me to my  5  . I was very embarrassed and declined(辞谢), but he was very  6 .
During our  7  , he kept telling me to walk slower, as the ground was  8  . When we got to the car park, I  9  him and we parted ways. I did not get his  10  and may not even recognise him now. Did he  11  stop for me? I’ll never know.
So how did I pay it forward? I was at home when I  12  two Indian construction workers walking in the heavy rain. They were probably on their way to the construction  13  near my estate, which was a long walk in. I went out and passed them an umbrella. I told them they should take the umbrella and  14  it. They were very grateful and like me, probably wondered why a  15  was offering such kindness.