The painter Georgia O’keeffe was born in Wisconsin in 1887 and grew up on her family’s farm. At seventeen she decided she wanted to be an artist and left the farm for schools in Chicago and New York, but she never lost her bond with the land. Like most painters, O’Keeffe painted the things that were most important to her, and nearly all her works are simplified portrayals of nature.

  O’Keeffe became famous when her paintings were discovered and exhibited in New York by the photographer Levered Stieglitz, whom she married in 1924. During a visit to New York in 1929, O’Keeffe was so moved by the bleak（荒凉的） landscape and broad skies of the Western desert that she began to paint its images. Cows’ skulls and other bleached（变白的） bones found in the desert figured prominently（突出的） in her paintings. When her husband died in 1946, she moved to New Mexico permanently and used the horizon lines of the desert, colorful flowers, rocks, barren(贫瘠的) hills, and the sky as subjects for her paintings. Although O’Keeffe painted her best known works in the 1920’s, 1930’s and 1940’s, she continued to produce tributes（贡品、颂词） to the Western desert until her death in 1986.

O’Keeffe is widely considered to have been a pioneering American modernist painter. While most early modern American artists were strongly influenced by European art, O’Keeffe’s position was more independent. She established her own vision and preferred to view her painting as a private endeavor. Almost from the beginning, her work was more indentifiably American than that of her contemporaries in its simplified and idealized treatment of color, light, space, and natural forms.

Which of the following best tells what this passage is about ?

 A. O’Keeffe was a distinctive modern American painter.

 B. O’Keeffe was the best painter of her generation.

 C. O’Keeffe liked to paint only what was familiar to her.

 D. O’Keeffe used colors and shapes that are too reduced and simple.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an influence on O’Keeffe’s paintings ?

 A. Her rural upbringing         B. Her life in the West

 C. The works of European artists  D. The appearance of the natural landscape

Which of the following is most similar to O’Keeffe’s relationship with nature?

 A. A photoghrapher’s relationship with a model.

 B. A writer’s relationship with a publisher.

 C. A student’s relationship with a teacher

 D. A carpenter’s relationship with a hammer.

Why is O’Keeffe considered an artistic pioneer ?

 A. Her work became influential in Europe.

 B. She painted the American Southwest.

 C. Her paintings had a definite American style.

 D. She painted things that were familiar to her.

At the onset of a northern winter, many dream of warmer climates.In 1934 the Canadian-born composer Colin Mcphee did more than dream. He set out for the island of Bali.
In his book A House in Bali,Colin Mcphee described how he first gained insight into the essence of Balinese music.For about a month he had been working on transcribing a complete score to a Balinese play he had seen. It seemed impossible that so much beauty could be achieved with a scale(音阶)of only five tones.
But the distinctive embellishments(修饰音)of the music eluded him.Fortunately a young household helper and his friend decided to assist. One morning they set two objects next to Mcphee’s piano.They were gangas--metal keyed instruments.The two boys played them in what struck Mcphee as”a fast duet(二重奏） in Morse code”.
At last the composer had found the key to Balinese music.“Wait!” Mcphee would call out from the piano as the boys flew along,“Stop!Please!That bit once more!”
Patiently the boys would stop and began again.But soon they were flying again,faster than ever, amazing Mcphee with their memory and precision. Sometimes the patterns repeated.Sometimes they opened up into something new. Then, suddenly the whole duet would fly apart and the boys would burst out laughing,breaking the spell.
Although Colin Mcphee left the island in 1939,he remained spellbound by Balinese music.And its rich,distinctive sound would colour many of the compositions he would write for the next quarter century.
【小题1】From the passage we can learn that_______________________.

阅读理解

　　In the past, Americans used to think of the United States as a“melting pot”of immigrants(移民) from many different cultures to the United States, their old ways melted away and they became part of a completely new culture. The United States was likened to a big pot of soup, which had bits of flavor(味道，滋味) from each different culture. All of the different cultures were so well blended(混合，掺杂) together that it formed its own new flavor.

　　Today, Americans realize that the simple“melting pot”theory is less true. Instead, different groups of people keep many of their old customs. Often groups of Americans from the same culture band together. They live together in distinctive communities, such as“Chinatowns”or“Little Italy”--areas populated almost exclusively(惟一，仅) by Americans of a single ethnic group--which can be found in many large American cities. Living in ethnic neighborhoods gives new Americans the security of sharing a common language and common traditions with people who understand them.

　　In time, however, people from different backgrounds mix together. They also mix with native-born Americans. Old traditions give way to new customs. The children of immigrants are often eager to adopt new, American ways. They often want to dress in American fashions, to speak English and to follow American social customs. By one estimate(估计), about 80 percent of European immigrants marry outside their own ethnic groups by the time they reach the third generation. Third generation means that their great-grandparents were immigrants. Yet as successive generations become more“Americanized”, they often retain significant elements of their ethnic heritage.

1．Ｗhat does the text mainly talk about?

[　　]

A．The American way of life.

B．Immigrants vs．native-born Americans.

C．Old traditions vs．new customs.

D．The multi-cultural heritage of the United States.

2．Why does the author mention“Chinatowns”in the 2nd paragraph?

[　　]

A．To give an example that many people keep their old customs.

B．To show that Chinese cherish their old traditions.

C．To contrast(对比) the Chinese way of life with that of the Italian's.

D．To give an example of the Americanization(美国化).

3．The underlined word“ethnic”in the last sentence most probably means _____.

[　　]

A．moral　　　　B．national

C．cultural　　　D．social

4．The underlined word“Americanized”generally means _____.

[　　]

A．immigrants who still retain their tradition, but behave like Americans in some ways

B．immigrants who still retain their own language, but speak English sometimes

C．immigrants who reject the traditions of their parents, and accept Western culture only

D．immigrants, naturalized by native American culture, in character, way of thinking etc. though still retaining some ethnic heritage

第二节完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，共30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
London taxi drivers know the capital like the back of their hands. Just  36  into one of the city’s 22,000 distinctive (有特色的)shaped cars and tell the driver your  37 . No matter how small and obscure (模糊的) the street is,  38  will be able to get you there without any  39 .
The reason London taxi drivers are so  40  is that they have all gone through a very rough training period known as “the knowledge” to get the special license （许可证） 41  to drive taxis. During this period,  42  can take from two to four years, the would-be taxi driver  43  learn the most  44  route to every single road and to every important building in London. To  45  this, most learners go around the city  46  small motorbikes, practicing how to move to and from different points of the city.
Going around London on a small motorbike can have its problems, particularly during the winter. Collin Sinclair, 40, who has been a taxi driver for 15 years, described his  47  period as a time of  48 , sweat and tears. “There was thick snow everywhere and I had to  49  my mother’s tights (紧身裤) because I was so cold,” he said.
Learner taxi drivers  50  several times during their training period  51  government officers. Sinclair thought his exams were a nerve-racking (伤脑筋的) experience. “The officers  52  you, ‘How do you get from Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London?’ and you have to take them there in a very direct line. When you get to the Tower, they  53  say, ‘Well done.’ They will quickly  54  the next question. After five or six questions, they’ll just say, ‘See you in two months time,’ and  55  you know the exam is over.”
36.A. jump     B. take     C. insert          D. sit
37.A. name       B. address    C. destination        D. place
38.A. a driver      B. the driver C. and the driver   D. drivers
39.A. question     B. hesitation  C. puzzle        D. trouble
40.A. kind          B. efficient         C. gentle         D. sensitive
41.A. made         B. taken       C. needed        D. suited
42.A. it               B. which      C. that         D. what
43.A. has to               B. wants to   C. must           D. need
44.A. easy           B. fast     C. good          D. direct
45.A. achieve      B. admit      C. know          D. find
46.A. ride             B. by       C. take         D. on
47.A. driving      B. training   C. parking       D. working
48.A. hope      B. convenienceC. flood         D. blood
49.A. dress          B. put on     C. wear           D. dress in
50.A. are taught    B. are tested        C. are fed up       D. are tired
51.A. with          B. as       C. for          D. by
52.A. ask            B. tell      C. order          D. teach
53.A. will           B. used to    C. won’t         D. would
54.A. move on to B. rely on    C. stand by      D. fill out
55.A. when         B. what        C. then               D. that

Ride With The Leader
CitySights NY has become the recognized leader in NYC’s sightseeing.
We operate the first top-deck-seating-only buses. Look for friendly ticket agents throughout the city. We very much appreciate your choosing us and wish you a wonderful visit.
Downtown Tour
Empire State Building. Chinatown.
World Trade Center Site. Wall Street.
United Nations. Rockefeller Center.
Departure Times: 7:45am—6:00pm, daily.
Departure Locations: 8th Ave. between 49th &50th Sts.,
Broadway between 47th &48th Sts., 7th Ave. &42th St.
◆Uptown Tour
Lincoln Center. Central Park.
Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Museum of Natural History.
Museum of Modern Art and more.
Departure Times: 9:00—5:00pm, daily.
Departure Locations: 8th Ave. between 42th &43th Sts., 8th Ave. & 52th St.
◆Night Tour
Enjoy and photograph the magnificent Manhattan skyline.
Enjoy view of Times Square, SoHo, Little Italy, Brooklyn
Bridge and more.
Departure Times: 6:30—8:00pm, 7 days a week.
Departure Locations: Broadway between 47th &48th Sts,, 7th Ave. & 42th St.
◆Shopping Day Trip
Enjoy the excitement of finding the world’s finest designer
labels for less at Woodbury Common Premium Outlet.
Visitors enjoy a distinctive shopping experience while
saving 25% to 65% every day.
Departure Location: Pot Authority Bus Terminal.
Departure Times : 8:30am, 9:30am, 10:00am, daily.
Returning:4:10pm, 5:20pm, 6:15pm, daily.
◆Escorted Day Trips
Professional tour guides accompany throughout.
All Day Trips about 13 hours. Reservations Required.
Walk the Boston Freedom Trail
Walk the Freedom Trail, which is 2.5 miles long with 16 historic sites. Decide the length of
walk you wish to take. Visit Boston Harbor. See the downtown financial district and cross the
Charles River to visit the squares of Cambridge, Harvard & MIT universities.
Philadelphia & Amish Country
See the Liberty Bell and Constitution Square. Continue to Lancaster Country, home of the
Amish people. Learn how Amish live without modern technology, electricity, running water or
phones.
Departure Time: 7:00am.
Departure Location: 125 Park Ave. between 42th & 41th Sts.
【小题1】On which tour can you visit the United Nations?