"Yes, but what did we use to do before there was television?" How often we hear statements like this! Television hasn't been with us all that long, but we are already beginning to forget what the world was like without it. Before we admitted the "one-eyed monster" into our homes, we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time. We used to enjoy civilised pleasures. For instance, we used to have hobbies, entertain our friends and be entertained by them, go outside for our amusements. We even used to read books and listen to music occasionally. Now all our free time is regulated by the "goggle box". We rush home for our meals to be in time for this or that programme. A sandwich and a glass of beer will do—anything, providing it doesn't interfere with the programme. The monster demands and obtains absolute silence and attention. If any member of the family dares to open his mouth during a programme, he is quickly silenced.

Whole generations are growing up addicted to the television. Food is left uneaten, homework undone and sleep is lost. The television is a universal thing that makes people calm. It is now standard practice for mother to keep the children quiet by putting them in the living-room and turning on the set. It doesn't matter what the children will watch—so long as they are quiet.

Television encourages passive enjoyment. We become content with second-hand experiences. It is so easy to sit in our armchairs watching others working. Little by little, television cuts us off from the real world. We get so lazy, we choose to spend a fine day in semi-darkness. Television may be a splendid medium of communication, but it prevents us from communicating with each other. We only become aware how totally irrelevant television is to real living when we spend a holiday by the sea or in the mountains. In quiet, natural surrounding, we quickly discover how little we miss the King television.

1..

. Through the passage, the writer aims to tell us ________.

A. how television is damaging our health  

B. how to keep away from watching television  

C. that television is doing harm to our life  

D. all of us find it difficult to live without television  

2..

 What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. Second-hand experiences provided by television are harmful.  

B. We can enjoy our life without television.  

C. Television is a necessary way of communication.  

D. Television is becoming irreplaceable in our daily life.  

3..

. What's the main reason for parents to put the children before a television set?

A. To save more time for housework.  

B. To help them sleep earlier.  

C. To keep them quiet.  

D. To help them learn more knowledge from television.  

4..

 By saying "we never found it difficult to occupy our spare time," the writer means ________.

A. television occupies too much of our spare time  

B. it's easy for us to find some spare time to enjoy the television  

C. we have less spare time after we have television  

D. it's difficult to spend our spare time without a television  

 

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

Another person’s enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.

I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father  __36__  me to her with these words: “ I would like you to meet the fellow who is ­­­­­__37__ for being the worst boy in this country and will probably start throwing rocks at you no __38__ than tomorrow morning.”

My stepmother walked over to me, __39__ my head slightly upward, and looked me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “You are __40__. This is not the worst boy at all, __41__ the smartest one who hasn’t yet found an outlet(释放的途径) for his enthusiasm.

That statement began a(n) __42__ between us. No one had ever called me smart. My family and neighbors had built me up in my __43__ as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that.

She changed many things. She __44__ my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father’s career could be more __45__ and my brother and I could be better __46__.

When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand __47__ and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, I __48__ it, and I saw how it had improved our lives. I accepted her __49__ and began to write for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of _ 50__ that great day I went to interview Andrew Carnegie and received the task which became my life’s work later. I wasn’t the __51__ beneficiary (受益者). My father became the __52__ man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.

What power _53__ has! When that power is released to support the certainty of one’s purpose and is __54__ strengthened by faith, it becomes an irresistible(不可抗拒的) force which poverty and temporary defeat can never __55__ .

You can communicate that power to anyone who needs it. This is probably the greatest work you can do with your enthusiasm.

1.                A．rushed         B．sent           C．carried   D．introduced

 

2.                A．distinguished    B．favored         C．mistaken  D．rewarded

 

3.                A．sooner         B．later           C．longer    D．earlier

 

4.                A．dragged        B．shook          C．raised    D．bent

 

5.                A．perfect         B．right           C．wrong    D．impolite

 

6.                A．but            B．so             C．and  D．or

 

7.                A．agreement      B．friendship       C．gap  D．relationship

 

8.                A．opinion         B．image          C．expectation   D．mind

 

9.                A．begged         B．persuaded      C．ordered  D．invited

 

10.               A．successful      B．meaningful      C．helpful    D．useful

 

11.               A．treated         B．entertained     C．educated  D．respected

 

12.               A．camera         B．radio          C．bicycle    D．typewriter

 

13.               A．considered      B．suspected       C．ignored   D．appreciated

 

14.               A．belief          B．request        C．criticism   D．description

 

15.               A．teaching        B．writing         C．studying   D．reading

 

16.               A．next           B．same          C．only  D．real

 

17.               A．cleverest       B．wealthiest       C．strongest  D．healthiest

 

18.               A．enthusiasm      B．sympathy       C．fortune   D．confidence

 

19.               A．deliberately     B．happily         C．traditionally    D．constantly

 

20.               A．win            B．reach          C．match D．doubt

 

 

When Christina Brouder was five years old, a drunk driver ran over her as she and her father were crossing the street in front of their home．Hurt badly, the young girl was forced to spend a long time in a full-body cast（ 石膏） to recover from her injuries．Mostly, she traveled between the hospital and her home．Once out of the cast, Brouder sat in a wheelchair for almost a year.

       In spite of the horrible accident, Christina was grateful for her recovery．She was so grateful, in fact, that she and her four talented siblings（ 兄弟姐妹） （ three sisters and a brother） started a music group, Gilbride．The group performed at local hospitals and nursing homes, performing for the patients．Among them, the children could sing, dance and play about 20 different musical instruments．At their first show in 1988, held at Montefiore Hospital, the kids were 2,3,6,8 and 9 years old．That year alone, the group made over a hundred appearances．

       From the local public entertainment places, the group expanded to charity performances．They also entertained people at Disney World, Radio City Music Hall, and even the White House．

    Christina balanced her happy and successful musical career with academics．First graduating from New York City’s High School of Music and Art，and then from Fordham．In 2000，as t he youngest graduate from Fordham，1 8一year—old Christina and her siblings went on tour for a year．Not pleased with the applause she received from the audience, she entered Pace University Law School．On May 19，Christina Brouder realized part of her dream when at only 22，she received Health Law Certificate（ 文凭）．

1.What happened to Christina when she was five years old?

    A．She was coldly deserted by her father．

    B．She got a strange and serious disease．

    C．She had to give performances to make a living．

    D．She was seriously injured in a traffic accident．

2.According to the text，Christina was         .

    A．thankful and hardworking                    B．a little shy but gentle

    C．a 1ittle stupid and 1azy                         D．sad and bored with her 1ife

3.According to the passage，the siblings           .

    A．were talented in music

    B．were interested in sports

    C．were enthusiastic about writing

    D．had the ability to draw very well

4.In terms of time，what is the correct order of the things Christina did?

    a．She graduated from Fordham．

    b．Christina received Health Law Certificate．

    c．Their first show was held at Montefiore Hospital．

    d．She and her siblings entertained at the White House．

A．d，a，b，c    B．d，c，b，a      C．c，d，a，b        D．c，b，d，a

 

Martial Art Films are supposed to be educational, inspiring, as well as ______.

A. entertaining      B. entertained       C. joy         D. delighted

 

Magic is believed to have begun with the Egyptians, in 1700 BC. A magician named Dedi of Dedsnefu was reported to have performed for the pharaoh, or the king. He was also known to have entertained the slaves who built the pyramids. The "Cups and Balls" trick which he was particularly good at is still performed by magicians all over the world today.

The ancient Greeks and Romans were also fascinated by the idea of magic. Actually, one of their main interests was the art of deception（欺骗）. This explains why at that time the priests（神父） even built magic devices into their temples. These devices made it possible for doors to open by themselves and wine to flow magically out of statues' mouths. This was done mainly to convince people that the priests were powerful.

Magic, however, was not well accepted before the 1800s. Magicians were thought of as freaks（怪物） and were only allowed to perform in a circus（马戏团）. It was in the 19th century that the magician Robert Houdin came along and changed people's views and attitudes about magic. It was also because of Robert Houdin that many magicians were able to add Dr. or MD to their names. Today magicians try hard to find new ways to show their practiced skills. Magic is now entertainment for families all over the world.

1.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Magical Tricks                   B. The History of Magic

C. Magic as Entertainment           D. A Great Magician

2.In ancient Greece, what did the priests do to show people they had unusual power?

A. They performed magical tricks to entertain people.

B. They made the statues in the temples drink wine as they wished.

C. They treated the people with wine flowing down from statues' mouths.

D. They built magic devices in the temples to make doors open by themselves.

3. What did people think of magic before 1800?

A. Magic should be used only in temples.

B. Magic could only be performed in a circus.

C. Magic was performed by freaks and doctors.

D. Magic was the major daily activity for the pharaohs.

4.Which of the following statements is true?

A. Magic began about 3,700 years ago.          

B. Dedi of Dedsnefu performed magic for kings only.

C. Robert Houdin was the first magician to perform magic.

D. The "Cups and Balls" trick has been performed for about 1,700 years.