How should one invest a sum of money in inflation (通货膨胀)? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate. Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market. Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past. Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques.
I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life. "The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound. It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands. Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control. This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves."
Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time. Certain men were very clever at measuring the time according to the beating of their own hearts. They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout time. So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.
However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time. They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun. They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour- glasses, and invented water-clocks. Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.
Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home. After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in an antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?
【小题1】According to the passage, collecting antique clocks ________.

Salem, the “City of Peace”, is a small city with a big history. It is the second established city in Massachusetts and the second oldest settlement in New England. While Salem has been long known as the “Witch City” due to the notable witch trials of 1692, Salem also played an important part in Revolutionary times and was an active leader of several Massachusetts’ industries, which is why you will find mansions (宅邸) of the country’s first millionaires there.
Salem is located approximately 16 miles (30 minutes) north of Boston and is bordered by Beverly, Danvers, Lynn, Marblehead, Peabody, Swampscott and the Atlantic Ocean. Boston & Maine Railroad serves Salem with transport service, and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority maintains a rail stop and bus service. Air service is available from Beverly Airport (5 miles away) and Logan International Airport (16 miles away). Access is also available on a ferry from Boston.
Salem has various restaurants including outdoor cafes, various restaurants and fine dining establishments. For shoppers there are malls and department stores, an open market, a waterfront village, as well as a downtown shopping district.
There are many local artists and musicians who have shops along the city streets. On a nightly basis, one can stop in a local restaurant or nightspot and listen to some of the most creative music. World famous artwork is displayed at the Peabody Essex Museum and the work of local artists can be found displayed in many downtown shops including Artist Row.
The City of Salem has long had a commitment to the promotion of art and culture. The Salem Cultural Council is a local agency of Salem residents that supports public programs and educational activities in the arts, sciences and humanities. Local artists and theaters, such as CinemaSalem, the Salem Theatre Company, the Salem State College Center for the Arts, the Griffen Theater and the Rebel Shakespeare Company provide entertainment and learning opportunities to residents and visitors alike. The Salem Arts Association, Inc. is an entirely volunteer-run nonprofit arts organization. The SAA seeks to bring art, in all its forms, to the community and bring the community, in all its diversity, to the arts in Salem, Massachusetts.
【小题1】What would be the best title of this passage?

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的从四个选项中（A、B、C和D），选出可以填人空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Born in America, I spoke English, not Chinese, the language of my ancestors. When I was three, my parents flashed cards with Chinese 36 at my face, but I pushed them 37 . My mom believed I would learn 38 I was ready. But the  39  never came.
On a Chinese New Year’s Eve, my uncle spoke to me in Chinese, but all I could do was  40 at him, confused, scratching my head. “Still can’t speak Chinese?” He 41 me, “You can’t even buy a fish in Chinatown.”
“Hey, this is America, not China. I’ll get some  42  with or without Chinese.” I replied and turned to my mom for  43  .
“Remember to ask for fresh fish, Xin Xian Yu,” she said, handing over a $20 bill. I  44 the words, running downstairs into the streets of Chinatown.
I found the fish  45 surrounded in a sea of customers. “I’d like to buy some fresh fish,” I shouted to the fishman. But he  46  my English words and turned to serve the next customer. The laugh of the people behind increased 47  their impatience. With every 48  , the breath of the dragons（龙）on my back grew stronger---my blood boiling---  49  me to cry out, “Xian Sheng Yu， please.” “ Very Xian Sheng,” I repeated. The crowd erupted into laughter. My face turned  50 and I ran back home 51  ,expect for the $20 bill I held tightly in my pocket.
Should I laugh or cry? They’re Chinese. I’m Chinese. I should feel right at  52 Instead , I was the joke , a disgrace (丢脸)to the language.
Sometimes , I laugh at my fish      53  , but , in the end .the joke is on    54 . Every laugh is a culture     55  ; every laugh is my heritage (传统)fading away.
A. custom      B. games    C .characters .            D. language
A. ahead       B. around    C. along                 D. aside
A. when        B. before    C. unless                 D. until
A. success       B. study     C. time                  D. attempt
A. aim         B. joke      C. nod                  D. stare
A. cared about          B. laughed at       C. argued with      D. asked after
A. right now          B. from now        C. at times         D. in time
A. decision            B. permission        C. information      D. preparation
A. repeated            B. reviewed          C. spelled         D. kept
A. farm              B. stand             C. pond            D. market
A. guessed           B. forgot             C. doubted         D. ignored
A. by               B. as                 C. with             D. from
A. second            B. effort             C. desire            D. movement
A. forcing            B. allowing             C. persuading        D. leading
A. bright            B. blank              C. pale             D. red
A. open-mouthed     B. tongue-tied    C. empty-handed     D. broken-hearted
A. service           B. home              C. risk             D. root
A. trade             B. deed               C. challenge       D. incident
A. it                B. us           C. me                D. them
A. thrown           B. lost            C. divided           D. reflected

Hot words on the Internet don’t stay hot for long. “Geili” and “fuyun”, last year’s biggest linguistic innovations, are practically prehistoric in Internet terms. What’s buzzing now is “hold steady”
The term comes from a segment (片段) on the Taiwanese TV show University which features Miss Lin(Xie Yilin) giving a lecture on how to behave like a fashion queen at parties or on the bus. The extremely funny lecture is mainly an over-the-top mockery(嘲笑) of the fashion world, but Miss Lin makes a point: We need to hold steady in pressure-filled or embarrassing situations.
Holding steady, Internet slang for “staying poised”, is one of the qualities the public has been looking for lately as pressures on marriage, work and money can easily drive people crazy. The quality was demonstrated by a girl named Su Miaoling this year. The contestant in the TV singing competition Super Girl carried herself with an air of confidence on stage and kept her cool when others got anxious. “I like your poise(淡定). Very few contestants on this stage can keep calm like you do,” said one of the show’s judges, Hu Haiquan, to Su. Internet users dubbed Su “Sister Poise”.
Poise is also appreciated in Western culture as an essential quality of a well-mannered person. Each year, the National League of Junior Cotillions of the US releases a list of the Ten Best Mannered People. Kate Middleton made it onto the list in 2011 “for the poise and dignity with which she conducts herself in the public spotlight”. The Duchess of Cambridge was also acclaimed earlier this year for her remarkable poise at the royal wedding.
Good news for many, poise is not genetic----it can be acquired with a bit of effort. A personal growth guidance gives tips on how to stay poised. “Take a few deep breaths when you are facing a situation that tests your patience; practice yoga regularly to calm your nerves; use self-affirmation by saying ‘I choose to be calm in any situation’; write down your affirmation daily to imprint the goal,” reads the site.
【小题1】According to the passage, what does “hold steady” mean?

New research shows sheep are clever
People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (啮齿动物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.
Young fish prefer noisy neighbors
A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
Butterflies are disappearing
A new study has shown that 17 species (物种) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (减少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers.
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?