When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it’s amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak scornfully of the poor old Romans because they enjoyed the seemingly excited killing that went on in their arenas（竞技场）. We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority（优越）really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Don’t the audience who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remain as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungry lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long ago.
　　It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men punch each other in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Any talk of ‘the sporting spirit’ is merely hypocrisy（虚伪）. People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Audience are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they haven’t experienced the exquisite pleasure of witnessing continuous violence.
　　Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally—though with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen imprisoned in cages, or public punishment of any of the countless other barbarous (野蛮的) practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the harsh forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is unworthy of human beings.
【小题1】It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s opinion of nowadays’ human beings is ________________

A．not very high.

B．high.

C．scornful.

D．neutral

【小题2】Why does the author mention the old Romans in this article?

A．To reveal that the old Romans first started violent sports.

B．To prove that the old Romans were not civilized.

C．To show human beings in the past knew nothing better.

D．To indicate human beings today are as bloodthirsty as the old Romans.

【小题3】How many dangerous sports does the author mention in this passage?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

【小题4】     What does the author want to illustrate in this article?

A． By banning the violent sports, we human beings can improve ourselves.

B． By banning the dangerous sports, we can improve the law.

C． We must take positive steps to improve social welfare system.

D． Law is the main instrument of social change.

　Having one of those days or weeks — when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster — often within a day or two.

　　Walk it off

　　Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster. A person who’s in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.

　　Tune it out

　　Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we’ve had.

　　Give yourself a pep talk

　　Stop and listen to what’s on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper; the pessimistic (悲观的) messages you’ve been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers. ("I still don’t have a job. "vs" I have two interviews next week.")

　　Reduce your stress

　　Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing (想象), all of which sound complicated but aren’t. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to against distress is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options(选择权) By taking control over certain areas, you realize you’re not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.

　　Avoid things that won’t improve your mood

　　TV may not help much: You need to increase your energy level and stimulate your mind something — that the TV show "Neighbors" won’t do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta, produce a calming effect in people who have a desire for them.

　　We learn from the text that it might help rid us of a bad mood ________.

　　A. to do nothing about it

　　B. to take a long walk on the beach

　　C. to do some exercises with light music

　　D. to talk it to neighbours

　 Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?

　　A. It is not complicated to do so.

　　B. It is an area to be easily controlled.

　　C. It helps beat a bad mood.

　　D. It brings us a new technique.

　　 TV may not improve your mood because ________.

　　A. it sometimes shows what happens around you

　　B. it keeps you stay unmoved

　　C. it reminds you of eating and drinking

　　D. it produces a calming effect

　　This text most probably appears in ________.

　　A. a book on physical exercises            B. a doctor’s handbook

C. a notice                                          D. a magazine　

Can feeling of nostalgia(怀旧) be good for you? Or is it unhealthy to have a strong love for the past?

For years, medical experts have studied nostalgia and the reasons for it. Many experts warn that too much nostalgia is harmful. They say living in the past shows that a person is unhappy with his present life. These feelings keep the person from living his life to its fullest.

　　However, experts say it is normal to love the past sometimes. In fact, a little nostalgia can enrich a person’s life.

　　Dr. Louise Kaplan has written several books about nostalgia. She says these feelings often begin when a young person is between 13 and 19 years old.

　　“This is the time when you must face the loss of your childhood, “Kaplan says. “You see your new life is easily destroyed. But you think romantically about a golden past. You remember your childhood as a time when life is perfect.”

　　These feelings continue as the person gets older, Kaplan adds. She says many grown persons have a hard time keeping up with changes in the modem world, so they think back to their younger years. At that time the world seemed simple and more harmless.

　　Kaplan says these feelings do not always actually exist. The good old days did not always exist. The good old days weren’t always good. However, she says nostalgia can be helpful, if used properly.

　　“Feelings of nostalgia can cause you to remember a time when you had high hopes and dreams, “Kaplan says. “It might give you the strong wish to catch those dreams today in your past life.” She adds that nostalgia can prevent you from “cutting yourself off from your aim”.

1.Feeling of nostalgia ______.

A．can cause you to think of your past which was full of hopes and dreams

B．might cause you to try to realize the golden dream in the present life

C．fill one with hopes for the future no matter what happens

D．bring about a love for the past and a hope for the future

2.The reason for grown persons to think back to their past is that ______.

A．time is hard, so they cannot keep up

B．they can hardly keep up with changes in today’s world with changes

C．many grown persons have little time keeping up with changes

D．they lived in the past, of which they are always proud

3.Which of the following is NOT talked about in the passage?

A．Too much nostalgia is harmful to our health.

B．Nostalgia shows that a person is not satisfied with his present life.

C．Only women have feelings of nostalgia.

D．A little nostalgia can make a person’s life more colorful.

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．Thoughts on Nostalgia

B．The Reasons for Nostalgia

C．Why Not Think Back to the Past

D．Nostalgia, Good or Bad

 

Professor Martin's report says that children who attend a number of different schools, because their parents have to move around the country, probably make slow progress in their studies. There are also signs, says Professor Martin, that an unusually large number of such children are mentally affected.

　　The professor says, "It's true, my personal feeling is that children should stay in one school. However, our findings are based on research and not on any personal feelings that I or my assistants may have on the subject."

　　Captain Thomas James, an Army lecturer for the past 20 years and him self a father of two, said," I've never heard such rubbish. Taking me for ex ample, no harm is done to the education of my children who change schools regularly－if they keep to the same system, as in our army schools. In my experience, I've known quite a few of them－Army children are as well－adjusted（调整）as any others, if not more so. What the professor doesn't appear to appreciate is the fact that in such situations children will adapt（适应）much better than grown-ups."

　　When this was put to Professor Martin, he said that at no time had his team suggested that all such children were backward or mentally affected in some way, but simply that in their experience there was a clear tendency（倾向）.

　　"Our findings show that while the very bright child can deal with regular changes without harming his or her general progress in studies, the majority of children suffer from constantly having to enter a new learning situation."

　　1．According to this passage, Professor Martin's personal feeling_______.

　　　　A. is the opposite of what his report has shown

　　　　B. is in a way supported by his research

　　　　C. has played a big part in his research

　　　　D. is based on his own experience as a child

　

　　2．From the passage, we can conclude that Captain James's children_________.

　　　　A. have been affected by changing schools

　　　　B. go to ordinary State schools

　　　　C. can get used to the Army school education

　　　　D. discuss their education regularly with their father

　　

　　3.About children and grown-ups, Captain James says that children______.

　　　　A. are generally well-adjusted

　　　　B. are usually less experienced

　　　　C. can adapt much more easily

　　　　D. can deal with changes quickly

　　

　　4．According to Professor Martin, _________ suffer from changing schools regularly.

　　　　A. Army children

　　　　B. quite a few children

　　　　C. bright children

　　　　D. few children

 

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四个选项(A，B，C，D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

　　Summer is the best time on the Island of the Blue Dolphins (海豚). The sun is warm then and the winds blow out of the west,   16   out of the south.

    It was   17   these days that the ship might return and now I   18  most of my time on the rock,   19   out from the headland（水中凸起的陆地） into the east, towards the country   20   my people had gone, across the   21   that was never-ending.

    Once   22   I watched, I saw a small object which I took to be the ship, but a stream of water   23   from it and I knew that it was whale (鲸鱼)spouting (喷水). During those summer days I saw nothing   24  .

    The first storm of winter   25   my hopes. If the white men's ship were   26      for me it would have come during the time of good   27  . Now I would have to wait   28   winter was gone, maybe longer.

The thought of being   29   on the island while so many suns rose   30   the sea and went   31  back into the sea   32   my heart with loneliness. I had not felt so   33  before because I was sure   34   the ship would return as Matasaip had said   35   would. Now my hopes were dead.

A. totally           B. already          C. entirely      D. sometimes

A. during           B. for              C. after         D. between

A. spent            B. shared           C. paid          D. devoted

A. look             B. to look           C. looking       D. looked

A. when            B. where            C. which         D. until

A. island            B. sea              C. lake          D. ocean

A. since             B. though           C. while         D. till

A. rose              B. raised           C. grew          D. set

A. different          B. ordinary          C. else           D. valuable

A. encouraged        B. ended            C. spared        D. limited

A. leading           B. moving           C. coming        D. following

A. weather           B. pattern           C. rain           D. fog

A. after              B. as               C. until          D. while

A. quiet              B. alone             C. calm          D. alive

A. of                B. in               C. to            D. from

A. rapidly            B. quickly           C. slowly         D. fully

A. pumped          B. set               C. filled          D. full

A. lonely            B. strict             C. boring         D. empty

A. whether           B. and              C. that           D. when

A. it                B. he               C. that            D. this