Winston Churchill once described Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery（谜） inside a puzzle”. Observers of Russia in the 21st century could surely say the same of the country’s president, Vladimir Putin.
Born in Leningrad, six months before the death of Stalin, the young Putin experienced a poverty-stricken childhood but received a good education. He developed lifelong interests in judo and spy novels, and first applied to the KGB(苏联国家安全委员会) at the age of 17. When they told him to go away and come back with a degree, he completed with an efficiency(效率) that would later serve him well.
Putin used his KGB training, plus his own discipline and common sense, in a series of jobs. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000 presidential election and in 2004 he was re-elected for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008. 
Due to term limits, Putin was unable to run for a third presidential term. After the victory of  Dmitry Medvedev, in the 2008 presidential elections, he was appointed to be Russia’s Prime Minister.
Putin is regarded as one bringing political stability and re-establishing the rule of law. During his presidency, Russia’s economy(经济) bounced back, seeing GDP increase by 72%, poverty cut more than half, and average monthly salaries increase from $80 to $640. Analysts have described Putin's economic reforms as impressive. At the same time, his conduct in office has been questioned by political opposition at home, foreign governments, and human rights organizations for leading the Second Chechen War, and for his record on human rights and freedoms.
Whether he wants to drive Russia into a new stage, or believes in the values of its Soviet past, he is determined to put his nation back on its feet. To do this, Vladimir Putin may have to show his true colors sooner rather than later.
【小题1】 What would be the best title for the text?

Winston Churchill once described Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery（谜） inside a puzzle”. Observers of Russia in the 21st century could surely say the same of the country’s president, Vladimir Putin.

Born in Leningrad, six months before the death of Stalin, the young Putin experienced a poverty-stricken childhood but received a good education. He developed lifelong interests in judo and spy novels, and first applied to the KGB(苏联国家安全委员会) at the age of 17. When they told him to go away and come back with a degree, he completed with an efficiency(效率) that would later serve him well.

Putin used his KGB training, plus his own discipline and common sense, in a series of jobs. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when president Boris Yeltsin resigned in a surprising move. Putin won the 2000 presidential election and in 2004 he was re-elected for a second term lasting until 7 May 2008. 

Due to term limits, Putin was unable to run for a third presidential term. After the victory of  Dmitry Medvedev, in the 2008 presidential elections, he was appointed to be Russia’s Prime Minister.

Putin is regarded as one bringing political stability and re-establishing the rule of law. During his presidency, Russia’s economy(经济) bounced back, seeing GDP increase by 72%, poverty cut more than half, and average monthly salaries increase from $80 to $640. Analysts have described Putin's economic reforms as impressive. At the same time, his conduct in office has been questioned by political opposition at home, foreign governments, and human rights organizations for leading the Second Chechen War, and for his record on human rights and freedoms.

Whether he wants to drive Russia into a new stage, or believes in the values of its Soviet past, he is determined to put his nation back on its feet. To do this, Vladimir Putin may have to show his true colors sooner rather than later.

What would be the best title for the text?

A. The Mysterious President of Russia         

B. Russia’s High-growth Economy

C. Russia’s Far Past and Near Future        

 D. The Political Situation in Russia

Which of the following helps Putin’s success in presidential election?

A. His family background.                      B. His belief in Soviet.       

C. His efficiency in jobs.                       D. His love for freedom.

What happened in Russia during Putin’s presidency?

A. The number of the poor reduced to 50%.

B. Every Russian enjoyed equal rights.

C. Russia’s economy picked up rapidly.

D. Russian people lived a peaceful life.

  What can we learn about Putin from the text?

A. He gains respect of foreign governments.

B. He always fought for human rights.

C. He ran for president a third time.

D. He is a politician of great achievements.

Tom is determined to go on _______ voyage across the Atlantic Ocean again although he is still in ______ bad condition.

A. the; the     B. a; the      C. the; a      D. a; /

Jamaican sprinter (短跑选手) Usain Bolt plans to send a message to rival Tyson Gay by breaking the world 100m record in the London Grand Prix on Friday.

    Bolt, who won gold in the 100m, 200m and 4*100m relay in record times at the Beijing Olympics last year, is determined to use the Crystal Palace event to crush the morale (士气) of his main rival for gold at next month’s World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

    The 22-year-old is slowly returning to peak form after posting 19.59 sec for the 200m in Lausanne earlier this month and clocking a time of 9.79 sec over 100m in cold, rainy conditions in Paris.

    Despite Bolt’s impressive times, Gay still believes he has the beating of the Jamaican. But Bolt insists there is no one in the sport who scares him and he will prove the point in south London this weekend.

    Although Bolt believes he is only running at 85 percent at the moment while he recovers from injuries suffered in a recent car crash in Jamaica, he sees no reason why he can’t break his world record 100m time of 9.69 seconds.

    However he won’t get the chance to take on Gay in the 100m in London as the American is only running in the 200m, which Bolt is not competing in, so he will have to settle for underlining his own ability.

    “You never know what is possible. I will give my best either way. My friends are saying I’m bringing the rain wherever I go but we will see on Friday.”

    While Bolt would love to make a big impact in London, he knows the main event is the World Championships.

    “The London Grand Prix will show me where I’m at and what I need to do. After, we can analyse what I need to do ahead of the World Championships.”

According to the passage, Bolt competed and will compete in the following event. Which of them is arranged in time order?

a. Lausanne athletics gold league matches        b. Beijing Olympic Games

c. Paris athletics gold league matches            d. World Athletic championships

e. London grand Prix

A. b-c-a-e-d

B. b-c-a-d-e   C. b-a-c-e-d         D. b-a-c-d-e

What does the underlined phrase “take on” mean in paragraph 6?

A. employ     B. compete against C. accept       D. develop

Which of the following is true?

A. Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt broke the world 100m record in the London Grand Prix on Friday.

B. Bolt will not compete in the 200m in London because of Gay’s impressive times.

C. Bolt won 3 gold medals at the Beijing Olympic Games at the age of 22.

D. Bolt suffered a car crash in Jamaica recently.

What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A. Bolt is expecting the London Grand Prix.

B. Bolt thinks the world Championships is more important.

C. Bolt made a big difference in the London Grand Prix.

D. Bolt is not confident in his success in the London Grand Prix.

There are numerous similarities between Muhammad Ali and his 23-year-old daughter Laila. She is the only one of his nine sons and daughters to have those genes that led to the ring(拳击场). Her father’s great status had nothing to do with Laila’s decision to pursue a boxing career. She has always been proud of his achievements, but he was never a great man to her—just dad.
What attracted her to take up boxing was the unusual sight of two women in the ring on the television screen when she was about to watch a Mike Tyson fight five years ago. She was very excited and said to herself, “I can do that. ”
Laila’s father would prefer her not to take up the dangerous sport. Johnny McClain, her husband and manager (former boxer himself) feels the same way. Even though both the men in her life worry about her, they’re 100 percent supportive. “They don’t want me to get hurt, ” she says.
Long before entering the ring, Laila was a fighter. Being the daughter of an outstanding boxer made her an easy target for high school kids to see how tough she was. They, not she, failed in the test. For the public, her biggest test took place last summer in the New York State when she took on Jacqui Frazier Lyde, the daughter of Joe Frazier, her father’s most famous opponent (对手) during the 1970s.
That fight provided the biggest shot in the arm that women’s boxing has received. News reporters poured in. Some called it “Ali/Frazier－GenerationⅡ”. No match involving women had ever attracted so much attention. Laila had a narrow victory in the fight.
Like it or not, she accepts the fact that she is the face of female boxing. And she hopes that her name and fame will help get the public to take it more seriously.
The name Ali has and always will bring her attention. But she is determined to make her own mark on opponents’ faces as well as in boxing history books. She says, “I want women’s boxing to get its due respect. ”
49. Laila took up boxing because of ________.
A. her father’s great status                        B. a Mike Tyson fight      
C. her admiration for her father               D. her interest in boxing
50. From the passage we can know ________.
A. Laila’s husband is still a boxer now
B. Laila wants to make contributions to the sport of boxing
C. Laila’s husband doesn’t think boxing is a dangerous sport
D. when Laila was in high school, she often failed in the fight with other kids
51. Which of the following is the best title for the passsage?
A. A female boxer—Laila Ali                    B. The best-known fight
C. Ali/Frazie－GenerationⅡ                   D. Muhammad Ali and his daughter