The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful, says Plato. Self-control is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses (冲动) and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral freedom.

A single angry word has lost many a friend. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad. Keep cool, says George Herbert, for fierceness (狂怒) makes error a fault.

To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. Anger, says Pythagoras, brings with folly ( 愚蠢 ) and ends with regret. You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.

Self-control is man’s last greatest victory.

If a man lacks self-control he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no self-confidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks self-control, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking also.

1.What does the reader learn from the first paragraph?

A．The greatest victory for a man is to conquer everything except himself.

B．One’s moral freedom is based on the control of himself.

C．To control oneself is the most difficult in one’s life.

D．If a person is too stubborn, he will feel most shameful.

2.What is the correct interpretation of “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad ” in paragraph 2 ?

A．If the gods want to kill you, they make you crazy first.

B．If you always lose your temper, you will soon be finished.

C．If you cannot control yourself, you will become crazy.

D．If you are mad, you will be punished by the gods.

3. If a man lacks self-control, he lacks all of the following EXCEPT _______.

A．the very backbone and nerve of character

B．the patience and power to control himself

C．strong feelings

D．self-confidence

4.The author’s main purpose in writing this article is to _______.

A．explain that self-control is the key to success

B．teach people how to control everything in order to make a great success

C．distinguish all kinds of self-control and suggest ways for keeping it

D．advise people not to lose temper so as to make and keep more friends

5.The passage is mainly developed by _____.

A．analyzing causes	B．making comparisons
C．examining differences	D．listing quotations

 

I climbed Kilimanjaro with Lava Expeditions (探险队) during the rainy season.
I flew to Nairobi in Kenya and spent several days there. At my hotel in Nairobi I met the rest of the group with whom I would spend the next week. We all travelled on the bus together for a 6-hour journey into Tanzania and then Arusha , a quiet town.
After we arrived at our hotel in Arusha , we had dinner and a few drinks. Then we were introduced to more members including Taddeus Minja, the main guide, who was very experienced — climbing Kilimanjaro runs through the generations (代) of his family.
The next day the Lava Expeditions members checked if we had the correct and enough clothing for our expedition on Kilimanjaro. Only one person needed to bring more clothes.
After that we set off, walking in the rain through the beauty of the rainforest, all the way to the first camp. I was happy the next few days as the view was so wonderful and changed every day. I suffered a little during the trip and I felt so tired. But the members of Lava Expeditions provided me with lots of encouragement, which was one of the best memories. Finally we reached the top of Kilimanjaro in bright blue skies.
I felt excited about climbing Kilimanjaro and the feeling didn’t change during my trip. Lava Expeditions looked after me so well that I was deeply thankful for their help.
【小题1】How did the author get to Nairobi?

A．By bus.

B．By train.

C．By air.

D．On foot.

【小题2】What do we know about Taddeus Minja according to the passage?

A．He organized the journey.

B．He was the main guide of Lava Expeditions.

C．He was the manager of a hotel in Arusha.

D．He had little knowledge about climbing mountains.

【小题3】How did Lava Expeditions help the author while climbing Kilimanjaro?

A．By carrying bags for him.

B．By offering food to him.

C．By encouraging him.

D．By teaching him climbing skills.

【小题4】What did the author think of his climbing Kilimanjaro?

A．Tiring and disappointing.

B．Tiring but excited.

C．Dangerous but exciting.

D．Dangerous and tiring.

【小题5】What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To tell readers about Lava Expeditions.

B．To give readers advice on climbing Kilimanjaro.

C．To encourage more people to climb Kilimanjaro.

D．To share his experience of climbing Kilimanjaro.

After the violent earthquake that shook Los Angeles in 1994, earthquake scientists had good news to report: The damage and death toll(死亡人数)could have been much worse.

More than 60 people died in this earthquake. By comparison, an earthquake of similar intensity(强度)that shook America in 1988 claimed 25, 000 victims.

Injuries and deaths were relatively less in Los Angeles because the quake occurred at 4：31 a．m. on a holiday, when traffic was light on the city's highways. In addition, changes made to the construction codes in Los Angeles during the last 20 years have strengthened the city's buildings and highways, making them more resistant to quakes(抗震)．

Despite the good news, civil engineers aren't resting on their successes. Pinned to their drawing boards are blueprints(蓝图)for improved quake－resistant buildings. The new designs should offer even greater security to cities where earthquakes often take place.

In the past, making structures quake－resistant meant firm yet flexible materials, such as steel and wood, which bend without breaking. Later, people tried to lift a building off its foundation, and insert rubber and steel between the building and its foundation to reduce the impact of ground vibrations. The most recent designs give buildings brains as well as concrete and steel supports. Called smart buildings, the structures respond like living organisms to an earthquake's vibrations. When the ground shakes and the building tips forward, the computer would force the building to shift in the opposite direction.

The new smart structures could be very expensive to build. However, they would save many lives and would be less likely to be damaged during earthquakes.

6．One reason why the loss of lives in the Log Angeles earthquake was comparatively low is that______.

A．new computers had been installed in the buildings

B．it occurred in the residential areas rather than on the highways

C．large numbers of Los Angeles residents had gone for a holiday

D．improvements had been made in the construction of buildings and highways

7．The function of the computer mentioned in the passage is to______.

A. counterbalance(起平衡作用)an earthquake's action on the building

B. predict(预测)the coming of an earthquake with accuracy

C. help strengthen the foundation of the building

D. measure the impact of an earthquake's vibrations

8．The smart buildings discussed in the passage________.

A. would cause serious financial problems

B. would be worthwhile though expensive

C. would reduce the complexity of architectural design

D. can reduce the ground vibrations caused by earthquakes

9．It can be inferred from the passage that in minimizing(使……最小)the damage caused by earthquakes, attention should be focused on________.

A．the increasing use of rubber and steel in capital construction

B．the development of flexible building materials

C．the reduction of the impact of ground vibrations

D．early forecasts of earthquakes

10．The author's main purpose in writing the passage is to________.

A．compare the consequences of the earthquakes that occurred in the US

B．encourage civil engineers to make more extensive use of computers

C．outline the history of the development of quake－resistant building materials

D．report new developments in constructing quake－resistant buildings