Coral Polge is a person who has provided comfort to thousands. She has a remarkable talent which may prove the survival of the human spirit after death, for Coral is a medium who draws the portraits of spirits who contact her.

      Coral, whose parents were spiritualists, was brought up in Harrow, North London, where she attended a local spiritualist church. She studied art at the local college, where she specialized in textile design. Even though, at the time, she wasn’t very good at drawing portraits, she met a medium who told her she would be a psychic(通灵的) artist.

      She doesn’t actually see the dead nor are her hands controlled by the spirits; instead she ‘feels’ them coming through. Early in her career she drew the portraits of ‘spirit guides’ from whom she had received help. These portraits of guides, who included Red Indians, nuns and monks, were remarkable, yet could have been attributed to the working of a strong imagination. She also drew portraits by holding on to letters that had been written by people who had since died.

      Coral says, ‘I know exactly what to draw without thinking about it. It’s involuntary, like breathing or walking.’ Not only are her portraits a good likeness but she sketches her subjects in clothes they would have worn in life.

      Coral has displayed her talent at public meetings around the world. At one gathering there was a woman whose grandfather had just died. Her name was Phyllis Timms. Coral made a sketch of a man who had a long moustache and Phyllis recognized the man as her grandfather. However, she was reluctant to acknowledge the portrait without extra proof. Coral then said that the colour green was a link with the man whom she had drawn. Mrs Timms, whose maiden name had been Green, understood the significance of the comment and claimed the portrait.

      There are some people for whom this is evidence of survival from beyond the grave. Others, who have their reservations, may put it down to an extraordinary kind of extrasensory perception(超感知觉). Whatever the reason, it remains a gift impossible to explain away and we should try to keep an open mind.

55. Coral draws the portrait of spirits in order to _________.

A. prove the existence of the human spirit.

B. help those people who miss the dead.

C. show off her special talent.

D. inspire people who believe in ghosts.

56. According to the passage, Coral can draw the spirits most probably because ________.

A. she could see the spirits.

B. she learned it from college.

C. she had a strong imagination.

D. she was gifted to feel the spirits.

57. In the example of Phyllis Timms, _________________.

A. Coral failed to draw the portrait of the dead.

B. Phyllis eventually admitted the portrait was right about her grandfather.

C. Coral knew green was a name.

D. Phyllis didn’t prove Coral’s talent.

58. What we can infer from the last paragraph is that ______________________.

A. people should believe in the spirits.

B. science can explain what happened to Coral.

C. people can learn supernatural powers.

D. some mysteries on human beings haven’t been solved yet.

     Coral Polge is a person who has provided comfort to thousands. She has a remarkable talent which may prove the survival of the human spirit after death, for Coral is a medium who draws the portraits of spirits who contact her.

      Coral, whose parents were spiritualists, was brought up in Harrow, North London, where she attended a local spiritualist church. She studied art at the local college, where she specialized in textile design. Even though, at the time, she wasn’t very good at drawing portraits, she met a medium who told her she would be a psychic(通灵的) artist.

      She doesn’t actually see the dead nor are her hands controlled by the spirits; instead she ‘feels’ them coming through. Early in her career she drew the portraits of ‘spirit guides’ from whom she had received help. These portraits of guides, who included Red Indians, nuns and monks, were remarkable, yet could have been attributed to the working of a strong imagination. She also drew portraits by holding on to letters that had been written by people who had since died.

      Coral says, ‘I know exactly what to draw without thinking about it. It’s involuntary, like breathing or walking.’ Not only are her portraits a good likeness but she sketches her subjects in clothes they would have worn in life.

      Coral has displayed her talent at public meetings around the world. At one gathering there was a woman whose grandfather had just died. Her name was Phyllis Timms. Coral made a sketch of a man who had a long moustache and Phyllis recognized the man as her grandfather. However, she was reluctant to acknowledge the portrait without extra proof. Coral then said that the colour green was a link with the man whom she had drawn. Mrs Timms, whose maiden name had been Green, understood the significance of the comment and claimed the portrait.

      There are some people for whom this is evidence of survival from beyond the grave. Others, who have their reservations, may put it down to an extraordinary kind of extrasensory perception(超感知觉). Whatever the reason, it remains a gift impossible to explain away and we should try to keep an open mind.

55. Coral draws the portrait of spirits in order to _________.

A. prove the existence of the human spirit.

B. help those people who miss the dead.

C. show off her special talent.

D. inspire people who believe in ghosts.

56. According to the passage, Coral can draw the spirits most probably because ________.

A. she could see the spirits.

B. she learned it from college.

C. she had a strong imagination.

D. she was gifted to feel the spirits.

57. In the example of Phyllis Timms, _________________.

A. Coral failed to draw the portrait of the dead.

B. Phyllis eventually admitted the portrait was right about her grandfather.

C. Coral knew green was a name.

D. Phyllis didn’t prove Coral’s talent.

58. What we can infer from the last paragraph is that ______________________.

A. people should believe in the spirits.

B. science can explain what happened to Coral.

C. people can learn supernatural powers.

D. some mysteries on human beings haven’t been solved yet.

Starry Night
Have you ever seen a real night sky that looks like Van Gogh’s Starry Night? I hope not! So, why would an artist paint the sky this way? Perhaps I can answer that with another question. When you’re happy, why do you sing instead of speaking? Or when you’re in love, why do you speak of roses and honey? When we do these things, we, too are artists. We’re using something that goes beyond a mere scientific description in order to communicate our feelings more powerfully than straightforward words can. So consider for a moment that Van Gogh might not have been hallucinating (产生幻觉的) on the night he painted this. Maybe he felt something so powerful that he had to go beyond the familiar to express it.
I hope I’m reminding you of something you already know as I describe the experience of being outside at night under a crystal clear sky that makes everything seem clean and refreshing. So you look up. And suddenly you see the sky that you’ve seldom seen before. It’s not just the same old dark night sky tonight. Instead, the blackness is a deep, rich blue that is more bottomless than any ocean. The stars are not spots of light but brilliant, magical diamonds that dance like tiny angels. In just this special moment, the sky is somehow alive, and it seems to speak to you silently about the meaning of infinity (无限).
Now look at the painting again. Can you see something of what makes this such a famous and well-loved image? But there’s more here than that. Van Gogh painted this while he was quite struck down by a mental disease. It is natural to imagine that he frequently battled the fear that he would never escape his prison to true freedom. It is natural for us to imagine this because each of us has faced our own personal prison, whether it be disease, the loss of a loved one, serious financial problems … In such moments it is tempting to give up to despair (绝望) and collapse in hopelessness.
Looking at this painting, I imagine Van Gogh in just such a moment of despair, when he is struck by the memory of one of those amazing night skies. He recalls the sense that he is not alone, that there is a living, infinite world with rich colorful creatures and scenes all around.
And so the sky flows across the canvas (画布) full of vitality (活力) and power. The stars don’t just sparkle; they explode. Looking closer, we notice that the earth itself seems to respond to the movement in the sky, forming its own living waves in the mountain and rolling trees. In the sleepy village, the windows of the houses glow (发光) with the same light that brightens the universe. The giant trees at the left seem to capture the joy by stretching upwards toward the sky.
What a tremendous message of hope there is in this masterpiece! Even if our troubles persist, the world around us assures us that life is worth living. That’s what the angels sing about. Doesn’t it make you want to sing, too?
【小题1】Looking at the painting Starry Night, we can see all the following except________.

A．The singing angels	B．the giant trees
C．the sleepy village	D．the sparkling stars

【小题2】Van Gogh does NOT describe a feeling of ______ through the Starry Night.

A．happiness

B．vitality

C．power

D．despair

【小题3】The underlined word “prison” in the 3rd paragraph probably means ______.

A．trouble in one’s life	B．mental illness
C．control from the authority	D．a place where criminals are kept

【小题4】What is the main purpose of this passage?

A．To explain how Van Gogh painted the Starry Night.

B．To tell us how to appreciate the Starry Night.

C．To prove Van Gogh was in a hallucinating state of mind while painting the picture.

D．To show us the beauty of the sky on a starry night.

Moral science is taught as a subject in most schools but with little effect. Perhaps part of the problem lies in the fact that morality is not a science, strictly speaking. It is too much of a social phenomenon, and also has too much of the personal and subjective things mixed within. Besides, morality itself changes with generations. So it is impossible to be defined in a textbook.
I remember sitting through forty minutes of moral lessons, which told stories about little children who never told lies and were rewarded for their goodness. It had little effect and left no impression on me, though.
If moral science has to be taught as a subject in schools, it needs a participatory(参与其中的) approach. When you tell a child about morals, you also have to deal with social norms（规范）and cultural differences. You have to explain that morality can be subjective, and be able to co-exist in society. You will probably have to refer to the morals of the present time.
The best way to tell a child how to live is to show him what is valued. If a child likes his friend, you have to make the child think about why. Once the child notices and recognizes goodness in others, he or she is likely to develop it as well.
In fact, children learn most of their morals by watching people around them. They absorb behavior patterns from teachers and older students. They watch to see what is rewarded and who is punished. They learn on the sports field and through social work. Moral science lessons should simply consist of letting them live and interact, and watch you support correct values and reward good behavior.
【小题1】Which is NOT the reason that moral science is taught in schools but with little effect?

A．Morality doesn’t strictly belong to a science

B．Morality is more like a social phenomenon.

C．Different generations have different moral ideas.

D．Morality can’t be written down in textbooks.

【小题2】The author describes his own experience of having moral lessons in order to _____.

A．explain telling lies is not moral for little children.

B．advise people should be rewarded for their goodness.

C．prove moral lessons in schools have little effect.

D．show he has no opinions about moral science.

【小题3】When you tell a child about morals, you should________.

A．teach him to share personal moral ideas with others

B．tell him about social norms and cultural differences

C．explain that nobody can influence his moral ideas.

D．say that the present morals are likely to be changed.

【小题4】What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The best way of teaching children about morals.

B．The value of teachers’ setting a good example

C．The influence of people’s behavior on morals.

D．The importance of rewarding good behavior.

Moral science is taught as a subject in most schools but with little effect. Perhaps part of the problem lies in the fact that morality is not a science, strictly speaking. It is too much of a social phenomenon, and also has too much of the personal and subjective things mixed within. Besides, morality itself changes with generations. So it is impossible to be defined in a textbook.
I remember sitting through forty minutes of moral lessons, which told stories about little children who never told lies and were rewarded for their goodness. It had little effect and left no impression on me, though.
If moral science has to be taught as a subject in schools, it needs a participatory(参与其中的) approach. When you tell a child about morals, you also have to deal with social norms（规范）and cultural differences. You have to explain that morality can be subjective, and be able to co-exist in society. You will probably have to refer to the morals of the present time.
The best way to tell a child how to live is to show him what is valued. If a child likes his friend, you have to make the child think about why. Once the child notices and recognizes goodness in others, he or she is likely to develop it as well.
In fact, children learn most of their morals by watching people around them. They absorb behavior patterns from teachers and older students. They watch to see what is rewarded and who is punished. They learn on the sports field and through social work. Moral science lessons should simply consist of letting them live and interact, and watch you support correct values and reward good behavior.
【小题1】Which is NOT the reason that moral science is taught in schools but with little effect?

A．Morality doesn’t strictly belong to a science

B．Morality is more like a social phenomenon.

C．Different generations have different moral ideas.

D．Morality can’t be written down in textbooks.

【小题2】The author describes his own experience of having moral lessons in order to _____.

A．explain telling lies is not moral for little children.

B．advise people should be rewarded for their goodness.

C．prove moral lessons in schools have little effect.

D．show he has no opinions about moral science.

【小题3】When you tell a child about morals, you should________.

A．teach him to share personal moral ideas with others

B．tell him about social norms and cultural differences

C．explain that nobody can influence his moral ideas.

D．say that the present morals are likely to be changed.

【小题4】What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The best way of teaching children about morals.

B．The value of teachers’ setting a good example

C．The influence of people’s behavior on morals.

D．The importance of rewarding good behavior.