A frugal (节俭) traveler, I’m on the road for three to six months out of a year, and all that wandering takes not just energy but organization as well. Before I set off, I will research destinations (目的地), book flights and hotels, and figure out what to do when I arrive. To do all those things,I have a long list of websites and other resources (资源). Since many people are now planning their summer vacations, I think I’d share my experience.

Once I have decided on a destination, I head straight for a little website called “Google” to do research. One of the first searches is for my destination with the words “frugal” and “affordable”. Seriously! When I went to Hawaii in 2008, the search immediately brought out the Pomaikai “Lucky” Farm B&B, a farm with comfortable rooms for $ 80 a night — a steal in America’s most expensive vacation spots.

I don’t just surf the Web, however — print still has its uses. I have a guidebook with me. When I travel for work, the information it provides is quite useful.

In order to know about the culture of my destination, I often turn to novels. In Manhattan, there’s Idlewild Books, where all kinds of books and novels sit side by side. But you could just easily visit the local independent bookstores or public libraries. If there’s really nothing in your area, log on the LongitudeBooks.com.

When it’s time to book a flight, I’m back online. My first stop is kayak.com, which searches almost every other booking site. I’ve also started to use ITAsoftware.com’s QPX system. It was developed for the airline companies.

Finally, when I’m ready to buy the ticket, I’ll go to the airline’s own website, because it offers the lowest price for the ticket. Then I’ll check SeatGuru.com, which offers seat maps of most airlines’ planes to find the best, most comfortable spot.

What does the writer usually do to prepare for a trip?

   A. He turns to some organizations.

   B. He wanders around to get information.

   C. He consults websites and other resources.

   D. He asks people who are planning summer vacations.

The underlined word “steal” most probably means “______”.

   A. bargain                   B. farm                 C. room                D. price

To know the culture of your destination, which of the following is suggested by the writer?

   A. Tour the place and experience it.

   B. Watch TV programs about the place.

   C. Visit bookstores or public libraries.

   D. Read the guidebooks about the place.

Where does the writer buy his flight tickets?

   A. On the airline’s own website.

   B. On kayak.com.

   C. On ITAsoftware.com.

   D. On SeatGuru.com.

Though nearly all novelists report what at least some of the characters in their works are thinking about, few writers attempt to recreate all of the thoughts and half thoughts that race constantly through any individual’s mind. Those writers who do rely on a technique called stream of consciousness.

Consider for a moment what goes on in your own mind at any given moment. You may be consciously thinking, for example, of what you are reading on this page. Below this conscious level, however, hundreds of other impressions might be floating about --- a concert you attended last night, a sudden noise outside, a sight in the room as you glance up that makes you think of something related. Most of these images or ideas are half-formed and fleeting, and usually you are barely aware of them. Yet a writer using stream of consciousness attempts to put this jumble of concepts onto the printed page.

Many novels include short snatches of stream of consciousness, usually characterized by long or half-formed sentences and free association from one idea to the next. Few writers attempt to sustain the technique for long stretches, though there are some notable exceptions. James Joyce uses the technique extensively throughout his novel Ulysses, the story of one character’s experiences --- and reflections --- as he wanders through Dublin on a single day. William Faulkner uses it in The Sound and the Fury to probe（调查）the thoughts of three characters, including one of limited mental ability. Virginia Woolf uses it in The Waves, as she allows the reader to inhabit the minds of six friends as they pass through the stages of their lives. These works are some of the most challenging yet critically acclaimed novels of the 20^th century.

36. The passage is mainly about _______.

A. the genius of Joyce and Faulkner

B. a history of stream of consciousness

C. stream of consciousness novels

D. great novelists of stream of consciousness

37. Ulysses is a novel that _______.

A. traces the stages of its characters’ lives

B. includes short snatches of stream of consciousness

C. is set in England

D. takes place in one day

38. Stream of consciousness is a _______.

A. technique that most readers enjoy

B. difficult technique to pull off successfully

C. technique used by most writers today

D. way of analyzing historical events

39. The writer explains “stream of consciousness” by _______.

A. asking the reader to consider his or her own thought processes

B. giving examples from novels

C. explaining who originated the term

D. giving a dictionary definition

40. The underlined word “acclaimed” in the last sentence means _______.

A. criticized    B. praised    C. sold     D. copied

.

A frugal (节俭) traveler, I’m on the road for three to six months out of a year, and all that wandering takes not just energy but organization as well. Before I set off, I will research destinations (目的地), book flights and hotels, and figure out what to do when I arrive. To do all those things,I have a long list of websites and other resources (资源). Since many people are now planning their summer vacations, I think I’d share my experience.

Once I have decided on a destination, I head straight for a little website called “Google” to do research. One of the first searches is for my destination with the words “frugal” and “affordable”. Seriously! When I went to Hawaii in 2008, the search immediately brought out the Pomaikai “Lucky” Farm B&B, a farm with comfortable rooms for $ 80 a night — a steal in America’s most expensive vacation spots.

I don’t just surf the Web, however — print still has its uses. I have a guidebook with me. When I travel for work, the information it provides is quite useful.

In order to know about the culture of my destination, I often turn to novels. In Manhattan, there’s Idlewild Books, where all kinds of books and novels sit side by side. But you could just easily visit the local independent bookstores or public libraries. If there’s really nothing in your area, log on the LongitudeBooks.com.

When it’s time to book a flight, I’m back online. My first stop is kayak.com, which searches almost every other booking site. I’ve also started to use ITAsoftware.com’s QPX system. It was developed for the airline companies.

Finally, when I’m ready to buy the ticket, I’ll go to the airline’s own website, because it offers the lowest price for the ticket. Then I’ll check SeatGuru.com, which offers seat maps of most airlines’ planes to find the best, most comfortable spot.

63. What does the writer usually do to prepare for a trip?

   A. He turns to some organizations.

   B. He wanders around to get information.

   C. He consults websites and other resources.

   D. He asks people who are planning summer vacations.

64. The underlined word “steal” most probably means “______”.

   A. bargain                   B. farm                 C. room                D. price

65. To know the culture of your destination, which of the following is suggested by the writer?

   A. Tour the place and experience it.

   B. Watch TV programs about the place.

   C. Visit bookstores or public libraries.

   D. Read the guidebooks about the place.

66. Where does the writer buy his flight tickets?

   A. On the airline’s own website.

   B. On kayak.com.

   C. On ITAsoftware.com.

   D. On SeatGuru.com.

 [1]A homeless man who wanders around in the streets of the Bronx singing soft R&B songs has become famous thanks to his talent and YouTube.

  [2]James Percell, 49, was discovered by music manager, Kenneth Williams, who decided to help him get off the streets. In one video, Kenneth Williams speaks to the camera and explains ______________.  "I went to the Bronx to visit my family, and I ran into this homeless brother," he says. "His voice is very beautiful."

  [3]Mr. Percell has become famous on YouTube, where more than a million people have heard his golden voice, and many producers and filmmakers have already expressed their eagerness to work with him.

  [4]Mr. Percell says he has been homeless for a few years and neglects everything for the love of music in an attempt to develop his career, he has cried out for The Voice and the X- Factor singing competitions. But the judges didn’t contact him after they found out that he was homeless.

  [5]He now has a MySpace page and Facebook fan page, which are used to share his songs with his fans. He has written many songs, one of which is Everything Must Change, written for Michael Jackson. He hopes that his songs will help the world know his story and life struggle to make it as a singer, and also hopes that social media can give him a fighting chance to finally make his dream come true.

1.What has made James Percell famous?(no more than 8 words)

______________________________________________________________________

2.Fill in the blank with the appropriate words.(no more than 5 words)

In one video, Kenneth Williams speaks to the camera and explains _______________________________.

 3.What is the main idea of the third paragraph?(no more than 7 words)

_______________________________________________________________________

4.Why did the judges from some singing competitions refuse to contact James Percell?

(no more than 5 words)

_________________________________________________________________________

5.What does the word "which" probably refer to?(Line 2, Paragraph 5)

(no more than 6 words)

 

It’s no surprise why Kung Fu Hustle is the top-grossing^① homegrown movie in Hong Kong. Hustle’s approach to a simple good-against-evil plot is extremely cheerful.

Humor bordering on slapstick combined with exciting choreography^② by Yuen Wo Ping, who masterminded^③ the fight scenes in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix, make Kung Fu Hustle a lively, visual treat.

There is plenty of violence, but it’s largely cartoonish. Stephen Chow wrote, directed, produced and stars in this non-stop action movie, which is in Cantonese with English subtitles^④.

Chow plays Sing, an eager young man who longs to be a member of the powerful and cruel Axe Gang. When gang members appear on the scene, sometimes dancing with their frightening axes in hand, the sky breaks out with fireworks. The sets are shocking, with classic cars lining the neon-lighted streets and gambling casinos^⑤ serving as the backdrop to the underworld activities. All these give off the sensation of Old West shootouts.

One neighborhood is blessedly away from the disorder. Pig Sty Alley is so poverty-stricken it holds no interest for the Axe Gang. Then in wanders the unlucky Sing, who attempts to get money there. But folks are not what they seem: The town is full of kung fu masters.

Sing tries to single out someone he can fight, but it seems as if everyone, elderly and very young alike, has a body like Charles Atlas. During the time, Sing calls upon the Axe Gang, which faces off against the people of Pig Sty Alley, led by the town’ s landlords, the powerful lady in curlers and her husband. Fans of kung fu movies will have a rip-roaring time, but even moviegoers are sure to enjoy spirited action of Kung Fu Hustle.

Notes:

top-grossing  adj. 票房收入最高的

choreography  n. 舞蹈术

mastermind  vt. 策划

subtitle  n. 说明对白的字幕

gambling casino  赌博场

Which of the following characters does the passage mainly describe?

      A. Stephen Chow     B. Yuen Wo Ping      C. Sing      D. Charles Atlas

Kung Fu Hustle becomes the top-grossing homegrown movie in Hong Kong because _______.

      A. it is full of humor and exciting action      B. it is full of cartoonish characters

      B. it is mainly made up of dance            D. it is a non-stop action movie

Which of the following about the Axe Gang is TRUE?

      A. The Axe Gang is popular with fans of kung fu movies.

      B. The Axe Gang is always easy do good things.

      C. The Axe Gang doesn’t know how to use guns.

      D. The Axe Gang often fights against its enemy using the axes.

In which part are you likely to find it if the passage appears in the web site?

      A. Entertainment.       B. Travel.        C. News.        D. Books.