Throughout the ages, man has tried to create beauty through painting, music, sculpture(雕刻) and other kinds of artistic expression. It seems to be a basic need for humans to surround themselves with art. Some people, however, feel that the government is wasting money by spending it on art, particularly when there are so many other more important things that the money can be used for.

It can be wrong for governments to spend large sums of money on art. Too often, governments spend the money unwisely. Cities end up with huge statues or expensive, empty buildings that are only used by a few people. Many times, the art is also chosen to represent social or political rather than artistic                                                                                                                                                                      ideas, and even if it represents artistic ideas, tastes in art can change very rapidly. Without thinking carefully about how to spend the money, the people may end up with an expensive collection of worthless paintings of tasteless productions.

At the same time it would be wrong to say that governments should not spend any money at all on art. Painters, musicians, and composers cannot survive without monetary support. Many times, the art is inaccessible (很难到的) to ordinary people because only rich people and large companies can afford it. Governments have a duty to make this art available to everyone. Art helps people enjoy life,

Although people do need to be provided with the necessities of life, governments also have a duty to provide their citizens with something more. I firmly believe that spending money on art is vital (必不可少的) part of a government’s responsibility, and I am confident that my country is able to contribute a great deal to the rich collection of art from around passage?

60. What does the author mainly tell us in the passage?

        A. Why tastes in art change so rapidly.                   B. The importance of art to human beings.

        C. Humans’ need to be surrounded by art.

 D. Whether or not the government should spend money on art.

61. The following are reasons why governments spend too much money on arts EXCEPT that _____.

        A. art is changing with time rapidly                  B. they choose art to serve political purpose

        C. they don’t think carefully enough about what to buy

        D. art is necessary for the life of poor people

62. The underlined word “monetary” in the third paragraph probably means“_____”.

        A. political          B. financial            C. temporary(临时的)          D. continuous

63. According to the author, what is the function of art?

        A. Art can be very valuable when it is traded. B. Art makes people’s lives worthwhile.

        C. Art can unite governments.     D. Art can make governments fashionable.

Once an Englishman named Larry Belmont went to Russia for a holiday. After he got back some of his friends came. “I had a very dangerous trip while I was in Russia.” Larry said, “I went to see a friend in the country and when the sun went down, I was still traveling through a forest in a sleigh(雪橇). It was a long way from my friend’s house when about twenty wolves began to follow my sleigh.”

“It was very dark in the forest. There was thick snow on the ground. First I heard the wolves. The noise was terrible! Then I saw long, grey forms among the trees, and soon the wolves were near me. They were running very fast, and they didn’t seem to get tired like the horses.”

“What did you do?” one of Larry’s friends asked.

“When the wolves got very near,” Larry answered, “I put up my gun and shot the first wolf dead. Then all the other wolves stopped and ate it, so my sleigh got away from them for a few minutes. Then they finished their meal, and I heard them coming again. The moon was shining brightly on the snow now, and after a few minutes I saw them running among the trees once more. They came nearer again, and then I shot another one of them, and the others stopped once more to eat it. The same thing happened again, and my horses become more and more tired and ran slower and slower until, after two hours, only one wolf was still alive and following me.”

“Wasn’t it too fat to run?” one of Larry’s friends asked.

The purpose of this passage is to ______.

A. amuse readers                B. tell an exciting adventure

C. praise Larry Belmont’s bravery  D. show the danger of traveling through a forest

According to what Larry said, the last wolf _______.

A. was the strongest of all              B. had eaten up all the other wolves

C. ran much faster than the other wolves  D. was very fat and couldn’t run fast enough

From what Larry’s friend asked at the end, we know that_______.

A. Larry’s trip was really dangerous    

B. the last wolf was too fat to run

C. all the wolves had been shot by Larry

D. the friend did not believe what Larry had said

TYPING

This course is for those who want to learn to type, as well as those who want to improve their typing. The course is not common. You are tested in the first class and begin practicing at one of eight different skill levels. This allows you to learn at your own speed. Each program lasts 20 hours. Bring your own paper.

Course fee: $ 125   Materials: $25

Two hours each evening for two weeks. New classes begin every two weeks.

This course is taught by a number of qualified business education teachers who have successfully taught typing courses before.

UNDERSTANDING COMPUTERS

This twelve-hour course is for people who do not know very much about computers, but who need to learn about them. You will learn what computers are, what they can and can’t do and how to use them.

Course fee: $75    Equipment fee: $ 10

Jan. 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, Wed. & Sat. 9—11:30 a.m.

Joseph Saunders is Professor of Computer Science at New Urban University. He has over twenty years of experience in the computer field.

STOP SMOKING

Do you want to stop smoking? Have you already tried to stop and failed? Now is the time to stop smoking using the latest methods. You can stop smoking, and this twelve-hour course will help you do it.

Course fee: $30

Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23 Mon. 2—5 p. m.

Dr John Good is a practicing psychologist who had helped hundreds of people stop smoking.

If you choose the UNDERSTANDING COMPUTERS course, you will have classes _______.

A. from Monday to Sunday                 B. from Monday to Friday

C. on Wednesday and Saturday                  D. on Saturday and Sunday

Mr. Black works every morning and evening, but he wants to take part in one of the three courses. The most probable course he will attend is ______.

A. typing                                           B. understanding computers  

C. stop smoking                                     D. any of the courses

If you want to learn computer and at the same time you want to improve your typing, you will pay _______.

A. $ 75                        B. $ 15                  C. $ 115                       D. $ 235

The typical difference of “Typing” from the other two is that ______.

A. people with different skill levels may learn at different speeds

B. you will take a test after the course

C. you will pay the fee before practicing

D. you will pay less money

Specialists say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock” is the term these specialists use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. There are three stages of culture shock, say the specialists. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more.

There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems—the telephone, post office, or transportation—may be difficult to work out. The most simple things seem to be big problems. The language may be difficult.

Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their home countries and were successful in their community. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find themselves without a role, almost without an identity. They have to build a new self-image.

Culture shock gives rise to a feeling of disorientation (迷惘). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves for the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience—these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.

When people move to a new country, they _______.

will get used to their new surrounding with difficulty

have well prepared for the new surroundings

will get used to the culture of the country quickly

will never be familiar with culture of the country  

According to the passage, factors that give rise to culture shock include all of the following except _____.  

A. language communication          B. weather conditions and customs

C. public service systems            D. homesickness

According to the passage, the more successful you are at home, __________.

the fewer difficulties you may have abroad

the more difficulties you may have abroad

the more money you will earn abroad

the less homesick you will feel abroad

What is the main idea of the last passage?

A. Escape unfamiliar environment

B. The feeling of homesickness.

C. Homesickness can solve the problem of culture shock.

D. The best way to overcome culture shock: get familiar with the new culture.

Interview With God

I dreamed I had an interview with God.“So you would like to interview me?”God asked.“If you have the time,”I said.“My time is eternity.”God smiled,“what questions do you have in mind for me?”“What surprises you most about humankind?”God answered,“That they get bored with childhood,they rush to grow up,and then long to be children again.That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health.That by thinking anxiously about the future,they forget the present,such that they live in neither the present nor the future.That they live as if they will never die,and die as though they had never lived.”God’s hand took mine and we were silent for a while.And then I asked,“As a parent,what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn?To learn they cannot make anyone love them.All they can do is to let themselves be loved.To learn that it is not good to compare themselves to others.To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness.To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love,and it can take many years to heal them.To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most,but is one who needs the least.To learn that there are people who love them dearly,but simply have not yet learned how to express or show their feelings.To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently.To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another,but they must also forgive themselves.”“Thank you for your time,”I said humbly.“Is there anything else you would like your children to know?”God smiled and said;“Just know that I am here always.”

.In answering how many questions did God give “me” his opinion?

A.One.                         B.Two.                         C.Three.                       D.Four.

To God’s eye,a rich man is one who _________.

A.lives a simple life                                          B.is content with little

C.doesn’t want to be rich                                  D.gives others a lot

Which of the following is best supported by the text?

A.God does exist in the world.

B.He who loves others is sure to be loved by others.

C.When one makes a mistake,he should try to find an excuse to forgive himself.

D.It is easier to lost a friend than to make a friend.