73．John Dalton’s first school had to be closed mainly because___________．

A．he was color-blind　　　　　　　　　

B．his family lived in a small cottage

C．he had hardly enough money to run I　

D．he lacked experience

54．From the story we know that_______________．

A．Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions

B．Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic show

C．Liu Qian performs on streets in order to increase his fame

D．Liu Qian does street show to make money

答案　 51.A　 52.C　 53.D　 54.B

Passage 2

(安徽省马鞍山二中2009届高三第四次模拟考试E篇)

John Dalton was born in England in 1766，ten years before the U．S．Declaration of Independence was signed．His family lived in a small cottage．As a small child，John worked in the fields with his brother，and helped his father in a shop where they wove cloth. Most poor boys at that time received no education，but John was lucky to attend a nearby school In 1766，when only about one out of every 200 people could read．

　　 John was a good student and loved learning．His teachers encouraged him to study many things when he was twelve. He opened his first school in a nearby town，but there was little money．He had to close his schoo1．

　　 Three years later，he joined his older brother and a friend in running a school. John studied the weather and nature around him. He collected butterflies，snails and mites. He discovered he was colorblind and studied that,too．

　　 In 1793，John began to think about different elements and their composition. He had a theory that each element is made up of identical(完全相同的) atoms and that elements are different because each is made of different atoms．

　　 In 1808，Dalton published a book，which listed the atomic weights of many known elements．These formed the basis for the modern periodic table(元素周期表)．Not everyone accepted Dalton’ theory of atomic structure at the time．However，he had to defend it with more research．

　　 When John Dalton died in 1844，he was buried with honors in England．More 400,000 people viewed his body as it lay in state．As his final experiment，he asked that an autopsy(验尸)be performed to learn the cause of his color-blindness：This was done，and proved the color-blindness was caused not by a problem with his eyes，but with the way his brain worked．Even in death, he helped expand scientific knowledge．

　　 Today．scientists everywhere accept Dalton’s theory of atomic structure．A simple country boy showed the world a new way of thinking about the universe and how it is made．

53．Which of the following is the key reason why Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?

A．He was interested in magic when he was young.

B．He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest．

C．He became all amateur magician in his spare time．

D．He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation．

52．People love to watch magic because___________________．

A．they can’t figure out the secret of magic

B．it arouses their curiosity

C．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen

D．it is a centuries-old art

51．The story is about______.

A．how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician

B．why people love magic

C．what magic tricks are

D．how fashionable magic is

63.It can be inferred from the passage that _________.

A. Sabur went to college when she was ten years old

B. by aged 14, Sabur got a bachelor of science degree

C. the drinking age in South Korea is twenty years old

D. Alia Sabur was born in February 1989 in the United States

答案：60-63　 CBCD

Passage 1

(湖北省宜昌市一中2009届高三5月仿真模拟考试A篇)

Here’s an unusual story：a diamond ring was recently found in an egg．The magician，Liu Qian，discovered it，in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala．Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable once again，and made him the hottest magician in China．

As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan，Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows．Countries he has performed in include the United States，Japan，South Korea and the UK．

Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic．

Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences．He has a unique understanding of showmanship (演出技巧) ．

“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s controlling skills”，that is more important to achieving a successful magic show．We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively，to make them appear more interesting, Liu said.

Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood．Born in 1976 in Taiwan，he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old．At the age of 12，he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest，which was judged by the great American magician，David Copperfield．

Yet，Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician．He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time．However，his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career．

To refine his performing skills，he has performed on streets，roads and fields，for passers-by，policemen and farmers．

“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians．We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said．

62.What does the author mainly want to show in the last paragraph?

A. Sabur has her own way of relaxing.　　　　　　　　　 B. Sabur spends little time on her studies.

C. Sabur is talented in a lot of ways.　　　　　　　　　 D. Sabur likes music more than sports.

61.What does the author mean by saying “she might have more luck” in Paragraph 3?

A. Sabur is lucky to be hired by Konkuk University.

B. Sabur will be permitted to drink in Korean bars.

C. Sabur would be allowed to attend parties in South Korea.

D. Sabur is old enough to teach at Konkuk University.

60.We learn from the passage that Sabur is _________.

A. the world’s youngest female teacher

B. Drexel University’s youngest student

C. the world’s youngest college professor

D. American’s youngest bachelor of science

40. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

　A. Grandma Moses: Her Life and Pictures.　　

　B. The Children of Grandma Moses.

　C. Grandma Moses: Her Best Exhibition.　　　

　D.Grandma Moses and Other Older Artists.

答案：36-40 BDAAA

Passage 5

(重庆市西南师大附中2010届高三第七次月考B篇)

Alia Sabur, from North, NY, US, went to college at the age of 10. And by at the age of 14, Sabur was earning a bachelor of science degree in applied mathematics from stony Brook University – the youngest female in US history to do so. Her education continued at Drexel University, where she earned an MS and a Phd.(博士学位) in materials science and engineering.

With an unlimited future ahead of her, Sabur directed her first career choice to teaching. “I really enjoy teaching, ” she said. She was three days short of her 19th birthday in February, 2008, when she was hired to become a professor at Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea. This distinction(差异) made her the youngest college professor in history, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, beating the previous record held by Colin Maclaurin, a student of physicist Isaac Newton, in 1717.

Although she doesn’t start until next month, Sabur has taken up teaching math and physics courses at Southern University in New Orleans. Sabur is old enough to teach, but not to join her fellow professors in a bar after work. In South Korea, where the drinking age is 20, she might have more luck. In traditional Korean culture, children are considered to be 1 year old when they are born, and add a year to their age every New Year instead of their actual birthday, so in Korea Sabur is considered 20.

On top of her unprecedented(空前的) academic achievements, Sabur has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do(跆拳道). She is also a talented clarinet(竖笛) player who has performed with musicians like Lang Lang and Smash Mouth. So is there anything Sabur can’t do?