As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.

On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落傘）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.

 Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

1.What happened to the author in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane.

B. She entered a competition.

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.

2.The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to       .

A. make her argument persuasive

B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health condition

D. build up her own reputation

3. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited.         B. Regretful.           C. Nervous.         D. Scared.

4.What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A. The beautiful clouds.                    B. The wonderful view.

C. The company of Jay.                      D. The one-minute free fall.

5.What is the best title of the passage?

    A. Impossible is nothing.                   B. A dream made come true.

    C. An unforgettable skydiving.              D. I Went Skydiving at 84!

 

“Dr.Papaderos,what is the meaning of life?”

The usual laughter followed,and people stirred(騷動)to go.Papaderos held up his hand and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time,asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was.

“I will,answer your question.”

Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket,he fished into a leather billfold and brought out a very small round mirror,about the size of a quarter.And what he said went like this:

“When I was a small child,during the war,we were very poor and we lived in a remote village.One day,on the road,I found the broken pieces of a mirror.A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.

I tried to find all the pieces and put them together,but it was not possible,so I kept only the largest piece.This one,and,by scratching it on a stone.I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine——in deep holes and crevices(裂縫)and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.

I kept the little mirror,and,as I went about my growing up,I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game.As I became a man,I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life.I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light.But light——truth,understanding,knowledge——is there,and it will shine in many dark places only if I reflect it.

I am a fragment(碎片)of a mirror whose whole design and shape l do not know.Nevertheless,with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world——into the black places in the hearts of men—and change some things in some people.Perhaps others may see and do likewise.This is what I am about.This is the meaning of my life.”

1.On hearing the author’s question,Dr.Papedotes        at first.

A.laughed at his foolishness               B.wasn’t sure of the answer

C.doubted his seriousness                  D.wasn’t interested at all

2.How did Dr.Papaderos get the small round mirror when he was a child?

A.He found it on the road and made it round.

B.A dying German soldier gave him as a present.

C.He chanced to find it in the street while playing.

D.He put the broken pieces together and made it.

3.Why did Dr.Papaderos like the small round mirror so much as a child?

A.Because he was too poor to afford other toys.

B.Because it could shine the places where tke sun couldn’t reach.

C.Because he believed it would bring good luck to him.

D.Because it tofd him a lot about what life really meant to him.

4.The underlined“metaphor”in the 7th paragraph most probably means        .

A.symbol              B.source            C.light           D.purpose

5.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A.A Special Game in the Childhood          B.A Broken Piece of Mirror

C.Dr.Papaderos’Experience                  D.The Meaning of Life

 

Section D

Directions：Read the following passage and answer the questions. Write the answers on the answer sheet.

In 1817 one of the most well-known hauntings in American history took place in the small town of Adams, Tennessee. Known as the Bell Witch, the strange activity that caused fear in the small farming community has remained unexplained for nearly 200 years. Like many stories, certain details of who or what the Bell Witch was vary from version to version. The prevailing account is that it was the ghost of a woman named Kate Batts, a mean old neighbour of John Bell. Batts believed Bell cheated her in a land purchase and on her deathbed she swore that she would haunt John Bell and his family.

News of the Bell Witch spread quickly. When word of the haunting reached Nashville, one of its most citizens, General Andrew Jackson, decided to gather a group of friends and go to Adams to investigate. The future president wanted to come face to face with the phenomenon and either expose it as a trick or send the spirit away. According to one account, Jackson and his men were traveling over a smooth section of road when suddenly the wagon stopped. The men pushed and pushed, but the wagon could not be moved. The wheels were even removed and inspected. The came the sound of a voice from the bushes saying, “I will see you tonight.” The astonished men could not find the source of the voice. The horses then unexpectedly started walking on their own and the wagon moved along again. Jackson indeed encountered the witch that night and left early the next morning, claiming he would rather fight the British than the Bell Witch！

The haunting of the Bell house continued for several years, ending with ghost’s final act of revenge. On the morning of December 19, he failed to awake at his regular time. When the family noticed he was sleeping unnaturally, they attempted to rouse him. They discovered Bell couldn’t be completely awakened. John’s son went to the medicine cupboard to get his father’s medicine and noticed it was gone but a strange small bottle was in its place. No one claimed to have replaced the medicine with the bottle. John Bell died on December 20 and “Kate” was quiet until after the funeral.

A few explanations of the Bell Witch phenomena have been offered over the years. One is that the haunting was a trick created by Richard Powell, the schoolteacher of Betsy Bell and Joshua Gardner, the boy with whom Betsy was in love. It seemed Powell was deeply in love with Betsy and would do anything to destroy her relationship with Gardner. Through a variety of tricks, and with the help of several friends, it is believed that Powell created all of the ghostly effects to scare Gardner away. In fact, Gardner eventually did break up with Betsy and left area and Powell did come out winner. In the end, he married Betsy Bell.

81.John Well’s mean old neighbor haunted them because ______.

______________________________________________________________________________

82.On Jackson’s way to investigate the ghost, the ghost ______ and later, Jackson encountered the witch and left early the next morning.

______________________________________________________________________________

83.How did the haunting eventually end？

______________________________________________________________________________

84.What was one explanation for the haunting given in the reading？

______________________________________________________________________________

 

Many psychologists in the early twentieth century believed that humans use only 10 percent of their brains, and even the great Albert Einstein once wrote that most people use only a small portion of the grey matter between their ears. It's a theory that has often been put forward in television documentaries; magazines, advertisements and books over the past century.

         But nearly all scientists now agree the 10 percent theory is completely unfounded. In fact, they question how this figure was ever arrived at in the first place and what areas of the brain are supposed to be unneeded. The theory supposes that if 90 percent of the brain were removed, a person would Still be able to function normally, while in reality it is known that damage to even a small area of the brain can result in extremely serious physical injury different activities and that many areas of the brain are used at the same time for some complex activities or thought processes.

         Throughout the course of one day, most .areas of the brain are active at some time, even during sleep. The 10 percent theory suggests that certain areas o' the brain are not used, but scans slow activities throughout the entire brain and not in any separate part. The final argument against the 10 percent theory is the fact that doctors carefully map the brain before removing brain cancers so that they don't affect other essential areas.

         From an evolutionary point of view, it's highly unlikely butt our comparatively larger brains would have evolved from our ancestors if the extra areas were not needed. In fact, there is absolutely no evidence support the 1p percent theory.

1.How did the 10 percent theory get such widespread popularity?

   A. It was promoted in various types of copular media.

   B. Albert Einstein argued strongly in support.

   C. It was proven in scientific research.

   D. Few people could prove it wrong.

2.The underlined word "unfounded" is chest in meaning to _________.

   A. undiscovered         B. unproven        C. unknown        D. unnecessary

3.Which of the following is true according to the writer?

   A. We use less than 10% of our brains.

   B. Most brain disorders affect the same part of the brain.

   C. The brain is less active during times of sleep.

   D. The 10 percent theory does not make evolutionary sense.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

   A. People today use more of their brain than in the past.

   B. Scientific opinion about the topic of brain use is equally divided.

   C. Our understanding of the brain has changed greatly in the past decades.

   D. Modern scientists have a complete picture of how the brain works.

5.What is the main purpose of the passage?

   A. To present two sides of brain theory.

   B. To criticize the 10 percent theory.

   C. To explain how brain works.

   D. To describe the history of brain research.

 

How did it make you feel when you learned that KFC’S Beijing restaurants pulled three more items from their menus last week? There were fears that the items may have contained the cancer-causing coloring Sudan I．Do you have any desire to take the food provider to court because it feeds you something dangerous?

 After all，the law supposedly gives people the right to fight for their rights．But some experts have said it might not be so wise to take the company directly to court．

 Qiu Baochang，a lawyer in Beijing，suggested that consumers not take the company directly to court． “In addition to the high costs，consumers’complaints are unlikely to win unless they can prove they have had the banned dye at KFC，”—Qiu explained．

 One problem for those wanting to take action against the fast food chain is that few customers ask for or keep receipts(收據(jù))．And，this must be the first step．

 If they can prove that their health has been damaged by KFC，they can cue(控告)the company．But that would be almost impossible to do so because the Sudan I damage is a long-term effect and is not immediately apparent.

A KFC spokesperson said on Monday that the company was confdent of being able to handle customers’complaints，“We will obey legal procedure if We raceive any complaints.”

1.Why did KFC’s Beijing restaurants pull three more items from their menus?

 A.Because the company was afraid to handle customers’complaints.

 B.Because coloring Sudan I may have been contained in those items.

 C.Because the KFC’s restaurants were accused ofselling poisonous food to the customers．

 D.Because these items were no longer popular with the customers.

2.The reason why experts suggested not taking the company directly to court is that       .

A.the costs will be high

B.consumers can’t prove food contained Sudan I 

C.consumers can’t prove the food at KFC damaged their health

D.all of the above

3.This passage most probably appears in       .

A．a(chǎn) notice．

B．a(chǎn) book on cooking．

C．a(chǎn) story book．

D．a(chǎn) newspaper．

4.What is the general ieda of the passage?

A.KFC’s Beijing restaurants pulled three items from their menus last week.

B.How the consumers dealt with the KFC problem.

C.How KFC handled the customers’s complaints.

D.Consumers never forget to ask for or keep receipts.