The speaker,a teacher from a community college,addressed a sympathetic audience. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, "High school English teachers are not doing their jobs. " He described the inadequacies of his students,all high school graduates who can use language only at a grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions how this grade 9 level had been established.

  My topic is not standards nor its decline (降低) .What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young;he has been teaching for sixteen years,and is able to think and speak like a mature adult.

  My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following it is inevitable. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century,it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies (缺陷) .But since then,English teachers have been under constant attack.

  The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves,they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years,they assume the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of sensitive adults the language of the young always seems inadequate. .

  Since this concern about the decline and fall of the English language is not noticed as a generational phenomenon but rather as something new and peculiar to today's young people,it naturally follows that today's English teachers cannot be doing their jobs. Otherwise,young people would not commit offenses against the language.

(   ) 1. The speaker the author mentioned in the passage believed that        .

   A. the language of the younger generation is usually inferior to that of the older generation

   B. the students had a poor command of English because they didn't work hard enough

   C. he was an excellent language teacher because he had been teaching English for sixteen years

   D. English teachers should be held responsible for the students' poor command of English

(   ) 2. In the author's opinion,the speaker         .

   A. gave a correct judgment of the English level of the students

   B. had exaggerated the language problems of the students

   C. was right in saying that English teachers were not doing their jobs

   D. could think and speak intelligently

(   ) 3. The author's attitude towards the speaker's remarks is         .

   A. neutral   B. positive   C. critical   D. compromising

(   ) 4. In the passage the author argues that         .

   A. it is unfair to blame the English teachers for the language deficiencies of the students

   B. young people would not commit offences against the language if the teachers did their jobs properly

   C. to eliminate language deficiencies one must have sensitive eyes and ears

   D. to improve the standard of English requires the effort of several generations

 The old Indian was sitting on the snow. It was Koskoosh,1       chief of his tribe. Now all he could do was sit and listen to the others. His eyes were old,he could not see. But his ears were wide 2        to every sound. "Aha."That was the sound of his daughter Sit-cum-to-ha,she was beating the 3       ,trying to make them stand in front of the snow sleds. He was 4        by her and by the others,too. They had to look for new hunting grounds,the long snowy wide waited. The days of the northlands were growing short. The 5       could not wait for death. Koskoosh was dying.

  The stiff crackling noises of frozen animal skins told him that the chiefs 6        was being torn down. The chief was a strong and manly hunter. He was his son,the son of Koskoosh. Koskoosh was being left to 7       . As the women worked,old Koskoosh could hear his son's voice drive them to work 8       . He listened harder,it was the 9        time he would hear that voice. A child cried and a woman sang softly to 10        it. The child was Kootee,the old man thought. A 11       child,it would die soon. And they would 12       a hole in the frozen ground to bury it. They would cover its small body with stones to keep the 13        away. Well,what of it,a few years and in the end 14      Death waited,never hungry. Death had the hungriest stomach of all. Koskoosh listened to other 15        he would hear no more. The man tying strong leather rope 16        the sleds to hold their belongings. The sharp sounds of leather 17        ordering the dogs to move and pull the sleds. Listened to the dogs' cry,how they 18        the work. They were off,sled after sled moved slowly away into the silence. They had passed out of his 19       . He must meet his last hour 20       .

(   ) 1. A. the first   B. former   C. current   D. powerful

(   ) 2. A. open   B. apart   C. awake   D. tense

(   ) 3. A. slaves   B. children   C. dogs   D. deer

(   ) 4. A. respected   B. forgotten   C. feared   D. loved

(   ) 5. A. hunters   B. old   C. children   D. tribe

(   ) 6. A. cart   B. office   C. sled   D. tent

(   ) 7. A. die   B. rest   C. work   D. cook

(   ) 8. A. quickly   B. harder   C. again   D. faster

(   ) 9. A. high   B. first   C. last   D. right

(   ) 10. A. make   B. quiet   C. fool   D. threaten

(   ) 11. A. sickly   B. lovely   C. energetic   D. noisy

(   ) 12. A. make   B. dig   C. burn   D. plough

(   ) 13. A. others   B. ants   C. wolves   D. dogs

(   ) 14. A. suffering   B. success   C. sorrow   D. death

(   ) 15. A. cries   B. screams   C. songs   D. sounds

(   ) 16. A. about   B. to   C. around   D. up

(   ) 17. A. coats   B. whips   C. tents   D. sled

(   ) 18. A. hated   B. loved   C. fulfilled   D. committed

(   ) 19. A. sight   B. life   C. hearing   D. place

(   ) 20. A. unwillingly   B. happily   C. alone   D. unfortunately

 A water bearer in India had two large pots. One of the pots had a crack in it,and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk,the cracked pot arrived only half full.

  For two years this went on daily,with the water bearer delivering one and a half pots full of water to his master's house. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection. After two years of what it had considered to be bitter failure,it spoke one day to the water bearer by the stream.

  "I am ashamed of myself,and I want to apologize to you."

  "Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

  The water bearer felt sorry and said, "As we return to the master's house,I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."Indeed,as they went up the hill,the cracked pot took notice of the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path,and this cheered it some. But at the end of the path,it still felt bad because it had still leaked half of its load,and so again the pot apologized to the bearer for its failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path,but not on the other pot's side? That is because I have always known about your weakness,and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path,and every day while we walk back from the stream,you have watered them. For two years I have been able to pick those beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are,he would not have this beauty."

  Each of us has our own unique weakness. We are all cracked pots. But if we will allow it,the Lord will use our weakness to grace His Father's table. In God's great economy,nothing goes to waste. Don't be ashamed of your weakness. Acknowledge them,and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in our weakness we find our strength.

(   ) 5. How did the cracked pot feel?

   A. Desperate. B. Proud. C. Guilty. D. Faulty.

(   ) 6. The bearer was a clever person because         .

   A. he made use of the weakness of the cracked pot

   B. he picked beautiful flowers for his master every day

   C. he felt sorry for the cracked pot and tried to comfort it

   D. he carried only one and a half pot of water every day

(   ) 7. Everyone has weakness. The proper attitude towards it is to        .

   A. accept it and let it be

   B. take advantage of it

   C. do all you can to cover it up

   D. feel shameful and discouraged

(   ) 8. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means         .

   A. nobody should waste anything

   B. everyone was born to be helpful

   C. God is saving,he won't waste anything

   D. God won't send anything to the waste station

 To prove that all time has value,a manager at a large corporation in the Northeast asked everyone who attended a meeting to " punch in"(打卡) .At the end of the meeting he calculated the total price of the meeting in manhours and changed these into dollars by prorating (按比例分配) each staffer's salary. Indeed,for each $10,000 you make annually,a single hour is worth $5. That's why the most successful people are those who've mastered the timesaving strategies described here. Stay Focused All top performers establish priorities (優(yōu)先做的事) .Helen Gurley Brown,editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan,always keeps an issue of the magazine on her desk. Whenever she attempts to do something that doesn't contribute to the magazine's success,she glances at that issue,and it gets her back on track.

One way to order your priorities is to create a "to do" list. Every evening,write down the top 20        tasks to be done the next day,and review the list several times throughout the day. The best way to accomplish what's on the list is to give each task a specific time limit. Pattern of Success Most people who want to get ahead spend useful time writing personal notes of gratitude,sympathy and congratulations. But when it comes to routine memos (備忘錄) ，letters,fact sheets and forms,they save a lot of time by relying on previously written material.

Susan Taylor,editor-in-chief of Essence,has created some 40        form letters for everything. Stored on her computer,the letters can be called up,copied and customized by changing a few key words. Taylor then often adds a handwritten greeting at the bottom as a personal touch. Telephone Tips Financier J. B. Fuqua has made a fortune putting deals together over the telephone. His most important strategy is to make notes before he places a call.

(   ) 1. The manager asked everyone who attended the meeting to punch in to         .

   A. find out who was absent

   B. find out who was late

   C. calculate how many people present

   D. calculate how much an hour was

(   ) 2. Helen Gurley Brown keeps an issue of the magazine on her desk in order to

   A. remind herself to be concentrated

   B. consult it when it is necessary

   C. relax herself during the coffee time

   D. show her pride to the visitors

(   ) 3. Which is the best title of the passage?

   A. Hurry Up

   B. No Wasted Time

   C. Take Charge of Your Day

   D. Wasting Time Is Wasting Your Life

(   ) 4. In order to save time you can         .

   A. refuse to return phone calls

   B. start to do a thing without hesitation

   C. put down all the things you want to do

   D. store everything in your computer

  The buildings there were tall,shiny and in strange shapes. The stores were filled with clothes and other 1        things I could not imagine buying or wearing. On my way home,I drove through 2        areas of Los Angeles. People sat in the street asking for money. The buildings were dirty and their windows had no 3        The area filled me with 4       . Which side of America would I end up in,the rich or the poor? I came to this country with nothing,but I believed I had a 5       here. In America,anyone could become rich,right?

  I was very 6       . I had left all my family behind in Nigeria. When I got 7        of staying inside the house,I took walks up some 8        near my house. I wanted to feel the sun,9 the warm earth and see the blue sky that was the same as the one at home. There were no huge trees with 10        spreading branches and heavy green leaves to protect me from the sun. The 11       was not darkbrown and rich,it was lightbrown and dry like sand. There were small stones everywhere and small brown bushes 12        the hillsides. Again,I had to face the fact that this was not 13        which was all I had known. Only the strong,steady shine of the sun was the same. That at least made me 14       . The sun was my first friend.

  I decided to join a walking group that I had read in a local newspaper. I had been 15        enough to leave my home thousands of miles away. Surely I could meet new people and 16        myself to talk to them. One late Saturday,we gathered at the bottom of the Outdina Hills east of Los Angeles. It was slowly growing dark. Everyone was wearing blue jeans and T-shirts 17       me. It was as if someone had told them what to 18       . Instead,I wore a dress and walked alone behind family groups. The children spoke in high 19        voices. I kept waiting for them to speak normally,that is without in American accent. To me,normal 20      Nigerian. Would my voice become American like theirs?

(   ) 1. A. costly   B. beautiful   C. shining   D. strange

(   ) 2. A. living   B. another   C. poor   D. downtown

(   ) 3. A. handle   B. frame   C. lock   D. glass

(   ) 4. A. fear   B. sorrow   C. anger   D. sadness

(   ) 5. A. life   B. chance   C. future   D. friend

(   ) 6. A. excited   B. lonely   C. hopeful   D. depressed

(   ) 7. A. uneasy   B. doubted   C. used   D. tired

(   ) 8. A. hills   B. mountains   C. parks   D. streets

(   ) 9. A. praise   B. love   C. touch   D. understand

(   ) 10. A. light   B. thick   C. complex   D. mixed

(   ) 11. A. soil   B. earth   C. ground   D. field

(   ) 12. A. covered   B. sheltered   C. defended   D. guarded

(   ) 13. A. the hill   B. neighborhood   C. block   D. home

(   ) 14. A. safe   B. refreshed   C. homesick   D. happy

(   ) 15. A. brave   B. annoyed   C. upset   D. eager

(   ) 16. A. prevented   B. allowed   C. forced   D. persuaded

(   ) 17. A. including   B. besides   C. except   D. like

(   ) 18. A. take   B. wear   C. bring   D. do

(   ) 19. A. noisy   B. beautiful   C. American   D. childish

(   ) 20. A. conducted   B. adjusted   C. showed   D. meant

  Temperatures in some parts of the country have eased a bit over the weekend. But there is no risk that groups of people are suddenly going to turn their backs on airconditioning. The airconditioner has established itself well in the hearts of Americans. The first widespread use of airconditioners came during the 1920 when movie theaters used what they called manmade weather to attract customers to the silver screen. After World War II,the cost for airconditioners started to come down and manufacturers advertised them as for the millions not just for millionaires. Deborah Hawkins,knows how to keep cool. She is chairman of the Airconditioner and Refrigeration Institute. We called her in her office in Fort Worth,Texas. Welcome to the program.

  Well,thank you.

  I suppose you've got your airconditioner going great guns. Yes,we do. Full blast (沖擊波) in fact.

  All right,take us back,where was the first airconditioned movie theater in the United States?

  Well,it's probably in the Central Park theater in Chicago,Illinois. Willis Carrier,considered the king of cool and the founder of airconditioning actually,sold his inventions to movie theater operators during the late 19th and early 20th. And this was one of the first ones to have received it. And they actually had some of the largest audiences than anywhere else in the country as you can imagine.

And also I guess that the theater just stayed open during the summer.

  Well,yearlong,yearlong. Well before they were primarily just open from November to May.

  Well,what are some of the other early places to be cooled down by airconditioning? Well,right after the movie theaters,the government buildings in Washington   D. C. were airconditioned,started with the US House of Representatives building,the Senate building,even the White House.

  When did airconditioning become a stable of the Middle Class?

  Well,actually it started in the 50s when sales exceeded over one million units. And then at each decade,it increased enormously. To where now today,probably 82% of all homes either have room airconditioning units or central airconditioning units in America.

Deborah Hawkins,is chairman of the Airconditioner and Refrigeration Institutions. Thanks a lot,keep cool.

(   ) 5. The air conditioners were first widely used in         .

   A. theaters   B. the White house

   C. government buildings   D. family houses

(   ) 6.The underlined word ones refers to         .

   A. audiences   B. air conditioners

   C. movie theater operators   D. movie theaters

(   ) 7. The following statements are wrong EXCEPT         .

   A. 82% of all homes had air conditioners in the 50s

   B. Deborah Hawkins is regarded as the king of cool

   C. after World War II the sales of air conditioners increased fast

   D. although the temperature has decreased,people won't stop using airconditioners

(   ) 8. The key point of the telephone interview gives us a brief introduction about

   A. the success of Deborah Hawkins v

   B. who is the king of cool

   C. the development of airconditioners

   D. the origin of airconditioners

 It is well that young men should begin at the beginning and occupy the most subordinate (下級的) positions. Many of the leading businessmen of Pittsburgh had a serious responsibility thrust upon them at the very beginning of their career. They were introduced to the broom,and spent the first hours of their business lives sweeping out the office. It does not hurt the newest comer to sweep out the office if necessary. I was one of those sweepers myself.

  My advice to you is "aim high". I would not give advice for the young man who does not already see himself the partner or the head of an important firm. Do not rest content for a moment in your thoughts as head clerk,or foreman,or general manager in any concern. Say to yourself, "My place is at the top. " Be king in your dreams.

And here is the prime condition of success,the great secret：concentrate your energy,thought,and capital exclusively (專有地) upon the business in which you are engaged.

  The concerns which fail are those which have distributed their capital,which means that they have distributed their brains also. They have investments in this,or that,or the other,here there,and everywhere. "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" is all wrong. I tell you to " put all your eggs in one basket,and then watch that basket."Look round you and take notice,men who do that not often fail. It is easy to watch and carry the one basket. It is trying to carry too many baskets that breaks most eggs in this country. He who carries three baskets must put one on his head,which is easy to fall and trip him up. One fault of the American businessman is lack of concentration.

  To summarize what I have said: aim for the highest;never enter a bar room; do not touch alcohol drinks,or if at all only at meals;never risk; never indorse ( = endorse,簽名于票據(jù)的背面，贊同) beyond your surplus (盈余的) cash fund; make the firm's interest yours;break orders always to save owners;concentrate;put all your eggs in one basket,and watch that basket;expense always within income;lastly,be not impatient,for as Emerson says , " No one can cheat you out of final success but yourselves."

(   ) 1. In the second paragraph "aim high" means that         .

   A. expand your business no matter how much it will cost

   B. you don't need to begin your career with the basic position

   C. don't be satisfied with the achievements you've already got

   D. only devote your money to those which can bring you a lot of profits

(   ) 2. Which is not suggested by the writer?

   A. Ambition. B. Generosity.

   C. Concentration. D. Patience.

(   ) 3. What does "eggs" here refer to?

   A. Money. B. Energy. C. Brains. D. All above.

(   ) 4. The best title of the passage should be         .

   A. The Road to Success

   B. Tips on Investigation

   C. Keep Your Money Properly

   D. Be King in Your Dreams

 Ben was awakened by a gunshot. The sharp noise came 1        the thick stone walls of the house. It was cold in the bedroom. Ben Newman was 2        as he got out of bed.

  He put on his eyeglasses and went over to the 3       . The field was covered with white frost. Nothing 4       out there in the deep quiet just before sunrise. Ben looked past the 5        to the thick woods. Two weeks ago,he saw a deer among the trees. He held his 6        with excitement,then the deer walked off.

  Ben wondered where the 7        had come from. He thought perhaps he had dreamed he heard a gunshot. He 8       toward the frozen lake. Near the trees he saw a shining piece of metal. When it moved,Ben saw that it was a long 9       . A minute later,a man came out of the woods. He wore 10        clothes. Suddenly,a bird flew upward. The man quickly put the gun to his 11        and shot. Ben watched the bird,12       it had not been hurt. It flew near the ground and went into some tall grass.

"Safe ," Ben thought.

  The hunter did not 13        for a moment,then he began to follow the bird. 14       for the hunter burned inside of Ben.

  "Hey！" he shouted. His voice cut through the 15       . The hunter stopped,but then continued to follow the bird.

  Ben shouted again. This time the hunter did not 16       . Ben started to move toward him. But Ben was in his nightclothes and he did not go 17       ,instead he returned to the house. He got a metal shovel (鏟) and hit the stone sides of the house so that the 18        would warn the birds and animals of danger. The hunter looked 19        at Ben.

  "No 20       on my land！" Ben shouted.

(   ) 1. A. in   B. across   C. over   D. through

(   ) 2. A. shaking   B. bleeding   C. shouting   D. hurting

(   ) 3. A. kitchen   B. downstairs   C. window   D. livingroom

(   ) 4. A. passed   B. cried   C. lived   D. moved

(   ) 5. A. ground   B. field   C. window   D. ice

(   ) 6. A. palms   B. pulse   C. breath   D. arms

(   ) 7. A. shot   B. deer   C. bird   D. noise

(   ) 8. A. broke out   B. burst out   C. held out   D. looked out

(   ) 9. A. stick   B. pole   C. gun   D. branch

(   ) 10. A. warm   B. hunting   C. strange   D. dirty

(   ) 11. A. hands   B. shoulder   C. chest   D. head

(   ) 12. A. thinking   B. considering   C. wanting   D. praying

(   ) 13. A. move   B. hunt   C. call   D. escape

(   ) 14. A. Hate   B. Love   C. Curiosity   D. Support

(   ) 15. A. loudness   B. sadness   C. stillness   D. coldness

(   ) 16. A. stop   B. move   C. hesitate   D. follow

(   ) 17. A. off   B. far   C. fast   D. away

(   ) 18. A. collision   B. crash   C. noise   D. shot

(   ) 19. A. back   B. over   C. forward   D. aside

(   ) 20. A. animals   B. chasing   C. noise   D. hunting

Communications technologies are far from equal when it comes to conveying the truth. The first study to compare honesty across a range of communication media has found that people are twice as likely to tell lies in phone conversations as they are in emails. The fact that emails are automatically recorded―and can come back to haunt (困擾) you―appears to be the key to the finding.

Jeff Hancock of Cornell University in Ithaca,New York,asked 30 students to keep a communications diary for a week. In it they noted the number of conversations or email exchanges they had lasting more than 10 minutes,and confessed to how many lies they told. Hancock then worked out the number of lies per conversation for each medium. He found that lies made up 14 percent of emails,21 percent of instant messages,27 percent of face-to-face interactions and an astonishing 37 percent of phone calls.

His results to be presented at the conference on humancomputer interaction in Vienna,Austria,in April,have surprised psychologists. Some expected emailers to be the biggest liars,reasoning that because deception makes people uncomfortable,the detachment (非直接接觸) of emailing would make it easier to lie. Others expected people to lie more in face-to-face exchanges because we are most practised at that form of communication.

But Hancock says it is also crucial whether a conversation is being recorded and could be reread,and whether it occurs in real time. People appear to be afraid to lie when they know the communication could later be used to hold them to account,he says. This is why fewer lies appear in email than on the phone.

People are also more likely to lie in real time―in a instant message or phone call―than if they have time to think of a response,says Hancock. He found many lies are spontaneous (脫口而出的) responses to an unexpected demand,such as: "Do you like my dress?"

Hancock hopes his research will help companies work out the best ways for their employees to communicate. For instance,the phone might be the best medium for sales where employees are encouraged to stretch the truth. But,given his result,work assessment where honesty is a priority,might be best done using email.

(   ) 5. Hancock's study focuses on         .

   A. the consequences of lying in various communications media

   B. the success of communications technologies in conveying ideas

   C. people are less likely to lie in instant messages

   D. people's honesty levels across a range of communications media

(   ) 6. Hancock's research finding surprised those who believed that         .

   A. people are less likely to lie in instant messages

   B. people are unlikely to lie in face-to-face interactions

   C. people are most likely to lie in email communication

   D. people are twice as likely to lie in phone conversations

(   ) 7. According to the passage,why are people more likely to tell the truth through certain media of communication?

   A. They are afraid of leaving behind traces of their lies.

   B. They believe that honesty is the best policy.

   C. They tend to be relaxed when using those media.

   D. They are most practiced at those forms of communication.

(   ) 8. According to Hancock the telephone is a preferable medium for promoting sales because         .

   A. salesmen can talk directly to their customers

   B. salesmen may feel less restrained to exaggerate

   C. salesmen can impress customers as being trustworthy

   D. salesmen may pass on instant messages effectively

 Something roared like thunder. The earth shook a little and we heard the rat-a-tattat of gunfire. "Father!" Hassan cried. We sprung to our feet and raced out of the living room.

  "Father!What's that sound?" Hassan screamed,his hands outstretched toward Ali. Ali wrapped his arms around us. A white light flashed and lit the sky in silver. It flashed again and was followed by rapid sharp sounds of gunfire.

  "They're hunting ducks, ”Ali said in a hoarse voice. "They hunt ducks at night,you know. Don't be afraid."

  A siren (警報聲) went off in the distance. Somewhere glass broke and someone shouted. I heard people on the street,awakened from sleep. Hassan was crying. Ali pulled him close and held him with tenderness.

  We stayed huddled (蜷縮) that way until the early hours of the morning. The shootings and explosions had lasted less than an hour,but they had frightened us badly,because none of us had ever heard gunshots in the streets. They were foreign sounds to us then. The generations of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of the bombs and gunfire were not yet born. Huddled together in the dining room and waiting for the sun to rise,none of us had any idea that a way of life had ended. The end came when Russian tanks were rolling into the very same streets where Hassan and I played,bringing the death of the Afghanistan I knew and marking the start of a still ongoing era of bloodletting.

  Just before the sunrise,Baba's car pulled into the driveway. His door slammed shut and his running footsteps pounded the stairs. Then he appeared in the doorway and I saw something on his face. Something I didn't recognize right away because I'd never seen it before：fear. "Amir!Hassan！" He cried as he ran to us,opening his arms wide. "They blocked all the roads and the telephone didn't work. I was so worried！"

  We let him wrap us in his arms and,for a brief moment,I was glad about whatever had happened that night.

(   ) 1. Who is the author of this passage?

   A. Hassan. B. Ali. C. Baba. D. Amir.

(   ) 2. By saying "They're hunting ducks"，Ali         .

   A. told the children the truth   B. tried to calm the children

   C. played a joke on the children   D. cheered the children up

(   ) 3. We can infer from the passage that         .

   A. there were thunderstorms that night

   B. Afghan children were used to the war

   C. that night was the end of people's peaceful life

   D. people on the street shouted and broke the windows

(   ) 4. From the last sentence of the passage,we know         .

   A. the author was glad to see his father come home safe

   B. there was a chance that a world in peace was to come

   C. what happened that night seemed nothing to the author

   D. Baba's arms gave the author temporary comfort and joy