A famous American John Muir said in 1898: “The Grand Canyon… as unearthly (神秘的)

题型：不详难度：来源：

A famous American John Muir said in 1898: “The Grand Canyon… as unearthly (神秘的) in the color and grandeur (壮观) of its architecture as if you had found it after death on some other star.” Like Muir, those of us who stand along the rim are prompted to wonder about the unearthliness and the forces that created and are still changing this place.
After more than 100 years of studies, many things are still mysterious. Today visitors come by the thousands -- the great and simple of the earth -- all in a spirit of wonder. Travelers come from every state of the Union, from every country in Europe and Asia.
From the depths of the canyon comes welling silence. Seldom can you hear the roar of the river, for all sounds are swallowed in this gulf of space. “It makes one want to murmur.” A woman once whispered to her companion. This silence is not the silence of death; rather, it is a presence. It is like a great piece of music. But music made of man works up to a climax (高潮) and stops.
Now, visitors to the South Rim alone may number 18,000 in a single day. Some of that number will travel by mule train down Bright Angel Trail to the canyon"s floor, cross the raging river by a suspension bridge (吊桥) and walk to the North Rim. Though the two rims face each other across only 12 miles, it is a journey of 214 miles by car from one to the other. Nor can you visit the North Rim except in summer; some 1,200 feet higher than the South Rim, it is snow covered much of the year except in July and August.
But there is no day that you may not visit the South Rim and find the sun warm on your face and the air perfumed with the incense (香气) of smoke from an Indian hearth (香炉). No wonder an American writer and journalist said, “I came here an atheist (无神论者), and departed a devout （虔诚的）believer.”
小题1:What is it that attracts so many travelers to the Canyon?

A．The unearthliness and the grandeur of its architecture.

B．The presence of American super stars.

C．The saying made by American writers and journalists.

D．The roaring of the river in the Canyon.

小题2:What does the underlined word “simple” refer to?

A．peaceful stream

B．land surface

C．common people

D．tamed animals

小题3:If you want to visit the North Rim from the South Rim, which of the following won’t be the way of traveling for you?

A．By train.

B．By animal.

C．By car.

D．On foot.

小题4: The last sentence “I came here an atheist, and departed a devout believer.” implies that ______.

A．natural wonders such as the Canyon have some effect on human activities

B．all visitors to the Grand Canyon are God believers

C．atheist can’t see the magnificence of the Grand Canyon

D．the Grand Canyon is an unearthly sight that only God could create

答案

小题1:A
小题2:C
小题3:A
小题4:D

解析

小题1:短文第一段约翰缪尔所说的“科罗拉多大峡谷在色彩上神秘莫测，景观上是壮丽无比，只有在人死之后，在天堂里才能见到”，由此可知科罗拉多大峡谷吸引游客的是它的神秘和壮美。
小题2:此句意义是“今天来参观的游客数以千计，无论是伟人还是普通老百姓”。由前面的the great（伟人，大人物）联想猜测可知，the simple是“普通老百姓”。
小题3:由第四段可知：游客可骑骡子（by mule train）到峡谷底部，然后通过吊桥横过河，可走路支北边。南边与北边虽相距只有12英里，但如果乘车需绕道214 公里才能到达。由此可知乘坐火车不是旅行方式。
小题4:此句表面意义是：我来时是无神论，离开时却是一句虔诚的信徒。用此句来表达科罗拉多大峡谷是一个神奇的地方，只有上帝才能创造出如此神秘壮丽的景色。

举一反三

We arranged that Kissinger would fly to Vietnam early in July and then stop in Pakistan on the way back. There he would develop a stomachache that would require him to stay in bed and not be seen by the press. Then, with President Yahya’s help, he would be taken to an airport where a Pakistani jet would fly him over the mountains to China.
Kissinger’s trip was given the code name Polo after Marco Polo, another western traveler who made history by journeying to China. Everything went quite smoothly. His slight illness in Islamabad received only small attention from reporters covering him. They accepted the story that he would be kept shut up for at least a few days and began making arrangements for their own activities.
Because of the need for complete secrecy and the lack of any direct communication facilities (设备) between Beijing and Washington, I knew that we would have no word from Kissinger while he was in China. Even after he had returned to Pakistan it would still be important to keep it secret，so before Kissinger left，we agreed on a single code word—Eureka—which he would use if his mission（使命）were successful and the presidential trip had been arranged.
On July 11, A1 Haig who knew our code word, phoned me to say that a cable from Kissinger had arrived.
“What’s the message?” I asked.
“Eureka,” he replied.
小题1:Kissinger stopped in Pakistan because____.

A．he had a stomachache

B．he needed President Yahya’s help in carrying out a secret plan

C．he did not want to be seen by the press

D．he would like to take a Pakistani jet on his way back

小题2:The reporters in Islamabad believed that _____.

A．Marco Polo made a trip to China

B．Kissinger would make a journey to China

C．Kissinger was making arrangements for their activities

D．Kissinger was sick

小题3:Washington would have no word from Kissinger while he was in China mainly because____.

A．the trip must be kept secret

B．President Yahya would not fly together with Kissinger

C．communication between China and Islamabad was impossible

D．Al Haig would phone to the author to tell him about Kissinger’s trip

小题4: From the passage we can infer that Kissinger’s cable carrying the message “Eureka” must have been sent____.

A．before he had left Beijing

B．soon after he had returned to Pakistan from China

C．as soon as he had arrived in Washington on July 11

D．before he retuned to Pakistan on July 11

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles”(风格) of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused(困惑) in Japan because most streets there don’t have names; in Japan, people use landmarks(地标) in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A new Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
小题1:When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ______.

A．describe the place carefully	B．show him a map of the place
C．tell him the names of the streets	D．refer to recognizable buildings and places

小题2:What is the place where people measure distance in time?

A．New York.

B．Los Angeles.

C．Kansas.

D．Iowa.

小题3:People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ______.

A．in order to save time	B．Los Angeles.
C．so as to be polite	D．for fun

小题4:What can we infer from the text?

A．It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences.

B．It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.

C．People have similar understandings of politeness.

D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

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.

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

FILM DESCRIPTIONS
Back to the Future
With the help of a local inventor’s time machine, Marty travels back to the 1950s. There his 80s hipness stands out, and he inadvertently interferes with the fledgling romance of his parents-to-be. Can Marty keep them together? He’d better, or his own future will fade away. Featuring: Christopher Lloyd, Michael J.Fox. A universal Pictures release, 1 hr. 55 min.
Beethoven’s 2nd
In this sequel to the popular Beethoven, our canine hero falls for Missy, who soon has puppies. Missy’s greedy owner, Regina, who sees only money in the little purebreds, separates mom and pups from Beethoven. His owners rescue the puppies, but Regina still has Missy. Featuring: Charles Grodin, Bonnie Hunt. A Universal Pictures release, 1 hr. 26 min.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Despite the popularity of his treats, candy maker Willy Wonka shuts himself inside his factory. But then Willy holds a contest, offering five lucky children the chance to see his company. Poor but pleasant Charlie Bucket finds a ticket, as do four less-deserving children. Featuring:
Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore. A Warner Bros. Release, 1 hr. 56 min.
Cinderella Man
Based on actual events, this film follows the life of Jim Braddock, a boxer in New York City during the Great Depression. After a series of losses, Braddock is forced into retirement. But he never gives up his boxing dream, and neither does his manager. Featuring: Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger. A Universal Pictures release, 2 hr. 14 min.
Liar Liar
Lawyer Fletcher Reede has never told the truth in his life. Then his son makes a birthday wish that his dad would stop lying for 24 hours. Suddenly, Fletcher’s mouth spouts everything he thinks. His compulsion brings disaster to courtroom, where he must defend a client whose case was built on lies. Featuring: Jim Carrey, Justin Cooper. A Universal Pictures release, 1 hr. 25 min.
小题1:Which of the following is probably the name of a dog?

A．Marty.

B．Missy.

C．Fletcher.

D．Charlie

小题2:Willy Wonka is _______.

A．a boxer who suffers a series of losses

B．a lawyer who has never told the truth

C．a man who runs a chocolate factory

D．a man who invents a time machine

小题3: Which film is about the life of a real person?

A．Beethoven’s 2nd	B．Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
C．Cinderella Man	D．Liar Liar

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

Runners in a relay(接力) race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.
The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of citied and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 B, C, to about A, D, 1300, when sea travel offered new routes(路线)　, It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway. However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft(嫁接)　different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.
The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy(外交), and religion (宗教)
小题1:It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed .

A．to remember the entire trade route	B．to know the making of products
C．to receive certain special training	D．to deal with a lot of difficulties

小题2:The Silk Road became less important because .

A．it was made up of different routes	B．silk trading became less popular
C．sea travel provided easier routes	D．people needed fewer foreign goods

小题3:New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people .

A．learned from one another	B．shared each other’s beliefs
C．traded goods along the route	D．earned their living by traveling

小题4:What is the best title for the passage?

A．The Silk Road ; Past and Present	B．The Silk Road; East Meets West
C．The Silk Road; Routes Full of Dangers	D．The Silk Road; Pathways for Learning

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案