One summer I was driving from my home town of Tahoe City，Calif.，to New Orleans.I
题型：不详难度：来源：
One summer I was driving from my home town of Tahoe City，Calif.，to New Orleans.In the middle of the desert，I came upon a young man standing by the roadside.He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand.I drove right by him.There was a time in the country when you’d be considered a jerk if you passed by somebody in need.Now you are a fool for helping.With gangs，drug addicts，murderers，rapists，thieves lurking everywhere，“I don’t want to get involved” has become a national motto.
Several states later I was still thinking about the hitchhiker.Leaving him standing in the desert did not bother me so much.What bothered me was how easily I had reached the decision.I never even lifted my foot off the accelerator.
Does anyone stop any more？I wondered.I recalled Blanche DuBois’s famous line：“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”．Could anyone rely on the kindness of strangers these days？One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money，relying solely on the good will of his fellow Americans.What kind of Americans would he find？Who would feed him，shelter him，carry him down the road?
The idea intrigued me.
The week I turned 37，I realized that I had never taken a gamble in my life.So I decided to travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny.It would be a cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar.I would only accept offers of rides，food and a place to rest my head.My final destination would be Cape Fear in North Carolina，a symbol of all the fears I’d have to conquer during the trip.
I rose early on September 6,1994，and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge with a 50pound pack on my back and a sign displaying my destination to passing vehicles：“America”．
For six weeks I hitched 82 rides and covered 4,223 miles across 14 states.As I traveled，folks were always warning me about someplace else.In Montana they told me to watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming；in Nebraska they said people would not be as nice as in Iowa.Yet I was treated with kindness everywhere I went.I was amazed by people’s readiness to help a stranger，even when it seemed to run contrary to their own best interests.
小题1:Why did the author drive past the young man in the desert without stopping?| A．Because he failed to notice this man. | | B．Because he was driving too fast. | | C．Because he thought the young man didn’t need help. | | D．Because he was afraid of being tricked. |
小题2:What was it that made the author upset?| A．Leaving the young man alone in the desert. | | B．Being considered a fool. | | C．Making the decision of not offering help so easily. | | D．Keeping thinking about the young man. |
小题3:The author decided to travel without a penny in order to ________.| A．find out how long he could survive without help | | B．go through the great difficulty in surviving unexpected environment | | C．find out whether strangers would offer help to him | | D．figure out how strangers thought of his plan |
小题4:The following part might probably ________.| A．describe how he fooled the strangers | | B．describe how strangers went out their way to help him | | C．explain why people refused to help strangers | | D．explain how he overcame his difficulties on the way |
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答案
小题1:D
小题2:C
小题3:C
小题4:B |
解析
小题1:D
解析 细节理解题。根据文章第一段最后两句可知，如今人们不想因为帮助陌生人而陷入麻烦，作者正是受这种思想的影响，而没有停车。
小题2:C
解析 细节理解题。根据文章第二段中的“What bothered me was how easily I had reached the decision.”可知，使作者感到不安的是自己怎么会那么轻易就作出了不伸出援手的决定。
小题3:C
解析 细节理解题。根据文章第三段最后三句的内容以及第四段“The idea intrigued me.”可知，作者决定进行这次“身无分文”的旅行是想看看是否会有陌生人帮助他，因此选择C项。
小题4:B
解析 篇章结构题。根据最后一段的描述可知，作者无论到哪儿都会得到帮助，甚至一些人宁愿违背自己的利益，也会去帮助他，因此下文作者会具体说明人们是如何尽力帮助他的。 |
举一反三
The aims of the Illustrators’(插图画家的) Exhibition，staged as part of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair，organized by BolognaFiere and held from 23 to 26 December，are to bring illustrators and publishers together and to promote illustrators and their works among publishers.
QUALIFICATIONS
•Individual illustrators or groups of illustrators of any nationality，if they were born before 31st December 1992，whose artwork is intended for use in children’s books，are qualified to enter the Exhibition，either directly or through publishing houses or schools.
•Please state in the application form whether you are entering work for the Fiction or Nonfiction Category.Illustrators may only enter one category.
•Artwork previously presented to the Exhibition may not be reentered.
•The confirmation(确认) form must be filled in and a photograph attached，then presented together with illustrations no later than 15 October.
SHIPMENT
Entries may be delivered by post，express delivery service or by hand.From abroad，please use the following forms：Form “A” for registered mail or post by air；Form “B” if using an international forwarding agent or airline.
To avoid delays，material should not be sent by normal post.Material should be sent “carriage(运费) paid”，including any customs and delivery costs.
BolognaFiere may not be held responsible for the nonarrival or late arrival of artwork.All published works must be accompanied by a declaration bearing the ISBN number，publisher’s name and address.
REQUIREMENTS
The illustrations(i.e.the size of the sheet) must not exceed(超过) the following dimensions：
Fiction：
32×42 cm (or 42×32 cm)
Nonfiction：
50×70 cm (70×50 cm)
Illustrations in larger formats will not be considered，nor will they be returned by BolognaFiere.The illustrations must be on paper or flexible board，maximum thickness 2 mm (for scanner separation purposes)．
SELECTION PROCESS
All artworks received by the stated deadline and meeting the specified requirements will be examined and selected by an international group (whose decision is final)，including five members (from publishing houses and art schools) appointed each year by BolognaFiere.
EXHIBITIONS ABROAD
After the Bologna event，the Illustrators Exhibition will travel to Japan under the supervision of JBBY.The Illustrators Exhibition may afterwards be transferred to other venues in other countries.The exhibitions of illustrations held abroad follow the same rules and regulations as the Illustrators Exhibition，and the provisions (条款) of the regulations are extended to the organizers of the exhibitions held abroad.
RETURN OF ARTWORK
All the works will be returned to their owners by BolognaFiere or directly by the organizers of the exhibitions held abroad by the end of July next year.
小题1:According to the text，the Illustrators’ Exhibition ________.| A．will last five days in all in July every other year | | B．is intended for college students who are good at painting | | C．is held by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in BolognaFiere | | D．can strengthen the relationship between illustrators and publishers |
小题2:The illustrators of the Illustrators’ Exhibition ________.| A．should be at least 16 and no more than 25 | | B．may reenter their artwork after it is returned | | C．should state the category of their artwork clearly | | D．may choose to attach a photo to the application form |
小题3:The illustrators’works will not be considered if they ________.| A．are received after the day of 15 October | | B．are smaller than the required size | | C．have already been published abroad before | | D．don’t meet the demands of the international experts |
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When a person is curious about something，it means he is interested in it and wishes to know more about it.There is____wrong with curiosity in itself.Whether it is good or bad____on what people are curious about.
Curiosity is always silly or wrong.Some persons with nothing to do are____of curiosity about what their neighbours are doing.They are____to know what they are eating or drinking，what they are____home or taking outside，or____they have come home so early or late.To be interested in these things is____because they are not at all___.It is none of their____to know what their neighbours do or are doing.Such curiosity is____not only foolish but also____.For most probably，it____to a small talk which often brings harm，shame or disrespect to others，and thus____their feelings.
On the other hand，there is a____curiosity—the curiosity of wise men，who____at all the great things and try to find out all they____about them.Columbus could____have found America if he had not been___.James Watt would not have made the steam engine____his curiosity about the raising of the kettle lid.All the discoveries in human history have been made____a result of curiosity.But the curiosity is never about unimportant things which have little or nothing to do with the happiness of the public.
| 小题1: | | A．much | B．nothing | | C．something | D．none |
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| 小题2: | | A．keeps | B．puts | | C．takes | D．depends |
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| 小题4: | | A．permitted | B．worried | | C．satisfied | D．anxious |
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| 小题5: | | A．taking | B．bringing | | C．going | D．thinking |
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| 小题7: | | A．silly | B．necessary | | C．possible | D．funny |
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| 小题8: | | A．wrong | B．bad | | C．important | D．right |
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| 小题9: | | A．work | B．housework | | C．duty | D．business |
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| 小题10: | | A．nothing | B．all | | C．something | D．everything |
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| 小题11: | | A．instructive | B．useless | | C．harmful | D．dreadful |
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| 小题12: | | A．refers | B．leads | | C．causes | D．follows |
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| 小题13: | | A．hurts | B．effects | | C．shows | D．oppresses |
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| 小题14: | | A．terrible | B．sudden | | C．strange | D．noble |
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| 小题15: | | A．expect | B．like | | C．wonder | D．doubt |
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| 小题17: | | A．never | B．certainly | | C．probably | D．finally |
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| 小题18: | | A．famous | B．careful | | C．curious | D．hard |
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| 小题20: | | A．because | B．as | | C．after | D．during |
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Don’t you just love ice skating every winter？I am sure，that since winter is approaching，your skates are set to come out，just waiting to be used.Impress your friends with your new trick on how to iceskate backwards with the help of these tips.Skating backwards on ice is a bit difficult but once you master the basic，there’s nothing like it.Follow the steps given below and you will be able to skate backwards in no time.
Stand Straight
The first thing that you need to do is，stand straight.If you feel that you are falling backwards，then just put your chin(下巴) up and slightly bend your knees.Don’t worry；this happens to all.
Confidence Is What You Need
The most important step while learning how to skate backwards，is having enough confidence in yourself and in what you are doing.How can you achieve this？By practice.Just practice rolling backwards down a gentle slop every single day or just by pushing off from a wall or something of that sort.But before you do that，make sure that the place where you are practicing is free from any kind of debris(碎片) because otherwise，you could land up in the hospital due to some accident.While going backwards，just get used to the feeling of moving backwards.One of the important ice skating tips and techniques is that if you feel that you are losing your balance，then scissor(做剪式运动) your skates.Keep practicing this till you are confident about it.
Maintain Speed
Confident now？Great！Now the next step is to maintain your speed.While rolling in a straight line with one skate，with the other try sculling(划桨)，that is，keep pushing yourself backwards with an outwards stroke(滑动)．Now bring the skate which you were using to scull，and then again，repeat the same process.Make sure that you put most of your weight on the skate which is moving straight and not the one with which you are sculling.Now，try the same thing using the other foot.Again keep doing this till you are confident enough.
Increase Your Speed Now
Once you are confident that you can scull with either foot，the next thing that you have to do is increase your speed.Try some of your own tricks now.Scull with either foot or with both at the same time.
Scull and Be Aware
While you keep one foot straight，keep sculling with the other.You can do that simultaneously with both feet.Concentrate on what you are doing but don’t get so involved，that you don’t see where you are going.If you are not watching your back，you might just bang against something or someone.
小题1:According to the text confidence comes from ______.| A．high speed | B．strict coaches | | C．constant exercise | D．good techniques |
小题2:Which is the right order of iceskating backwards?
a．Increasing your speed.
b．Being able to scull with one foot.
c．Being about to stand straight.
d．Trying some different tricks.| A．c→a→d→b | B．c→b→d→a | | C．a→c→b→d | D．c→b→a→d |
小题3:In order to keep balance when skating backwards you should ________.| A．skate in a scissor gesture | | B．use both your feet to scull | | C．skate forward first and then backward | | D．put most of your weight on the skate with which you are sculling |
小题4:The purpose of the text is ________.| A．to compare different ways of iceskating backwards | | B．to introduce the culture of iceskating backwards | | C．to explain advantages of iceskating backwards | | D．to offer some advice on iceskating backwards |
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How to deal successfully with a child who shows outstanding musical ability？It’s not always clear how best to develop and encourage his gift.Many parents may even fail to recognise and respond to their children’s need until frustration explodes into difficult or uncooperative(不合作的) behaviour.And while most schools are equipped to deal with children who are specially able in academic subjects，the musically gifted require special understanding which may not always be available in an ordinary school—especially one where music is regarded as a secondary activity.Such children may well benefit from the education offered by a specialist music school.
The five music schools in Britain are a relatively recent introduction.They aim to provide an environment in which gifted children aged between seven and eighteen can develop their skills to the full under the guidance of professional musicians.
Children at specialist music schools spend between one third and one half of an average day on musical activities，for example，individual lessons，orchestras，chamber(室内音乐的) groups，voice training，conducting and theory.They also spend several hours a day practising in properly equipped private rooms，sometimes with a teacher.The rest of their time is taken up with the subjects：English，maths，basic sciences and languages.All five British specialist schools are independent，classes are small by normal school standards，with a high teacher/pupil ratio(比率)．Most children attending specialist schools tend to be boarders，leaving home to live，eat and sleep fulltime at school.
What are the disadvantages？An obvious problem is the cost；the fees are high(￡12,000￡17,000 a year for boarders)．However，each school will make every effort with scholarships and other forms of financial assistance，to help parents of outstandingly gifted children to find the necessary fees.Secondly，not all parents want to send their children to boarding school，especially at a very early age.Almost all the directors of the specialist schools express doubts about the wisdom of admitting children as young as seven into such an intense and disciplined(守纪律的) environment.They stress，however，that their main aim is to turn out “rounded and wellbalanced” individuals.
There is little doubt that setting musically gifted children apart from an early age can cause stress.Early signs of musical ability may disappear in their teenage years，while natural competitiveness and the pressure to succeed can lead to a deep sense of failure.But all specialist schools do keep a close watch on the progress of individual pupils，and offer help and advice if needed.
小题1:If a child’s musical ability is not recognized，________.| A．the child may misbehave | | B．the ability may fade away | | C．the child may lose interest | | D．the parents may become anxious |
小题2:What problem may musically gifted children face in ordinary schools?| A．Their academic work may suffer. | | B．Schools lack musical equipment. | | C．Music is not seen as an important subject. | | D．Parents and teachers do not work together. |
小题3:What makes specialist music schools different from other schools?| A．Their working day is longer. | | B．A range of musical training is offered. | | C．More than half the day is spent on music. | | D．The children have mostly onetoone lessons. |
小题4:What do most school directors see as a possible disadvantage for pupils?| A．Poor children may not be included. | | B．They may lose their individuality. | | C．There may be a discipline problem. | | D．They may not be mature enough on arrival. |
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Three engineers and three accountants (会计) are traveling by train to a conference.At the station，the three accountants each buy tickets and watch as the three engineers buy only a single ticket.
“How are three people going to travel on only one ticket？” asks an accountant.“Watch and you’ll see，” answers an engineer.They all board the train.The accountants take their respective seats but all three engineers cram into a restroom and close the door behind them.
Shortly after the train has departed，the conductor comes around collecting tickets.He knocks on the restroom door and says，“Ticket，please.” The door opens just a crack and a single arm emerges with a ticket in hand.The conductor takes it and moves on.
The accountants see this and agree it is quite a clever idea.So after the conference，the accountants decide to copy the engineers on the return trip and save some money.When they get to the station they buy a single ticket for the return trip.
To their astonishment，the engineers don’t buy a ticket at all.“How are you going to travel without a ticket？”asks one puzzled accountant.“Watch and you’ll see，” answers an engineer.When they board the train the three accountants cram into a restroom and the three engineers cram into another one nearby.The train departs.
Shortly afterward，one of the engineers leaves his restroom and walks over to the restroom where the accountants are hiding.He knocks on the door and says，“Ticket，please.”
小题1:The three engineers buy only a single ticket because________.| A．only one of them need buy a ticket | | B．the three accountants buy tickets for them | | C．they just want to save money | | D．they are too poor to buy more tickets |
小题2:The underlined word departed in the third paragraph means________.| A．started out | B．separated | | C．stopped | D．arrived |
小题3:We can infer from the passage that________.| A．the accountants are not as clever as the engineers | | B．the accountants are cleverer than the engineers | | C．the engineers are not as clever as the accountants | | D．the engineers are as clever as the accountants |
小题4:Which one of the following is TRUE according to this passage?| A．Only one engineer is in the restroom when the conductor collects the ticket. | | B．At first the three accountants know why the three engineers buy one ticket. | | C．On the return trip the three accountants buy three tickets again. | | D．On the return trip the three engineers don’t buy any ticket. |
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