Something that has always interested me about Abraham Lincoln is，not surprisingly，his

sense of humor. As far as I can tell，he's the first American President to have one．

    That's because the term“sense of humor，， really wasn't in common usage until the

eighteen-sixties and seventies．In the eighteen-forties and fifties，it was called“the sense of the

ridiculous," and didn't have the positive connotations（隐含意义）that“sense of humor" has

oday. Back then，what was ridiculous was what invited ridicule（讥笑）．Funniness and cruelty

went hand in hand．Of course，they still do a lot of arm-in-arm walking in our day as well．

    Lincoln’s humor was very different because，for one thing，it was actually "humor＂as what

the word meant in his time. We don't make the distinction between "wit（风趣）”and "humor”

anymore; but in the nineteenth century people did．Wit was unpleasant and offensive while

humor was pleasant and sympathetic．It’s。the difference we note now when we distinguish

between "laughing with”and“laughing at．”Lincoln was much more about "laughing with”than

"laughing at．”And when“laughing at，”it was often himself he was teasing.

    In the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates，when Douglas accused Lincoln of being two-faced，

Lincoln replied，referencing his plain looking，“Honestly，if I were two-faced，would I be

showing you this one？”And，in a way，Lincoln's face itself tells us much about his sense of

humor．

    You can comb through thousands of photographs of politicians，soldiers，and the like from

Lincoln's time and not find a single smile．

    True, the long exposures（曝光）required for photographs of that time made smiling

difficult．Yet Lincoln alone，as far as I can tell，overcame that difficulty.

    Interestingly ．while having a sense of humor，or at least the appearance of one provided by

comedy writers ．has become a necessary characteristic for an American President in our time，in

the。ineteenth century，too much humor was considered。problem. -And that was the case for

Lincoln．A journalist covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates commented that“I could not take a

real personal liking to the man，owing to an inborn weakness…that he was extremely, fond of

iokes，anecdotes，and stories．”

67．We can infer from Paragraph 2 that＿＿

    A ．the American President could influence the use of English

    E. the term "sense of humor”wasn't invented until the 1860s

    C ．what is funny to someone might be offensive to someone else

    D ．the concept of humor remains the same despite the passing of time

68 ．The underlined words“this one”in Paragraph 4 refer to＿＿．

    A. Lincoln's unattractive face

    B. Lincoln's sense of humor

    C.debate they were having

    D.cruelty that went with funniness

69 We rarely s(。people from Lincoln's time wear smile：in their photos because＿．

  A. being humorous was considered inappropriate

  B. they found it quite funny to smile before camera

  C. not smiling for photographs was the fashion

  D. photography technology then was not advanced

70．What might the writer think of the journalist covering the Lincoln-Douglas debates？

  A. His comment accurately reflected his time，

  B. He created a false picture of Lincoln．

  C. He was prejudiced and self-centered．

D. He was brave to point out Lincoln's weakness．

        The Green Microgym in Portland，Oregon has all the usual

      stuff you'd expect-sweaty people，loud music，smooth exercise

      equipment-but it has some extras as well. Everywhere you

      look，there are power wires. And these aren't the typical kind

    that let you surf the Web while you ride a spin cycle-although

      you can do that too．The gym uses special exercise equipment

    that captures（捕获）the energy you create while riding,

    converts（转换）it into electricity and channels it into the power

    outlets（插座）．

        The idea of using exercise equipment to produce electricity is

    not new. A gym in Hong Kong has been doing this since 2007. But clean (and healthy）energy is

    just now starting to catch on in U. S. gyms·"We have seen a significant increase in interest in the

    past six months，which is a good sign that fitness centers are ready to spend money on green

    technologies，” says Mike Curnyn，co-founder of the Green Revolution，a Connecticut-based firm

    that wires bikes into a central battery that can store energy.

        The Green Microgym，first opened in 2008，has more than 200 members and is doing so well

that owner Adam Boesel opened another one five miles from the original．Although membership

costs about the same as ordinary gyms，customers can earn gift certificates from local businesses

for watts produced while exercising．An average workout creates 37. 5 watt hours，which is

enough to power a phone for a week．

        Boesel uses spin bikes made by Resource Fitness，a Seattle company he co-owns，that

captures energy produced from the flywheel. Wires send the converted AC current（交流电流）

into any standard wall outlet-for this reason，the product line's name is Plug Out-and the

energy created is used before the building draws power from the grid（电网）．Unlike the Green

Revolution equipment，Plug Out machines cannot store extra energy. A third company，the

Florida-based ReRev，is adding converters to a specific brand of spin bikes. But since the

converters add＄1，000 to the price of the equipment，the ReRev and Green Revolution machines

are at a disadvantage．

        Resource Fitness，by contrast，sells its equipment for the same＄1，200 price as non-

electricity-producing machines，removing the question of how long it will be until the energy

savings pay for the cost of the unit．The company can afford to do this because its designs don’t

call for the extra wiring needed for battery packs and large converters．It is also trying to price

competitively with standard equipment so more gyms-and gym Boers-will make the switch．

63．Members of the Green Microgym earn gift certificates for＿．

    A ．using the man-powered exercise equipment

    B. saving electricity for local businesses

  C. producing green electricity to power their phones

    D. paying higher membership fees

64．The spin bikes made by Resource Fitness are different from those by Green Revolution in that

    A. they are easier to ride B. they are more expensive

    C. they don't have wires connected D. they can not store extra electricity

65．What might prevent the green exercise equipment from getting more popular？

    A ．People's unwillingness to go green．

    B. The high cost of making it．

    C. Safety problems concerning electricity.

    D. Lack of certificates．

66. The underlined words“make the switch”in the last paragraph most probably mean

    A. change to a different gym B. use green exercise equipment

    C. switch on the spin bikes D. add a battery to the machine

        Once on a dark winter's day，when the yellow fog hung so thick and heavy in the streets of

    London that the lamps were lighted and the shop windows blazed with gas as they did at night，

    an odd-looking little girl sat in a cab with her father and was driven rather slowly through the

    main street.

        Sara Crewe leaned against her father，who held her in his arms，as she stared out of the

    window at the passing people with an old-fashioned thoughtfulness in her big eyes. At this

    moment she was remembering the voyage she had just made from Bombay with her father，

    Captain Crewe. She was thinking of what a strange thing it was that at one time one was in India

    in the hot sun，and then in the middle of the ocean，and then driving in a strange vehicle through

    strange streets·

        “Papa，” she said in a low，mysterious little voice which was.almost a whisper.

        “What is it，darling?”Captain Crewe answered，holding her closer and looking down into

    her face．

        "Is this the place？＂Sara whispered.

        "Yes，little Sara，it is. We have reached it at last.，，

        It seemed to her many years since he had begun to prepare her mind. for "the place”，as she

always called it. Her mother had died when she was born，so she had never known or missed her.

Her young，handsome，rich father seemed to be the only relation she had in the world．

        During her short life only one thing had troubled her，and that thing was "the place，， she was

    to be taken to some day. The climate of India was very bad for children，and as soon as possible

    they were sent away from it-generally to England and to school.

        "Couldn't you go to that place with me，Papa？＂she had asked when she was five years old．

    "Couldn't you go to school，too？ I would help you with your lessons.，，

        "But you will not have to stay for a very long time，little Sara，”he had always said. "You

    will grow so fast that it will seem scarcely a year before you are big enough and clever enough to

    come back and take care of Papa.”

          She had liked to think of that．She liked to talk to him and read his books-that would be

    what she would like most in the world，and if one must go away to "the place，， in England to

    attain it，she must mAke up her mind to go．She liked books more than anything else，and was，

    in fact，always inventing stories of beautiful things and telling them to herself.

        Captain Crewe held her very closely in his arms as the cab rolled into the big，dull square in

      which stood the house which was their destination．

      60. The story happened_______．

        A. on a moonless night B. on a foggy day

        C. on a hot day D. on a starry night

      61．Sara Crewe came to England to_______

          A. visit her relatives B. see her mother's house

        C. receive education D. buy books for her father

      62. We can learn from the story that Sara Crewe was_______．

        A. sceptical B. curious C. cheerful D. imaginative

                        Taylor Swift，23，US

     Unlucky in love as she may be，Swift was lucky at the Billboard

  Viusic Awards on aunday night. 1 he singer received the night's top

  honor,Artist of the Year, as well as Top billboard GU Artist lop

  Female Artist，1-op country Artist and Top Digital bongs Artist. Her

  album lied topped the billboard ZOO and country album categories，and

 her single we Are iv ever liver Uettang tack L ogether was named 1 Op

  Country Song.

Adele，25，UK

  Adele has been appointed a member of the Most Excellent Order of

the British Empire this week during Queen Elizabeth 11's annual

Birthday Honors，the BBC reports．The singer was recognized for her

service to music．The award is another highlight in a fruitful year for

Adele，who，in addition to a Grammy and a Golden Globe，won a Best

Original Song for Skyfall in Oscar 2013.

Robert Downey Jr，48，US

The actor, best known for playing the superhero Iron Man, left an'` 18-month-old fan in floods of tears because he wasn't wearing hischaracter's red and gold suit in public. The heartbreaking meeting>'. happened last Thursday while the actor was out for a walk in theMassachusetts towns of Sunderland and Shelburne Falls. A photo ofthe crying kid and Downey looking both concerned and awkward quicklymade its way into the international news.

Jennifer Aniston，44，US

    In the 10 months since her August 2012 engagement（订婚）to

Justin Theroux，all eyes have been on Aniston，with fans wondering

just when she will become Mrs Theroux. But multiple sources in

contact with Aniston and her inner circle say that plans for the much

expected wedding appear to be left for the present time. The couple

                          decided to delay the big day because they're both busy with work.

    56. On which page of a newspaper can you find the above material？

      A. On the front page. B. On the entertainment page.

      C. On the sports page. D. On the education page.

57．2013 has been a fruitful year for Adele for she has won all the following awards EXCEPT

   _______

      A. the Golden Globe B. the Grammy

      C. Artist of the Year in Billboard D. Best Original Song in Oscar

    58. The anecdote about Robert Downey Jr happened_______．

      A. on a casual occasion B. at a fan meeting

      C. at a movie promotion D. at a press conference

    59. Which of the following is true according to the text？

      A. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together was written for Taylor Swift's country.

      B. Adele sang on the BBC to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's birthday.

      C. Robert Downey did not know what to do when the kid started crying.

      D. Jennifer Aniston is working on her wedding despite her busy schedule.

    I met Billy the last summer before college. He was handsome and his irreverence（玩世不

恭）was  36  to me. We liked each other the first instant we met．37  ，I was a straight A

student and my parents had high hopes for me to  38   an Ivy League（常春藤联盟）school.

Billy did not 39  into the equality. We were in love nevertheless-that 40  teenage love．I

still remember we had a plan for prom（舞会）．It was understood that we had  41  about

where we would dance and drink and party together.

    This meant one thing to my parents-panic．And it grew as the  42  letters began to roll

in. Of the eleven schools I applied to，nine accepted me. And one of them was Brown

University-the Ivy League college   43  in historic Providence，Rhode Island．

    There was no  44  that I was drawn to Brown，but Billy (who had joined the army）was

  45  down south and I had offers   46  for me there，too. I was torn between my love for

him and my family  47  ．

    One weekend  48  ，the start of school，my mother had a talk with me．She said I was eighteen

years old and I had a  49  to make---one that went  50  ．beyond the choice of  51  to

attend university.

    In August，I  52  and drove north to Providence．It took several months to  53  that

my life was moving on in a way that was completely different from Billy's，Brown changed my

life，opening doors and giving me the  54  I now use to think，to learn and to write·Life is

always about  55  it seems，and the older I get，the more I understand this. Still，there are

times when I think of Billy because he taught me about love．

36. A. appealing  B. disturbing  C. confusing  D. amusing

37: A. Unfortunately  B. Actually  C. Luckily  D. Originally

38. A. leave  B. finish  C. start  D. attend

39. A. fit  B. look  C. break  D. run

40. A. mature  B. crazy  C. normal  D. wrong

41. A. talked  B. looked  C. lied  D. argued

42. A. acceptance  B. rejection  C. application  D. recommendation

43. A. located  B. placed  C. set  D. laid

44. A. point  B. challenge  C. question  D. need

45. A. left  B. sent C . dismissed  D. employed

46. A. hoping  B. asking  C. waiting  D. searching

47. A. tradition  B. expectation  C. reputation  D. connection

48. A. before  B. after C. at  D. since

49. A. decision  B. plan  C. rule  D. promise

50. A. out  B. away  C. deep  D. far

51．A. when  B. how  C. whether  D. where

52. A. got up  B. packed up  C. held up  D. turned up

53. A. foresee  B. realize  C. imagine  D. consider

54. A. chances  B. position  C. tools  . equipment

55. A. surprises  B. adventures  C. opportunities  D. choices

一I just can't stop worrying about the result of my medical examination.

    一＿＿．There’s nothing you can do now but wait．

    A. Sit back and relax  B. Watch out for it

    C. Just a moment     D. Take your time

The real secnt to successful learning lies in students＿＿＿＿an interest in what they are

    doing·

    A. to take:  B. taking  C. taken  D. having taken

 Schools often＿＿the diversity of students’talents because they typically focus on a

  narrow view of academic ability.

    A. oppose B. applaud C. overlook D. promote

--I have you asked John to come to tia; party this evening？

--Yes，I have，but he＿＿＿＿

　 A. doesn't B. hasn't C. hadn't D. won't

I chose the most popular major instead of my favorite one，but I had to drop out and started again where I＿＿＿have gone in the first place.

　　 A. must B. might C. should D. would