Years ago, when I started looking for my first job, wise advisers advised. "Barbara, be enthusiastic! Enthusiasm will take you further than any amount of experience." How right they were!

　　 "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is the paste that helps you hang on there when the things get tough. It is the inner voice that whispers "I can do it!" when others shout. "No, you can't!" It took years and years for the early work of Barbara Mclintock, a geneticist who won the 1983 Nobel Prize in medicine, to be generally accepted. Yet she didn't stop working on her experiments.

　　We are all born with wide-eyed, enthusiastic wonder and it is this childlike wonder that gives enthusiastic people such youthful air, whatever their age. At 90, cellist Pablo Casals would start his day by playing Bach. As the music flowed through his fingers, his stooped shoulders would straighten and joy would reappear in his eyes. As author and poet Samuel Ulman once wrote, "Years wrinkly the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."

　　Enthusiastic people also love what they do, regardless of money or title or power. Patricia Mellratl, retired director of the Missouri Repertory Theater in Kansas City, was once asked where she got her enthusiasm. She replied, "My father, long ago, told me, I never made a dime (一角硬币) until I stopped working for money."

　　We can't afford to waste tears on "might-have-been". We need to turn the tears into sweat as we go after "what-can-be". We need to live each moment wholeheartedly, with all our senses finding pleasure in the sweet smell of a backyard garden, the simple picture of a six- year-old, the beauty of a rainbow.

(1) What is the passage mainly talking about?

[　　]

A．Enthusiasm is more important than experience.

B．Enthusiasm can give people more success and fame.

C．Enthusiastic people will never get old.

D．Enthusiasm can make you succeed and enjoy life.

(2) The author mentions Pablo Casals in the third paragraph to show that ________.

[　　]

A．enthusiasm can make people feel young

B．music can arouse people's enthusiasm

C．enthusiasm can give people inspiration needed to succeed

D．enthusiasm can keep people healthy

(3) How many figures are referred in the passage to show the importance of enthusiasm?

[　　]

(4) Which proverb may the writer agree with according to the last paragraph?

[　　]

A．A good beginning makes a good ending.

B．Don't cry over the spoiled milk.

C．Love me, love my dog.

D．All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

　　Both warm-blooded and cold-blooded desert animals have ways to escape the desert heat. Warm-blooded desert animals, such as rats and mice, rest during the day, often staying in cool underground burrows. At night they search for food. Animals that are out during the day, such as cold-blooded lizards and snakes, are active only for short periods. As their body temperature rises, these reptiles move into the shade in order to cool down. In the early evening, when the sun grows weaker, the reptiles become more active and begin their search for food again.

　　Getting enough water to survive is a major problem for all desert animals. Some desert animals, like desert birds, manage to find water holes. Other desert animals, such as the kangaroo rat and the related jerboa, get water only from the food that they eat. Because these animals eat mainly dry seeds, they must survive on a tiny amount of water.

　　Most deserts have only a small number of frogs and toads because these animals must be near water to survive. Yet even these creatures have adapted（适应）to desert conditions. When small amounts of water collect in temporary streams, the desert-living frogs and toads become active. After a rainfall, they lay their eggs. The eggs grow into tadpoles in a few days and into adults in just four weeks. When the puddles（水坑）dry up, the adult frogs or toads dig into the ground. Their metabolism（新陈代谢）slows, and they stay beneath the ground until the next rain, which may be as good as a year away. Until then, their bodily activities continue at a reduced rate.

　　The camel-often called the ship of the desert--is one of the most successful desert animals. Camels can go for long periods without water, but eventually they must drink. When water becomes available to them after a long drought, they may drink 95 liters of water or more. When water is not available, what helps camels survive the desert heat is the fat stored in their humps（驼峰）. A camel’s hump contains about 12 kilograms of fat. Fat is rich in hydrogen. As the fat is digested, hydrogen from the fat combines with oxygen in the air that the camel breathes. The result is , or water. Each kilogram of fat that a camel digests produces about a liter of water.

(1)Desert animals are usually more active at night because _______.

[　　]

A．it is cooler at night

B．it is easier to find water

C．they like the dark

D．they are less likely to be attacked at night

(2)Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

[　　]

A．All the desert animals rest during the day.

B．All the desert animals don’t rest during the day.

C．Cold-blooded desert animals are out most of the day.

D．None of the cold-blooded desert animals go out during the day.

(3)The title for this passage could probably be _______.

[　　]

A．Hot Deserts

B．Desert Animals

C．How Desert Animals Get Water

D．Ways to Escape the Desert Heat

(4)The underlined word “burrows” in the first paragraph can be replaced by _______.

[　　]

　　I first went to Harrow in the summer term. The school had the biggest swimming pool I had ever seen. It was a good joke to come up behind a naked boy, and push him into the pool. I made quite a habit of this with boys of my own size or less.

　　One day I saw a boy wrapped in a towel on the side of the pool. He was no bigger than I was, so I thought him a fair game. Coming secretly behind, I pushed him in, holding on to his towel so that it would not get wet. I was surprised to see an angry face come out from the water, and a being of great strength making its way by fierce strokes（猛力地划）to the shore. I fled, but in vain. He overlooked me, seized me violently, and threw me into the deepest part of the pool. I soon climbed out on the other side, and found myself surrounded by a crowd of younger boys. “Do you know what you have done?” they said, “It’s Amery; he is in Grade Six. He is champion at gym; he has got his football honor.”

　　I was frightened and felt ashamed. How could I tell his position when he was wrapped in a bath towel and so small? I decided to apologize immediately. “I am sorry.” I said, “I mistook you for a Grade Four boy. You are so small.” He didn’t seem pleased at all, so I added in a most brilliant word, “My father who is a great man, is also small.” At this he laughed, and after some general words about my rude behavior and how I had better be careful in the future, signified the incident was closed.

(1)The writer thought Amery “a fair game” because the boy ________.

[　　]

A．looked like an animal

B．was fond of games

C．was of similar size

D．was good at sports

(2)The writer felt “ashamed” because _________.

[　　]

A．he was laughed at by other boys

B．Amery turned out to be in the same grade

C．he pushed Amery hard and hurt him

D．he played a joke on an outstanding athlete

(3)By saying “My father, who is a great man, is also small”, the writer _________.

[　　]

A．tried to please Amery

B．challenged Amery

C．threatened Amery

D．admired his father

(4)Which of the following is TRUE?

[　　]

A．The writer could run faster than Amery.

B．The writer liked playing jokes on boys of all sizes.

C．Amery was a student in Grade Four.

D．Amery forgave the writer for his rude behavior.

　　Shundagarh is a village on India’s east-facing coast. It is a village of simple mud and grass houses built on the beach just above the waterline. The Khadra Hills rise immediately behind the village, to a height of one hundred and fifty meters. A simple, good-hearted old man, whose name was Jalpur, farmed two small fields on the very edge of these hills. From his fields he could see the fishing boats that traveled up and down the coast. He could see the children playing on the sands; their mothers washing clothes on the flat stones where the Shiva River flowed into the sea; and their fathers landing the latest catch or repairing nets and telling stories that had no end.

　　All Jalpur owned in the world were the clothes he wore day in and day out, the miserable（蹩脚的）hut that he slept in at night, a few tools and cooking pots--and his fields. The corn that he grew was all that made life possible. If the weather was kind and the harvest was good, Jalpur could live happily enough--not well, but happily. When the sun was fierce, and there was little or no rain, then he came close to the line between life and death.

　　Last year the weather had been so kind, and the harvest promised to be so good, that Jalpur had been wondering whether he could sell all that he had and live with his son farther up the coast. He had been thinking about doing this for some years. It was his dearest wish to spend his last days with his son and his wife. But he would go only if he could give; he would not go if it meant taking food out of the mouths of his grandchildren. He would rather die hungry than do this.

　　On the day when Jalpur decided that he would harvest his corn, sell it, and move up the coast, he looked out to sea and saw a huge wave, several kilometers out, advancing on the coast and on the village of Shundagarh. Within ten minutes everyone in Shundagarh would be drowned. Jalpur would have shouted, but the people were too far away to hear. He would have run down the hill, but he was too old to run. He was prepared to do anything to save the people of Shundagarh, so he did the only thing that he could do: he set fire to his corn. In a matter of seconds the flames were rising high and smoke was rising higher. Within a minute the people of Shundagarh were racing up the hill to see what had happened. There, in the middle of his blackened cornfield, they found Jalpur; and there they buried him.

　　On his grave, they wrote the words: Here lies Jalpur, a man who gave, living: a man who died, giving.

(1)Which of the following could Jalpur NOT see from his Fields?

[　　]

A．Mothers washing clothes.

B．Fathers taking their corn to market.

C．Fishing boats traveling on the sea.

D．Children playing on the sands.

(2)Why didn’t Jalpur live well?

[　　]

A．He didn’t work hard.

B．He had too many children to feed.

C．He only depended on good weather and harvest for survival.

D．The villagers kept taking his corn.

(3)What did Jalpur do when he saw the huge wave?

[　　]

A．He set his corn on fire so the people of Shundagarh would leave the beach.

B．He screamed loudly to get the villagers’ attention.

C．He ran down the hill to tell the people.

D．He stood still, not knowing what to do.

(4)The villagers were thankful to Jalpur because he had _______.

[　　]

A．given his life in order to save theirs

B．saved their village from being drowned by the wave

C．given them many things during his life

D．given them his corn in order to save them from hunger

　　New research, conducted, with college freshmen（新生）who met on the first day of class, found that these snap judgments influenced what kind of relationships would develop. While the power of the first impressions has been well known, this research shows that the course of a relationship may be influenced much more quickly than once thought--within just 10 minutes of meeting. “Earlier research had assumed（假设）there was a cumulative（积累的）effect that happens in the first few days of meeting, which helps determine how the relationship will develop,” said Ramirez. “But we’re finding that it all happens much sooner that that--it’s actually just minutes.”

　　Ramirez conducted the nine-week-long study with Sunnafrank of the University of Minnesota, Duluth. The findings showed that how positively the participants（参与者）rated a potential relationship with their new acquaintance（相识的人）on the first day of class was the best predictor of what kind of relationship actually did develop over the next nine weeks. People who rated the potential relationship more positively tended to sit closer to their partner during class, and communicate more with that person over the course of the nine weeks. After nine weeks, they were also more likely to report a closer friendship had developed.

　　While this study focused on same-sex meetings, Ramirez said it could have applications for dating as well. For one, the study suggests that speed dating--in which you have very short, timed “mini-dates” with a variety of people in one evening--may have real value. While some people have questioned whether you can really evaluate a potential date in just a few minutes, he said this study suggests people already do that. “Romantic relationships probably are similar to what we found in this study--they begin with people making judgments very quickly,” Ramirez said.

　　Ramirez emphasized that the results don’t mean everything about a future relationship is set in stone within minutes of meeting. Obviously, events happen that can change the course of a relationship. Right now, Ramirez said he and Sunnafrank are studying what events may change that initial（最初的）prediction about a relationship, either positively or negatively.

(1)What can we learn from the study discussed in this passage?

[　　]

A．The first judgments determine how the relationship will develop.

B．The power of first impressions exists in people’s communication.

C．Just minutes of meeting may guide the future of the relationship.

D．A lot of people question a potential date in minutes.

(2)The underlined word “snap” in the first paragraph most probably means _________.

[　　]

(3)According to the second last paragraph, a potential date _________.

[　　]

A．should be one necessary result of speed dating

B．can be determined within just minutes

C．means a future romantic story

D．helps people make judgment very quickly

(4)What will the author probably discuss after the last paragraph?

[　　]

A．Some factors that determine the first impressions.

B．A relationship’s being influenced either positively or negatively.

C．How to predict a future relationship.

D．The study on events that can change a potential relationship.

　　Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal（信号）. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.

　　Different cultures emphasize（强调）the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in “small talk”, usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries--like the UK or France--people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.

　　Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.

　　Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.

　　People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment（多元文化环境）will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.

(1)In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to _______.

[　　]

A．develop closer relations

B．share the same culture

C．get to know each other

D．keep each other company

(2)The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _______.

[　　]

A．the English prefer to make long speeches

B．too many words are of no use

C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature

D．even talk and silence can be culturally different

(3)According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?

[　　]

A．By sharing different ways of life.

B．By accepting different habits.

C．By recognizing different values.

D．By speaking each other’s languages.

(4)What would be the best title for the text?

[　　]

A．Multicultural Environment

B．Cross-Cultural Differences

C．How to Understand Each Other

D．How to Build Up a Relationship

　　University junior Sarah Bwabye, who has lived in South Africa, came to the US three years ago to study. Through the University’s International Cultural Service Program, she gives reports about Uganda regularly.

　　“I chose to discuss dance and music because I’m very familiar（熟悉的）with them and have things to show and tell,” explained Bwabye.

　　Uganda is made up of 50 different cultural tribes. But the tribal lines are blurring, and always people can’t tell. Uganda’s national language is English. Many children are not learning their native tongues, which makes her worried about their future.　　In Uganda, dance and music not only give tribes their own identity（身份）, but also unite them. Dance and music unite the youth, and also tie them to their parents and grandparents. In the schools students have dance and music classes. It’s something they grow up with. There are competitions. Through these, dance and music traditions are carried on.

　　Western influence has changed traditional Ugandan dance and music. The music her grandmother and parents once listened to now has included English lyrics（歌词）. Bwabye showed the gradual change of music with recordings from three different times, playing the music of Ugandan performers such as Jose Chameleone, Afrigo, and Nandujja.

　　“I like my parents’ musical days because it’s relaxing and good music,” she said. “I, of course, like my days because it is what’s played on the radio.”

　　During her presentation, Bwabye passed around Ugandan instruments including a tube fiddle, a bow harp, a shaker, a thumb piano, and several drums.

　　Ugandan music is often a form of storytelling, especially in traditional songs. Traditional music forms different life issues and stories that tell morals（道德）at the end. Both singing and dancing performers wear brightly-colored clothes decorated with different things and tribes wear headgear（头饰）differing in appearance and meaning.

(1)It can be inferred that Sarah Bwabye ________.

[　　]

A．was proud of her country’s music

B．went to America to give reports

C．would give up her tribe’s music

D．worried about her country’s future

(2)The underlined word “blurring” (in Paragraph 3) means _________.

[　　]

(3)Dance and music can be carried on because of the following reasons EXCEPT _________.

[　　]

A．schools have music and dance classes

B．dance and music can show tribes’ identity

C．dance and music can keep people warm

D．there are competitions about dance and music

(4)The traditional music is Uganda _________.

[　　]

A．was developed to keep people healthy

B．was just intended for entertainment

C．always remain unchanged

D．was often used to educate people

　　When former American President Bill Clinton travelled to South Korea to visit President Kim Young Sam, he repeatedly referred to the Korean president’s wife as Mrs. Kim. By mistake, President Clinton’s advisers thought that Koreans have the same naming customs as the Japanese. Clinton had not been told that, in Korea, wives keep their family names. President Kim Young Sam’s wife was named Sohn Myong Suk. Therefore, she should be addressed（称谓）as Mrs. Sohn.

　　President Clinton arrived in Korea directly after leaving Japan and had not changed his culture gears. His failure to follow Korean customs gave the impression that Korea was not as important to him as Japan.

　　In addition to Koreans, some Asian husbands and wives do not share the same family names. This practice often puzzles（使困惑）English-speaking teachers when talking with a pupil’s parents. They become puzzled about the student’s correct last name. Placing the family name first is common among a number of Asian cultures.

　　Mexican naming customs are different as well. When a woman marries, she keeps her family name and adds her husband’s name after the word de (of). This affects（影响）how they fill in forms in the United States. When requested to fill in a middle name, they generally write the father’s family name. But Mexicans are addressed by the family name of the mother. This often causes puzzlement.

　　Here are a few ways to deal with such difficult situations: don’t always think that a married woman uses her husband’s last name. Remember that in many Asian cultures, the order of first and last names is reversed（颠倒）. Ask which name a person would prefer to use. If the name is difficult to pronounce, admit it, and ask the person to help you say it correctly.

(1) The story of Bill Clinton is used to ________.

[　　]

A．improve US-Korean relations

B．introduce the topic of the text

C．describe his visit to Korea

D．tell us how to address a person

(2) The word“gears”in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ________.

[　　]

(3) When a woman marries in Korea, she ________.

[　　]

A．continues to use her family name

B．uses her husband’s given name

C．shares her husband’s family name

D．adds her husband’s given name to hers

(4) To address a married woman properly, you’d better ________.

[　　]

A．use her middle name

B．use her husband’s first name

C．ask her which name she likes

D．change the order of her names

　　China’s 110m hurdles（栏）world record holder Liu Xiang and Jamaica’s（牙买加）100 metres world record holder Asafa Powell made the most impressive marks on the opening day of the IAAF World Grand Prix finals.

　　Powell ran yet another sub 10 second race though he didn’t threaten his record of 9.77 sec and Liu made a stunning return to the international circuit after taking time off since breaking the world mark in July in Lausanne.

　　Liu timed 12.93 sec in the event and admitted to not feeling too surprised at his excellent run.

　　“I felt really well before the race and I knew I was in really good shape,” said the 23-year-old Olympic champion.

　　“After my world record (12.88 sec breaking Colin Jackson’s 13 year old mark of 12.91) I returned to Beijing and got a lot of rest,” added Liu.

　　However Liu promised more of the same at the World Cup in Athens this weekend.

　　“The World Cup has been my end of season objective and that is why I didn’t give it my all,” said Liu.

　　Unlike Liu, Powell was undecided about the World Cup.

　　“I feel a little tired, the season has been long but a rich one,” said Powell, who started way back in March at the Commonwealth Games where he won the 100 m title.

　　“I will see whether I run in Athens next week.”

　　Powell admitted that he had not threatened his world record because he was nervous of false starting（抢跑）.

　　“There had already been one so I didn’t want to be disqualified for doing the second one. I am not disappointed in my time at all.”

(1)Which of the following is NOT right?

[　　]

A．Liu Xiang is 110m hurdles world record holder.

B．Asafa Powell is 100 meters world record holder.

C．Liu Xiang and Asafa made the most impressive marks on the opening day of the IAAF World Grand Prix finals.

D．Asafa Powel broke his record of 9.77 sec.

(2)How old was Liu Xiang last year?

[　　]

(3)Which of the following did Powell’s say?

[　　]

A．“I feel a little tired, the season has been long but a rich one.”

B．“I will see that I must run in Athens next week.”

C．“I felt really well before the race and I knew I was in really good shape.”

D．“I am a little disappointed in my time.”

　　As a professor at a large American university, there is a phrase that I hear often from students: “I’m only a 1050.” The unlucky students are speaking of the score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which is used to determine whether they will be admitted to the college or university of their choice, or even if they have a chance to get a higher education at all. The SAT score, whether it is 800, 1100 or 1550, has become the focus at this time of their life.

　　It is obvious that if students value highly their test score, then a great amount of their self-respect is put in the number. Students who perform poorly on the exam are left feeling that it is all over. The low test score, they think, will make it impossible for them to get into a good college. And without a degree from a prestigious university, they fear that many of life’s doors will remain forever closed.

　　According to a study done in the 1990s, the SAT is only a reliable indicator of a student’s future performance in most cases. Interestingly, it becomes much more accurate when it is an act together with other indicators--like a student’s high school grade. Even if standardized tests like the SAT could show a student’s academic proficiency（学业水平）, they will never be able to test things like confidence, efforts and willpower, and are unable to give us the full picture of a student’s potentialities（潜力）. This is not to suggest that we should stop using SAT scores in our college admission process. The SAT is an excellent test: in many ways, and the score is still a useful means of testing students. However, it should be only one of many methods used.

(1)The purpose of the SAT is to test students __________.

[　　]

A．strong will

B．academic ability

C．full potentialities

D．confidence in school work

(2)Students’ self-respect is influenced by their _________.

[　　]

A．score in the SAT

B．achievements in mathematics

C．job opportunities

D．money spent on education

(3)“A prestigious university” is most probably __________.

[　　]

A．a famous university

B．a technical university

C．a traditional university

D．an expensive university

(4)This passage is mainly about __________.

[　　]

A．how to prepare for the SAT

B．stress caused by the SAT

C．American higher education

D．the SAT and its effects