The house was quiet at 5 a.m. and Tim’s mother was asleep. Only the sound of the big freezer broke the quiet. He’d dreamt of the cave last night. The purring (轻微颤动声) of the freezer had been the sea.

Tim pulled on a sweater and put some apples into his schoolbag. It was too early for breakfast. He’d eat after he’d been through the cave, sitting on the rocks and staring at the sea.

He wished he had a proper pack. His schoolbag would have to do. What else? Sandwiches ---but his mother might wake up if he started pulling out bread for sandwiches, she’d want to know why he had to leave so early. He settled for some biscuits, and left a note stuck to the table.

Gone to Michael’s Back tonight .Tim.

The sky was high and soft and light outside, though the sun still wasn’t up. Even the highway up the hill was quiet as he made his way down the street. The wind from the sea was fresh and sweet.

The sandhills still breathed heat from yesterday’s sun, though the top of the sand was cool. He ran down to the beach impatiently, but there was no one, just dry sand dancing in the early wind and seabirds marching up and down watching the waves.

The light changed suddenly. The first rays of sunlight stretched across the sea. The sun was pushing its way over the edge of the world．

Over the first rocks, along to the point, Tim glanced back. The beach was still empty. The sun sailed higher in the sky.

He could see the cave now, even darker in the morning light. The sand turned silver then dark gold as the water flowed away from it. He had to force himself to go closer. Why was it so much more mysterious now? But it would be silly to go back now after so much trouble. He needn’t go in all the way …

1.What did Tim do at the beginning of the story?

A.He left the house quietly     B. He had breakfast at home.

C. He left a note on the freezer.  D. He put a sweater in his schoolbag.

2."He settled for some biscuits” ( in Paragraph 3 ) means that Tim_______.

A. left home looking for some biscuits

B.felt like eating  biscuits rather than sandwiches

C. had to take biscuits instead of sandwiches  

D. could only find some biscuits in the kitchen

3.What made it possible for Tim to see the entry to the cave?

A. The height of the first rocks

B. The ups and downs of the waves

C. The change in the position of the sun

D. The vast stretch of the sunlit beach

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the story?

A. The sea looked like a piece of gold.

B. Seabirds flew away when Tim arrived.

C. Tim was the only person on the beach.

D. The sky got dark as Tim reached the cave.

5.In the story, Tim’s mood changed from        .

A. loneliness to craziness  B. anxiousness to excitement

C. helplessness to happiness    D. eagerness to nervousness

The house was quiet at 5 a.m. and Tim’s mother was asleep. Only the sound of the big freezer broke the quiet. He’d dreamt of the cave last night. The purring (轻微颤动声) of the freezer had been the sea.

Tim pulled on a sweater and put some apples into his schoolbag. It was too early for breakfast. He’d eat after he’d been through the cave, sitting on the rocks and staring at the sea.

He wished he had a proper pack. His schoolbag would have to do. What else? Sandwiches ---but his mother might wake up if he started pulling out bread for sandwiches, she’d want to know why he had to leave so early. He settled for some biscuits, and left a note stuck to the table.

Gone to Michael’s Back tonight .Tim.

The sky was high and soft and light outside, though the sun still wasn’t up. Even the highway up the hill was quiet as he made his way down the street. The wind from the sea was fresh and sweet.

The sandhills still breathed heat from yesterday’s sun, though the top of the sand was cool. He ran down to the beach impatiently, but there was no one, just dry sand dancing in the early wind and seabirds marching up and down watching the waves.

The light changed suddenly. The first rays of sunlight stretched across the sea. The sun was pushing its way over the edge of the world．

Over the first rocks, along to the point, Tim glanced back. The beach was still empty. The sun sailed higher in the sky.

He could see the cave now, even darker in the morning light. The sand turned silver then dark gold as the water flowed away from it. He had to force himself to go closer. Why was it so much more mysterious now? But it would be silly to go back now after so much trouble. He needn’t go in all the way …

38. What made it possible for Tim to see the entry to the cave?

       A. The height of the first rocks.            B. The ups and downs of the waves.

       C. The change in the position of the sun.     D. The vast stretch of the sunlit beach.

39. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the story?

       A. The sea looked like a piece of gold.

       B. Seabirds flew away when Tim arrived.

       C. Tim was the only person on the beach.

       D. The sky got dark as Tim reached the cave.

40. In the story, Tim’s mood changed from        .

       A. loneliness to craziness                             B. anxiousness to excitement

       C. helplessness to happiness                        D. eagerness to nervousness

【2011·西南师大附中第六次月考】

D       

Americans: Restless? Illiterate(没文化的) ?

       Americans are queer people: they can’t rest. They have more time, more leisure, shorter work hours, more holidays, and more vacations than any other people in the world. But they can’t rest. They rush up and down across their continent as tourists; they move about in great herds to conferences; they search the wilderness; they flood the mountains; they keep the hotels full. But they can’t rest. The scenery rushes past them. They learn it. Battles and monuments are announced to them on a tour bus. They hear them, but they don’t get them. They never stop moving; they rush up and down as Shriners, Masons, Old Graduates, Bankers—they are a new thing each day, always rushing to a reunion or something. So they go on rushing about till eventually the undertaker (殡葬工) gather them to the grave.

       Americans are queer people: they can’t read. They have more schools, and better schools and spend more money on schools and colleges than all Europe. But they can’t read. They print more books in a year than the French print in ten. But they can’t read. They cover their country with one hundred thousand tons of Sunday newspapers every week. But they don’t read them. They’re too busy. They use them for fires and to make more paper with. They buy eagerly thousands of new novels at two dollars each. But they read only page one. Their streets are full of huge signs. They won’t look at them. Their streetcars are filled with advertising; they turn their eyes away. Transparent colors, cart wheels, and mechanical flares whirl and flicker in the crowded streets at night. No one sees them. Tons of letters pour into the mail boxes, through the houses, and down the garbage cans. No one reads them.

21．  The underlined word “queer ” means ___________.

A. difficult                 B. strange                   C. forgetful                 D. friendly

22．  According to the text, when do the Americans stop rushing about ?

A. When they are to allowed to.                    B. Where they feel tired and sleepy

C. When they are seriously ill in bed              D. When they stop breathing eventually

23．  The Americans know the places of battles and monuments ___________.

A. when they are on the tour bus                   B. by driving there in person

C. from books and magazines                       D. from their friends and co-workers

24．  Why does the writer write this passage?

A. To tell people the Americans are illiterate

B. To prove the Americans to be a queer nation

C. To give the readers information about USA

D. To make fun of the American way of life

You may not pay much attention to your daily elevator ride. Many of us use a lift several times during the day without really thinking about it. But Lee Gray, PhD, of the University of North Carolina, US, has made it his business to examine this overlooked form of public transport. He is known as the “Elevator Guy”.

   “The lift becomes this interesting social space where etiquette (礼仪) is sort of odd (奇怪的),” Gray told the BBC. “They [elevators] are socially very interesting but often very awkward places.”

   We walk in and usually turn around to face the door. If someone else comes in, we may have to move. And here, according to Gray, liftusers unthinkingly go through a set pattern of movements. He told the BBC what he had observed.

   He explained that when you are the only one inside a lift, you can do whatever you want – it’s your own little box.

   If there are two of you, you go into different corners, standing diagonally (对角线地) across from each other to create distance.

   When a third person enters, you will unconsciously form a triangle. And when there is a fourth person it becomes a square, with someone in every corner. A fifth person is probably going to have to stand in the middle.

   New entrants to the lift will need to size up the situation when the doors slide open and then act decisively. Once in, for most people the rule is simple – look down, or look at your phone.

   Why are we so awkward in lifts?

   “You don’t have enough space,” Professor Babette Renneberg, a clinical psychologist at the  Free University of Berlin, told the BBC. “Usually when we meet other people we have about an arm’s length of distance between us. And that’s not possible in most elevators.”

   In such a small, enclosed space it becomes very important to act in a way that cannot be construed (理解) as threatening or odd. “The easiest way to do this is to avoid eye contact,” she said.

50．The main purpose of the article is to _____.

A. remind us to enjoy ourselves in the elevator

B. tell us some unwritten rules of elevator etiquette

C. share an interesting but awkward elevator ride

D. analyze what makes people feel awkward in an elevator

51．According to Gray, when people enter an elevator, they usually _____.

A. turn around and greet one another

B. look around or examine their phone

C. make eye contact with those in the elevator

D. try to keep a distance from other people

52．Which of the following describes how people usually stand when there are at least two people in an elevator?

53．The underlined phrase “size up” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to _____.

A. judge        B. ignore      C. put up with     D. make the best of

54．According to the article, people feel awkward in lifts because of _____.

A. someone’s odd behaviors

B. the lack of space

C. their unfamiliarity with one another

D. their eye contact with one another