William Shakespeare is the most famous playwright (剧作家). Although he died in 1616, people still go to see his plays. Among the most popular are Ｒｏｍｅｏ ａｎｄ Ｊｕｌｉｅｔ, Ａ Ｍｉｄｓｕｍｍｅｒ Ｎｉｇｈｔ’ｓ Ｄｒｅａｍ and Ｈａｍｌｅｔ — the story of a prince who struggles to respond to the crimes around him.

Shakespeare, who was born in 1564, was an actor as well as a writer. Most of his ideas for plays were taken from history, people’s conversation, ancient stories, and also from other writers. He wrote not only about kings and queens and princes, but also about friends and ordinary people. He wrote about the cruelty of war and the bravery of heroes, as well as about jealousy, joy, hate, ambition and love. His stories live on. The tragedy Ｒｏｍｅｏ ａｎｄ Ｊｕｌｉｅｔ was reborn as the musical Ｗｅｓｔ Ｓｉｄｅ Ｓｔｏｒｙ and more recently as the movie Ｒｏｍｅｏ ａｎｄ Ｊｕｌｉｅｔ with the wonderful performance of Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes.

He invented a number of great characters: powerful magicians, thrilling witches, smart women and both wise and wicked men. He also invented some great phrases. If you’ve ever said, “Oh, for goodness sake!” you can thank Shakespeare for that. “To be, or not to be: that is the question,” Hamlet says. “Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it is morrow,” says Juliet to her Romeo.

Don’t be surprised if you don’t understand everything when reading Shakespeare or watching one of his plays because the meanings of many words have changed over the years. And Shakespeare’s characters speak in poetry, so their speeches can be complicated.

It does help to find out a little bit about the story before reading a Shakespeare play. It’s worth the effort. As Shakespeare wrote, “All the world is a stage.” And in his plays you’ll find that an entire world is waiting for you.

1.Shakespeare created the following characters EXCEPT ________.

A．Juliet

B．Hamlet

C．Claire Danes

D．Romeo

2.From Paragraph 3 we can learn that ________.

A．most of the characters created by Shakespeare were negative ones

B．most of the phrases used today were invented by Shakespeare

C．“Oh, for goodness sake!” is what Juliet says to Romeo

D．Shakespeare contributed greatly to the development of English

3.Which of the following is a reason why it’s difficult to understand some of Shakespeare’s plays?

A．There are many new words in his plays.

B．He wrote his plays using uncommon words.

C．The characters in his plays speak in poetry.

D．Most of the words in his plays are outdated.

4.We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．most of Shakespeare’s plays have been made into films

B．language changes with the development of society

C．Shakespeare made lots of money from his works

D．it is more useful to read Shakespeare’s works than to watch them

 

Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?

Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbooks (平装本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.

Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全书), though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books, science textbook, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.

1.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．TV programs are a chief provider of knowledge.

B．cinemas are the best choice in getting information.

C．reading is a cheap way of learning and having fun.

D．newspapers are an expensive way to enjoy oneself.

2.What does the sentences “Television has not killed reading, however ” underlined in the second paragraph suggest?

A．People only need reading, though.

B．Reading is still necessary today.

C．Reading is more fun than television.

D．Watching television doesn’t help reading.

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A．Fewer and fewer people will buy books.

B．A good dictionary should be kept in every home.

C．Books with hard covers sell better than paperbooks.

D．More people like TV programs about famous men.

 

  First Frenchman: I once heard someone shout, "Look out," I put my head out of a window and a basin of water fell on me. It seems that "Look out" may mean "don‘t look out."

　　Second Frenchman: Once I was on a ship and heard the captain shout, "All hands on deck," I put my hands on the deck and someone walked on them.

　　Third Frenchman: I once visited an English friend early in the morning and the maid who came to the door and said, "He’s not up yet. Come back in half an hour," When I went again for him, she said, "He‘s not down yet."

　　"If he’s not up and he’s not down, where is he?" I asked.

　　She said, "He’s still in bed. When I say ‘He’s not up ’ I mean ‘he has not yet got up’. When I say ‘He’s not down ’ I mean ‘he has not yet come downstairs,’"

"All hands on deck" means “ _______ ”.

　　A. All the sailors gather on deck            B. Give your hands to me

　　C. Put your right hand and left hand on deck   D. Shake your hands with me

When the maid said, “He’s not up yet.” She meant that _______ .

　　A. he has not grown up yet    B. he has not yet got up

　　C. he has not woke up yet     D. he has not yet come upstairs

When the third Frenchman went back, the English friend _______ .

　　A. was washing his face        B. was having his breakfast

　　C. was still in an upstairs room  D. was reading a newspaper

Which do you think is the best title for this article?

　　A. Three Frenchmen and their English Friends  

B. The English Language

　　C. Three French Stories

D. What a Language!

“Good night, Yammine.”

“Good night, Chief，” I reply.

The cell door __36__ and I hear Chief's keys clinking as other doors clang shut further down the row. I step into my little cell and sit down. I glance up at the window, covered in mesh(铁网)，and think to myself, “This isn't a life, it's just a(n) __37__．”

Being __38__ makes me feel as though I'm being buried alive. I am a puppet(木偶) with people __39__ strings so that I eat, sleep and wake when they want me to.

I lie on my bed as night __40__ and think the same thoughts __41__. I think about how it all went so wrong, and imagine how I will __42__ for all the time I've lost.

Every day I live the same routine and nothing changes except the people. Prisoners depart for other prisons, or get __43__. Others __44__ from different prisons, or fresh from custody. It's a __45__ revolving(旋转) door.

When I committed my __46__， I was a lost young boy, but now I am __47__. Walking around the yard, I would notice my fellow prisoners reading books and writing letters to friends and family, which upset me as my __48__ at school was limited.

I longed for the day when I'd be able to sit in the sun, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper or book __49__ my choice. I also longed to write letters to my friends and family, sharing my thoughts and feelings.

I decided not to waste my time inside and, __50__， make the most of all the resources available to me. I started to learn and was __51__ to realize my dream.

Now, after five years' persistence, heartache and hard work, I have __52__ my goal. Having __53__ a course as a reading adviser, I can now help others to read and write. And I have even started a creative writing workshop at Junee Correctional Centre. Learning to read and write at a highter level has given me the inner strength to present myself in a more __54__ manner.

And the day I've dreamed about has come true: I now enjoy my cup of coffee with a book in my other hand. Learning to read and write has changed my life and this article is my first piece of “proper” writing, and it won't be my __55__．

1.A. opens　　　　　B. closes　　　　　　　C. breaks　　　　D. sticks

2.A. existence  B. appearance  C. offence  D. holiday

3.A. at school  B. at home  C. in hospital  D. in prison

4.A. pulling  B. shaking  C. winding  D. casting

5.A. becomes  B. drops  C. feels  D. falls

6.A. once and for all  B. over and over again  C. once again  D. for good

7.A. do up  B. make up  C. fix up  D. mend up

8.A. revealed  B. sentenced  C. punished  D. released

9.A. reach  B. get  C. arrive  D. go

10.A. continually  B. occasionally  C. accidentally  D. rarely

11.A. mistake  B. crime  C. error  D. fault

12.A. caught  B. home  C. found  D. trapped

13.A. attendance  B. absence  C. allowance  D. assistance

14.A. in  B. of  C. over  D. by

15.A. however  B. instead  C. thus  D. nevertheless

16.A. devoted  B. dedicated  C. determined  D. decided

17.A. gained  B. recognized  C. arrived  D. achieved

18.A. attended  B. completed  C. started  D. organized

19.A. positive  B. negative  C. sensitive  D. passive

20.A. best  B. worst  C. latest  D. last

 

In 1977, a dead author of detective stories saved the life of a 19-month-old baby in a most unusual way. The author was Agatha Christie, one of the most successful writers of detective stories in the world.

In June 1977, a baby girl became seriously ill in Qatar, near Saudi Arabia. Doctors were unable to find out the cause of her illness with confidence, so she was sent to Hammersmith Hospital in London. She was then only semi-conscious (半清醒状态) and on the "Dangerously Ill" list. A team of doctors hurried to examine the baby only to discover that they, too, were confused by the very unusual symptoms (症状). While they were discussing the baby's case, a nurse asked to speak to them.

"Excuse me," said Nurse Marsha Maitlan, "but I think the baby is suffering from thallium poisoning. (铊中毒)"

"What makes you think that?" Dr. Brown asked. "Thallium poisoning is extremely rare."

"A few days ago, I was reading a novel called A Pale Horse by Agatha Christie," Nurse Maitlan explained. "In the book, somebody uses thallium poison, and all the symptoms are described. They're exactly the same as the baby's."

"You're very thoughtful and you may be right," another doctor said. "We'll carry out some tests and find out whether it's thallium or not."

Tests showed that the baby had indeed been poisoned by thallium, a rare metallic substance used in making special glass. Once they knew the cause of the illness, the doctors were able to give the baby the correct treatment. She soon recovered and was sent back to Qatar. Later it was reported that the poison might have come from an insecticide (杀虫剂) used in Qatar.

The one who first suggested the correct cause of the baby's illness was _____.

A. a doctor in Qatar               B. Nurse Maitlan

C. Dr. Brown                    D. Agatha Christie

The baby was sent to London because _____.

A. she was born there

B. the hospitals in Qatar were full at that time

C. she was the daughter of a doctor in London

D. the Qatar doctors were not sure whether they could cure her

As far as we can tell from the passage, Agatha Christie _____.

A. had never met this baby

B. had spent a long time studying the baby's case

C. visited the baby in the hospital at Hammersmith

D. gave Nurse Maitlan some advice on the phone

It seems likely from the passage that the baby's illness had something to do with _____.

A. a dangerous pair of glasses

B. the water in Qatar

C. a harmful substance used to kill insects

D. a dead writer

When the baby was sent to the hospital in London, her case was considered to be _____.

A. an urgent one               B. quite a simple one

C. a usual one                 D. the result of thallium poisoning