Write on more than three words for each answer.

The father of Western philosophy

The word ‘philosophy’ means ‘love of wisdom’. Philosophy can be thought of as a way of looking at the world around us, or of answering the great questions of life, such as ‘Why are we here ?’ and ‘What is truth?’

The father of Western philosophy was Socrates. Socrates was from Athens, in Greece. When he was young, he was a brave soldier. Later, he became a teacher, but he taught for free, and earned his salary from being a common worker. Aside from this, we know very little about him. Since he never wrote a book, we also know very little about his philosophy. Yet, Socrates has had a deep influence on Western thought and science.

To understand how this can true, we must understand how Socrates taught. Socrates taught by asking questions. Through this, he challenged his students to develop and explain their own arguments. In many cases, his questions made his students aware of their own errors. Many students got embarrassed and even angry when this happened, while others changed their opinions. Socrates’ way of approaching the truth is now called the Socratic Methods. The idea of asking questions until you reach the right answer is the basis of modern philosophy and science.

Unfortunately for him, Socrates questioned too much. He always asked challenging questions to everyone he met, upsetting many people in Athens. Finally, some people had had enough of him, so they took him to court for questioning the existence of the Greek’s Gods and for corrupting the young people of Athens. At his trial, he defended himself by asking his judges yet more questions. This just made a bad situation worse. Finally he was put to death by being forced to drink poison.                 Through his death, Socrates became the hero of all people who search for the truth.

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

He was a funny—looking man with a cheerful face，good—natured and a great talker．He was described by his student，the great philosopher Plato，as“the best and most just and wisest man”．Yet this same man was sentenced to death for his belief．

The man was the Greek philosopher，Socrates．He was sentenced for not believing in the recognized gods and for corrupting young people．The second charge arose from his association with many young men, who came to Athens from all over the civilized world to study under him．

Socrates’ method of teaching was to ask questions and, by pretending not to know the answers，to press his students into thinking for themselves．His teaching had great influence on all the Greek and Roman schools of philosophy．Yet, for all his fame and influence, Socrates himself never wrote a word．

Socrates encouraged new ideas and thinking in the young, and this was frightening to the people who held traditional views．They wanted him silenced．Yet, many were probably surprised that he accepted death so readily．

Socrates had right to ask for less punishment, and he probably could have won over enough of the people who had sentenced him before．But Socrates, as a firm believer in law, reasoned that it was proper to accept the death sentence．So, he calmly accepted his fate and drank accept of poison in the presence of his sorrow-stricken friends and students．

56．Which of the following statements does NOT agree with the passage?

A．Socrates had a strong character．

B．young people in those days admired Socrates very much．

C．Socrates’ teaching methods had little influence on schools of philosophy．

D．Socrates attached importance to the development of his, students creative thinking．

57．Socrates was sentenced to death because    ．

A．he did not respect law                                 B．he was a philosopher

C．he published philosophical articles                D．his beliefs were not accepted

58．By mentioning that Socrates himself never wrote anything，the author implies that    ．

A．Socrates was different from many other philosophers

B．Socrates was not so learned as people thought

C．Socrates used the works of his students in teaching

D．the government forbad publishing Socrates’ works

59．Socrates accepted the death sentence to show    ．

A．his determination to fight against the rulers to the end

B．his recognition of the legal system

C．that he looked down upon the lawmakers

D．how brave he was

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
He was a funny—looking man with a cheerful face，good—natured and a great talker．He was described by his student，the great philosopher Plato，as“the best and most just and wisest man”．Yet this same man was sentenced to death for his belief．
The man was the Greek philosopher，Socrates．He was sentenced for not believing in the recognized gods and for corrupting young people．The second charge arose from his association with many young men, who came to Athens from all over the civilized world to study under him．
Socrates’ method of teaching was to ask questions and, by pretending not to know the answers，to press his students into thinking for themselves．His teaching had great influence on all the Greek and Roman schools of philosophy．Yet, for all his fame and influence, Socrates himself never wrote a word．
Socrates encouraged new ideas and thinking in the young, and this was frightening to the people who held traditional views．They wanted him silenced．Yet, many were probably surprised that he accepted death so readily．
Socrates had right to ask for less punishment, and he probably could have won over enough of the people who had sentenced him before．But Socrates, as a firm believer in law, reasoned that it was proper to accept the death sentence．So, he calmly accepted his fate and drank accept of poison in the presence of his sorrow-stricken friends and students．
56．Which of the following statements does NOT agree with the passage?
A．Socrates had a strong character．
B．young people in those days admired Socrates very much．
C．Socrates’ teaching methods had little influence on schools of philosophy．
D．Socrates attached importance to the development of his, students creative thinking．
57．Socrates was sentenced to death because    ．
A．he did not respect law                                 B．he was a philosopher
C．he published philosophical articles                D．his beliefs were not accepted
58．By mentioning that Socrates himself never wrote anything，the author implies that    ．
A．Socrates was different from many other philosophers
B．Socrates was not so learned as people thought
C．Socrates used the works of his students in teaching
D．the government forbad publishing Socrates’ works
59．Socrates accepted the death sentence to show    ．
A．his determination to fight against the rulers to the end
B．his recognition of the legal system
C．that he looked down upon the lawmakers
D．how brave he was

Try It a Different Way

Bobby Moresco grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen, a tough working－class neighborhood on Manhattan's West Side. By tradition he __1__ have been, like his father or like most of his childhood pals, a construction worker or a policeman. But he wanted __2__. Attracted by the bright lights from the time Bobby was a teen, he tried to act. “I wasn't a __3__ actor,  but I had a driving need to do something __4__ with my life，” he says.

He moved to Hollywood, promising to find his __5__. But he didn't make __6__. For almost 10 years, he drove a taxi and worked as a waiter, __7__ at an actors' workshop that he opened in Hollywood. But Moresco kept working at his __8__ career.

In 1983 his younger brother was murdered in a mob－linked killing. Moresco moved back to his __9__ neighborhood. In 1988 he finally wrote a play that was __10__ to his life. Called Half－Deserted Streets, it was based on his brother's __11__ and staged at a small theater. A Hollywood producer __12__ to see it and asked him to work on a screenplay.

His __13__ grew, and he got enough assignments to move back to Hollywood. However, it was never easy. By 2003, he was __14__ out of work and out of cash __15__ he got a call from Paul Haggis, a director who had befriended him. The two worked on the script but every studio __16__  it down. Moresco believed so __17__ in the script that he borrowed money, and sold his house. At last the writers found an independent film producer who would take a chance.

The movie, Crash, __18__ into the theaters in May 2005, and quietly became both a hit and a critical success. It won three Academy Awards—Best Picture, Best Film Editing and Best Writing.

At the age of 54, Bobby Moresco became an __19__ success. “If you have something you want to do in life, don't think about the problems，” he says, “think about the __20__ to get it done. ”

1. A. must            B. should               C. can          D. need

2. A. over             B. far                    C. out                 D. up

3. A. simple       B. strict          C. firm      D. good

4. A. different     B. impressive      C. effective   D. special

5. A. occasion     B. treasure        C. fortune    D. possibility

6. A. it           B. one           C. this       D. that

7. A. communicating          B. entertaining

C. practicing               D. volunteering

8. A. afforded     B. chosen        C. respected   D. offered

9. A. early        B. worn          C. old       D. passed

10. A. turned     B. pointed         C. belonged  D. related

11. A. arresting    B. injuring        C. killing    D. shooting

12. A. advised    B. happened       C. intended  D. planned

13. A. influence  B. ambition         C. success  D. reputation

14. A. again     B. even           C. finally     D. still

15. A. before    B. when          C. since       D. while

16. A. let       B. looked         C. took       D. turned

17. A. strongly   B. hardly         C. deeply      D. bravely

18. A. moved    B. slipped        C. fell        D. put

19. A. effortless        B. enjoyable

C. overnight        D. optimistic

20. A. ways      B. lines    C. manners        D. actions

  Lifeguard, sportscaster, movie star, governor, president——there wasn’t much Ronald Reagan didn’t do in life.

    “The world was a vast opportunity for him,” Lou Cannon wrote in his biography（传记） of the former US president, who died on June 5，2004， aged 93.

    Reagan’s final years saw him fight a losing battle against Alzheimer’s disease（老年痴呆症）. But his positive attitude toward life has given hope to many people.

    Born in 1911 to a poor family in a small town in Illinois, his father was a failed salesman who drank too much. It was in these difficult times, though, that Reagan developed the powerful optimism（乐观） that would serve him so well. He always believed better times lying ahead, and this was reflected in his high school yearbook entry. “Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music,” he wrote.

    As a teenager, Reagan spent summers working as a lifeguard at a local beach, saving 77 lives in seven years. He graduated from college in 1932 with a degree in economics and sociology. But America was still in the middle of the Great Depression, and jobs were hard to find. Reagan finally found work as a radio sports announcer and this road led him to Hollywood in 1937.

    During the 20---year film career, he never became a leading star. As in his lifeguard days, Reagan loved to play the hero and only took the role of a bad guy once in more than 50 films.

    A talented speaker who was always able to connect with his audience, Reagan became involved in politics in the 1950s. This popular touch led to him being elected the governor of California in 1967.

    All the while Reagan was in California, he had his eye on the White House. In 1980, aged 69, he became the oldest man ever elected president.

    He held office from 1981 to 1989, the first president to serve two complete terms after World War Ⅱ. When he left, aged 77, he held the highest popularity rate of any retiring president in US history.

    He remained positive even when he discovered he had an illness that would destroy him. “I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal（永恒的optimism(乐观) for its future,”he wrote.

1.Reagan can be best described as a man with ______.

A. firmness  B. humour   C. optimism  D. talent

2.What didn’t Reagan do in his life time?

A. Playing the role of a bad guy.

B. Being a leading star of the film.

C. Saving people’s lives.

D. Working as a radio sports announcer.

3.Which is the correct order of events described in the passage?

a. Reagan fought a losing battle against Alzheimer’s disease.

b. Reagan became an actor.

c. Reagan worked as a lifeguard.

d. Reagan graduated from college.

e. Reagan was elected the governor of California.

A. a, c, d, e ,b           B. e, c, d, b, a

C. b, a, c, d, e           D. c, d, b, e, a

4.When the writer of Reagan’s biography says “The world was a vast opportunity for him,” he really means that _______.

A. Reagan achieved much in his whole life

B. Reagan could have done much better

C. Reagan did much for America and the world

D. Reagan was a very lucky man