(09·天津B篇)

I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language—the way it can evoke（唤起） an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all—all the Englishes I grew up with.

Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I’ve been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as “broken” English. But feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than “broken”, as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked a certain wholeness. I’ve heard other terms used, “limited English,” for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people’s perceptions（认识）of the limited English speaker.

I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother’s “limited” English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is ,because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.

I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won’t get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for lack of a better term might be described as “broken”, and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese, her internal（内在的） language, and for that I sought to preserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure: I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show; her intention, her feelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.

41. By saying “Language is the tool of my trade”, the author means that ______.

A. she uses English in foreign trade

B. she is fascinated by languages

C. she works as a translator

D. she is a writer by profession

42. The author used to think of her mother’s English as ______.

A. impolite

B. amusing

C. imperfect

D. practical

43. Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?

A. Americans do not understand broken English.

B. The author’s mother was not respected sometimes.

C. The author’ mother had positive influence on her.

D. Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts.

44. The author gradually realizes her mother’s English is _____.

A. well structured

B. in the old style

C. easy to translate

D. rich in meaning

45. What is the passage mainly about?

A. The changes of the author’s attitude to her mother’s English.

B. The limitation of the author’s perception of her mother.

C. The author’s misunderstanding of “limited” English.

D. The author’s experiences of using broken English.

 (09·天津C篇)

Tens of thousands of theatre tickets will be given away to young people next year as part of a government campaign to inspire a lifelong love for theatre.

The plan to offer free seats to people aged between 18 to 26—funded with £2.5 million of taxpayers’ money—was announced yesterday by Andy Burnham, the Culture Secretary. It received a cautious welcome from some in the arts world, who expressed concern that the tickets may not reach the most underprivileged.

The plan comes as West End theatres are enjoying record audiences, thanks largely to musicals teaming up with television talent shows. Attendances reached. 13.6 million in 2007, up 10 percent on 2006, itself a record year. Total sales were up 18 percent on 2006 to almost £470 million.

One theatre source criticized the Government’s priorities（优先考虑的事） in funding free tickets when pensioners were struggling to buy food and fuel, saying: “I don’t know why the Government’s wasting money on this. The Yong Vic, as The Times reported today, offers excellent performances at cheap prices.”

There was praise for the Government’s plan from Dominic Cooke of the Royal Court Theatre, who said: “I support any move to get young people into theatre, and especially one that aims to do it all over England, not just in London.”

Ninety-five publicly funded theatres could apply for funding under the two-year plan. In return, they will offer free tickets on at least one day each week to 18 to 26-year-olds, first-come, first-served. It is likely to be on Mondays, traditionally a quiet night for the theatre.

Mr. Burnham said: “A young person attending the theatre can find it an exciting experience, and be inspired to explore a new world. But sometimes people miss out on it because they fear it’s ‘not for them’. It’s time to change this perception.”

Jeremy Hunt, the Shadow Culture Secretary, said: “The real issue is not getting enthusiastic children into the theatre, but improving arts education so that more young people want to go in the first place. For too many children theatres are a no-go area.”

46. Critics of the plan argued that ______.

A. the theatres would be overcrowded

B. it would be a waste of money

C. pensioners wouldn’t get free tickets

D. the government wouldn’t be able to afford it

47. According to the supporters, the plan should ______.

A. benefit the television industry

B. focus on producing better plays

C. help increase the sales of tickets

D. involve all the young people in England

48. Which of the following is TRUE about the plan?

A. Ninety-five theatres have received funding.

B. Everyone will get at least one free ticket.

C. It may not benefit all the young people.

D. Free tickets are offered once every day.

49. We can infer from the passage that in England ______.

A. many plays are not for young people

B. many young people don’t like theatre

C. people know little about the plan

D. children used to receive good arts education

50. According to the passage, the issue to offer free tickets to young people seems ______.

A. controversial

B. inspiring

C. exciting

D. unreasonable

What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the recipient's face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?
This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming. and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lone dandelion standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.
I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.
Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.
【小题1】The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was______.

A．doing shopping	B．having a debate
C．reading a message	D．leaving for Wyoming

【小题2】The author's inspiration for the gift came from_____.

A．a photo of a flower	B．a story about a kid
C．a call from the mother	D．a text about Christmas

【小题3】The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refers to a poem by_____.

A．the father	B．the author
C．William Blake	D．Edgar Allan Poe

【小题4】The author made the gift by_____.

A．searching for the poems online

B．drawing the background by hand

C．painting the letters in three colors

D．matching the words with pictures

【小题5】What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To show how to design images for gifts.

B．To suggest making gifts from one's heart.

C．To explain how computers help create gifts.

D．To describe the gifts the author has received

(09四川卷)11. — I wonder ________ you’ll water this kind of flower. 

——Every other day. 

A. how often     B. how long   C. how soon   D. how much 

I decided not to bring in home any other things with the words Made in China on a dark Monday, two days after last Christmas, though I still keep some in my house.

  At work my boss, Mr. White, points out that I am ___36__ myself if I think I have been __37_____ Chinese products, in spite of the obvious facts in daily life.

  “Chinese ___38___ are everywhere,” he says, “You can’t avoid those, no matter how hard you try, it is impossible.”

   That is the __39____, which I have been considering for months, since I have kept the American car with the Chinese ___40__ in it. This week I was __41___ again of the difficulty of avoiding China when I bought earrings from a local artist. I was feeling pleased with myself ___42_____ I got home and noticed the gift box made in China.

  My boss continues, “You know what you are doing? You are ___43__ your dependence on China, not __44___ it,” he says, “You are just cheating yourself.”

   The boss, a frequent complainer, doesn’t slow down when I ___45___ to stop him to ___46___ that I am writing a __47____ of stories on the boycott for the business magazine.

   “Maybe you can ___48____ it a year without Chinese products, ___49_____ sooner or later you will even ___50___ Chinese dishes,” the nice boss says, “There is no getting around it.”

   I ____51____ at him as he turns to leave, quite ___52____.

   “Thanks for your support,” I say to his ___53____.

   The year is nearly half over. I can ___54_____without them. ___55___, it is a little inconvenient to live without a DVD player, a DV camera or a printer made in China. But a better question might be: How hard could it be to live without Made in China with the whole family?

A. fooling        B. persuading      C. beating         D. enjoying

A. keeping        B. accepting      C. avoiding         D. admitting

A. advertising     B. items          C. materials        D. business

A. story          B. plan           C. suggestion       D. point

A. parts          B. engines         C. wheels          D. goods

A. asked         B. reminded        C. troubled         D. puzzled

A. as            B. when           C. since            D. until

A. delaying       B. losing          C. catching          D. lacking

A. escaping       B. obeying         C. objecting         D. hating

A. mean          B. manage         C. try               D. intend

A. describe        B. suggest         C. declare            D. state

A. copy          B. book            C. set               D. series

A. do            B. get             C. make             D. have

A. but           B. or              C. and               D. for

A. wash          B. break           C. serve             D. enjoy

A. laugh          B. glance          C. nod              D. stare

A. annoyed        B. surprised        C. delighted          D. satisfied

A. honor          B. back            C. kindness          D. face

A. work           B. rescue          C. survive            D. stay

A. Finally         B. Honestly         C. Generally          D. Directly