A
With more than 100,000 people aged 100 or over, Spain is the country with the greatest life expectancy after Japan. How do you live to 100? Here 4 of the countrys centenarians (百歲老人) give their advice on staying youthful.
Francisco Nunez, 112
He is from Bienvenida, Badajoz, southern Spain. Nunez lives with his daughter. He says he doesnt like the pensioners (领养老金的人) daycare center because its full of old people, whose negative attitude towards life affects him deeply sometimes.
Pedro Rodriguez, 106
He lives in Cangas de Onis, Asturias, northern Spain. Rodriguez plays the piano every day in the living room of the flat where he lives with his wife who is nearly 20 years younger than him. “The nuns (修女) taught me how to play the piano as a child,” he says.
Maximino San Miguel, 102
He lives in Leon, northern Spain. San Miguel discovered his passion for amateur dramatics at the age of 80 and has participated in many local productions. He prefers reading books about drawing and traveling. Now this hobby, he said, has kept him full of energy.
Pilar Fernandez, 101
She lives with her daughter Pili, granddaughters Flori and Ana in Ambas, Asturias, northern Spain. Fernandez suffered hunger and hardship during the war years alongside her nine brothers and sisters. To avoid history repeating itself, she limited herself to just one child. One of the best things for her health, she says, is tending livestock and a vegetable garden.
1. Why does Francisco Nunez dislike living with other old people?
A. They may depend on his help.
B. He cares his old age too much.
C. They may affect his attitude to life.
D. He has more kids to look after at home.
2. What benefits the health of Pilar Fernandez?
A. Doing gardening. B. Learning history.
C. Living with kids. D. Having more children.
3. What can we infer about the four old people from the text?
A. They are fond of exercising regularly.
B. They led a hard life when they were young.
C. They have the same hobbies in their free time.
D. They have their own method of staying youthful.
B
German artist HA Schult is an unusual artist who uses trash(垃圾) to make sculptures. “We are living in the time of garbage,” says Schult. “I created a thousand sculptures of garbage. They are a mirror of ourselves.” Here, Schult was talking about his 1,000 trash sculptures in the form of humans. He first exhibited them in 1996 in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
“They are social sculptures,” he explains. “They are not only sculptures for the eyes. They are sculptures to spread the idea that we live in a time of garbage.” So far, Schults social sculptures have been on show in Paris, in Moscows Red Square, on the Great Wall of China, and in the desert next to the Giza Pyramids near Cairo.
HA Schults work is unforgettable. Although his work has had a big influence on the art world, Schult remains humble about his creations: “Artists have to learn every time. We are not important. All that is important is the time in which we are living.”
Trash art has been around for years. But it seems that only the popular artists are regarded as true artists when working with trash. Why cant common people be considered artists when they use the same things and change them into some form of personal art? Maybe its because we all have our own preset ideas of what art is and isnt, or who artists are or should be.
You can be an artist like Schult if you try. Look at used metal cans. Imagine them in any number of new uses, or imagine them simply as an art form. What about boxes or clothing? Boxes can usually serve as new storage containers and houses for pets. And clothing? Imagine taking old clothes and turning them into hats or hanging organizers.
4. What do we know about Schults sculptures?
A. They were first shown in Paris.
B. They show people the problem of trash.
C. They are mainly about social relationship.
D. They are designed in the shape of garbage.
5. Which of the following word can best describe HA Schult?
A. Careful. B. Humorous.
C. Modest. D. Optimistic.
6. According to Paragraph 4, the author might agree that ___ .
A. trash art is not a real art form
B. it is difficult to be a true artist
C. preset ideas are important to artists
D. the ordinary can also be trash artists
7. What is the best title for the text?
A. Could You Be a Trash Artist?
B. What Are Social Sculptures?
C. Do You Know About Trash Art?
D. How Can We Deal with Used Cans?
C
Do you think horseback riding is easy? Well, you are wrong. Horseback riding is one of the most challenging sports in the world today.
As you know, a horse has the instinct to run away when afraid. When he becomes puzzled, he becomes afraid. When your silent communication is confusing, he does not ask you to repeat what you have said. Instead, he runs forward, he jumps to the side, he kicks out, or he freezes in place. Most of the time, however, you wont know your communication is confusing until it is too late. When he runs forward, you will fall back. When he jumps to side, you will fall the other way. When he kicks out or freezes in place, you will fly over his head.
If you want to be good at horseback riding, you must practice. Being ridden does not come naturally to horses. They have to be trained. For example, to ask them to go forward, you usually tap them with your heels. But, if you get on untrained horses, they wont know that a tap means going. Instead, they will most likely run around like a wild animal out of fear.
Contrary to popular belief, horseback riding does take skill. If you believe horseback riding doesnt take skill, you most likely have only ridden at a farm that provides a well-trained horse. To me, that is not actual riding. And although it may seem easy to you, you were not the person to teach that horse that a saddle (馬鞍) is not frightening. You were not the person to fall off that same horse at the beginning of his training. When horses are first taught to be ridden, all they do is run, kick out, and rear, which is the act of standing on their back legs only.
8. What does the underlined word “instinct” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. A fair condition. B. A natural behavior.
C. A scared feeling. D. An interesting act.
9. In Paragraph 3, the author uses the example to .
A. prove communication is important in horseback riding
B. show horses for horseback riding need training
C. prove it is hard to master horseback riding skills
D. show some horses cant be trained
10. According to the last paragraph, what do most people believe?
A. Training a horse is easy.
B. Horseback riding is interesting.
C. Horseback riding doesnt take skill.
D. Riding a well-trained horse isnt actual riding.
11. Where is the text most probably taken from?
A. A newspaper report. B. A biology textbook.
C. A sports magazine. D. A research paper.
D
You cant always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belyaev doesnt think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. Thats why he created Lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain-sensing umbrella.
The designer says he came up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street and saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy (伞蓬) built into a street lamp,” he said.
The Lampbrella is a standard-looking street lamp fitted with an umbrella canopy. It has a built-in electric motor which can open or close the umbrella on demand. Sensors (传感器)then ensure that the umbrella offers pedestrians shelter whenever it starts raining.
A. Live life to the fullest.
B. School sets you up on the right track!
C. Be nice to your parents and teachers.
D. Find chances to do volunteer work that interests you.
E. It will help you pass time and develop your personality.
F. Here are some important points that you may find helpful.
G. Keep in mind that they do the things because they care about you.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Scott and his companions were terribly disappointed. When they got to the South Pole, they found the Norwegians (挪威人) had 1 them in the race to be the first ever to reach it. After 2 the British flag at the Pole, they took a photograph of themselves before they 3 the 950-mile journey back.
The journey was unexpectedly 4 and the joy and excitement about the Pole had gone out of them. The sun hardly 5 . The snow storms always made it impossible to sight the stones they had 6 up to mark their way home. To make things 7 , Evans, whom they had all thought of 8 the strongest of the five, fell badly into a deep hole in the ice. Having 9 along for several days, he suddenly fell down and died.
The four who were 10 pushed on at the best speed they could 11 . Captain Oates had been suffering for some time from his 12 feet: at night his feet swelled (腫胀) so large that he could hardly put his boots on the next morning, and he 13 bravely although he was in great 14 . He knew his slowness was making it less likely that the others could 15 themselves. He asked them to leave him behind in his sleeping-bag, but they 16 , and helped him on a few more miles, until it was time to put up the 17 for another night.
The following morning, while the other three were still in their sleeping-bags, he said, “I am just going outside and may be 18 some time.” He was never seen again. He had walked out 19 into the snow storm, hoping that his 20 would help his companions.
1. A. hit B. fought C. won D. beaten
2. A. growing B. putting C. planting D. laying
3. A. continued B. extended C. finished D. started
4. A. safe B. fast C. short D. slow
5. A. rose B. raised C. appeared D. felt
6. A. taken B. cut C. set D. picked
7. A. easier B. better C. bitter D. worse
8. A. to B. upon C. as D. in
9. A. battled B. struggled C. speeded D. waited
10. A. left B. lost C. defeated D. saved
11. A. manage B. try C. employ D. find
12. A. ached B. frozen C. harden D. harmed
13. A. walked B. stood C. jumped D. jogged
14. A. pain B. fear C. trouble D. danger
15. A. enjoy B. trust C. help D. save
16. A. agreed B. quarreled C. accepted D. refused
17. A. bed B. tent C. blanket D. sleeping-bag
18. A. missed B. left C. passed D. gone
19. A. patiently B. lonely C. alone D. worriedly
20. A. return B. death C. change D. recovery
用方框里单词的正确形式填空,使其句意完整,每空一词。
bend bite cottage edge hero
hesitate marry punish square tail
1. Obviously, the writers have entered into the feeling of their ____ .
2. Frank was so backward that he ____ to ask the girl to dance.
3. Unless you wear boots you may get ____ by snakes in the rainforest.
4. We were at the ____ of the bus queue because of wasting too much time in the nearby shop.
5. Dont put the glass on the ____ of the table; it may get knocked off.
6. Anything that is ____ has four equal sides and four equal angles.
7. Sophia, ____ over her books, made no answer to the person who spoke to her.
8. His wife, to whom he had been ____ for thirty years, was childless.
9. Thanks to the fine weather, we had a very restful holiday at our country ____ .
10. The enemy was severely ____ by our machine guns.
下列各句均有1個错误,请改正。
1. It could be no doubt that there was something between the pair. ____
2. Scientists have to come up to new methods of increasing the worlds food supply. ____
3. Property owners try to keep their eyes in future developments in house prices. ____
4. Little did I dream hearing such fantastic music which was written by Schubert. ____
5. Now we are all in memory of him, which shows how profound his spirit inspires everyone. ____
1﹒这项工程将会对鼓励贫困地区义务教育的普及起重要作用。(play an important part in)
2﹒如果您有什么疑问,请不要犹豫,直接联系我。(hesitate)
3﹒风向就是风吹来的方向。(direction)
4﹒他心里盘算着,想找一个恰当的理由来解释自己为什么没有出现在会议上。(cast about)
5﹒Vincent过来看她,却被她打发走了。(come up to)