We got to bed late and rose very early, but by the time we left for the airport, all the jobs were done.
Now, whenever I hear of an acquaintance who has lost a loved one, I no longer call with the blurred offer, “If there's anything I can do...” Now I try to think of one specific task that suits that person's need –– such as washing the family car, taking care of the dog, or house-sitting during the funeral.
And if the person says to me, “How did you know I needed that done?” I reply, “It’s because a man once cleaned my shoes.”
24. Why did Emerson King choose to clean the shoes for the author?
A. He had long been skilled at doing so.
B. There were many dirty shoes in her home. C. It is common practice to do before a funeral. D. He knew what to do from his own experience. 25. Which of the following can best describe Emerson King?
A. hard-working and determined C. honest and thoughtful
B. neat and careful D. helpful and considerate
26. What does the underlined word “blurred” in the last but one paragraph mean?
A. positive B. vague C. clear D. automatic
27. Which of the following proverbs can be used to best represent the story? A. Blood is thicker than water. B. Action speaks louder than words. C. A faithful friend is hard to find.
D. A good neighbor is better than a brother far away.
C
Twenty-five years ago, most young Britons wanted a career in law, to be a doctor, or to take up singing. But today, things stand differently.
According to a survey by Tesco Mobile, the “dream job” of young people aged between 16 and 25 in the UK is a video blogger, or “vlogger”. The survey, carried out among 1,002 people, found that as much as 40 percent of them put vlogger as their number one choice on a list of ideal careers.
The single factor contributing to this change is undoubtedly the internet and social media. They have made it so much easier to reach a global audience, without having to enter a career in show business the traditional way.
“In years gone by, the biggest stars were groomed(打扮) and trained by the Hollywood studios; now, anyone with a computer camera can become an idol (偶像), ”a Tesco Mobile spokesperson said in a news release. “From fashion to comedy, these self-made stars document their hobbies to an adoring fan-base. Vloggers are the big stars of today because they are normal people interacting with their fans about everyday life.”
However, what people see is only the bright side of being a vlogger and they ignore the fact that only those who are successful gain fame and fortune. For every success there are a hundred others who never get off the starting block. There are the dreams that come true and the dreams that are bound to remain dreams.
This is why despite the popularity of vloggers, some young people chose to follow careers that don’t necessarily earn them fame, but allow them to make good use of the internet to share their hobbies. Young Israeli David Leshaw, for example, runs a business called the Finishers Club. It’s an online platform for runners to keep a record of their races. He states that his job allows him to express his passion, and is always a learning experience. And that’s enough for him.
“Generations of today have so many more options and opportunities than older age groups and the internet and development of technology have aided that growth,” said Phil Samuels, spokesperson for UK tech retailer Currys. 28. The job that the British young people dream of is________.
A. lawyer
B. singer
C. model
D. vlogger
29. The British young people prefer a different career from the traditional because_________.
A. They can do nothing but make full use of the internet B. the internet can help them become famous more easily C. They expect to be recognized by the Hollywood in the end D. they want more of fame and fortune than the past generation
30. The example of Israeli David Leshaw tells us that __________.
A. young people are too dependent on the internet B. those who make good use of the internet gain fame C. young people can show their hobbies via the internet D. those who make good use of the internet are more creative 31. What is Phil Samuels’s attitude towards the internet?
A. opposed sympathetic
D
According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, we might all be braggarts(大话王) in this competitive society addicted to social networking.
Take a close look at your social-networking sites. Do you like to post photos of yourself in restaurants to show others what an exciting life you have? Or do you like to write about how happily you are in love? Or perhaps you are of the subtle type who constantly complain about jobs but really just want to impress others with your important position.
According to the results of a series of experiments conducted by Harvard University neuroscientists(神经科学家), the reward areas of our brain--the same areas that respond to “primary rewards” such as food --are activated when we talk about ourselves. We devote between 30 to 40 percent of our conversation time to doing just that. Unfortunately, Bernstein says, some people can’t tell the difference between sharing positive information that others might actually want to know and direct bragging. She suggests that bragging involves comparison, whether stated or implied.
“We are expected to be perfect all the time. The result is that more and more people are carefully managing their online images”. says Elizabeth Bernstein, a columnist(专栏作家) with the Wall Street Journal.
But the issue is not limited to the Internet. In a fiercely competitive job market we must sell ourselves on multiple platforms and show that we are better than others. In fact, we have become so accustomed to bragging that we don’t even realize we are doing it, says Bernstein. This is harmful to our relationships and puts people off.
B. supportive
C. critical
D.
Bernstein talked to some experts who said that people brag for all sorts of reasons: to appear worthy of attention; to prove to ourselves we are doing fine and that people who said we would fail are wrong; or simply because we’re excited when good things happen to us.
“Feel sorry for them, because they’re doing this unconscious, destructive thing that won’t help them in the long run,” said Professor Simian Valier, a research psychologist at Washington University.
32. The underlined word “subtle” in Para.2 is closest in meaning to “______”. A. apparent simple
33. Which of the following is one of the features of braggarts? A. They know well how to share positive information. B. They don’t pay much attention to their online image. C. They overpromote themselves to stand out in their career. D. They control conversation and only talk about themselves. 34. What can we infer from the passage?
A. People who like bragging know what they are doing. B. What braggarts do is eventually harmful to themselves. C. They care much about the feelings of others when talking.
D. Braggarts always adopt comparison directly to show they are excellent. 35. Which would be the best title for the passage? A. Are you a braggart?
B. Is bragging an art?
D. How to deal with a braggart?
B. hidden
C. outstanding
D.
C. Why do we keep bragging?
第二节 （共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
How does water shortage affect people? 36 . It is not that they will die of thirst; rather, the poor quality of the water available for cooking and drinking may make them ill.
Just as our bodies require water to treat waste products, plentiful water is
required for proper sanitation (卫生). 37 . The number of people without adequate sanitation rose from 2.6 billion in 1990 to 2.9 billion in 1999. 38 . In a statement, United Nations officials warned, “When children lack water that is fit for drinking and sanitation, actually every aspect of their health and development is at risk.”
39 . Many crops, of course, are watered by rain, but in recent times irrigation(灌溉) has become the key to feeding the world’s ever-increasing population. Today 36 percent of the world’s harvest depends on irrigation.
If plentiful water flows out of every tap in our home and if we have a clean toilet that conveniently washes out waste, it may be hard to believe that the world is running out of an adequate supply of water. 40 .The situation is even worse in Africa, where many women spend as much as six hours a day fetching water.
A. First of all, it harms their health B. Food production is dependent on water
C. And sanitation is truly a matter of life and death D. Growing population is responsible for water shortage
E. Unfortunately, only 20 percent of mankind enjoy such advantages F. Our body is 60% water and needs at least a few cups a day to survive
G. However, water for sanitation is simply not available for much of mankind 第三部分 英语知识运用 (共两节，满分45分)
第一节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
“What you see as junk, I see as possible treasure.”
Next week is clean-up week in my community, so we get to 41 all the things we no longer need to the dumpsters(垃圾运输车) outside the township building. There was, indeed, a 42__ treasure in this pile of throw-aways. It was during my cleaning-up that I found it.
It was this tiny 43 , about two inches high and a half inch thick, like a perfume bottle. All kinds of 44 flashed in my mind. I wondered who it 45 , where it came from, was it a __46__ from a young man to his sweetheart?