1、AOnce there, I was driving, singing, having a good time when suddenly I saw ahead of me a congestion (阻塞) of traffic. A three-car accident had slowed things right down. It seemed they were all okay and the police were handling it. Meanwhile, everyone was crawling along. I was watching and waiting pa
2、tiently for my opportunity to get past all of this congestion. What had been six lanes of flowing traffic was now only three, one lane going west, another east, and a single turning lane.I slowly came closer to my chance to make a move. Looking around, I could see an older woman in the turning lane,
3、 obviously upset. Horns were blaring (鸣叫) behind her and she hadnt managed to make her turn to the mall. You could see she was scared with all the cars zipping around her way too close. The drivers behind her were blowing their horns (喇叭) and she looked like she was about to cry.It was my turn to pa
4、ss through. But, instead of just passing her by, I used my big old truck to block the way of any other car that might have got in her way, and I signed her to turn into the mall. She kept shaking her head, no, and I kept asking her to go. The people behind me were not happy either!Finally after a fe
5、w more waves, she looked and saw I was blocking things for her. She took the chance and off she went into the mall. A few more cars followed her from the turning lane, then a woman signed to me to go and off I went! Sometimes the best way to get things moving is to block something. And I and my big
6、old truck are good at that!31. When waiting in the congestion of traffic, the author was _.A. pleasedB. patientC. confusedD. anxious32. From the passage, we can know the older woman wanted to _.A. change her laneB. turn to the mall C. go homeD. park her car roadside33. What did the author do to help
7、 the older woman?A. Signing people behind to stop. B. Blocking others to get her through.C. Driving her car through the traffic.D. Encouraging her with waves.34. It can be learned from the passage that _.A. kindness is everywhere B. there is still a way to help outC. blocking sometimes helps movingD
8、. it is wise to do what you are good atBGrammarphobia is the fear of grammar. This fear attacks almost everybody at one time or another, and its most likely to strike during English or language arts classes. Even people who love reading and writing have been known to get feverish and insecure when t
9、hey are aware of the possibility of turning in homework with grammar or spelling mistakes. Though writing may be enjoyable, being corrected is definitely not!Grammarphobes, its time to put your fears behind you. Grammar isnt that dreadful (可怕的). Heres why. Lets assume you like hearing and telling st
10、ories and that you enjoy joking with friends. You probably also like emailing and instantmessaging. Well, what do you think makes all these possible? Grammar!Grammar is simply the art of putting words together to make sentences. Whenever you use words to express yourself, youre using grammar. You do
11、 this all the time without even thinking.So why think about it? Because good grammar helps you convey the ideas you intend. If your words arent right, or if they are not in the right order, the person you are talking to might get the wrong idea. This can have embarrassing results. Grammar helps us u
12、nderstand each other. Its like a manual for assembling the words in your head. You have to put your words together the right way if you want them to make sense. They cant do what you want if they arent put together correctly.What if everybody you know had a different manual? How would you agree on w
13、hat others words mean? People with different grammar manuals might be speaking different languages.Communicating is similar to playing cards. To make sense, we have to play the same game, by the same rules. What are the rules for playing the game of English? You already know most of them without hav
14、ing to open a book.35. Grammarphobes refer to people who _.A. mind grammar too much in writingB. are afraid of making grammar mistakesC. consider grammar to be boring D. are worried about grammar homework36. The underlined word “assembling” in Paragraph 6 may mean _.A. looking forB. bringing togethe
15、rC. rememberingD. directing37. What does playing cards have in common with communicating?A. Both can be learned easily.B. Both can be very interesting.C. Both need rules.D. Both can make sense for our life.38. What might be the main idea of the passage?A. Improving grammar through writing.B. Forgett
16、ing grammar when writing.C. Grammar is not horrible.D. What is grammarphobia?COn Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that 42% of Americans could be overweight by 2030. Our expanding waistlines lead to not only a medical problem, but according to a recent article in The N
17、ew York Times, it could also endanger personal safety in some situations in an airplane crash, for example.The New York Times Christine Negroni reports that engineers and scientists are questioning whether airplane seats are adequately constructed to protect overweight travelers. Government standard
18、s for airplane seat strength first set more than 60 years ago require that the seats be made for a passenger weighing 170 pounds (77kg). Today, the average American man weighs nearly 194 pounds (88kg) and the average woman 165 pounds (75kg). Negroni reports:“If a heavier person completely fills a se
19、at, the seat is not likely behave as intended during a crash,” Robert Salzar, the leading scientist at the Center for Applied Biomechanics at the University of Virginia. “The energy absorption that is built into the aircraft seat is likely to be overpowered and the passengers will not be protected p
20、roperly.”“Nor would the injury be limited to that passenger only,” Dr Salzar said. “If a seat or a seat belt fails,” he said, “those people who are seated nearby could be endangered from the uncontrolled movements of the passenger.”Most complaints about airplane seats focus on their lack of comfort
21、and high ticket price, and whether overweight passengers should be made to buy two seats. But The New York Times article brings up another reason to feel anxious about flying. Investigators of the issue got in touch with the airplane seat and seat belt makers, but they refused to comment on the prob
22、lem. Experts agreed that crash testing should be done with overweight dummies (人体模特). Both airplane seats and seat belts should be tested, they said.Fortunately, however, according to Nora Marshall, a senior adviser at National Transportation Safety Board, the boards investigators have never seen an
23、 accident involving a commercial plane in which the weight of a passenger was a problem.39. What is the article in The New York Times mainly concerned with?A. The size of airplane seats and seat belts. B. Safety of overweight airplane passengers.C. Airplane crashes involving commercial planes.D. A m
24、edical problem caused by being overweight.40. Robert Salzar would probably agree that _ .A. overweight passengers should buy two seatsB. the government should help produce bigger planesC. standards for airplane seat strength should be raisedD. passengers should know to protect themselves when in tro
25、uble41. We can learn from the text that _ .A. airplane seat makers have taken action nowB. there are few complaints about airplane seatsC. those passengers seated near the overweight may suffer tooD. only a small number of airplane accidents involve the overweight42. What is the best title for the t
26、ext?A. Why do passengers feel anxious about flying? B. Will 42% of Americans be overweight by 2003? C. When will the overweight enjoy their flight?D. Are airplane seats safe enough for the overweight?DWhen most of us hear the word chocolate, the verb that comes to mind is probably “eat”, not “drink”
27、, and the most proper adjective would seem to be “sweet”. But for about 90 percent of chocolates long history, it was strictly a beverage (饮料), and sugar didnt have anything to do with it. The Origin of Chocolate Many modern historians have estimated that chocolate has been around for about 2000 yea
28、rs, but recent research suggests that it may be even older. In the book The True History of Chocolate, authors Sophie and Michael Coe prove that the earliest linguistic (语言学的) evidence of chocolate consumption dates back three or even four thousand years.Valuable and Fashionable Chocolate Beverage I
29、ts hard to discover exactly when chocolate was born, but its clear that it was cherished from the start. For several centuries in pre-modern Latin America, cacao beans were considered valuable enough to use as currency. 100 beans could purchase a good turkey hen, according to a 16th-century Aztec do
30、cument.Sweetened chocolate didnt appear until Europeans discovered the Americas and sampled (品尝) the native cuisine. Chocolate didnt suit the foreigners taste at first one described it in his writings as “a bitter drink for pigs” but once mixed with honey or cane sugar, it quickly became popular thr
31、oughout Spain. By the 17th century, chocolate was a fashionable drink throughout Europe, believed to have nutritious, medicinal functions. But it remained largely a privilege of the rich until the invention of the steam engine made mass production possible in the late 1700s.The Birth of Solid Chocol
32、ateIn 1828, a Dutch chemist found a way to make powdered chocolate. His product became known as “Dutch cocoa”, and it soon led to the creation of solid chocolate. In 1847, Joseph Fry created the first modern chocolate bar. By 1868, a little company called Cadbury was marketing boxes of chocolate can
33、dies in England. Milk chocolate hit the market a few years later.Prosperous Chocolate Industry In America, chocolate was so valued during the Revolutionary War that it was used instead of wages. Even now, statistics show that the humble cacao bean is still a powerful economic force. Chocolate manufa
34、cturing is a more than 4-billion-dollar industry in the United States, and the average American eats at least half a pound of the stuff per month.63. The earliest chocolate was most probably _.A. a dishB. a drinkC. a barD. a candy 64. It can be inferred from the passage that _.A. the history of choc
35、olate is at most 4,000 years.B. people around the world could buy things with chocolate.C. chocolate was well paid attention to since it was born. D. an American at least eats a pound of chocolate per month.65. Why did chocolate suit the Spanishs taste so quickly?A. Because chocolate was so tasty an
36、d bitter.B. Because chocolate was believed to be a source of nutrition.C. Because chocolate was sweetened with honey or cane sugar. D. Because chocolate became a fashionable beverage.66. Which one shows the correct order according to the time of their appearing?A. chocolate beverage chocolate bar ch
37、ocolate candies milk chocolateB. chocolate bar chocolate beverage chocolate candies milk chocolateC. chocolate bar chocolate candies milk chocolate chocolate beverageD. chocolate beverage chocolate candies chocolate bar milk chocolateEIm sure youre aware what meditation is. But have you ever tried i
38、t for 10 minutes? An hour? A day? How about 10 full days? And during those 10 days, by the way, youre not allowed to speak to anyone else, nor are you permitted to read a book, write in your journal, exercise, or listen to music. All you do is hang out at the private party in your head.Some might ca
39、ll what I just described prison camp and run like a criminal pursued by a group of policemen in the other direction. Others know it asVipassana, or insight (顿悟) meditation, and consider it a vital spiritual practice. These crazy people view long, difficult, frustrating silent meditation retreats (静修
40、) as the key to coping with suffering and finding access to a deep, pervasive sense of joy.Im one of the crazy ones. Or not. Im just an ordinary person who couldnt sit still for an hour when I first signed up for a Vipassana retreat yet has benefited greatly from the simple and challenging practice.
41、 I returned last Friday from an eight-day silent Vipassana meditation retreatnear Joshua TreeNational Park with a team of wonderful Spirit Rock teachers. This was my third retreat. In fact, my first two were two days longer and totally free. These three experiences allow me to feel confident in sayi
42、ng there is something in Vipassana for everyone who is brave enough to give it a go. Its hard, but its doable. Even if youre terrified, even if you have no interest in being a monk (和尚) and youre not an extremist by nature, I know that sitting in silence for 10 days will slow your mind. And here are
43、 my top reasons for attending a Vipassana mediation retreat.Were all running down the freeway of our daily lives at 80 miles per hour. Its remarkable to watch how your mind and body react when you step away from the tasks, ringing and beeping cell phones, TVs, computers, yanking feelings that you ou
44、ght to be doing something else, and yes, other people even those who love you. Eventually, whether it takes one day or five, your mind slows down and you become acutely aware of the present moment. You notice every soft cloud that floats across the horizon, every insect that moves across your path.A
45、n intangible (无形的) but deeply-felt sense of spaciousness opens up in your head and around your heart. Its enough to make you cry.67. The crazy people including the author attended Vipassana mediation retreat mainly to _.A. practice their spirits and see how they work wellB. experience a life like in
46、 prison campC. escape what they suffered in their daily lifeD. become joyful in their deep hearts68. What did the author not think of her first Vipassana mediation retreat?A. Beneficial.B. Boring.C. Simple.D. Hard.69. According to the passage, those who slow their mind will _.A. have a clear mind wh
47、en working againB. keep an eye on the presentC. get curious about everything aroundD. open their hearts to the new70. The purpose of the author in writing the passage is _.A. to informB. to argueC. to persuadeD. to amusePassage A【语篇导读】本文是一篇记叙文。在一次偶然的交通阻塞中，作者用不同寻常的方式帮助一位老妇人脱离困境，从而我们可以看到：有时，我们不妨转变思维方式
48、，阻碍有时也能起到推动的作用。B 细节理解题。根据文章首段第三行“I was watching and waiting patiently for my opportunity ”可知答案为B。B 细节理解题。根据文章第二段第二行“she hadnt managed to make her turn to the mall”可知，老妇人想要把车子转头到商场去。故选B项。B 细节理解题。根据文章第三段第二句“But, instead of just passing her by, I used my big old truck to block the way of any other car
49、that might have got in her way, and I signed her to turn into the mall.”可知答案为B。C 推理判断题。根据文章末段中倒数第二句“Sometimes the best way to get things moving is to block something.”可知，阻碍有时候也能起到推动的作用，故答案为C。Passage B【语篇导读】本文是说明文，谈到了学生为之色变的语法。患有语法恐惧症的人，要认识到语法就像游戏规则一样是必须存在的，它可以帮助我们平时的交流和学习，所以没有必要对此感到恐惧。B 细节理解题。第一段指出g
50、rammarphobia是对语法的恐惧，第二段倡导grammarphobes不要害怕语法，由此可知，grammarphobes是指那些害怕语法的人，故选B。B 词义推测题。结合后面一句的“You have to put your words together the right way”及下一句中的“if they arent put together correctly”可知，语法就像帮助人们把头脑中的词汇结合在一起的操作指南，故选B。C 细节理解题。这里把交流和打扑克做了比较，认为它们相似的原因是无论是打扑克还是交流都必须遵循一定的规则，没有规则的话，就达不到沟通或娱乐的目的，故选C。C
51、主旨大意题。本文开头提到人们害怕语法，害怕出现语法错误，而作者认为语法的存在是合理的，我们学习语言必须遵循一定的规则，所以没有必要对语法感到恐惧，因此C项符合。Passage C【语篇导读】本文是议论文。随着肥胖人群的增多，目前的飞机座椅能否保证他们的安全？本文围绕这一问题展开了论述。B 细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“The New York Times Christine Negroni reports that ”可知，这个报道主要关注的是肥胖乘客乘坐飞机的安全问题。C 推理判断题。根据第三段大意可知，肥胖乘客乘坐飞机时，座椅不一定能够保证他们的安全，故可推断Robert Salzar很可
52、能希望提高飞机座椅的强度标准。C 细节理解题。根据第四段中的“those people who are seated nearby could be endangered”可知，肥胖乘客周围的乘客也可能会有危险。D 主旨大意题。本文第一段引出话题；第二段首句为全文中心句，点明了文章的主旨，即目前的飞机座椅是否能够保证肥胖乘客的安全，故D项为最佳标题。Passage D【语篇导读】本文是说明文。讲述了巧克力的简单历史。B 细节理解题。根据首段可知，人们普遍认为巧克力是用来吃的，而且是很甜的，然而巧克力在发展史上大部分时间是一种苦涩的饮料。故选B。31. C 推理判断题。根据第四段中的首句“but
53、 its clear that it was cherished from the start”可知巧克力从诞生起就受到人们的珍爱。故选C。32. C 推理判断题。由第五段的第二句“but once mixed with honey or cane sugar, it quickly became popular throughout Spain”可知巧克力饮料被混合蜂蜜或蔗糖变甜以后，就迅速受到西班牙人的欢迎。故选C。33. A 推理判断题。由文章叙述巧克力历史的过程可知巧克力饮料是最早的形式；再根据倒数第二段中三个事件发生的事情和最后一句可知A项是按时间顺序叙述巧克力的演变史。Passag
54、e E【语篇导读】本文作者介绍了Vipassana的冥想静修，并讲述了从三次不同时长的Vipassana冥想静修中受益良多，最后鼓励读者参加进去。34. D 细节理解题。根据文章第二段中and finding access to a deep, pervasive sense of joy可知，修行者的目的是为了获得内心深处的快乐，故答案为D。35. B 细节理解题。根据文章第三段中I first signed up for a Vipassana retreat yet has benefited greatly from the simple and challenging practice可知B项不是作者的观点。36. B 细节理解题。根据文章末段首句Eventually, whether it takes one day or five, your mind slows down and you become acutely aware of the present moment.可知答案为B。根据第二句和第三句分别可知C、D选择错误。37. C 推理判断题。根据文章主要人称You尤其是文章最后一段内容可知，作者旨在劝告读者参加到Vipassana冥想静修中去，故选C。