| 1. 难度：中等 | |
|
Etymology, the study of words and word roots, may sound like the kind of thing done by boring librarians in small, dusty rooms. Yet etymologists actually have a uniquely interesting job. They are in many ways just like archaeologists (考古学家) digging up the physical history of people and events. The special aspect of etymology is that it digs up history, so to speak, through the words and phrases that are left behind. The English language, in particular, is a great field to explore history through words. As a language, English has an extraordinary number of words. This is partly due to its ability to adapt foreign words so readily. For example, “English” words such as kindergarten (from German), croissant (from French), and cheetah (from Hindi) have become part of the language with little or no change from their original sounds and spellings. So English-language etymologists have a vast world of words to explore. Another enjoyable thing about etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries (谜). No, etymologists do not go around solving murders, like the great detective Sherlock Holmes. What these word experts solve are mysterious origins of some of our most common words. One of the biggest questions English language experts have pursued is how English came to have the phrase OK. Though it is one of the most commonly used expressions, its exact beginning is a puzzle even to this day. Even its spelling is not entirely consistent-- unless you spell it Okay, it is hard even to call it a word. Etymologists have been able to narrow OK’s origin down to a likely, although not certain, source (来源). It became widely used around the time of Martin Van Buren’s run for president in 1840. His nickname was Old Kinderhook. What troubles word experts about this explanation is that the phrase appeared in some newspapers before Van Buren became well known. It is likely that Van Buren could be called its primary source. Etymologists will doubtlessly keep searching for the original source. However, it is clear that OK’s popularity and reputation have topped those of the American president to whom it has been most clearly linked. 1.The author mentions the words like “croissant” in Paragraph 2 to show _______. A. words have changed a lot in the two languages B. what English-language etymologists are exploring now C. English has absorbed many words from other foreign languages D. the English vocabulary is difficult to the non-English-speaking people 2.The underlined word “pursued” in Paragraph 4 means _______. A. looked upon B. dug up C. put in D. set down 3.We can learn from the passage that etymologists _______. A. discover the possible origin of words B. help detectives to solve mysterious murders C. write interesting stories for some newspapers D. explore the English language as well as the recent events 4.What most probably is the major purpose of the passage? A. To present the history of English words. B. To explain what an etymologist does for his job. C. To introduce the pleasure of the study of words and word roots. D. To teach readers how to tell English words from non-English words·
|
|
| 2. 难度：中等 | |
|
Today, one can trace Venice’s rich past from its buildings. Most cities can claim at least a handful of outstanding churches, palaces or houses of historical interest, but in Venice very nearly everything is remarkable, from the magnificent Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square ) and the palaces that line the Grand Canal to the centuries-old homes of simple fishermen. It would be easy to say that the city itself is an enormous museum if it were not for the fact it is so obviously alive. At first sight, Venice looks unbelievably permanent, an apparently complete Renaissance (文艺复兴) city so untouched by time that there seems no reason why it should not go on forever. Now the city is slowly sinking, as the clay on which it is built loses its elasticity (弹性) and the massive wooden piles rot (腐烂) away. Flooding, such a rare occurrence a hundred years ago now happens several times each winter. The damage caused by the flooding is immense, and the fabric of the ancient buildings is now being further damaged by pollution from the mainland town as well as by the wash produced by the constantly increasing number of motor boats that speed up and down the canals. A further threat to Venice comes from the Venetians themselves, some of whom are not particularly interested in preserving the city as one of the wonders of the world and would prefer to see it modernized. “What better place is there for the meeting of dear friends? See how it glows with the advancing summer; how the sky and the sea and the rosy air and the marble of the palaces all glimmer and melt together.” Thus wrote the famous author Henry James, of Venice, which provided the setting for his story “The Aspern Papers”, in the nineteenth century. The Splendor of Venice has captured the imagination of artists for centuries --- and not just of the great painters and novelists. How tragic now that she is faced with the double threat of man and nature. Venice indeed will be lucky to survive. 1.Venice proudly boasts . A. its beautiful churches, palaces and houses B. its unique St. Mark’s Square and the Grand Canal C. its picturesque waterscape D. its marvelous ancient buildings 2.The writer thinks that . A. Venice can be regarded as a big museum B. Venice is no longer a big museum C. Venice is different from a big museum D. Venice can never be a big museum because of its modernization 3.From the fourth paragraph, we know that . A. Venetians are eager to modernize their city B. Venetians value the Grand Canal C. Venetians don’t care about any threat to the Grand Canal. D. the threat of man is greater than the threat of nature 4.In the last paragraph, the writer . A. is very confident that Venice will survive B. is doubtful whether Venice will survive C. thinks that Venice will have luck D. is afraid that Venice will no longer attract artists and novelists
|
|
| 3. 难度：中等 | |
|
It can be rude to talk politics over dinner…explicitly at least. But subtle linguistic cues might reveal more than you think about your political views, whether at the dinner table—or on Twitter. "There's a lot of information in the details of our language." Matthew Purver, a computational linguist at Queen Mary University of London. "The little words we use, the way we join together our sentences, and the kind of interactional patterns, where we react to other people." Purver’s research team used Twitter as their communications forum, randomly selecting 28,000 users, half of whom clearly followed one political party’s Twitter feeds, for example, @GOP, but not the other, for a more or less even split among Republicans and Democrats. Then they analyzed the words in those users' timelines during a two-week period in June 2014. As you might expect, the tweets of users who followed Republican accounts were a lot more likely to contain words like "obamacare" and "benghazi," whereas "bridge gate" came up more among Democratic followers. But the researchers also found that the left-leaners were much more likely to use words like sh#& and fu@$ than were the righties. And whereas Republican followers preferred plural pronouns like "we" or "us," Democratic followers used more singular pronouns, like "I" or "me.". That pronoun use could reflect previous work on how people on the right and left forge their political views. "People on the right end of the political spectrum are more likely to be concerned with group conformity. Whereas people who tend to be on the left are perhaps more likely to see their morals or their values deriving from individualistic ideas, if you like." The study is in the journal PLoS ONE. Of course, just following a political account is not proof of political belief. But these findings suggest that algorithms may increasingly be able to read between the lines, detecting nuances in human communication that even we humans can't perceive. 1.What is the meaning of "There's a lot of information in the details of our language." ? A. Information can be conveyed through the way of word combination, sentence pattern, etc. explicitly or implicitly. B. We convey our meaning directly through language. C. People say what they want. D. Language is the only way we convey our meaning. 2.What result does Purver’s research team find? A. Republican followers used more singular pronouns. B. Democratic followers preferred plural pronouns like "we" or "us". C. Republican followers are more likely to be concerned with group conformity. D. Democratic followers did not care about government issues because they value individuality 3.What preference can pronoun use reflect? A. That pronoun use could not reflect people’s political views. B. Democratic followers are more likely to see their morals or their values deriving from individualistic ideas. C. Either Democratic or Republican followers choose the pronouns at random. D. Republican followers’ political views are on the left because they like to use the word conformity. 4.Which of the following is true? A. It’s right to talk about politics over dinner. B. People use Twitter to express their political views explicitly. C. Humans may not perceive what we convey through language. D. Linguistics has nothing to do with algorithms.
|
|
| 4. 难度：中等 | |
|
Food festivals around the world Stilton Cheese Rolling May Day is a traditional day for celebrations, but the 2,000 English villagers of Stilton must be the only people in the world who include cheese rolling in their annual plans. Teams of four, dressed in a variety of strange and funny clothes , roll a complete cheese along a 50-metre course. On the way, they must not kick or throw their cheese, or go into their competitors' lane. Competition is fierce and the chief prize is a complete Stilton cheese weighing about four kilos (disappointingly, but understandably the cheeses used in the race are wooden ones). All the competitors are served with beer or port wine, the traditional accompaniment for Stilton cheese. Fiery Foods Festival—The Hottest Festival on Earth Every year more than 10,000 people head for the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They come from as far away as Australia, the Caribbean and China, but they all share a common addiction—food that is not just spicy ,but hot enough to make your mouth burn, your head spin and your eyes water. Their destination is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival which is held over a period of three days every March. You might like to try a chocolate-covered habanero pepper—officially the hottest pepper in the world—or any one of the thousands of products that are on show. But one thing's for sure—if you don't like the feeling of a burning tongue, this festival isn't for you! La Tomatina—The World's Biggest Food Fight On the last Wednesday of every August, the Spanish town of Bunol hosts Ea Tomatina—the world's largest food fight. A week-long celebration leads up to an exciting tomato battle as the highlight of the week's events. The early morning sees the arrival of large trucks with tomatoes—official fight-starters get things going by casting tomatoes at the crowd. The battle lasts little more than half an hour, in which time around 50,000 kilograms of tomatoes have been thrown at anyone or anything that moves, runs, or fights back. Then everyone heads down to the river to make friends again—and for a much-needed wash! 1.Where is the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival held? A. In New Mexico. B. In the Caribbean. C. In Australia. D. In China. 2.The celebration of La Tomatina lasts . A. three days B. seven days C. less than three days D. more than seven days 3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A. The chief prize for the Stilton cheese rolling competition is beer or port wine. B.More than 10,000 Chinese take part in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. C. Thousands of spicy foods are on show in the Fiery Food and BBQ Festival. D. An exciting tomato battle takes place at the beginning of La Tomatina.
|
|
| 5. 难度：中等 | |
|
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，并在答题卡上将 该项涂黑。选项中有两项为多余选项。 （请将答案涂在答题卡上E=AB F=AC G=AD） What do the world’s most successful people all have in common? By examining the work habits of over 150 greatest writers and artists and scientists, the researchers including Standford Professor Jeffrey found that high achievers like Robert Moses turn out to be all alike: Busy ! Busy! 1. In a study of general managers in industry, John Kotter reported that many of them worked 60 to 65 hours per week—which translates into at least six 10-hour days. The ability and willingness to work difficult and tiring hours has characterized many powerful figures. Energy and strength provide many advantages to those seeking to build power. Just Say No! The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say “no” to almost everything. And that’s what gives them the time to accomplish so much. 2. And focus means saying “no” to a lot of distractions(分神). Know What You Are! Ignore your weakness and keep improving your strengths. Don’t waste time exploring skill areas where you have little competence. Instead, focus on—and build on—your strengths. 3. . Create Good Luck! Luck is not magical—there is a science to it. Richard Wiseman studied lucky people for his book Luck Factor, and broke down what they do right. 4. By being more outgoing, open to new ideas, following the feeling that something is true, being optimistic, lucky people create possibilities. Does applying these principles to your life actually work? Wiseman created a “luck school” to test the ideas—and it was a success. In total, 80 percent of people who attended Luck School said that their luck had increased. 5. . A. Spend enough time to improve your weakness. B. Achievement requires focus. C. On average, these people reported that their luck had increased by more than 40 percent. D. They never stop working and they never lose a minute. E. Busy people are more likely to be lucky. F. This means knowing who you are, what you are and what you are good at. G. Certain personality types are luckier because they behave in a way that offer the chance for good opportunities.
|
|
| 6. 难度：中等 | |
|
完形填空 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。 Today I was blessed to turn forty-five years young． I enjoyed reading all of the awesome _________ from this wonderful website about people giving on their birthdays, so I _________ this would be my chance to experience the joy of _________ on my special day． My husband took me to the Olive Garden, and our _________ was very nice．We had a great dinner experience and then I tried a warm apple pie that was _________ .Then the waitress, Carlini, brought our bill． _________ she came back to the table to get our credit card, I knew it was my time to give．I _________ the gift bag on the edge of the table and simply said, " In _________ of my birthday, I want to bless you with a gift．" Oh, the shock on her face! She said, " No, not for me! It's your birthday! " Then she said, " Can I _________ it in front of you?" And I said that would be fine． The _________ thing she noticed was the color of the gift bag which was purple．Purple is her favorite color and she actually had a purple tie _________ ! She opened the card and said, " It's Christmas in July． As she was taking the gift out of the bag, she said she was_________ .It's wonderful to give to someone who is willing to _________ ! She opened the box and saw it was a purple mug （马克杯） that said, "Tip-Top Server-happy to be a beverage （饮料） serving, _________ taking, rushed off my feet, tip collecting waitress!" Inside the mug was a Smile Card and forty-five dollars, a dollar for each _________ of my life． After _________ the money she looked at my husband and said．You do not have to leave a tip．He just _________ and left her the tip _________ ． Carlini was so grateful and thankful for what she had received．She said we_________ her year．I thanked her for receiving my gift so beautifully． I am thankful to God for another year of life and the opportunity to _________ that every day is a great day to give． 1.A．drafts B．questions C．ideas D．novels 2.A．promised B．meant C．concluded D．decided 3.A．giving B．taking C．receiving D．dining 4.A．doorman B．porter C．manager D．waitress 5.A．delicious B．tough C．awful D．cold 6.A．Once B．Until C．When D．Before 7.A．took B．placed C．brought D．left 8.A．favor B．hope C．case D．honor 9.A．see B．hold C．open D．take 10.A．happiest B．first C．best D．very 11.A．on B．over C．in D．across 12.A．excited B．surprised C．confused D．focused 13.A．wear B．try C．receive D．have 14.A．menu B．order C．bill D．tip 15.A．person B．memory C．event D．year 16.A．taking B．seeing C．hiding D．seizing 17.A．nodded B．pretended C．agreed D．ignored 18.A．anyway B．though C．instead D．somehow 19.A．encouraged B．served C．made D．wished 20.A．tell B．discover C．wonder D．recall
|
|
| 7. 难度：中等 | |
|
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。 My family objected violently when my brother and I said___1.___ were going to spend the Christmas holidays abroad. But nothing could persuade us ___2.__ (stay). Two days__3.___ Christmas, we went to a small town in Southern Germany. We spent ___4.___ whole of Christmas Eve sightseeing. There were so many activities in the town that they added to our__5.__ (excite). The streets were crowded with people __6.___ the shops were full of wonderful things. In the evening, we went to listen to Christmas songs sung by children around the___7.__ (bright) decorated Christmas tree in the main street. We returned to our hotel late that night, greatly__8.___ (look) forward to the next day when we planned to have a meal at the best restaurant in town. But in the morning the streets were empty. To make matters worse, all the shops including the restaurants ___9.__ (shut). At last we had to return to our hotel, feeling very miserable. Our Christmas “feast” was a bag of fruits, which my brother had happened to buy the day before. Our thoughts sadly turned to home ___10.___ , at that moment, the entire family must have been wishing us a “Merry Christmas.”
|
|
| 8. 难度：困难 | |
|
短文改错 假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。 增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词。 删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。 修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。 注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词； 2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。 It doesn't matter to fail as long as you don't give up. To my opinion, it is hard to be successful. Challenges were a necessary part of your life as you grow up. And you won't necessary succeed in everything for the first time you try. That's okay. Some of the most successful people in the world are the one who've had the most failures. J．K. Rowling, wrote Harry Potter, had her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was removed his high school basketball team. He lost hundreds of games and miss thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that's because I succeed.”
|
|
| 9. 难度：中等 | |
|
书面表达 假如你是李华，你家楼下住着一位新搬来的英国人James，他在你家信箱里留了一封信，抱怨你们家维修厨房时候产生的噪音，请给她写一封回信，内容主要包括: 1. 表达歉意 2. 解释原因 • 父母白天上班，只能晚上维修， • 不专业，耗时长 • ...... 3. 说明措施，请工人周末白天维修 注意： 1.词数100左右； 2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯； 3.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。 Dear James, We were very shocked to get your letter complaining about the noise from our flat. ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Sorry to have caused these problems. Yours faithfully, Li Hua
|
|
