There is a boy in my gym class (I’ll call him Bill) who has unbearably yellow teeth that almost make everyone feel unpleasant. Recently another boy told Bill that he should “go Ajax” his teeth. Bill was crushed. Had the other boy been thinking, he would have realized that there is a better way to handle such a situation. He could have dealt with it with tact. He could have showed this hurtful truth in a more careful, sensitive way—that’s “tact”.
If a person isn’t sensitive to another’s feelings, there is no way he or she can be tactful. Yesterday, my 5-year-old brother proudly announced that he had cleaned the screen on our television set. Unfortunately, he used furniture polish(亮光油), which produced an oily film on the television screen. My mother smiled and thanked him for his efforts—and then showed how to clean the screen properly. Her sensitivity enables my brother to keep his self-respect. Yet, sensitivity alone does not make tact.
“Tactfulness” also requires “truthfulness”. Doctors, for example must be truthful. If a patient has just been disabled in an accident, a tactful doctor will tell the truth—but express it with sensitivity. The doctor may try to give the patient hope by telling them curing techniques under study or about advanced equipment now available. Doctors must use tact with patients relatives as well. Instead of bluntly saying, “Your husband is disabled,” a doctor might say, “I’m sorry, but your husband has lost feeling in his legs and…”
Tact should not be confused with trickery. Trickery occurs when a nurse is about to give a patient an injection and says, “This won’t hurt a bit.” Instead of trickery, the nurse might guarantee the patient that the discomfort of the injection is a small thing compared to the benefits of it. It would also be thoughtful for the nurse to tell the patients about some of these benefits.
Tact is a wonderful skill to have, and tactful people are usually admired and respected. Without tact our society would become an intolerable place to live in.
1.When told he should “go Ajax” his teeth, Bill probably felt ________________.
A．surprised B．cheated
C．regretful D．painful
2.According to the author, his mother’s praise for the brother is _______________.
A．both sensitive and tactful B．sensitive but not tactful enough
C．truthful but not tactful D．sensitive but trickish
3.The fourth paragraph mainly talks about __________________.
A．how to comfort the patients
B．how to use trickery carefully
C．differences between trickery and promises
D．another feature of tact
4.Which of the following shows the structure of the passage? (The numbers stand for the paragraphs)
A gadget which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave. http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/
Using the same technology as a dehumidifier（除湿器），the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source—the air．http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/
The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water inhttp://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/
developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage．http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/
The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter（过滤器）and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water droplets．It can produce up to 12 liters a day．The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases. In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights. Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said, “The demand for water is off the chart. So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”
The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost ￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring. Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly calculates that a liter of water costs around 20 pence to produce.
Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080. One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.
The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.
1.What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A．Drinking water. B．Invention. C．Microwave. D．Water Mill.
2.What do we learn about the machine?
A．It works in the same way as microwaves.
B．It is very expensive for families to afford.
C．It absorbs wet air and turns it into water.
D．It helps to make the water clean to drink. http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/
3.What does the passage lead us to believe? http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/
A．The cost of water will go up. B．Bottled water will disappear soon.
C．The machine is energy saving. D．The machine will be popular worldwide.
4.What’s the best title for the passage? http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/
A．A New Way to Solve Water Problem. B．A Machine to Make Water out of Air.
C．A Dehumidifier to Produce Water. D．An Absolutely New Invention
Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today’s expressions include a very important word—“heart”. We will try to “get to the heart of the matter” to better understand the most important thing about words and their stories. So “take heart.” Have no fear about learning new expressions. Besides, popular English words can be fun. There is no need for a “heavy heart.” Such feelings of sadness would only “break my heart,” or make me feel unhappy and hopeless.
Now, let us suppose you and I were speaking freely about something private. We would be having a “heart to heart” discussion. I might speak from “the bottom of my heart, ” or say things honestly and truthfully. I might even “open up my heart” to you and tell you a secret. I would speak with “all my heart”.
When a person shares her feelings freely and openly like this, you might say she “wears her heart on her sleeve”. Her emotions are not protected.
If we had an honest discussion, both of us would know that the other person’s “heart is in the right place.” For example, I would know that you are a “kind-hearted” and well-meaning person. And, if you are a very good person, I would even say that you have “a heart of gold.” However, you might have a “change of heart” based on what I tell you. Our discussion might cause you to change the way you feel about something.
But, let us suppose you get angry over what I tell you. Or worse, you feel no sympathy or understanding for me or my situation. If this happens, I might think that you have a “heart of stone.” And, if you say something to make me frightened or worried, my “heart might stand still”.
1.If you are not so happy, you may feel that ________.
A. you “have a heart of stone” B. you have to “take heart”
C. you “break you heart” D. you “speak from the bottom of the heart”
2.From the above passage we may see ________.
A. English words can all be used differently
B. some phrases do not have a fixed meaning
C. languages change with the time
D. the same word may have various meanings
3.What is the passage trying to impress the readers?
A. To explain how “heart” is used in phrases.
B. To show the author’s perfect English.
C. To tell English learners to learn English in phrases.
D. To advertise an English course.
4.Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
A. A change of heart B. Open up the heart of “heart”
C. Never let your heart stand still D. Wear your heart on your sleeve
Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs’ is the museum’s main attraction this summer．Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands— on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Saturday，and from 12:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays in August．
Call 01733 864663 for details.
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun：Young people aged 13—19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in sports activities，or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club，Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road．Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm．PLUS an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3:30pm and 6:30pm．
Call 01 353 720274 for details.
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th August．Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play．Gates open 5:30pm，performance 6:30pm—8:30pm．Tea room will be open until end of the interval．Adult ￡10．Child￡7．Family ￡20．
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157．
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Games：From Wellie Wanging to Pretend Ploughing matches，come and join the Farmland Team．Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner！No need to book，just turn up between 12:00pm and 4:00pm on Thursday 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above，each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price. Tickets Cost￡7 per child．
For further information，call 01223 810080．
1.If you are interested in cooking, you can go to __________.
A．Peterborough Museum B．Houghton Mill
C．Saxon Youth Club D．Farmland Museum
2.You want to watch the new play with your parents，so it will cost you __________．
A．￡7 B．￡17 C．￡27 D．￡20
3.Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
A．Playing farmland games B．Watching a new play．
C．Competing in sports activities． D．Visiting the dinosaur exhibition．
4.If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19，he will have __________ to choose from for himself．
A．one activity B．two activities
C．three activities D．four activities
Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5:30 and at 6:30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club．At last，the traffic was moving．She swung quickly racing to her house. As she opened the door，she nearly tripped over Sheba．
“Hey，Sheba,” she said，“I’ve got no time for you now，but I’ll take you out as soon as I get
back from tennis club.” Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking. Obviously，she could hardly breathe．Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet(兽医)
When she got there，the vet was just about to close for the day. Seeing the state of Sheba，Dr. Sterne brought her quickly into his office．
“Listen，doctor，I’m really in a rush to get to a meeting. Can I leave her with you，and go and get changed? I’ll be back in ten minutes to pick her up，and then I’ll take her on to the meeting with me. Is that OK?”
“Sure.” said the doctor.
Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes．As she was once more
entering the hall，the phone by the door began to ring．
“This is Dr. Sterne,” said an anxious voice. “I want you to get out of that house immediately,” said the doctor’s voice．“I’m coming round right away，and the police will be there any time now．Wait outside!”
At that moment，a police car screeched to a stop outside the house．Two policemen got out and ran into the house．Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened．Then the doctor arrived．
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?” shouted Joanne．
“She’s fine，Joanne．I took out the thing which was choking her, and she’s OK now．”
Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man，who could hardly walk. There was blood all over him．
“My God,” said Joanne，“how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?”
“I think he must be a burglar.” said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat：it turned out to be three human fingers.”
1.Joanne wanted to get back to her home again ．
A．to dress up for the meeting B．to phone the police station
C．to catch the badly hurt burglar D．to wait for her dog to be cured
2.From the passage we can infer that ．
A．Sheba fought against the burglar
B．the police found the burglar had broken in
C．Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting at first
D．the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog
3.The underlined word a burglar in the last paragraph probably means ____________.
A. a cleaner B. a physician C. a thief D. a murderer
4.In this passage, the writer intends to tell us that the dog is ．
A．clever B．friendly C．frightening D．devoted
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Monty Roberts, owner of a horse ranch (牧场) in San Ysidro, once told us a story. “When a young man was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to 36 and do when he grew up. In his seven-page paper he described his 37 of someday owning a horse ranch. He drew a 38 floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would 39 on a 200-acre dream ranch. Two days later he received his 40 back. On the front page was a 41 red F. The teacher said, ‘This is an 42 dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money.’ Then the teacher 43 , ‘If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your 44 .’ The boy asked his father what he should do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own 45 on this. However, I think it is a very
46 decision for you.’ 47 , after a week, the boy 48 the same paper, making no 49 at all. He stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my 50 .’ Monty then turned to us and said, “I tell you this story 51 you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed (装框) over the fireplace.” He added, “The best part of the 52 is that two summers ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, ‘Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was 53 of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. 54 you had enough determination not to give up on yours.”
Don’t let anyone 55 your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.
21．A. be B. find C. learn D. see
22．A. reason B. goal C. purpose D. way
23．A. rough B. new C. secret D. detailed
24．A. live B. locate C. sit D. run
25．A. mark B. paper C. plan D. idea
26．A. large B. tiny C. beautiful D. long
27．A. old B. imaginative C. impractical D. interesting
28．A. shouted B. smiled C. replied D. added
29．A. grade B. need C. honesty D. ability
30．A. time B. energy C. mind D. money
31．A. urgent B. quick C. important D. good
32．A. Actually B. Finally C. Gradually D. Usually
33．A. turned down B. turned around C. turned to D. turned in
34．A. comments B. changes C. judgment D. answer
35．A. dream B. courage C. interest D. spirit
36．A. though B. because C. until D. if
37．A. incident B. event C. story D. lesson
38．A. anything B. nothing C. everything D. something
39．A. Fortunately B. Strangely C. Curiously D. Probably
40．A. forget B. steal C. know D. realize
