It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather.Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr.Johnson’s famous comment that“When two English meet，their first talk is of weather.”Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago，most commentators fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weatherspeak.
Bill Bryson，for example，concludes that，as the English weather is not at all exciting，the obsession with it can hardly be understood.He argues that“To an outsider，the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply，the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.
Jeremy Paxman，however，disagrees with Bryson，arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive.Bryson is wrong，he says，because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena.“The interest is less in the phenomena themselves，but in uncertainty.”According to him，the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.
Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weatherspeak among the English.Both commentators，somehow，are missing the point.The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all.English weatherspeak is a system of signs，which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other.Everyone knows conversations starting with weatherspeak are not requests for weather data.Rather，they are routine greetings，conversation starters or the blank “fillers”．In other words，English weatherspeak is a means of social bonding.
1.The author mentions Dr.Johnson’s comment to show that________.
A．most commentators agree with Dr.Johnson
B．Dr.Johnson is famous for his weather observation
C．the comment was accurate two hundred years ago
D．English conversations usually start with the weather
2.What does the underlined word “obsession” most probably refer to?
A．A social trend.
B．An emotional state.
C．A historical concept.
D．An unknown phenomenon.
3.According to the passage，Jeremy Paxman believes that________.
A．Bill Bryson has little knowledge of the weather
B．there is nothing special about the English weather
C．the English weather attracts people to the British Isles
D．English people talk about the weather for its uncertainty
4.What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?
A．To explain what English weatherspeak is about.
B．To analyse misconceptions about the English weather.
C．To find fault with both Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman.
D．To convince people that the English weather is changeable.
Poet William Stafford once said that we are defined more by the detours (绕行路) in life than by the narrow road toward goals.I like this image.But it was quite by accident that I discovered the deep meaning of his words.
For years we made the long drive from our home in Seattle to my parents’ home in Boise in nine hours.We traveled the way most people do：the fastest，shortest，easiest road，especially when I was alone with four noisy，restless kids who hate confinement (限制) and have strong opinions about everything.
Road trips felt risky，so I would drive fast，stopping only when I had to.We would stick to the freeways and arrive tired.
But then Banner，our lamb was born.He was rejected by his mama days before our planned trip to Boise.I had two choices：leave Banner with my husband，or take him with me.My husband made the decision for me.
That is how I found myself on the road with four kids，a baby lamb and nothing but my everlasting optimism to see me through.We took the country roads out of necessity.We had to stop every hour，let Banner shake out his legs and feed him.The kids chased him and one another.They’d get back in the car breathless and energized，smelling fresh from the cold air.
We explored side roads，catching grasshoppers in waisthigh grass.Even if we simply looked out of the car windows at baby pigs following their mother，or fish leaping out of the water，it was better than the best ride down the freeway.Here was life.And new horizons (见识)．
We eventually arrived at my parents’ doorstep astonishingly fresh and full of stories.
I grew brave with the trip back home and creative with my disciplining technique.On an empty section of road，everyone started quarreling.I stopped the car，ordered all kids out and told them to meet me up ahead.I parked my car half a mile away and read my book in sweet silence.
Some road trips are by necessity fast and straight.But that trip with Banner opened our eyes to a world available to anyone adventurous enough to wander around and made me realize that a detour may uncover the best part of a journey－and the best part of yourself.
1.Why did the author use to take freeways to her parents’home?
A．It was less tiring.
B．It would be faster and safer.
C．Her kids would feel less confined.
D．She felt better with other drivers nearby.
2.The author stopped regularly on the country roads to________.
A．relax in the fresh air
B．take a deep breath
C．take care of the lamb
D．let the kids play with Banner
3.What does the author discover from the trip according to Paragraph 6?
A．Freeways are where beauty hides.
B．Getting close to nature adds to the joy of life.
C．Enjoying the beauty of nature benefits one’s health.
D．One should follow side roads to watch wild animals.
4.Why did the author ask the kids to get out of the car on their way back home?
A．To give herself some time to read.
B．To order some food for them.
C．To play a game with them.
D．To let them cool down.
5.What could be the best title for the passage?
A．Charm of the Detour
B．The Road to Bravery
C．Creativity out of Necessity
D．Road Trip and Country Life
(2013·高考北京卷，C)Although being famous might sound like a dream come true，today’s stars，feeling like zoo animals，face pressures that few of us can imagine.They are at the center of much of the world’s attention.Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes，cameras ready.Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives.Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature!
According to psychologist Christina Villarreal，celebrities－famous people－worry constantly about their public appearance.Eventually，they start to lose track of who they really are，seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them，not as the people they were before everyone knew their names.“Over time，”Villarreal says，“they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages.In the 4th century B．C.，painters followed Alexander the Great into battle，hoping to picture his victories for his admirers.When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century，his soldout readings attracted thousands of fans，leading him to complain (抱怨) about his lack of privacy.Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about filmstars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today，however，is a lot more difficult than it used to be.Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras.When they say something silly or do something ridiculous，there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome，why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it.Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities.They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice.Still，even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are.They are tired of being famous already.
1.It can be learned from the passage that stars today________.
A．are often misunderstood by the public
B．can no longer have their privacy protected
C．spend too much on their public appearance
D．care little about how they have come into fame
2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired.
B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.
C．Wellknown actors are usually targets of tabloids.
D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.
3.What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
A．Availability of modern media.
B．Inadequate social recognition.
C．Lack of favorable chances.
D．Huge population of fans.
4.What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?
A．Sincere. B．Sceptical.
C．Disapproving. D．Sympathetic.
Doctors are known to be terrible pilots.They don’t listen because they already know it all.I was lucky：Ⅰ became a pilot in 1970，almost ten years before I graduated from medical school.I didn’t realize then，but becoming a pilot makes me a better surgeon.I loved flying.As I flew bigger，faster planes，and in worse weather，I learned about crew resource management (机组资源管理)，or CRM，a new idea to make flying safer.It means that crew members should listen and speak up for a good result，regardless of positions.
I first read about CRM in 1980.Not long after that，an attending doctor and I were flying in bad weather.The controller had us turn too late to get our landing ready.The attending doctor was flying；I was safety pilot.He was so busy because of the bad turn，he had forgotten to put the landing gear (起落架) down.He was a better pilot－and my boss － so it felt unusual to speak up.But I had to：Our lives were in danger.I put aside my uneasiness and said，“We need to put the landing gear down now！” That was my first real lesson in the power of CRM，and I’ve used it in the operating room ever since.
CRM requires that the pilot/surgeon encourage others to speak up.It further requires that when opinions are from the opposite，the doctor doesn’t overreact，which might prevent fellow doctors from voicing opinions again.So when I’m in the operating room，I ask for ideas and help from others.Sometimes they’re not willing to speak up.But I hope that if I continue to encourage them，someday someone will keep me from “landing_gear_up”．
1.What does the author say about doctors in general?
A．They like flying by themselves.
B．They are unwilling to take advice.
C．They pretend to be good pilots.
D．They are quick learners of CRM.
2.The author deepened his understanding of the power of CRM when________.
A．he saved the plane by speaking up
B．he was in charge of a flying task
C．his boss landed the plane too late
D．his boss operated on a patient
3.In the last paragraph “landing gear up” probably means ________.
A．following flying requirements
B．overreacting to different opinions
C．listening to what fellow doctors say
D．making a mistake that may cost lives
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A．CRM：A New Way to Make Flying Safe
B．Flying Makes Me a Better Doctor
C．The Making of a Good Pilot
D．A PilotTumed Doctor
(2013·高考陕西卷)—I’m tired.I’m taking next week off.
—________，honey.You do need a break.
A．Not so sure B．Forget it
C．Great idea D．No way
—Thanks a lot for your book.I found it very interesting.
—________.I’m glad you enjoyed it.
A．All the best B．It is nothing
C．No thanks D．Very well
