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 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。
After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An _________ had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me. I was told it would mean a great _________ to him, so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy (肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not _________ it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me _________ I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about _________ obstacles and struggling to achieve my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he _________ or ask, “Why _________ ?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and achieving his dreams. _________ , he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had _________ him because he was different. He just talked about his _________ for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me.
When we had finished talking, I went to my briefcase and _________ the first gold medal I had won and put it around his _________ . I told him he was more of a _________ and knew more about success and conquering difficulties than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it _________ and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You _________ that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.” Last summer I received a _________ from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had _________ away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have _________ to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will never get to do that. _________, I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my _________and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
Matthew
1.A. order B. illness C. instruction D. idea
2.A. desire B. conscience C. deal D. intention
3.A. manage B. rid C. survive D. make
4.A. because B. until C. before D. though
5.A. overcoming B. overlooking C. overtaking D. overflowing
6.A. explain B. laugh C. panic D. complain
7.A. you B. us C. me D. it
8.A. Strangely B. Obviously C. Abruptly D. Occasionally
9.A. made use of B. made notes of C. made fun of D. made out of
10.A. hopes B. fears C. standards D. illusions
11.A. carried B. pulled C. sucked D. wiped
12.A. hand B. arm C. head D. neck
13.A. life-winner B. fortune-teller C. trouble-maker D. fate-challenger
14.A. in B. off C. out D. over
15.A. regained B. matched C. lost D. deserved
16.A. card B. gift C. prize D. letter
17.A. given B. passed C. faded D. run
18.A. ripe B. flexible C. long D. good
19.A. However B. But C. Thus D. Therefore
20.A. certificate B. opportunity C. picture D. medal
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。选项中有两项是多余选项。
How can I fight laziness?
Lazy people will never amount to anything in life. However, laziness can be defeated once a few changes have been made in your mind.
____1._____Many people lack sleep constantly, since they stay up too late and get up too early to prepare for work. These people have little motivation once they arrive home. Laziness works hand in hand with a lack of motivation and a tendency to put off things. By adjusting your sleep schedule to provide a few more hours of meaningful rest, you can fight laziness throughout the day.
Another way to fight laziness is to change your mind from passive to active. Some people treat their lives as if they were pushed from task to task. Others take a more proactive approach, viewing each task as a challenge they must overcome alone._____ 2.____
Some people fight laziness by removing the temptations that surround them. A television in the living room may provide entertainment, but watching too much TV often contributes to laziness. ____3._____ Complete a few tasks and reward yourself with what you enjoy, such as a good dinner or a film.
Laziness can also be a lasting problem at home. Couples and children may all have different energy levels, but laziness can be spread if not dealt with immediately. ____4.____ Be the first to collect and wash dishes after a meal. Others in the home may eventually follow your example and perform their own task. It is difficult to practice laziness when you are surrounded by motivated people.
____5.______Enough exercise and a balanced diet can help you to develop a healthy lifestyle, thus enabling you to have more energy and help lift your spirits.
A. To fight family laziness, set an example.
B. Knowing how to fight laziness is important.
C. One way to fight laziness is to get enough sleep.
D. Finally, taking exercise regularly can help you fight laziness.
E. With strong determination, you will be able to achieve your goal.
F. Laziness sets in when you no longer feel in charge of your own life.
G. Create a reward system for yourself, just as parents do for the children.
No one would much like the idea of eating 61 pounds of tomatoes a day. But if their goodness was put into an easy-to-swallow pill that you were told might prevent strokes(中风) and heart attacks you would probably be putting in an order tomorrow.
Researchers believe they may have come up with just that after trials. The daily pill contains a chemical called lycopene which makes tomatoes red and is known to break down fat in the vessels(血管). A Cambridge University study found taking the pills improved blood flow and the lining of vessels in patients with pre-existing heart conditions. It also increased the flexibility(灵活性) of their vessels by 50 percent. The scientists believe it could limit the damage caused by heart disease—responsible for 180,000 deaths a year—and help cut the 49,000 deaths a year from strokes. They also hope it could benefit those with arthritis(关节炎), diabetes(糖尿病) and even slow the progress of cancer.
Each pill is equal to eating around 61 pounds of ripe tomatoes. Studies have shown eating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in tomatoes fish, vegetables, nuts and olive oil can significantly reduce cholesterol(胆固醇) and help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Preliminary results from a two-month trial, in which the pill was given to 36 heart disease patients and 36 healthy volunteers with an average age of 67, were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association. It was shown to improve the function of the endothelium—the layer of cells lining blood vessels. It also improved their sensitivity to nitric oxide, the gas which causes the enlargement of the vessels in response to exercise.
Ian Wilkinson, head of Cambridge University’s clinical trials unit, said “These results are potentially very significant and it meets the goal, but we need more trials to see if they translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes.”
Further studies are planned, with researchers hoping it could offer a choice for heart disease sufferers who can not take the cholesterol-lowing drugs.
Mike Knapton, head of the British Heart Foundation, said, “Although this showed lycopene improved blood flow in people with heart disease, that’s a long way from demonstrating that taking it could improve outcomes for people with heart disease. The best way to get the benefits of a good diet is to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.”
1.What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
A. We can eat too much tomato food.
B. Tomatoes are helpful to strokes and heart attacks.
C. Tomatoes will lose healthy elements were put into pills.
D. We had better not eat tomatoes.
2.We can learn from the passage that the pills ________.
A. are at the experiment stage
B. can cure all the disease
C. are widely used among patients
D. cost patients so little money
3.Who were the volunteers by taking part in the trial?
A. Children. B. Youth.
C. Working people. D. Old healthy people.
4.What was Ian Wilkinson’s opinion on the trial?
A. Disappointing. B. Surprising.
C. Satisfactory. D. Terrible.
Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons — for example, economic reasons — why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?
In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own hometown of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.
It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的) and do not like change.
Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward. If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different, even though that might be the more risky choice.
1.What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?
A. Most of them are too expensive to preserve.
B. They are more pleasing than modern buildings.
C. They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.
D. Some of them are not attractive.
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the author?
A. Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.
B. We should reproduce the same old buildings.
C. Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.
D. No one understands why people speak against new buildings.
3.By “move things forward” in the last paragraph, the author probably means “________”.
A. destroy old buildings
B. put things in a different place
C. choose new architectural style
D. respect people’s feelings for historical buildings
4.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To explain why people dislike change.
B. To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.
C. To warn that we could end up living in caves.
D. To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.
As I drive about the Sois in rural Thailand I catch little glimpses of things that barely register on the mind as the scenery flies by; strange things, beautiful things, sad things, interesting things. I wish I could hold on to these scenes; explore them in detail. I wish that I had the time to stop and investigate further as I’m driving by, but time is a commodity(商品) worth more than all the moneys in the world. I wish I had more.
I once had a guy wave to me as I passed him. He yelled out something, almost in greeting, as if he knew me. I wonder if we knew each other once, in another place, another time, and he recognized my soul as I drove by in the truck, and just had to yell a hello. I wish I had stopped and said hello too.
I saw two young girls, dressed in school uniforms. White blouses, blue skirts, books in hand. They were holding hands, talking, walking down the road, jostling(推，搡) each other with their shoulders and teasing each other as they strolled along. As I passed the one closest to the truck looked up. She was close enough to touch almost. Her smiling face, her clear eyes and golden smooth skin are there in my mind’s eye now. I can see her as if she were standing next to me. Once in a while her face just pops into my head. Why? Why is she still there? Sometimes I think maybe I’m a bit mad.
I stopped at a road stop on a corner one time. An old lady standing by the roadside walked over to the truck and put her hand on my arm and smiled at me. Her palm was so cool. It must have been a hundred degrees out that day. She said something in Thai and giggle (咯咯地笑) and walked away. Who was she? Why did she touch me? Why was her hand so cool? Why did I just sit there and let her touch me? I didn’t flinch (退缩) away. It was almost as if I knew her, and we were just saying a quick hello. Her cool touch almost seemed familiar; like my long dead grandmother’s soothing cool touch remembered from when I was just a little boy.
I need more time. I need to stop the truck more often, and just say hello. Things glimpsed along the road are often far more interesting and wonderful than that which seems to consume our daily lives. Slow down. Stop the truck. Get out, and say hello.
1.What kind of life does the writer normally lead?
A. Busy. B. Tiring.
C. Meaningless. D. Boring.
2.The man (in Paragraph Two) yelled out because he ________.
A. had met the writer before
B. recognized the writer’s soul
C. wanted to show friendliness
D. mistook me as one of his friends
3.The writer describes the two school girls in great details to show ________.
A. his liking for them
B. that he was kind of crazy
C. his interest in observing people
D. the deep impression they left on him
4.Why does the author compare the old lady with his grandmother?
A. The old lady behaved like his grandmother.
B. He suggests the old lady had very cold hands.
C. He suggests the old lady’s touch was comforting.
D. The old lady reminded the writer of his entire childhood.
Hands-on experience is still attractive to many buyers, although online ordering is popular in the UK today.
Oxford Street
London is shoppers’ paradise, and most visitors head for Oxford Street. Halfway along is Sel-fridges, one of the world’s first department stores where the architecture and window dressing impress even before you go in. There are at least four other major stores on this street, plus Europe’s largest music shop. In December the atmosphere is especially festive because of the Christmas lights which are always lighted by a politician, a great sportsman, or a super star.
Kensington High Street
A fashionable area for shopping is Kensington High Street. One of its department stores even has a roof garden—good for relaxing between purchases. There’s also an organic food superstore.
Borough Market
You can’t visit London and not go to a supermarket. One of the oldest and best for food is probably Borough Market on the south bank of the Thames. Get off the underground at London Bridge and wander among fresh fish stalls, bakeries, and fruit and vegetable sellers. You can also buy specialist food to take away, like cheeses, pork pies, mustard and chutney.
More places for bargains
Portobello Road on a Saturday is your best choice for jewelry or collector’s items. It’s a short walk from the subway station at Notting Hill Gate and you never know what you will find. For clothes, Camden Market is the place. It gets a little crowded at the weekends, though. Convent Garden offers great experience for the simple pleasure of looking at jewelry and gifts.
1.Oxford Street becomes special in December for ________.
A. the wonderful window dressing
B. the Europe’s largest music shop
C. the lights lit by a famous person
D. many bargains to choose from
2.To enjoy food, you can go to ________.
A. Borough Market B. Camden Market
C. Kensington High Street D. Portobello Road
3.Where is this passage probably taken from?
A. A science book. B. A traveler’s journal.
C. A trip guide. D. A news report.
