When a rather dirty, poorly dressed person kneels at your feet and puts out his hands to beg for a few coins, do you hurry on, not knowing what to do, or do you feel sad and hurriedly hand over some money? What should our attitude to beggars be? There can be no question that the world is full of terribly sad stories. It must be terrible to have no idea where our next meal is going to come from. It seems cruel not to give some money to beggars.

Certainly, most of the world’s great religions (宗教) order us to be open-hearted and share what we have with those less fortunate than ourselves. But has the world changed? Maybe what was morally (道德方面) right in the old days, when one knew exactly who in the village had suffered misfortune and needed help, is no longer the best idea. Quite a few people will not give to beggars. Let us look at their arguments.

First, some believe that many city beggars dress up on purpose to look pitiable and actually make a good living from begging. Giving to beggars only encourages this sort of evil (惡行). Secondly, there is the worry that the money you give will be spent on beer, wine or drugs. Thirdly, there is the opinion that there is no real excuse for begging. One might be poor, but that is no reason for losing one’s sense of pride and self-dependence.

Related to this is the opinion that the problem should be dealt with by the government rather than ordinary people. Some people think beggars should go to the local government department and receive help.

It is hard to come to any final conclusion; there are various cases and we must deal with them differently. A few coins can save a life in some situations, and even if the money is wasted, that does not take sway the moral goodness of the giver.

1.What is mainly discussed in the passage?

A．Moral deeds of people.

B．Religious activities of the church.

C．Moral goodness of the giver.

D．Arguments on giving to beggars.

2.What can we infer from the sentence “But has the world changed?” in the second paragraph?

A．People no longer know who suffers misfortune in the village.

B．Some people will not do what was morally right in the past.

C．We don’t meet with those who need help any more.

D．Now it is the government’s duty to help the beggars.

3.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Some people dress up to pretend to be beggars.

B．Some beggars want money to help their children go to school.

C．Some beggars use the money to buy drugs.

D．Some beggars have no excuse for begging.

4.In the last paragraph, the writer thinks that it is hard to come to any final conclusion, because       .

A．the cases can be so different

B．there are so many beggars

C．there is so much money wasted

D．there are so many different arguments

 

Fans of the British royal family around the world are making plans for April 29th, 2011. That’s the date that Prince William and Catherine Middleton are to tie the knot at Westminster Abbey in London.
A royal wedding is a rare and unique event in Britain so for many it’s something worth celebrating, particularly if you are in the business of making memorabilia (收藏品).
Producers of these souvenirs are wasting no time in manufacturing key rings, mugs, teapots and tea towels, mostly with the faces of the happy couple emblazoned on the front. These are the must buy items that royal followers want to get their hands on.
Some people may argue the royal wedding is a huge public cost but production and sale of memorabilia is good for business. Former politician, Lord Archer, has commented that, “In this age when we are trying to balance the books, the royal family are a great benefit to Great Britain Limited.”
A porcelain-making company, called Royal Crown Derby, is already manufacturing souvenir pottery. Louise Adams from the company says “we started designing, truly, about two years ago.” It is big business for China too, where much of the merchandise that marks the big event is made.
But why are people so keen to get their hands on a commemorative mug, so much so that one British supermarket has already seen them flying off the shelves?
Obviously, we like to remember an event like this and maybe it makes us feel as though we are part of the occasion. However their monetary value is likely to be low. Eric Knowles from the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow claims, “The vast majority of it will be worthless.”
Modern day souvenirs tend to be mass-produced making them cheap and easy to find. However limited edition or high-end items tend to keep their value and could be a better investment for the future.
But there is one thing we can guarantee that won’t be mass-produced and cheap. That’s the wedding dress for Princess Catherine, as Catherine Middleton will be known.
(   ) 【小題1】. From the first three paragraphs we can learn that         .

A．many fans of the British royal family will be invited to London on April 29th, 2011

B．Prince William and Catherine Middleton are getting married at Westminster Abbey on April 29th, 2011

C．many fans of the royal family will tie the knot on the same day in London

D．fans of the royal family will join in making souvenirs

(   ) 【小題2】.  The obvious feature of the souvenirs mentioned in the passage is that         .

A．they are all tiny and easy to carry

B．some of them are linked with tea

C．a(chǎn)ll of them are marked with dates and pictures

D．most of them display the pictures of the couple

(   ) 【小題3】. It can be inferred from the passage that         .

A．the production of souvenirs has begun long before the big event

B．the sale of souvenirs has not begun yet

C．people buy souvenirs mainly for their monetary value

D．production of souvenirs has little profit

(   ) 【小題4】.  Which of the following is a better investment according to the passage?

A．Souvenirs that fly off the shelves.	B．Best-selling souvenirs
C．Mass-produced souvenirs.	D．Souvenirs released limitedly.

(   ) 【小題5】.  What’s the writer’s attitude towards producing and selling souvenirs?

A．Supportive.

B．Negative.

C．Uninterested.

D．Indifferent.

What exactly is a lie ?Is it anything we say which we know is untrue ?Or is it something more than that ?For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you. You say “I wish I could help you, but I am short of money myself.” In fact , you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not paying his debts and you don’t want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie ?
Professor Jerald Jellison of the University of southern California has made a scientific study of lying. According to him, women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a “white lie”, such as when a woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it’s terrible. However, this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely to tell more serious lies, such as making a promise that they have no intention of carrying out. This is the kind of lie politicians and businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at :the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in some way.
Research has been done into the way people’s behavior changes in a number of small, unimportant ways when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying “I wish I were somewhere else now”. They also tend to touch certain parts of the face, particularly the nose. One explanation of this may be that lying causes a slight increase in blood pressure. The tip of the nose  is very sensitive to changes and the increased pressure makes it itch.
Another gesture that gives liars away is what the writer Decmond Morris in his book Man Watching calls the “mouth cover”. He says that there are several typical forms of this ,such as covering part of the mouth with the fingers, touching the upper lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side off the mouth. Such a gesture can be understood as an unconscious(未察覺的) attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself from lying.
Of course, such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth , moving about in a chair can not be taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to happen more often in this situation. It is one gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things , and in particular the context(上下文) which the lie is told.
【小題1】According to the passage, a white lie seems to be a lie ______.

A．that other people believew.w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#om高.考.資.源.網(wǎng)

B．that other people don’t believe

C．told in order not to hurt someone’s feelings

D．told in order to take advantage of someone

【小題2】Research suggests that women _____.

A．a(chǎn)re better at telling less serious lies than men

B．generally lie for more than men do

C．often make promises they intend to break

D．lie at parties more often than men do

【小題3】Researchers find that when a person tells lies _____.

A．his blood pressure increases measurably

B．he looks very serious

C．he is likely to make some small changes in his behavior

D．he uses his unconscious mind

【小題4】The writer of the passage______.

A．hates lying

B．enjoys lying

C．often tells a lie

D．tries to study about lying

【小題5】Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as a sign of lying ?

A．Touching one’s ears	B．Rubbing the nose
C．Moving in a chair	D．Covering the mouth

Carnival(狂歡節(jié)) does not take place only in Louisiana. There are many celebrations around the world.

In Brazil, the celebration is supposed to go on from the Saturday before Mardi Gras (大齋節(jié)前的最后一天)to Mardi Gras Day, but in some Brazilian cities the celebration can last seven or eight days. Just like New Orleans, not many important things are decided in Brazil from New Year's Day to Mardi Gras Day because everyone is preparing for or celebrating carnival. Most Brazilian parades have a subject, which could be political or historical. The parades had to have a subject related to Brazil until 1996. Some cities in Brazil do not have a street carnival, but they might have an indoor party.

Bolivia has carnival parades for children and then more parades for adults. The children dress up in costumes and march in the streets. The adults make traditional dance groups and dance in the streets. But the main part of Bolivia's carnival is getting wet. Almost everyone gets wet from water balloons and water buckets. In Oruru, Bolivia, their carnival is held in the last ten days of the carnival season. People there join in dancing, but their main carnival event is a ceremonial parade that lasts for twenty hours and parades for four kilometers. Over 20,000 dancers are involved as well as 10,000 musicians. This parade attracts at least 400,000 people.

The carnival in Venice, Italy is often regarded as the most carefully prepared carnival and lasts ten days before Lent (大齋節(jié)). Many events are held in the canals including shows, concerts, dances and water processions(隊(duì)列). The official ending to the celebration is the party held in St. Mark's Square.

1.What's the best title for the passage?

A．Ways of Carnival

B．Carnival Parades

C．Carnivals around the World

D．History of Carnival

2.From the passage we learn that in Brazil ____.

A．not all cities have a street carnival

B．a(chǎn)ll Brazilian cities celebrate carnival for a week

C．the parades should have a subject related to Brazil politics

D．people prepare for or celebrate carnival after Mardi Gras Day

3.The most important feature (特征)of the celebration of carnival in Bolivia is that ____.

A．people join in dancing

B．nearly all people are wet

C．children wearing costumes march in the streets

D．a(chǎn)dult dance groups dance in the streets

4.Which of the following shows that the author pays special attention to the carnival in Bolivia?

A．The time of celebrating carnival in Bolivia is mentioned.

B．There are details and numbers about carnival celebrations in Bolivia.

C．People in the carnival celebration in Bolivia are mentioned.

D．Events or performances for carnival celebrations in Bolivia are told.

5.Which of the following areas or countries prepares the most carefully for their carnival?

A．Louisiana.

B．Bolivia.

C．Venice.

D．Brazil.

 

Individuality is the particular character, or aggregate (total) of qualities that distinguishes one person or thing from others. Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. At the beginning there was no exacting technique, no foundation from which to build. In later years, trial, error and genius founded the techniques and the principles of the movement. Eventually, innovators (改革者) even drew from what they considered the dread ballet, but first they had to get rid of all that was academic so that the new could be discovered. The beginnings of modern dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed (稱贊).

Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea, and should be in harmony with the movements of the Earth. Her great contributions are in three areas.

First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movement that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concert. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity (高超技巧) shown by complex, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art.

Her second contribution lies in dance costume. She rejected ballet shoes and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing Grecian (希臘式的) tunes, bare feet, and unbound hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal.

Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies of great masters including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom.

She was as exciting and eccentric (怪異) in her personal life as in her dance.

According to the passage, what did nature represent to Isadora Duncan?

       A．Something to conquer.    B．A model for movement.

       C．A place to find peace.      D．A symbol of disorder.

Compared to those of the ballet, Isadora Duncan’s costumes were less _________.

       A．costly       B．colorful    C．graceful    D．restrictive

Which of the following is not mentioned as an area of dance that Duncan worked to change?

    A. The stage set.      B. The music. C. Costumes.          D. Movements.

We can infer from the passage that the author _________.

    A. appreciates modern dance very much      B. dislikes Isadora Duncan’s dance

    C. thinks highly of individuality   D. knows a lot about modern arts

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

       A．Artists of the Last Century     B．Evolution of Dance in the 20th Century

       C．Natural Movement in Dance   D．A Pioneer in Modern Dance