I would like to tell you a story about my uncle Theo. He is my oldest uncle, a tall, thin, grey-haired man whose thoughts are always on learning and nothing else. He is quiet, gentle and absent-minded and with about as much sense as a child where money is concerned. Well, he applied a post in Camford University. It was a very good post and there were hundreds of candidates who applied for it, and about fifteen, including Theo, were asked to be interviewed.
Camford is a very small town; there is only one hotel in it, and it was so full that they had to put many of the candidates two in a room. Theo was one of these, and the man who shared the room with him was a self-confident fellow called Adams, about twenty years younger than Theo, with a loud voice, and a laugh that you could hear all over the hotel. But he was a clever fellow all the same and had a good post in Iscaiot College, Narkover. Well, the Dean, who was the head of the department of the University, and the committee interviewed all the candidates; and as a result of this interview, the number of the candidates was reduced to two, Uncle Theo and Adams. The committee couldn’t decide which of the two to take, so they decided to make their final choice after each of the candidates had given a public lecture in the college lecture-hall. The subject they had to speak on was “The Civilization of the Ancient Summerians”; and the lecture had to be given in three days’ time.
Well, for these three days Uncle Theo never left his room. He worked day and night at that lecture, writing it out and memorizing it, almost without eating or sleeping. Adams didn’t seem to do any preparation at all. You could hear his voice and his laughter where he had a crowd of people around him. He came to his room late at night, asked Uncle Theo how he was getting on with his lecture, and then told him how he had spent the evening playing bridge, or at the music hall. He ate like a horse and slept like a log; and Uncle Theo sat up working at his lecture.
The day of the lecture arrived. They all went into the lecture hall and Theo and Adams took their seats on the platform. And then, Theo discovered, to his horror,  that typewritten copy of his speech had disappeared! The Dean said they would call on the candidates on the alphabetical order, Adams first; and the despair in his heart, Theo watched Adams calmly take the stolen speech out of pocket and read it to the professors who were gathered to hear it. And how well he read it! Even Uncle Theo had to admit he couldn’t have read it nearly so eloquently himself, and when Adams finished there was a great burst of applause. Adams bowed and smiled, and sat down.
Now, it was Theo’s turn. But what could he do? He had put everything he knew into the lecture. His mind was too much upset to put the same thoughts in another way. With a burning face he could only repeat, word for word, in a low, dull voice, the lecture that Adams had spoken so eloquently. There was hardly any applause when he sat down.
The Dean and the committee went out to decide who the successful candidate was, but everyone was sure what their decision would be. Adams leaned across to Theo and patted him on the back and said, smilingly, “Hard luck, old fellow, but after all, only one of us could win”
Then the Dean and the committee came back, “Gentlemen”, the Dean said, “the candidate we have chosen is Mr. Hobdell.” Uncle Theo had won! The audience were completely taken by surprise, and the Dean continued, “ I think I ought to tell you how we arrived at the decision. We were all filled with admiration at the learning and eloquence of Mr. Adams. I was greatly impressed. But, you will remember, Mr. Adams read his lecture to us. When Mr. Hobdell’s turn came, he repeated that speech, word by word from memory, though, of course, he couldn’t have seen a line of it before. Now a fine memory is absolutely necessary for this post; and what a memory Mr. Hobdell must have! This is why we decided that Mr. Hobdell was exactly the man we wanted! ”
As they walked out of the room, the Dean came up to Uncle Theo, who was so confused but so happy that he hardly knew whether he was standing on his head or heels; and as he shook Theo’s hand he said, “Congratulations, Mr. Hobdell! But, my fellow, when you are on our staff, you must be more careful and not leave valuable papers lying about!”
【小題1】. Which of the followings best describes Uncle Theo?

A．Good-mannered

B．Modest

C．Childish

D．Bookish

【小題2】 What do we know about the post at Camford University?

A．The applicants had to sit for an examination.

B．There was much competition for the post.

C．The post requires a lot of teaching experience.

D．The post offered quite high salary.

【小題3】. Adams did not bother to do any preparation because______.

A．he was quite familiar with the subject.

B．he knew the committee members well.

C．he had a well-thought-out plan.

D．he had full confidence in himself.

【小題4】 When Uncle Theo’s turn came, _______.

A．he felt so angry that he couldn’t see a word.

B．he felt so upset that he could not remember anything.

C．he had to put the same thoughts in another way.

D．he had to repeat the speech, word by word from memory.

【小題5】 When the committee went out to make a decision, Adams _______.

A．could not help feeling worried.

B．could hardly wait to show his joy.

C．felt sorry for Theo and tried to cheer him up.

D．felt ashamed and tried to chat with Theo.

【小題6】Theo became successful because _______.

A．he had a better memory than Adams.
B．he was more experienced than Adams.	C．the committee knew he was exactly the man they wanted.
D．the committee knew Adams had copied Theo’s speech.

He is ____ than ____of the two, so he is _____of the three.

A．thin; thin; thinner                  B．thinner; thinner; thinnest

C．thinner; the thinner; the thinnest   D．the thin; the thinner; the thinnest

Prince Roman was a Polish nobleman, a captain in the army of Czar Nicholas of Russia. When his young wife died, the prince left the army and returned in sorrow to his native Poland.
In time, love for his country and its people took the place of his lost love. He joined a Polish rising against the Russians. The rising was crushed, and Prince Roman was taken prisoner. His relatives and friends begged the military court to have mercy on him.
The president of the court received these appeals kindly. He was a good Russian, but he was also a good-natured man. Russian hatred of Poles was not as fierce at that time as it became later; and the Russian felt sympathetic as soon as he saw the prince's thin, tired, sun-burnt face.
The court of three officers sat in a bare room, behind a long black table. Some clerks sat at the two ends, but no one else was there when the guards brought in the prince.
Those four walls shut out from Prince Roman all sights and sounds of freedom, all hopes of the future, all comforting thoughts. How much love for Poland remained in him then? How much love of life? He stood before his judges alone, having refused their permission to sit. He answered their first formal questions — his name and so on — clearly and politely although he felt too weary to talk.
Then the president of the court seemed to suggest how the young man could best help himself. He asked questions in a way that almost put the right answers in the prisoner's mouth.
“Didn't your wife's death drive you to despair? Wasn't your mind unbalanced by that sad event ?”
Prince Roman was silent.
"You were not fully responsible for you conduct, were you?"
Prince Roman was silent.
"You made a sudden blind decision to join the rising. You didn't realize that your actions were dangerous and dishonourable. Isn't that the truth of this unfortunate matter?"
The judges looked at the prisoner hopefully. In silence the prince reached for a pen and some paper. He wrote, "I joined the rising because I believe it was just." He pushed the paper towards the president, who took it and read it in silence.
Prince Roman was sentenced to hard work for life in the Siberian salt mines. It was a sentence of delayed death.
When Czar Nicholas read the report and sentence, he added in his own handwriting, "Make sure that this prisoner walks in chains every step of the way to Siberia."
【小題1】What does the passage tell us of Poland at the time?

A．Polish officers in the Russian army had to return to Poland.

B．Russia was at war with Poland, so the Poles were enemies.

C．The Russians were very cruel rulers of Poland.

D．It was ruled by Russia, and Poles served in the Russian army.

【小題2】How much love for Poland remained in the prince when he stood trial?

A．Not much, probably, after the failure of the rising.

B． More than he had ever felt before.

C．As much as he had ever felt.

D．The passage doesn't suggest an answer to the question.

【小題3】The questions which the president asked show that ______.

A．he was trying to find excuse for the prince's conduct

B．the court wanted the prince to admit his own guilt

C．he wanted to learn the truth about the Polish rising

D．Prince Roman was a weak person

【小題4】In the trial, Prince Roman ______.

A．was afraid to be responsible for his actions

B．blamed others for his actions

C．a(chǎn)ccepted responsibility for his actions

D．a(chǎn)dmitted his guilt

【小題5】According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．The judges were less sympathetic than Czar Nicholas.

B．Czar Nicholas was as kind as the judges.

C．Czar Nicholas was not as sympathetic as the judges.

D．The judges were as cruel as Czar Nicholas.

Summer is a busy time for travel. For years, people have wondered whether they are safe from viruses when they travel in small, enclosed areas. They worry about close contact with others who may be sick.

The current spread of a swine flu(豬流感) virus has added to these concerns. Recently, the World Health Organization raised its warning about the new H1N1 virus to its highest level. W.H.O. Director-General Margaret Chan declared the sickness a pandemic–a disease that has spread to many nations. Given this information, many people want to know how safe it is to travel?

The answers people are getting may seem conflicting. For example, a W.H.O. statement urged nations not to close their borders or limit trade and travel. Director-General Chan said cases are generally not that serious for most people. Still, W.H.O. officials continue to report new cases across the world.

In the past, the W.H.O. and experts noted guidance for disease spread on airplanes. The experts said you could get infected only if you sit within two rows of someone who is sick. That would be a distance of up to three meters from the sick person. And this was true only if you sat there for more than eight hours.

But a travel-health expert says this guidance may not be helpful for swine flu. He suggests steps that could help prevent getting swine flu on an airplane. His advice includes keeping the airflow over your seat on the “l(fā)ow” position. The doctor says you should point the equipment so the flow of air is just in front of your face.

Doctors say anyone with pain, swelling(腫脹) or red skin on a leg during or after a long trip may have a blood clot(凝塊). Anyone with such signs should see a doctor as soon as possible. The condition many times can be treated with drugs that thin the blood and stop the clot from moving through the body.

68．The underlined word “conflicting” is closest in meaning to ________.

A. in disagreement        B. not true                           C. the same                          D. unbelievable

69．According to Director-General Chan, the swine flu is ________.

A. a disease spread on airplanes                                B. a very dangerous disease

C. a disease requiring limit travel                              D. a widely spread disease

70．Which of the following is the travel-health expert’s opinion on traveling in an airplane?

A. It’s safe to sit within two rows of a sick person.

B. It’s helpful to keep air flowing right before your face.

C. It’s important for a passenger to stay in a plane within 8 hours.

D. It’s certain that a passenger will have a blood clot after a long flight.

71．What would be the best title for the text?

A. Stop Traveling in Case of Swine Flu                  B. Experts’ Arguments Over Swine Flu

C. Prevention of Swine Flu on the Trip                   D. No News Is the Best News

 

Summer is a busy time for travel. For years, people have wondered whether they are safe from viruses when they travel in small, enclosed areas. They worry about close contact with others who may be sick.

The current spread of a swine flu(豬流感) virus has added to these concerns. Recently, the World Health Organization raised its warning about the new H1N1 virus to its highest level. W.H.O. Director-General Margaret Chan declared the sickness a pandemic–a disease that has spread to many nations. Given this information, many people want to know how safe it is to travel?

The answers people are getting may seem conflicting. For example, a W.H.O. statement urged nations not to close their borders or limit trade and travel. Director-General Chan said cases are generally not that serious for most people. Still, W.H.O. officials continue to report new cases across the world.

In the past, the W.H.O. and experts noted guidance for disease spread on airplanes. The experts said you could get infected only if you sit within two rows of someone who is sick. That would be a distance of up to three meters from the sick person. And this was true only if you sat there for more than eight hours.

But a travel-health expert says this guidance may not be helpful for swine flu. He suggests steps that could help prevent getting swine flu on an airplane. His advice includes keeping the airflow over your seat on the “l(fā)ow” position. The doctor says you should point the equipment so the flow of air is just in front of your face.

Doctors say anyone with pain, swelling(腫脹) or red skin on a leg during or after a long trip may have a blood clot(凝塊). Anyone with such signs should see a doctor as soon as possible. The condition many times can be treated with drugs that thin the blood and stop the clot from moving through the body.

68．The underlined word “conflicting” is closest in meaning to ________.

    A. in disagreement        B. not true                           C. the same                          D. unbelievable

69．According to Director-General Chan, the swine flu is ________.

    A. a disease spread on airplanes                                B. a very dangerous disease

    C. a disease requiring limit travel                              D. a widely spread disease

70．Which of the following is the travel-health expert’s opinion on traveling in an airplane?

    A. It’s safe to sit within two rows of a sick person.

    B. It’s helpful to keep air flowing right before your face.

    C. It’s important for a passenger to stay in a plane within 8 hours.

    D. It’s certain that a passenger will have a blood clot after a long flight.

71．What would be the best title for the text?

    A. Stop Traveling in Case of Swine Flu                   B. Experts’ Arguments Over Swine Flu

    C. Prevention of Swine Flu on the Trip                    D. No News Is the Best News

Prince Roman was a Polish nobleman, a captain in the army of Czar Nicholas of Russia. When his young wife died, the prince left the army and returned in sorrow to his native Poland.

In time, love for his country and its people took the place of his lost love. He joined a Polish rising against the Russians. The rising was crushed, and Prince Roman was taken prisoner. His relatives and friends begged the military court to have mercy on him.

The president of the court received these appeals kindly. He was a good Russian, but he was also a good-natured man. Russian hatred of Poles was not as fierce at that time as it became later; and the Russian felt sympathetic as soon as he saw the prince's thin, tired, sun-burnt face.

The court of three officers sat in a bare room, behind a long black table. Some clerks sat at the two ends, but no one else was there when the guards brought in the prince.

Those four walls shut out from Prince Roman all sights and sounds of freedom, all hopes of the future, all comforting thoughts. How much love for Poland remained in him then? How much love of life? He stood before his judges alone, having refused their permission to sit. He answered their first formal questions — his name and so on — clearly and politely although he felt too weary to talk.

Then the president of the court seemed to suggest how the young man could best help himself. He asked questions in a way that almost put the right answers in the prisoner's mouth.

“Didn't your wife's death drive you to despair? Wasn't your mind unbalanced by that sad event ?”

Prince Roman was silent.

"You were not fully responsible for you conduct, were you?"

Prince Roman was silent.

"You made a sudden blind decision to join the rising. You didn't realize that your actions were dangerous and dishonourable. Isn't that the truth of this unfortunate matter?"

The judges looked at the prisoner hopefully. In silence the prince reached for a pen and some paper. He wrote, "I joined the rising because I believe it was just." He pushed the paper towards the president, who took it and read it in silence.

Prince Roman was sentenced to hard work for life in the Siberian salt mines. It was a sentence of delayed death.

When Czar Nicholas read the report and sentence, he added in his own handwriting, "Make sure that this prisoner walks in chains every step of the way to Siberia."

1.What does the passage tell us of Poland at the time?

A．Polish officers in the Russian army had to return to Poland.

B．Russia was at war with Poland, so the Poles were enemies.

C．The Russians were very cruel rulers of Poland.

D．It was ruled by Russia, and Poles served in the Russian army.

2.How much love for Poland remained in the prince when he stood trial?

A．Not much, probably, after the failure of the rising.

B． More than he had ever felt before.

C．As much as he had ever felt.

D．The passage doesn't suggest an answer to the question.

3.The questions which the president asked show that ______.

A．he was trying to find excuse for the prince's conduct

B．the court wanted the prince to admit his own guilt

C．he wanted to learn the truth about the Polish rising

D．Prince Roman was a weak person

4.In the trial, Prince Roman ______.

A．was afraid to be responsible for his actions

B．blamed others for his actions

C．a(chǎn)ccepted responsibility for his actions

D．a(chǎn)dmitted his guilt

5.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A．The judges were less sympathetic than Czar Nicholas.

B．Czar Nicholas was as kind as the judges.

C．Czar Nicholas was not as sympathetic as the judges.

D．The judges were as cruel as Czar Nicholas.