第二篇
One of the Greatest Artists ----Picasso
Pablo Ruiz Picasso was the favorite child of his family. He was the only boy among a great many girl cousins. That was enough to make him important, but his father loved him especially, because he knew his son was going to be an artist. Pablo knew the word for pencil even before he could say Mamma and Papa. When he was small he spent hours by himself making pleasing little drawings of animals and people. If his mother sent him out to play in the square, he went on drawing in the dust under the trees. One of his favorite models was his younger sister, Lola.
Don Jose Ruiz, Pablo’s father, was director of the museum at Malaga in southern Spain. He earned only a small salary, but there was not much work to do and he was able to practice his hobby, which was painting pigeons. Don Jose loved pigeons very much. He painted them dead or alive in ones and twos and in dozens. Sometimes he painted them on paper, cut them out and stuck them on to canvas, sometimes he stuck real feathers on to his pictures. He knew a great deal about the technique of painting and he taught it all to Pablo.
Life in Malaga was very pleasant. In the hot sunshine, father and son would walk down to the beach to look at the boats on the shore or walk about the open markets. They made a strange pair. Don Jose was tall and thin, with red hair and beard, sad grey eyes and a fine set of whiskers. He was so shy and correct that he was nicknamed “the Englishman”. Pablo was quite the opposite. He had his mother’s small, strong build; he had straight black hair, and bright black eyes that noticed everything that was going on around him.
36.What is the main topic of the passage?
A.Pablo’s father and his influence on Pablo.
B.Something about Pablo’s early life.
C.Pablo’s natural ability for art.
D.The difference between Pablo and his father.
37.Pablo was particularly loved by his father because
A.he showed an early talent of a painter.
B.his father liked artists and also wanted Pablo to become one.
C.he knew the word for pencil when he was small.
D.he was the only boy among many girls in the family.
38.Which of the following statements about Pablo’s father can be concluded from the passage?
A.He loved his work in the museum although he earned only a small salary.
B.He wanted his son to become a painter and to paint pigeons as well.
C.He liked the painting technique and stuck real feathers on to his pictures.
D.His interest in painting must have had great influence on his son.
39.Pablo and Don Jose were “a strange pair” in the sense that
A.the father liked to walk about the town but the did not.
B.the father liked to look at the boats on the shore in the sun but the son did not.
C.they looked very different from each other although they were father and son.
D.their manners were so different that they formed a strange contrast.
40.According to the passage, “the Englishman” most probably refers to
A.a person who has a typical English looking.
B.a person who is shy when he is nicknamed
C.a person who is easy-going and does not mind being nicknamed.
D.a person who is shy and careful about his manners.
第三篇
Let Them Watch It
One hot night last July, when our new baby wouldn’t or couldn’t sleep, I tried everything I could think of: a warm bottle, songs, gentle rocking. Nothing would settle him. Guessing that I had a long night ahead of me, I brought a portable TV into his room, figuring that watching the late movie was as good a way as any to kill off the hours until dawn. To my surprise, as soon as the TV lit up, the baby quieted right down, his little eyes focused brightly on the tube. Not to waste an opportunity for sleep, I then tip-fifth birthday. My wife and I heard no more of the baby that night, and the next morning when I went into his room, I found him still watching TV himself.
I found in my baby’s behavior a metaphor for the new generation. My wife and I had given him some books to examine, but he merely spit upon them. When we read to him, he did not feel comfortable. And so it is in the schools. We find that our students don’t read, that they lock down upon reading and scold those of us who teach it. All they want to do is watch TV. After this experience with the baby, however, I have reached a conclusion: let them watch it. If television is that much more attractive to children than books, why should we fight it? Let them watch it all they want!
41.The author brought a TV set into his son’s room to
A.make his son stop crying
B.spend the night watching TV
C.leave it to his son.
D.make his son fall asleep as soon as possible.
42.The baby’s reaction to the TV was
A.unexpected
B.exciting
C.awful
D.calm
43.From the passage we know that the author is
A.a doctor
B.an editor
C.a writer
D.a teacher
44.According to the passage, which is true of the school children?
A.They prefer reading to watching TV.
B.They like watching TV only after school.
C.They would rather watch TV than read books.
D.They like their teachers who teach them reading.
45.What do you think is the author’s attitude toward TV expressed in the last two sentences?
A.Angry
B.Serious
C.Ironical
D.Joking