The speaker, a teacher from a community college, addressed a sympathetic(赞同的) audience. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, “High school English teachers are not doing their jobs.” He described the inadequacies of his students, all high school graduates who can use language only at a grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions how this grade 9 level had been established.
My topic is not standards nor its decline(降低). What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like a mature adult.
My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following it is inevitable. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies (缺陷). But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack.
The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years, they assume the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of sensitive adults the language of the young always seems inadequate.
Since this concern about the decline and fall of the English language is not perceived(察觉) as a generational phenomenon but rather as something new and peculiar(特有的) to today’s young people, it naturally follows that today’s English teachers cannot be doing their jobs. Otherwise, young people would not commit offenses against the language.
小题1: The speaker the author mentioned in the passage believed that _____. A．the language of the younger generation is usually inferior(差的) to that of the older
generation | | B．the students had a poor command of English because they didn’t work hard enough | C．he was an excellent language teacher because he had been teaching English for sixteen
years | | D．English teachers should be held responsible for the students’ poor command of English |
小题2: In the author’s opinion, the speaker ______. | A．gave a correct judgment of the English level of the students | | B．had exaggerated(夸大) the language problems of the students | | C．was right in saying that English teachers were not doing their jobs | | D．could think and speak intelligently |
小题3:The author’s attitude towards the speaker’s remarks is ______. | A．neutral | B．positive | C．critical | D．compromising |
小题4:It can be concluded from the passage that ______. | A．it is justifiable(有理由的) to include English as a school subject | | B．the author disagrees with the speaker over the standard of English at Grade 9 level | | C．English language teaching is by no means an easy job | | D．language improvement needs time and effort |
小题5:In the passage the author argues that ______. | A．it is unfair to blame the English teachers for the language deficiencies of the students | B．young people would not commit offences against the language if the teachers did their
jobs properly | | C．to eliminate(消除) language deficiencies one must have sensitive eyes and ears | | D．to improve the standard of English requires the effort of several generations |
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小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:D
小题5:A |
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核心考点
试题【The speaker, a teacher from a community college, addressed a sympathetic(赞同的) au】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
It was the last day of the final examination in a large eastern university. On the steps of one building, a group of students were talking about the exam that was going to begin in a few 41 .On their faces was confidence（信心）.This was their 42 exam—then they would graduate and begin to work.
Some talked of jobs they already had, others talked of jobs they 43 get. With the certainty of four years of college, they felt 44 and able to take control（控制）of the world.
The coming exam, they knew, would be a(n) 45 task, as the professor had said they could bring 46 books or notes they wanted, requesting only that they did not 47 each other during the test.
48 they entered the classroom. The professor passed out the papers. And smiles 49 on the students’ faces as they found there were only five questions.
Three hours had passed 50 the professor began to collect papers. The students no longer looked confident. On their faces was a frightened expression. Papers in hand, no one spoke as the professor faced the class.
He looked at the 51 faces before him, and then asked: “How many completed all five questions?” 52 a hand was raised.
“How many answered four?” Still no hand.
“Three? Two?” The students moved restlessly in their seats.
“One, then? Certainly somebody finished 53 .” But the class remained silent.
The professor put down the papers. “That is exactly what I 54 ,” he said. “I just want you to know that, although you have completed four years of study, there are 55 many things about the 56 you don’t know. These questions you could not answer are relatively common（普遍）in everyday 57 .” Then, smiling, he added, “You will all 58 this course, but remember—even though you are now college graduates, your education had just 59 .”
The years have weakened the name of the professor, but not the 60 he taught.
| 小题1: | | A．seconds | B．minutes | C．hours | D．days |
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| 小题2: | | A．only | B．first | C．very | D．last |
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| 小题3: | | A．would | B．must | C．had to | D．used to |
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| 小题4: | | A．glad | B．ready | C．sorry | D．nice |
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| 小题5: | | A．interesting | B．necessary | C．easy | D．unusual |
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| 小题7: | | A．listen to | B．look at | C．care for | D．talk to |
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| 小题8: | | A．Hardly | B．Happily | C．Anxiously | D．Carefully |
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| 小题9: | | A．appeared | B．changed | C．failed | D．stopped |
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| 小题10: | | A．then | B．as | C．before | D．after |
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| 小题11: | | A．pleased | B．worried | C．surprised | D．moved |
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| 小题14: | | A．wondered | B．enjoyed | C．hated | D．expected |
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| 小题15: | | A．even | B．already | C．so | D．still |
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| 小题16: | | A．exam | B．subject | C．question | D．college |
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| 小题17: | | A．exercise | B．class | C．practice | D．homework |
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| 小题18: | | A．pass | B．fail | C．take | D．start |
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| 小题19: | | A．begun | B．completed | C．failed | D．succeeded |
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| 小题20: | | A．subject | B．questions | C．lecture | D．things |
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“ Down-to-earth” means someone or something that is honest, practical and easy to deal with．It is 36 to find someone who is down-to-earth．A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to 37 accepts other people as equals．A down-to-earth is just the 38 of someone who acts importantly and proudly.
Down-to-earth persons may be 39 members of society, of course．But they do not let their importance “ go to their 40 ”．They do not 41 themselves to be better persons than others of less importance, someone who is filled with his own importance and 42 , often without cause, is said to have “his nose in the air”．There is no way a person with his nose in the 43 can be down-to-earth．Americans use another expression that means almost the same 44 “down-to-earth”．The expression is “both-feet-on-the-ground”．Someone with both-feet-on-the-ground is a person 45 a good understanding of reality．He has what is called “ 46 sense”．He may have 47 , but he does not allow them to 48 his knowledge of what is real．The opposite kind of person is 49 who has his “head-in-the-clouds”．A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the 50 world.
Sometimes 51 a dreamer can be brought back to earth． 52 words from a teacher can usually bring a day-dreaming student down-to-earth.
Usually, the person who is down-to-earth is very 53 to have both-feet-on-the-ground.
54 we have both our feet on-the-ground, when we are down-to-earth, we act 55 and openly toward others．Our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.
| 小题1: | | A．common | B．sad | C．pleasant | D．surprising |
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| 小题3: | | A．kind | B．like | C．example | D．opposite |
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| 小题4: | | A．important | B．famous | C．successful | D．necessary |
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| 小题5: | | A．nose | B．heads | C．minds | D．forehead |
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| 小题6: | | A．wish | B．desire | C．expect | D．consider |
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| 小题7: | | A．proud | B．pride | C．famous | D．fame |
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| 小题11: | | A．usual | B．ordinary | C．common | D．daily |
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| 小题12: | | A．dreams | B．fortunes | C．advantages | D．luck |
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| 小题13: | | A．prevent | B．protect | C．block | D．gain |
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| 小题14: | | A．one | B．those | C．that | D．the one |
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| 小题15: | | A．reality | B．real | C．dreamful | D．true |
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| 小题18: | | A．able | B．probable | C．likely | D．possible |
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| 小题19: | | A．When | B．While | C．As | D．Since |
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| 小题20: | | A．kindly | B．directly | C．friendly | D．honestly |
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My grandparents were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word "shmily" in a 31 place for the other to find. They took turns leaving "shmily" around the house, and as soon as one of them 32 it, it was their turn to hide it once more.
There was no 33 to the places where "shmily" would appear. Sometimes, "Shmily" was written in the 34 left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath after bath. 35 , my grandmother even unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper to 36 "shmily" on the very last sheet.
It took me a long time before I was able to fully 37 my grandparents" game. It was 38 their funny little game; it was a way of life. Grandma and Grandpa held hands every chance they could. They 39 kisses as they ran into each other in their tiny kitchen. Before every meal they bowed their heads and gave their 40 : a wonderful family, good fortune, and 41 .
But there was a 42 cloud in my grandparents" life: my grandmother had breast cancer, which had first appeared ten years earlier. As always, Grandpa was with her every
43 of the way. He comforted her in their yellow room, painted that way 44____ she could always be surrounded by sunshine, even when she was too 45 to go outside. Then one day, what we all 46 finally happened. Grandma was gone.
"Shmily." It was written in yellow on the pink ribbons of my grandmother"s funeral bouquet. As the crowd 47 and the last mourners (哀悼者) turned to leave, my aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members 48 and gathered around Grandma 49 . Grandpa stepped up to my grand-mother"s casket and, 50 with sorrow, he began to sing to her. Through his tears and grief, the song came, a deep and throaty lullaby (摇篮曲).
SHMILY: See how much I love you.
小题1:
| | A．exact | | B．surprising | | C．usual | | D．regular |
| 小题2:
| | A．discovered | | B．defeated | | C．folded | | D．announced |
| 小题3:
| | A．start | | B．point | | C．doubt | | D．end |
| 小题4:
| | A．steam | | B．water | | C．air | | D．dust |
| 小题5:
| | A．In an instant | | B．As a result | | C．At one point | | D．Once for all |
| 小题6:
| | A．link | | B．leave | | C．find | | D．attract |
| 小题7:
| | A．enjoy | | B．attend | | C．handle | | D．appreciate |
| 小题8:
| | A．similar to | | B．due to | | C．rather than | | D．more than |
| 小题9:
| | A．rejected | | B．lacked | | C．stole | | D．assessed |
| 小题10:
| | A．blessings | | B．orders | | C．guides | | D．treats |
| 小题11:
| | A．a peaceful world | | B．each other | | C．delicious food | | D．happy time |
| 小题12:
| | A．colorful | | B．dark | | C．strange | | D．splendid |
| 小题13:
| | A．step | | B．minute | | C．time | | D．moment |
| 小题14:
| | A．in case | | B．even if | | C．as well as | | D．so that |
| 小题15:
| | A．comfortable | | B．sick | | C．cautious | | D．thrilled |
| 小题16:
| | A．hoped | | B．dreamed | | C．feared | | D．loved |
| 小题17:
| | A．thinned | | B．increased | | C．swelled | | D．approached |
| 小题18:
| | A．came forward | | B．set off | | C．broke away | | D．sat down |
| 小题19:
| | A．over and over again | | B．for one thing | | C．one last time | | D．here and there |
| 小题20:
| | A．shaking | | B．smiling | | C．leaving | | D．praying |
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What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or spent or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control over, like the weather? Is time the same all over the world?
That"s an easy question, you say. Wherever you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth. But in America, time is more than that. Americans see time as a valuable resource. Maybe that"s why they are fond of the expression, "Time is money."
Because Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to conserve and manage it. People in the U.S. often attend seminars or read books on time management. It seems they all want to organize their time better. Professionals carry around pocket planners -- some in electronic form -- to keep track of appointments and deadlines. People do all they can to squeeze more time out of their time. The early American hero Benjamin Franklin expressed this view best: "Do you love life? Then do not waste time, for that is the stuff life is made of."
To Americans, punctuality is a way of showing respect for other people"s time. Being more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually calls for an apology and an explanation. People who are running late often call ahead to let others know of the delay. Of course, the less formal the situation is, the less important it is to be exactly on time. At informal get-togethers, for example, people often arrive as much as 30 minutes past the appointed time.
To outsiders, Americans seem tied to the clock. People in other cultures value relationships more than schedules. In these societies, people don"t try to control time, but to experience it. Even Americans would admit that no one can master time. Time -- like money -- slips all too easily through our fingers. And time -- like the weather-- is very hard to predict. Nevertheless, time is one of life"s most precious gifts. And unwrapping it is half the fun.
小题1:What’s the main topic of this passage?| A．What is time? | | B．How to control time? | | C．Make good use of time. | | D．Time among Americans. |
小题2:What’s the meaning of the underlined word “conserve”?| A．protect | B．develop | C．produce | D．assist |
小题3:The sentence “Americans seem tied to the clock” probably means __________.| A．Americans often carry a clock with them. | | B．Americans can not predict the time. | | C．Americans can take control over time. | | D．Americans often make full use of time. |
小题4:We can safely draw a conclusion from this passage that _________________.| A．Americans have more time than others. | | B．by using pocket planners, people can have more time. | | C．for informal meeting, Americans often arrive 30 minutes earlier. | | D．Americans often attend seminars, because they want to use time better. |
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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(未察觉的) 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.
小题1:According to the passage, a white lie seems to be a lie ______.| A．that other people believe | | 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 |
小题2:Research suggests that women _____.| A．are 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 |
小题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 |
小题4:The writer of the passage______.| A．hates lying | B．enjoys lying | C．often tells a lie | D．tries to study about lying |
小题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 |
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