Unit 4 Making the news
第二部分:阅读理解(共两节,满分40分)
第一节(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。
A
★★☆☆☆
There are a number of sports writers who are now widely regarded as some of the best sports journalists of our time. Here are five of the most well-known sports writers.
Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated
Rick Reilly became famous as the back page columnist (专栏作家) for Sports Illustrated magazine. Then he moved to ESPN in 2008 and began working as a columnist for their website — ESPN.com. Now he has his own show with ESPN, and he also contributes articles to ABC sports.
Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe
Bob Ryan rose through the ranks thanks to his skill and knowledge about basketball. He very soon became known as a guru of the sport, writing an impressively large number of articles about The Boston Celtics — a National Basketball Association (NBA) team based in Boston, Massachusetts.
John Feinstein of The Washington Post
John Feinstein is primarily a columnist with The Washington Post but during his long career he has published two best-selling sports books A Good Walk Spoiled and
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A Season on the Brink. He is a regular with the Golf Channel and has a very popular blog called Feinstein on the Brink.
Joaquin Henson of The Philippine Star
Joaquin Henson started out his sports journalism career in 1973 and became popular through his column Sporting Chance, which has been published in The Philippine Star since the 80’s. He has given a number of catchy nicknames to some of the most famous sporting stars of our time.
William Rhoden of The New York Times
Apart from being a columnist with The New York Times since the 80’s, William Rhoden is a respected sports journalist known for his two books Forty Million Dollar Slaves and Third and a Mile. Both books deal with the problems that face black athletes in the field of sport.
21. Before working for ESPN, Rick Reilly _____.
A. was a regular with the Golf Channel
B. started his column Sporting Chance
C. wrote articles for Sports Illustrated
D. worked as a sports talk show host
22. The underlined part “a guru” in Paragraph 3 can best be replaced by “_____”.
A. an expert B. a supporter
C. an organizer D. a volunteer
23. Both John Feinstein and William Rhoden _____.
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A. have worked as writers for ten years
B. work as columnists and write books
C. like to give nicknames to sporting stars
D. are known as columnists for ABC sports
24. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Useful tips for a sports journalist
B. How to be a newspaper columnist
C. Newspapers that influence us a lot
D. Famous and popular sports writers
B
★★★☆☆
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Known as the first blind person to top Mount Qomolangma, Erik Weihenmayer once worked as a middle school teacher. Actually, Weihenmayer began to lose his sight when he was a teenager. Rather than focus on things that he could not do, like playing baseball, driving a car or riding a bike, Weihenmayer began to focus on things he could do and could do well. As a natural athlete, he then became interested in rock climbing, and always imagined what it would be like standing on top of the world.
One day, Weihenmayer decided to climb Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America. He prepared for the climb by repeatedly running up and down the stairs in a 50-story building while wearing a 70-pound backpack. When the time approached for him and his friends to climb Mount McKinley, some small changes had to be made for Weihenmayer. He found that by attaching small bells to the climber ahead of him, he could confidently follow without having to ask for directions. At last, Weihenmayer made it safely up Mount McKinley and back down again.
Then Weihenmayer went on to climb Mount Qomolangma. Many people thought it was too dangerous and foolish even to try. Others questioned how safe his climbing
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partners would feel. They wondered what Weihenmayer could do if his partners were in jeopardy. Actually, during the climb there was a time when he and a partner were caught in the dark when their headlights failed. It was Weihenmayer who led his partner to safety, because he was the better climber in the dark.
These days, when Weihenmayer is not climbing, he speaks to audiences across the country. He encourages them to work toward their goals no matter what difficulties may come their way. He talks to people both blind and sighted about leadership, motivation and teamwork. According to Weihenmayer, “A vision (憧憬) is deeper than a goal; it’s where all your goals spring from.”
25. According to the text, Erik Weihenmayer _____.
A. chose to go climbing after he lost his sight
B. is the first blind person to climb Mount Qomolangma
C. has dreamed of becoming a teacher since young
D. likes playing baseball, driving a car and riding a bike
26. Paragraph 2 is mainly about _____.
A. the dangers found on Mount McKinley
B. how bells lead the way for blind people
C. how Weihenmayer prepared for climbing
D. Weihenmayer’s climb up Mount McKinley
27. Which of the following can best describe Weihenmayer?
A. Generous and friendly. B. Strict but caring.
C. Brave and determined. D. Unlucky but smart.
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28. What does the last sentence of the text imply?
A. Think twice before you take action.
B. Imagination means a lot to success.
C. A goal is not always meant to be reached.
D. A vision is just a picture of what could be.
C
★★★★☆
As a large, deep, freshwater lake in the Scottish Highlands, Loch Ness is best known for the so-called sightings of the mysterious Loch Ness monster (怪物). For many years it has been supposed that there is a large dinosaur-like monster in Loch Ness. However, several scientific studies have been conducted and these have not shown any presence of such a monster. Many people believe that the size (21 square miles) and great depth of the lake (almost 800 feet), together with possible
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underwater caves, gives the monster many places to hide. Regardless of the truth, the suggestion of the monster’s existence makes Loch Ness one of Scotland’s top tourist attractions.
Loch Ness is the second largest Scottish lake by surface area after Loch Lomond, but as for its depth it is the largest by volume (容量). Its deepest point is 230m (754 feet), deeper than the height of London’s BT (British Telecom) Tower at 189m (620 feet) and deeper than any other lake besides Loch Morar. It contains more fresh water than all lakes in England and Wales combined, and is the largest body of water on the Great Glen geologic fault (大峡谷断层) which runs from Inverness in the north to Fort William in the south. The Caledonian Canal, which connects the sea at either end of the fault, uses Loch Ness for part of its route. It is one of a series of interconnected, dark bodies of water in Scotland; its water visibility (能见度) is extremely low because of a high peat (泥煤) content in the surrounding soil.
The only island on Loch Ness is Cherry Island, visible at its southwestern end, near Fort Augustus. It is a crannog, which is a form of artificial island. (Most crannogs were constructed during the Iron Age.) At Drumnadrochit is the Loch Ness Exhibition Centre which explores the mystery through the natural history of Loch Ness. Traveling on ships for pleasure is now available, and it gives visitors the chance to look for the monster. And there are more tourist attractions where the whole family can relax and have fun.
29. What can we learn about the Loch Ness monster?
A. It has moved to live in a nearby lake.
B. It looks much bigger than a dinosaur.
C. It was once found in an underwater cave.
D. Whether or not it exists is still unknown.
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30. According to the text, Loch Ness _____.
A. is the second deepest lake after Loch Morar
B. is the largest freshwater lake in Europe
C. has only existed for over one century
D. has a depth of more than 800 feet
31. What will the author most probably talk about next?
A. Why there was a monster in Loch Ness.
B. What people can do on Cherry Island.
C. Where people can enjoy themselves.
D. How Loch Ness came into being.
32. The author’s purpose of writing the text is most likely to _____.
A. discuss B. introduce
C. educate D. persuade
D
★★★★☆
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Is cursive writing (草写体) an out-of-date skill in today’s technological society? The new education standards for English do not require cursive. However, schools are still allowed to teach cursive if they choose. Some schools are considering giving up cursive, since it is not on standardized tests. This topic is now being discussed in teacher lunchrooms around the country. We invited some inspired teachers to weigh in. Here’s what one of them, Eldra Avery, has to say.
I failed a handwriting assignment in eighth grade, but my teacher told me that I was well able to have that type of handwriting. So I improved my handwriting and now have beautiful cursive handwriting. I teach English, and at times I ask my students to do assignments in cursive. Since they will be taking timed writing exams throughout their educational career, it is necessary that they practice writing at a speed that will allow them to finish their task. When you have three letters connected in a word, it flows, and when you lift your pen only at the end of a word, it is faster than printing (印刷体), which lifts the pen at the completion of each letter.
Handwriting is a reflection (反映) of our humanity. We dream of a future with more advanced technology and less labor, but truthfully, if technology prevents us from using skills that are essentially human, I wonder if that can be called “progress.” Cursive connects us to our past and our future. If students can’t write cursive, they can’t read cursive. And if they can’t read cursive, how can they read historical papers like the Declaration of Independence?
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Writing cursive is a process that helps improve language learning. Copying text by hand does a lot of good to students. My students complete a poetry analysis paper each year. Many of them tell me that they couldn’t begin to understand their poem until they copied it by hand. Handwriting is a valuable communication tool. Communication through handwriting will always be a necessity. To imagine that the whole world communicates by typing would be a rather poor view.
33. According to Paragraph 1, teachers are discussing _____.
A. whether cursive should be taught
B. whether students should read cursive
C. how to look at handwriting assignments
D. how to improve students’ cursive writing
34. Why does Ms. Avery mention her students in the last paragraph?
A. To show the positive side of handwriting.
B. To introduce an effective learning method.
C. To show the importance of copying poems.
D. To share her first-hand teaching experience.
35. Ms. Avery would probably agree that _____.
A. handwriting should be replaced by typing
B. there should be fewer standardized tests
C. cursive is more effective than printing
D. cursive helps us learn about the future
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第二节(共5小题;每小题2分,满分10分)
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。选项中有两项为多余选项。
One cool job
John Harrison has been a taste tester for the past 21 years. 36 As a kid, he’d wanted to be a fire fighter or a police officer.
37 Four generations of Harrisons have been in the business, including his great-grandfather, who owned two ice-cream shops in New York City in the 1880s, his father, who owned a dairy-ingredients (乳品原料) factory in Georgia, and his uncle, who owned an ice-cream factory in Tennessee. At his uncle’s factory, he “tasted and ate” his way through high school and college as he learned how to make ice cream.
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Every morning Harrison tastes 60 ice-cream samples (样品). At the beginning, he takes the containers of ice cream out of a big storage freezer. 38 The temperature in the storage freezer is -20 degrees Fahrenheit (华氏温度). Most people eat ice cream at between 0 and 5 degrees.
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. 39 He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive. If there are added goodies in the ice cream, such as fruit, chocolate chips or nuts, he makes sure that they are evenly (均匀地) spread throughout and that the sample doesn’t have too much or too little of the added ingredients.
40 With his gold-plated spoon, which he uses to avoid the aftertaste plastic or wood can give, Harrison removes the top of the sample. Then he turns the spoon upside down and puts the spoonful onto his tongue slowly.
A. Next, it’s time to taste!
B. Harrison has a degree in chemistry.
C. Actually, ice cream runs in Harrison’s family.
D. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” Harrison explains.
E. Then he lets the ice cream warm up to about 12 degrees.
F. Harrison hadn’t always wanted to be in the ice-cream business.
G. “I’ve developed a way of tasting called the Three S’s,” Harrison says.
第三部分:语言知识运用(共两节,满分45分)
第一节:完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)
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阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
★★☆☆☆
History has some very special qualities about it. It is a 41 of what has happened in the past, and the really interesting thing is that much of history has been 42 time and again. It allows us to learn from the past, both the 43 made and the successes achieved.
One of the 44 of history is that it allows us to know how famous people 45 when they were faced with challenges in their life. 46 these challenges happened at a certain time in the past or in a 47 country or culture, all of them can always teach us something 48 .
Take for example the 49 of Thomas Edison and how many times he 50 while on the road to finally inventing the light bulb (电灯泡). He could be held out as an example of a person who 51 stopped trying. I am sure he was 52 by those difficulties but he did not let them stop him. He had a 53 and he just kept trying until he reached success.
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Or, think about the story of Abraham Lincoln who 54 to become President of the United States even though he suffered 55 losses. Most of us only know about his success. 56 , his life was not an easy one. His story makes us keep moving forward no matter what 57 we have in life.
These true history stories will make you stop to reconsider 58 or food for thought about going after your dreams even though you may not think you have the courage or the 59 for now to get what you have always wanted. They could help you make decisions and 60 when you have no idea what to do. They could inspire you to be all that you can be.
41. A. note B. record C. chance D. belief
42. A. reported B. expected C. repeated D. corrected
43. A. mistakes B. jokes C. agreements D. challenges
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44. A. events B. periods C. problems D. advantages
45. A. studied B. reacted C. competed D. explored
46. A. Although B. Because C. Unless D. Whether
47. A. developed B. poor C. different D. popular
48. A. clear B. simple C. special D. useful
49. A. name B. story C. position D. character
50. A. failed B. watched C. escaped D. travelled
51. A. also B. often C. still D. never
52. A. shocked B. beaten C. discouraged D. controlled
53. A. job B. dream C. duty D. power
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54. A. happened B. prepared C. pretended D. managed
55. A. hearing B. weight C. personal D. slight
56. A. In fact B. As usual C. In all D. After all
57. A. directions B. improvements C. permissions D. difficulties
58. A. passing by B. giving up C. setting off D. calming down
59. A. ability B. habit C. goal D. choice
60. A. introductions B. conversations C. judgements D. impressions
第Ⅱ卷
第三部分:语言知识运用(共两节,满分45分)
第二节(共10小题;每小题1.5分,满分15分)
阅读下面材料,在空白处填入适当的内容(不多于3个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。
A 93-year-old war hero 61. ________ home was burglarized (失盗) earlier this week got another surprise Wednesday.
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“The father of the two children who broke into my house, Jose Gonzalez, was here and he 62. ________ (apologize),” said the old hero Wood.
Gonzalez stopped by as some volunteers began repairing Wood’s 63. ________ (damage) home. He said he didn’t know what had caused his children 64. ________ (break) into the house.
“I was telling them: Would you want somebody to do that to your grandparents?” said Gonzalez. “Whether they knew it was an older gentleman’s house or not, they were guilty 65. ________ what they had done.”
The boys are accused of 66. ________ (steal) several items from Wood’s home.
“Only when I went into that man’s house 67. ________ I see what they had done,” said Gonzalez. “It wasn’t right for them to have done that.”
Gonzalez said he wanted his sons to be much 68. ________ (good).
“Well, it helps me understand he’s doing something instead of just forgetting it,” said Wood.
“He came in and made an apology to my dad for their 69. ________ (behave), and I think it is 70. ________ (admire),” said one of Wood’s sons. “I also think it was the right thing to do.”
第四部分:写作(共两节,满分35分)
第一节:短文改错(共10小题;每小题1分,满分10分)
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文,请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误,每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
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删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2. 只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Most American businesses remain openly five days a week. So does American schools. American families usually have a two-days weekend. Over the weekend, people spent their time in different ways. Many families enjoy their weekends together. He may go shopping, go for a drive, or visit friends. Many families take up part in a sport during the weekend. Running, hiking, playing volleyball and swimming are popular in summer. Skiing and skating are favorite winter sports. Weekends are also a time for American families to work out something in their yards or in their houses. Some families are busy with their flowers in their gardens, since others are busy painting or repair their houses at the weekend.
第二节:书面表达(满分25分)
为了提高大家的环保意识,你校学生会举行了一次拾垃圾的活动。请你根据表格内容写一篇英文报道,发表在你校英文网站上。
时间
7月31日下午5点到6点
地点
党滨公园
参加人员
35名学生代表
目的
提高公众的环保意识
效果
1. 吸引了一些游人的参与,受到好评;
2. 参与的同学收获颇多;
3. 因为时间太短,参与的人不多。
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注意:1. 词数110左右(报道的标题已给出,但不计入总词数);2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
A clean-up project in Dangbin Park
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
参考答案
21-25 CABDA 26-30 DCBDA
31-35 CBAAC 36-40 FCEDA 41-45 BCADB
46-50 ACDBA 51-55 DCBDC 56-60 ADBAC
61. whose 62. apologized 63. damaged
64. to break 65. of 66. stealing
67. did 68. better 69. behavior 70. admirable
短文改错:
71. ... remain openly ... openly → open
72. So does ... does → do
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73. ... a two-days weekend. two-days → two-day
74. ... people spent their time ... spent → spend
75. He may go shopping ... He → They
76. ... take up part in ... 去掉up
77. ... favorite winter sports. favorite前加the
78. ... work out something ... out → on
79. ... since others are ... since → while
80. ... repair their houses ... repair → repairing
One possible version:
A clean-up project in Dangbin Park
The Students’ Union organized a clean-up project in Dangbin Park on 31st July, in hopes of raising the environmental awareness of the public.
At about 5:00 pm, 35 student representatives went to the park to pick up the litter. When they were collecting the litter, many visitors came to help, showing considerable appreciation and support. Our students did a good job and learned a lot. However, the work still left something to be desired, since it started late and an hour was not long enough to attract more people.
In short, the project was a success and we will organize more such activities in future.
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