Passage 1(2012安徽)
Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in Italy. He is best known as an artist today. One of his famous paintings is called Mona Lisa. However, Leonardo had many other natural abilities. He was also a great inventor. Many of his inventions have become important in modern day life.
Although Leonardo hated war, he invented many different machines used for war. His most special invention was the machine gun, which was produced and used in war many years later.
By watching the way birds fly, Leonardo tried to find out the secret of flying. Among his sketches(素描) we can see several objects. We consider them as modern flying machines.
Leonardo spent many hours thinking about how to make good use of time. He developed ideas for labor saving machines like cutting machines.
Leonardo was a strange man. He didn’t eat any meat, which was very unusual in those times. He never published(发表) his ideas and scientific discoveries. He usually used mirror writing, which looks like writing in a mirror, starting from the right side of the page and moving to the left.
We have very little of his work today. Leonardo finished only a few of his paintings. He left many unfinished because he thought they were not perfect. No one in his life time knew how great Leonardo was. We now believe, however, that he was one of the cleverest men the world has ever known.
( )1. According to the passage, Leonardo is not only an artist bus also .
A. an inventor B. an engineer C. a writer D. a musician
( )2. was Leonardo’s most special invention.
A. The mirror writing B. The cutting machine
C. The machine gun D. The flying machine
( )3. Leonardo was strange, for example, .
A. he didn’t eat any vegetables B. he usually used mirror writing
C. he liked to publish his discoveries D. he enjoyed drawing flying machines
( )4. Leonardo invented some machines to .
A. stop the war B. help paint pictures
C. watch the birds D. make good use of time
( )5. From the passage, we can learn that Leonardo was very .
A. humorous B. serious C. clever D. lonely
Passage 2(2012长沙)
Kong Linghui
I was the only child in my family. And my parents gave me the best of everything. I went to the best schools. My parents wanted me to have the best, but I still had to help out over the weekends. I had to wash my own socks or help to wash the floor. If I made a promise, I had to fulfill it, even if it was difficult. That has helped me a lot in my table tennis life.
My father, a table tennis coach, never pushed me into playing. My first nursery school(幼儿园) belonged to Heilongjiang Provincial(省的) Sports Team. After school, we went to the training ground and played with all the balls there. I joined the table tennis class and my father was invited to be the coach. I liked watching the sport more than playing it. At the age of six, I wanted to play. I asked my father to make me a bat(拍子), and I started to learn to play with my teacher instead of my father.
When I started primary school, I loved table tennis so much that I had to play every day. I became hungry for success. My mother worked at a local(当地的) police office. I played with every policeman and I beat all the policemen.
I never thought I would play professionally(职业地). It was just a hobby for me, as I loved lots of other things as well, like painting. In fact, in my childhood, I dreamed of becoming a soldier, a scientist or something else very modern. Sometimes what happened to us is not what we dream of at all.
( )1. The schools Kong Linghui went to were .
A. the best B. the smallest C. the worst
( )2. What does the underlined word “fulfill” mean in Chinese?
A. 统一 B. 使满意 C. 履行
( )3. When Kong Linghui joined the table tennis class, .
A. his mother lived with him in the school B. his father was invited to be the coach
C. he couldn’t beat all the policemen
( )4. Kong Linghui asked his father to make a bat for him because .
A. his father knew how to make it B. his teacher asked him to do so
C. he was so interested in playing table tennis
( )5. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Kong Linghui’s parents made him be a soldier.
B. Kong Linghui’s parents helped him grow naturally and successfully.
C. Kong Linghui’s mother was a police woman.
Passage 3(2012常德)
Do you know who is the most popular star on the Internet now? Yes, he is “Brother Coat” Zhu Zhiwen!
Zhu Zhiwen was born in a village of Shandong in 1969. He liked listening to the radio. When the music played, he sang it along. Every morning, he would get up early and practiced singing near a river. He keeps doing it for nearly 30 years. “When I’m working in the fields,” said Zhu Zhiwen, “I often sing for myself, some villagers even think me crazy, but I really love it. I’m not singing for money, I’m singing for ordinary people in China.”
Mrs. Sun, a 56 year old engineer, one of his fans said, “I watched his videos without getting tired of it! It is amazing, and every time I watch it, I am filled with excitement and his voice is perfect! I am crossing my fingers in hope that he has a bright future.”
( )1. Who is “Brother Coat”?
A. Zhu Zhiwen. B. A big star. C. Mrs. Sun.
( )2. When did Zhu Zhiwen become well-known?
A. In 1969. B. In 1981. C. In 2011.
( )3. Zhu Zhiwen sings for .
A. money B. people C. China
( )4. In the last paragraph the phrase “crossing my fingers” means .
A. expecting B. praising C. winning
Passage 4(2012兰州)
Basketball stars become hip-hop singers. It’s true. In NBA, hip-hop music is very popular. Many of the players, like Shaquille O’Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers, write rap(说唱) words when they travel on planes from one city to another. Some of them even have rap radio shows and others perform(表演) in music video.
When some of the younger stars play basketball, they even try to look like hip-hop singers. “Hip-hop is just part of their culture,” says one player. “All of us grew up listening to rap and playing basketball, and rappers grew up doing the same thing.”
Master P. is a famous rap star who wants to become a basketball player. Two NBA teams have invited him to join them. They enjoy listening to his music. An NBA player has become a rapper. He has made four successful rap albums(专辑).
NBA has a closer connection to hip-hop than any other sports league.
( )1. Many basketball players in NBA like .
A. hip-hop music B. country music
C. American singers D. dancing
( )2. Many NBA players rap words when they travel on planes from one city to another.
A. learn B. write C. sing D. dance
( )3. is just part of the NBA players’ culture.
A. Music B. Rapper C. Hip-hop D. Basketball
( )4. The NBA teams invited Master P. to join them just because .
A. they like listening to his music
B. his dancing was popular
C. they like his face and hair
D. his hip-hop was popular
()5. Which of the following is NOT right?
A. Many NBA players have become hip-hop rappers.
B. A rapper wants to become a NBA basketball player.
C. Players in NBA don’t like hip-hop music at all.
D. NBA basketball teams have closer connection to hip-hop music.
Passage 5(2012扬州)
Jim Carrey has become one of the most well-known faces in the world. And it is because of his face that he has made such achievements.
Jim Carrey was born in a working class family, and life was poor for young Jim. While in his teens, he had to take a job as a doorkeeper when his father lost his job, and finally he dropped out of school. At that time, he developed his sense of humour to help him deal with anger at the world.
He was often alone. He said he didn’t have any friends because he didn’t want any. At 15 he started performing at a comedy club. Later he moved to Los Angeles and there he got the attention from a famous comedian, Rodney Dangerfield, and his life started to change.
Jim Carrey got his big break in 1990, when he played a role on the new comedy show, In Living Color. He broke into films in 1994. It was the year of Funny Face. First there was Pet Detective, a success that showed Carry’s comic style. Next came The Mask, which was another success for him.
Jim Carrey has come a long way from his unhappy childhood. In fact, he seems to be having a second childhood now. The future looks good for him. He has developed a large crowd of fans and he also has proved his ability to get through a storm and come out on top, which is important for any person.
( )1. Why didn’t Jim Carrey have any friends when he was young?
A. Because he dropped out of school.
B. Because he was in a working class family.
C. Because he didn’t want to make friends.
D. Because he was angry at the world.
( )2. The underlined phrase “got his big break” in Paragraph 4 may mean“ ”.
A. got a good chance B. made a lot of money
C. felt tired D. had a rest
( )3. From the last paragraph we can learn that .
A. Carrey didn’t finish his school education
B. many people like Jim Carrey
C. he once survived a storm
D. Rodney Dangerfield changed Carrey’s life
( )4. Which of the following is True according to the passage?
A. Carrey’s success comes from his handsome face.
B. Carrey was happy in his childhood.
C. Carrey’s sense of humour came from the difficult environment.
D. The film The Mask was not a success at first.
Passage 6(2012达州)
Steven Jobs, the CEO of Apple, was not a good student when he was in school. At that time, he always got into trouble with his schoolmates. When he went to college, he didn’t change a lot. Then he dropped out(退学). But he was full of new ideas.
After that, Steven Jobs worked as a video game designer in a company. He worked there only for a few months and then he went to India. He hoped that the trip would give him some new ideas and a new chance to change his life.
Steven Jobs lived on a farm in California for a year after he returned from India. In 1975, he began to make a new type of computer. He designed the first Apple Computer with his friend in his garage. He chose the name “Apple” just because it reminded him of a happy summer he once spent in an apple orchard.
His first Apple Computer was a great success. Because of this, Steven Jobs soon became famous all over the world.
( )1. Steven Jobs always got into trouble with in school.
A. his schoolmates B. his parents
C. his teachers D. his brothers
( )2. Steven Jobs designed the first Apple Computer with his friend .
A. in his school B. in his company
C. in his garage D. at home
()3. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Steven Jobs didn’t finish his college.
B. Steven Jobs worked as a video game designer in a company for a few months.
C. Steven Jobs soon became famous all over the world because of his first Apple Computer.
D. Steven Jobs chose the name “Apple” just because he liked eating apples.
Passage 7(2012莱芜)
Everything you want to know about Jeremy Lin Shu-how, the hottest Asian basketball player in the NBA since Yao Ming. Lin, 23, is the first American of Chinese descent to play in the NBA. Unlike Yao Ming and other Chinese players who have played in the NBA, Lin was born and grew up in the United States.
Lin surprised everyone on February 5, 2012 by scoring 25 points and leading his team to victory. Before that game, he hardly had any time on court(上场). But, after that game, he helped the Knicks to 7 wins.
Lin chose to go to Harvard University. He set a number of records there. He led the university team to 21 wins during his senior year. And he graduated with a degree in economics.
Lin entered the NBA in 2010, but he was not chosen by any of the 29 teams. Instead, he was invited to join a summer league for young players. Lin performed well and was offered a two-year contract(合约)by the Golden State Warriors, of Oakland, California. He played only 29 games in his first season and was released(解雇) by the team in the off-season.
Then, Lin was picked up by the Houston Rockets, but again he was released so the team could sign(签约) another better player.
Finally, he was signed by the New York Knicks on December 27, 2011 after one of their players got injured. And the rest is Lin’s story.
( )1. Lin Shu-how was born and grew up .
A. in the US B. in London C. in Hong Kong D. in Shanghai
( )2. Lin helped his team to wins after the game on February 5,2012.
A. 5 B. 6 C. 7 D. 8
( )3. When did Lin enter the NBA?
A. In 2009.B. In 2010.C. In 2011.D. In 2012.
()4. The New York Knicks signed Lin, because .
A. Lin had much experience in the NBA
B. Lin was very hot in the NBA at that time
C. Lin graduated from Harvard University
D. they needed a new player instead of an injured one
()5. Which is the right order of Lin’s basketball career(生涯)?
A. the Golden State Warriors→the Houston Rockets→the Knicks→Harvard University.
B. Harvard University→the Golden State Warriors→the Houston Rockets→the Knicks.
C. Harvard University→the Houston Rockets→the Golden State Warriors→the Knicks.
D. Harvard University→the Golden State Warriors→the Knicks→the Houston Rockets.
Passage 8(2012郴州)
Zhang Lili, a young teacher from Heilongjiang, has been given the honor “the most beautiful teacher”. She risked her life to save 2 students from a high-speed bus in May, 2012. She was badly injured in the accident. Her good deed (事迹) and brave acts have won great admiration from across the country. Many people have sent best wishes to her and donated a lot of money for her treatment(治疗).Zhu Zhiwen was born in Shandong in 1969. A year ago, he was an unknown farmer. But now he is very famous because of his great voice. He won the first prize in the program of “I’m a Big Star”. That day, he wore an old green overcoat, so people called him “Overcoat Brother”.
He studied singing by listening to the radio. And he keeps practicing singing every morning for nearly 30 years. Lin Shuhao, one of the most popular basketball players in NBA, is a Chinese-American. He was born in 1988, in California, USA.
Lin Shuhao is known to people because of his high skill. Since February 4, 2011,he has led his team to win many games. Now he is so popular on the Internet that the videos about him are been crazily spread.
( )1. Zhang Lili has been given the honor “the most beautiful teacher” because .
A. she was badly injured
B. she risked her life to save two students
C. she has a lot of money
( )2. What’s the meaning of the word “admiration” in the passage?
A. 敬佩 B. 同情 C. 感激
( )3. Where is Zhu Zhiwen from?
A. Heilongjiang. B. Califonia. C. Shandong.
( )4. Lin Shuhao is .
A. an American teacher
B. a farmer singer
C. a basketball player
( )5. From the passage we can know .
A. people have donated a lot of money for Zhang Lili’s treatment
B. Zhu Zhiwen studied singing by professional training
C. Lin Shuhao was born in China