Even (1)___________ harmless falsehoods can have (2)____________ consequences. Philosopher Sissela Bok (3)____________ us that they can put us on a (4)_____________ slope. “After the first lie, others can come more (5)__________,” she wrote in her book Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life. “Psychological barriers (6)_____________ down; the ability to make more (7)____________ can coarsen; the liar’s (8)_____________ of his chances of (9)___________ caught may (10)____________.”

We all know that a magician does not really depend on "magic" to perform his tricks, but (1)_____ his ability to act at great speed. (2)______, this does not prevent us from enjoying watching a magician (3)______rabbits from a hat. (4)______ the greatest magician of all time was Harry Houdini who died in 1926. Houdini mastered the art of (5)______. He could free himself from the tight test knots or the most complicated locks in seconds. (6)______ no one really knows how he did this, there is no doubt (7)______ he had made a close study of every type of lock ever invented. He liked to carry a small steel needle like tool strapped to his leg and he used this in (8)______ of a key.
Houdini once asked the Chicago police to lock him in prison. They (9)______ him in chains and locked him up, but he freed himself (10)______ an instant. The police (11)______ him of having used a tool and locked him up again . This time he wore (12)_____ clothes and there were chains round his neck, waist, wrists, and legs; but he again escaped in a few minutes. Houdini had probably hidden his "needle" in a wax like (13)______ and dropped it on the floor in the passage. (14)______ he went past, he stepped on it so that it stuck to the bottom of his foot. His most famous escape, however, was (15)______ astonishing. He was heavily chained up and enclosed in an empty wooden chest, the lid of (16)______ was nailed down. The (17)______ was dropped into the sea in New York harbor. In one minute Houdini had swum to the surface. When the chest was (18)______, it was opened and the chains were found inside.

In 1912, Houdini introduced perhaps his most famous (19)______, the Chinese Water Torture Cell, in which he was suspended upside-down in a locked glass-and-steel cabinet overflowing with water. The act required that Houdini (20)_____ his breath for more than three minutes. Houdini performed the escape for the rest of his career.

1. A. to B. for C. on D. with
2. A. Generally B. However C. Possibly D. Likewise
3.A. to produce B. who produces C. produce D. how to produce
4. A. Out of the question B. Though C. Probably D. Undoubted

5. A. escaping B. locking C. opening D. dropping
6. A. Surprisingly B. Obviously C. Perhaps D. Although
7. A. if B. whether C. as to D. that

8. A. place B. stead C. substitution D. case
9. A. involved B. closed C. connected D. bound
10. A. at B. by C. in D. for
11. A. rid B. charged C. accused D. deprived

12. A. no B. heavy C. little D. thin
13. A. candle B. mud C. something D. substance
14. A. As B. Usually C. Maybe D. Then
15. A. overall B. all but C. no longer D. altogether
16. A. it B. which C. that D. him
17. A. chest B. body C. lid D. chain
18. A. brought up B. sunk C. broken apart D. snapped

19. A. acting B. action C. act D. acts

20. A. was to hold B. hold C. holding D. held

1.When others were complimenting him on the new invention, the boss decided to take him down a peg by pointing out that the success was the result of collective effort.

2.It dawned on her that Susan had told the lie to spare her feelings.

3.It will certainly put a damper on your spring festival if you flunk your test this time.

4.The researchers went out of their way to find information pertinent to this new environmental trend.

5.I finally brought it home to my wife that I have never entertained the notion of spending my holiday in the packed casinos in Macau.

1. Though it is an imperfect idea, it is the best we have and it is the work of the reason. (…as…)

2. He has never thought that he would become the leading actor in the play. (occur)

3. It was rather a monologue than an argument.(so much…as)

4. In order that I can get the ammunition I need to make a complaint, I keep a special file for warranty cards and appliance guarantees. (so as to)

5. You have finished your assignment. You may play computer games. (Now that)

1.从某种意义上来说，产出应该和投入成正比。 （in a sense, proportional）

2.高考象征着公平竞争，但它时常不能正确地反映一个学生的天赋和潜能。（embody, justice）

3.有些年轻的白领过于注重时尚，不惜一切代价追随时代潮流。（fetish，go out of one’s way）

4.他极其渴望得到教授的认可，所以抓住每个机会请他看自己的论文。（crave，pounce on）

5.许多家长时常以爱的名义强加给他们的孩子一种被各种考试支配的生活。(in the name of, sentence sb. to)

1.1. Whether ___________ euthanasia should be made legal is still a controversy. (volunteer)

2.Romance movies often have detailed depictions of emotional __________. (tangle)

3. While the majority of people in China still live in rural areas, rapid ____________ is predicted by many experts. (urban)

4.He has been ________ from waist down since the car accident last year. (paralysis)

5.The rebellion was finally cracked down by the ruling party with _________. (brutal)

6.Her electrifying gymnastics performances lifted her from (obscure) to worldwide renown.

7.He had (acquaintance) himself with customs in America since he had been there for a couple of times.

8.‘Sir,’he said with ( reverently), ‘it is a work of genius.’

9.She seemed to be a living (embody) of vitality.

10.The ‘all …not’ structure is of (part) negation.

1.Usually I am shy and find initiating conversations difficult. Suddenly a lifetime’s shackles of self-consciousness fell _______ and I was chatting to people about my childhood.

2.Desperate times call _______ desperate measures.

3.The nurses will helpfully attend _______ the patients’ needs.

4.Children have an uncanny knack for seeking _______ rules and regularities in acquiring language.

5.The gust of wind did not die ________ the whole night.

6.The teacher tried to explain the problem, but the explanation did not get _________ to the class.

7.I smell the fresh air and the grass and it sets me ___________ for the day.

8.The lecture was so boring that the audience began to doze__________.

9.After a hard day’s work, he can do ________ a good hot meal.

10.I am afraid you’ve been taken _________; this pound note is a counterfeit.

1. You can use my notes, _________.

A. such as they are B. such as they were C. such as it is D. such as it was

2. Because of the _________ of its ideas, the book was in wide circulation both at home and abroad.

　　A. originality B. subjectivity C. generality D. ambiguity

3. America has now adopted more _________ European-style inspection systems, and the incidence of food poisoning is falling.

　　A. discrete B. solemn C. rigorous D. autonomous

4. Mainstream pro-market economists all agree that competition is an _________ spur to efficiency and innovation.

A.extravagant B. exquisite C. intermittent D. indispensable

5. His voice began to ________ at the mention of his sufferings in the old days.

A. collapse B. falter C. warp D. shiver

6.There will be a risk of public protest that could _________ reforms.

A. set aside B. set up C. set back D. set in

7. “You _______not steal,” is one of the Commandments in Bible.

A. should B. would C. shall. D. will

8. The new research institute is established to keep __________ with the rapid development in outer-space expeditions in such countries as U.S. and Russia.

A. move B. step C. speed D. pace

9. Look at the following words or phrases. Decide which of the four does NOT have a similar meaning to OVERSHADOW.

A. dwarf

B. have an edge on/over

C. put somebody/something in the shade

D. eclipse

10. In the text Take Over, Bos’n, what turned Jeff Barrett from a half-mad animal tortured by thirst into a man of responsibility?

A. His pity for the bos’n. B. His desire for promotion.

C. The bos’n ‘s words to him: “take over, Bos’n.” D. A sudden enlightenment.

11. Judge, according to “The Chaser” (Text I, Unit 7), which of the following statements is true.

A. The old man has a large stock of potions in various types.

B. The love potion has just a temporary effect.

C. The young man is in fervent love with a young, cheerful girl.

D. It is the love potion that the old man intends to sell primarily.

12. In Fun, Oh Boy. Fun. You Could Die from It (Text I, Unit 8), the prevailing tone of the passage is _________

A. serious B. objective C. mocking D. ironic

13. What do you think is the purpose of the text On Becoming a Better Student?

A. To describe the qualities of a fine student.

B. To offer some advice on how to improve one’s performance

C. To give some examples of good students

D. To explain the importance of possessing these qualities.

14. Which of the following statements can NOT be inferred from the text The Real Truth About Lies?

A.Women are more sensitive to others’ feelings, while men are less concerned about others.

B.Many people who are “serial liars” do not suffer from a guilty conscience.

C.One is free to tell white lies so long as they are well-intended.

D.The implied meaning of Mark Twain’s sentence in the last paragraph is that people

seldom tell the truth when they are in doubt.

15. Decide which of the following best states the author’s purpose of writing “Out of Step”.

A. Pointing out the fact that Americans walk too little today.

B. Introducing an alternative to car-driving as a means of transport for an average American.

C. Complaining about inconvenient traffic conditions for pedestrians in America.

D. Trying to show the author and his wife can not keep up with what happens in America.

Staggering tasks confronted the people of the United States, North and South, when the Civil War ended. About a million and a half soldiers from both sides had to be demobilized, readjusted to civilian life, and reabsorbed by the devastated economy. Civil government also had to be put back on a peacetime basis and interference from the military had to be stopped.
The desperate plight of the South has eclipsed the fact that reconstruction had to be undertaken also in the North, though less spectacularly. Industries had to adjust to peacetime conditions, factories had to be retooled for civilian needs.
Financial problems loomed large in both the North and the South. The national debt had shot up from a modest $65 million in 1861, the year the ear started to nearly $3 billion in 1865, the year the war ended. This was a colossal sum for those days but one that a prudent government could pay. At the same time, war taxes had to be reduced to less burdensome levels.
Physical devastation caused by invading armies, chiefly in the South and border states, had to be repaired. This herculean task was ultimately completed, but with discouraging slowness.
Other important questions needed answering. What would be the future of the four million black people who were freed from slavery? On what basis were the Southern states to be brought back into the Union?
What of the Southern leaders, all of whom were liable to charges of treason? One of these leaders, Jefferson Davis, President of the Southern Confederacy, was the subject of an insulting popular Northern song," Hang Jeff Davis from a Sour Apple Tree." And even children sang it. Davis was temporarily chained in his prison cell during the early days of his two-year imprisonment. But he and the other Southern leaders were finally released, partly because it was unlikely that a jury from Virginia, a Southern Confederate state, would convict them. All the leaders were finally pardoned by President Johnson in 1868 in an effort to help reconstruction efforts proceed with as little bitterness as possible.

1. What does the passage mainly discuss?
A) Wartime expenditures
B) Problems facing the United States after the war
C) Methods of repairing the damage caused by the war
D) The results of government efforts to revive the economy

2. The word " Staggering" in line 1 is closest in meaning to ______.
A) specialized
B) confusing
C) various
D) overwhelming

3. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the damage in the South is

correct?
A) It was worse than in the North.
B) The cost was less than expected
C) It was centered in the border states.
D) It was remedied rather quickly.

______.
A) helping soldiers readjust
B) restructuring industry
C) returning government to normal
D) increasing taxes

5. Which of the following can be inferred from the phrase " … it was unlikely that a jury from

Virginia, a Southern Confederate state,would convict them" (last paragraph)?
A) Virginians felt betrayed by Jefferson Davis
B) A popular song insulted Virginians
C) Virginians were loyal to their leaders
D) All of the Virginia military leaders had been put in chains.

Age has its privileges in America. And one of the more prominent of them is the senior citizen discount. Anyone who has reached a certain age—in some cases as low as 55—is automatically entitled to a dazzling array of price reductions at nearly every level of commercial life. Eligibility is determined not by one’s need but by the date on one’s birth certificate. Practically unheard of a generation ago, the discounts have become a routine part of many businesses—as common as color televisions in motel rooms and free coffee on airliners.

　　People with gray hair often are given the discounts without even asking for them；yet，millions of Americans above age 60 are healthy and solvent. Businesses that would never dare offer discounts to college students or anyone under 30 freely offer them to older Americans. The practice is acceptable because of the widespread belief that “elderly” and “needy” are synonymous .

　　Perhaps that once was true, but today elderly Americans as a group have a lower poverty rate than the rest of the population. To be sure, there is economic diversity within the elderly, and many older Americans are poor, but most of them aren’t. It is impossible to determine the impact of the discounts on individual companies. For many firms, they are a stimulus to revenue. But in other cases the discounts are given at the expense, directly or indirectly, of younger Americans. Moreover, they are a direct irritant in what some politicians and scholars see as a coming conflict between the generations.

　　Generational tensions are being fueled by continuing debate over Social Security benefits，which mostly involves a transfer of resources from the young to the old. Employment is another sore point. Buoyed by laws and court decisions, more and more older Americans are declining the retirement dinner in favor of staying on the job—thereby lessening employment and promotion opportunities for younger workers.

Far from a kind of charity they once were, senior citizen discounts have become a formidable economic privilege to a group with millions of members who don’t need them.

It no longer makes sense to treat the elderly as a single group whose economic needs deserve priority over those of others. Senior citizen discounts only enhance the myth that older people cannot take care of themselves and need special treatment；and they threaten the creation of a new myth, that the elderly are ungrateful and taking for themselves at the expense of children and other age groups. Senior citizen discounts are the essence of the very thing older Americans are fighting against—discrimination by age.

6. We learn from the first paragraph that____.

A) offering senior citizens discounts has become routine commercial practice

B) senior citizen discounts have enabled many old people to live a decent life

C) giving senior citizens discounts has boosted the market for the elderly

D) senior citizens have to show their birth certificates to get a discount

7. What assumption lies behind the practice of senior citizen discounts?

A) Businesses, having made a lot of profits, should do something for society in return.

B) Old people are entitled to special treatment for the contribution they made to society.

C) The elderly, being financially underprivileged, need humane help from society.

D) Senior citizen discounts can make up for the inadequacy of the Social Security system.

8. According to some politicians and scholars, senior citizen discounts will___.

A) make old people even more dependent on society

B) intensify conflicts between the young and the old

C) have adverse financial impact on business companies

D) bring a marked increase in the companies revenues

9. How does the author view the Social Security system?

A) It encourages elderly people to retire in time.

B) It opens up broad career prospects for young people.

C) It benefits the old at the expense of the young

D) It should be reinforced by laws and court decisions

10. Which of the following best summarizes the author’s main argument?

A) Senior citizens should fight hard against age discrimination.

B) The elderly are selfish and taking senior discounts for granted.

C) Priority should be given to the economic needs of senior citizens.

D) Senior citizen discounts may well be a type of age discrimination

English Intensive Reading

Second-year Examination

Answer Key (2010.1)

We are in the computer age today. The computers are working all kinds of wonders now. They are very useful in automatic control and data processing. At the same time, computers are finding their way into the home. They seem to be so clever and can solve such complicated problems that some people think sooner or later they will replace us.

But I do not think that there is such a possibility. My reason is very simple: computers are machines, not humans. And our tasks are far too various and complicated for any one single kind of machine to perform.

Probably the greatest difference between man and computer is that the former can do things of his own while the latter can do nothing without being programmed. In my opinion, computers will remain nothing but an extension of our human brains, no matter how clever and complicated they may become.

Passage 1 (5%)

1. seemingly 2. unforeseen 3. warns 4. slippery 5. easily 6. wear 7. distinctions 8. perception

9. being 10. warp

Passage 2 (10%)

1-5 CBCCA 6-10 D DADC 11-15 CADAD 16-20 BAA CB

Keys:

1praising him for; weaken his pride and make him have a clear-minded recognition of his own ability

2She suddenly realized/She began to realize; in order not to hurt her feelings

3make … less enjoyable; fail

4take particular care or trouble; relevant to,

5made my wife realize; held in mind/considered

1. Imperfect idea as it is, it is the best we have and it is the work of the reason.

2. It has never occurred to him that he would become the leading actor in the play.

3. It was not so much an argument as a monologue

4. I keep a special file for warranty cards and appliance guarantees so as to get the ammunition I need to make a complaint.

5. Now that you have finished your assignment, you may play computer games.

7.In a sense, the output should be proportional to the input.

8.College entrance exam embodies fair competition, but it often fails to do justice to a student’s talent and potentials.

3. Some young white collars make a fetish of fashion, and go out of their way to keep up to

date.

4. He craved so much for the professor’s recognition that he pounced on every opportunity

to show his paper to the professor.

5.In the name of love, many parents often sentence their child to a life dominated by

various examinations.

1. voluntary 2.entanglements 3. urbanization 4. paralysed 5.brutality

6. obscurity 7. acquainted 8. reverence 9. embodiment 10. partial

1.away 2.for 3.to 4.out 5.down 6.across 7.up 8.off 9.with 10.in

1-5. A A C D B 6-10. C C D B C 11-15. C D D C A

1-5. B D A D C

6-10. A C B C D