There are still many things that Peter Cooke would like to try his hand at — paper-making and feather-work are on his list. For the moment, though, he will stick to the skill that he has been delighted to make perfect over the past ten years: making delicate and unusual objects out of shells.

As he leads me round his apartment showing me his work, he points to a pair of shell-covered ornaments(装饰品) above a fireplace. “I shan’t be at all bothered if people don’t buy them because I have got so used to them, and to me they’re lovely. I never meant to sell my work commercially. Some friends came to see me about five years ago and said, ‘You must have an exhibition — people ought to see these. We’ll talk to a man who owns an art gallery’”. The result was an exhibition in London, at which 70 per cent of the objects were sold. His second exhibition opened at the gallery yesterday. Considering the enormous prices the pieces command —around ￡2,000 for the ornaments — an empty space above the fireplace would seem a small sacrifice for Cooke to make.

There are 86 pieces in the exhibition, with prices starting at￡225 for a shell-flower in a crystal vase. Cooke insists that he has nothing to do with the prices and is cheerily open about their level: he claims there is nobody else in the world who produces work like his, and, as the gallery-owner told him, “Well, you’re going to stop one day and everybody will want your pieces because there won’t be any more.”

“I do wish, though,” says Cooke, “that I’d taken this up a lot earlier, because then I would have been able to produce really wonderful things — at least the potential would have been there. Although the ideas are still there and I’m doing the best I can now, I’m more limited physically than I was when I started.” Still, the work that he has managed to produce is a long way from the common shell constructions that can be found in seaside shops. “I have a miniature(微型的) mind,” he says, and this has resulted in boxes covered in thousands of tiny shells, little shaded pictures made from shells and baskets of astonishingly realistic flowers.?

Cooke’s quest(追求) for beautiful, and especially tiny, shells has taken him further than his Norfolk shore: to France, Thailand, Mexico, South Africa and the Philippines, to name but a few of the beaches where he has lain on his stomach and looked for beauties to bring home. He is insistent that he only collects dead shells and defends himself against people who write him letters accusing him of stripping the world’s beaches. “When I am collecting shells, I hear people’s great fat feet crunching(嘎吱嘎吱地踩) them up far faster than I can collect them; and the ones that are left, the sea breaks up. I would not dream of collecting shells with living creatures in them or diving for them, but once their occupants have left, why should I not collect them?” If one bases this argument on the amount of luggage that can be carried home by one man, the beauty of whose work is often greater than its natural parts, it becomes very convincing indeed.

1.What does the reader learn about Peter Cooke in the first paragraph?

A. He has produced hand-made objects in different materials.?

B. He hopes to work with other materials in the future.?

C. He has written about his love of making shell objects.?

D. He was praised for his shell objects many years ago. 

2.When mentioning the cost of his shell objects, Cooke ____.

         A. cleverly changes the subject.

         B. defends the prices charged for his work.

         C. says he has no idea why the level is so high.

         D. notes that his work will not always be so popular.

3.The “small sacrifice” in Paragraph 2 refers to _________.?

A. the loss of Cooke’s ornaments?            B. the display of Cooke’s ornaments?

C. the cost of keeping Cooke’s ornaments      D. the space required to store Cooke’s ornaments

4.What does Cooke regret about his work?

A. He is not as famous as he should have been.?B. He makes less money than he should make.

C. He is less imaginative than he used to be.?      D. He is not as skillful as he used to be. ?

5.What does the reader learn about Cooke's shell-collecting activities?

A. Not everyone approves of what he does.

B. Other methods might make his work easier.

C. Other tourists get in the way of his collecting.

D. Not all shells are the right size and shape for his work

三节．阅读理解（40%）
阅读理解下面的短文，然后按要求答题。
I was born in New York, but I grew up in San Francisco. I began to live in London 25 years ago. If I am asked now where I want to live forever, I would say London. But I will always be American.
San Francisco, like London, has many parks. Every day my sisters and I were taken to play in the parks as children. I didn't go to school. I only had three hours of formal education when I was five. I was sent to school in the morning but came home at noon on the first day. I said I didn't enjoy it and hadn't learned anything. My parents thought that school was unsuitable for me. They agreed with me, so I never went back to school.
Then my mother taught me and my two sisters at home, in the way of an English lady who had good education. We learned languages and reading more than sciences and maths. Sometimes she taught us herself, but we also had other teachers. They asked us to take lessons every day. About once a week we walked to Golden Gate Park. While we were walking, my mother taught me to read music. One day I noticed a little toy train in the window of a shop and I remember now how I'd like to have it. I couldn't say "r" when I was small. My mother said if I could say an "r" well, I would have the toy train. I practiced and practiced. Then one morning I woke everybody up with my "r"s. I got the toy train. I usually get the things I want in life — but I work hard for them.
1 The writer ___ .
A. was born in San Francisco      B. likes living in London
C. is living in New York now      D. doesn't like America
2. The writer didn't go to school in America because ___ .
A. his mother wanted him to go to school in English
B. his parents didn't think formal education was right for him
C. his mother wanted him to play outdoors in the parks
D. he couldn't get on well with the other children
3. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The writer was taught by his mother and other teachers.
B. The writer had no education at all.
C. The writer didn't have lessons every day.
D. The writer walked to the park to learn languages once a week.
4. The writer got the little toy train at last because ___ .
A. his mother gave him the money
B. he tried his best to read music
C. he wanted it very much
D. his mother was pleased with his progress

       Prisoner Mitchell King had a visitor— his wife. King was serving a six-year prison term in Auckland, New Zealand for armed robbery. But his wife didn’t want to be away from him for that long. So they held hands and they stuck. She’s rubbed her palms with super glue.

       Their new-found closeness was short-lived. And their separation painful. Her technique is not one I'd recommend(introduce) for a closer relationship.

But if you want more closeness; if you desire relationships that are deeper and broader, more meaningful and longer-lasting, then remember the word "TRAVEL."

T is for TRUST. Trust is the glue that holds people together (not Super Glue). A relationship will go nowhere without it.

R is for RESPECT. "Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead; speak them rather now instead," writes Anna Cummins. It's about respecting others and letting them know that you value them.

A is for AFFECTION. Sometimes affection means love. Sometimes it means a touch. Always it means kindness.

V is for VULNERABILITY(harm). Though we may feel afraid to let another too close, no relationship will go anywhere without risking vulnerability. Entrepreneur Jim Rohn says, "The walls we build around us to keep out the sadness also keep out the joy." And the love.

E is for EMOTIONAL INTIMACY(亲密). Learn to be open. Learn to communicate freely. What kinds of relationships you make are largely determined by how openly you have learned to communicate.

L is for LAUGHTER. Victor Borge got it right when he said, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." It's also the most enjoyable.

For relationships that can really go somewhere, just remember the word "TRAVEL." Then enjoy the trip!

6．The author intends to _________ by showing us the example in Paragraph One.

       A. condemn the wife for her silly behavior

       B. introduce new ways for closer relationships

       C. tell us King and his wife would never be separated

       D. encourage us to follow the wife’s technique

7．The underlined word “it” in Paragraph Four refers to?

       A. Trust.                      B. Glue.                       C. Closeness.                D. TRAVEL

8．Which of the following agrees with what Jim Rohn says?

       A. Walls should be built to keep out the sadness.

       B. It’s unnecessary to avoid vulnerability for closer relationships.

       C. Love will be kept out if you let another too close.

       D. We shouldn’t let another too close because of vulnerability.

9．What does Victor Borge really mean by his word in the ninth paragraph?

       A. Laughter will keep the shortest distance.

       B. Laughter will make a closer relationship.

       C. No relationship will go without laughter.

       D. Laughter is necessary to make friends.

10．What would be the best title for this passage?

       A. Relationships.                                       B. The story of a prisoner.

       C. A technique for good relationships.         D. Tips on closer relationships.

K=Kathy

M=Mum

M: Kathy, have you decided what you’re going to do in the vacation?

K: I need to (76) e________ some money. I’d try to find a job looking after children. What do you think, mum?

M: It’s not an easy job and you don’t have any particular (77) k_______ about children. Some children could be noisy and badly (78) b___________. Do you have any other ideas?

K: Not (79) r________. I don’t think much of the jobs I’ve seen (80) a_________

(A week later)

M: Kathy, are you still looking for a children job?

K: No, Mum. I (81) m_______ to tell you earlier. I’ve been offered a job in the office of the local computer factory and it’s well paid. I’ve decided to take it and will (82) s________ on Monday.

M: Good! Tell me more (83) d________ about the job.

K: I will work as a (84) s________, typing letters, answering phones calls and so on.

M: Some people may find it busy and (85) b________, and you need to be patient and careful.

K: Thank you, Mum. I’ll try my best.

、短文填词（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

阅读下面短文，根据以下提示：1）汉语提示，2）首字母提示，3）语境提示，在每个空格内填入一个适当的英语单词，并将该词完整地写在右边相对应的横线上。所填单词要求意义准确，拼写正确。

 Mr. Wang,

   I’m glad to tell you I’m back in London and how pleased I am

 to have met you and your family _____ my stay in your beautiful town. 

1._________

_____ pleased me most was the visit to the museum and the old        

2. ________

country houses. I’d really like to keep in ____ with all of you and     

3._________

I hope you won’t mind _____ (写信) to me again.                

4. ________

In fact, I didn’t have as good a journey as ______ (预料).       

5. _________

There were some weather problems, w______ caused the delay of my   

6._________

flight. Then I had to c______ planes in Berlin. And something       

7._________

_____(令人失望的) happened to my baggage. When I got to London,  

8. _________

it was s_______ left in Berlin. Anyway, please accept my thanks again   

9.__________

and give my best r________ to your family.                         

10. _________

                                       Yours sincerely,

                                         Marina