(08·北京)

When I entered Berkeley, I hoped to earn a scholarship. Having been a Straight-A student, I believed I could   36   tough subjects and really learn something. One such course was World Literature given by Professor Jayne. I was extremely interested in the ideas he  37  in class.

When I took the first exam, I was   38   to find a 77, C-plus, on my test paper,   39   English was my best subject. I went to Professor Jayne, who listened to my arguments but remained_ 40   .

I decided to try harder, although I didn’t know what that   41   because school had always been easy for me. I read the books more carefully, but got another 77. Again, I   42   with Professor Jayne. Again, he listened patiently but wouldn’t change his  43  .

One more test before the final exam. One more  44  to improve my grade. So I redoubled my efforts and, for the first time,  45  the meaning of the word “thorough”. But my  46__    did no good and everything  47   as before.

The last hurdle(障碍) was the final. No matter what   48   I got, it wouldn’t cancel three C-pluses. I might as well kiss the   49   goodbye.

I stopped working hard. I felt I knew the course material as well as I ever would. The night before the final, I even  50  myself to a movie. The next day I decided for once I’d have 51__with a test.

A week later, I was surprised to find I got an A. I hurried into Professor Jayne’s office. He  52__ to be expecting me. “If I gave you the As you  53  , you wouldn’t continue to work as hard.”

I stared at him,  54  that his analysis and strategy(策略) were correct. I had worked my head   55  , as I had never done before.

I was speechless when my course grade arrived: A-plus. It was the only A-plus given. The next year I received my scholarship. I’ve always remembered Professor Jayne’s lesson: you alone must set your own standard of excellence.

36.  A. take                  B. discuss                C. cover                       D. get

37.  A. sought                B. presented               C. exchanged                   D. obtained

38.  A. shocked              B. worried                C. scared                D. anxious

39.  A. but                   B. so                    C. for                         D. or

40.  A. unchanged            B. unpleasant              C. unfriendly             D. unmoved

41.  A. reflected              B. meant                 C. improved              D. affected

42.  A. quarreled              B. reasoned               C. bargained              D. chatted

43.  A. attitude               B. mind                  C. plan                  D. view

44. A. choice                B. step                   C. chance                D. measure

45.  A. memorized                  B. considered              C. accepted              D. learned

46.  A. ambition             B. confidence             C. effort                       D. method

47.  A. stayed               B. went                  C. worked               D. changed

48.  A. grade               B. answer                C. lesson                D. comment

49.  A. scholarship          B. course                 C. degree                D. subject

50.  A. helped              B. favored                 C. treated                D. relaxed

51.  A. fun                B. luck                    C. problems                    D. tricks

52.  A. happened           B. proved                  C. pretended             D. seemed

53.  A. valued              B. imagined                C. expected               D. welcomed

54.  A. remembering        B. guessing                C. supposing              D. realizing

55.  A. out                B. over                    C. on                   D. off

    

 (08·北京——开放作文)

请根据下面提示，写一篇短文。词数不少于50。

    In an English speech competition, you are asked to describe the following picture and explain to the judges how you understand it.

2008北京29届奥运会主体育场鸟巢宏伟壮观，是北京标志建筑之一。请从外观，构造,人与自然等方面描述一下这一独特建筑。

要求：

1. 字数100-120

2. 语言要简洁，生动。

The 2008 Olympic Stadium

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

 (08·北京A篇)

Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.

I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.

After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.

I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.

She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”

“Oh, you’re such a good man,”she said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”

“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.

“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).

For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.

At dawn, she suddenly said,“I’m tired. Let’s go now.”

We drove in silence to the address she had given me.

“How much do I owe you?” she asked.

“Nothing,” I said.

“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.

Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”

56. The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.

A. show she was familiar with the city

B. see some places for the last time

C. let the driver earn more money

D. reach the destination on time

57. The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.

A. wanted to do her a favor                            B. shut off the meter by mistake

C. had received her payment in advance          D. was in a hurry to take other passengers

58. What can we learn from the story?

A. Giving is always a pleasure.

B. People should respect each other.

C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.                                                 

D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.

  

 (08·北京B篇)

       Domestic (驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry people. But early horses weren’t tame (驯服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.

Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.

As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of horses would show more of these chosen characteristics.

Modern-day horse breeds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds—typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (矿井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.

The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horses were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distances in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new form of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.

59. Before domestication horses were ______.

A. caught for sports                                           B. hunted for food

C. made to pull ploughs                                D. used to carry people

60. The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show ______.

A. it is smaller than the Clydesdale horse

B. horses used to have gentle personalities

C. some horses have better shapes than others

   D. horses were of less variety before domestication

61. Horses contributed to the spread of culture by ______.

A. carrying heavy loads                                B. changing farming methods

C. serving as a means of transport                 D. advancing agriculture in different areas

62. The passage is mainly about _______.

A. why humans domesticated horses

B. how humans and horses needed each other

C. why horses came in different shapes and sizes                                                              

D. how human societies and horses influenced each other