英语专业八级考前拉力赛（3）_TEM8试题
in sections a, b and c you will hear everything once only. listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. mark the correct response for each question on your coloured answer sheet.
section a talk
questions 1 to 5 refer to the talk in this section.at the end of the talk you will be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.
now listen to the talk.
1.the speaker is____.
a.talking on the phone. b.talking on the television.
c.talking on the radio. d.talking on the platform.
2.many children know little of the lives of relatives because____.
a.they have no time. b.they are from the unclear family.
c.they have never met them before. d.they don’t like them.
3.who is joe browne?
a.he is an expert in mental workings.
b.he is an actor.
c.he is a writer on the importance of friends and relatives.
d.he is a clinical psychologist and talkshow host.
4.people form a close connection to celebrities hot because____.
a.they have busy lives.
b.they live faraway from their relatives and friends.
c.they cannot escape media coverage of celebrities.
d.they work with those celebrities.
5.the purpose of the talk is to____.
a. stay connected to our own families and relatives.
b. b.remain intimate with celebrities.
c. stop crying for celebrities.
d.learn how to love both families and celebrities.
section b conversation
questions 6 to l0 are based on mr.jones and engineer.at the end of the comversation you will be given 15 seconds to answer each of the following five questions.
now listen to the interview.
6.the interviewer believes that.
a. advertising can’t be a kind of lying.
b.advertising must be a kind of lying.
c.advertising is most likely to be a kind of lying.
d.advertising may be a kind of lying.
7.how many years has this advertising man been in the ad. business for?
a.fifteen years b.sixteen years c.fourteen years d.ten years
8.what kind of work does he find most interesting?
a.making ad. plans b.selling products successfully
c.developing new markets d.making a new product
9.what does advertising function as according to this ad. man?
a.a determiner that leads people to bring the product into their lives.
b.a complete lie that leads people to buy the produet.
c.as a stable value which makes people believe what the product has.
d.as a promotion which makes people aware of the new product.
10.what will determine that people will continue to use the product?
a.the product’s own worth. b.the product’s design.
c.the product’s advertising. d.the proudct’s price.
section c news brocdcast
questions 11 to 12 are based on the following news from the bbc.at the end of the news item,you will be given 30 seconds to answer the two questions.
now listen&n
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bsp;to the news.
11.how did this accident happen?
a.the train was controled by outlaws. b.the bus went past a stop sign.
c.the train went past a stop sign. d.the bus hit the oncoming train itself.
12.how was the bus driver?
a.he was dead. b.he was injured. c.he was gone. d.it was not clear.
questions 13 to 15 are based on the following news from the voa.at the end of the news item,you will be given 45 seconds to answer the three questions.
now listen to the news.
13.which programme is season finale top瞨ated prime瞭ime drama?
a.“you’ll never forget.” b.“er” c.“law & order” d.“third watch”
14.media experts give credit for all not to
a.the fierce rivalry of the current ratings “sweep”.
b.tv dramas’ growing tendency to transform news into fiction.
c.writers’ increasing the ability to imagine the killings.
d.the recent spate of real瞝ife school violence making headlines.
15.which movie publicized a case that turned the issue of missing children into a national crisis?
a.“adams” b.“er” c.“sweeps” d.“law & order”
section d note/|taking & gap/|filling
in this section you will hear a mini-lecture.you will hear the lecture once only.while listening to the lecture,take notes on the important points.your notes will not be marked,but you will need them to complete a 15-minute gap-filling task on answer sheet one.use the blank paper for note-taking.
part Ⅱ proofreading & error correction［15 min.］
proofread the given passage on answer sheet two as instructed.
part Ⅲ reading comprehension ［40 min.］
section a reading comprehension ［30 min.］
in this section there are six reading passages followed by a total of fiften multiple 瞔hoice questions.read the passages and then mark your answer on you coloured answer sheet.
tricky business
“all right,boys and girls,who’d like to see some magic?”twice a day the ferry arahura—and it is greeted with cries of “me!”from children,and with sighs of relief from parents,glad to find something to occupy their kids for at least half an hour of the three瞙our trip.
the parental saviour in question is nigel kennedy,a professional magician who has been working in the ferry for the past seven years.the facilities aren’t great—there is no designated performance space,and he has to conjure more or less in a corridor—but there is room enough to wave a wand and wow an audience more captive than most.
kennedy,33, thrives on the work,which guarantees him a level of exposure he would not readily find elsewhere.the arahura carries,thousands of people each day in the holiday season.“every time i travel,”says jonathan morgan,manager of passenger services for the ferry line,“he is ringed with kids,like the pied piper.”
the key to what horgan refers to as kennedy’s stunning success in audience participation:every show,he ropes in four kin
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ds to help,although they usually wind up being the butt of his tricks.wands are apt to wobble,droop,squeak or vanish;lossies and hankies turn up in unexpected places.kennedy is a dab hand with balloons,too,twisting them at top speed into crowns,swords,worms,ducks and donkeys.
the children’s work,he says,is his bread and butter,although it is not without its hazards.“adults are very predictable to perform for as an audience.they will always clap in the same place,always laugh in the same place.but kids,you can’t predict what they’re going to say or do.sometimes you’re going to have a little five瞴ear瞣ld who’s going to sit there with his arms folded and say this trick’s absolutely pathetic—some word he’s learnt from his parents.”
kennedy was drawn to magic in the classic manner .“i got given a magic book when i was eight years old and that started me on it.from then on,i was putting on shows in mum and dad’s garage and plastering up flyerson lampposts and letterboxes around the streets,probably to their embarrassment.and it just developed from there.”
“i remember vividy a magician in a touring show.i remember sitting watching him in this little seat on my own.i don’t know how old i would have been,but i was just rapt.he threw this big hula hoop at me and i had to examine it.i thought,wow,i feel so special.”
since turning professional in 1989,kennedy has made what he calls a good living from magic.but the business is not what it was.he can remember doing cabaret every friday and saturday night,plus a round of conferences,dine瞐nd瞕ances and garden parties.he still does conferences,but these days,“rather than having a set stage show with illusions,they’re more inclined to hire me for an hour or two,having me walk around the tables,do a little trick in somebody’s hand,which is what they call close瞮p magic.”
he augments his income by running an ail/|order husiness for aspiring magicians,but admits that the average age of his clients is climbing:fewer and fewer children are taking up the craft.“it’s the competition.nowadays they can push a computer screen and a magic effect happens:why learn a magic trick?people come along to a magic club and,if they can’t see a person in half on the first evening,they lose interest.”
kennedy’s skill is acknowledged by fellow magicians who have recently voted him best children’s entertainer.but—you have to ask—do people confuse him with the other nigel kennedy,the internationally famous violinist?
well,yes,and kennedy shamelessly plays up to it:“whenever nigel is touring in this area,i make the most of it.i come on stage with a violin case while vivaldi’s the four seasons plays in the background.then i pull out a magic wand from the violin case and everyone laughs.”
there are no plans for a name/|change,a
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nd in any case the confusion is worth it to overhear,as kennedy once did,someone say：“this must be what that violinist does in the off瞫eason.”
16.nigel kennedy is____.
a.a professional violinist.
b.a professional magician and violinist.
c.a famous musician and childrens’ entertainer.
d.an internationally famous player.
17.which of the following statements is not true?
a.kennedy started to be drawn to magic at the age of 8.
b.kennedy was turned professional in 1989.
c.kennedy the magician often performed on the stage with kennedy the violinist.
d.kennedy ran a mail瞣rder business for those interested in magic.
text b
suits for all seasons
the business suit has for a long time been the uniform for male office workers.but it is not very satisfactory.for a start,it means that all men look the same,give or take their ties.
but that is not the only problem:at the height of summer the business suit is hot and stuffy,restricting movement,and —since the suit must always be worn with a tie—it demands a tightness at the neck that causes unnecessary discomfort and irritation.
women in offices are free to wear what they please,within certain limits.some women wear business suits,too;but these are usually less formal and,most importantly,they are designed to show off the feminine shape to advantage.the same cannot be said for the male suit.most men look unattractive in them.they are shapeless,lumpy and dull in colour and do nothing for the male physique.a male office worker’s only way of expressing himself in this boring business uniform is through his selection of ties.the tie becomes his outward sign of inner personality.unfortunatey,few men have any sense of style and fewer still stop to ponder what their personality is really like.for this reason,many male office wokers go to work in apallingly loud,garish ties,in the mistaken belief that they look good.
add to all this the problem of cleaning a man’s suit.do men actually clean them at all?a private (and not very scientific) study of male office workers indicates that they do not.unlike their female counterparts,who are always taking notes to the dry瞔leaners even when they have only been worn once in the past three weeks,men send their suits to the cleaners perhaps once a season.and yet most men wear the same suit to the cleaners perhaps once a season.and yet most men wear the same suit several days a week,with just a change of shirt and tie for variety.
why do men not rebel and find some other way of dressing at the office?well,they have thought this problem through very carefully.they realise how many hours they can save from their morning routine by wearing the same clothes day in,day out.whereas the average female office worker takes time to plan what she will wear
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;in the morning before ironing her outfit and finding co瞣rdinating fashion accessories,all a man has to do is leap out of bed,fumble around in the closet for his underwear and the first available shirt that hasn’t had tomato sauce dripped down its front,select a tie at random (only the most fastidious attempt a colour match between suit,shirt and tie) and step into the trousers that have been draped across the back of an armchair in the bedroom the previous night.simple.now,where did he leave his shoes and socks?
18.the author seems to say that.
a.few men have any sense of style and taste in clothing.
b.women don't feel fond of suits.
c.wearing suits requires no thought and gives men extra time.
d.suits cause unnecessary discomfort and irritation.
19.the tone of the author is?
a.embarassing and uncomfortable. b.desperate and hopeless.
c.humorous and amusing. d.painful and suffering.
text c
primary colors
the movie primary colors is about a grey/|haired,gravel/|voiced,doughnut/|loving governor from a southern american state who is running in a us presidential campaign.he has a colourful past that is in danger of grabbing frontpage deadlines and a no/|nonsense lawyer wife,whose accent would be right at home in a prestigious chicago law school.the similarities with president bill clinton and his wife hillary seem hard to ignore.
the book primary colors,published under the byline “anonymous”,became best/|seller when it came out not long after the 1992 american presidential election in which clinton was elected to the white house.it appeared to be a thinly veiled account of what happened during that campaign.but mike nichols,the director of primary colors the movie,insists that there is no direct relationship between fiction and fact.
john travolta,who plays governor jack stanton,agrees.he says that of course there are elements of clinton in the movie character,but then there are also elements of previous presidents—jimmy carter,ronald reagan,franklin roosevelt and john kennedy.
emma thompson,the british actress who,as stanton's wife,masters an educated chicago accent for her role,says the idea that primary colors is a straight re/|run of real life is far to simplistic，and it annoys her to hear of their production talked about in his way.
“the movie may have connections with the clintons but it is fiction,”she says.“it deserves to be reviewed and written about seriously.”the furthest she will go is to admit：“you couldn't have the film without the clintons,without the kennedys,without the media,without any of us.”
the film scored well at the box office and critics were enthusiastic about the performances from travolta and thomson and co/|stars kathy bates,as a political fixer,larry hagman,as stanton's principal political opponent,billy bob thornton,as a political strategist,and adrian lester,as stantons aide.
director nichols admits to having had some worries about the spillover of real/|life scandal on his film.“of course we were concerned when the monica lewinsky business became frontpage news.life moved along with us in a war we did not expect.but we made this film as an entertainment,and that is how people eventually saw it.”
movie/|goers in america were constantly reminded that primary colors was about them as much as it was abot the clintons or any other high/|profile political couple.“it's about american politics,life,marriage,fidelity,infidelity—and doughnuts.”
20.the title can be replaced by.
a.a movie mirrors bill clinton and his wife.
b.a movie mirrors presidential election.
c.a movie mirrors fiction.
d.a movie mirrors real life.
21.according to this text how did critics respond to the movie?
a.it was merely imitating life. b.it was too much of politics.
c.it was merely fictious. d.it was too much of entertainment.
text d
the way to a better marriage
while you're busy sweating off those extra kilos or working your way through some must-read books,set aside some time to reach for marital goals too.achieving them can be illuminating,gratifying and just plain fun.any one of them can make improve your marital relationship this year and beyond.
“my wife has a great eye for colour,”her husband,mario,said at a dinner party i attended not long ago.“she's so artistic.”the women at the table glanced enviously at his wife,who was beaming at the unexpected compliment.
“words of praise—especially if they're offered in front of other people—are so important,”richfield explains.“
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n on plain notebook paper.”her husband wrote about how he loved falling asleep next to her every night and how he loved the way she looked on saturday mornings with her hair pulled back and no makeup on.
we all have moments when love for our spouse wells up inside.why not take a few minutes to write about it?“a letter is like visual proof of you love,”richfield says.“it's also something you can read again and again,through all the happily married years to come.”
22盚ow many ways does the author offer people for a better marriage?
a.seven b.eight c.nine d.ten
23盬hat does the author convey in the paragraphs ranging from 16 to 18?
a.making a five-year plan b.having a guide in your marriage c.econominzing d.setting up a lifetime goal
24盩he author asks you to.
a.spend every minute together. b.break away from the dating routine.
c.show off your spouse. d.tell the spouse often how you love him/her.
text e
belief
we all believe in something or someone.we must believe,just as we must eat,sleep,and reproduce.mankind has an insatiable need for and an irresistible attraction to a vast array of beliefs about gods and demons,magic and miracles,truth and falsehood,love and hate,same and different.implausible,even irrational ideas,have been cherished for centuries.saints and other martyrs suffered indescribable pain and agony,even death,for their beliefs.scientists have been put to death for their belief that the earth is round,or that there is an invisible force called gravity,or that the earth is not the center of the universe with the sun revolving around it,or that the blood circulates throughout the body,or that man evolving around it,or that the blood circulates throughout the body,or that man evolved from lower forms of life.religious leaders have attracted millions of people with their version of how life began and how we must behave.
if people do not believe in medicine and science,religion,education,government,and the social contract,chaos results and no society can tolerate that,which is why all societies impose order on their members.we must believe or face unbearable ambiguity and anxiety.
belief is faith and faith is trust and trust is security,predictability.fear and hope are the twins that shape belief.we fear death,out enemies,illness,the known,the unknown,and punishment.hope tells us that things will improve.we will not be defeated.we will succeed.it promises us a good life here and after death.fear persuades us to believe that we can be protected,safe,if we join a group whose god is capable of holding evil at bay,then i cling to that group.we dare not,not believe.
furthermore,belief conferrs upon believers a special status:those who know the truth.many people believe that their faith will help them to overcome sickness,fear,sorrow,joy,grief ect.,each trigger specific endocrinal secretions—hormones and neurotransmitters(adrenalin,serotonin or dopamine) that modify behavior.in order to control this torrent of endocrinal activity,many people turn to their faith because it convinces them that things will improve and that positive attitude cures the body to fight the invading bacteria or virus.mind and body are totally integrated,supporting the notion that belief (faith) is a very powerful emotional force affecting physical behavior.
is the most effective belief system one that is composed of absolutes—unyielding,unvarying and eternal?the answer is yes,because when we eliminate doubt from a situation we feel secure,restored to balance,but if the belief system is science and is based on objective information without absolutes and requires a questioning attitude,not an accepting one as in most belief systems it unnerves people.they cannot handle the uncertainty,the lack of a god or some omnipotent overseer who eliminates doubt and reassures us that all is well and under control.any system that offers definitive answers to complex human questions and problems:this is right,this is wrong,this is true,this is false—one question,one answer only,is very appealing.
all beliefs require confirmation from an authoritative source whether that be a priest,a rabbi,a shaman,a family member,a special friend,an expert—one who commands obedience and respect.an authenticator.perhaps all belief is composed of the same elements in approximately the same proportions for even science requires a suspension of some disbelief,some uncertainty,however miniscule.black holes and the big bang are metaphoric truths derived from the physics we know now.but you have to believe,to have faith in the methods of science to gather information,to analyse and interpret it objectively in order to accept its conclusions.no one witnessed the big bang,or a black hole.these were inferred from careful study and analysis by many researchers.
can we devise an alternative to belief?probably not.belief pits one group against another.muslims against christians,arabs against jews,catholics agains
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t protestants,serbs against albanians,because each group insists that all must conform to their beliefs.belief in an exclusive god divides men and has been a major cause of innumerable bloody wars.not only religion divides people,but politics divides,socio-economic status divides,color divides and education divides us.in all cases,one group claims possession of the truth and the most sincere faith.all men consider themselves chosen,chosen by their god as the one and only,the best,the most cherished.
we need our enemies.the only hope that i can imagine,and it is certainly a very fragile one,is that we all agree to believe whatever we wish and to worship as we choose,but we will accept every human to human as we are,worthy of the same respect and care.do unto others as you would have other do unto you.simple,universal.mankind is of a piece biologically,physiologically,and psychologically in that we all need love,peace,security,food,clothing and shelter;we must all sleep,reproduce the species and we do it the same way with the same result.in the mirror you could see me and i could see you,but our cultures have taught us to notice differences in color,speech,clothing,food,marriage,belief in their own distinctively inflected way and that sets us apart.
no one will take this suggestion very seriously.they never have,though most institutions have called for the same thing.this is true:your beliefs will separate you from me,may lead you to see me the enemy,a beliefs and my beliefs deny or denigrate the validity of your beliefs,but i will not be your enemy,your scapgoat,your excuse for venting suppressed anger and resentment you learned at home,in school,in your church or temple,in your neighborhood.i gain no wealth,no power,no wisdom at your expense,nor do i gain life in your death;we are bound together for our ambiguous stay on this whirling pellet in space.
belief is universal:soothing,comforting and uplifting,but it is the great divider.perhaps we should take the witty and humorous advice of the american poet e.e.cummings：“listen,there's a hell of a good universe next door;let's go”from his poem“pity this busy monster,manunkind.”
25盬hat does“belief”mean in the final way to the author?
a.faith b.frust c.security d.hope
26盬hich of the following is true?
a.the belief system is composed of change and constancy.
b.the belief system is based on science.
c.the belief system is based on absolutes.
d.the belief system is uncertain.
27盩he conclusion of this passage is that____.
a.belief is the real reason us apart.
b.belief is universal and every human is as human as we are.
c.belief separates people from one another and leads people to become enemies.
d.belief is based on gaining wealth,power,wisdom at others' expense.
text f
the wright brothers
wilbur and orville wright were two brothers from the heartland of america with a vision as sweeping as the sky and a practicality as down-to-earth as the wright cycle co,.the bicycle business they founded in dayton,ohio,in 1892.but while there were countless bicycle shops in turn-of-the-century america,in only one were wings bring built as well as wheels.when the wright brothers finally realized their vision of powered human flight in 1903,they made the world a forever smaller place.i've been to kitty hawk, n.c,and seen where the brothers imagined the future,and then literally flew across is high frontier.it was an inspiration to be there,and to soak up the amazing perseveance and creativity of these two pioneers.
the wright brothers had been fascinated by the idea of flight from an early age.in 1878 their father,a bishop in the church of the united brethren in christ,gave them a flying toy made of cork and bamboo;.it had a paper body and was powered by rubber bands.the young boys soon broke the fragile toy,but the memory of its faltering flight across their living room stayed with them.by the mid-1890s wilbur was reading every book and paper he could find on the still earth-bound science of human flight.and four years before they made history at ktty hawk,the brothers built their first,scaled-down flying machine—a pilotless“kite”with a 5-ft.wingspan,and made of wood,wire and cloth.based on that experiment,wilbur became convinced that he could build an aircraft that would be“capable of sustaining a man.”
when published aeronautical data turned out to be unreliable,the wright brothers built their own wind tunnel to test airfoils and measure empirically how to life a flying machine into the sky.they were the first to discover that a long narrow wing shape was the ideal architecture of flight.they figured out how to move the vehicle freely,not just across land,but up and down on a cushion of air.they built a forward elevator to control the pitch of their craft as it nosed up and down.they fashioned a pair of twin rudders in back to control its tendency to yawn from side to side.they devised a pulley s
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ystem that warped the shape of wings in midflight to turn the plane and to stop it from rolling laterally in air.recognizign that a propeller isn't like a ship's screw,but becomes,in effect,a rotating wing,they used the data from their wind-tunnel experiments to design the first effective airplane props—a pair of 8-ft,propellers,carved out of laminated spruce,that turned in opposite directions to offset the twisting effect on the machine's structure.and when they discovered that a light-weight gas-powered engine did not exist,they decided to design and build their own.it produced 12 horsepower and weighed only 152 lbs.
the genius of leonardo da vinci imagined a flying machine,but it took the methodical application of science by these two american bicycle mechanics to create it.the unmanned gliders spawned by their first efforts flew erratically and were at the mercy of any strong gust of wind.but with help from their wind,tunnel,the brothers amassed more data on wing design than anyone before them,compiling tables of computations that are still valid today.and with guidance from this scientific study,they developed the powered 1903 flyer,a skeletal flying machine of spruce,ash and muslin,with an unmanned weight of just over 600 lbs.
on dec.17,1903,with orville at the controls,the flyer lifted off shakily from kitty hawk and flew 120 ft.—little more than half the wingspan of a boeing 747-400.that 12-sec.flight changed the world,lifting it to new heights of freedom and giving mankind access to places it had never dreamed of reaching.although the wright brother's feat was to transform life in the 20th century,the next day only four newspapers in the u.s.carried news of their achievement— new that was widely dismissed as exaggerated.
the wright brothers gave us a tool,but it was up to individuals and nations to put it to use,and use it we have.the airplane revolutionized both peace and war.it brought families together:once,when a chile or other close relatives left the old country for america,family and friends mourned for someone they would never see again.today,the grandchild of that immigrant can return again and again across a vast ocean in just half a turn of the clock.but the airplane also helped tear families apart,by making international warfare an effortless reality.
now,on the eve of another century,who knows where the next wright brothers will be found,in what grade of school they're studying,or in what garage they're inventing the next flyer of the information age.our mission is to make sure that wherever they are,they have the chance to run their own course,to persevere and follow their own inspiration.we have to understand that engineering breakthroughs are not just mechanical or scientific— they are liberating forces that can continually improve people's lives.who would have thought,as the 20th century opened,that one of its greatest contributions would come from two obscure,freshfaced young americans who pursued the utmost bounds of human thought and gave us all,for the first time,the power literally to sail beyond the sunset.
the 20th century has been the american century in large part because of great inventors such as the wright brothers.may we follow their flight paths and blaze our own in the 21st century.
28盩he purpose of this article is____.
a.the introduction of the wright brothers
b.the introduction of the process of inventing planes
c.the recollection of the wright brothers
d.the praise of the wright brothers and other young men like them.
29盬ho imagined a flying machine according to the text?
a.leonardo da vinci b.wilbur wright c.orville wright d.the wright brothers' father
30盩he tone of the passage is.
a.impersonal b.passionate c.triumphant d.confident
section b skimming and scanning ［10 min.］
in this section there are seven passages followed by ten multiple-choice questions.skim or scan them as required and then mark your answers on your coloured answer sheet.
text g
first read the following question.
31盩he purpose of the passage is to ____
a.show honesty is one of the most basic moral values.
b.show americans have morals.
c.show americans have different morals from those of other people.
d.show americans need morals.
now read the text quickly and answer question 31.
american morality
do americans have any morals?that's a good question.many people insist that ideas about right and wrong are merely personal opinions.some voices,though,are calling americans back to traditional moral values.william j.bennett,former u.s.secretary of education,edited the book of virtues in 1993 to do just that.bennett suggests that great moral stories can bulid character.the success of bennett's book shows that many americans still believe in moral values.but what are they?
to begin with,moral values in america are like those in any culture.in fact,many aspects of morality are universal.but the stories and tr
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aditions that teach them are unique to each culture.not only that,but culture influences how people show these virtues.
one of the most basic moral values for americans is honesty.the well-known legend about george washington and the cherry tree teachess this value clearly.little george cut down his father's favorite cherry tree while trying out his new hatchet.when his father asked him about it,george said,“i cannot tell a lie.i did it with my hatchet.” instead of punishment,george received praise for telling the truth.sometimes american honesty—being open and direct—can offend people.but americans still believe that“honesty is the best policy.”
another virtue americans respect is perseverance.remember aesop's fable about the turtle and the rabbit that had a race?the rabbit thought he could win easily,so he took a nap.but the turtle finally won because he did not give up.another story tells of a little train that had to climb a steep hill.the hill was so steep that the little train had a hard time trying to get over it.but the train just kept pulling, all the while saying,“i think i can,i think i can.”at last,the train was over the top of the hill.“i thought i could,i thought i could,”chugged the happy little train.
compassion may be the queen of american virtues.they story of“the good samaritan”from the bible describes a man who showed compassion.on his way to a certain city,a samaritan man found a poor traveler lying on the road.the traveler had been beaten and robbed.the kind samaritan,instead of just passing by,stopped to help this person in need.compassion can even turn into a positive cycle.in fall 1992,people in lowa sent truckloads of water to help floridians hit by a hurricane.the next summer,during the midwest flooding,florida returned the favor.in less dramatic ways,millions of americans are quietly passing along the kindnesses shown to them.
in no way can this brief description cover all the moral values honored by americans.courage,responsibility,loyalty,gratitude and many others could be discussed.in fact,bennett admits that he has only scratched the surfaces.but no matter how long or short the list,moral values are invaluable.they are the foundation of american culture—and any culture.
text h
first read the following question.
32盩he general tone of the letter is____.
a.regretful b.grateful c.ironic d.revengeful
now read the text quickly and answer question 32.
february 7,1755
my lord,
i have been lately informed,by the proprietor of the world,that two papers,in which my dictionary is recommended to the public,were written by your lordship.to be so distinguished,is an honour,which,being very little accustomed to favours from the great,i know not well how to receive,or in what terms to acknowledge.
when,upon some slight encouragement,i first visited your lordship,i was overpowered,like the rest of mankind,by the enchantment of your address;and could not forbear to wish that i might boast myself le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre;—that i might obtain that regard for which i saw the world contending;but i found my attendance so little encouraged,that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to continue it.when i had addressed your lordship in public,i had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess.i had done all that i could;and no man is well pleased to have his all neglected,be it ever so little.
seven years,my lord,have now past,since i waited in your outward rooms,or was repulsed from your door;during which time i have been pushing on my work through difficultties,of which it is useless to complain,and have brought it,at last,to the verge of publication,without one ace of assistance,one world of encouragement,or one smile of favour,such treatment i did not expect,for i never had a patron before.
the shepherd in virgirl grew at last acquainted with love,and found him a native of the rocks.
is not a patron,my lord,one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water,and,when he has reached ground,encumbers him with help?the notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours,had it been early,had been kind;but it has been delayed till i cannot enjoy it;till i am solitary,and cannot impart it;till i am known ,and do not want it.i hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received,or to be unwilling that the public should consider me as owing that to a patron,which providence has enabled me to do for myself.
having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning,i shall not be disappointed though i should conclude it,if less be possible,with less;for i have been long wakened from that dream of hope,in which i once boasted myself with so much exultation,my lord.
your lordship's most humble,
most obedient servant,
samuel johnson
text i
first read the following question.
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