______isnotaseriousdisadvantageinlife.

Marytiptoedoverandtooktheclockawaybecauseshehatedtohearit___whenshewastryingtogotosleep.

Questions1to5arebasedonthefollowingpassage:

Someyearsagothecaptainofashipwasveryinterestedinmedicine.Healwaystookmedicinebookstoseaandlikedtotalkaboutdifferentdiseases.

Onedayalazysailoronhisshippretendedtobeill.Helayonhisbunk(铺)andgroanedasifhewereverysick.Thecaptaincametoseehimandwasverypleasedtohaveapatienttolookafter.Hetoldthemantorestforafewdaysandmadetheothersailorsdohiswork.Threedayslateranothersailorpretendedthathehadsomethingwrongwithhischest.Oncemorethecaptainlookedinhismedicalbooksandtold“sick”mantohavearest.

Theothersailorswereveryangrybecausetheyhadmoreworktodo.Thepatientshadthebestfoodandlaughedattheirfriendswhenthecaptainwasnotlooking.Atlastthemate(船长副手)decidedtocurethe“sick”men.Hemixedupsomesoap,soot(烟灰),glue(胶水)andotherunpleasantthings.Thenheobtainedpermissionfromthecaptaintogivehismedicinetothe“sick”men.Whentheytastedthemedicine,theyreallydidfeelill.Itwassohorriblethatoneofthepatientsjumpedoutofhibunk,ranupondeskandclimbedthehighestmastontheship.Hedidnotwantanymoremedicine.

Thematetoldbothofthementhattheymusttakethemedicineeveryhalfanhour,nightandday.Thissooncuredthem.Theybothsaidtheyfeltbetterandwantedtostartwordagain.Thecaptainrealizedthatthementriedtodeceivehimsohemadethemworkveryhardfortherestofthevoyage.

1.Thefirstsailorpretendedtobeillbecausehewantedto.

A.testthecaptain’sknowledgeofmedicine

B.befreefromwork

C.havethebestfoodontheship

D.playajokeonhisfriends

2.Whenthecaptainknewasailorwasill,he.

A.didn’tcaremuch

B.sentforadoctor

C.lookedafterhimandtoldhimtohavearest

D.gavehimsomemedicine

3.Thepatientsfeltbetterquicklybecause.

A.theyhadbeengivenpropermedicine

B.theylearnedthatthecaptainhadfoundoutthetruth

C.theywerelaughedatbytheirfriends

D.themedicinethemategavewashorrible

4.Whenthecaptainknewhehadbeendeceived,he.

A.toldthemnottodosoagain

B.losthistemper

C.madethemworkharder

D.firedthem

5.Whichofthefollowingbestsummarizesthepassage?

A.AsuddenCure.

B.TwoPatients.

C.CaptainandSailors.

D.ADifficultVoyage.

Rumorsareeverywhere,spreadingfear,damagingreputations,andturningcalmsituationsinto____ones.

PASSAGETWO

(1)TheNobelsaretheoriginals,ofcourse.AlfredNobel,themanwhoinventeddeadlyexplosives,decidedtotryanddosomethinggoodwithallthemoneyheearned,andgaveprizestopeoplewhomadeprogressinliterature,science,economicsand—perhapsmostimportantly—peace.

(2)NotallrewardsareasnobleastheNobels.Eventhoughmostcountrieshaveasystemofrecognizing,honoringandrewardingpeoplewhohavedonesomethinggoodintheircountries,therearenowhundredsofawardsandawardceremoniesforallkindsofthings.

(3)TheOscarsareprobablythemostfamous,atimeforthe(mostly)Americanfilmindustrytotellitselfhowgooditisandanannualopportunityforlotsofbigstarstogiveeachotherawardsandmaketearfulspeeches.AswellasthattherearealsotheGoldenGlobes,evidentlyforthesamething.

(4)Butit’snotonlyfilms---therearealsoGrammies,Brits,theMercuryPrizeandtheMTVformusic.InBritain,awriterwhowinstheBookerPrizecanexpecttoseetheirdifficult,literarynovelhitthebestsellerlistsandcompetewiththeDaVinciCodeforpopularity.TheTurnerPrizeisanawardforBritishcontemporaryartists—eachyearitcausescontroversybyapparentlygivinglotsofmoneytoartistswhodothingslikedisplayingtheirbeds,puttinganimalsinglasscasesor—thisyear—buildingagardenshed.

(5)Awardsdon’tonlyexistforarts.TherearenowawardsforSportsPersonalityoftheYear,forEuropeanFootballeroftheYearandWorldFootballeroftheYear.Thisseemsverystrange—sometimesawardscanbegoodtogiverecognitiontopeoplewhodeserveit,ortohelppeoplewhodon’tmakealotofmoneycarryontheirworkwithoutworryingaboutfinances,butprofessionalsoccerplayersthesedayscertainlyaren’tshortofcash!

(6)Manysmalltownsandcommunitiesallovertheworldalsohavetheirownawardceremonies,forlocalwritersorartists,orjustforpeoplewhohavegraduatedfromhighschoolor,gotauniversitydegree.EventheBritishCouncilhasitsownawardsfor“InnovationinEnglishLanguageTeaching”.

(7)Whyhavealltheseawardsandceremoniesappearedrecently?Shakespeareneverwonaprize, nordidLeonardoDaVinciorAdamSmithorCharlesDickens.

(8)Itwouldbepossibletosay,however,thatinthepast,scientistsandartistscouldwin“patronageformrichpeople”—akingoralordwouldgivetheartistsorscientistsmoneytohavethempainttheirpalacesorhelpthemdevelopnewwaysofmakingmoney.Withthechangeinsocialsystemsacrosstheworld,thisnolongerhappens.Alotofscientificresearchisnoweitherfundedbythestateorbyprivatecompanies.

(9)Perhapsawardceremoniesarejustthemostrecentphaseofthisprocess.

(10)However,thereismoretoitthanthat.WhenafilmwinsanOscar,manymorepeoplewillgoandseeit,orbuytheDVD.WhenawriterwinstheNobelPrize,manymorepeoplebuytheirbooks.WhenagroupwinstheMTVawards,theceremonyisseenbyhundredsofthousandsofpeopleacrosstheworld.Theresult?Thegroupsellslotsmorerecords.(11)Mostawardceremoniesarenowsponsoredbybigorganizationsorcompanies.Thismeansthatitisnotonlythepersonwhowinstheawardwhobenefits---butalsothesponsors.TheMTVawards,forexample,aregreatforpublicizingnotonlymusic,butalsoMTVitself!

(12)Onthesurface,itseemstobea“Win-win”situation,witheveryonebeinghappy,butletmeaskyouaquestion—howfardoyouthinkthatpublicityandmarketingarewinninghere,andhowmuchgenuinerecognitionofachievementistakingplace?

1.Whatistheauthor’stonewhenhementionsawardssuchastheOscars,theGoldenGlobesand

Grammies(Paras.3&4)

A.Amused.

B.Appreciative.

C.Sarcastic.

D.Serious.

2.AccordingtoPara.4,whatwouldhappentoawardwinningwriters?

A.Theywouldenjoyamuchlargerreadership.

B.Theywouldturntopopularnovelwriting.

C.Theywouldcontinuenon-fictionwriting.

D.Theywouldtrycontroversialformsofart.

3.WhichofthefollowingstatementsbestsumsupPara.6?

A.Awardsceremoniesareheldforlocalpeople.

B.Awardsceremoniesareheldonimportantoccasions.

C.Awardsceremoniesareheldincertainprofessions.

D.Awardsceremoniesareheldforallsortsofreasons.

4.AccordingtoPara.8,onedifferencebetweenscientistsandartistsinthepastandthoseatpresent

liesin_____________.

A.natureofwork

B.personalcontact

C.sourceoffunding

D.socialstatus

5.ItcanbeconcludedfromPara.12thattheauthorthinksawards________.

A.promotemarketratherthanachievements

B.dogoodtobothmarketandpopularity

C.helpthosewhoarereallytalented

D.areeffectiveinmakingpeoplepopular