ThediscoveryoftheAntarcticnotonlyprovedoneofthemostinterestingofallgeographicaladventures,butcreatedwhatmightbecalled“theheroicageofAntarcticexploration”.Bytheirtremendousheroism,mensuchasShakleton,Scott,andAmundsencausedanewcontinenttoemergefromtheshadows,andyetthatheroicage,littlemorethanacenturyold,isalreadypassing.Modernscienceandinventionsarerevolutionizingtheendurance,futurejourneysintotheseicywasteswillprobablydependonmotorvehiclesequippedwithcaterpillartractionratherthanonthedogsthatearlierdiscoverersfoundsoinvaluableandhardlycomparable.

FewrealizethatthisAntarcticcontinentisalmostequalinsizetoSouthAmerica,andenormousfieldofworkawaitsgeographersandprospectors.Thecoastsofthiscontinentremaintobeaccuratelycharted,andthemapingofthewholeoftheinteriorpresentsaformidabletasktothecartographerswhoundertakethework.Oncetheirlaborsarecompleted,itwillbepossibletoprospectthevastnaturalresourceswhichscientistsbelievewillfurnishoneofthelargesttreasurehoardsofmetalsandmineralstheworldhasyetknown,andalmostinexhaustiblesourcesofcopper,coal,uranium,andmanyotheroreswillbecomeavailabletoman.SuchdiscoverieswillusherinaneraofpracticalexploitationoftheAntarcticwastes.

Thepolardarknesswhichhidesthiscontinentforthesixwintermonthswillbedefeatedbyhugebatteriesoflight,andmakepossibletheestablishingofair-fieldsforthefutureinter-continentalairservicesbymakingtheseareasaslightasday.Presentflyingrouteswillbecompletelychanged,fortheAntarcticrefuelingbaseswillmakeflightsfromAustraliatoSouthAmericacomparativelyeasyoverthe5,000milesjourney.

Theclimateisnotlikelytoofferaninsuperableproblem,fortheexplorerAdmiralByrdhasshownthattheclimateispossibleevenformencompletelyuntrainedforexpeditionsintothosefrozenwastes.Someofhispartiesweremenwhohadneverseensnowbefore,andyetherecordsthattheysurvivedtherigorsoftheAntarcticclimatecomfortably,sothat,providedthattheappropriateinstallationsaremade,wemayassumethathumanbeingsfromallcountriescouldlivetheresafely.Byrdevenaffirmsthatitisprobablythemosthealthyclimateintheworld,fortheintensecoldofthousandsofyearshassterilizethiscontinent,andrendereditabsolutelygermfree,withtheconsequencesthatordinaryandextraordinarysicknessanddiseasesfromwhichmansuffersinotherzoneswithdifferentclimatesarehereutterlyunknown.Thereexistnoproblemsofconservationandpreservationoffoodsupplies,forthelatterkeepindefinitelywithoutanysignsofdeterioration;itmayevenbethatlatergenerationswillcometoregardtheAntarcticasthenaturalstorehouseforthewholeworld.

Plansarealreadyonfoottosetuppermanentbasesontheshoresofthiscontinent,andwhatsofewyearsagowasregardedasa“deadcontinent”nowpromisestobeamostactivecenterofhumanlifeandendeavor.

1.WhendidmanbegintoexploretheAntarctic?

A.About100yearsago.

B.Inthiscentury.

C.Atthebeginningofthe19thcentury.

D.In1798.

2.Whatmusttheexplorersbe,eventhoughtheyhavemodernequipmentandtechniques?

A.Braveandtough

B.Stubbornandarrogant.

C.Well-likedandhumorous.

D.Stoutandsmart.

3.Themosthealthyclimateintheworldis___.

A.inSouthAmerica.

B.intheArcticRegion.

C.intheAntarcticContinent.

D.intheAtlanticOcean.

4.WhatkindofmetalsandmineralscanwefindintheAntarctic?

A.Magnetite,coalandores.

B.Copper,coalanduranium.

C.Silver,naturalgasanduranium.

D.Aluminum,copperandnaturalgas.

5.Whatisplannedforthecontinent?

A.Buildingdamsalongthecoasts.

B.Settingupseveralsummerresortsalongthecoasts.

C.Mappingthecoastandwholeterritory.

D.Settinguppermanentbasesonthecoasts.

Directions:

Inthissection,youwillheartwopassages.Attheendofeachpassage,youwillhearsomequestions.Boththepassageandthequestionsmwillbespokenonlyonce.Afteryouhearaquestion,youmustchoosethebestanswerfromthefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.ThenmarkthecorrespondingletterontheAnswerSheetwithasinglelinethroughthecentre.PassageOneQuestions9to12arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.

9、A.Sheescapedunhurt.

B.Shewitnessedtheshooting.

C.Shewasshottodeath.

D.Shewas15yearsold.

10、A.5.B.7.C.11.D.12.

11、A.Spear'sdigitalcamera.

B.Onesuspect'sgun.

C.Thequeen'svideo.

D.Berry'spurse.

12、A.Civiliansshouldkeepawayfromthebusinesszone.

B.Everybodyshouldthinkabouthowtofightagainstcrimes.

C.Governmentshouldscheduletonegotiatewithterrorists.

D.Peopleshouldemigratebecauseofdomestichighcrimerate.PassageTwo

Questions13to15arebasedonthepassageyouhavejustheard.

13、A.Increasingsalaries.

B.Surgingenergyproduction.

C.Boominghousingmarket.

D.Risinginterestrates.

14、A.Increasinginterestrate.

B.Decreasingfinancialproducts.

C.Buyingsubstantialsecurities.

D.Expandingfinancialbusiness.

15、A.Frackingcaninfluencetheburningoffossilfuels.

B.Theuseoffrackingwilldoharmtoenvironment.

C.Frackingtechnologyisasafepracticeinindustry.

D.Theuseoffrackingisbeneficialtopeople'shealth.

Letchildrenlearntojudgetheirownwork.Achildlearningtotalkdoesnotlearnbybeingcorrectedallthetime;ifcorrectedtoomuch,hewillstoptalking.Henoticesathousandtimesadaythedifferencebetweenthelanguagesheusesandthelanguagethosearoundhimuse.Bitbybit,hemakesthenecessarychangestomakehislanguagelikeotherpeople.Inthesameway,whenchildrenlearntodoalltheotherthingstheylearntodowithoutbeingtaught-towalk,run,climb,whistle,rideabicycle-comparethoseperformanceswiththoseofmoreskilledpeople,andslowlymaketheneededchanges.Butinschoolwenevergiveachildachancetofindouthisownmistakesforhimself,letalonecorrectthem.Wedoitallforhim.Weactasifwethoughtthathewouldnevernoticeamistakeunlessitwaspointedouttohim,orcorrectitunlesshewasmadeto.Soonhebecomesdependentontheteacher.Lethimdoithimself.Lethimworkout,withthehelpofotherchildrenifhewantsit,whatthiswordsays,whatansweristothatproblem,whetherthisisagoodwayofsayingordoingthisornot.

Ifitisamatterofrightanswers,asitmaybeinmathematicsorscience,givehimtheanswerbook.Lethimcorrecthisownpapers.Whyshouldweteacherswastetimeonsuchroutinework?Ourjobshouldbetohelpthechildwhenhetellsusthathecan’tfindthewaytogettherightanswer.Let’sendthisnonsenseofgrades,exams,marks,Letusthrowthemallout,andletthechildrenlearnwhatalleducatedpersonsmustsomedaylearn,howtomeasuretheirownunderstanding,howtoknowwhattheyknowordonotknow.

Letthemgetonwiththisjobinthewaythatseemssensibletothem.Withourhelpasschoolteachersiftheyaskforit.Theideathatthereisabodyofknowledgetobelearntatschoolandusedfortherestofone’slifeisnonsenseinaworldascomplicatedandrapidlychangingasours.Anxiousparentsandteacherssay,“Butsupposetheyfailtolearnsomethingessentialtheywillneedtogetintheworld?”Don’tworry!Ifitisessential,theywillgooutintotheworldandlearnit.

1.Whatdoestheauthorthinkisthebestwayforchildrentolearnthings?

A.bycopyingwhatotherpeopledo.

B.bymakingmistakesandhavingthemcorrected.

C.bylisteningtoexplanationsfromskilledpeople.

D.byaskingagreatmanyquestions.

2.Whatdoestheauthorthinkteachersdowhichtheyshouldnotdo?

A.Theygivechildrencorrectanswers.

B.Theypointoutchildren’smistakestothem.

C.Theyallowchildrentomarktheirownwork.

D.Theyencouragechildrentomarktocopyfromoneanother.

3.Thepassagesuggeststhatlearningtospeakandlearningtorideabicycleare___.

A.notreallyimportantskills.

B.moreimportantthanotherskills.

C.basicallydifferentfromlearningadultskills.

D.basicallythesameaslearningotherskills.

4.Exams,grades,andmarksshouldbeabolishedbecausechildren’sprogressshouldonlybeestimatedby___.

A.educatedpersons.

B.thechildrenthemselves.

C.teachers.

D.parents.

5.Theauthorfearsthatchildrenwillgrowupintoadultswhilebeing___.

A.tooindependentofothers.

B.toocriticalofthemselves.

C.incapabletothinkforthemselves.

D.incapabletousebasicskills.

翻译：

邓小平同志曾说：“社会主义财富属于人民，社会主义的致富是全民共同致富。”构建和谐社会，就是要把民生问题作为重中之重，让广大人民群众有活干，有学上，有饭吃，有衣穿，有屋住，病有医，老有养，生活幸福，都过上好日子。自此，在就业、教育、收入分配、医疗、养老、住房等领域，一大批关注民生的实事工程接连开工，一件件事关百姓冷暖的民生大事让各族群众喜笑颜开。

翻译训练：

筷子(chopsticks)是中国传统的独具特色的进食工具(diningutensils)，至今已有数千年的历史。筷子在古代被称为“箸”，大约从明朝开始才有了“筷子”的称呼。筷子多为竹子制成，也有用木头、象牙(ivory)、金属或其他材料制作而成。它要么上方下圆，要么上下全圆而上粗下细。不管其形状如何，筷子必须是成对使用的，并且两只筷子的大小长短要相同。筷子是中国人日常生活的必备工具，它的发明充分反映了中国人民的智慧。