1、Passage 4Do you know who Benjamin Banneker was and what he did? Benjamin Banneker was a
self-educated scientist at a time when most African Americans were slaves. Born a free black man
in the British Colony of Maryland in 1731, he received some formal education, but he mostly
borrowed books and taught himself science and mathematics. At 22, he borrowed a pocket watch,
and without any training, figured out how to carve a working wooden clock that chimed each hour. Because of this clock, he became well known and people would visit him just to see his creation.
Banneker ran his family farm from many years, but when he was in his late 50s, a neighbor‘s
son lent him a telescope. He became interested in astronomy, the study of the planets and stars,
and again taught himself a new science. He made calculations of tides, sunrises and sunsets, and
even predicted an eclipse. For several years he published an almanac of these calculations. Today,
he is best known for publishing six almanacs, called ―Benjamin Banneker‘s Almanac‖ between
1792 and 1797.
In the 1790s, Banneker also helped survey and lay out the land for Washington, D. C., which
became the nation‘s capital. For a look at Banneker‘s amazing life, visit the Benjamin Banneker
Historical Park & Museum in Ellicott City, Maryland.2. What subjects did Benjamin teach himself?

88.My family( )on my father‘s unemployment benefit after he lost his job.

A. 　got off

B. 　 got from

C. 　 got by

D. 　 got through

18.It is when you nearly lose someone( )you become fully conscious of how much you value them.

A. 　as

B. 　 so

C. 　 that

D. 　 when

5、20、

A. important

B. mysterious

C. special

D. clear

1、Passage 1
The secret of being born lucky is a summer birthday, with May babies most likely to enjoy a lifetime‘s good fortune, according to a study of more than 40,000 people. The time of year at which you are born has an enduring influence on levels of optimism and self-reported luck, according to a research by British and Swedish scientists. May was the luckiest month in which to be born, with 50 percent of those born then considering themselves lucky, while October was the least lucky month, with just 43 percent claiming good fortune.
The findings add to growing evidence that the phenomenon of luck is not all down to chance, but is affected by a person‘s general disposition. Other research has shown that whether people think themselves fortunate depends less on objective success than on having a ―glass half-full‖ or“half-empty‖ approach to life. ―What we are seeing suggests that something is influencing how people perceive their luckiness. My hypothesis is that people create their own luck by traits such as optimism, that luck is a psychological phenomenon rather than a matter of blind chance,‖ said Professor Richard Wiseman, who led the research.
The pattern of the result, with those born in spring and in summer reporting themselves luckier than those born in autumn or winter, could have two potential explanations, Professor Wiseman said.2.According to the passage, those who were born in regard themselves as the most fortunate.

A. 　March

B. 　 April

C. 　 May

D. 　 October

5、10、

A. in

B. at

C. with

D. for

9、12、

A. equivalents

B. same

C. parallels

D. equals

127.He is such a man who is always( )fault with other people.

A. 　putting

B. 　 seeking

C. 　 finding

D. 　 looking for

4、15、

A. 　 Without

B. 　 Using

C. 　 Not being used

D. 　 With

1、Passage 16Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I
also explain that there‘s a big difference between ―being a writer‖, and writing. In most cases these
individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at a typewriter. ―You‘ve got to want to write,‖ I say to them, ―not want to be a writer.‖
The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed
by fortune, there are thousands more whose longing is never rewarded. When I left a 20-year
career in the U.S. Coast Guard to become a freelance writer, I had no prospects at all. What I did
have was a friend who found me a place in a New York apartment building. It didn‘t even matter
that it was cold and had no bathroom. I immediately bought a used manual typewriter and felt like
a genuine writer.
After a year or so, however, I still hadn‘t gotten a break and began to doubt myself. It was so
hard to sell a story that barely made enough to eat. But I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed
about it for years. I wasn‘t going to be one of those people who die wondering – what if I would
keep putting my dream to the last even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure.
This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there5. ―Shadowland‖ in the last sentence refers to _____

A. 　the wonderland one often dreams about

B. 　the bright future that one is looking forward to

C. 　the state of uncertainty before one‘s final goal is reached

D. 　a world that exists only in one‘s imagination

17.The driver admitted that not only( ), but he didn‘t have a driving license either.

A. 　was not he insured

B. 　 he was insured not

C. 　 was he not insured

D. 　 he was not insured