The noise is so faint that the engineers have to （ ） their ears to hear it.

A.stir B.stress C.strain D.stride

The poet William Blake wrote in the early nineteenth century: “ Great things are done when men and mountains meet. ” Great things indeed were done on Mount Everest in May of 1996. Also poignant things, foolish things, deadly things: Hundreds of climbers from eleven different expeditions were on the mountain — thirty-one near the summit — when a freakish and fierce-some storm blew in. Eight climbers perished, the highest one-day death toll since the first expedition tried to reach the top of the world’s tallest peak in 1921.Adventurers have always sought challenges: deeper jungles, wider oceans, newer worlds. But mountains have been special. Perhaps it’s their size, their power, their resistance to conquest. In Patrick Meyers’s play K2, a marooned climber on the Himalaya peak that gives the play its name delivers this line: “Mountains are metaphors. ” And so they are. Climbers search not just for summits but also for themselves. They reach up to reach in.That helps explain why Everest has been enveloped by “Mountain Madness”, the name of a Seattle company that offers guided tours of the peak for about $ 65,000 ( plus airfare to Nepal). New technology and equipment have also helped: lighter gear, warmer clothing, better radios and telephones. And the adventure can be shared, practically in real time, with Internet browsers around the world.But the community of high-mountain explorers now is gripped by soul-searching and second- guessing. Everest, after all, is not a theme peak. Some of the dead were experienced guides who lost their lives trying to save less agile amateurs. Said Mark Bryant, editor of Outside Magazine: Some of us have been asking: “Is it right that an average climber can order an ascent of Everest out of a catalog?” An Australian mountaineer, Tim McCartney-Snape, told the Associated Press: “Some things should remain sacred, and Everest is one of them. Even the strongest and toughest have found it can be extremely difficult just existing at that altitude, without other people depending on you. ”On Everest, dependency can lead to heroism and to tragedy. One frostbitten amateur, Seaborne Weathers of Dallas, was plucked from a rocky ledge at 22, 000 feet by a Nepalese army helicopter—an act of incredible bravery. And Rob Hall, a guide who had climbed Everest several times, stayed on its slops with a dying customer. After learning they were hopelessly trapped, Hall managed to place a satellite telephone call to his pregnant wife, Jan, in New Zealand. “Hey, look,” he told her, “don’t worry about me. ” At that moment, Hall remembered Harold, the character in K2 who muses: “Understanding has no meaning, Holding on, just holding on, that has meaning. ” Like Harold, he knew the mountain was still a mountain. Still a goal. Still a dream. And he couldn’t hold on. Rob Hall died before rescuers could reach him.

1.Which of the following statements best describes the author’s point of view?2.The sentence “They reach up to reach in” may be best paraphrased by “（ ） ”.3.All of the following statements are true EXCEPT（ ）.4.In the last paragraph, Harold’s saying “Understanding has no meaning” means（ ） .5.Most likely, the author of this passage is（ ） .

A.Amateurs should not be encouraged to climb Mount Everest. B.Guided tours of Mount Everest have become a source of enormous profits. C.In the past, Mount Everest has made heroes out of ordinary men and women. D.Mount Everest should remain a metaphor to be talked about.问题2： A.To know the inherent meaning of a mountain, one needs to climb up to the top B.In conquering the mountain, one finds a proof of oneself C.Mountaineers must climb upward in order to climb inside it D.One needs to climb up to the top to see why a mountain is metaphorical问题3： A.Mountain climbing can have a live report simultaneously B.Mountaineers can be located instantly during their climbing C.New technology significantly reduces risks and dangers in mountain climbing D.It is more dangerous to have someone depending on you during mountain climbing问题4： A.determination is more vital than th

Because humans have to talk about the limitless world by means of limited language sounds, there is a great（ ） between the world and language.

A.apathy B.anomaly C.asymmetry D.agnosticism

At this school we aim to _____ the minds of all the students by reading.

A.cultivate B.instruct C.teach D.coach

（ ） the advice from the councilor, we would not have finished the task so smoothly.

A.Out of B.What with C.But for D.Instead of

Only two countries in the advanced world provide no guarantee for paid leave from work to care for a newborn child. Last spring one of the two, Australia, gave up that dubious distinction by establishing paid family leave starting in 2011. I wasn’t surprised when this didn’t make the news here in the United States—we’re now the only wealthy country without such a policy.The United States does have one explicit family policy, the Family and Medical Leave Act, passed in 1993. It entitles workers to as much as 12 weeks’ unpaid leave for care of a newborn or dealing with a family medical problem. Despite the modesty of the benefit, the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups fought it bitterly, describing it as “government-run personnel management” and a “dangerous precedent”. In fact, every step of the way, as (usually) Democratic leaders have tried to introduce work-family balance measures into the law, business groups have been strongly opposed.As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues, justifying parental support depends on defining the family as a social good that, in some sense, society must pay for. In her book No Exit: What Parents Owe Their Children and What Society Owes Parents, she argues that parents are burdened in many ways in their lives: there is “no exit” when it comes to children. “Society expects—and needs—parents to provide their children with continuity of care, meaning the intensive, intimate care that human beings need to develop their intellectual, emotional and moral capabilities. And society expects—and needs—parents to persist in their roles for 18 years, or longer if needed.”While most parents do this out of love, there are public penalties for not providing care. What parents do, in other words, is of deep concern to the state, for the obvious reason that caring for children is not only morally urgent but essential for the future of society. The state recognizes this in the large body of family laws that govern children’s welfare, yet parents receive little help in meeting the life-changing obligations society imposes. To classify parenting as a personal choice for which there is no collective responsibility is not merely to ignore the social benefits of good parenting; really, it is to steal those benefits because they accrue to the whole of society as today’s children become tomorrow, s productive citizenry. In fact, by some estimates, the value of parental investments in children, investments of time and money (including lost wages) , is equal to 20-30% of gross domestic product. If these investments generate huge social benefits—as they clearly do—the benefits of providing more social support for the family should be that much clearer.

1.What do we learn about paid family leave from the first paragraph?2.What has prevented the passing of work-family balance laws in the United States?3.What is Professor Anne Alston’s argument for parental support?4.What does the author think of America’s large body of family laws governing children’s welfare?5.Why does the author object to classifying parenting as a personal choice?

A.America is now the only developed country without the policy. B.It has now become a hot topic in the United States. C.It came as a surprise when Australia adopted the policy. D.Its meaning was clarified when it was established in Australia.问题2： A.The incompetence of the Democrats. B.The existing Family and Medical Leave Act. C.The lack of a precedent in American history. D.The opposition from business circles.问题3： A.The cost o£ raising children in the UShas been growing. B.Good parenting benefits society. C.The U. S. should keep up with other developed countries. D.Children need continuous care.问题4： A.They fail to ensure children, s healthy growth B.The fail to provide enough support for parents C.They emphasize parents’ legal responsibilities. D.They impose the care of children on parents.问题5： A.It is regarded as a legal obligation. B.It relies largely on social support. C.It generates huge social benefits. D.It is basically a social undertaking