专业的教育资料 考试时间： 100 分钟

第一部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）

第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

He lived his whole life as a poor man. His art and talent were recognized by almost no one. He suffered from a mental illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later. But after his death, he achieved world fame. Today, Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh is recognized as one of the leading artists of all time.

Now, 150 years after his birth on March 30, 1853, Zundert, the town of his birth, has made 2003 “The van Gogh Year” in his honor. And the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary with exhibitions throughout the year. The museum draws around 1.3 million visitors every year. Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life. Others are first interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art. Van Gogh was the son of a pastor(牧师). He left school when he was just 15. By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery salesman and a French teacher. Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art. Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene. His style is marked by short, broad brush strokes(笔画).“Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use color more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly,” he wrote in a letter to his brother in 1888.

Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life. He relied heavily on the support from his brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris. But now his works are sold for millions of dollars. His portrait of Dr. Gacher sold for $89.5 million in 1990. It is the highest price ever paid for a painting. “I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant colors in them are attractive to people,” said a Van Gogh’s fan.

1. All through his life, Van Gogh .

A. depended on his brother B. worked hard on art studies C. was not recognized by people D. expressed himself in paintings 2.Van Gogh killed himself because of . A. the poor life B. his illness

C. his pain from left ear D. the objections from the artists

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专业的教育资料 of his time

3.One of the characteristics of Van Gogh’s paintings is . A. the likeness between his paintings and the reality B. the short time for him to complete a painting C. the various styles mixed together D. the special strokes he made

4.We can infer from the passage that . A. his powerful art came from his poor life B. his fellow townsmen regret treating him unfairly

C. all his paintings were drawn in the last 10 years of his life D. most of his paintings are kept in the museum of his hometown

B

India now accounts for (占据)17.5% of the world’s population - India’s population has grown by more than 181 million people over the past decade to 1.21 billion, according to the 2011 census (人口普查)result.

The figure shows India’s large population is growing fast — 181 million is only slightly lower than the entire population of Brazil. But the speed of growth has slowed — from 21. 5% in the last ten years to 17.6% now.

More people now live in India than in the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan and Bangladesh combined.

India is on course to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation by 2030, but its growth rate is falling, figures show. The census also shows a continuing preference for boys — India’s sex ratio (比例)is at its worst since the country was founded in 1947.

Statistics show fewer girls than boys are being born or surviving. The gender imbalance has widened every ten years since 1947. According to the 2011 census, there were 914 girls for every 1,000 boys under the age of six.

“This is a serious problem,” Census Commissioner C. Chandramauli told a press conference in the capital, New Delhi. Government officials said they would review all their policies towards it, which they admitted were failing. The male population has grown by 17.19% to reach 623.7 million while the female population has risen by 18.12% to reach 586.5 million.

Uttar Pradesh, the census shows, is the most populous state with 199 million people and Lakshadweep the least populated at 64,429.

There is good news in the field of education. The literacy rate (识字率)has gone up from about 65% in 2001 to 74% in 2011.

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专业的教育资料 India started the 2011 census in April last year and its census is carried out every 10 years.

5. According to the text, what’s the speed of India’s population growth now? A. 21.5%. B. 17.6%. C. 17.19%. D. 18.12%. 6. The underlined word “it” in the text refers to . A. the literacy rate B. India’s large population C. the 2011 census D. the gender imbalance 7.We can learn from the text that . A. more Indians have been educated in the past ten years B. New Delhi has a larger population than Uttar Pradesh C. Brazil’s population is lower than 181 million

D. India will have a larger population than China in ten years 8.In which section of a magazine could this passage be found? A. Travel & Custom. B. World & Population. C. Education & Development. D. Economy & Environment

C

Perhaps one of the most outstanding things about South African culture is that it is not one single culture, but rather a range of different cultures, making South Africa one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world.

There are a number of cultural attractions in South Africa which are definitely worth visiting. Take, for instance, one of the most famous ones—Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela, the first black president of the country, was once imprisoned ! for his efforts to free his people from oppression. In KwaZulu-Natal you will find that the Zulu culture is still very much alive in the descendents (后代)of the ancient Zulu king Shaka at Shakaland. Here tribal dance and song is performed with vigor and you can explore the mysterious world of the Sangoma with much ceremony. In the Eastern Cape you’ll discover the remains of Saartjie Baartman—a woman who suffered terrible humiliation at the hands of self-righteous (自以为是的) Europeans and who has become a symbol of female empowerment (赋权) some 200 years after her death. A visit to the Drakensberg Mountains will make you learn about some of the oldest rock art in the country, while a trip to the different kinds of art galleries and theaters in most of the cities and towns is an excellent way to enjoy South African art and drama. Music is another part of South African culture which exemplifies the range and diversity of this country's culture.

Classical music, although European in nature, is enjoyed regularly at all fresco(壁画) concerts across the country amidst the beauty of large botanical gardens.

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