Section B
Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice.
Yao Ming's preseason performances, however, were questionable, and left many wondering why he was the first overall pick. He started the regular season on the bench, and seemed to be a long project and years away from becoming a major contributor to the team. However, he began to turn things around in mid-November. In a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, he scored 20 points, making all of his shots (9 field goals and two flee throws) against one of the best teams in the NBA. This performance led to a memorable televised incident where TNT basketball analyst Charles Barkley, having lost a bet in which he stated Yao wood never score 20 points in a game for the season, was supposed to literally kiss the ass of TNT co-analyst Kenny Smith, but was forced to fulfill the bet on a donkey brought onto the TV set by Smith. Two games later, against the Rockets' in-state rival Dallas Mavericks, he deposited 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in a game that showed that Yao could definitely play as a starter. By the end of the month, Yao was firmly entrenched in the starting lineup.
By December and January, Yao was proving to be a highly consistent starter. He put up only a few big games, largely because he didn't play as many minutes in games, but he helped his team whenever he took to the court. Eventually, he was perceived as a rival to the Lakers' star center Shaquille O'Neal, turning Rockets/Lakers games into Yao vs. Shaq games. O'Neal was criticized for comments he made before the season when asked about the matchups (对手), as he told a reporter to leave Yao a message which mimicked the Chinese language. Yao took it in his stride, and eased the situation by joking that "Chinese is a hard language to learn."
That sort of good humour and light-heartedness off the court, plus his reputation for being very personable, made him extremely popular among fans. His likeability inspired a catchy song in the Houston area by artists Chance McClain and Kevin Ryan (loosely based on the popular "Ole" chants you wood hear at a European football game), and Yao quickly became one of the league's most marketable players. Featured in advertisements of Apple, Gatorade, and a popular Super Bowl ad for Visa, it did not take long for "Yan Ming" to become a household name.
How does the author comment on Yao's performance during the preseason?
A. Just so-so.
B. Satisfactory
C. Superb.
D. Incredible.
听力原文: Nobody can ever know who made the first doll. Perhaps a prehistoric man picked up a piece of wood or stone that looked like a human, What we do know is that early dolls were for magic and not for children. They were meant to bring good luck. The Greeks and Romans made wooden and clay dolls. Greek and Roman girls stayed with them until just before they were married when they took them to temple to show that they were grown up. About six hundred years ago, the dolls were sent all over French and abroad to show everyone how good French fashions were. The dolls wore nothing special. It was the place that counted. Dolls really became children's toys around eighteen hundred. Factories made plenty of them and rag dolls were made at home. Until about nineteen hundred dolls usually looked like grown-ups, not children. And later, dolls whose eyes could open and shut became popular.
(30)
A. They were first made of wood or stone.
B. They were invented in Greek.
C. They were meant to bring good luck.
D. They were children's favourite toys.
听力原文:W: Why didn't you have your geology class today?
M: Only three out of a class of twenty-five showed up. Since the professor had planned to present a complex demonstration, he decided to cancel the class until everybody could be present.
Q: Why didn't the geology class meet today?
(18)
A. The class thought the demonstration was too complex.
B. Too many students showed up.
C. The professor didn't show up.
D. The professor cancelled it.
听力原文:W: How do you like your new job, David?
M: Fine. This week I have been reading the financial reports and studying the books. Next week I will probably start to handle some of the accounts.
What docs the man do for a living?
(17)
A. He is a librarian
B. He is a professor.
C. He is an accountant
D. He is a reporter.