吉林省实验中学2014届高三上学期第四次阶段检测英语试题试卷(3)

Granted, I’m not qualified to speak on the subject．I’ve got no world records to my name, and I never expect to have any．Then again, maybe I am qualified to speak for those of us who have better things to do than train for years to sing an 80-hour medley （集成曲）of pop songs．
But let’s not just pick on poor Burbure．He’s not the only person chasing meaningless accolades（荣誉）．The Guinness Book of World Records is full of the names of people who at one time grew the longest hair, or built the biggest bicycle, or baked the largest cheesecake．
To all of these enterprising souls I ask, simply, “What was it all for?”
Congratulations! For all of your painstaking effort, you became a footnote in a thick book that no one reads, except for you and the person who will eventually surpass you, with one more hour of singing, a few more centimeters of steel or a few more pounds of cheese．
After all, records are made to be broken．
56．From the text, we can conclude that the author _________．
A．thinks singing for 80 hours straight is completely meaningless
B．feels it a pity he was not invited to share the happiness with the Burbures
C．is quite worried about Burbure’s vocal cords
D．has no Guinness records, so he admires Burbures’ feat
57．Before someone wins a Guinness record, he or she has to ________．
A．become an international celebrity
B．know all about Guinness records
C．practice a great deal
D．bear great stress for fear of injury
58．We can infer from the article that ________．
A．after the 80 hours of singing, Burbure could no longer speak
B．Burbure’s wife didn’t support his attempt to make a Guinness record
C．many have criticized Burbure for his stupid behavior
D．challenging a Guinness record may be harmful to the health
59．The author’s attitude to some Guinness world records is ________．
A．positive  B．impressed  C．negative  D．touched
B
I once had a friend that was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the news that he might only live up to six months was a great shock to him, his family, and his friends．However, in spite of the serious illness, he was initially（开始）determined to look into all available treatments that might cure or extend his life．I think that when you find yourself in such situations, you tend to look up every possible way for hope of saving your life．
As months went on and his health grew worse, I noticed an unexpected change in attitude that came over him．He had also been a happy person with a cheerful personality, but rather than give in to discouragement and self-pity, he took comfort in God and humanity（人性）．His talks focused on others rather than himself, and he spoke of the afterlife as something he was prepared for, believing that his concerned ancestors, including his mother and father, were there waiting for him．
During the last few months, weeks, and days of his life, he was kindly cared for by family, friends, his loving wife, who looked after both his physical and emotional needs, and workers from a local hospice（安养院）came to the home to regulate（调节）his medication（药）and provide any other needed support．He didn't complain about his fate, and he willingly allowed others to serve him．
Indeed, one might think why God allows death and suffering in our world, but for me, such experiences taught me to value family more and kindness for others．You often can't learn these important attributes（属性）in the lap of luxury, and perhaps, such an experience is the greatest and final gift the illness can give those left behind．
60．Which word can best describe the man's initial reaction as soon as he was diagnosed with cancer?
A．Satisfied．  B．Sad   C．Surprised   D．Concerned．
61．What did the man do after he first learned of his illness?
A．He was operated on immediately．
B．He researched cancer treatments．
C．He retired from his job
D．He felt sad, doing nothing．
62．What was the man's main source of comfort after several months with the disease? 
A．His family and friends．      B．The care from others
C．His doctors’ encouragement．  D．His belief in humanity．
63．What did the author learn from his friend’s story?
A．Getting comfort from God．
B．Extending life as possible．
C．Caring for yourself and enjoying luxury．
D．Giving more respect to friends
C
Although credit cards are becoming a more acceptable part of the financial scene, they are still regarded with doubts by many as being a major part of the “live now pay later” syndrome（综合症）．Along with hire-purchase, rental and leasing schemes（租赁项目）, they provide encouragement to spend more money．Of course, it is only the hotheaded who give way to the temptation to live, temporarily at least, beyond their means, and such people would no doubt manage to do so even without credit cards．
Advertising campaigns have, however, promoted a growing realization of the advantages of these small pieces of plastic. They prevent need to carry large amounts of cash and are always useful in emergencies．
All the credit card organizations charge interest on a monthly basis which may work out as high as 25 per cent a year, yet sensible purchasing using a card can mean that you obtain up to seven weeks, interest-free credit．Using the card abroad, where items frequently take a long time to be included on your account, can extend this period even further．
It is worthwhile shopping around before deciding on a particular credit card. It is necessary to consider the amount of credit granted; interest rates, which may vary slightly; the number and range of outlets（经销店）, though most cards cover major garages, hotels, restaurants and department stores; and of course, what happens if your card is lost or stolen．A credit card thief may be sitting on a potential goldmine particularly if there is a delay in reporting the loss of the card．