When Lew Alcindor was 13, and obviously still growing, a group of schools began offering him scholarships（奖学金）. The Alcindors decided to send their only child to Power Memorial Academy, a small school on Manhattan’s West Side.
At Power. Alcindor came under the control of Coach Jack Donohue, a strict young man who already gained his fame as one of the best coaches in the city. Donohue brought Alcindor along slowly. As a first-year student, the boy was not able to do much but wave his long skinny arms and shoot a basket now and then. But by the second year, when he was 15 years old and nearly 7 feet tall, Alcindor was quick and skillful enough to make the high school All American team and to lead Power to an undefeated season.
From then on be simply got better. Some rival coaches（对方教练）used to take their teams quickly away from the floor before Power warmed up so that their players would not see him any sooner than they had to. Wearing size 16D shoes and sucking a lollipop（棒棒糖）, Alcindor would loosen up by starting his leaping lay-ups（擦板球）. Then he would casually shoot the ball with either hand, to the delight of the fans.
When reporters and photographers began to follow Alcindor closely, Donohue protected his boy firmly. He simply ordered Lew to talk to no member of the press, and this suited Lew fine. He was not comfortable talking to grownups, perhaps because he towered over them. Discouraged photographers began following him in secret as though he were an easily-frightened giraffe. “People want you not for yourself,” Donohue warned him, “but because you’re a basketball player. Don’t forget that.”
57. Many schools offered Alcindor scholarships because_______.
A. he was young B. he was hardworking
C. he was tall for his age D. he was skillful at playing basketball
58. Which of the following best describes Donohue as a young coach?
A. serious, popular and slow B. tall, skillful and successful
C. kind, powerful and undefeated D. well-known, strict and experienced
59. Why did some rival coaches take their teams away from the floor before Power warmed up?
A. Their teams refused to play Power. B. Their teams feared to see Alcindor.
C. Their teams would lose courage. D. Their teams would lose interest.
60. What does the last paragraph mainly discuss?
A. How Donohue protected Alcindor from the press.
B. How Alcindor disliked meeting reporters.
C. Why the press followed Alcindor closely. D. Why the public wanted Alcindor badly.
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题; 每小题2分,满分40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。
I felt encouraged by his words and began to swim more calmly.But my clothes stuck to me like a heavy weight.I could hardly stay above the surface.
Counsel saw this.“Shall I cut them?”he asked.
With a knife he cut my clothes from top to bottom and took them of quickly while I swam for both of us.Then I did the same for Counsel,and we continued to swim near each other.
But we were in serious trouble.The crew（船员）might not have noticed our disappearance.
And if they had,they could not return because the rudder（舵）had broken.Counsel thought of all this,and calmly made his plans.We decided to wait for the ship as long as possible,because we had no other hope of safety.I suggested that we save our strength so that both of us would not be tired out at the same time.This was how we did it:While one of us lay on his back,quite still,with arms crossed and legs stretched out（伸直）,the other would swim and push him along.We changed every ten minutes or so.In this way we could swim for hours,perhaps till daylight.The crash（破裂声）of the ship and the whale（鲸）had appeared at about eleven o’clock.We had about eight hours to swim before daylight.This seemed possible,if the sea remained calm.
56.What happened to the man who told the story?
A.He and his companion got into the water to test their strength.
B.He jumped into the water to save the broken rudder.
C.He was knocked into the water by his enemy.
D.He was thrown into the sea when the ship struck a whale.
57.Why did the two men cut their clothes?
A.Because no people helped them to take off their clothes.
B.Because they couldn’t take off their clothes on the sea.
C.Because they wanted to get rid of their clothes quickly.
D.Because they wanted to lifebuoys（救生圈）with their clothes.
58.What does the word “still” in the last paragraph mean?
A.not moving B.even C.yet D.however
59.In order to save their strength,______.
A.one of them pushed the other while swimming and then they changed
B.they both swam calmly
C.they crossed their arms and stretched their legs on the water
D.they lay on their backs instead of swimming
60.Which one of the following is true?
A.Neither of the two men was good swimmers.
B.The sea was calm before eleven o’clock that night.
C.The story took place at night.
D.The two men had to swim eight hours to catch up with the ship.
Identifying young people with the potential to be great athletes has become a serious, business around the world. Many countries, including Australia, have sophisticated(复杂) programs for identifying and nurturing(培养) talent.
The AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) already runs a program that identifies potential winners starting from the age of 12 based on their physical and physiological(生理的) abilities.
Could genetics improve these programs? The problem is that no one gene test is ever going to do an accurate job of identifying someone with the physical attributes of a sporting champion, says Professor North.
"We can think of the elite athlete as what I'd call a complex phenotype(表现型)," she says. “There are going to be a large number of different genes involved. Any one single test is unlikely to be highly predictive.”
Professor Peter Fricker, director of the AIS, agrees. Although he is intrigued in the possibilities of genetic testing, he says using such tests to identify athletes would be difficult. "The feeling I have is that it won't be that easy," he says. "Talent selection is not just about your genes."
Since 2004, the AIS has been forbidden by government from any involvement in genetic work, including genetic testing. But Professor Fricker thinks that is likely to change in the near future. "There's been a shift in view more recently," he says.
When it does, the AIS will resume its work on the genetics of sports performance, Professor Fricker says. They would be particularly interested in looking for more genes that might help shape elite performance, but also for genes that increase the risk of injury.
Last year, the Human Genetics Society of Australasia issued a position statement on gene testing for sport, after concerns that people could use tests to steer children into particular sports.
“The Human Genetics Society thinks there are not enough data to use these tests for determining what sport kids should do,” said Professor David Thorburn, president of the society.
He stressed that genetic tests should not be performed on children, except in very specific medical circumstances.
57．The aim of the AIS’s program is to .
A．predict how genes are connected with injuries
B．find potential great athletes
C．find out what qualities a professor has through gene tests
D．turn an athlete into a champion by transferring genes
58．By saying “Talent selection is not just about your genes”, Fricker means .
A．effort is more important than genes in most cases
B．you can’t choose an athlete just depending on genes
C．to research one’s genes takes a long time
D．most people don’t believe in genetic tests
59．The underlined word “resume” in Para. 7 can be replaced by .
A．stop B．complete C．reduce D．continue.
60．What’s Professor David Thorburn’s attitude towards genetic tests?
A．Genetic tests have a negative effect on children.
B．Genetic tests, under certain conditions, can be conducted on children.
C．Genetic tests can reduce the risk of athletes’ injuries.
D．People could use genetic tests to decide what sport kids should take.
I don’t really care how many claws the animal in a comic book (漫画书) has. I’m not overly concerned whether the bird is colored green or grey. In fact I don’t think comic book “collector” really applies to me at all. I’m probably more of a comic book “appreciator”. My interest has always been in what can be accomplished with the medium of “visual story - telling”. In the respect, comic books are the best thing going. And there are some great comics out there.
I’m not sure exactly where this interest of mine came from. I do know that as a child, comic books allowed me to improve my reading – skills. The Mighty Thor made me develop an interest in Norse legends; Challengers of the Unknown got me interested in science fiction. The combination of words and pictures was a perfect springboard (起点) for my childhood imagination.
So just how does one learn to appreciate comic book art? There is a classic example. Writer Scott Macloud was philosophical (达观的) about what makes a comic book stand out in his best – selling book Understanding Comics. The book, first published in 1994, has been translated into 13 languages and is practically useful for students studying graphic illustration (图示说明).
On the Internet there are some cool comic book sites to be found. More than a few are mainly about superheroes and the like. But there are some choice sites that I would describe as “literary (文学的),” in that you can find some great resources that discuss the comic book as an art form. Among them there is a great article and interview at www.rcharvey.com discussing the influence of several artists and writers in the field.
Check it out. Spend two dollars on a comic book and read it with your children. You may find yourself enjoying what you see and read. You may even find yourself wanting more.
And wanting to read more is a good thing!
53．According to Para. 1 the author is concerned about .
A．the color of the characters in a comic book
B．how many comic books he has collected
C．what he can learn from a visual story
D．whether a story is true to life
54．What do we know about Scott Macloud’s best – selling book?
A．There are many classic examples if comic books in it.
B．It is helpful 1 for students studying science fiction.
C．It suggests what good comic books are like.
D．It is mainly intended for parents.
55．In the passage, the author encourages people to .
A．follow the example of superheroes from comic books
B．join in the discussion at www.rcharvey.com
C．consider comic books to be literary.
D．buy and read more comic books
56．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Children’s favorite books
B．Well – known comic books
C．Comic books – cooler than you think
D．How to become a good comic book writer
All over Britain there are ruins of castles that reflect their entire past. Over the years, legends have focused on these castles.
Castell Coch
This castle was built in the 1870's. Lfor Bach was once the owner of this castle many decades ago, and it is told that he hid a treasure in the nearby tunnel（地道）. Rumors say that it is guarded by three eagles waiting for Lfor to return to collect his treasure.
Luffness Castle
In the basement(地下室) of this castle is a huge door leading to a room. The family kept this door open at all times, but one day the door was found locked and the key was missing. The whole family was surprised. The door was so big that it could not be broken down. One day the son of the family shone of a torch the door. He discovered that the key was on the inside of the room. To this day the door remains locked from the inside.
Toddington Castle
This castle was built during the 13th century. This castle has a local legend that tells about a witch who was put in prison within the castle and died. It is told that her spirit remains and if you put your ear to the floor at Easter, you can hear her cooking below.
Castell Gwynionydd
A legend rests on this castle that states the devil(魔鬼) was the one who built it. It is said the devil had a problem with some people and had planned on punishing them. On his way, the devil met a cobbler（修鞋匠）.The cobbler pointed out that it was still a reasonable distance until he would reach his destination. The cobbler displayed how many shoes he had worn out. Listening to him, the devil did not think his plan was worth so much effort and gave up his plan.
50．Which of the castles mentioned in the passage is said to be guarded by several birds?
A．Castell Coch. B．Luffness Castle.
C．Toddington Castle. D．Castell Gwynionydd.
51．Which of the following castles is related to the legend about a witch?
A．Castell Coch.
B．Luffness Castle.
C．Toddington Castle.
D．Castell Gwynionydd.
52．We can learn from the passage that .
A．Castell Coch is said to be built by the devil
B．Castell Gwynionydd is a great place to celebrate Easter
C．Luffness Castle was once broken down
D．Toddington Castle dates back to the 13 th century
One warm day when I was walking in my backyard, I saw a pinecone(松球) on the ground. I picked it up, and some seeds fell out of it. Those seeds would be a tasty treat for a squirrel (松鼠).
I realized that pinecones were not always open like this one. Sometimes cones were tightly closed. I decided to find out why.
I gathered pinecones from my backyard. I watched them for over a year. Here’s what I learned.
Pinecones open and close slowly as the weather changes. When it’s cold or wet, cones are tightly closed. This protects the seeds inside from rain and snow.
When the weather becomes warm and dry, pinecones open. On a hot day, you might even hear the sound of cones popping open. The seeds inside may then fall to the ground. The wind may blow the seeds to places where they can grow into new pine trees. A seed has a better chance of taking root and growing when the weather is warm.
“Pine seeds are an important source of food for many animals,” says Monty Maldonado. He is a pinecone expert with the United States Forest Service. He says squirrels depend on pinecone seeds for most of their meals. They spend lots of time gathering and storing the cones. Maldonado says some animals eat only the seeds from a pinecone. But red squirrels and gray squirrels will eat the whole thing.
Small animals aren’t the only creatures that eat pine seeds. Maldonado says big grizzly bears (灰熊) and people eat them, too.
Seeds inside a pinecone are important for the growth of new trees and as food for animals. It is the pinecone’s job to protect them. So take note of the pinecones you see on the ground. They hold treasures inside.
45．According to the passage, when it is rainy, cones .
A．are open B．are usually shut C．grow quickly D．stop growing
46．According to Monty Maldonado, .
A．not all squirrels eat the whole pinecone
B．pine seeds are difficult to find for many animals
C．people in the forest are sometimes attacked by grizzly bears
D．most small animals depend on pinecone seeds for their meals
47．We can learn from the passage that on sunny days .
A．seeds may fall out of the cones
B．squirrels stay still in their nests
C．it’s difficult for a seed to take root
D．the wind will put the pine trees in danger
48．In the last paragraph, the author points out that .
A．more and more new trees need to be planted in future
B．people should be responsible for protecting animals
C．people should be careful not to damage the pinecones
D．squirrels now have few seeds to feed themselves
49．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．The author learned why pinecones are not always open in the forest.
B．The author gathered pinecones and observed them for a month.
C．The author is fond of gathering and storing the cones.
D．Pine trees are precious to animals and people.