How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment?
In the southwest African country of Namibia,and the Sahara lands of Mall further north,the desert elephant does just that.
Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant,the desert cousin differs in many ways.Their bodies are smaller,to absorb less heat,and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces.They are taller,to reach higher branches.They have shorter tusks(象牙),and most importantly,longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and water-holes,and have a larger group of families.They drink only every 3-4 days,and can store water in a “bag” at the back of their throat,which is only used when badly needed.Desert elephants are careful feeders—they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches,and thus maintain what little food sources are available.Young elephants may even eat the dung(粪便) of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage.
During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly.Desert elephants have sand baths,sometimes adding their own urine(尿液) to make them muddy!
As we continue to overheat our weak planet,it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “_______”.
| A．remains in the African countries |
| B．drinks 120 liters of water a day |
| C．manages to live in desert areas |
| D．eats 150 kilograms of food daily |
Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they______.
| A．rarely ruin trees |
| B．drink only every 3-4 days |
| C．search for food in large groups |
| D．protect food sources for their young |
The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with______.
| A．stories and explanation |
| B．facts and descriptions |
| C．examples and conclusion |
| D．evidence and argument |
What can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?
| A．Overheating the earth can be stopped. |
| B．Not all animal species are so adaptable. |
| C．The planet will become hotter and hotter. |
| D．Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants. |
The next great land area that man hopes to control is the moon. In size it is nearly equal to the area of North and South America. However, it presents a hostile (不友好的) environment. Temperatures range +120 to -150 degrees Centigrade (摄氏). There is no air, and no water.
Today there is considerable scientific speculation (思索) about living on the moon. When man will begin life on the moon surface is still not determined. But experts believe that settlement will take place in three steps. First, there will be increasing periods of exploration with temporary shelters (临时住所). These periods will be followed by longer stays with housing under the surface of the moon and daily necessities brought by the settlers themselves from the earth. Finally, settlements that are self-supporting will be founded.
The main job of the early settlers will be to stay alive. They will have to plant crops under huge domes (圆顶屋) to produce food and oxygen and find water sources. After this is done, the settlers will have time to explore the possibilities of commercial (商业的) development and to make discoveries important to science. The characteristics of the moon that make it bad for human staying alive may make it ideal for certain kinds of manufacturing (制造业). Operations requiring a vacuum (真空) or extreme cold are examples. Therefore, industrial diamonds might be produced on the moon.
39. The area of the moon is _________.
A. about the same as that of North and South America
B. larger than that of North and South America
C. hardly equal to that of North and South America
D. far smaller than that of North and South America
40. According to this passage, the settlement of the moon ________.
will soon be realized
can be done under the moon surface
is being experimented by many scientists
D. sounds entirely impossible
41. To stay alive on the moon, the early settlers must first of all be able to ________.
A. develop commerce
B. get enough food, oxygen and water
C. make discoveries important
D. explore the possibilities of industrial development
42. Though the environment on the moon is bad for human staying alive, it is very good for ________.
A. making such things as industrial diamonds B. all kinds of manufactured goods
C. medical operationsD. commercial development
第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分30分）
第一节阅读理解（共10题，每题2分，满分20分）
Mark Twain was a great writer. He was from the USA. He was born in 1835. He was also a famous speaker. He was famous for his sense of humour. Many people liked to listen to him talk because he liked to tell some interesting stories to make people laugh all the time.
One day Mark Twain was going to a small town because of his writing. Before he was going to leave, one of his friends said to him that there were always a lot of mosquitoes in the town and told him that he’d better not go there. Mark Twain waved (摇动) his hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. The mosquitoes are no relatives of mine. I don’t think they will come to visit me.”
After he arrived at the town, Mark Twain stayed in a small hotel near the station. He went into his room, but when he was just about to have a rest, quite a few mosquitoes flew about him. The waiters felt very sorry about that. “I’m very sorry, Mr Mark Twain. There are too many mosquitoes in our town.” One of them said to him.
Mark Twain, however, made a joke, saying to the waiter, “The mosquitoes are very clever. They know my room number. They didn’t come into the wrong room.” What he said made all the people present laugh heartily.
But that night Mark Twain slept well. Do you know why? That was because all the waiters in the hotel were driving the mosquitoes away for him during the whole night.
36. The waiters felt sorry because _____.
A. they did something wrong to Mark Twain
B. their hotel was too small
C. the room was not very clean
D. there were quite a few mosquitoes in Mark Twain’s room
37. All the people present laughed heartily because _____.
A. the mosquitoes were very clever and they didn’t come into the wrong room
B. the mosquitoes knew Mark Twain’s room number
C. Mark Twain gave the waiters some nice presents
D. Mark Twain made a joke
38. From the story we know _____.
A. no mosquitoes troubled Mark Twain in the night
B. the owner of the hotel told the waiters to look after Mark Twain well at night
C. Mark Twain didn’t have a good rest that night
D. there were not mosquitoes in the hotel any longer
HOLLYWOOD history has been made now that Kathryn Bigelow has become the first female to win a Best Director Oscar. “There’s no other way to describe it, it’s the moment of a lifetime,” said 58-year-old Bigelow excitedly, at the awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
Bigelow’s film, The Hurt Locker (《拆弹部队》), swept the awards with six trophies, including Best Director and Best Picture. The movie about a bomb removal unit in the Iraq War beat Avatar, the highest grossing (票房收入) film of all time, to the major awards. This was sweetened by the fact that Avatar’s director, James Cameron, is her ex-husband.
Bigelow played down (淡化) her success, telling CBS, “There’s really no difference between what I do and what a male filmmaker might do. I mean we all try to make our days, we all try to give the best performances we can, we try to make our budget, we try to make the best movie we possibly can. So in that sense it’s very similar.”
However, Bigelow’s cinematic journey is quite different from the path of female directors before her. Her movies are low on female characters and high on guns and steel. They focus on men: their fears, relationships and rites of passage (成长历程).
Point Break was her breakout film in 1991. The action film tells the story of an FBI agent who goes undercover (卧底) to investigate a gang of bank robbers. It was popular because of its strong but flawed (有缺点的) male characters. The Hurt Locker is in the same style. The war film is about an anti-hero, William James, leading a crew of competing men in removing roadside bombs around Iraq. James is addicted to risk taking and enjoys putting his fellow soldiers in constant danger. Many scenes are full of clashing (冲突的) male personalities.
Focusing on these male relationships, critics praised The Hurt Locker for avoiding obvious political statements (something Avatar was heavily criticized for), and instead painting a truthful picture of modern war. And is there an entertaining end to the story of Bigelow’s victory? She won on International Women’s Day. It is, after all, Hollywood.
52. Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the article?
A. Avatar is the most profitable film in history.
B. Bigelow is the first female director to win the Best Director Oscar.
C. Bigelow and James Cameron were once married.
D. The film The Hurt Locker tries to make strong political statements about the Iraq war.
53. What does the first sentence in Paragraph 6 mean?
A. Bigelow has a similar style to other female directors.
B. Bigelow usually wants to work with other females.
C. Unlike other female directors, Bigelow focuses on male topics.
D. Unlike other female directors, Bigelow has made other mistakes.
54. The text tells us that ________.
A. The Hurt Locker aims to show how men love danger and war
B. The Hurt Locker presents the clashes between male characters well
C. Bigelow was given the award because it was Women’s Day
D. Bigelow was proud of defeating a male director
55. The article is about _________.
A. the unique (独特的) style of the first woman to win the Oscar for best direction
B. what makes Bigelow different from other female director
C. the award-winning film Bigelow made
D. the Hurt Locker beating Avatar at the Oscar
How to Make the Most of Your Time
Time management is important in our daily life. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to accomplish all you need to do. Here are some tips that might be of some help to you.
1. Set up a plan. Go for a week at a time, and prioritize the most important ones. Include things you want to accomplish. Focus (关注) mostly on the things that are important to you.
2. Control your stress. No matter what kind of pressure mounts on you, try to keep cool. Stressing-out can lead to an early breakdown , which is definitely counter-productive (事与愿违) when you have a list of things to do. It’s easier to take a 10-minute break and cool off than work all week with built up stress.
3. Shut your door. When working under a schedule, perform your important tasks with your door shut to get them done. This will ensure a better quality time to get what needs to be done.
4. Focus on one thing at a time. Forget trying to multi-task! You will lose concentration and it will take you longer to accomplish what you set out to do.
5. Just say “no”. If you are constantly interrupted, and you really don’t have the time to help out, just say “no”. You’re only one person, and you can’t save the world by yourself!
6. Stop wasting time on the phone. While talking on the phone, keep your conversations short, and to the point and you’ll waste much less time.
7. Be realistic. You can only do what you can do. Don’t set out to accomplish the impossible. Do your best, but keep realistic expectations of yourself.
8. Relax. The most important thing is remember to take time to relax, and regroup. You need a break every now and then to keep working efficiently. Even if it’s a 10-minute walk, get away from your list and get refreshed.
As families today get busier and busier, it’s important to your own mental health to keep things on track. Don’t delay; get your life on order now.
48. What does the underlined word “prioritize” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. choose something by thinking carefully.
B. recognize the difference between things.
C. put many things in order of importance
D. get rid of something that is unwanted
We should avoid stressing out because ________________.
A. it may cause us to fail to work efficiently
B. it may limit the speed to get things done
C. we don’t have enough energy to keep working
D. we are supposed to have a break while working
50. Which statement would the author agree to?
A. Try multi-tasks, and we can get more done.
B. It is impolite to refuse to help others at work.
C. Having breaks regularly may delay our tasks.
D. It is wise to be aware of what we can achieve.
51. By writing the text, the author would like to _______________.
A. ask readers to share their time management skills.
B. offer some advice on how to make full use of time
C. invite readers to discuss how to improve life quality
D. persuade readers to spend less time on daily routine
Women Can’t Keep a Secret
The average woman cannot keep a secret for longer than 47 hours, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that women are overcome by a burning desire to share gossip as soon as they hear it. They will typically spill the beans to at least one other person in 47 hours and 15 minutes.
Depending on who the gossip is about, their boyfriend, husband, best friend or mother are most likely to be the initial recipients (接收者) of the information.
The study of 3,000 women aged between 18 and 65 also found that four out of ten admitted they were unable to keep a secret—no matter how personal or confidential the news was.
The study found the nation’s ladies hear three pieces of gossip a week, but end up passing it on to at least one other person.
Three in 10 admitted having the urge to reveal someone’s secret. However, two thirds end up feeling guilty after passing on secrets.
Three quarters say they are capable of keeping quiet about a secret, and 83 per cent consider themselves 100 per cent trustworthy within each group of friends. Yet, four in ten admit to gossiping to a close friend from another friendship group.
More than four in ten think it is acceptable to share a friend’s secret with someone who does not know them, with over 40 per cent saying their husband is their final one they share secrets with.
Fortunately for some though, over a quarter (27 per cent) said they forgot what they were told the following day.
44. How long can women keep a secret?
A. At least two days B. Longer than two days. C. Two days. D. 47 hours and 15 minutes
45. Women will share gossip with all the following except________.
A. their boyfriend or husband B. their best friend
C. their brother or sister D. their mother
46. According to the study, ________ women were unable to keep a secret.
A. 1,200 B.1,800 C. 2, 400 D. 3,000
47. Which of the following is true?
A. Most women are not trustworthy
B. More than forty per cent tell secrets to their husband.
C. Few women feel guilty after passing on secrets.
D. Over a quarter think it is acceptable to share gossip.