第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分50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。（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
A
This is a story that happened in Europe in the 17th century. Tulips (郁金香) were introduced into Holland before the 17th century but it did not take long for the flowers to gain popularity among the upper classes. Flowers of such beauty soon became symbols of power and the rich tried their best to lay their hands on some to display them in their gardens. When more people learned of the prices thatthe rich were willing to pay for tulips, they knew they just found a “get-rich-quick” gold mine.
By 1634, the whole country was so attracted by tulips that all other activities almost came to a stop. People were trading in tulips and even buying and selling bulbs (球茎). At that time, one rare bulb cost as much as ten tons of cheese.
Many made a fortune in the beginning. As the prices moved in one direction, they only needed to buy low and sell high, buy high and sell higher. After the gains, confidence rose and many sold away all their property in order to invest more money in tulips, hoping to make more money. The desire was so strong that those who were watching also rushed to the tulip market. Everyone thought that the high demand for tulips would continue forever and prices could only go up because more and more people from all over the world would start to like tulips.
When the prices of tulips was much higher than it should be, few people bought them for planting in their gardens. The real demand for the flowers seemed greater than it really was. Many people were buying them for speculation (投机), not appreciation. In 1637, for some unknown reasons, a group of people suddenly realized the danger. The prices of tulips began to fall and the market crashed. When confidence was destroyed, it could not be recovered and prices kept falling. Soon the nobles and the rich became poor. Cries of suffering were heard everywhere in Holland.
41. Why did the upper classes buy tulips in the beginning?
A. Because the prices of tulips were low.
B. Because they wanted to make a fortune.
C. Because tulips were introduced from abroad.
D. Because tulips were beautiful and represented power.
42. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. greed(贪婪) was the reason why so many people were mad about tulips
B. tulips became popular among the upper classes very slowly
C. people who were mad about tulips bought them for appreciation
D. when the prices were extremely high, most people planted tulips in their gardens
43. The passage is mainly about ________.
A. Europe in the 17th century B. buying and selling tulips
C. being mad about tulips D. the life of the nobles and the rich
Damage to Ozone Layer Gets Worse
In the middle of winter, when snow is falling in many parts of the United States, scientists have sounded a warning to people who plan to spend many hours in the sun this summer．The warning: The sun's summertime rays are more dangerous than once thought.
A team of scientists from 80 nations recently reported
to the United Nations that a layer of ozone（臭氧层）in the atmosphere, which protects humans from harmful levels of ultraviolet（紫外线）radiation, will be thinner over the United States this summer．The thinner layer allows more ultraviolet rays from the sun to reach Earth．The extra amount of ultraviolet radiation could cause an increase in the number of cases of skin cancer.
Scientists first became concerned about the layer in the mid-1980s when a hole was discovered in the layer above Antarctica during the winter．The hole was caused in chemicals used in refrigerators and air conditioners．When these chemicals are sent out into the atmosphere, they produce gases that destroy the ozone.
Concern about the protective ozone layer rose more recently when data from satellites and ground stations showed that ozone levels were dropping over areas other than Antarctica．Low ozone levels were recorded in the spring and summer over the United States and over other populated areas in the world.
Although many countries have already begun stopping the use of ozone-destroying chemicals, the new findings are expected to advance the timetable for a total ban of the chemicals.The scientists have observed the ozone layer ______．
| A．since 1980 | B．since last winter |
| C．for more than 20 years | D．for about one year |
The ozone layer in the atmosphere can ______.
| A．do a lot of good to human beings in many ways |
| B．protect humans from diseases caused by bad weather |
| C．do a lot of harm to human beings in the summer-time |
| D．protect humans from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation |
Scientists first found that there was a hole in the ozone layer ______.
| A．above Arctic during the winter in the mid-1980s |
| B．above Antarctica during the winter in the mid-1980s |
| C．over somewhere in the north of the equator in 1980 |
| D．over the USA in the summertime in the mid-1980s |
The damage to the ozone layer was caused by ______.
| A．the changeable weather | B．ozone-destroying chemicals |
| C．chemicals from refrigerators | D．chemicals from air conditioners |
How do apology languages work? Have you ever tried to apologize, only to be refused? It may be that you were offering a partial apology in a “language” , that was foreign to your listener．The five languages of apology include:
Apology Language 1: “I am sorry.”
List the hurtful effects of your action．Not “I am sorry if …”, but “I am sorry that…”．You might ask if they want to add any points that you have not recognized.
Apology Language 2:“I was wrong.”
Name your mistake and accept fault．Note that it is easier to say “You are right” than “ I am wrong”, but the latter carries more weight.
Apology Language 3: “ What can I do to make it right?”
How are you now? How shall I make amends(弥补) to you? How can I restore your confidence that I love you— even though I was so hurtful to you?
Apology Language 4: “I’ll try not to do that again.”
Engage in problem-solving．Don’t make excuses for yourself such as, “Well, my day was just so…” Instead, offer what you will change to prevent yourself from putting them in the same bad situation again．
Apology Language 5: “Will you please forgive me?”
Be patient in seeking forgiveness．They may need some time or greater clarification of your input from Apology Languages 1-4.
Finally, your apology may not be accepted, but at least you know that you 
have been faithful in offering a sincere olive branch of peace.The passage mainly talks about___________
| A．5 tips for apologies that work | B．5 ways of refusing apologies |
| C．the function of apology languages | D．the importance of apology languages |
According to Paragraph 1, your apology may be refused mainly because________
| A．your listeners can’t understand your dialect. |
| B．your listeners can’t hear what you said clearly. |
| C．your apology is not sincere. |
| D．your apology is not expressed well enough. |
When offering an apology, which of the following does the author prefer?
| A．“You are right” | B．“I am sorry if …” |
| C．“I was wrong.” | D．“Well, my day was just so…” |
In the last paragraph, the author tells us even if your apology may not be accepted, at
least ___________.
| A．It’s your fault any more | B．your mind will be at peace |
| C．your friend will make peace with you | D．your apology is true to your heart |
A research by the National Center for Health Statistics is seen as an important confirmation of the“Hispanic mortality paradox（西班牙裔死亡率悖论）.”
On average，Hispanics outlive whites by 2.5 years and blacks by 7.7 years. Their life expectancy at birth in 2006 was 80.6 years，compared with 78.1 for whites，72.9 for blacks and 77.7 years for the total population.
The report shows that the Hispanic population has higher life expectancy at birth and at almost every age despite a socioeconomic status lower than that of whites.“Mortality is very correlated with income，education and health care access，”says Elizabeth Arias，author of the report.“You would expect the Hispanic population would have higher mortality，”in line with the black population.
The Hispanic paradox has been documented for more than two decades，but this is the first time the government has had enough data to issue national numbers. Researchers are struggling to explain why Hispanics live longer.
“We don’t know，”says David Hayes-Bautista，director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.“We thought it was a problem in the data，but we can pretty much say this is real.”
Potential factors:
·Culture and lifestyle. Support from extended family and lower rates of smoking and drinking.Latino groups in particular have very strong family and social ties.
·Migration. The“healthy migrant effect”argues that healthy people are more likely to emigrate. And when immigrants become ill，they might return home and die there.
Solving the puzzle may help the nation deal with health care issues because Hispanics use health services less—they make fewer doctors visits and spend less time in hospitals，Hayes-Bautista says.“It’s clearly something in the Latino culture，”he says.In 2006，Hispanics’life expectancy is years longer than the average of the total population.
| A．2.5 | B．7.7 | C．2.9 | D．80.6 |
What does the underlined word“outlive”in the second paragraph probably mean？
| A．To live longer than… | B．To live shorter than… |
| C．To die out. | D．To expect to live. |
What is the main idea of paragraph three？
| A．Hispanics were born better than whites. |
| B．Morality is closely related with health care access. |
| C．Whites should have longer life expectancy. |
| D．Even experts can’t explain the phenomenon. |
What is Mr.Hayes-Bautista’s opinion about the paradox？
| A．He supports there is a problem with the data. |
| B．He intends to trust the cultural factor. |
| C．He believes in the“healthy migrant effect”. |
| D．He thinks health care the most important factor. |
Which of the following inferences is true according to the passage？
| A．Black people suffer the lowest social status in America. |
| B．Hispanics might have healthier ways of life. |
| C．Only healthy people can immigrate into America. |
| D．White people don’t have strong family ties. |
NEW YORK—Microsoft on Monday made another effort to challenge Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android in the exploding smartphone market—launching a wireless operating system，Windows Phone 7.
Consumers will consider it“always delightful and thoroughly mine，”Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said at a launch event. Ballmer said last year that Microsoft had“screwed up”with its Windows Mobile operating system.For example，it failed to keep up with touch-screen innovations that make iPhones and Android phones easy to use.
Microsoft fell from third to fourth place in market share this year，behind BlackBerry，iPhone and Android. Only 10.8% of smartphone owners used Microsoft’s system in August，down from 18% last December.
But Windows Phone 7 is“a total departure from anything they’ve done”.Microsoft says it sought to simplify common activities. For example，you can instantly take a picture with a phone’s camera by pushing a button on the device. You don’t have to first awaken it from its sleep mode and launch the camera application. You also can program the phones to automatically upload photos to Facebook or other social network sites in a couple of seconds. Users can easily work with Microsoft Office contact and calendar information as well as documents created in Microsoft’s Word，Excel and PowerPoint.
The phones will not show videos built on Adobe’s Flash platform，widely used by services including YouTube and Hulu.
AT&T will offer the first Windows Phone 7 smartphone，the Samsung Focus，on Nov.8.Soon after，it will have the LG Quantum and HTC Surround. Each will cost S| 199.99 with a two-year service contract. T-Mobile will have two Windows Phone 7 models out for the holiday shopping season：the HTC HD7 and Dell Venue Pro. It did not say how much they’ll cost.What is the main idea of paragraph 4？
| A．Why Microsoft fell behind others. |
| B．How to use Windows Phone7. |
| C．Advantages of Windows phone7. |
| D．Speed of Windows phone7. |
What does the underlined phrase“screwed up”in the 2nd paragraph probably mean？
| A．To make a bad mistake. | B．To make big progress. |
| C．To achieve main goals. | D．To keep up with others. |
Which of the following phones will NOT use Windows Phone 7 operating system？
| A．Quantum. | B．Surround. | C．Android. | D．Focus. |
Why did Microsoft see a drop in market share last year？
| A．Because its operating system didn’t catch up with changes. |
| B．Because its phones can’t show videos from YouTube. |
| C．Because it was inconvenient to take photos using its phones. |
| D．Because its system was based only on Microsoft soft wares. |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage？
| A．Smartphone Market Welcomes New Giant |
| B．Microsoft to Fight Back on Smartphone |
| C．Mobile Phones Getting Smarter and Easier |
| D．Microsoft Proved a Failure in Smartphone |
Surveys of American teenagers find that about half of them do not get enough sleep on school nights. They get an average of 60 to 90 minutes less than experts say they need.
Experts say teens are biologically programmed to go to sleep later and wake up later than other age groups. Yet many schools start classes as early as seven in the morning.
As a result，many students go to class feeling like Danny，16 years old. He plays two sports，lacrosse and football. He is an active teen—except in the morning. DANNY：“Getting up in the morning is pretty terrible. I’m just very out of it and tired. And through first and second period I can hardly stay awake.”
Michael Breus，a clinical psychologist with a specialty in sleep disorders says：“These aren’t a bunch of lazy kids—although，you know，teenagers can of course be lazy. These are children whose biological rhythms，more times than not，are off.”Teens，he says，need to sleep eight to nine hours or even nine to ten hours a night. He says sleepy teens can experience a form of depression that could have big effects on their general well-being. It can affect not just their ability in the classroom but also on the sports field and on the road because any tired driver is dangerous，especially a teenager with a lack of experience.
So what can schools do about sleepy students？The psychologist says one thing they can do is start classes later in the morning.
Eric Peterson，head of St.George’s School in the northeastern state of Rhode Island，says，“In the end，schools ought to do what’s the right thing for their students，first and foremost.”And he wanted to see if a 30-minute delay would make a difference. It did.According to the passage，which of the following is the chief cause of sleepy teenagers？
| A．Persona haibits. | B．Early school hours. |
| C．Sports activities. | D．Too much home work. |
According to Michael Breus，.
| A．Teenagers are too lazy to get up early for school. |
| B．Teenagers should change their biological rhythms. |
| C．Lacking sleep can cause serious problems. |
| D．Sleepy teenagers shouldn’t drive to school. |
What is Eric Peterson’s opinion on the issue？
| A．Schools should try their best to help students. |
| B．Students should adjust to their school’s schedule. |
| C．Changing school schedule is their last choice. |
| D．Something has to change at the end of a school day. |
What does the underlined word“It”in the last sentence might refer to？
| A．St.George School. | B．Rhode Island State. |
| C．Students in St.George School. | D．30-minute delay of school day. |
What can you infer might follow the passage immediately？
| A．Some positive changes in St.George’s school. |
| B．Some complaints from teachers and parents. |
| C．Some tips on how to help students foremost. |
| D．Some unexpected outcome of the delay. |