第二部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
A
Theodore，the manager of the 
Paradise Hotel，told a middle-aged couple that that would have to leave the hotel after just one night．The couple，visiting from Texas，had booked a room for eight nights．
“They wanted a sterile (消毒了的) environment，”Theodore said，“They should have rented a room in a hospital，maybe an operating room．This hotel is clean，hut it isn't that clean．”
Theodore said that，on the very first day，the couple brought all the sheets，pilloweases，and bedspreads down to the main hall and just dropped them next to the front desk．They stood there next to this pile of bedding while other guests looked，pointed，and murmured．The hotel got three cancellations within the hour from people who witnessed this strange，event．
When Theodore asked the couple what the problem was，they said that their bedding was filthy and they wanted it replaced．The couple could not identify any specific“filth”on the bedding．The wife just said，“We’re paying good money to stay here．How dare you doubt us？We know the filth is there．That's all the proof you need，”Theodore called room service，and the bedding was replaced immediately．
Early the next evening，however，the couple marched to the front desk again and demanded seven cans of sterilizer，“We need a can for each night．We have to spray the phone，the TV，all the door handles，the toilet handle，the shower stall，the faucet，the sink，and any hotel staff entering our room．”
Worried，Theodore politely suggested that a hotel more suitable for them was just around the corner．He then called ahead to reserve a“very clean”room，and gave them free transportation in the hotel Rolls-Royce．Also，he told the couple that they wouldn’t he charged for the secon
d day．
The
couple were surprised but they really liked the idea of free room for a night and that expensive car service．
56．The underlined word “filthy” means in this article．
A．clean B．dirty C．smelly D．old
57．Why was Theodore worried?
A．The couple might have more demands the following days．B．The hotel was not clean enough．
C．The hotel would run out of cleaning stuff．D．More guests would make the same requests．
58．What word could best describe the couple?
A．Narrow-minded. B．Expensive C．Particular D．Easy-going
Valentine’s Day, for many couples, means cards, flowers, and candlelight dinners. For most couples it also means withdrawing money at the ATM to express their love. Fortunately, there are ways to save money by saving energy — even during the date — so you can spend the money you save on the things that really matter to your sweetheart. Here are five easy tips for those couples out there who want to save energy and save money:
A fireplace is always a perfect background to set up holiday decorations because of the space it provides, in addition to the grand role it plays in the house as being an important part of each room. If you plan on spending your Valentine’s Day near the fireplace, be sure to prevent the heat loss and make sure of the chimney efficiency. If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.
If you plan on having a nice, romantic dinner at home and want to set the mood with proper lighting, use energy efficient light bulbs that save you money, and look for bulbs that are lower in lumens. Lumens tell you the brightness of the bulb. The lower the lumens, the weaker the light.
For those who plan to cook that romantic dinner, there are some simple energy efficient ways you can prepare that meal. For example, did you know that if you’re baking in a china or glass dish, you can typically set your oven for 25 degrees less than the recipe calls for? Learn more about saving energy while cooking.
For those couples who would like to have a movie night, plug your TV and DVD into an electronic power strip to save money on your gas of the car. By plugging in electronic devices into a power strip and turning it off when not in use, you can save up to $100 per year.
If you plan on going on a romantic “escape” from your house by car, be sure to check out these tips to reduce fuel consumption and costs.How do most people spend their Valentine’s Day according to the passage?
| A．They make green trips by riding bikes or walking dogs. |
| B．They go to visit their parents or grandparents together. |
| C．They stay at home making delicious food for lovers. |
| D．They spend money creating romantic environment. |
What does the author advise you to do when you use a fireplace that night?
| A．Try to burn less wood by covering the chimney. |
| B．Try to use more wood to produce more heat. |
| C．Try to hold more heat by using it effectively. |
| D．Try to make the room wetter than usual. |
What does the author advise you to do if you choose to have dinner at home?
| A．Choose the bulbs without lumens. |
| B．Choose the bulbs with lower lumens. |
| C．Choose the small bulbs with higher lumens. |
| D．Choose the colorful bulbs as many as possible. |
How should you cook meals according to the author?
| A．Adjust electricity amount according to different dishes. |
| B．Set the oven for 25 degrees higher than required. |
| C．Try to cook all kinds of food with a china dish. |
| D．Try to bake some cakes in a glass dish. |
What is the greenest way for you to see a film on Valentine’s Day?
| A．Just watch a DVD at home. | B．Just see the film in the running car. |
| C．Go to the nearest theatre by bike. | D．“Escape” from your house by car. |
A pair of giant pandas from southwest China’s Sichuan Province arrived at their new home in Belgium’s Pairi Daiza zoo, some 60km southwest of downtown Brussels, at around 15:00 local time (1400GMT) on February 23, 2014.
About 2,500 people, many of them excited children waving national flags of China and Belgium as well as panda-decorated flags or wearing costume of Panda greeted the pandas along the road to the zoo.
Visitors today can only observe the pandas through a closed-circuit television system in the reception.
Officials said they wanted the pandas fully adapted to their new home before making public debut in April.
The pandas, Xing Hui, the male and Hao Hao, the female, are both 4 years old and are on lease from a breeding center in southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
The lease term is 15 years, according to officials with the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas, the world’s largest research base for the species.
“It’s a good thing for Belgium.” Nicole Duflot, a grandmother coming to the zoo with her husband and her grandson told Xinhua, “We can’t see the Panda today but it’s a great thing for us to come here.”
The Pandas will be living in a panda hall of 5,300 square meters within the zoo.
“I hope Xing Hui and Hao Hao will enhance friendship between Belgium and China.” Liao Liqiang, the Chinese ambassador to Belgium, said during an interview with Xinhua.What was the main purpose of China leasing pandas to Belgium?
| A．We were supposed to make money from Belgium. |
| B．We meant to improve the relationship between China and Belgium. |
| C．We expected to amuse the Belgian children. |
| D．We wanted to make the pandas adapt to the environment abroad. |
The underlined word “debut” probably means ___________.
| A．first appearance | B．ceremony | C．announcement | D．argument |
According to the passage, which statement is right?
| A．Xing Hui and Hao Hao will live in the city centre of Brussels. |
| B．Xing Hui and Hao Hao were very popular with the elders in Belgium. |
| C．Xing Hui and Hao Hao will come back to China in 2029. |
| D．Xing Hui and Hao Hao were born in 2008 in Sichuan Province. |
On the first day of the pandas’ arrival, visitors could ___________.
| A．gently feel the pandas along the road to the zoo |
| B．get into the panda hall of 5,300 square meters |
| C．take pictures with the pandas freely |
| D．watch the pandas through the TV system in the zoo |
From the passage, we can predict that______________.
| A．Belgium’s Pairi Daiza Zoo will make much money soon |
| B．Xing Hui and Hao Hao will be very well treated in their new home |
| C．Belgium’s Pairi Daiza Zoo will serve the Chinese visitors with free admission |
| D．pandas will be best-sellers in Belgium |
Have you ever heard the saying “If you want a friend, be one”?
Here is how a new teacher made friends with the girls and boys in her class on the first day of school. As the bell rang, the teacher smiled at each girl and boy. Then she said in a quiet voice, “Good morning. How nice it is to have all of you in my class this year. I'd like to know each of you. I am sure we will enjoy working together.” Everyone felt that she meant what she said because of her sweet voice and her friendly look.
She told the girls and boys her name and wrote it on the blackboard. Then she told them some of the things she liked to do and she was hoping to do with them during the year.
Then she said to the class, “Now you know my name and the things I like and I want to know your names and the things you like. Then I will feel that I know you.”
Could you make friends by doing the same as this teacher did?
One way of getting to know girls and boys in your class is to find out more about them. It is often easy to be friends with those people who have the same hobbies with you. You play the same games and go on journeys together.
You may find that some new comers in your class miss their old friends and feel strange and lonely. You can invite them to take a walk or to ride bikes with you. You will find many things in common to talk about. Just talking together in a friendly manner is one good way to make friends.What does the underlined sentence “If you want a friend, be one” in Paragraph 1 mean?
| A．You may have a friend by doing everything for him. |
| B．You can make friends by doing what a friend should do. |
| C．If you want to have a friend, try to make one be your friend. |
| D．When you need a friend, you have to be a friend of yourself. |
The teacher’s sweet voice and her friendly look _______.
| A．made every girl and boy happy |
| B．told the girls and boys everything about herself |
| C．showed that she would like to be a friend of the girls and boys’ |
| D．meant she wanted to tell the boys and girls something interesting |
A new comer will be your friend if __________.
| A．he always thinks of his old friends |
| B．you ask him to do something |
| C．he knows you |
| D．you talk with him in a friendly way |
If you want to make friends with others, which of the following shouldn’t you do?
| A．Learn more about them. | B．Go on journeys together. |
| C．Find out your differences. | D．Try to be the same as them. |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．How to Make Friends |
| B．Teachers Can Make Friends with Students |
| C．A Friend in Need Is a Friend Indeed |
| D．How to Be Friends with New Comers |
Today's word, pan, takes us back to the days of the gold rush in California.
On January 24th, 1848, a man named James Wilson Marshall discovered gold in California. The news spread quickly. Thousands rushed west. They traveled on foot, on horseback and by boat to reach the gold fields. By 1849, the great gold rush was on. Towns and cities grew overnight. Throughout California --- in the mountains, along the streams and rivers --- thousands of people searched for gold.
Some found areas of mountain rock thick with gold. These men got rich. But such areas were few and quickly claimed by the first men to find them. Others searched for gold in the rivers coming down the mountains. They were after pieces of gold that the rains had washed down from above .
The only way to find this gold was by panning. First a gold miner put dirt in a metal pan and added water. Then he shook the pan so that the water would wash the dirt. Slowly, he poured the water out of the pan. If he was a lucky miner, pieces of gold would remain.
Across the nation, newspapers carried stories of the gold being found. Each one hoped that the place he claimed panned out well --- had some gold.
For many, gold mining did not pan out. For a few, it panned out well. But in time, huge machines were built that could wash many tons of dirt at a time. Panning died out.
The word, however, remained in the language. Today, Americans still say, “ It panned out well ,” when something they have done pleases them. A business, a discovery, a simple event pans out well if it is successful. Unhappily, sometimes things do not pan out.
In recent years, the word pan has taken on another meaning. Today, it also means to criticize. How it got this meaning is hard to discover. But the job of a critic is to sometimes pan the work of a writer, artist or singer.Why did so many people flood to California in 1848?
| A．Because towns and cities there developed quickly. |
| B．Because the mountains in California were a great place for travel. |
| C．Because they wanted to get rich by looking for gold. |
| D．Because the land of California was fertile at that time. |
The underlined part “It panned out well" in Paragraph 7 has the same meaning as “______”
| A．Everything turned out well | B．Nothing could be worse |
| C．It's not the case | D．It's a pity |
What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To tell us some stories about the gold rush. |
| B．To introduce the word "pan" in American English. |
| C．To teach us how to look for gold in rivers. |
| D．To introduce the history of the gold rush in California |
Dining in a completely dark room, unaware what’s on your plate while sitting next to a complete stranger may not sound like an ideal restaurant experience but it’s certainly an intriguing way to spend a rainy night in London.
Dans le Noir, close to London’s financial district, is a restaurant full of blind waiters and waitresses who become your eyes around the restaurant, whose original Paris branch opened in 2004.
In the bar with the light, you choose whether you want the fish, meat or vegetable, but the dishes themselves remain a secret, as do the ingredients of the “surprise” cocktails. Bags, coats and devices(设备)that light up, including watches and mobile phones, are kept in the bar. Placing your hand on the shoulder of your guide, you are led to a table in a black dining room that sets up to 60 people. And it is dark.
The waiters tell you when the food is being placed down in front of you, then the fun begins, trying to get food into your mouth, then identifying just what it is that’s on your plate, and finally whether you have missed any of it.
It’s also a great chance to break social convention and eat using your fingers. Those same fingers are also the only way you can tell how much wine you’re pouring into your glass.
The happy atmosphere in the dining room also made the night memorable. You can’t really avoid talking to the person next to you at the long tables and guessing what the dishes are certainly provides adequate fuel for the conversations.
All will be revealed at the end of the meal when you are led back out into the lit bar. Not only do you finally get to see what you’ve just been eating but also who you’ ve been talking to for the last 90 minutes.What does the underlined word “intriguing.” in the first paragraph mean?
A terrible B. interesting C. expensive D. newAccording to the text, “ Dans le Noir”__________.
A is far from London’s financial district
B has its first branch opened in Britain
C is very popular among blind customers
D has a dining room which can seat up to 60 peopleWe know from the text that the customers in “Dans le Noir”_________.
| A．are forbidden to eat with their fingers |
| B．can talk to the strangers at table |
| C．will book the menu in a dark bar |
| D．can take their mobile phones into the dining room |
What’s the main purpose of the text?
| A．To help blind people find a job in restaurants. |
| B．To show how to open a restaurant with a new idea. |
| C．To show how to enjoy the time in a dark restaurant. |
| D．To introduce and attract customers to “Dans le Noir ”. |