第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）第一节（共15小题；每-优题课

One of the traditions which is now a necessary part of Christmas is that of Father Christmas, or Santa Claus. According to the modern legend, he is a magical figure who visits all the children of the world during the night before Christmas Day, leaving presents which they find the next morning. He flies through the night sky in a sledge pulled by reindeer, and enters houses by climbing down chimneys. This strange legend is based on the life of a man called Nicholas, but in fact we know very little about him. Historians think he was a Christian bishop(主教) in Turkey in about 285－350 A. D. One of the stories about him is that he helped three poor girls. No one would marry them because they were so poor. To provide them with money for their weddings, Nicholas secretly dropped some gold coins down the chimney of their house. After Nicholas died, he was made a saint(圣人) by the church. (The name Santa Claus thus comes from St Nicholas.) His feast day was celebrated in December, and parents started giving their children secret presents from St Nicholas. Over the years, this custom became part of our Christmas traditions.
Recently, a psychologist has claimed that Father Christmas is “the perfect fantasy” for children. According to Professor Anthony Clare, children love the character of Father Christmas because he is like an ideal father: he loves children and gives them presents, but he never criticizes them, is never angry, and children do not even need to thank him for the presents. Other writers, however, point out that Father Christmas can be a frightening character to some children. Jane Bidder says that some children are terrified of this fat, bearded old man. It can certainly confuse many children. As parents, we warn our children to be careful of strangers and never to let them into the house, and yet we tell children that a strange man will come into their bedroom at night! Some children can become very worried about this idea and fear that he is a kind of burglar.
Most children, however, understand from their parents and from the media that Father Christmas is basically a benign character, and look forward to his annual visit with joy and excitement.
46. The main point of the first paragraph is that ________.
A. Father Christmas is an important part of Christmas
B. the tradition of Father Christmas is a modern idea
C. Father Christmas is a magical figure who can fly
D. the legends about Father Christmas are not true
47. The writer mentions details such as Father Christmas’s sledge, the reindeer and the way he climbs down chimneys because he/she ____________.
A. wants to make it clear that these things are impossible
B. is describing the history of St Nicholas
C. wants everyone to believe that Father Christmas is real
D. is explaining the modern legend of Father Christmas
48. Why does the writer mention the story about St Nicholas helping three poor girls?
A. It shows us that historians know very little about him.
B. This story explains why parents give secret presents to children.
C. It supports the writer’s main point that Father Christmas is based on an untrue story.
D. This story explains why we celebrate Christmas in December.
49. In the last paragraph, the word “benign”means _________.
A. religious B. friendly
C. frightening D. unreal
50. The best title for this passage would be __________.
A. Is Father Christmas Dangerous? B. The True History of St Nicholas
C. The Legend of Santa Claus D. The Traditions of Christmas

Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children's curiosity(好奇). Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary（薪水） and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “Now that we're finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
　　After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen a grasshopper (蚱蜢) eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”
　　This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours. 
　　Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical(符合逻辑的), complete and creative answers.
　　Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don't jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”. These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior(行为). But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying, “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”, or coming up with more questions or ideas.
　　Never push a child to “Think”. It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target (目标) for your disagreement.
　　Lastly, show; don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass(放大镜), and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates (蒸发), set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.
46. According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is .
　　 A. to let them see the world around
　　 B. to share the children's curiosity
　　 C. to explain difficult phrases about science
　　 D. to supply the children with lab equipment
47. In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by .
　　 A. any questions 　　　　　　　　　　B. any problems 　
　　 C. questions from textbooks　　　　　　D. any number of questions
48. According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults .
　　 A. ask them to answer quickly.
　　 B. wait for one or two seconds after a question.
　　 C. tell them to answer the next day.
　　 D. wait at least for three seconds after a question.
49. In which of the following paragraph(s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion? 
　　 A. The second and third. 　　　　　　　B. The fourth and fifth.
　　 C. The fifth and sixth. 　　　　　　　　D. The seventh.
50. The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children's curiosity except that adults should .
　　 A. tell their children stories instead of reciting(背诵) facts
　　 B. offer their children chances to see things for themselves
　　 C. be patient enough when their children answer questions
　　 D. encourage their children to ask questions of their own

　　The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card (信用卡) fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal web site（非法网站）.
　　 Web sites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care.
　　 On-line shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number — or sell the information over the Internet. Computers hackers (黑客) have broken down security（安全）systems, raising questions about the safety of cardholder information. Several months ago, 25,000 customers of CD Universe, an on-line music retailer (零售商) , were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Web site after the retailer refused to pay US $157,828 to get back the information.
　　 Credit-card firms are now fighting against on-line fraud. MasterCard is working on plans for Web － only credit card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping on-line. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated (欺骗).
　　 Ask about your credit-card firm’s on-line rules: Under British law, cardholders have to pay the first US $78 of any fraudulent (欺骗性的) spending.
　　 And shop only at secure sites; Send your credit-card information only if the Web site offers advanced secure system.
　　If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The Web site address may also start https: // － the extra “s” stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone.
　　Keep your password（密码）safe: Most on-line sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your passwords with care.
1. What do most people worry about the Internet according to this passage?
　　 A. A lot of stolen credit-cards were sold on the Internet.
　　 B. Fraud on the Internet. 
　　 C. Many Web sites are destroyed. 
　　 D. Many illegal Web sites are on the Internet.
2. What is the meaning of “fraud”?
　　 A. Cheating. 　　　　B. Sale. 　　　　C. Payment. 　　　　D. Safety.
3. How can the thieves get the information of the credit card?
　　 A. The customers give them the information.
　　 B. The thieves steal the information from Web sites.
　　 C. The customers sell the information to them.
　　 D. The thieves buy the information from credit card firms.
4. How many pieces of advice does the passage give to you?
　　 A. Four. 　　　　B. Three. 　　　　 C. Five. 　　　　　　D. Six.
5. You are shopping on the site: http: // www. Shopping. com, and you want to
buy a TV set, what does this article suggest to do?
　　 A. Order the TV set at once. 　　　
　　 B. Do not buy the TV set on this site.
　　 C. E-mail the site your credit-card information.
　　 D. Tell the site your password and buy the TV set for you.

My son and I were trying to sell the house we had repaired but in the barn(谷仓)there were bats(蝙蝠)and they would not leave. The barn was their home. They told us so in their own way. They hung there in the barn and seemed determined to stay for the season. Don’t worry about it, Dad, " Patrick said. They keep down the mosquitoes(蚊子).”
Unfortunately they also kept the buyers away. when we had asked a person to sell　the house for us he had refused to show it because of the bats. Bats are popular, “Patrick comforted me. They’re ecological(生态学的).”Isn’t there a machine you can buy that produces high frequency sounds to keep bats away?” “I don’t know,” said Patrick. But I like bats, and whoever buys this house will probably like them too. “Probably?” I hated that word. “How many bats are　there ,anyway?” “I counted about 90 last night,” said Patrick. “They were dropping out from under the edge of the roof.” “You mean there are more — outside?” “They’re everywhere, Dad. But look at it this way. When the cold weather comes, they’ll be off to Mexico. Maybe in the spring we can keep them out. Don’t worry about it,” he said for the hundredth time. “It’s not a problem.”
The bat expert I called was even more active than Patrick. I think you’ve got a large number there,” he said in wonder, I’ve been trying to attract bats to our house for 25 years. A single bat eats up his weight in mosquitoes and black flies three times every night. You’re a very lucky man.” I offered to share my luck with him. He could take them away. Bats have a remarkable homing instinct(本能),”he said, “They’d fly straight back even if I transported them 100 miles. Once they have settled, you can’t stop them from coming back.” I was silent.
Finally we managed to rent “(出租)the house to a young family, who were also interested in buying it. What about the bats?” I said to Patrick.
“Oh, they love the bats,” he said. “No mosquitoes. No black flies. It’s one of the things that attracted them.”
“Do you think they will really buy the blouse?”
“Probably.”
“Probably? Well, if they do ,I suppose I’ll have to admit that I was wrong.”
“You mean you’re going to eat your words?”
“Yes, I am.”
36. What was the problem the author had with his house?
A.Bats were living in the barn and wouldn't go away.
B.The author and his son couldn't sleep well because of the bats.
C.The author and his son might be able to stay for the season.
D.The house was still badly in need of repair.
37.What did Patrick suggest the author should do to stop the bats living in the barn?
A.He should buy a high frequency machine.
B.He should move them one hundred miles away.
C.He should reduce the number of mosquitoes.
D.He should close the barn in the spring.
38.Why did the author fall silent when he talked with the bat specialist?
A.He felt sure about the situation.
B.He found out that it would be impossible to remove the bats.
C.He learned that he would be able to share his luck with the expert.
D.He liked the advice given by the expert.
39What happened regarding the house in the end?
A.Some people agreed to rent the house.
B.The author failed to find anybody who wanted to live in the house.
C.The bat expert made the decision to buy the house.
D.The bats left the house for Mexico in the spring.
40.Why did the author think he might have to “eat his words”?
A.He felt sorry for the bats.
B.He might be mistaken about being unable to sell the house.
C.He realized he might be wrong about the bats’ actions.
D.He was happy about selling the house.

We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity（机会）and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed — no examination is perfect — but to have no external(外部的)tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in external examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency（实力）,the ideal and the purpose of each teacher.
Without external examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them — a form of favoritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates（证书）to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of a certificate shows the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well-respected school. This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if external examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school’s fame（名誉）,unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored school.
The opponents（对手）of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.
These people are not just against school organization, but are at war with the whole idea of modem competitive society and they are using children in schools for their destructive（破坏性的）purposes. There is no reason why we should allow such people to determine the way our schools are organized when it is to the obvious disadvantage of the pupils, of the schools and of our society as a whole.
1. According to the passage, the writer thinks that ________________.
A. changing the standards could mean the end of equality
B. standards must keep changing in order to achieve equality
C. there would be no standards without external examinations
D. we cannot have standards because examinations are not perfect
2. In the writer’s opinion, what would happen if external examinations were taken away?
A. There would be no more opportunities and no more excellence.
B. Children from poor families would not be able to change schools.
C. Going to a favored school should be the only way to get a good job.
D. Schools for bright children would lose their fame.
3. The situation at the moment is that ________________.
A. many children who are suitable for a job have no proof of their suitability
B. a school's fame is not important, as long as a child has a certificate.
C. children attending well-respected schools need not get certificates.
D. a bright child doesn’t need a certificate a t all to get a good job.
4. Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
A. Most students from poor families can't get a good job.
B. Some people are using students to destroy our society.
C. The writer thinks it a good way to choose a job by computer.
D. The opponents of the examination want to reorganize schools.
5. The opponents would agree that _________________.
A. computers should be selected to take over many jobs
B. particular people should not be chosen for particular jobs
C. well - respected schools should be got rid of as soon as possible
D. the students are not equally treated if they take external examinations