第二部分: 阅读理解(第一节20小题, 每小题2分; 第二节5小题;每小题2分,满分50分)
第一节: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标号涂黑。
A
John Blanchard was studying the crowd making their way through the station. He was looking for the girl with a rose whose heart he knew, but whose face he didn’t.
When reading a book in a Florida library a year before, John became interested not in the contents of the book, but in the notes penciled in the margin. The handwriting reflected a thoughtful soul and beautiful mind. He discovered the former owner's name in the front of the book: Miss Hollis Maynell.
He located her address and wrote a letter introducing himself. The next day he was shipped overseas to serve in the army. During the next year, they grew to know each other through the mail and their friendship developed. John requested a photograph, but she refused, saying if he really cared, it wouldn't matter what she looked like. When the day finally came for him to return home, their first meeting was suggested — 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Central Station in New York.
She wrote, “You’ll recognize me by the red rose I wear on my coat.” So now John was in the station to meet the girl with a rose.
As a pretty and slim girl in green came over, John noticed her blue eyes like flowers in spring. He walked directly towards her, entirely forgetting she was not wearing a rose. As John came closer to her, he saw another woman with a red rose stood nearby. Well past 40, this woman had graying hair done under a worn hat. Seeing the girl in green walk quickly away, John felt as if he were split in two. He desired to follow that girl, but longed for the woman whose spirit had truly companioned and supported him.
The woman looked gentle and sensible. John went to her, saying, “I’m Captain John Blanchard. You must be Miss Maynell. I am glad to meet you here. May I take you to dinner?”
She replied with a smile, “I don’t know what this is about. But the lady in green who just went by, begged me to wear this rose on my coat. She said if you asked me out to dinner, I’d tell you she is waiting for you in the big restaurant across the street. She said it was some kind of test!”
41. John was eager to know the former owner of the book because he______.
A. was very interested in the contents of the book
B. was impressed by the notes written by its owner
C. wanted to improve his handwriting
D. wanted to discuss the book with her
42. What happened to John after getting in touch with Miss Hollis Maynell?
A. He served in the army abroad. B. He went overseas for vacation.
C. He went on a business trip in New York. D. He visited Miss Maynell.
43. What do we know about the woman with a rose?
A. She was Miss Maynell’s close friend. B. She was a waitress in the big restaurant.
C. She was probably a passerby. D. She was paid to meet John at the Station.
44. Which would be the best title of the text?
A. An Interesting Book B. A Woman With a Rose
C. A Brave Soldier D. A Love Test
Perhaps every old generation since ancient times has complained about young people, and today is no different. Isn’t it clear that compared with our glorious selves, kids these days are self-absorbed social network addicts?
However, this summer, my impression of today’s kids has been restored by the story of Rachel Beckwith. She could teach my generation a great deal about maturity and unselfishness — even though she’s just 9 years old, or was when she died on July 23.
At age 5, Rachel had her long hair shorn off and sent to Locks of Love, which uses hair donations to make artificial hair for children who have lost their own hair because of cancer or other diseases. After that, Rachel announced that she would grow her hair long again and donate it again. And that’s what she did.
Then when she was 8 years old, her church began raising money to build wells in Africa through an organization called charity: water. Rachel was astonished when she learned that other children had no clean water, so she skipped her ninth birthday party. Rachel set up a birthday page on the charity: water website with a target of $300. Instead of presents, she asked her friends to donate $9 each to charity: water. Finally Rachel raised only $220 — which had left her just a bit disappointed.
Then, on July 20, a serious traffic accident left Rachel critically injured. Church members and friends, seeking some way of showing support, began donating on Rachel’s birthday page — charitywater.org/Rachel — and donations reached her $300 goal, and kept rising.
But Rachel couldn’t hear that she had raised beyond the $47,544 that the singer Justin Bieber had raised for charity: water on his 17th birthday. “I think Rachel would have been overjoyed for she secretly had a crush on (迷恋) him,” Rachel’s mom said.
When it was clear that Rachel would never regain consciousness, the family decided to remove the life support system. Her parents donated her hair for the final time to Locks of Love, and her organs to other children.
Word about Rachel’s last fund-raising spread. Contributions poured in, often in $9 each. The total donations soon topped $100,000, then $300,000.
This is a story not just of one girl, but of a young generation of outstanding problem-solvers working creatively.What does the author think of today’s kids after he knew the story of Rachel Beckwith?
A.They are good at social network. |
B.They are unselfish as grown-ups. |
C.They can get problems settled effectively. |
D.They have narrow minds and care about nothing. |
When was it that Rachel’s hair was donated for the final time to Locks of Love?
A.At her age of 5. |
B.After her death. |
C.Right after the traffic accident. |
D.Before her ninth birthday. |
Why did each of Rachel’s friends donate $9 to charity: water?
A.Because she had asked them to do that. |
B.Because she set up her birthday page on June 9th. |
C.Because she began to raise money from her ninth birthday. |
D.Because she died at the age of 9 and they wanted to honor her. |
The singer Justin Bieber was mentioned in the text, mainly because ______.
A.Rachel collected more than him who she admired |
B.he had donated on Rachel’s page on his 17th birthday |
C.Rachel would have been overjoyed for his donation |
D.Rachel’s mom said she secretly had a crush on him |
What does the text mainly talk about?
A.Rachel’s hair donations. |
B.A kind girl, Rachel. |
C.The author’s impression of today’s kids |
D.A lesson from Rachel. |
Restaurants in the USA
Steve’s Pizza
So many pizza chains compete for the attention of tourists in South Beach, but ask a Miami Beach local where to get the best pizza and they’ll tell you about Steve’s. This is New York–style pizza, handmade with care and good ingredients(成份). New branches of Steve’s are opening elsewhere in Miami, all in non-tourist areas.
Opening hours: 11am-3am
Cattleman’s Steakhouse
This place is 20 miles east of the city, but local folks would probably drive 200 miles to eat here. The food is good, and the scenery is even better. Come early and wander around the grounds of Indian Cliffs Ranch, where you’ll see everything from rabbits to buffalo (水牛), then catch the sunset either before or after your meal.
Opening hours: 5pm-10pm
Absolute Baking & Cafe
The screen door is always swinging open at this town hot spot with giant breakfasts. Try the green chili on eggs – it’s made from scratch, as are the organic(有机的) breads. Lunch includes salads, big sandwiches and local grass-fed beef burgers. Don’t miss a square of soft, fresh carrot cake.
Opening hours: 7am-2pm
Walt’s Wharf
Everybody’s favorite for fresh fish (some drive in from LA), Walt’s packs them in on weekends. You can’t make reservations for dinner (though they’re accepted for lunch), but it’s worth the wait for the tree fire–grilled seafood and steaks in the many-windowed ground floor or upstairs in captain’s chairs.
Opening hours: 11am-3:30pmThe new branches of Steve’s Pizza are mainly intended for .
A.New Yorkers | B.the locals |
C.tourists | D.foreigners |
Cattleman’s Steakhouse offers the wonderful as well as good food.
A.view | B.wine |
C.discount | D.service |
Which restaurant serves both breakfast and lunch?
A.Steve’s Pizza. | B.Walt’s Wharf. |
C.Cattleman’s Steakhouse. | D.Absolute Baking & Café. |
Next time you hear a funny joke you’d better not laugh too hard. According to a paper published by the British Medical Journal, laughter isn’t always the best medicine. Sometimes it can even be harmful. Professor Robin Ferner from the University of Birmingham, one of the authors of the study, found that bad things could happen to people who laughed too much. He says: “We found people with heartbeat problems which had stopped their heart, we found people who had fainted(昏倒), and we found people who’d dislocated their jaws or burst their lungs.”
It seems that laughing can be no laughing matter. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Professor Ferner says there are benefits to laughing when you want to lose weight, for example. Yes, that’s right: laugh and be slimmer! Professor Ferner explains that: “You use energy when you laugh, you move your diaphragm(横膈膜), you expand your lungs, and both those things can be helpful.”
According to the research, laughing for a quarter of an hour can burn up to 40 calories, and if you laughed all day you’d use up about 2,000 calories, which is what most people consume in a day. But don’t do that or you might end up with a painful jaw. Ouch! Or you might find people looking at you in a funny way.
But I don’t want to finish this article leaving you feeling desperate. Laughter comes naturally for most of us. Babies begin to laugh at around 3-6 months. So give in to your sense of humor and keep smiling. Life is short anyway.Laughing too much may cause the following harmful results EXCEPT_________.
A.diaphragm movement |
B.heart stop |
C.lung burst |
D.jaw dislocation |
The underlined phrase “doom and gloom” in Paragraph 2 probably means_______.
A.nervous | B.funny |
C.painful | D.hopeless |
How many calories can you use if you laugh for half a day?
A.About 40. | B.About 2,000. |
C.About 1,000. | D.About 2,040. |
What is the author’s attitude towards laughing in the last paragraph?
A.Uninterested. | B.Favorable. |
C.Worried. | D.Disapproving. |
The Cuban iguana(大蜥蜴) is a species of lizard(蜥蜴) of the iguana family. It is the largest of the West Indian rock iguanas, one of the most endangered groups of lizards. This species with red eyes and a thick tail is one of the largest lizards in the Caribbean.
The Cuban iguana is primarily herbivorous; 95% of its diet consists of the leaves, flowers and fruits from as many as 30 plant species, including the seaside rock bush and various grasses. However, Cuban iguanas occasionally consume animal matter, and individuals have been observed eating the dead flesh of birds, fish and crabs, The researchers wrote that quite a few people on Isla Magueyes could have caused this incident.
The Cuban iguana is distributed throughout the rocky southern coastal areas of mainland Cuba and its surrounding islands with a wild population booming on Isla Magueyes, Puerto Rico. It is also found on the Cayman Islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, where a separate subspecies occurs. Females guard their nest sites and often nest in sites half destroyed by Cuban crocodiles. To avoid the attack from them, the Cuban iguana often makes its home within or near prickly-pear cacti (仙人掌).
In general the species is in decline, more quickly on the mainland than on the outlying islands. One of the reasons for their decline is habitat destruction caused by the over consuming of farm animals, housing development, and the building of tourist resorts on the beaches where the animals prefer to build their nests. Although the wild population is in decline, the numbers of iguanas have been sharply increased as a result of captive-breeding(圈养) and other conservation programs.The underlined word "herbivorous" (Paragraph 2) probably means .
A.dangerous | B.gentle |
C.flesh-eating | D.plant-eating |
Why does the Cuban iguana build its nest near prickly-pear cacti?
A.To keep itself cool. |
B.To avoid crocodiles' attack. |
C.To stay away from people. |
D.To get the food easily. |
How many reasons are mentioned for the habitat destruction?
A.Two. | B.Five. | C.Four. | D.Three. |
What's the author's purpose of writing the text?
A.To give us a brief introduction to the Cuban iguana. |
B.To show he is concerned about the Cuban iguana. |
C.To explain reasons for the Cuban iguana's decline. |
D.To draw people's attention to the endangered Cuban iguana. |
When she moved the covering cloth to look upon his tiny face, she was shocked. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be full of heart- breaks for his imperfect appearance.
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune and popular with his fellow students. He might have been class monitor,but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person turned up. His talents blossomed into genius, and his school and college became a series of success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.
One day ,he urged his father, “Who gave so much for me?I must know! I could never do enough for him.”
“I do not believe you could, ” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come--- one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket (棺材). Slowly, tenderly, the father reached out a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to show that the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut, ” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”
Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance,but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what can be seen,but in what cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what is done and not known.The mother was shocked at the first sight of her baby because.
A.her baby was born without hair |
B.her baby had a tiny face |
C.her baby was born imperfect |
D.the doctor turned to look out of the window |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.The son attempted to repay the donator’s kindness. |
B.The son didn't know the truth until his mother died. |
C.With donated ears, the son’s life developed smoothly. |
D.The boy couldn't hear clearly without ears at first. |
Why did the boy's mother never have her hair cut?
A.Because her hair helped to keep a secret. |
B.Because her hair added to her beauty. |
C.Because her long hair was her pride. |
D.Because she liked her thick and brown hair. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
A.A Misfortunate Boy | B.Mother’s Hair |
C.Mother’s Secret Love | D.A Successful Ear Operation |