第二部分 阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45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。
A
If I were writing a history of my family, some of the darkest moments recorded would be those surrounding Christmas trees．One would certainly think otherwise; selecting and putting up our trees have always been filled with risk．For example, one afternoon dangerously close to Christmas Eve my mother bought what she thought to be a bargain, a glorious tree that was so full and tall that we could hardly get it onto the house．Once we did, my father immediately realized that we would have to hire a carpenter to build a stand for it．Another December, perhaps the very next one, we bought a tree earlier than we ever had before．We were happy with its shape and delighted that its size was manageable．We easily placed it in a stand, decorated（装饰）it from top to bottom, and then self-satisfiedly sat back by the fire in its soft light．Two or three days passed and the truth could not be hidden; we had bought a tree cut so long ago that its needles were coming off．There was nothing to do undecorated it, take it down, and begin treeshopping again．Our most recent Christmas tree offered still another difficult task．When we brought it home, once again it seemed larger than it had in the great outdoors．To complicate matters, we had bought a new stand, one whose nuts and bolts worked more mysteriously than those of our old stand．I persuaded two young neighbors to stop playing basketball and to help us get the tree into the house and set it correctly in the stand．Unfortunately, no one noticed the mud on our helpers’ shoes, so only after removing several reddish brown spots from the carpet were we able to discuss the question of where the lights and ornaments（装饰）were stored．Perhaps those who cut their own trees have tales more painful than these．I don’t care to hear them, as my family’s experiences are enough to cause me to make the following suggestion：“Let’s forget the tree next Christmas．Let’s simply hang some flowers on the front door and over the mirror in the hall．”
41．The darkest moments in the writer’s family were with the fact that________．
A．the family bought big Christmas trees
B．they had problems decorating their Christmas trees
C．they had problems picking suitable Christmas trees
D．they had problems finding carpenters for putting up Christmas trees．
42．We can learn from the passage that the writer would like to________．
A．forget about Christmas
B．get the neighbors to put up their trees
C．buy a better tree
D．make some other decorations to celebrate Christmas rather than the tree
43．When the writer said“mother bought what she thought to be a bargain”, he means________．
A．she bought the tree at a cheap price
B．she didn’t really want to buy it
C．she had to bargain hard with the salesman
D．she couldn’t afford a more expensive one
44．Which 
of the following can be the best for the passage?
A．How to Select a Christmas Tree B．No More Christmas Tree for US
C．Dark Moments of Life D．Christmas without Trees
Many Christmas customs are based on the birth of Christ, such as giving presents because of the Wise Men, who brought presents to the baby Jesus（耶稣）Singing Christmas carols is based on the scene of the birth with figures of shepherds, the Wise Men and animals surrounding the baby Jesus.
The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in the present-day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A. D. he was buried in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors were believed to steal his remains and removed them to Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas’ popularity throughout Europe.
His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas became the patron（保护神）saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cap, flowing white beard, and bishop’s mitre. In Greece, he was the patron saint of sailors; in France, he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium, the patron of children and travelers. Thousands of churches across Europe were dedicated（供奉的）to him and sometime around the 12th century an official holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated on December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity.
After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas declined, but the legend was kept alive in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolass was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought this tradition with them to America in the 17th century and here the English name of Santa Claus appeared.Why, as is believed, is Santa Claus so popular in Europe?
| A．Because of his reputation for generosity. |
| B．Because he died in Italy. |
| C．Because of the deed of the Italian sailors. |
| D．Because of his devotion to Italian children. |
What was the Feast of St. Nicholas held for?
| A．Celebrating Christ’s birthday. |
| B．Giving thanks to churches. |
| C．Marking a holiday. |
| D．Honoring St. Nicholas. |
What does “Sinterklaas” in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．European followers. | B．Santa Claus. |
| C．Jesus. | D．The Dutch. |
Which of the following can best describe Santa Claus?
| A．Generous, devoted and honored. |
| B．Dedicated, kind and alive. |
| C．Well-known, traditional and lovely. |
| D．Popular, famous and creative. |
When my mother was alive, she used to tell me again and again about the value of just being nice. “Never underestimate（低估）the power of a smile,” she would say. I fear she would be very disappointed looking at the world today. A lot of people don’t smile and when it comes to service today, they’re just not nice. Now don’t give me wrong, not all service workers but a good many.
I was on the phone the other day with a computer help desk. First a man, then later a woman, who couldn’t have been ruder. And this to a customer, who didn’t know his way around a PC. But no matter, I could tell they thought I was a bother, The woman, in fact, seemed to be chewing gum as she unemotionally clicked off a series of commands for me to perform.
The next day I heard from a friend of mine who got a performance review without his boss once looking up at him. Not once.
You see it everywhere. Gone are the days when people cared about you. It’s a sign of the time, I suspect. But that makes me sad — for them and for us all. People who aren’t happy, who don’t smile, who don’t kid, who don’t joke or make light of even bad situations, make for an even worse situation.
And it spreads like a cancer. Someone’s rude to you, you’re rude to them and to the next fellow you meet, and on and on. Smiles are contagious（易感染的）but so annoyances. The boss who can’t be bothered with his workers. The celebrity who can’t be bothered with her annoying fans.
You know, my mom used to judge presidential candidates by how they smiled. I would say, “But mom, you don’t know if that smile is real.”
“Oh, yes I do,” she would tell me. “I can feel it.”
It’s in their eyes, she would say. And it’s in their smile. The rest just kind of falls into place.Why did the writer mention his phone call?
| A．To prove his mother is wrong. |
| B．To show many people aren’t nice. |
| C．To tell us he knows little about computer. |
| D．To share his funny experience with us. |
What is the author’s attitude towards the boss of his friend?
| A．Opposed. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Respectful. | D．Supportive. |
When someone is rude to you, you’re advised to ________.
| A．be rude to the next person |
| B．be nice to the people you meet |
| C．become one just like him or her |
| D．make for a worse situation |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．The power of a smile |
| B．Don’t judge a person by his look |
| C．The effect of rudeness |
| D．Feel a person in his eyes |
As temperatures go up, bison（北美野牛）get smaller. Joseph Craine, research assistant professor in the Division of Biology at Kansas State University, examined how climate change during the next 50 years will affect grazing（放牧）animals such as bison and cattle in the Great Plains.
“Bison are one of our most important conservation animals and hold a unique role in grasslands in North America,” Craine said. “In addition to their cultural and ecological significance, they’re economically important. There are about half a million bison in the world.” Craine analyzed a data set of 290,000 weights, ages and sexes collected from 22 bison herds（兽群）throughout the U. S. The organizations kept annual records of each animal in the herd and matched the data with the climates of the sites.
Based on differences in sizes of bison across herds, Craine found that during the next 50 years, future generations of bison will be smaller in size and weigh less. Climate is likely to reduce the nutritional quality of grasses, causing the animals to grow more slowly.
“We know that temperatures are going to go up,” Craine said. “We also know that warmer grasslands have grasses with less protein（蛋白质）, and we now know that warmer grasslands have smaller grazers. It all lines up to suggest that climate change will cause grasses to have less protein and cause grazers to gain less weight in the future.”
Craine said the results of climate change in coming decades can already be seen by comparing bison in cooler, wetter places with those in warmer, drier places. For example, the average 7-year-old male bison in South Dakota weighed 1, 900 pounds, while an average 7- year-old male bison in Oklahoma — a warmer place — weighed 1, 300 pounds.
“The difference in temperature between those two states is around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about three times the projected increase in temperatures over the next 75 years,” Craine said. “It is a clear indicator that long-term warming will affect bison and is something that will happen across the U.S. over the next 50-75 years.”In the next fifty years, researchers Say, bison will ________.
| A．become smaller and lighter |
| B．disappear in the Great Plains |
| C．play a less important part |
| D．adapt to different climate changes |
The underlined word “grazers” probably refers to ________.
| A．the researchers | B．the grasses |
| C．the bison | D．the protein |
What is the main reason for the bison to become smaller?
| A．The deceasing amount of grass. |
| B．The rising temperature. |
| C．The rising number of bison. |
| D．The loss of weight. |
Paragraph 5 is written as an example to show ________.
| A．Craine’s prediction will come true in 50 years |
| B．bison are smaller than in the past |
| C．the nature balance is being destroyed |
| D．bison’s size is linked with different climate |
To begin your expedition of wonder, get yourself a driver’s license at your local department of motor vehicles, then rent a car and take off for New Hampshire’s Crawford Notch State Park. This beautiful park is abundant in wildlife, natural vegetation and running rivers falling from high cliffs. It is a place of spectacular mountain views, hiking trails, waterfalls and fishing locations. All you need to do is jump in your rented car or SUV and head for the sunset!
Okay, so you’ve just finished those crazy summer final exams and you’re exhausted from all of the stress. That’s okay because New Hampshire’s State Park also offers a perfect way to recover at Coney’s Flume Park where visitors can ride all the rapids in a hollowed out log, eat hotdogs and play on the amusement tides. Good times will be had no matter what your preference at Dry River Campground, which offers wood cabins, showers, electricity, flush toilets, laundry and fire rings. It’s like a home away from home, so gather your camping gear and head for the journey!
Lake Winnipesaukee
If you’re stuck on figuring out how to access your own wheels, how about finding a bus to take you to Weirs Beach? There are fall leaves tours running in the fall through the end of October. Let the captain do the driving while you enjoy the colors along the shoreline and the mountainsides.
If you can’t find some peace of mind from those nasty final exams while relaxing in your lakeside cottage, take a cruise and go fishing, go bird sightseeing, or just kick back in a rented boat and let the coo of the birds wash your troubles away.
No matter where you go in New Hampshire, you’ll meet the most friendly people you can imagine. Do dive into that rental car or SUV, take off for a vacation to New Hampshire and treat yourself to one of America’s most beautiful states. Enjoy!Who is this passage mainly intended for?
| A．School students. | B．Bird lovers. |
| C．Driving learners. | D．Trouble makers. |
Where can you enjoy riding on logs?
| A．At Weirs Beach. | B．In your lakeside cottage. |
| C．At Coney’s Flume Park. | D．At Dry River Campground. |
What type of writing is this text?
| A．A tour introduction. | B．A travel diary. |
| C．An announcement. | D．An official report. |
Speaking from my past experience, it is very difficult to find good friends that you can trust but once you have found them, they are worth keeping forever! Therefore, I think friendship is the most important relationship that anybody could have.
The qualities I look for in a friend are a good sense of humor but sensitivity when it matters. Also that friend would have to be strong-minded and highly spirited. I think that these qualities are the key qualities to look for in a good friend.
Even the strongest friends can still have arguments, although usually about more serious topics, rather than the usual teenage childish arguments. Some matters can seriously affect a friendship. If one of your friends started experimenting with harmful and dangerous drugs, what would you do ? A good friend would try to help as much as possible, whereas a bad example of a friend would simply shrug(耸肩) and turn a blind eye.
Not only the bad things affect friendship ---- good activities do too. Such as bonding with one another, not just by going out on a night with them but by spending quality time with them and talking to each other, which indicates a good ability to communicate. This is a key aspect of a good friendship.
Good friends do not always have to be in the same age group as you. I have a good friend and she is 47 years old and I am 16.
Unfortunately, some people lose contact with their friends as they grow older, which is a sad way to lose a good friend.
I think friendship is one of the most important things in life because if you have no friends you will have no happiness.
| A．is easy to get | B．deepens with time |
| C．needs management | D．affects one’s happiness |
| A．why drugs are bad for teenagers |
| B．problems that will test friendship |
| C．ways that help avoid arguments |
| D．whether a friend is trustworthy |
| A．Age. | B．Sensitivity. |
| C．Sense of humor. | D．Communication ability. |
| A．Old friends and old wines are best. |
| B．A friend without faults will never be found. |
| C．A life without a friend is a life without the sun. |
| D．a friend to everybody is a friend to nobody. |