第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每题2分，满分30分）
请认真阅读下列短文, 从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中, 选出最佳选项, 并在答题纸上将该项涂黑。
A
Perhaps you have heard a lot about the Internet, but what is it, do you know? The Internet is a network. It uses the telephone to join millions of computers together around the world.
Maybe that doesn’t sound very interesting. But when you’ve gone into the Internet, there are lots and lots of things you can do. You can send E-mails to your friends, and they can get them in a few seconds. You can also do with all kinds of information on the World Wide Web (WWW).
There are many different kinds of computers now. They all can be joined to the Internet. Most of them are small machines sitting on people’s desks at home, but there are still many others in schools, offices or large companies. These computers are owned by people and companies, but no one really owns the Internet itself.
There are lots of places for you to go into the Internet. For example, your school may have the Internet. You can use it during lessons or free time. Libraries often have computers joined to the Internet. You are welcome to use it at any time.
Thanks to the Internet, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. It is possible for you to work at home with a computer in front, getting and sending the information you need. You can buy or sell whatever you want by the Internet. But do you know 98% of the information on the Internet is in English? So what will English be like tomorrow?
56. Which is the quickest and cheapest way to send messages to your friends?
A. By post. B. By E-mail. C. By telephone. D. By satellite.
57. According to the last paragraph, which may be the possible place for people to work tomorrow?
A. In the library. B. At school. C. At home. D. In the shop.
58. What does the writer try to tell us with the last two sentences?
A. English is important in using the Internet. B. The Internet is more and more popular.
C. Most of the information is in English. D. Every computer must have the Internet.
A businessman walks into a bank in San Francisco and asks for the loan officer. He says he is going to Europe on business for two weeks and needs to borrow $5,000．The bank officer says the bank will need some kind of security for such a loan. So the businessman hands over the keys to a Rolls Royce parked on the street in front of the bank. Everything checks out, and the bank agrees to accept the car as collateral for the loan. An employee drives the Rolls into the bank’s underground garage and parks it there.
Two weeks later, the businessman returns, and repays the $5,000 and the interest, which comes to $15.41.
The loan officer says, “We are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multimillionaire. What puzzles us is that why would you bother to borrow $5,000?”
Laughing, the businessman replies, “Where else in San Francisco can I park my car for two weeks for $15?” The businessman walks into the bank with the true purpose of _________.
| A．borrowing $5,000 | B．meeting the loan officer |
| C．finding a place to park his car | D．showing how rich he is |
The loan officer is puzzled because _________.
| A．he never thought he could meet a multimillionaire in his bank |
| B．he thinks the businessman is crazy to leave his car in the bank |
| C．he never thought the businessman could drive a Rolls Royce |
| D．he thinks $5,000 is so small a sum of money to the businessman |
The underlined word “collateral” in Paragraph 1 most probably means “_________”.
| A．security | B．payment | C．reward | D．deal |
Which of the following words can best describe the businessman according to the story?
| A．Honest. | B．Clever. | C．Rich. | D．Kind. |
The Danish capital is a year-round destination. Here are some of the city's best annual events.
Roskilde Festival (July)
The Danes love the outdoors and they love rock music; the Roskilde Festival is where they combine these passions for a weekend of drunken celebration. The four-day event is held about 30 minutes from the city completely, which means you can either go in for the full festival experience, or you can travel from the city to the festival each day.
There are also day tickets if you don't have the power for the whole collection of facts.
Kulturnatten (October)
For something a little more high brow there's the Night of Culture. For one night only some 300 venues in the city stage theater performances, art exhibitions, concerts and poetry readings.
Father Christmas Congress (July)
One of the more bizarre fixtures in Copenhagen's calendar, the event is held in July—the slow season for Santas—at the Bakken amusement park, some 20 minutes north of the city. The most interesting of the event is a procession of Santas from all over the world along Strøget. Parents should be prepared for some embarrassed questions from the kids.
Tivoli Gardens (November/December)
These pleasure gardens make for a great day out any time of the year but to see them at their most attractive, visit from mid-November through December, when they are transformed into a fairy tale of lanterns and Christmas markets. There's also outdoor skating, a Christmas entertainment and the very Danish 'Nissekøbing' village, home to more than 100 mechanical fairies.
53. If you are free in October, you can go to _____.
A. Roskilde Festival B. Kulturnatten
C. Father Christmas Congress D. Tivoli Gardens
54. Roskilde Festival is a festival _____.
A. where many famous singers in Denmark gather
B. which is only held in the center of a city
C. that lasts about half an hour per day
D. that the Danas can enjoy
55. How does the author think of the procession of Santas?
A. Astonishing. B. Funny. C. Worth seeing. D. Full of encouragement.
56. The passage is probably written for _____.
A. guides B. tourists C. businessmen D. writers
Planting trees around poultry farms can improve air and water quality -- and relations with neighbors. Research has shown that just three rows of trees near poultry houses can reduce the release of dust and ammonia(氨). They can also reduce the strong smell of ammonia gas.
The trees take dust, ammonia and odors in their leaves. They also provide shade from the sun, so they reduce cooling costs in summer. And they act as a windbreak, so they reduce heating costs in winter. Trees can also improve water quality around farms by removing pollutions from soil and groundwater.
Several years ago, people were objecting to the odor of poultry farms on the Delmarva Peninsula in the eastern United States. Delmarva is where the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia come together. Two thousand farms there can each house an average of seventy-five thousand chickens.
Traditionally the farms used windows to provide fresh air in the chicken houses. Farmers rarely planted trees or tall crops around the buildings, so there would be no barrier to the airflow. But then farms began to use new ventilation systems. Instead of windows, the new systems used tunnel fans to circulate air. The fans directed airflow from the poultry houses toward the homes of neighbors.
Researchers began dealing with the problem in two thousand. They found that over a period of six years, planting three rows of trees reduced total dust and ammonia by more than half. And they found that smells were reduced by eighteen percent.
Farmers may think trees will take too long to grow and be effective. But some trees can grow quickly. At least one-third of the Delmarva farms have planted trees, technically known as vegetative environmental buffers. The idea offers a way to cut pollution, save money and energy, and make the neighbors happy.
49. The second paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. planting trees as much as possible
B. the advantages of trees
C. how to reduce heating costs
D. why trees are received
50. The word “odor” in paragraph 3 means ______.
A. plant B. smell C. height D. water
51. The farms on the Delmarva Peninsula used to use ______ in chicken houses to provide fresh air.
A. trees B. tunnel fans C. windows D. poles
52. It can be learned from the last two paragraphs that ______.
A. three rows of trees are really good to the environment
B. researches began to realize the problem in 2000
C. most farmers show interest in planting trees
D. the trees growing quickly can be cut off in a few years
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 cre 
ative 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.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 |
In the last sentenc
e 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 |
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 |
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. |
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 |
Winter depression (or winter blues) is a common affliction (折磨) for those who live in our northern climate. Its clinical name is seasonal affective disorder (or SAD) and up to 5% of the population (especially in northern states) may suffer from it. Seasonal affective disorder is characterized by feelings of sadness and depression that occur in the winter months when the temperatures drop and the days grow short 
. The depression is often associated with excessive eating or sleeping and weight gain. Women are twice to three times more likely to suffer from the winter blues than men.
There are many effective treatments for winter depression, some of which you can do to help yourself. Increasing your daily exposure to as much natural light as possible can be helpful to many. Any time that you have the opportunity to gain access to more sunlight in the winter months, you should try to do so. Taking walks throughout the day (even if you don’t normally do so), sitting next to a south-facing window at your office, in a classroom, or at home will increase your sunlight exposure. Exercising next to a window or outdoors (when possible) is another activity that can help.
Although it may be difficult to do, maintaining your schedule and lifestyle will help to keep the depression at bay. A regular pattern of sleep is the most important thing to maintain. It may be helpful, for instance, to have your bedroom lights on a timer to turn on a half-hour before you wake. This may help in waking at a regular time every morning, when it is still dark outside in the winter months.
Light therapy has shown to be an effective treatment for seasonal affective disorder. While you can purchase expensive, specialized light therapy lighting fixtures for your home or office, some inexpensive alternatives are also available. Another lighting technique to try is to replace commonly used light bulbs in your home with brighter full spectrum (also known as broad spectrum) light bulbs. While more expensive than regular light bulbs, these bulbs provide light that is similar to natural sunlight.
If none of these techniques seem to help your depressive symptoms, you should consider consulting your family physician or a mental health professional. The winter blues are a form of depression and can be readily treated w 
ith medications or psychotherapy when other self-help methods aren’t effective. Don’t be afraid to talk about this condition with a professional; it’s nothing to be ashamed or afraid of. With a little effort, the winter blues can be beaten What do we know about winter depression?
| A．It is very common where the weather is cold. |
| B．It may lead to weight gain. |
| C．It occurs when the temperatures drop. |
| D．It seldom affects men. |
What is the most important factor in the therapy introduced in the second paragraph?
| A．Exposure to natural light. |
| B．Sports in winter months. |
| C．Outdoor activities. |
| D．Sunlight through the window. |
What does “to keep the depression at bay” mean in the third paragraph?
| A．To shorten the duration of the depression. |
| B．To use light to resist the depression. |
| C．To keep the depression manageable and minimal. |
| D．To delay the occurrence of the depression. |
For winter depression, light therapy ___________.
| A．is much more effective than other kinds of therapy |
| B．is so expensive that some may not be able to afford it |
| C．encourages people to do outdoor exercises |
| D．needs specialized bulbs to replace ordinary ones |
We can infer from the passage that __________.
| A．self-help methods do not work 100% of the time |
| B．medications or psychotherapy is much more effective |
| C．mental health professionals don’t recommend self- help methods |
| D．most people prefer self-help methods to medications |