D
Annual holidays have become a luxury and are no longer a staple of family life, according to government research．
A getaway of a week or more is no longer considered essential by many families and is often beyond their reach, said the analysis of what parents and children say they really need．Fashionable clothes for the children, expensive birthday parties and lots of toys are also on the list of luxuries families don’t have to have．Instead, recession-hit parents are thinking of the future, and the things they want for their children centre around learning to behave properly, good education and good health．
Their picture of what a family ought to have includes a space to eat together away from the television, plenty of fruit and vegetables, and bicycles so children can get exercise．
The breakdown of necessities and luxuries was prepared by researchers from the Department for Work and Pensions(DWP) who were trying to establish an up-to-date picture of what parents say they really need．
Their findings show how families have scaled down their expectations in the face of economic difficulties — how parents are now concentrating their attention and money firmly on the long-term interests of their children．Many believe that while it is vital for a family to do things together, day trips or weekend breaks are enough．
Spending on furniture or decorating the house was also considered luxurious, unless the state of the home was so bad it became difficult to invite visitors in.
Instead, researchers said: A family home should have an area where the family can eat together, not on their laps in front of a television．Families should be able to go on outings, overnight trips and possibly short holiday: the fact of being able to share these experiences is more important than the precise activity and its cost．
71．It can be inferred that ______________.
A．a week or more holiday is considered beyond many families’ reach
B．children hardly ever need fashionable clothes and lots of toys
C．what a family should have is basic things that they must have
D．annual holidays were once considered necessary and vital
72．In the opinion of most parents, _____________.
A．families can watch TV together in order to keep up their relationship
B．day trips or weekend breaks are enough for families to share experiences
C．their expectations should be increased in the face of economic difficulties
D．a week’s holiday is an essential minimum during the financial crisis
73．Which of the following is TRUE of the researchers from the DWP?
A．They confirm many families still need at least a week away on holiday each year.
B．They learn it is insignificant for a family to do things with each other regularly.
C．They want to know what parents really need in the face of economic difficulties.
D．They found spending on furniture or decorating the house was thought valuable.
74．We can conclude from the last paragraph____________.
A．being able to share experiences is important for families
B．a family needs at least a week away on holiday each year
C．a family home should have a comfortable area to watch TV
D．going on outings and overnight trips is wasting time for families
75．What does the author mainly discuss in the text?
A．Cycling is very important for children’s health.
B．Family holidays once a year have become a luxury.
C．It is vital for parents to eat together with children.
D．Parents are concerned with children’s future.
阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Robby was 11 when his mother dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer students to begin at an earlier age. Robby said that it had always been his mother’s dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him on as a student.
Robby tried and tried while I listened and encouraged him and gave him more instructions. But he just did not have any inborn ability.
I only saw his mother from a distance. She always waved and smiled but never came in. Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but I guessed he had decided to try something else.
I was also glad that he stopped coming for the sake of my career. However, several weeks before the recital (演奏会) of my students, Robby came，telling me that he never stopped practicing and begged me to allow him to take part in it. I agreed, but I made him perform last in the program, so I could save his poor performance through my “curtain closer”.
I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen one piece of Mozart’s. Never had I heard a piece of Mozart’s played so well by someone at his age. When he finished, everyone was cheering.
I ran up and put my arms around Robby in joy. “I’ve never heard you play like that, Robby! How could you do it?”
“Well, Miss Hondorf. Do you remember I told you my mom was sick? Actually she died this morning. She was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she could hear me play. I wanted to make it special. I knew I could.”
That night, Robby was the teacher and I was the student. He taught me so many important things about life.Why might Robby have stopped coming to piano lessons suddenly?
| A．He lost heart and believed that he would never make it. |
| B．His mother might have been seriously ill. |
| C．He thought that his teacher disliked him. |
| D．His mother died and he didn’t need to play any longer. |
We can know from the passage that __________.
| A．the writer thought students shouldn’t begin playing the piano too early |
| B．the writer thought that Robby had given up his piano lessons |
| C．only by practicing at home did Robby learn to play well |
| D．no one else could play the piece of Mozart’s as well as Robby |
From the underlined sentence, we can infer that _________.
| A．the writer looked down upon Robby and disliked him |
| B．the writer thought Robby was a bad advertisement for her teaching |
| C．with Robby in the recital, the other children couldn’t play well |
| D．the writer couldn’t teach so many students at a time |
The writer made Robby perform last because _________.
| A．the one who performs last always performs very well |
| B．Robby asked the writer to do so |
| C．she wanted to do something to save a poor performance |
| D．Robby thought his mother would come at last |
The past ages of man have all been carefully labeled by anthropologists. Descriptions like ‘Palaeolithic Man’, ‘Neolithic Man’, etc., neatly sum up whole periods. When the time comes for anthropologists to turn their attention to the twentieth century, they will surely choose the label ‘Legless Man’. Histories of the time will go something like this: ‘in the twentieth century, people forgot how to use their legs. Men and women moved about in cars, buses and trains from a very early age. There were lifts and escalators in all large buildings to prevent people from walking. This situation was forced upon earth dwellers of t
hat time because of miles each day. But the surprising thing is that they didn’t use their legs even when they went on holiday. They built cable railways, ski-lifts and roads to the top of every huge mountain. All the beauty spots on earth were ruined by the presence of large car parks.’
The future history books might also record that we were deprived of the use of our 
eyes. In our hurry to get from one place to another, we failed to see anything on the way. Air travel gives you a bird’s-eye view of the world—or even less if the wing of the aircraft happens to get in your way. When you travel by car or train a blurred (="not" clear) image of the countryside constantly smears the windows. Car drivers, in particular, are forever obsessed with the urge to go on and on: they never want to stop. Is it the lure (引诱；诱惑) of the great motorways, or what? And as for sea travel, it hardly deserves mention. It is perfectly summed up in the words of the old song: ‘I joined the navy to see the world, and what did I see? I saw the sea.’ The typical twentieth-century traveler is the man who always says ‘I’ve been there. ’You mention the remotest, most evo
cative (引起记忆的) place-names in the world like El Dorado, Kabul, Irkutsk and someone is bound to say ‘I’ve been there’—meaning, ‘I drove through it at 100 miles an hour on the way to somewhere else.’
When you travel at high speeds, the present means nothing: you live mainly in the future because you spend most of your time looking forward to arriving at some other place. But actual arrival, when it is achieved, is meaningless. You want to move on again. By traveling like this, you suspend all experience; the present ceases to be a reality: you might just as well be dead. The traveler on foot, on the other hand, lives constantly in the present. For him traveling and arriving are one and the same thing: he arrives somewhere with every step he makes. He experiences the present moment with his eyes, his ears and the whole of his body. At the end of his journey he feels a delicious physical weariness. He knows that sound. Satisfying sleep will be his: the just reward of all true travellers. Anthropologists label nowadays’ men ‘Legless’ because _________.
| A．people forget how to use his legs. |
| B．people prefer cars, buses and trains. |
| C．lifts and escalators prevent people from walking. |
| D．there are a lot of transportation devices. |
Travelling at high speed means _________.
| A．people’s focus on the future | B．a pleasure |
| C．satisfying drivers’ great thrill | D．a necessity of life |
Why does the author say ‘we are deprived of the use of our eyes’?
| A．People won’t use their eyes. |
B．In traveling at high speeds, eyes become u seless. |
| C．People can’t see anything on his way of travel. |
| D．People want to sleep during travelling. |
What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
| A．Legs become weaker. | |
| B．Modern means of transportation make the world a small place. | |
| C．There is no need to use eyes. | D．The best way to travel is on foot. |
What does ‘a bird’s-eye view’ mean?
| A．See view with bird’s eyes. | B．A bird looks at a beautiful view. |
| C．It is a general view from a high position looking down. | |
| D．A scenic place. |
Nickname: Hawaii’s Island of Adventure
Size: 4,028 square miles
Population: 148,677. The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and Kailua-Kona on the west.
Temperature: Averages between 71℉and 77℉year around (expect the mercury(水银柱) to drop at higher heights).
Beaches: 47 Golf Courts: 20 Highest Peak: Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet.
Agriculture: The bulk of Hawaii’s farming products are grown and processed on the Big Island, including coffee, macadamia nuts and papaya.
Lodging: 9,655 rooms total; nightly rates range from $35—$5,000.
Airports: Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on the west side.
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo International and Kona International Airports as well as many resorts. In addition, Hilo, Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxis.
Resources: Call (800) 648-2441 to order a video, poster, brochures and maps from the Big Island Visitors Bureau. See www.bigisland.org for updated information.
Shopping: The largest shopping centers are in Hilo, Kona, Waimea and the Kona Coast._________ are mostly interested in reading the passage.
| A．Students | B．Businessmen | C．Tourists | D．Immigrants |
The average population per square mile on the island is about _________.
| A．28 | B．32 | C．37 | D．44 |
The underlined part “expect the mercury(水银柱) to drop at higher heights” means _________.
| A．Things are easy to lose weight at higher places |
| B．Dropping things from higher places is expected |
| C．Temperature is expected to be lower at higher places |
| D．Temperature is expected to be higher at higher places |
__________ are not mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island.
| A．Trains | B．Planes | C．Rental cars | D．Taxis |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．You can see www.bigisland.org for updated information. |
| B．You can call (800) 648-2441 to order some food. |
C．You can find some courts to play tennis on  the island. |
| D．You may pay a high price for spending one night on the island. |
Too cold for recess? School policies vary as much as temps
When is it too cold for schoolchildren to go outsi
de for recess（课间休息）? The answer varies widely based on where a school is located and what the kids are used to.
Consider: One northern Minnesota school says it has to be 15 below zero before kids are kept inside. But in areas along the East Coast, temperatures below 35 to 40 degrees could keep kids inside. Canceling recess because of the cold is no small issue considering that much of the USA is trembling through what may be its coldest winter in a generation, according to AccuWeather.
There is no national temperature standard for when to keep kids inside during the winter months, the U.S. Department of Education says. Decisions are made at the local level, either by principals or school districts.
Consequently, policies are all over the map:
• In International Falls, Minn., the self-described "Icebox of the Nation," where the average high temperature in January is 13 degrees, Falls Elementary School Principal Jerry Hilfer says, "if it's 15 below (or warmer), they go out, no matter what." "At 20 below, it gets iffy," he adds.
• In Wicomico County, Md., principals typically keep children indoors when temperatures drop below freezing, or if it's raining or snowing, says Susan Jones, the school system's director of elementary education.
"That's the bottom line," says Curtis Twilley, principal of Pemberton Elementary School in Salisbury, Md. Twilley says students get little exercise when recess stays indoors. At Pemberton Elementary, the students will typically play board games or computer games in a classroom because the school's gym is occupied with other classes, he says.
• For schools in Marquette, Mich., which averages about 12 feet of snow per season, school officials acknowledge students are probably a little more prepared than those in some more mild climates.Which of the following is not true according to the passage_________.
| A．No national temperature standard is made for when to keep kids inside during the winter months |
| B．Susan Jones insists students get little exercise when recess stays indoors. |
| C．In Wicomico County, children are kept indoors when temperatures dip below freezing. |
| D．Mich has about 12 feet of snow per season on average. |
Which place calls itself Box of Ice?
| A．Wicomico County | B．Marquette | C．Salisbury | D．Minn |
Considering_______, canceling recess In USA because of the cold is a big issue.
| A．different schools have different principles. | B．much of the USA has very cold winter. |
| C．physical activity can boost student performance. | D．decisions are made at the local level, |
The underlined word iffy means _______.
| A．uncertain | B．surprising | C． serious | D．worse |
What will be talked about next?
| A．More school policies | B．The reasons why school policies vary. |
| C．Measures to improve the situation. | D．Necessities to improve the situation. |
One day in my class，Maria shared her feelings about money，“Money worries me.I think I want to live without money because I hate it.I HATE MONEY.”We were all touched by Maria's words as they reminded us of the spiritual burdens that money managing can bring to us.After class I offered to help Maria deal with her financial problems.She hesitated to accept my offer，and I could see from the expression on her face that she was afraid of what it might involve.I quickly promised her that I wouldn't make her do more than she was able to.I told her frankly that I didn't enjoy managing my money any more than she did hers and wouldn't burden her with guilt，judgments，or impossible tasks.All I would ask her to do was to let me help her look at her fears and try to make some sense of them.
Maria still resisted my offer，and I can remember the excuses she gave me as they were the repeated complaints I had heard from so many people.“I'll never understand money，”she said.“My facts are meaningless.”“I don't deserve to have money.”“I never have enough.”“I have too little to manage.”“My financial position isn't worth looking at.”and the most devastating one of all，“I just can't do it.”
Going home that day，I couldn't get Maria out of my mind：her attitude conveyed the same negativity and fear that I believed annoyed many people.I was sure it was this attitude that prevented people from managing their money effectively.My counseling(咨询)has taught me that these anxieties are inseparably connected to our selfdoubts and fear for survival.Many of us are terrified of handling our money because we don't believe we can do it well，and to do it wrong would put our very existence at risk.
On a deeper level we know that money is not the source of life，but sense of worth drives us to act as if it were.It locks us up in selfdoubts and prevents us from tapping into the true source of our management power，our spirit.The underlined word“devastating”in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
| A．convincing | B．interesting | C．shocking | D．valuable |
Maria's words moved the author and others because they were ________.
| A．in the same financial trouble | B．in the same financial condition |
| C．of the same family background | D．of the same feeling over the issue |
As for money managing，the author intended to tell Maria how to ________.
| A．overcome her fears | B．make wise decisions |
| C．avoid making mistakes | D．learn the necessary skills |
Maria wouldn't take the author's offer of help for fear of________.
| A．being forced to share her money with others |
| B．having to do something beyond her reach |
| C．being found guilty of making impossible errors |
| D．showing her judgment about money |
According to the author，people's anxieties about managing money result from their understanding of money as the only source of ________.
| A．life | B．values | C．spirit | D．power |