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）
第一节 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A gadget which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave.
Using the same technology as a dehumidifier（除湿器），the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source—the air．
The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water in
developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage．
The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter（过滤器）and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water droplets．It can produce up to 1 2 liters a day．The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases．In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights.
Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said: “The demand for water is off the chart．So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”
The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost ￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring．Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly calculates that a liter of water cost around 20p to produce.
Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080．One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.
The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.
41．What does the underlined word “it” refer do?
A．Drinking water. B．Invention. C．Microwave. D．Water Mill.
42．What do we learn about the machine?
A．It works in the same way as microwaves．
B．It is very expensive for families to afford.
C．It absorbs steam and turns it into water．
D．It helps to make the water clean to drink.
43．What does the passage lead us to believe?
A．The cost of water will go up. B．Bottled water will disappear sooner.
C．The machine is energy saving. D．The machine will be popular worldwide.
44．What’s the best title for the passage?
A．A New Way to Solve Water Problem. B．A Machine to Make Water out of Air.
C．A Dehumidifier to Produce Water. D．An Absolutely New Invention
How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.How did the author get to know America?
| A． From her relatives. | B． From books and pictures. |
| C． From her mother. | D． From radio programs. |
Upon leaving for America the author felt_______.
| A．confused | B．worried |
| C．excited | D．amazed |
For the first two years in New York, the author _________.
| A．studied in three different schools |
| B．did not think about her future |
| C．often lost her way |
| D．got on well with her stepfather |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
| A．She helped her family with her English. |
| B．She attended a lot of job interviews. |
| C．She paid telephone bills for her family. |
| D．She worked as a translator. |
The author believes that______.
| A．her future will be free from troubles |
| B．good things will happen if one keeps trying |
| C．there are more good things than bad things |
| D．it is difficult to learn to become patient |
In 1978, I was 18 and was working as a nurse in a small town about 270 km away from Sydney, Australia. I was looking forward to having five fays off from duty. Unfortunately, the only one train a day back to my home in Sydney had already left. So I thought I’d hitch a ride (搭便车).
I waited by the side of the highway for three hours but no one stopped for me. Finally, a man walked over and introduced himself as Gordon. He said that although he couldn’t give me a lift, I should come back to his house for lunch. He noticed me standing for hours in the November heat and thought I must be hungry. I was doubtful as a young girl but he assured (使……放心)me I was safe, and he also offered to help me find a lift home afterwards. When we arrived at his house, he made us sandwiches. After lunch, he helped me find a lift home.
Twenty-five years later, in 2003, while I was driving to a nearby town one day, I saw an elderly man standing in the glaring heat, trying to hitch a ride. I thought it was another chance to repay someone for the favour I’d been given decades earlier. I pulled over and picked him up. I made him comfortable on the back seat and offered him some water.
After a few moments of small talk, the man said to me, “You haven’t changed a bit, even your red hair is still the same.” I couldn’t remember where I’d met him. He then told me he was the man who had given me lunch and helped me find a lift all those years ago. It was Gordon. The author had to hitch a ride one day in 1978 because .
| A．her work delayed her trip to Sydney |
| B．she missed the only train back home |
| C．the town was far away from Sydney |
| D．she was going home for her holidays |
Which of the following did Gordon do according to Paragraph 2?
| A．He watched the girl for three hours. |
| B．He gave the girl a ride back home. |
| C．He bought sandwiches for the girl. |
| D．He helped the girl find a ride. |
The reason why the author offered a lift to the elderly man was that .
| A．she realized he was Gordon |
| B．she had known him for decades |
| C．she wanted to repay the favour she once got |
| D．she was going to the nearby town |
What does the author want to tell the readers through the story?
| A．Good manners bring about happiness. |
| B．Those who give rides will be repaid. |
| C．Giving sometimes produces nice results. |
| D．People should offer free rides to others. |
The underlined word “favour “in paragraph 3 is closed in meaning to “ ______ “.
| A．interest | B．money | C．wallet | D．help |
Students usually have two long holidays a year, but have you heard elephants have holidays?
The Indian elephants from a temple are sent on a north-long holiday with massages(按摩) and baths to relax. The 64 elephants will be fed with a lot of food, enough for them to put on 700~800 pounds.
A temple veterinarian said that those Indian elephants would be treated after spending a month walking on roads, living on leaves and bananas and giving shows during lots of temple festivals. Their daily diet includes special rice and other special food, which are very nutritious and can make them healthy and strong. All of these are made by professional people.
This treatment will also calm them down ahead of a busy work schedule in upcoming events later in the year where they are the main attractions. The special holiday has cost the temple about￡12,500, but extra money is ready for being used to treat the animals.
Indians believe that doing something good to elephants can help them get wisdom and power. Having elephants is a traditional symbol of honor for temples across southern India. All temples, however, never buy their elephants. The elephants were donated by people. The Indian elephants can have a __________ holiday.
| A．day’s | B．week’s | C．month’s | D．year’s |
The elephants can do the following during their holiday EXCEPT_____.
| A．eating delicious food |
| B．giving performances |
| C．taking a shower |
| D．having a massage |
What does the underlined word “nutritious” in Paragraph 3 mean?
| A．大量的 | B．有营养的 | C．昂贵的 | D．美味的 |
People give these elephants a special holiday in order to ______.
| A．save a lot of money |
| B．make friends with them |
| C．make their temples famous |
| D．make them get ready for the coming work. |
Ambassador Hotel
Welcome to the Ambassador Hotel. To make your stay as enjoyable as possible, we hope you will use our facilities to the full.
Dining Room
Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8 a.m. to 9 a. m. Alternatively, the room staff will bring a breakfast tray to your room at any time after 7 a.m. In this case, please fill out a card and hang it outside your door when you go to bed.
Lunch: 12:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Room Service
This operate 24 hours a day; phone the Reception Desk(接待处), and your message will be passed to the room staff.
Telephones
To make a phone call, dial 0 for Reception and ask to be connected. We apologize for delays in putting calls through when the staff are very busy. There are also pubic telephone booths(电话亭) near the Reception Desk. Early calls should be booked with Reception.
Laundry
We have a laundry in the hotel, and will wash, iron and return your clothes within 24 hours. Ask the room staff to collect them.
Bar
The hotel bar is open from 12 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.You would most probably see this notice_______.
| A．in a hotel bar |
| B．in a bedroom of a large hotel |
| C．in a hotel dining room. |
| D．at the entrance of a small hotel. |
What should you do if you arrive at the hotel at 2 p.m. and want something to eat?
| A．go to the hotel shop. |
| B．go to the hotel bar. |
| C．hang a message outside your door. |
| D．phone the Reception Desk. |
What should you do if you want to make an important call but the staffs around the Reception Desk are very busy?
| A．wait at the Reception Desk. |
| B．go to your room and phone from there. |
| C．go out and look for a public box. |
| D．use one of the phones in the entrance hall. |
Do you love hamburgers? Do you how they were created?
The first hamburgers in U.S. history were served in New Haven, Connecticut, at Louis’ Lunch sandwich shop in 1895. Louis Lassen, founder of Louis’ Lunch, ran a small lunch wagon selling steak sandwiches to local factory workers. Because he didn’t like to waste the excess beef from his daily lunch rush, he ground it up, grilled it, and served it between two slice of bread—and thus America’s first hamburger was created.
The small Crown Street restaurant is still owned and operated by the third and fourth generations of the Lassen family. Hamburgers are still the specialty of the house, where steak is ground fresh each day and hand molded, slow cooked, broiled vertically, and served between two slices of toast with your choice of only three “acceptable” garnishes: cheese, tomato, and onion.
Want ketchup or mustard? Forget it. You will be told “no” in no uncertain terms. This is the home of the greatest hamburger in the world, claim the owners, who are perhaps best known for allowing their customers to have a burger the Lassen way or not at all.Why did Louis Lassen start making hamburgers?
| A．Because he didn’t want to waste excess beef. |
| B．Because he wanted to earn more money. |
| C．Because he would like to make something special. |
| D．Because he was the founder of Louis’ Lunch. |
Which of the following is not available for customers to choose from at Louis Lunch?
| A．Cheese. | B．Tomato. |
| C．Mustard. | D．Onion. |
What does the underlined words “Crown Street restaurant” in the third paragraph refer to?
| A．A restaurant on the Crown Street. |
| B．A restaurant called Crown Street. |
| C．Louis’ Lunch sandwich shop. |
| D．A new chain shop of Louis’ Lunch on Crown Street. |
The best title of this article is________.
| A．The Creation of hamburgers |
| B．Louis’ Lunch |
| C．A king of fast-food----Hamburgers |
| D．Why People Love Hamburgers |