第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下面的短文,从A,B,C,D四个选项中,选出最佳选项
My elder brother Steve, in the absence of my father who died when I was six, gave me important lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult. For instance, Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior. Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who took the time to ask me what happened. When I explained that my baseball had soared through Mrs. Holt’s basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to confess(坦白) to her. After all, I should have been playing in the park down Fifth Street and not in the path between buildings. Although my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money if she would return my ball. I also learned from Steve that personal property is a sacred thing. After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else. He reminded me of how much I’d hate to lose to someone else the small dog my father carved from a piece of wood. I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. Davids, and still remembered the smell of her perfume as she patted me on my shoulder.
Yet of all the instructions Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most vivid in my mind. When I was twelve I killed an old brown bird in the yard with a BB gun. Excited with my accuracy, I screamed to Steve to come from thehouse to take a look. I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground. Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, “Did it hurt you first, Mark?” I didn’t know what to answer. He continued with his eyes firm, “The only time you should even think of hurting a living thing is if it hurts you first. And then you think a long, long time. “ I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me.
56. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The relationship between Mark and Steve
B. The important lesson Mark learned in school
C. Steve’s important role in Mark’s growing process.
D. Mark and Steve’s respect for living things.
57. It can be inferred from the passage that when Mark confessed to Mrs. Holt, ____.
A. he felt surprised B. he was light-hearted
C. he felt frightened D. he behaved bravely
58. In the story about the pen, which of the following lessons did Steve teach his brother?
A. Respect for personal property.
B. Respect for life.
C. Sympathy for people with problems.
D. The value of honesty.
59. Which of the follow is true according to the passage?
A. Mark was still a boy when he wrote this passage.
B. Even if a living thing hurts you, you should not kill it without hesitation
C. When a living thing hurts you, you should kill it.
D. Mark lost the small dog his father raised.
Eat your vegetables. Wash your hands. Always say “please" and“thank you". We are full of advice for our children, but when it comes to money, we often have little to say. As a result, our children may grow up with clean hands and good manners, but without any idea how to manage their money.
Here are some basics that will help guide them their entire lives:
Show them the future. If your 13-year-old girl were to save$1,000,invest(投资)it at 8%and add$100 every month,by the time she's 65,she would have$980,983!
Be careful of credit(信用).Credit cards can help you buy necessary things and build a credit history,but they must be used responsibly, which means paying off your debt in time. Explain to your children that when you buy something using a credit card,you can easily end up paying two or three times what you would have paid if you used cash.
Teach patience. Suppose your child wants a new bicycle that costs $150. Rather than paying the cash,give him some regular pocket money and explain that by putting aside,say $15 each week,he will be able to buy it for himself in only ten weeks.
Provide incentive. Tell your children the importance of saving.“For every dollar he or she agrees to save and invest rather than spend, you agree to add another dollar to the pot,”says Cathy Pareto, expert in money planning.
Explain your values. Values and money are deeply intertwined, says Eilleen Gallo, co-author of The Financially Intelligent Parent. When your child demands that you buy something, explain why you really don’t want to buy it.“You might say,‘I'd rather save that money for your education,”,advises Gallo. Every time you spend or don't spend money,you have a chance to share your values.
64. The underlined word“incentive" in paragraph 6 means _____.
A. honor B. praise C. excitementD. encouragement
65. What leads the writer to write this article?
A. Parents want to know how to educate their children.
B. He wants to share his good ideas about money matters.
C. He thinks money management the most important for children.
D. Parents care little about their children's management of money.
66. The writer gives some basics to help __________ in a proper way.
A. parents teach their children how to deal with money B. children follow their parents' instructions
C. children manage their money D. parents save their money
Many people who work in London prefer to live outside it, and to go in to their offices or schools every day by train, car or bus, even though this means they have to get up early in the morning and reach home late in the evening.
One advantage of living outside London is that houses are cheaper. Even a small flat in London without a garden costs quite a lot to rent. With the same money, one can get a little house in the country with a garden of one’s own.
Then, in the country one can rest from the noise and hurry of the town. Even though one has to get up earlier and spend more time in trains or buses, one can sleep better at night and during weekends and on summer evenings, one can enjoy the fresh, clean air of the country. If one likes gardens, one can spend one’s free time digging, planting, watering and doing the hundred and one other jobs which are needed in a garden. Then, when the flowers and vegetables come up, one has the reward of one who has shared the secret of Nature.
Some people, however, take no interest in country things: for them, happiness lies in the town, with its cinemas and theatres, beautiful shops and busy streets, dance-halls and restaurants. Such people would feel that their life was not worth living if they had to live it outside London. An occasional walk in one of the parks and a fortnight’s (two weeks) visit to the sea every summer is all the country they want: the rest they are quite prepared to leave to those who are glad to get away from London every night.
60. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. People who like country things prefer to live outside the city.
B. People who work in London prefer to live in the country.
C. Because of certain disadvantages of living outside London, some people who work in London prefer to live inside London.
D. Because of certain advantages of living outside London, many people who work in London prefer to live outside London.
61. One can use the same money for ________ to buy a little house with a garden in the country.
A. getting a small flat with a garden B. having a small flat with a garden
C. renting a small flat without a garden D. buying a small flat without a garden
62. People who think happiness lies in the town would feel that _______ if they had to live it outside London.
A. their life was meaningless B. their life was valuable
C. they didn’t deserve a happy life D. they were not worthy of their happy life
63. The underlined word rest in the last paragraph refers to ________.
A. the rest time B. the rest people
C. the rest of the country D. the rest of the parks and of the sea
It may help you to know that there is no such thing as a perfect speech. At some point in every speech, every speaker says something that is not understood exactly as he has planned. Fortunately, such moments are usually not obvious to the listeners. Why? Because the listeners do not know what the speaker plans to say. They hear only what the speaker does say. If you lose your place for a moment, wrongly change the order of a couple of sentences, or forget to stop at a certain point, no one will be any the wiser. When such moments occur, don't worry about them. Just continue as if nothing happened.
Even if you do make an obvious mistake during a speech, that doesn't really matter. If you have ever listened to Martin Luther King's famous speech---"I have a Dream", you may notice that he stumbles(结巴) over his words twice during the speech. Most likely, however, you don't remember. Why? Because you were fixing your attention on his message rather than on his way of speech-making.
People care a lot about making a mistake in a speech because they regard speech-making as a kind of performance rather than as an act of communication. They feel the listeners are like judges in an ice-skating competition. But, in fact, the listeners are not looking for a perfect performer. They are looking for a well-though-out speech that expresses the speaker's ideas clearly and directly. Sometimes a mistake or two can actually increase a speaker's attractiveness by making him more human.
As you work on your speech, don't worry about being perfect. Once you free you mind of this, you will find it much easier to give your speech freely.
56. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. How to Be a Perfect Speaker B. How to Make a Perfect Speech
C. Don't Expect a Perfect Speech D. Don't Expect Mistakes in a Speech
57. The underlined part in the first paragraph means that no one will ______.
A. be smarter than youB. notice your mistakes
C. do better than youD. know what you are talking about
58. You don't remember obvious mistakes in a speech because ______.
A. your attention is on the speaker’s message B. you don't know what the speaker plans to say
C. you don't fully understand the speech D. you find the way of speech-making more important
59. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. giving a speech is like giving a performance
B. one or two mistakes in a speech may not be bad
C. the listeners should pay more attention to how a speech is made
D. the more mistakes a speaker makes, the more attractive he will be.
Are you a student in Pickering? Do you like to write? Can you imagine Pickering in the year 2025? If you say yes to these questions then you should enter the “In Your Words ”writing contest. You can write an essay, story or a poem on the topic “Imagine my diverse community in the year 2025”
Guidelines :
1. Students are to submit a piece of writing (e.g. poem , story , essay ) on the topic.
2. Entries will be separated into three categories : Elementary : Grades 2-5, Elementary : Grades 6-8, Secondary: Grades 9-12.
3. Entries should speak to issues of diversity(差异/多样性), equality and or race relations. Entries that speak to personal experiences or personal thoughts about the topic are recommended(推荐/建议).
4. Entries are to be 600 words at most . Typed. Double spaced . Size 12 front.
5. First, second and third places will be chosen for each category to award an “Honourable Mention”.
6. One submission per student will be accepted.
Timelines :
All entries must be submitted(上交) by 4:00 pm on December 3,2009.
Only mailed or hand-delivered original submissions will be accepted ( no faxes or emails ).
Judges will review entries and select winners in each category by February 2010.
Incentives(奖励):
Contest winners will be invited to share their submissions at the Race Relations Forum hosted by the Pickering Advisory.
Winning entries will be displayed in the lobby of the Pickering Civic Complex and featured on the city of Pickering website for the month of March 2010.
The winners of each category will have their entries printed in the News Advertiser and other possible publications.
72. Which of the following is NOT a topic of the writing contest ?
Family responsibilities B. Social justice(正义)
C. Relationship between different races D. Various races in the same community(社区)
73. According to the passage, if you join in the contest, you_______.
A. must base your writing on your personal experiences
B. should write an article of at least 600 words
C. can submit several pieces of writing
will be free to choose a writing style
74. If an entry is awarded, it will be ______.
A. advertised in a newspaper B. used as learning material
C. posted on the Pickering website D. presented at an international forum
75. How many contestants at least will be awarded in all ?
A. 1 B. 3 C. 6 D. 9
It was two years ago in winter when I went with my family to Engadine in Switzerland. The journey by car was pleasant until we reached the bottom of the Julier Pass(尤里尔隘口) when it began to snow.
Suddenly, the weather became very bad and soon we found ourselves in a storm. On the top of the pass, the visibility(能见度) was almost zero and we had to guess where the crash barrier(防撞护栏) was. It was terrible, the snow turned into ice and stuck to the windows despite the heating being set at full blast. Several times I had to get out of the car to clear the ice from the windshield(挡风玻璃).
But the way down towards Silvaplana was less stressful and we knew that we would arrive in paradise(乐园). It snowed without interruption the first day of our holidays and not being used to this natural weather, we found it simply magical to watch so much snow falling down on the mountains.
The following day, in this large, amazing area made up of frozen lakes and rivers between white mountains, we discovered a little hut next to the cross-country ski tracks, close to a farm. There was a fridge in this heated wooden cabin that contained milk, cheese and yoghurts for self-service. There was a list of prices for each item. You took what you wanted, then wrote down the total on a notebook what you had taken and put the money into an open box and if necessary took the change.
Where else could you find such trust? As I’ve already told you, Engadine is a paradise.
69.The author and his family were caught in a storm when they_______.
A. began the visit to Engadine B. were in Silvaplana
C. were passing the Julier Pass D. crashed into barriers
70. According to the passage, in the little hut________.
A. foods were offered to tourists for free B. tourists had to serve themselves
C. tourists had to enjoy their own food D. there were several persons on duty every day
71. What may impress the author most?
A. The white mountains. B. The Julier Pass.
C. The frozen lake . D. The little hut.