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第二部分：阅读理解（共25小题，每题2分，满分50分）
第一节选择题（共20小题，每题2分，满分40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。
Getting around in Canada is fairly easy. Most cities have urban transportation systems, including buses, streetcars, and trains, and some of the larger cities also have subways. You can board these systems at regular stops along their routes. Some let you pay with cash while others require tickets. If you don’t have a ticket for the bus, you must pay with the correct amount of money. This is because the driver does not carry any change. If you plan to stay in a city for a long time, you may want to buy a monthly pass or a package of tickets to save money. You can buy subway tickets at any subway station.
If you have to take several buses or subways for a single trip, you do not need to pay money each time. Simply ask the driver for a transfer (换乘) ticket, or take one from the machines on the subway platform.
If you are not sure where to board the bus or the streetcar, just ask someone or follow the crowd. People can usually only board at the front of the bus where you show your pass to the driver. When using public transportation, Canadians line up. First come, first serve, is a common approach to many activities in Canada, and it is considered to be extremely rude to cut in any line.
Maps of routes and schedules are usually available from the public transit (运输) company in your area, and there is also a telephone information line. You may ask someone for the name of the transit company in your area, and then look it up in the telephone book.
46. What is this passage mainly about?
A. How to use public transportation in Canada.
B. How to save money when traveling.
C. Where to find subways in larger cities.
D. How public transit companies work.
47. If you pay the bus fare in cash, _____.
A. you may be given some change
B. you can exchange money with the driver
C. it might cost you a little more
D. you must have the exact amount of money
48. By buying a monthly pass or a package of tickets, you can ______.
A. take a bus whenever you want B. go wherever you like
C. save money D. find comfortable seats
49. If you have to change subway lines on a single trip, _____.
A. you have to pay each time
B. you should buy another ticket from the machine
C. you must ask for the driver’s permission
D. you just need to pay once
The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand—a system of rapid handwriting, and now it’s threatening to finish off handwriting as a whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2012, just 15% of the most1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive(草写字母). The rest? Block letters.
And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive.
At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn’t affect their grades.
There are those who say the culture is at a crossing, turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter?
It was at University Virginia that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity(真实性) can be confirmed. Students also find them more fascinating.
The loss of handwriting also may be a cognitive(认知的) opportunity missed. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better—a lifelong benefit.
It doesn’t take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George’s County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade.
There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological(神经系统的) writing, learning issues or poor motor skills. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding. What is the author concerned about after 2012 Sat exams?
| A．Keyboarding. | B．Shorthand. |
| C．Handwriting. | D．Block letters. |
A poem by Robert mentioned in the passage is used to ____________.
| A．prove how valuable handwriting is |
| B．explain what a famous poet he is |
| C．show how unique his poem is |
| D．stress how fascinating the documents are |
The example of Handwriting Without Tears helps to argue that _____________.
| A．the schools are responsible for the loss of handwriting |
| B．the loss of handwriting is a cognitive opportunity missed |
| C．it doesn’t take much to teach better handwriting skills |
| D．the culture is turning from the written word to the typed one |
According to the author, when is a perfect time to learn handwriting?
| A．Kindergarten. | B．Primary school. |
| C．High school. | D．College. |
What is the author’s attitude towards this debate?
| A．Devotion. | B．Encouragement. |
| C．Critical. | D．Objective. |
A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying.
Because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. Space telescopes with special tools can help find black holes. The special tools can see how stars that are very close to black holes act differently from other ones.
Black holes can be big or small. Scientists think the smallest black holes are as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a large mountain. Mass is the amount of matter, or “staff”, in an object.
Another kind of black hole is called “stellar”(星球黑洞). Its mass can be up to 20 times more than the mass of the sun. There may be many stellar mass black holes in Earth’s galaxy. Earth’s galaxy is called the Milky Way.
The largest black holes are called “supermassive”(超大质量黑洞). These black holes have masses that are more than one million suns together. Scientists have found proof that every large galaxy contains a supermassive black hole at its center. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy has a mass equal to about four million suns and would fit inside a very large ball that could hold a few million Earths.
Scientists think the smallest black holes formed when the universe began. Stellar black holes are made when the center of a very big star falls in upon itself, or falls apart. When this happens, it exploded part of the star into space. Scientists think supermassive black holes were made at the same time as the galaxy they are in.
A black hole can not be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects the stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if they are flying around, or orbiting a black hole.
When a black hole and a star are close together, high-energy light is made. This kind of light cannot be seen with human eyes. Scientists use satellites and telescopes in space to see the high-energy light. The gravity of a black hole may become so strong that light cannot get out when ____________.
| A．the star is going to die |
| B．special tools are used on it |
| C．other stars come close to it |
| D．it is seen from the space telescopes |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．A black hole can be very tiny but extremely heavy. |
| B．The gravity of a black hole holds all light in its center. |
| C．Scientists observe high-energy light through their own eyes. |
| D．Some small black holes came into being as early as the universe. |
Which can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Every galaxy must have a black hole. |
| B．A galaxy is the center of the universe. |
| C．A galaxy consists of a large group of stars and planets. |
| D．Earth’s galaxy is called the Milky Way. |
What does the last sentence in Paragraph 5 suggest?
| A．Neither the sun nor the earth is as heavy as a black hole. |
| B．There is only one supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. |
| C．The supermassive black hole had existed before the Milky Way was formed. |
| D．There is a reason why the large black holes are called “supermassive”. |
The last two paragraph mainly focus on the question of _________.
| A．what a black hole is |
| B．how black holes form |
| C．how big black holes are |
| D．how scientists know about black holes |
A primary school in UK has banned Valentine’s Day cards because of concerns that young pupils spend too much time talking about boyfriends and girlfriends.
Ashcombe Primary School in WestonSuperMare，Somerset，has told parents that cards declaring love can be“confusing” for children under the age of 11，who are still emotionally and socially developing. In this month’s newsletter(通讯)，Peter Turner，the head teacher，warned that any cards found in school would be confiscated(没收)．He wrote：“We do not wish to see any Valentine’s Day cards in school this year. Some children and parents encourage a lot of talk about boyfriends and girlfriends. We believe that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend or girlfriend.”Mr.Turner said any families wanting to support the Valentine’s Day idea should send cards in the post or deliver them to home addresses by hand.
His views were endorsed by Ruth Rice,46，who has twins Harriet and Olivia at the school. She said，“Children at that age shouldn’t really be thinking about Valentine’s Day，they should be concentrating on their schoolwork.”They are at an age when they are impressionable(易受影响的)and most parents including myself are with Mr.Turner. “She added that the cards cause” too much competition. If someone gets a card and another doesn’t，then someone will be disappointed.
However，Rajeev Takyar,40，who has two children Jai,11，and Aryan，five，at the school，said he was “outraged”．He said，“There are schools that have banned conkers(栗子游戏)and snowballs，and now Valentine’s Cards.”I think banning the cards stops children from having social skills. How are they going to learn about relationships otherwise？It’s ridiculous. Alec Suttenwood，father of three children，said of the ban：“It’s totally ridiculous. Young children just send the cards to each other as friends and to their parents. It’s just a bit of harmless fun. There is no difference between this and Mother’s or Father’s Day.”Which of the following is the best title?
| A．Ban on Valentine’s Day cards at school is well received. |
| B．Ban on Valentine’s Day cards at school causes argument. |
| C．British children spend too much time talking about love. |
| D．A British high school bans Valentine’s Day cards. |
The underlined word “endorsed” means________.
| A．criticized | B．quoted |
| C．disapproved | D．approved |
What do you know about Harriet and Olivia?
| A．They will send Valentine’s Day cards this year. |
| B．They are strongly against the school’s decision. |
| C．They are of the same age. |
| D．They are the children of Rajeev Takyar. |
According to Rajeev Takyar，________.
| A．sending Valentine’s Day cards helps develop children’s social skills |
| B．banning Valentine’s Day cards will benefit children |
| C．the cards cause too much competition among children |
| D．children are too young to talk about love |
The newsletter by Peter Turner probably appeared on________.
| A．February 22 | B．February 6 |
| C．March 18 | D．August 1 |
Basic Photography
This is an eitht—hour course for beginners who want to learn how to use a 35mmcamera .The teacher will cover such areas as kins of film ,light , and lense (镜头).Bring your own 35mm camera to the class .
Course Charge :$150
Jan. 10, 12, 17, 19, Tues. & Thurs. 6-8p.m.
Marianne Adams is a professional photographer whose photographs appear in many magazines.
Understanding Computers
This twelve-hour course is for people who don’t know very much about computers, but who need to learn about them. You will learn what computers are, what they can and can’t do, and how to use them.
Course Charge: $75
Equipment Charge: $10
Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28, Sat. 9-12 a.m.
Joseph Saimders is a professor of computer science at New Urban University. He has over twelve years of experience in the computer field.
Stop Smoking
Do you want to stop smoking? Have you already tried to stop and failed? Now it is the time to stop smoking using the latest methods. You can stop smoking, and this twelve-hour course will help you do it.
Course Charge: $30
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25 Mon. 4-7 p.m.
Dr.John Goode is a practicing psychologist(心理学家)who has helped hundreds of people stop smoking.
Typing
This course on weekdays is for those who want to type as well as those who want to improve their typing. You are tested in the first class and practice at one of eight different skill levels. This allows you to learn at your own speed. Each program lasts 20 hours. Bring your own paper.
Course Charge: $125
Materials Charge: $25
Two hours each evening for two weeks.
This course is taught by a number of business education teachers who have successfully taught typing courses before.The word “professional” in this advertisement most probably means “_____”
| A．spiritual | B．journalist |
| C．professor | D．experienced |
The shortest course is _____.
| A．Basic Photography | B．Understanding Computers |
| C．Stop Smoking | D．Typing |
A course which can do something good for your health will cost____.
| A．$50 | B．$30 | C．$10 | D．$125 |
It would be pleasant to believe that all young girls in the past got married for romantic reasons; but the fact is that many of them regarded marriage as their only chance to gain independence from their parents, to have a provider, or to be assured of a good place in society. A couple of generations ago, an old maid of twenty-five did not have much to look forward to, she was more or less fated to remain with her parents or to live in some relative’s home where she would help with the chores and the children. Not so any more. In the first place, women remain young much longer than they used to, and an unmarried woman of twenty-eight or thirty does not feel that her life is over. Besides, since she is probably working and supporting herself, she is free to marry only when and if she chooses. As a result, today’s women tend(倾向) to marry later in life. They have fewer children-or none at all—if they prefer to devote themselves to their profession. The result is a decline in the birthrate.
The new role that women have developed for themselves has changed family life. Children are raised differently; they spend more time with adults who are not their parents: baby sitters, day-care center personnel, relatives, or neighbors. Whether they gain or lose in the process is a hotly debated question. Some child experts believe that young children must spend all their time with their mother if they are to grow sound in body and mind. Others think that children get more from a mother who spends with them “quality time” (a time of fun and relaxation set aside for them) rather than hours of forced and unhappy baby sitting. And many child psychologists point out that children kept in day-care centers every day are brighter than those raised at home. No matter what it is, one thing about child-raising to be certain of is that the longer the child is with the mother, the better.It can be concluded from the passage that______.
| A．women today have developed a new role in family life |
| B．the birthrate is declining as a result of women’s pursuit (追求) of careers |
| C．women have always been dependent on their parents even after marriage |
| D．children must spend all their time with their mother if they are to grow sound |
The change in women’s attitude towards marriage results in all of the following EXCEPT _________.
| A．more and more women quit (leave) jobs to take care of their children at home |
| B．women today tend to marry later than they did |
| C．women have less time to raise children |
| D．more and more families remain childless |
People have different opinions over the question as to______.
| A．how children should be raised |
| B．where children should be raised |
| C．whether children should stay with their parents |
| D．how long children should stay with their parents |
The author suggests that______.
| A．working women should not have children |
| B．children should be kept in day-care centers all the time |
| C．young children should stay with their mother as long as possible |
| D．women should leave their work to look after their children at home |