第二部分阅读理解
（共25小题；第一节每小题2分，满分45分）
第一节阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Once upon a time, two brothers who lived on neighboring farms fell into conflict(冲突) . It was the first serious one between them in 40 years of farming peacefully side by side. In the end, they fell apart.
One morning, a man with a carpenter’s toolbox came for some work. The elder brother said, “I have a job for you. Look at the farm across the creek（河沟）. My younger brother lives there. It was he who used his bulldozer（推土机）to dig the creek last week to spite(刁难) me. So I want you to build me a fence, an 8 – foot – high fence, in order not to see his place any more.” The carpenter smiled and said, “I see. I’ll try to do a job that satisfies you.” Then the elder brother went downtown.
At sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide! To his surprise, there was no fence there at all! Instead, there was a bridge stretching from one side of the creek to the other! A fine piece of work! He saw his younger brother coming to him with the hands outstretching. The brothers stood at each end of the bridge, and then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hands. They turned to see the carpenter lift his toolbox on his shoulder.
“No, wait! Stay a few days. I’ve a lot of other work for you,” said the elder brother.
“I’d love to stay on,” the carpenter said, “but I have so many more bridges to build.”
1What was the life like for the two brothers before the conflict?
A．They lived a poor life. B．They lived in peace.
C．They never spoke to each other. D．They lived on the same farm.
2It can be learned that the carpenter was ________.
A．unwilling to obey the farmer B．fond of building bridges
C．unable to build a fence D．willing to help others
3The best title for this passage is ________.
A．A Fine Piece of Work B．A Carpenter
C．A Conflict between Two Brothers D．Two Brothers
4Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．The elder brother used his bulldozer to dig a creek.
B．The elder brother helped the carpenter build the bridge.
C．The brothers were both satisfied with the carpenter’s work.
D．The carpenter planned to build an 8-foot - high fence as asked to.
When it comes to movies, we usually think of big actors, big budgets, big screens, and, if lucky, big profits. Unfortunately, that puts up some big barriers for aspiring (胸怀大志的) young filmmakers and their dreams. However, thanks to easy access to technology, that’s all changing.
All one really needs nowadays is a camera, a computer, an Internet connection, and, of course, a good idea. With that, you can enter the microfilm world. Shooting a movie using friends and family as the cast has become a common class project for high school students. After a little editing on a laptop, some even decide their creation is worth sharing online.
Microfilms are shot within a short period of time and last only a few minutes or even shorter. Most are completed on an extremely small budget and offer a cheap way for grassroots directors to realize their dreams.
With a range of film festivals, they have taken off due to being perfectly suited to new media platforms such as mobile phones and notebook computers. They are also easily shared across social networks and microblogs.
But microfilms are far different from the shorts commonly found on YouTube. A microfilm must have a solid and thoughtful plot. Most importantly, the movies are easily distributed and there can be no concern about long-term box office profits. Most people who upload a microfilm simply see it as an easy way to share their fun with a few friends and family. Others may be curious about what sort of reaction their production may receive from the general public. According to the passage, what helps promising microfilmmakers realize their dreams?
| A．The profits from microfilms. | B．Aids from friends and family. |
| C．Supports from the public. | D．Small costs for microfilms. |
What does the author mainly explain in Paragraph 4?
| A．The money spent on microfilms is small. |
| B．Microfilms are perfectly connected with new media platforms. |
| C．The difference between microfilms and the shorts is great. |
| D．The process to shoot microfilms is easy. |
In which ways are microfilms mainly different from the shorts?
| A．Technology and money. | B．Actors and screens |
| C．Thoughts and plots | D．Population and profits. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．A look at microfilms | B．The challenge of big films |
| C．A new class project | D．The secret of successful microfilms |
Elizabeth’s Second!
In 60 years, the Queen has never put a foot wrong in public. And for the last 24 of them, it turns out she’s had a secret weapon — the nice Ella Slack. The former BBC manager has, unknown to anyone except a handful of key advisers, spent the last quarter of a century acting as the Queen’s official stand-in at rehearsals (排练) for royal events. The 69-year-old has never accepted a penny for her royal service, considering it “a pleasure and an honour” to ensure that everything runs smoothly for the Queen. “How many people in the world have had a chance to sit in a royal landau (马车) or walk onto the dais (讲台) at Windsor Castle even before the Queen has done so?” she said.
While Miss Slack may not resemble the Queen facially, she has a similar figure to the Queen, standing just 5 foot. The Queen is 5 foot 2 inch. She began her remarkable role in 1988, when she was working as manager of the BBC’s sports and events department. A producer asked her if she could stand in for the Queen to check camera angles at a rehearsal — and her second career was born.
Since then, from the State Opening of Parliament (议会) to the 50th anniversary of Victory day, wherever the Queen is on duty Miss Slack is likely to have been there first. She has perfected her own version of the Queen’s clothes, including a black patent handbag she bought in a charity shop for ￡1, and even styles her hair like the Queen. What’s the Queen’s secret weapon?
| A．She often meets people in public. |
| B．She actively attends social activities. |
| C．She has a nice lady to act as herself. |
| D．She and Miss Slack have a lot in common. |
Miss Slack’s words in Paragraph 1 indicate that ___________.
| A．she thinks the job honorable and worthy |
| B．she thinks she can do the job better |
| C．she thinks frequently of her role |
| D．she is determined to carry the job on |
How did Miss Slack get the job?
| A．The Queen invited her to do so. |
| B．The BBC appointed her to finish the job. |
| C．She was invited to have an accidental try. |
| D．The advisers offered her the chance. |
In which section of a newspaper may you find the passage?
| A．Education. | B．Entertainment. |
| C．Sports. | D．Health. |
Here’s the travel plan for some museums on our “Museums of the World” tour.
The Museum of Bad Art (Boston, USA) shows what it describes as “art too bad to be ignored”. The museum hopes to bring the worst of art to the widest possible audience and has even published a book of its most “important” works. As part of the visit, we’ll be shown some truly awful portraits, landscapes and sculptures.
The Washington Banana Museum (Auburn, Washington, USA) contains 4,000 objects related to the history of what the museum describes as “the world’s most perfect fruit”. We’ll be given a guided tour around the museum, during which we’ll learn all sorts of interesting things, such as the fact that bananas were introduced to the USA in 1878 in the same exhibition as Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone, and that the banana is now the US’ number-one selling fruit.
The Hair Museum (Avanos, Turkey) is located in a cave in Cappadocia, in Central Anatolia. It contains 160,000 samples of people’s hair. You’ll be offered a chance to add your own hair to the collection. Later in the year, the museum curator selects 10 donors to attend a pottery workshop. If you’re one of them, you’ll be invited to stay in his guest house.
The museum du Slip (Brussels, Belgium) is devoted to underwear. The idea behind the museum is that everyone is equal in their underwear. You’ll be fascinated to know that it has collected samples from all sorts of people, including artists, politicians and pop stars.
The Museum de Carrosses Funebres (Barcelona, Spain) is a museum of funeral hearses (灵车). It takes a look at how local people have been transported to their funerals since the 19th century. During the tour, we’ll be provided with a fascinating insight into how the people of Barcelona viewed death. Among the 1,000 or so exhibits, pride of place goes to a “flap-coffin”, which is a reusable coffin from the 18th century. What is special about the Washington Banana Museum?
| A．You’ll see some examples of awful art. |
| B．This museum includes an exhibit from the 18th century. |
| C．You’ll learn something about the history of bananas. |
| D．It provides the customs of funerals about local people. |
According to the passage, to which museum can you donate your hair?
| A．The Museum of Bad Art. | B．The Hair Museum. |
| C．The Museum du Slip. | D．The Museum de Carrosses Funebres. |
Which of the following words can best describe the museums?
| A．Well-known | B．Traditional |
| C．Ancient | D．Unusual |
Next Thursday, November 27th（the fourth Thursday in November）, Americans will gather with family and friends to share a big meal to celebrate Thanksgiving. They might play games, tell stories or watch football on television together.
Angelo Rosa has more Thanksgiving memories than most people. From Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, the 100-year-old man lives in the same house where he celebrated a great number of Thanksgiving.
But he says it was different when he was a child. Mr. Rosa was just three when his family came to America. “When we were small children, Thanksgiving was never a very big holiday because at the time we actually didn’t pay too much attention to it.” But, also, he says, his parents faced a language difficulty. “They were from Italy and spoke very broken English, because they were the first generation that came over here.”
And the family had little money. There were six children. Mr. Rosa’s father was a coal miner in Pennsylvania. The family was not able to have big, costly dinners, especially during the hard time of the 1930’s. But Mr. Rosa says Thanksgiving dinners became a tradition in his own family after he married and had children.
This Thanksgiving, Angelo Rosa will go to the home of his daughter about twenty minutes away. He will celebrate the day with loved ones, including his great-grandchildren.
On the other side of the country, Cathie Dahlstrom is preparing dishes for a group of 35 to 40 people in Concord, California. We asked Ms Dahlstrom what she is thankful for this year; her first answer is “The election.” She said she is also deeply grateful for her very large family. Ms Dahlstrom has one daughter. She has five younger brothers and sisters. She also has eight stepbrothers and stepsisters. Many of them and their families will be at the Thanksgiving dinner. At Mr. Rosa’s childhood, Thanksgiving was not a big holiday for the following reasons EXCEPT ________.
| A．the family couldn’t afford expensive dinners |
| B．the family couldn’t communicate well with the local people |
| C．the family didn’t recognize it as an important holiday |
| D．during the 1930’s no one could afford expensive dinners |
From Ms Dahlstrom’s words, we can infer that ________.
| A．she is content with both her family, relatives and the society |
| B．she is thankful for her effort in the election and her family |
| C．she has always been celebrating Thanksgiving this way |
| D．her daughter has a large family with stepbrothers and stepsisters |
As a whole, Thanksgiving in America is________.
| A．a happy gathering with family members, relatives and friends |
| B．a grand family dinner party as well as a tourist holiday |
| C．a great social gathering of entertainment and achievement |
| D．a large gathering of people of different generations |
Who probably wrote the passage?
| A．A close friend of Mr. Rosa. |
| B．A journalist for a radio or TV station. |
| C．A university student who majors in history. |
| D．An actress who wants to experience real life. |
IS IT TIME TO GET MP3?
Your computer has been playing music for years, one CD at a time. Now hundreds of songs can be stored in your PC (personal computer) if they’re in the MP3 format.
What is it?
MP3 compresses music into small computer friendly files. You access MP3 music several ways : Music can be downloaded from websites that have converted vast music libraries into MP3. Or you can prerecord CDs into your PC and convert songs in minutes into MP3. Once MP3 music is on your PC’s hard drive, you can play it through your computer’s speakers, “burn” it onto blank CDs or exchange MP3 files with friends using E-mail.
How much?
Software needed to play and convert MP3 music is often free. It comes preinstalled on most new computers or can be downloaded from many websites, including MP3. com. Some MP3 sites are free. Just type “MP3 sites” into any search engine. The popular MP3 players start at around $50and can hold hundreds of songs. A blank CD on which you can record music costs about a dollar.
Advantages
MP3 turns your home PC into a tape recorder. Tiny MP3 players are the size of a card, making it easy to take hundreds of songs with you.
Disadvantages
You may find that music at many sites is limited. And some only allow you to listen rather than download offerings. Others let you download music that then can’t be copied to MP3 players. And a growing number of new CDs make it impossible to copy songs to a computer. How can you get MP3 music?
| A．By turning your home PC into a tape recorder |
| B．By taking your own music or songs with you |
| C．By copying songs to a PC through the speakers. |
| D．By downloading from websites which have converted music libraries into MP3. |
Which is NOT true to the passage?
| A．Software needed to play and convert MP3 music is often free of charge. |
| B．MP3 music can be exchanged with friends by e-mail. |
| C．MP3 music can be downloaded for free at any site. |
| D．A greater number of new CDs make it impossible to copy songs to a computer. |
The underlined word “burn” probably means_____.
| A．fire | B．copy | C．download | D．play |
How much will you pay for a MP3 player?
| A．Free of charge. | B．Free downloading. |
| C．At about fifty dollars. | D．About a dollar. |