第三部分：阅读理解供15小题：每小题2分，满分30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，并在答题
卡上将该项涂黑。
I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I searched in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which had escaped their search. I found one and because of my shaking hands, I could barely get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those. I looked through the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me. I called out to him, “Have you got a light?” He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette. As he came close and lit the match, his eyes inadvertently(不经意地) locked with mine. At that moment, I smiled. I don’t know why I did that. Perhaps it was nervousness, perhaps it was because, when you get very close, one to another, it is very hard not to smile. In any case, I smiled. In that instant, it was as though a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn’t want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated a smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but stayed near, looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.
I kept smiling at him, now aware of him as a person and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new dimension too. “Do you have kids?” he asked. “Yes, here, here.” I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the pictures of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears. I said that I feared that I’d never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too. Suddenly, without another word, he unlocked my cell and silently led me out. Out of the jail, quietly and by back routes, out of the toxin. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.
“My life was saved by a smile.” Yes, the smile -- the unaffected, unplanned, natural connection between people. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could recognize each other, we wouldn’t be enemies. We couldn’t have hate or envy or fear!
1. Why did the author smiled to the jailer first?
A. Because he wanted to make friends with the jailer.
B. Because he wanted to give a good impression on the jailer.
C. Because he wanted to share the cigarette with the jailer.
D. The reason was unknown to him and us.
2. Which of the following is the fight order according to the story?
a. I was set free at the edge of town.
b. I wanted to borrow a light from the jailer.
c. I was arrested and quite frightened.
d. I took out the pictures of my family.
e. The jailer took out the pictures of his family.
A. c, b, e, d, a B. b, c, d, a, e C. c, b, d, e, a D. c, d, e, b, a
3. It can be inferred from the passage that ____________.
A. Before the author was released, he had stayed there for a long time.
B. Both of the author and the jailer loved their families very much.
C. The author had no chance to see his family again.
D. The jailer was punished by his leader at last.
4. What is the best title of the passage?
A. The use of smile B. Life in the jail.
C. The smile D. Love is everywhere.
Our environment isn’t as green and beautiful as it should be. There are steel monsters blocking out the sun, blowing out dangerous smoke, and letting out poisonous chemicals into rivers, cars producing harmful waste gas, people throwing out waste in a wrong way and all other kinds of sources that ruin the planet. Facing current environmental problems, people need to do their best to save the Earth.
You can see many big garbage dustbins in the streets. They’re not there for a show, but for you to drop your waste. We should realize that what a little we do does count. So next time you get that urge to throw gum or a chocolate package out of the car window, or “ accidentally” drop as you walk down the street, ask yourself how much waste you’ve been contributing to the environment with that bad habit going on for years.
At home, the first thing we can do to protect the environment is avoid letting water run continuously and make sure that taps（水龙头）are not leaky（泄露的），which would help greatly in scrimping. Another is to use energy-saving lights, and turn them off before you leave the rooms. It’s not only energy-saving, but also cuts down electricity costs.
Recycling is a method to make items reusable. Many things you want to throw out can be made into new products through the reproducing process. Use your imagination to come up with ways on things that you can use again.
Pass the message of simple ways to save the environment on to kids. Starting with kids is a good way of teaching the message early in their lives, in the hope that they can carry it forward as they grow older.
With environmental protection awareness in mind, we can do what we can, for the results are to have a big effect on the planet. As long as we do our part, the world is one small step closer to being saved.The underlined word “scrimping” in the third paragraph can be replaced by _____.
| A．saving | B．cleaning | C．cooking | D．drinking |
From the fifth paragraph, we can know that ________.
| A．protecting the environment begins with small chores |
| B．protecting the environment should start from childhood. |
| C．wonderful life comes from environmental protection |
| D．protecting the environment benefits the country and the people |
Which of the following isn’t true?
| A．The more people do their part, the greener the environment will be. |
| B．Selling what you don’t want any more is a kind of recycling. |
| C．To protect the environment may help you save some money. |
| D．Your bad habits for the environment are a valuable contribution. |
Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
| A．The Use of Garbage Dustbin |
| B．How to Save Water and Electricity |
| C．How to Save the Environment |
| D．Our Current Environmental Problems |
A famous Renoir had been stolen from a museum. Detective Earl Blackman was to work on the case.
Everyone was in the dark before an art professor came to point out the false picture. So the museum even didn’t know when the picture had been stolen. Thousands of people came to visit the museum every day. After long work, some art students were focused on.
The five students who had made copies of the Renoir during the last six months were asked to bring their copies to the museum. The fifth student said she had sold her copy, which was later proved to be the one in the museum. She, however, could only remember the buyer was a man with the little finger on his left hand missing.
Blackman went back and stayed in his office looking at all the pictures of known thieves. No success.
The next afternoon, at about closing time, Blackman went to the museum to ask if the cleaning men were in the museum after everyone else had left. The director told him they had no cleaning man but six cleaning women.
As the detective left the director’s office, he saw five cleaning women. He stopped one and asked about her work. Then came the sixth cleaning woman. She was dressed just like the other women except the gloves on her hands which made her different. Blackman watched her for some time. When she came near, Blackman caught her. The woman cried out in a man’s voice, “What was that?” Blackman was more sure.Everything came to light ________________.
| A．when an art student was asked |
| B．when the cleaning man came into the office |
| C．when Blackman looked at all the pictures |
| D．when the cleaning woman cried |
Arrange the following sentences in the right order.
a. The museum asked for help.
b. The four students showed their copies.
c. An art professor came.
d. The detective looked at all the pictures.
e. The thief bought a picture.
| A．a-c-e-d-b | B．c-a-d-s-b | C．e-c-a-b-d | D．e-a-b-d-c |
Blackman caught the cleaning woman because of __________.
| A．the glove | B．the clothes | C．her sex | D．her work |
Bamboo flooring（竹地板）is a growing trend in home flooring and is also a great improvement to traditional hardwood floors．It is the most environmentally friendly kind of natural flooring that you can select for your home．It is also a renewable（可再生的）resource,is stronger than steel,and does not suffer from problems as a result of temperature changes．
Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants on earth,and only takes five years to grow to adult form．Bamboo is harvested every five years,and starts to re-grow immediately after being harvested．For this reason,bamboo is a kind of grass,not a tree．Bamboo is hollow（空心的）but very hard and can stand up to 50,000 pounds of pressure per square inch．
Bamboo flooring has become very popular with its rich and beautiful golden earth colors．But it is important to shop around for a good-quality bamboo flooring product that contains no formaldehydes（甲醛）,which is said to be the best kind of bamboo flooring．Many brands use cheaper bamboo that may contain formaldehydes,and this can cause indoor air pollution problems as certain chemical materials in the bamboo slowly release their pollutants into the air．
So,why should we turn to bamboo to save the enviroment?In fact,bamboo cannot save the environment directly,but it is an excellent replacement product for much of the hardwood species of trees that are being harvested in rainforests．Once harvested,if these hardwood trees do grow back,it can take up to 200 years!Rainforests are the lungs of our planet and they make a significant contribution to global oxygen production．
By selecting bamoo flooring,you can reduce the demand for hardwood materials and help save the environment for future generations．Of course,everyone wants to buy good-quality bamboo flooring．The brands（品牌）from our shop are very high in quality and have received a lot of public praise．Bamboo is a kind of grass because _______．
| A．it grows quickly |
| B．it isn’t as high as a tree |
| C．it doesn’t grow in forests |
| D．it is hollow |
What kind of bamboo flooring is best?
| A．The strongest kind． |
| B．The most expensive kind． |
| C．The kind that has a beautiful color． |
| D．The kind that contains no formaldehydes． |
How can bamboo make a contribution to the environment?
| A．It can directly improve the environment． |
| B．It does not release formalddehydes at all． |
| C．It can replace hardwood tree products． |
| D．It can produce a lot of oxygen． |
The author wrote this passage in order to _______．
| A．explain the importance of bamboo flooring |
| B．tell us his or her own bamboo flooring brands are good |
| C．tell people to care more about the environment |
| D．discuss the history of hardwood flooring |
You hear a rumor（谣言）from a friend,who heard it from another friend,who read it on a note passed in math class,which was written by somebody who probably just made it up．Chances are rumors are always spreading around your school．Sometimes it can be very hurtful．But why do people still do so?
When people are feeling bad about themselves,they sometimes think they’ll feel better if there were someone worse off than they are．It’s okey being near the bottom,as long as they’re not actually on the bottom．The easiest way for them to make sure someone else is on the bottom is to make up a rumor that puts him or her there．
If everybody else is spreading rumors,you might feel you have to do the same thing in order to fit in．Unfortunately,the person who the gossip or rumor is about is usually let out of the group for the same reason that you’re let into it．
When you know a secret that nobody knows,or are the first person in your group to hear a rumor,it can make you the center of attention．A rumor or piece of gossip is sometimes like money;telling it to people is like buying their attention．Certain people always want to be at the top of the ladder（梯子）．You probably know at least one person who wishes to be the leader,and make all the decisions．One way they do this is by reducing the status（地位）of another person．Spreading rumors and gossip is one way people reduce another person’s status．
Sometimes a period when everyone is happy and getting along just seems kind of dull．Spreading rumors might get two people to start a fight,and that would make life a little more exciting．All those newspapers and TV shows full of gossip about famous people are proving that rumors are a popular form of entertainment．We know from Paragraph 2 that some people spread rumors to _______．
| A．be more confident | B．feel like part of a group |
| C．attract attention | D．be more powerful |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 may mean some people _______．
| A．love looking down from a high position． |
| B．hope to become leaders． |
| C．are not afraid of falling down． |
| D．are fond of spreading rumors． |
What do we know from the last paragraph?
| A．Famous people like spreading rumors． |
| B．Rumors can make people feel bored． |
| C．Some people seek excitement from rumors． |
| D．There are many rumors in newspapers． |
The passage is mainly about ________．
| A．what rumors mean | B．how hurtful a rumor is |
| C．how people spread rumors | D．why people spread rumors |
Long working hours,the fewest holidays and the high cost of living mean the big salaries on offer（可使用的）in the UK do not go as far as those earned in other countries,making Britain and Ireland the worst places to live in Europe．
France and Spain are the two countries topping the European Quality of Life Index（指数）out today,according to the place comparison website Switch．com．
The French enjoy longer lives,better healthcare,more holidays and cheaper prices．In contrast Britons work three years longer and die two years younger after paying above the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes．The amount we spend on healthcare and education is below the European average．
Only Ireland and Poland spend less,but Ireland has more doctors and hospital beds and Poland has more beds than the UK．People in Germany,Spain,France,Italy,the Netherlands and Sweden all enjoy longer life expectancy than Britons．And while we may be giving up work earlier,the average age at which we retire is still the fourth highest in Europe——and the UK state retirement age is set to rise．
Ann Robinson,of Switch．com,said:“There’s more to good living than money and this report shows why so many Britons are giving up on （对……不再抱希望）the UK and heading to France and Spain．We earn substantially more than our European neighbors,but this level of income is needed just to keep a roof over our heads,food on the table and our homes warm” ． “It’s giving us a decent standard of living,but it’s not helping us achieve the quality of life that people in other countries enjoy．For too long the focus in the UK had been on standard of living rather than quality of life．”In Europe,to enjoy the best quality of life,you’d better live in _______．
| A．Britian and Ireland | B．Spain and France |
| C．Ireland and Poland | D．Britian and Italy |
Which of the following about the UK is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．People in the UK pay more than the European average for fuel,food,alcohol and cigarettes． |
| B．People in the UK enjoy the highest quality of life． |
| C．People in the UK spend most on the healthcare and education． |
| D．People in the UK die two years older than in France． |
The underlined word“decent”in the last paragraph means “_______”
| A．good enough | B．bad enough | C．ordinary | D．neither bad nor good |
What do you think would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Money is a must to make you live a good life． |
| B．High standard of living means good quality of life． |
| C．High standard of living is one thing and good quality of life is another． |
| D．To live a good life,go to Britian． |