第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题，每题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。
Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in a bid to cut the emission of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo farts contain no methane（甲烷）and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who emit large quantities of the harmful gas. While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack pushing out carbon dioxide, livestock passing wind contribute a surprisingly high percentage of total emissions in some countries. "Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia is from enteric methane from cattle and sheep," said Athol Klieve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government. "And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they're actually up around 50 percent," he said. Researchers say the bacteria also makes the digestive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers. But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep. Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos. The idea is controversial（争议）, but about 20 percent of health conscious Australians are believed to eat the national symbol already. "It's low in fat, it's got high protein levels and it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the ultimate free range animal（散养动物）," said Peter Ampt of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies.
1. According to the passage, global warming is now mainly caused by _____ .
A. methane B. carbon dioxide
C. livestock passing wind D. not mention in this passage
2. What does the underlined phrase “the idea”（paragraph 9）refer to? A. Australians should give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep.
B. The bacteria could make the digestive process much more efficient.
C. Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos. D. The bacteria could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.
3. How will Australian scientists solve the problem of global warming?
A. Eating more kangaroos.
B. Killing more cattle and sheep. C. Letting cattle and sheep pass less wind.
D. Transferring the special bacteria in kangaroos’ stomachs to cattle and sheep.
Why don’t so many Americans accept the theory of evolution? A 2001 Gallup Poll found that 45 percent of Americans agree with the statement “God created the human being pretty much in their present form at one time within the last 10,000 years or so ”, while 37 percent preferred a mixed belief that “Human beings have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God guided this process”, and only 12percent accepted the standard scientific theory that “Human being have developed over millions of years from less advanced forms of life, but God had no part in this process”.
There are at least four reasons to make people resistant to accepting evolution.
1. The warfare model of science and religion. The belief that there is a war between science and religion where one is right and the other is wrong, and that one must choose one over the other.
2. The belief that evolution is a threat to specific religious tenets(信条). Many people attempt to use science to prove certain religious tenets, but when they do not appear to fit, the science is rejected.
3. Misunderstanding of evolutionary theory. A significant problem is that most people know so little about the theory. In the 2001 Gallup Poll, for example, a quarter of the people surveyed said they didn’t know enough to say whether they accepted evolution or not, and only 34 percent considered themselves to be “very informed ” about the theory.
4. The fear that evolution degrades our humanity. Darwin revealed us to be “mere animals”, subject to the same natural laws and historical forces as all other animals.
Believers should embrace science, especially evolutionary theory, for what it has done to uncover the magnificence of the divinity(神学) in a depth never dreamed by our ancient ancestors. We have learned a lot in 4,000 years, and that knowledge should never be denied. Instead, science should be welcomed by all who cherish human understanding and wisdom.According to the Poll, most people in America believe_____________.
| A．human beings have developed from less advanced forms of life |
| B．God contributed to the present form of human beings |
| C．God created human beings in the present form |
| D．God guided the process of human beings’ development |
Which of the following is NOT the reason why people don’t accept evolution?
| A．There is always a war between evolution and religion. |
| B．Some religious tenets can’t be proved by science. |
| C．Many people don’t know enough about evolution. |
| D．They fear that we will become “mere animals”. |
What can we learn form the passage about evolutionary theory?
| A．Whether evolutionary theory is science is a question. |
| B．It has explained the brilliance of the divinity better than before. |
| C．It must make religion disappear and they can’t exist at the same time. |
| D．Darwin made little contribution to the theory. |
What is the writer’s view on the evolutionary theory?
| A．It is not science and should be resisted. |
| B．It is science but should be resisted. |
| C．It is not science but should be accepted. |
| D．It is science and should be accepted. |
The author wrote the passage to_________________.
| A．tell the readers that many Americans refuse evolution theory. |
| B．tell the readers why so many Americans refuse evolution theory. |
| C．advise the readers to value science, including evolution theory. |
| D．tell the difference between science and religion. |
We like people who look like us, because they tend to have personalities similar to our own. And, a new study suggests, the longer we are with someone, the more similarities in appearance grow.
Researchers set out to study why couples often tend to look like one another. They asked 11 male and 11 female participants to judge the age, attractiveness and personality of 160 real-life married couples. Photographs of husbands and wives were viewed separately, so the participants didn't know who was married to whom.
The test participants rated men and women who were actual couples as looking alike and having similar personalities. Also, the longer the couples had been together, the greater the similarities. The researchers guess that the sharing of experiences might affect how couples look.
The idea that there is a connection between appearance and personality might seem strange at first, but there could be biological reasons for a link, said study member Tony Little from the University of Liverpool in England.
“The face displays our emotions and over time, emotional expressions may become written in the face,” Little told Live Science. For example, someone who smiles a lot may develop lines and muscles that are suggestive of someone who is happy.
Other studies have shown that partners who are genetically similar to each other tend to have happier marriages.
The new study indicates that people have different features when using facial appearance to make decisions about someone’s personality, and that the particular cues（暗示） focused on change from face to face. Vital to the decision, however, are eyes and smiles.
“Smiles are important social cues that may tell us whether or not someone is friendly, and eyes are also a traditional focus of attention,” Little said.
Overall face shape can be important too. For example, the combination of large chins and strong brow ridges（脊）can create an impression of disagreeableness and being unwilling to cooperate, Little said.Why do we like those who look like us?
| A．Because they tend to like us. |
| B．Because opposites usually attract each other. |
| C．Because their personalities are similar to ours. |
| D．Because we often marry those who look like us. |
Why do some old lovers look alike according to the researchers?
| A．Because they live in the same place for a long time. |
| B．Because their similar experiences might affect their appearance. |
| C．Because they learn from each other in their daily life. |
| D．Because they’re closely connected with each other biologically. |
Which part of a person’s face can help you judge whether he/she is paying attention to you?
| A．Eyes. | B．Nose. |
| C．Mouth. | D．Eyebrow. |
At least ______ people were involved in the research mentioned in the second paragraph.
| A．22 | B．160 | C．182 | D．342 |
The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．how to tell who have similar personalities |
| B．why some old lovers look like each other |
| C．how to tell whether someone is friendly or not |
| D．why lovers who look alike have happier marriages |
I found out one time that doing a favor for someone could get you into a lot of trouble. I was in the eighth grade at the time, and we were having a final test. During the test, the girl sitting next to me whispered something, but I didn’t understand. So I leaned over her way and found out that she was trying to ask me if I had an extra pen. She showed me that hers was out of ink and would not write. I happened to have an extra one, so I took it out of my pocket and put it on her desk.
Later, after the test papers had been turned in, the teacher asked me to stay in the room when all the other students left. As soon as we were alone she began to talk to me about what it meant to grow up; she talked about how important it was to stand on your own two feet and be responsible for your own acts. For a long time, she talked about honesty and emphasized（强调）the fact that when people do something dishonest, they are really cheating themselves. She made me promise that I would think seriously about all the things she had said, and then she told me I could leave. I walked out of the room wondering why she had chosen to talk to me about all those things.
Later on, I found out that she thought I had cheated on the test. When she saw me lean over to talk to the girl next to me, it looked as if I was copying answers from the girl’s test paper. I tried to explain about the pen, but all she could say was it seemed very strange to her that I hadn’t talked of anything about the pen the day she talked to me right after the test. Even if I tried to explain that I was just doing the girl a favor by letting her use my pen, I am sure she continued to believe that I had cheated on the test.The story took place exactly ________.
| A．in the teacher’s office | B．in an exam room |
| C．in the library | D．in the language lab |
The girl wanted to borrow a pen, because ________.
| A．she had not brought a pen with her |
| B．she had lost her own on her way to school |
| C．there was something wrong with her pen |
| D．her own had been taken away by someone |
The teacher saw all this, so she asked the boy _________.
| A．to go on writing his paper |
| B．to stop whispering |
| C．to leave the room immediately |
| D．to stay behind after the exam |
The thing(s) emphasized in the teacher’s talk was (were) ________.
| A．honesty | B．sense of duty |
| C．seriousness | D．carefulness |
The boy knew everything ________.
| A．the moment he was asked to stay behind |
| B．when the teacher started talking about honesty |
| C．only some time later |
| D．when he was walking out of the room |
Whether you admit it or not, music improves our daily life and makes us feel easy, especially the music of Beethoven and Mozart. But can you believe that a school in England is using classical music to cut down students’ bad behavior?
The head teacher Brian Walker at the West Park School in Derby asks some students to stay behind after school on Fridays. He forces his students to listen to Mozart and other classical music. He also makes them copy his favorite poems and they have to watch educational videos.
Mr. Walker says his main aim is to stop noisy pupils causing trouble in class for students who want to study. He said the students staying behind were “not the smokers or drinkers, the truants (逃学生) or the people who are late for school…It’s those who have slowed the learning and teaching in class for everyone”. Mr. Walker said this was unacceptable, because it was making the rest of the students fail to focus their attention on their study.
Mr. Walker believes what he does reminds students that education is something to value. “It helps them see they are part of something bigger that will improve their life chances,” he said. The head teacher thinks students in fact learn from being kept behind after school. “Hopefully, I open their ears to an experience they don’t normally have and don’t want to have again, so it’s both educational and acts as a warning.”
Music has had success elsewhere in reducing bad behavior. In 2004, it reduced crime on London’s subway by 25 percent. Researchers from a Belfast university found it helped stop elephants’ bad behavior.
However, one West Park student called Kieran said, “An hour of Mr. Walker’s music is a real killer.”Mr. Walker asks his students to listen to music to _______________.
| A．make them rest after a day’s study |
| B．punish them for their bad behavior |
| C．get them to love arts gradually |
| D．reduce their bad behavior |
A student who _____ may be left behind to listen to Mozart after class.
| A．plays truant |
| B．smokes in class |
| C．bothers others in class |
| D．comes late for class |
Why does Mr. Walker say some students’ bad behavior is unacceptable?
| A．Because the rest of the students hate them. |
| B．Because they are wasting their life. |
| C．Because they are disturbing teachers. |
| D．Because they have a bad influence on the other students. |
In the eyes of Mr. Walker, _____.
| A．some students don’t realize education is valuable |
| B．all students can learn from music |
| C．music must be taught after class |
| D．students ought to love music |
It can be inferred from the last two paragraphs that _____.
| A．the action Mr. Walker takes sometimes doesn’t really work as planned |
| B．Mr. Walker aims to tell students study is important |
| C．once music helped animals behave well |
| D．animals also like to listen to music |
I am a 21-year-old boy, and this is my story.
One month after I graduated from high school in 2009, I was coming home from swim practice and was involved in a car accident. I was so seriously injured that I was in a coma（昏迷）for over two months at Prince Georges Hospital.
I died eight times during my coma and I couldn’t talk or communicate when I woke up. Walking was never going to happen again due to all the extreme injuries. Just like my body, my dreams were almost shattered. But I was not going to let my injuries prevent me from living my dreams.
After 14 operations and blood transfusions, I had to learn how to talk, eat, walk, shower and live independently again. When I was out of hospital, I still had to go to outpatient therapy in Waldorf, Maryland. After spending a few months in a wheelchair, I took baby steps to walk on my own. It was a miracle that I could walk again, but I wanted to prove that I could not only walk, but run. When it came true, I wanted to get back in the pool again. After a few lung tests, I was able to go in the pool a little bit each week. After a few months of swim training, I began my freshman year at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and became a proud member of the swim team.
By telling my story, I want to make a positive influence on the world. I am just trying to live each day to the fullest and inspire other people never to give up their dreams no matter how bad a situation is. I remember when I was still in my hospital bed, I would have my mom and dad push me around in my wheelchair to the other rooms to see the other patients and talk to them and their families. I wanted to let them know that everything was going to be okay. Somehow, things would work out for the best.When the car accident happened, the author ________.
| A．was a high school student |
| B．had finished his high school education |
| C．was a college student |
| D．was returning home from a swim competition |
What does the underlined word “shattered” in Paragraph 3 mean?
| A．begun | B．destroyed |
| C．shared | D．taken |
It can be inferred that the author ________ after he woke up from his coma.
| A．was out of hospital |
| B．was in surprise |
| C．faced physical and mental challenges |
| D．was worried about his lung |
What does the author mainly want to show in the last paragraph?
| A．His purpose of sharing his story. |
| B．His painful experiences. |
| C．His influence on students. |
| D．His great achievements. |
The best title for this passage would be ______.
| A．Attitude Is Everything. |
| B．Actions Speak Louder than Words. |
| C．Everything Happens for a Reason |
| D．A Good Beginning Is Half Done. |