第三节：阅读（满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Tug-of –war is not only popular in China, but in many other countries. Their tug-of-war match is a little different from ours. They have eight men for each team, while we may have the match between two sides with equal men or women players. Of course, they are usually tall, strong and heavy.
For a tug-of-war match, we need a long thick rope. Each team stands at one end of the rope, holding it. Then they try to pull the center of the rope, marked in the ground towards each of their own sides. The team which succeeds in pulling the center of the rope away through a certain distance is the winner.
Many foreign sports experts think we don’t have to be tall, heavy and strong to play tug-of-war. We don’t have endless energy, for a match lasts only a few minutes. The secret is good hands. The players must have big strong, hard hands. Before they start the match they put mixture of oil and petrol on their hands so they can hold the rope better.
Many foreign experts say the best hand for tug-of-war belong to the sons of farmers. This is because they have to work hard when they are still very young. Farming is a good practice for this sport!
1．In our country tug-of-war ______.
A．is not very popular B．is not so popular as in foreign countries
C．is only a men’s game D．is not only played by men but also by women
2．In foreign countries a tug-of-war team __________.
A．has eight men or women players
B．has men players equal in number to the other side
C．has eight men players
D．is formed in the same way as in our country
3．Tug-of-war is a match in which who __________ are winners.
A．pulled the rope to their side farther
B．made the center near to their own side
C．succeeded in pulling the center of the rope in their direction
D．made the center of the rope pass through a certain length nearer to their side
4．The foreign experts think a good tug-of-war player must _________.
A．have lasting energy B．have big, strong and hard hands
C．do farm work D．be tall, heavy and strong
5．Which of the following is not true?
A．In foreign countries women take part in tug-of-war.
B．In foreign countries a tug-of-war match has 16 players.
C．In order to hold the rope better, many players put a mixture of oil and petrol on their hands.
D．The sons of farmers are thought to be the best tug-of-war players.
The health of millions could be at risk because medicinal plants are being used up.These plants are used to make traditional medicine，including drugs to fight cancer.“The loss of medicinal plants is a quiet disaster，”says Sara Oldfield，secretary general of the NGO Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
Most people worldwide (including 80 percent of all Africans)rely on herbal medicines(草药)which are got mostly from wild plants.But some 15,000 of the 50,000 medicinal species are under threat of dying out，according to a report from the international conversation group Plantlife.Shortages have been reported in China，India，Kenya，Nepal，Tanzania and Uganda.
Overharvesting does the most harm，though pollution and competition from invasive(侵略性的)species are both responsible.“Businessmen generally harvest medicinal plants，not caring about sustain ability，”the Plantlife report says.“Damage is serious partly because they have no idea of it，but it is mainly because such collection is unorganized.” Medicinal trees at risk include the Himalayan yew and the African cherry，which are used to treat some cancers.
The solution，says the report's author，Alan Hamilton，is to encourage local people to protect these plants.Ten projects studied by Plantlife in India，Pakistan，China，Nepal，Uganda and Kenya showed this method can succeed.In Uganda the project has kept a sustainable supply of lowcost cancer treatments，and in China a public run medicinal plant project has been created for the first time.
“Improving health，earning an income and keeping cultural traditions are important in encouraging people to protect medicinal plants，”says Hamilton.“You have to pay attention to what people are interested in.” Ghillean Prance，the former director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London，agrees that medicinal plants are in need of protection.
“Not nearly enough is being done，”he told New Scientist.“We are destroying the very plants that are of most use to us.”What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The function of medicinal plants. |
| B．The importance of traditional medicine. |
| C．More and more people rely on herbal medicines. |
| D．The dangerous situation of medicinal plants and ways of protecting them. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．About 30% of medicinal species are at risk of dying out. |
| B．Medicinal plants are mainly used to treat cancers. |
| C．80% of African countries are reported to be short of medicinal plants. |
| D．The problem of the loss of medicinal plants appeared suddenly. |
What contributes most to the loss of medicinal plants?
| A．A lack of knowledge of sustainability. |
| B．Invasion by other species. |
| C．Environmental pollution. |
| D．Improper harvesting. |
What is a useful method of protecting medicinal plants?
| A．Improving people's health. |
| B．Letting people earn more. |
| C．Working together with the government. |
| D．Persuading the locals to protect them. |
Herta Müller, the Romanianborn German writer, has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature.The award was announced in Stockholm.
Ms Müller, 56, immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987.She is the first German writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature since Gunter Grass in 1999 and the 13th winner writing in German since the prize was first given in 1901.She is the 12th woman to get the literature prize.
But unlike Doris Leasing and V．S.Naipaul, Ms Müller is relatively unknown outside literary circles in Germany.“I am very surprised and still cannot believe it，” Ms Müller said in a statement in Germany.“I can't say anything more at the moment.”
She has written about 20 books, but just five have been translated into English, including the novels “The Land of Green Plums” and “The Appointment”．
At a news conference at the German Publishers and Booksellers Association in Berlin, where she lives, Ms Müller, wearing all black and sitting on a big chair, appeared overwhelmed by all the cameras in her face.She spoke of the 30 years she spent under a dictatorship, describing “living with fear in the morning that in the evening one would no longer exist”．
When asked what it meant that her name would now be mentioned at the same moment as German greats like Thomas Mann and Heinrich Bll, Ms Müller remained calm.“I am now nothing better and I'm nothing worse，” she said.“My inner thing is writing.That's what I can persist_in,_and if nothing special happens, I will never give up.”
Earlier in the day, at a news conference in Stockholm, Peter Englund，secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Ms Müller was honored for her “very, very special language” and because “she has really a story to tell about...and growing up as a stranger in your own family.”Which of the following statements about Ms Müller is true?
| A．Most of her works have been translated into English. |
| B．She immigrated to Germany from Romania when she was 35. |
| C．She's the first Romanian writer that has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. |
| D．She is the first German writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature in the 21st |
century.Before getting the Nobel Prize, Ms Müller __________.
| A．was famous for her works |
| B．lived a poor but happy life |
| C．was not wellknown to most people |
| D．had enough confidence in winning it |
The underlined words “persist in” in Paragraph 6 mean __________.
| A．refuse to do | B．continue to do |
| C．stop to do | D．agree to do |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．Ms Müller's special language and experience made her get the Nobel Prize |
| B．most of Ms Müller's novels are unsuccessful works |
| C．Ms Müller felt much better after she won the Nobel Prize |
| D．Ms Müller was honored because of her wonderful description about German's |
life
It was about six years ago.We were at senior high school.Those days in school were gray to most Chinese students because of the college entrance examination pressure.Not our parents and teachers didn't love us，but they loved us too much.Our only happiness was a high grade in the exam.
One afternoon after the final exam，we four girls came to a small wood and we felt it only belonging to us that afternoon.We talked and laughed.We played all the games that we could think of.We felt we were on the top of the world for the first time in our life.We totally forgot the unhappiness in our life and we threw the homework and the endless exams far away out of the wood.
In the middle of the wood ran a small and peaceful stream.Now and then，we could see some wild ducks on the water looking for food.The water weeds danced happily while the water passed beside them.The air was so fresh that we breathed it freely.
The sun had set before we knew it.We had to leave the place which brought us much happiness.We agreed to come back again every time we felt bored.
Years later，we went there several times.But，every time we went there to find that great feeling，we failed.Strangely，the feeling was different from that of several years ago.
I know that wonderful experience was just for once.We can never find that kind of happiness again which only belonged to the special afternoon in our life.That was a release of our uneasy heart.We can never go back to that young age or that simple life.It was our golden ages.No matter how boring and hard the life was，it gave us something worthy to recall.We'll treasure it forever.What does the writer think of their senior high school life?
| A．Unhappy. | B．Helpless. |
| C．Useless. | D．Meaningless. |
What does “it” refer to in the second paragraph?
| A．The final exam. | B．Happiness. |
| C．A small wood. | D．A high grade. |
What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．How the girls forgot everything in the wood that afternoon. |
| B．How the girls played games in the wood that afternoon. |
| C．How peaceful the wood was that afternoon. |
| D．How the girls relaxed themselves in the wood that afternoon. |
What did the writer introduce to us in the third paragraph?
| A．Hungry wild ducks. |
| B．Dancing water weeds. |
| C．Fresh air. |
| D．A peaceful stream. |
It's baseball season again，and Hank Snydder is back on the field.He has been back from the accident that kept him out of the game for the season last year，and that cost the Muggers last year's championship.Baseball fans in the city of Midvale are happy and George Brenner，the Muggers' owner，is happy too, because when Hank plays the team wins and the games sell out.“Last year's attendance was all time low when Hank was out，”said Brenner.“We're glad to have him back in uniform.”
Needless to say，the Muggers pay Hank well.But other teams have offered him a million dollars.Still，Hank has been faithful to the Muggers up to now.But there is a rumor(谣传)that Hank might play for the Suffers of Sun City next year.A newspaper reporter asked Hank if there was any truth in it.He said.“Nothing has been decided，but I have to admit that I could be leaving Midvale after this season.”What about another rumor that Hank might be getting married? “That's true.” Hank replied，“and I'm very happy about it.”
There is no need to ask how Midvale or George Brenner would feel about losing Hank.But is Hank completely happy about the changes that may be taking place in his life? “Only one thing troubles me，”he said.“I've always loved the Muggers' blue uniforms.It will take me some time to get used to the Suffers' green and gold uniforms.”Hank Snydder didn't play for the Muggers last year because ________.
| A．there were no baseball matches |
| B．the club didn't pay him enough money |
| C．other players had accidents |
| D．something had happened to him |
The Muggers didn't win the championship of last season ________.
| A．because the players of the Muggers didn't take part in the games |
| B．because of Hank Snydder's absence |
| C．because all the players didn't try their best |
| D．because the Muggers hadn't hoped to win it |
Which of the following statements is not mentioned in the passage?
| A．Hank Snydder still plays for the Muggers. |
| B．Hank Snydder has been loyal to the Muggers. |
| C．Hank Snydder might be getting married. |
| D．Hank Snydder has some trouble with his partners. |
If Hank Snydder joins the Suffers of Sun City next year，________.
| A．the owner of the Muggers will feel happy |
| B．the owner of the Muggers will require him to return all the money |
| C．it may be a great loss to the Muggers |
| D．he will play for the baseball team for nothing |
Many of us have heard stories about teachers who can “see” into a student’s future. Even if a student is not performing well, they can predict success. We are convinced that this ability, this gift, is evidence that they were “called to teach.” If the gift of sight is evidence, how greater must be the gift of touch. I have a story.
I grew up in the fifties in a poor African American neighborhood in Stockton, California, that had neither sidewalks nor an elementary school. Each day, always in groups at our parents’ insistence, my friends and I would leave home early enough to walk eight blocks to school and be in our seats when the bell rang. For four blocks, we walked on dusty roads. By the fifth block, we walked on sidewalks that led to lovely homes and to Fair Oaks Elementary School. It was at Fair Oaks, in a sixth grade English class, that I met Ms. Victoria Hunter, a teacher who had a huge influence on my life.
During reading periods, she would walk around the room, stop at our desks, stand over us for a second or two, and then touch us. Without saying anything to us (nothing could break the silence of reading periods), she would place two fingers lightly on our throats and hold them there for seconds. I learned many years later when I was a student at Stanford University that teachers touch the throat of students to check for sub-vocalization (默读), which slows down the reading speed. I did not know at the time why Ms. Hunter was touching our throats, but I was a serious and respectful student and so, during silent reading period, I did what Ms. Hunter told us to do. I kept my eyes on the material I was reading and waited for her to place her fingers lightly on my throat.
One day, out of curiosity, I raised my head from my book — though not high — so that I could see Ms. Hunter, a white woman from Canada, moving up and down the rows, stopping at the desks of my classmates. I wanted to see how they reacted when she touched their throats. She walked past them. I was confused. Did she pass them by because they were model students? What did we, the students who were touched, not do right? I sat up straighter in my chair, thinking that my way of sitting might be the problem. I was confused. Several days later, I watched again, this time raising my head a little higher. Nothing changed. Ms. Hunter touched the same students. Always, she touched me.
She touched me with her hands. She also touched me with her belief in my ability to achieve. She motivated me by demanding the best from me and by letting teachers I would meet in junior high school know that I should be challenged, that I would be serious about my work. I am convinced that she touched me because she could “see” me in the future. That was true of all of us at Fair Oaks who sat still and silent as Ms. Hunter placed her fingers lightly on our throats. We left Fair Oaks as “best students,” entered John Marshall Junior High School, finished at the top of our high school class, and went on to earn graduate degrees in various subjects. Ms. Hunter saw us achieving and she touched us to make certain that we would.
I was not surprised that she came to my graduation ceremony at Edison High School in Stockton or that she talked to me about finishing college and earning a Ph. D. She expected that of me. She gave me a beautifully wrapped box. Inside was a gift, the beauty of which multiplies even as it touches me: a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life. According to the writer, what is a special ability many good teachers possess?
| A．The ability to make all students behave well. |
| B．The ability to treat different students in the same way. |
| C．The ability to discover a student’s potential to succeed. |
| D．The ability to predict the near future of a poor student. |
When she saw Ms. Hunter walk past some students without touching their throats, the writer felt ______.
| A．disturbed | B．puzzled | C．ashamed | D．annoyed |
According to the passage, how did Ms. Hunter motivate the writer?
| A．By correcting the way she sat. |
| B．By having high expectations of her. |
| C．By sending her a valuable necklace. |
| D．By communicating with her parents often. |
What does the writer mean by “a necklace to which I can add charms for each stage of my life” (paragraph 6)?
| A．A gift which encourages me to do well on the journey of my life. |
| B．A gift which becomes more and more valuable as time goes by. |
| C．A necklace which I wear on all important occasions in my life. |
| D．A necklace which suits me and adds to my charm. |
The writer’s attitude towards Ms. Hunter might be described as _____.
| A．disappointed | B．grateful |
| C．doubtful | D．sympathetic |
Which of the following serves as the best title for the story?
| A．Ms. Hunter’s Surprise | B．Ms. Hunter’s Challenge |
| C．A Teacher’s Touch | D．A Teacher’s Memory |