第三部分阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分，共30分。）
阅读下列短文，从每题中的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳答案。
A
A NATIONWIDE BESTSELLER
It’s likely that everything you learned about America’s ancient history is wrong.
The new book, 1491, completely changes our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.
DID YOU KNOW?
When Columbus landed there were probably more people in the Americas than there were in Europe.
The peoples of North America had such healthy life-styles that as late as the 19th century they continued to be the tallest people on earth.
Facts have shown that the Americas were populated as long as 33,000 years ago.
4,000 years ago Mesoamerican farmers developed corn in a feat (技艺) of genetic engineering that still isn’t completely understood.
COMMENTS ON 1491
“In the tradition of Jared Diamond & John McPhee, a totally new view of pie-Columbian America” --Richard Rhodes
“Attractively written and really absorbing ... Charles C. Mann has produced a book that’s part detective story, part epic (史诗) and part tragedy. He has taken on a vast topic: thousands of years, two huge continents, and cultures.”
-- Charles Matthews, San Jose Mercury News
“Powerful and challenging”
--Alan Taylor, Washington Post
“A pleasure to read as well as a wonderful education” -- Howard Zinn
56. On the whole, 1491 is a book mainly about America’s_______ .
A. life-styles B. population C. history D. agriculture
57. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the comments on the book 1491 ?
A. It is interesting and instructive. B. It is attractive and culturally related
C. It is challenging and revolutionary. D. It is humorous and persuasive.
58. From this passage, we can learn______ .
A. people settled in the Americas a little earlier than 1492
B. North Americans were the tallest in the 18th century in the world
C. Mesoamerican farmers knew genetic engineering 5,000 years ago
D. the population in the Americas was smaller than that in Europe in 1492
Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.
Born in September, 1987, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies’ two daughters. Along with nine other children whose parents were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris.
Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities（设备） to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgrum. Her services were recognised in the form of a Military’s Medal by the French government.
In 1918, Irene became her mother’s assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.
Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity（辐射能）. Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.Why was Irene Curie awarded a Military Medal?
| A．Because she received a degree in mathematics. |
| B．Because she contributed to saving the wounded. |
| C．Because she won the Nobel Prize with Frederic. |
| D．Because she worked as a helper to her mother. |
Where did Irene Curie meet her husband Frederio joliot?
| A．At the Curie Institute. | B．At the University of Paris. |
| C．At a military hospital. | D．At the College of Sevigne. |
When was the second child of Irene Curie and Frederic Joliot born?
| A．In 1932. | B．In 1927. | C．In 1897. | D．In 1926. |
In which of the following aspects was Irene Cuire different from her mother?
| A．Irene worked with radioactivity. | B．Irene combined family and career. |
| C．Irene won the Nobel Prize once | D．Irene died from leukemia. |
There are thousands of things to be sold that are of all colors and shapes in a supermarket, making you believe that they are good enough for you to have a try. How packaging(包装)is the quiet but persuading salesman?
There on the shelves，each bottle, can and box has been carefully designed to speak to the inner self of the consumer(消费者), so that he is buying not only a product but also his belief in life. Scientists have studied on this and found that the look of the package has a great influence on the “quality” of the product and on how well it sells, because “Consumers generally cannot tell between a product and its package. Many products are packages and many packages are products,” as Louis Cheskin, the first social scientist studying consumers’ feeling for packaging, noticed.
Colors are one of the best tools in packaging. Studies of eye movement have shown that colors draw human attention quickly. Take V8 for example. For many years，the bright red color of tomatoes and carrots on the thin bottle makes you feel that it’s very good for your body. And the word “green" today can keep food prices going up.
Shapes are another attraction．Circles often mean happiness, because they are pleasing to both the eye and the heart. That’s why the round yellow M sings of McDonald’s are inviting to both young and old.
This new consumer response(反应)to the colors and shapes of packages reminds(提醒)producers and sellers that people buy to meet the needs of both body and heart.According to the passage, ______ seems to be able to persuade a consumer to buy the product.
| A．the pleasing color of the package |
| B．the special taste of the product |
| C．the strange shape of the package |
| D．the belief in the product |
It can be inferred(推测)from the passage that V8 is a kind of.
| A．vegetable dish | B．healthy juice |
| C．hard drink | D．red vegetable |
“And the word ‘green’ today can keep food prices going up” This sentence
suggests that consumers today are.
| A．starting to notice the importance of new food |
| B．enjoying the beauty of nature more than before |
| C．beginning to like green vegetables |
| D．paying more attention to their health |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Colors and Shapes |
| B．Packaging Can Talk |
| C．The response to the packages |
| D．What is packing? |
Great news! Summer Camp 2011 opens between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. on June 30th. And it will last for a week.
All children aged 7-14 are welcome. Each child can take part in only one of the following activities and needs to pay 150 yuan for it.
1. Sports (basketball, football, table tennis, etc.)
2. Learn in groups (painting, singing, dancing, piano, computer, etc.)
3. English Worlds (songs, films, games, plays, etc.)
Some American children are coming to the camp. If you really want to spend an interesting summer holiday, please join us for learning with fun. Act now! Book your seat as soon as possible either by phone or by e-mail. Register (报名) and pay before June 18th, then you can have a Mickey T-shirt as a member of the camp.
Dongfang Children's Palace: No. 23, East Street, Changping
Tel: 83212563 E-mail: dsbc1234@childrenplace.netThe register time is before _____.
| A．9:30 to 11:30 a.m. | B．June 30th. | C．150 yuan. | D．June 18th. |
Each child can only choose _____ of the activities.
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
What cannot you do in Summer Camp 2011?
| A．Learn painting and dancing. |
| B．Join a group that you are interested in. |
| C．Climb mountains and see birds. |
| D．Speak English with some American children. |
Summer Camp 2011 will offer you _____.
| A．a Mickey T-shirt | B．a piano or a computer |
| C．some books and CDs | D．a funny camp card |
If the rose can be said to be a special flower, then the apple can be said to be a special fruit. It is very important in American culture. American stories speak of Johnny Appleseed, who went throughout America collecting apple seeds and planting apple trees. He had a great love for nature and went through fields and farms adding richness and beauty to the country.
One of the first sayings taught to school children is, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." This short saying encourages children to eat fresh fruit to keep healthy. If someone always says good words to a person, people will call him an "apple polisher". This, however, is not a good name. If someone is very dear to us, we say that he or she is the "apple of our eye".
Most people believe that the fruit which Eve gave to Adam was an apple, even though the Bible(圣经) never says so. The apple, therefore, is a deep part of the language and stories of America.
An apple is also delicious. Apples can be cooked in many ways, used as a dessert (甜点) , and made into sweet juice.
In many parts of the country during the harvest season, a popular activity is to go into an apple garden to pick apples. Washington, D. C. and New York are both famous for their apples.
Finally, when it’s time to take a vacation to American cities, one can always visit New York, which is "the biggest apple" of all the American cities. Why was Johnny Appleseed so famous?
| A．He had a great love of nature. |
| B．He liked the American people. |
| C．He went throughout the country. |
| D．He collected apple seeds and planted apple trees. |
What does the underlined phrase "apple polisher" mean?
| A．Something for cutting apples. |
| B．A person who likes to please others. |
| C．A person who is dealing with fruits. |
| D．A machine for cleaning apples quickly. |
Which of the following is TRUE with apples?
| A．Apples are medicine. |
| B．Apples are the most important food. |
| C．New York is famous for its big apples. |
| D．The Bible says Adam was given an apple. |
The passage is mainly about______.
| A．stories about the apple |
| B．apples in American culture |
| C．some famous sayings of the apple |
| D．big cities that is famous for apples |
‘Student Voice’ is a student-run education conference discussing education in the 21st century. This event aims to gather the views and opinions of students not only in Victoria and Australia, but around the globe. On Sunday 29 July 2012 students will discuss a series of questions regarding the role of education in the 21st century. By the end of the day they will hopefully have comprehensive answers to be shared with schools around the state and maybe even the world.
Students from Preshill would like to invite a group of 5-10 students from your school to participate in this free forum（讨论）. The event is being held on Sunday 29 July 2012 from 10am-2.30pm at the Hawthorn Town Hall, 360 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn. They are inviting students who are enthusiastic on any of our topics of discussion to present a keynote speech on the day.
If you can’t make the day, they welcome your written or recorded thoughts on our questions, which will be on display at the event.
The topics for discussion:
Key Question: What is the ideal 21st century education?
1. Is it a school’s place to teach ethics, values, morals, confidence, self-esteem?
2. What are the effects of a uniform national curriculum(课程)?
3. How can we make education more engaging?
4. Should students be compared and ranked against each other?
5. What is the place of social networking and new media technology in education?
6. What is the best way to determine student knowledge?
Visit their Facebook page (see below) for updates, to communicate with organizers and other participants, and to indicate your interest in making a keynote speech.
The Student Voice Organizing Committee Facebook Page URL:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Student-Voice-The-Student-Education-Conference/101834233239391?sk=infoWhat is the aim of the Student Voice Conference?
| A．To gather students' ideas about education and share these ideas with schools. |
| B．To discuss the ideal 21st century education with students. |
| C．To invite some students to participate in a free forum about education. |
| D．To create a chance for students to communicate with each other. |
Who can participate in the Student Voice conference?
| A．Anyone working on education. |
| B．Students only from Australia and Victoria. |
| C．Students who are free on Sunday 29 July 2012. |
| D．Any student interested in education in the 21st century. |
Which of the following topics will be discussed in Student Voice conference?
| A．How to carry out the ban on drunk driving. |
| B．The development of international economics |
| C．The effects of a uniform national curriculum. |
| D．Advantages of shopping on line. |
How can you communicate with the organizers ?
| A．By telephone | B．By writing letters |
| C．By visiting their Facebook Page | D．By email |