III. 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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。
Whether you’re headed to another country for business or pleasure, it is likely that you need to keep in touch with family or business partners in the United States. But if you plan to do that using your cell phone, you could have an unwelcome surprise-U.S. cell phones don’t work abroad. U.S. companies use different forms of technology, not like most of the international community, including Europe.
However, there is an easy, cost-effective solution(方法) to staying in touch while you’re traveling. You Can rent a phone that is guaranteed to work in the countries you’re visiting. Roadpost offers a 30-day cell phone rental plan that includes free incoming calls, free voicemail and call waiting services.
The service is convenient and simple. You can place your order online and your phone will be shipped to arrive on the date you want. If an unexpected business trip comes up, Roadpost can provide next-day delivery for most cities. In addition to the phone, Roadpost provides a spare battery, travel charger and a leather carrying case.
When your phone is shipped from Roadpost, you receive an e-mail confirmation that contains your international cell phone number so you can leave it with family members and business partners; Roadpost even provides business cards preprinted with your international phone number.
Those who don’t want to be without e-mail while traveling can rent an international BlackBerry. It can be hard to stay in touch by e-mail when traveling. With an international BlackBerry, you can email as much as you like, without worrying about an expensive bill. If you’re traveling to very remote areas, you may want to consider renting a satellite phone: Because they receive their signals from satellites, these phones work anywhere on the
planet, including oceans and mountains. When you return, simply ship the phone or BlackBerry back to Roadpost using the return kit the company provides.
1. According to the text, Roadpost probably is______.
A. an organization that offers some free services
B. a person who offers some advice to foreign tourists
C. a company that rents cell phones to Americans going abroad
D. a Person who makes travel plans for Americans
2. The first paragraph mainly tells us that ______.
A. Americans need to change their cell phones
B. European form of technology is different from America's
C. U.S. cell phones don't work abroad
D. Americans who go abroad will meet an unwelcome surprise
3. Which of the following will help you a lot in mountainous areas?
A. BlackBerry. B. The return kit.
C. E-mail. D. Satellite phones.
4. According to the text, it can be inferred that ______.
A. an international BlackBerry is mainly used to send e-mail
B. Roadpost can offer cell phones using in different areas
C. you should select a bag used to send your cell phone
D. Roadpost's service is convenient and simple
5. Which of the free services can you get from Road post?
A. Voicemail. B. Sending e-mail.
C. Shipping the phone back. D. Call waiting services.
Only two countries in the advanced world provide no guarantee for paid leave from work to care for a newborn child．Last spring one of the two，Australia，gave up the bad distinction by setting up paid family leave starting in 2011．I wasn’t surprised when this didn’t make the news here in the United States—we’re now the only wealthy country without such a policy．
The United States does have one explicit family policy，the Family and Medical Leave Act，passed in 1993．It entitles workers to as much as 12 weeks’ unpaid leave for care of a newborn or dealing with a family medical problem．Despite the modesty of the benefit，the Chamber of Commerce and other business groups fought it bitterly，describing it as “government-run personnel management” and a “dangerous precedent（先例）．” In fact，every step of the way，as (usually) Democratic leaders have tried to introduce work-family balance measures into the law，business groups have been strongly opposed．
As Yale law professor Anne Alstott argues，justifying parental support depends on defining（定义）the family as a social good that，in some sense，society must pay for．Parents are burdened in many ways in their lives: there is “no exit” when it comes to children．Society expects—and needs—parents to provide their children with continuity of care．And society expects—and needs—parents to persist in their roles for 18 years，or longer if needed．What do we learn about paid family leave according to Paragraph 1？
| A．It came as a surprise when Australia adopted the policy． |
| B．Setting up this policy made Australia less influential． |
| C．It has now become a hot topic in the United States． |
| D．No such policy is applied in the United States． |
What makes it hard to take work-family balance measures in the States？
| A．The incompetence of the Democrats． |
| B．The opposition from business circles． |
| C．The lack of a precedent in American history． |
| D．The existing Family and Medical Leave Act． |
What is Professor Anne Alstott’s argument for parental support？
| A．Children need continuous care． |
| B．Good parenting benefits society． |
| C．The cost of raising children has been growing． |
| D．The U．S．should keep up with other developed countries． |
Why is the author against classifying parenting as a personal choice？
| A．Parenting is regarded as a moral duty． |
| B．Parenting relies largely on social support． |
| C．Parenting produces huge moral benefits． |
| D．Parenting is basically a social responsibility． |
The Loss of Innocence
Innocence is such a precious gift．It’s explained as freedom from guilt or wrong doing．Just imagine never having to worry about anything and having a guilt free mind．Some people wish to save this kind of innocence from being lost from childhood to adulthood．
What would the world be like if innocence were never lost？One way it would benefit humanity is the lack of hatred （仇恨）among the world．During youth，there may be an occasional argument，even a little physical fight，but nothing like firing a handgun at a fellow human being．And children are blind towards the racial differences of others．A kid will hang out with any other kid．It is the lack of innocence and the ignorance we learn from adults that influence children otherwise．Another benefit is the constant desire for fun and adventure．With very little if any time at all for fun，the adventurous mind is lost in time with the responsibilities placed upon adults．If innocence were kept alive，these ambitions would never depart from our lives．
However，other people actually hate the idea of innocence lasting forever．They feel that the lack of organization and mental power of those with innocence would cause extremely destructive consequences to society in general．A large number of individuals would never have the urge to learn，work，and act upon the necessary needs for humanity to survive．Without a proper education which is usually provided by those who no longer live in a world of innocence，people would not have the desire to succeed，get a good job in life，or provide income for their families，which would hurt the lives of children．
The lack of a good education and career would also harm the economy．As long as innocence is kept alive，no one would be terribly angered at the lack of effort people put out in the workplace，resulting in a strong decline in production and quality of needed goods．
Maybe it is wrong in wanting to save innocence．It sure is a nice thought，though．Perhaps innocence was meant to be lost．It was god’s will to make things the way they are，and there is a good purpose for everything．All that remains to be said about innocence is to enjoy it while it lasts．The author believes that the loss of innocence in adulthood should be _______．
| A．avoided |
| B．condemned |
| C．accepted |
| D．inspired |
Lifelong innocence would be beneficial to society in that _______．
| A．proper education would be provided |
| B．there would be no racial discrimination |
| C．more happy families would be guaranteed |
| D．people would realize their childhood dreams |
According to the author，people with innocence can hurt the economy with their lack of _____．
| A．motivational will |
| B．mental ability |
| C．adventurous ambitions |
| D．needed goods |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage？
Lights Out at Bedtime
There are plenty of good reasons to power up a personal desktop or laptop computer in the evening — writing e-mails，chatting on social networks or making purchases over the Internet，for instance．But various studies indicate that people who stare at a PC’s bright monitor shortly before going to bed probably sleep less soundly than they would otherwise because the light seriously affects their natural wake-sleep cycle．"They haven't proved it though，" says Dieter Kunz，the team's director at Charite's Psychiatric Clinic in St．Hedwig's Hospital in Berlin．
Similarly，exposure to just 10 minutes of normal bathroom lighting is enough to free the sleep hormone melatonin，which regulates people's natural wake-sleep cycle and makes them sleepy at nightfall．
Ten years ago，a team of British and American researchers detected a photo-pigment（光敏色素） in the human eye that signals to the body whether it is day or night，summer or winter．The photo-pigment is especially sensitive to blue light．
"The blue light more or less tells the body，'It's daytime，be awake，'" Kunz says．Monitors have a mostly cold white light content and scientists suspect the photo-pigment may react similarly to it．So the longer people look into the bright light，the more awake they become - and then sleep poorly．
A lot of people have difficulty "switching off" in the evening．About half of the women in Germany and a quarter of the men sleep poorly．
Environmental factors are only one of the possible causes．Job stress as well as personal and health concerns are also the main reasons for their sleep problems．
In addition，electronic objects' standby lights and indicator lamps can be annoying in the dark and affect sleep．"Sound scientific evidence is still lacking on this matter，" Kunz notes．
According to Kunz，those who cannot go without their computer in the evening should turn down the blue content if possible and lower the brightness somewhat．"But nobody does that because，after all，you want to concentrate while working at the computer and the light helps the brain．"The passage is mainly about ____________．
| A．natural wake-up cycles |
| B．the effect of light on sleep |
| C．personal and health concerns |
| D．functions of computer monitors |
The underlined word “which” in Paragraph 2 refers to_____．
| A．normal bathroom lighting |
| B．10-minute exposure to lighting |
| C．the release process of a chemical |
| D．a chemical affecting one’s sleep cycle |
We can learn from the passage that ______．
| A．the blue light has a calming effect． |
| B．the photo-pigment tells people day or night |
| C．women in Germany use computers more often than men |
| D．it has been proved that standby lights affect people’s sleep |
I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention．Finally，the driver，a man about 60，looked up from behind the wheel and apologized，“I’m sorry，but I was reading a letter．” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough．
Since I was in no hurry，I told him to finish his letter．He shook his head，explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart．Curious，I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild．“This isn’t family，”he replied．“though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family．Old Ed and I grew up together．”
They were always friends．But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago，it’d generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them．A couple of weeks ago，Ed died．“I should have kept in touch．” He repeated this，more to himself than to me．To comfort him，I said sometimes we just didn’t seem to find the time．“But we used to find the time，” he said．“Take a look．” He handed the letter over to me．
The first sentence “I’ve been meaning to write for some time，but I’ve always delayed it．” reminded me of myself．It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together．When I read the part where it said “Your friendship really means a lot to me，more than I can say because I’m not good at saying things like that”，I found myself nodding in agreement．
We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph: “So I thought you’d like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”
“I thought your friend’s name was Ed,” I said.
“I’m Tom,” he explained. “It’s a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he’d died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
When I got to my hotel room I didn’t unpack right away．I had to write a letter and post it．Who wrote the letter？
| A．Tom |
| B．Old Ed． |
| C．The author． |
| D．The driver’s grandchild． |
It can be inferred from the passage that the driver regretted_____．
| A．missing Ed’s funeral |
| B．moving away from his neighborhood |
| C．forgetting to send Ed Christmas cards |
| D．not being able to keep in touch with Ed |
From Paragraph 4，we learn that the author _______．
| A．often fails to write to his friends |
| B．has no intention to write to his friends |
| C．had many great moments with his friends |
| D．was good at expressing his feelings to friends |
What message does the passage probably try to convey？
| A．Comfort your friends when they are feeling down． |
| B．Life is unpredictable so live each day as if it were your last． |
| C．Remember to always mail your letters after expressing your words． |
| D．Always make time to value and experience your lasting friendships． |
“Father, do you see Mother in your dreams?” the young girl asks. “You know sometimes I do.”
“Mother comes to see me a lot, you know. We sit and talk.” The father smiles. “How is your homework coming along?”
“Why do I have to study so hard?”
“It is what your mother would have wanted!”
She regrets speaking her mind. “I’m sorry, Father, I shouldn’t have said that.” She looks up and sees his eyes well up with tears.
“It’s okay, love,” he gets up and pours himself a drink. “I’ll just sit outside for a while. You finish up your work, okay?”
“I’m sorry, Father; Mother did love you very much. She told me all the time.”
“Homework, first, eh? Then we can chat about your mother.”
He heads off outside and sits in his usual chair, looking around the courtyard. The whole area relaxes the mind and somehow soothes the soul.
“All finished, Father. May I get a drink and sit with you? I have some questions.”
She comes with two drinks one for him and one for herself. He looks surprised. She never really liked him having a drink. Although he had cut back a lot from before he brought her here, it still seemed strange.
“Mother told me all about you. That is before she passed away. We would laugh together at your love stories.”
He listens without uttering a single sound.
“Why didn’t you come and take her away with you? She really wanted that. Did you know that?”
Her father looks at his daughter lovingly. “Circumstances were difficult back then. It was just the way things were. When it came time to…” He sighs. “To visit her it was too late.”
The girl smiles. “I hope I will have the same kind of love you and mother had.”
“Without all the heartache,” her father adds.
“She always knew you loved her. She told me every day,” the child mentions cheerfully. “I saw her crying sometimes when she read your letters.”
“Did she make you promise to look after me?” She inquires.
“She asked me to take care of you.”
“You promised her, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“It is nice out here, isn't it? Mother would have been very happy here.”
She talks with some authority. Her father remains silent. A smile comes to his weary brow. He nods his head.
“Mother wanted me to give you something. I think now the time is right.” She runs to her room. Upon returning she hands her father a book. “It’s mother’s diary! She wanted me to give it to you.”
He takes the book and holds it in his trembling hands, “Thank you.”
“Mother said you would understand things better.”
“Wise woman, your mother.”
He places the book on the table as he gets up. The girl gets up and wraps herself around her father.
“I love you.” she looks up at his face.
He picks her up and hugs her. “I love you, too.” His voice trembles.
“It’s okay, Father. We have each other now and mother is in both of us.”
He kisses her head.
“Time you went to bed,” her father softly says.
He puts her down and she scampers off to get washed and ready for bed.
Clearing up everything he checks on his daughter. She is in bed waiting for her good night kiss. He tucks her in and bids her goodnight.
Just as he is to leave she tells him. “Mother told me she adopted me when I was a baby.”
He stands at her bedroom door. Words fail him. Yes, he knew she was adopted.
“I am really lucky for being loved by my parents, even if I am not really theirs.”
“You trying to bring on the water works?” he tells her.
She giggles, “Goodnight, Father. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
His face lights up as he wipes his dampened eyes.
The door closes and the child falls asleep dreaming of her mother.
Sitting outside he picks up the diary and opens it and reads the first line: “I love you, my dearest, if only things could have been different…”Why isn’t the mother with her family?
| A．She has already died. | B．She is ill in hospital. |
| C．The couple is divorced. | D．She lives in another city. |
What can we know about the couple’s relationship?
| A．They understood each other very well. |
| B．They quarreled a lot and are separated. |
| C．They used to have misunderstandings. |
| D．They were quite sure of each other’s love. |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．The girl was adopted because the couple couldn’t give birth. |
| B．Father looks after the girl just because the girl is alone. |
| C．The girl feels unfortunate that she was adopted. |
| D．Father was not very close to the girl before she moved in with him. |
Why didn’t father bring mother home when she was ill?
| A．Because he was too busy with his work |
| B．Because he didn’t know he was wanted |
| C．Because he was too poor to afford the medical fees |
| D．Because he didn’t know she was in hospital |
What does the sentence “You trying to bring on the water works?” mean?
| A．You want another cup of water? |
| B．Are you kidding me? |
| C．Are you trying to make me cry? |
| D．Are you thinking about the water factory? |
Which word best describes father’s feeling at the end of the story?
| A．Regretful | B．Satisfied |
| C．Confused | D．Doubtful |