After winning a big game, athletes are often asked how they attained that success. Most say their achievement is the result of grueling hard work and intense practice. Usually athletes say how hard it is to win the big games. At the opposite end of the spectrum, however, is the fact that losing the big game, or, in my case, all the games, can be even tougher.
From the spectators' point of view, last year's basketball season for my high school team was nothing short of an embarrassment. And while 0 and 20 is certainly nothing to be proud of, that season had a bigger impact on me than any other, and probably more than any season since.
As a team captain, I knew it probably wouldn't be the easiest year, but did I ever think we would lose every game? Of course not. Since six of our top players had graduated, it was clear that we were a young team who would struggle. The struggle began earlier than expected, though, as our team's starting center was suspended for the season, and two key members decided to quit after two weeks. At some point, quitting probably passed through every player's mind, but, in the end, we all stuck it out, vowing to work even harder.
Then there came a time when even our own coach had given up on us. Personally, I felt like it was no longer worth giving my all. I thought, if even the coach doesn't believe in us, why should I? But just as my hope began to fade, a teammate called a meeting. He said, "Nobody thinks we're going to win, and heck, we may not, but, as teammates and friends, we owe it to each other to give it our all every game."
Sure, it was a little cliché(陈旧的), but it was that moment that taught me how to be a leader. It hit me then that I may have been a captain, but I, like others in my position, certainly didn't deserve the role. As a leader you can never quit on the team who looks up to you. It is one thing to be named captain and feel great and go through the motions, but it is quite another to be a real captain and make sure everyone works to their potential all the time.
I am sure it is great to go through high school without losing and bringing home awards. But in all honesty, I relish the fact that my team lost every game last year. It may not help me to become a better basketball player, but it already has made me a better leader, and person.
77.What was the biggest problem with the author's team last season?
A. Several key members were unable to play the games.
B. Their coach no longer wanted to instruct them.
C. There were no actual leaders on the team.
D. Most of players lost hope and wanted to quit.
78.In the text, the author seems to suggest that a good leader should _______.
A. be confident about himself
B. make sure everyone goes all out
C. work hard to win the games
D. feel great about his team
79.By saying "we owe it to each other to give it our all every game." (Paragraph 4) the teammate means that all of them should ________.
A. be responsible for the losses
B. try their best on the court
C. feel thankful for what they've done
D. get together to win every game
80.What is the main idea the author aims to express in the text?
A. Success is the result of hard work.
B. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C. One can learn something from the failure.
D. A real leader should never give up.
Do you forget to turn off the lights and heaters when you go out of a room? In 2040 it will not matter. They will turn themselves off—and on again when you return. You will choose the temperature for each room, the lighting and the humidity. A sensor will find the presence of a human (and, with luck, ignore the dog!) and turn the systems on, and when the humans leave it will turn them off again.
The sensors will work through the central home computer, and they will do much more than just turn the fires and lights on and off for you. They will find faulty electrical appliances, plugs or switches, separate them so that they cannot harm anyone, and then warn you that they need repair. They will detect(发现) fire and if you are out of the house, the computer will call the fire brigade. It will not be too difficult because the locks on the outside doors will be electronic. You will open them using your personal card—the one you use for shopping—maybe using a number known only to you.
It will be impossible to lose the key, and a housebreaker will have to tamper(拨弄) with the lock or with a window. It is not very difficult to make such tampering send a signal to the computer.
The computer will be more than a fireman-policeman-servant. It will be an entertainer, and most of your entertainment will come right into your home. It does now, of course, but by 2040 “entertainment” will mean much more. For one thing, you will be able to take part actively, rather than just watching.
46. The author intends to tell us that _____.
A. in 2040 we will live without lights and heaters
B. in 2040 we will use much more lights and heaters
C. in 2040 there will be no switches of lights and heaters
D. in 2040 lights and heaters will be on and off automatically
47. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
The sensor is multi-functional.
Without a computer, the sensor cannot do much.
The sensor will detect fire and make an emergency call.
You can be taken for a housebreaker if you tamper with the lock or with a window.
48. According to the author, in 2040, new technology _____.
A. will free us from the keys we use today
B. will turn everything into sensors
C. will make the locks out of date
D. will get rid of all crimes
49. Thanks to computers, in 2040 people _____.
A. will have no entertainment outside
B. will replace TV with computers
C. will be controlled by computers
D. will have more fun at home
50. The best title for the passage might be _____.
A. Sensors and Computers
B. Life at Home in the Year 2040
C. The Development of Science and Technology
D. Lights and Heaters in the Year 2040
第三部分：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、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One of today’s hottest topics among women (and to an extent among men too now) is anti aging and how to reverse the signs of age. The beauty industry has responded to this by offering a wide collection of anti aging creams and other anti aging products aimed at all pocketbooks, ranging from economical to highly priced.
And the question is “do any of these often much-vaunted(被过度吹嘘的) anti aging creams actually work?” And if they do, how precisely do they perform their miracles?
Well, the appropriate response to that is that they do work—after a fashion. There certainly are anti aging creams available for a relatively modest price that will reduce the appearance of wrinkles in a comparatively short period of regular application. But this really is the limit of their powers: they won’t actually undo skin damage or eradicate(根除) all signs of age; they will simply modify them, some more effectively than others.
The way they work is like so: they remove upper layers of dead skin cells and make deeper layers absorb water, serving to plump them up and make them look fuller and healthier. But since such anti aging creams only go skin deep, as it were, skin damage will reappear once you stop using the anti aging wrinkle(皱纹) cream.
This means fairly heavy regular use, which might be costly depending on your choice of product. However, if you can afford it or think it’s worth the cost, it won’t be such an issue. After all, what woman wants to look older than her years when looking good is so tied up with many women's self-esteem(自尊) and sense of identity.
A compromise(折中) solution for those on a tighter budget is to use the cheaper creams. In addition, it’s always wise to be a little experimental to make sure you end up with the one that suits your skin best.
So, to sum up: an anti wrinkle face cream will work within limits, depending on your objective.
41. This passage mainly tells us something about _____.
A. anti aging creams B. anti aging foods
C. anti wrinkle face D. anti wrinkle skin
42. According to the author, we can infer _____.
A. anti aging creams must reverse the signs of age
B. skin damage must not reappear after using creams
C. anti aging creams should be properly used
D. skin damage will disappear forever after using creams
43. The benefits from anti aging creams are the following except that _____.
A. they remove upper layers of dead skin cells
B. they make deeper layers absorb water
C. they make layers look fuller and healthier
D. they make wrinkle faces rough
44. The meaning of the underlined phrase “on a tighter budget” is _____.
A. having a larger amount of money
B. having a smaller amount of money
C. having no money at all
D. having a lot of money
45. Fairly heavy regular use will make you _____.
A. spend much money on your choice of product
B. easily afford your choice of product
C. think your choice of product wrong
D. believe your choice of product right
High-tech machines have made life easier for millions around the world. However, some people still prefer low-tech ways of doing things. Here’s an example of why this is happening. You can microwave a frozen hamburger in 60 seconds. However, it won’t taste as good as one you cook on the stove. And if you’re in that much of a hurry, you probably won’t take time to toast the bun. High-tech cooking saves time, but it doesn’t make for better tasting meals.
Most people get their news from high-tech sources like television or the Internet. This has many advantages. For example, electronic news is more up to date than newspapers 
or magazines. It’s also more exciting to see live and videotaped news events than photographs. However, newspapers and magazines have some important advantages. They give more background and details. They also let you read the parts that are important to you and skip the rest.
Other high-tech timesavers have similar disadvantages. For example, most people use the phone or email to stay in touch with friends and family members who live in other places. But when you use the Internet or the phone, you don’t always think carefully about what you are saying, and sometimes you forget the important things you want to communicate. Similarly, when you word process a home work assignment instead of handwriting it, you can check your spelling electronically and put in fancy headings. However, some students are so busy with the computer that they don’t pay enough attention to the actual words they are writing.
72. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The writer likes high-tech cooking.
B. Low-tech cooking produces better-tasting meals.
C. High—tech news programs always keep you reading what is important to you.
D. Handwritten homework is better than word-processed homework.
73. How does the writer feel about high—tech tools?
A. Better late than never. B. Easy come, easy go.
C. Every coin has two sides. D. Learn to walk before you run.
74. What is the main subject discussed in the text?
A. High—tech vs. low—tech.
B. Advantages vs. disadvantages.
C. Newspapers and magazines vs. television and the Internet.
D. Word—processing vs. handwriting.
75. How is the text organized?
A. Main idea — Argument — Explanation.
B. Opinion — Discussion — Description.
C. Topic — Comparison — Supporting examples.
D. Introduction — Supporting examples — Discussion.
Jessica Tandy probably is best known for winning an Academy Award in 1989 for the movie Driving Miss Dairy. She was the oldest person to have won the award. But for many years, she had received praise for her great performances.
Jessica Tandy was born in London in 1909. After her father died, her mother taught and took other jobs at night to make extra money to raise her, three children. Jessica’s older brothers showed an interest in the theater and often put on shows at home. Jessica said later that she was terrible in all of them. But she said taking part in those plays as a child created a desire in her to be someone else.
Jessica loved going to the theater. This love led her to attend an acting school in 1924. She performed in her first play called The Manderson Girls at 18. But few people watched this play. In 1932, she married the famous actor Jack Hawkins. Their wedding pictures were on the front page of many British newspapers. In the same year, critics in London recognized her great acting skill in her performance in the play Children in Uniform.
In 1940, Jessica ended her first marriage and moved to the USA. In New York, she met actor Hume Cronyn. Two years later, they married and moved to Hollywood.
Her turning point came in 1947 when she played the lead part in Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire. Tandy won the first of her four Tony awards for best actress in it. After that Hollywood producers began to choose her to be in the movie.
Jessica Tandy said she hated seeing herself in the movies. She was surprised when she won the Academy Award for Driving Miss Daisy. She said that the wonderful part she had made up for her lack of experience in movies.
68. Jessica’s early interest in acting came from __________.
A. her natural gift for acting B. her brothers’ influence
C. her hope of helping raise her family D. her mother’s encouragement
69. What made Jessica first widely known to the public?
A. Attending an acting school.
B. Her first play The Manderson Girls.
C. Her marriage with Jack Hawkins.
D. Her wonderful performance in Driving Miss Daisy.
70. Which is the correct order of the following events?
a. Jessica performed in The Manderson Girls.
b. Jessica married Hume Cronyn
c. Jessica played the lead part in A Streetcar Named Desire.
d. Jessica moved to the USA.
A. a, d, b, c B. a, b, c, d C. b, d, a, c D. b, c, a, d
71. From the last paragraph, we can learn that __________.
A. Jessica wasn’t interested in acting in movies
B. winning the Academy Award was a surprise to Jessica
C. Jessica would perform better if given a better part
D. Jessica was as confident as commonly considered
All of my childhood and early, adult life, my mom weighed over 220 pounds (one pound =" 0.454" kilograms). I could feel the pain that my mom experienced with her fatness.
I was never uncomfortable about my mother, but I think she was uncomfortable about herself, and that feeling was painful for all of us. And she began to lose weight.
After more than twenty years of battling obesity（肥胖）, my mother completed a forceful eighteen-month diet that left her ninety pounds lighter than before. A new woman was born! At age twenty-eight, I got a new mom! For the first time, I met the woman my mother truly was, the beautiful little lady under the fatness. It wasn’t so much her new body that was the surprise, but rather her new spirit.
To celebrate her new size and to devote herself to dancing again, my mother joined a “Mrs. Forty-Plus” competition, where she would have to model, give a speech and provide a dance performance. She told our family that she did not care if she won — she simply had always wanted to perform on stage.
She told each one of us, “I’m not doing it to win; I’m doing it to dance!”
The competition was exciting! I prayed that my mom would win, but while watching her on stage I was simply overjoyed just by her effort. To me, she had already won. She posed to perfection, her speech brought tears to everyone’s eyes, and her performance was wonderful.
That night, at age fifty-three, my mother was crowned (为......加冕) “Mrs. Forty-Plus”. She was the first person in our family to ever win such a title.
64. The first two paragraphs mainly show that the author’s mom was __________.
A. experienced B. painful C. comfortable D. fat
65. After the author’s mom completed a forceful eighteen-month diet, she was about __________.
A. 85 kilograms B. 41 kilograms C. 130 pounds D. 90 pounds
66. In order to join in the “Mrs. Forty-Plus” Competition, the author’s mom has to do the following EXCEPT __________.
A. providing a dance performance B. telling a funny story about herself
C. giving a speech to a large number of people D. wearing special clothes to show to people
67. The underlined part in Paragraph 6 means that __________.
A. the author’s mom succeeded in modeling and speaking
B. the author’s mom’s performance was very wonderful
C. the author’s mom was not successful in modeling
D. the author’s mom succeeded in making a speech