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，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity, others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self – worth relied (依赖) on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life – and – death affairs. In their single – minded pursuit (追求) of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to se ek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self – respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve (缓解) can we discover a new meaning in competition.
41．What does this passage mainly talk about?
A．Competition helps to set up self – respect.
B．Opinions about competition are different among people.
C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development.
D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition
42．Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?
A．It pushes society forward. B．It builds up a sense of duty.
C．It improves personal abilities. D．It encourages individual efforts.
43．The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means .
A．those who try their best to win
B．those who value competition most highly
C．those who are against competition most strongly
D．those who rely on others most for success
44．What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a desire to fail ?
A．One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others.
B．One’s success in competition needs great efforts.
C．One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills.
D．One’s success is based on how hard he has tried.
45．Which point of view may the author agree to?
A．Every effort should be paid back.
B．Competition should be encouraged.
C．Winning should be a life – and – death matter.
D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition.
Early this morning, I got up to make cookies for my neighbor. But actually she hardly greeted me when we saw each other.
Last Monday, she called the firefighters when my house began to fog up while I was out. Luckily, nothing serious had happened. When I thanked her and apologized for causing the trouble, she just asked if my cats were all right and stepped into her house. I felt strangely safe, knowing that even though we don’t get along, she’d done the right thing. So, the yummy cookies.
Last winter, my neighbor carelessly let it out that she was holding a grudge towards me because of an incident we’d had four years ago. I had particularly apologized and asked if there was anything I could do to improve our relationship. She would not accept my apology.
It had taken me a lot of courage to apologize and ask that question. Her refusal to make amends (补偿) really saddened me. After that, I decided I’d just leave her be. So I was really scared she was going to refuse my offer again. I know some people have a hard time understanding how the possibility of rejection can make an adult so afraid, but that’s just the way I felt.
Then, I reminded myself of how good I had felt yesterday when I’d done some acts of kindness after telling myself: Feel the fear, and do it anyway! So I put the cookies on a beautiful plate, opened my apartment door—and there she was, standing in the hallway. But when she saw me, she went back inside. I went after her and quickly said, “I’m sorry, I’ve got something for you! I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you were paying attention on Monday.” When she heard me speaking, she turned around. As I held the plate towards her, her eyebrows winged up and she took the plate. I was so happy and excited.
Back in my place, I did a “happy dance”, because I had dared to be kind even though I hadn’t been sure my kindness would be welcome. I do hope that our relationship will slowly get better. I know I was and still am biased (存有偏见) towards her at times, but even if we don’t make amends, I want to be able to be kind without depending on other people’s behaviors and reactions.The neighbor hardly greeted the writer most probably because ______.
| A．the writer’s cats disturb her neighbor frequently |
| B．the writer didn’t thank her for calling the firefighters |
| C．the writer never apologized to her for her misbehaviors |
| D．the writer had an unpleasant experience with the neighbor long ago |
The underlined word “grudge” in Paragraph 3 most probably means ______.
| A．appreciation | B．gratitude | C．dislike | D．envy |
From Paragraph 4, we can learn that the writer ______.
| A．was afraid of being rejected again by her neighbor |
| B．didn’t know how to get along with her neighbor |
| C．didn’t admit it was her fault in the last incident |
| D．refused to forgive her neighbor’s rude behavior |
What does the author try to tell us?
| A．Don’t punish yourself because of others’ mistakes. |
| B．We should be kind to others, regardless of their behavior. |
| C．We must keep a good relationship with our neighbors. |
| D．When we make a mistake, we should have the courage to admit it. |
“The Lord of the Rings”, one of the best sellers in the new millennium（千年）, was made up of three parts——“The Fellowship of the Ring”, “Two Towers”, and “The Return of the King”. Millions upon millions of people have read it in over 25 different languages, but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative masterwork.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His parents died when he was a child. Living in England with his aunt, Tolkien and his cousins made up play languages, a hobby that led to Tolkien’s becoming skilled in Welsh, Greek, Gothic, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon.
After graduating from Oxford, Tolkien served in World War I. In 1917, while recovering from trench fever, he began composing the mythology for The Rings. As a professor of Anglo-Saxon in 1930s at Oxford, Tolkien was part of an informal discussion group called the Inklings, which included several writers. The group was soon listening to chapters of Tolkien’s imaginative work “The Hobbit”.
Hobbit was a name Tolkien created for a local people that could best be described as half-sized members of the English rural（乡村的）class. Hobbits live in hillside holes. One of them, Bilbo Baggins, looks for treasures with a group of dwarves（侏儒）. On the way, he meets the twisted, pitiful creature Gollum, from whom he sees a golden ring that makes the holder invisible.
One of Tolkien’s students persuaded her employer, publisher Allen & Unwin, to look at a draft（草稿）. The chairman of the firm, Stanley Unwin, thought that the best judge for a children’s book would be his ten-year-old son. The boy earned a shilling for reporting back that the adventure was exciting, and “The Hobbit” was published in 1937.
It sold so well that Unwin asked for a continuation. Over a dozen years later, in 1954, Tolkien produced “The Lord of the Rings”, a series of books so creative that they hold readers—new and old —after their publication.What can we learn from the text?
| A．“The Lord of the Rings” didn’t sell well in the last millennium. |
| B．People know better about Tolkien himself than about his works. |
| C．Tolkien was quite familiar with Old English. |
| D．Tolkien knew very well about different kinds of local languages in Africa. |
What can we learn about “Hobbit” that Tolkien created in his works?
| A．Hobbit was a race living in English downtown areas. |
| B．Hobbit was a local people who were very tall and strong. |
| C．Hobbit was a social group of people who lived in old castles. |
| D．Hobbit was a group of people who were mostly dwarves. |
Which of the following helped most in making “The Hobbit” published?
| A．One of Tolkien’s students. | B．Stanley Unwin’s son. |
| C．Allen & Unwin. | D．Bilbo Baggins. |
What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．“The Lord of the Rings” and its writer. |
| B．A completely new masterwork in the new millennium. |
| C．A famous professor at Oxford University. |
| D．The power of the magic ring. |
Which of the following shows the right order of Mr. J.R.R.Tolkien’s life experience?
a. He had his “The Hobbit” published.
b. He became a member of the Inklings.
c. He served in World WarⅠ
d. He became an undergraduate at Oxford.
e. His work “The Lord of the Rings” came to the world.
f. He moved to England to live with his aunt.
| A．f-d-b-c-a-e | B．f-c-d-b-e-a | C．f-d-c-b-a-e | D．d-f-c-a-b-e |
Let us begin by saying what does not cause our dreams. Our dreams do not come from “another world ”. They are not messages from outside source. They are not a look into the future , either ．
All our dreams have something to do with our feelings, fears, longings, wishes, needs and memories. If a person is hungry , or tired or cold , his dreams may include a feeling of this kind ．If the covers on your body , such as a quilt or a blanket have slipped off your bed , you may dream that you are sleeping on the ice and snow. The material for the dream you will have tonight is likely to come from the experience you have today.
So the subject of your dream usually comes from something that has effect on you while you are sleeping （feeling of cold, a noise, a discomfort, etc．） and it may also use your past experiences and the wishes and the interests you have now．This is why children are likely to dream of fairies, older children of school examinations, hungry people of food, home-sick soldiers of their families and prisoners of freedom．
To show you how this is happening while you are asleep and how your needs and wishes can all be joined together in a dream , here is the story of the experiment．A man was asleep and the back of his hand was rubbed with a piece of absorbed cotton．He would dream he was in hospital and his charming girlfriend was visiting him , sitting on the bed and feeling gently his hands!
There are some scientists who have made a special study of why we dream, what we dream and what those dreams mean．Their explanations of dreams , though a bit reasonable, is not accepted by everyone but it offers an interesting approach to the problem．They believe that dreams are mostly expressions of wishes that do not come true．In other words, dreams are a way of having your wishes carried out． From the passage we know that our dreams ___________.
| A．are imagination of our daily life |
| B．are man’s curious look into the future |
| C．have nothing to do with our feelings |
| D．are to some degree connected with our feelings |
Older children often dream of examinations probably because ___________.
| A．they are interested in exams |
| B．they are often worried about their studies |
| C．they hope for a better life |
| D．they show much interest in their studies |
According to the writer , the explanation of dreams that some scientists made ___________.
| A．is considered interesting , but unreasonable |
| B．gives a good answer to the question why we dream |
| C．has some value , though not fully convincing |
| D．has been proved by the findings of their studies |
What is the best title for this passage ?
| A．Why People Dream ? | B．New Findings about Dreams |
| C．Dream Makes Hopes | D．What Dreams Mean ? |
“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine，newspaper，radio and television ads，promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs，slim the face，smooth wrinkles，or in some other way to add to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than moneymaking things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable，and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public，it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug，FDA(Food and Drug Administration)can require proof under the Food，Drug，and Cosmetic Act that is safe and effective before it is put on the market. But if the product is a device，FDA has no authority to require the proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the market is a danger to health，FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily，or it can take legal action，including seizure (查封) of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor，which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously，most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings (法律诉讼)，and new devices appear continually. Before buying，it is up to the consumer to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items.It can be inferred that the ads mentioned in the text are________.
| A．objective | B．costly | C．unreliable | D．illegal |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A．The court is in charge of removing dangerous products.
B．New products are more likely to be questionable.
C．The production of a device must be approved by FDA.
D．The promoters usually just care about profits.FDA can ask for the proof of safety and effectiveness of a product________.
| A．if it is a drug |
| B．if it is a device |
| C．if its consumers make complaints |
| D．if its distributors challenge FDA's authority |
The Relaxacisor is mentioned as________.
| A．a product which was designed to produce electricity |
| B．a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case |
| C．a successful advertisement of a beauty product |
| D．an example of a quality beauty product |
■United States Capitol
It serves as the seat of government for the US Congress. It is located in Washington, D. C., on top of Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall. Officially, both the east and west sides of the Capitol are referred to as “fronts”. Historically, however, the east front was initially the side of the building intended for the arrival of visitors and famous guests.
Phone: (202) 225-6827
Official website: www.aoc.gov
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
■International Spy Museum
It is a privately owned museum dedicated to the field of espionage located in Washington. D. C., The museum was built by The Malrite Company at a cost of US $ 40 million. Despite being one of the few museums in Washington that charges admission fees, it has been popular since its opening in July 2002.
Phone: (202) 393-7798
Official website: www.spymuseum.org
Hours: Monday-Sunday: 9:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
■National Museum of Natural History
It is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year. The museum’s collections total over 125 million specimens of plants, animals, fossils, minerals, rocks, meteorites（陨石），and human cultural artifacts, making it the largest such museum anywhere. It is the second most popular of all of the Smithsonian museums and is also home to about 185 professional natural history scientists—the largest group of scientists dedicated to the study of the natural and cultural history in the world.
Phone: (202) 633-1000
Official website: www.mnh.si.edu
■Jefferson Memorial
It is a presidential memorial in Washington, D. C., dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and the third president of the United States. The neoclassical building was designed by John Russell Pope. It was built by Philadelphia contractor John Mc. Shain. Construction began in 1939, the building was completed in 1942, and the bronze statue of Jefferson was added in 1947. When completed, the memorial occupied one of the last significant sites left in the city.
Phone: (202) 426-6821
Official website: www.mps.gov/thjeWhich admission is free?
| A．United States Capitol |
| B．Jefferson Memorial |
| C．International Spy Museum |
| D．National Museum of Natural History |
Visitors can learn more about ________ in the Jefferson Memorial.
| A．the third American president | B．the US government |
| C．rock collections | D．natural history |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．A science textbook | B．A tourist guide |
| C．A museum guide | D．A history report |