III．阅读理解阅读下面四篇短文，从每题后所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案。（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
A few days ago I asked my sons’ governess（女家庭教师）Julia to come into my study. “Be seated, Julia, ”I said, “Let’s settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you’re too polite to mention it. Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”
“Forty.”
“No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well, um, you’ve been here two months, so...”
“Two months and five days.”
“Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take off nine Sundays... you know you didn’t work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays... ”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but - not a word.
“Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven - nineteen. Take nineteen off ... that leaves. hmm.... forty one dollars. Correct？”
Julia’s left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but - still not a word.
“Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars. The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but- forget it. When didn’t I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect （疏忽）, Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten. Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave ten dollars.”
“You didn’t. ”sobbed Julia.
“But I made a note of it.”
“Well... if you say so.”
“Take twenty seven from forty one -that leaves fourteen.”
Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose. Poor girl!
“Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife. Three dollars, nothing more.”
“Really? You see now, and I didn’t know that! Take three from fourteen.. leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three, three, three, one and one. Here it is !”
I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.
“Merci （法语: 谢谢）,”she whispered.
I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger. “For what, this - ‘merci’?” I asked.
“For the money. ”
“But you know I’ve cheated you - robbed you ! I have actually stolen from you ! Why this‘merci’？”
“In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”
“They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you... I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you... Is it really possible to be so spineless （懦弱）?Why didn’t you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws（爪）—to be such a fool?”
Embarrassed, she smiled. And I could read her expression,“It is possible.”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little“merci”several times and went out. I looked after her and thought,“How easy it is to crush the weak in this world !”
41．While talking to Julia, the wrier expected from her ________.
A. a protest B. gratitude C. obedience(顺从) D. an explanation
42．What shocked the writer was Julia’s ________.
A. nervousness in front of her boss B. acceptance of injustice
C. shyness when talking about money D. reluctance to express herself
43．The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________.
A. to be more aggressive B. to be more careful in her work
C. to protect her right D. to live independently
44．At the end of the story, the writer said,“ How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”to show ____.
A. his understanding of Julia’s anxiety
B. his worry about Julia’s future
C. his concern on the living condition of working - class people
D. his sympathy for the mental state of those exploited
45．From the story, we can tell that Julia’s employer was ________.
A. greedy but honest B. ill - tempered but warm - hearted
C. strict but forgiving D. none of the above
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项。
A man accused of failing to return more than 700 children's books to five different libraries in the county was released from prison after a book publisher agreed to post his bond(保释金)of $1,000. The publisher said, "There's a story here. This is a man who loves books. He just can't let go of them. He hasn't stolen a single book. So what's the crime? We think that Mr Banish has a story to tell. We plan to publish his story."
When asked why he didn't return the books, Mr Banish said, "Well, how could I? They became family to me. I was afraid to return them, because I knew that kids or dogs would get hold of these books and chew them up, throw them around, tear the pages, spill soda on them, get jam and jelly on them, and drown them in the toilet.
He continued, "Books are people, too! They talk to you, they take care of you, and they enrich you with wisdom, humor and love. A book is a guest in my home. How could I kick it out? I repaired torn pages. I dusted them with a soft clean cloth. I turned their pages so they could breathe and get some fresh air."
"Every week I reorganized them on their shelves so they could meet new friends. My books were HAPPY books. You could tell just by looking at them. Now they're all back in the libraries, on the lower shelves, on the floors, at the mercy of all those runny-nosed kids. I can hear them calling me. I need to rescue them. Excuse me. I have to go now."
56. Why was the man put into prison?
A. Because the book publisher persuaded the police to do so.
B. Because he stole 700 children's books from the five different libraries.
C. Because he refused to return the books that he had borrowed.
D. Because he wanted to publish his story.
57. How did the man treat books?
A. He treated them as real people.
B. He treated them as his own children.
C. He treated them as his furniture.
D. He treated them as his job.
58. From the passage we can learn that the man is _______.
A. a thiefB. a writer C. crazy about booksD. unfortunate
59. What might happen after the man was set free?
A. He might stop borrowing books.
B. He might start a library of his own.
C. He might go on borrowing books from libraries.
Most of us were taught that generosity (慷慨) is about giving freely, and putting others’ needs before our own. Although there is nothing wrong with this definition, it remains somewhat incomplete. To think of generosity only in terms of giving can limit us.
Being truly generous is also about being open to receiving graciously （落落大方地） from others. Allowing others to “give” to us whether it may be a compliment, emotional support or even material help in times of need is, interestingly, the same act of kindness as trying our best to give to others.
Besides, we need to be aware that giving can sometimes be a thinly disguised (伪装的) power trip! It’s time we began to understand generosity as a kind of two-way street.
With all the talk about how “selfish” we are today, it’s pretty amazing to see how many people have real difficulty being able to receive.
There may be at least four reasons why people have trouble receiving. Maybe they simply haven’t learned how to graciously receive a gift or help from others. Or it could be that they don’t want to feel under obligation to the giver. It’s also possible that they consider receiving a weakness, and want to always come across as the strong part of a relationship; to receive, for some, is to admit that they have needs, or are weak, and they find this very hard. Or perhaps, most sadly, they don’t feel they deserve what they receive.
Unfortunately, all of these reasons put the focus on the receiver rather than on the joy of the person giving the gift. But it helps to recall the joy we feel when we ourselves give and to allow others opportunities for experiencing the same joy.
67. The author thinks that receiving _____.
A. is more important than giving B. is seldom seen in our daily life
C. means as much as giving does D. limits us more than giving
68. It can be inferred from Paragraph 5 that people usually believe that giving _____.
A. is the obligation of the rich B. shows the giver’s powerfulness
C. determines people’s relationship D. usually needs to be taught
69. According to the passage, most people have trouble receiving _____.
A. mainly because of their own personality
B. mainly because of their own culture.
C. because they only think of themselves
D. because they are addicted to giving
70. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Generosity: a two-way street
B. To receive, not to give
C. Give freely, receive occasionally
D. New definition of giving
Last month, the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, held an underwater meeting. The purpose of the ocean floor conference? To highlight the effects of global warming on his island nation.
The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, is the lowest-lying country on Earth. Melting glaciers and polar ice are causing sea levels to rise, putting the Maldives and other low-lying areas at risk of being swallowed by the sea within the next 100 years.
What can be done? Scientists and leaders from 190 nations will try to figure that out at the United Nations climate change conference next month. The main goal of the meeting is to come up with a new climate agreement for 2012 and beyond. That is when the existing plan, the Kyoto Protocol (《京都议定书》), will expire. The agreement was created in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997. Since then, it has been ratified (正式批准) by 190 nations. The countries promised to limit the amount of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, that they produced each year.
The debate over who should cut greenhouse emissions (排放) has been going on for years. The US has been hesitant to reduce emissions unless fast-growing nations such as China and India also reduce their use of fossil fuels. In recent months, China has taken steps to be greener. But India has been unwilling to change. It argues that it is unfair for rich nations to ask poorer countries to cut down on emissions.
While world leaders work on a plan in Copenhagen, there are many things you can do to help the planet. You can save fuel by walking or biking instead of riding in a car. You can start a recycling program in your community. You can plant trees. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and give off oxygen.
64. The underlined word “expire” in Paragraph 3 probably means _____.
A. cause trouble B. go into effect C. come to an end D. gain support
65. According to the passage, limiting greenhouse emissions _____.
A. has been a controversial question
B. is well performed in the Maldives
C. will make poor countries poorer
D. means banning carbon dioxide emissions
66. What does the author suggest？
A. Like the Maldives, other island countries should take action.
B. Both the US and India should cut greenhouse emissions.
C. World leaders should focus more on climate change.
D. Everyone should get involved in cutting greenhouse emissions.
Have you ever been in London before? You do not know how to start your trip? Let’s go for a tour on a London Big Bus to have a look around London and get on and get off at the attractions you will visit during your tour.
Make the most of London Sightseeing and discover its attractions thanks to two tour routes: red tour route and blue tour route. Feel free to hop on and hop off the tour bus at any attraction during the tour.
The red route:
Enjoy the must-see London attractions such as the Tower of London, St. Paul’s Church, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. The professional guide on board will keep you entertained commenting on the different sights all along the tour.
The blue route：
It provides a deeper tour around the city and you will discover Central London, Kensington and Hyde Park. Feel the spirit of the beautiful London and stop to stroll along the Kensington High Street. Do not miss Harrods and the impressive area of Notting Hill.
Alone or with somebody, London Big Bus Tour will offer you an unforgettable day. Start planning your stay thanks to the many attractions you saw on the way. Discover the city at our own pace thanks to the hop on and hop off from one of the London symbols: the open top double-decker bus (双层公共汽车).
Bus times：
Summer — every 5 to 10 min, from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm
Winter — every 10 to 20 min, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
Ticket：
Valid 24 hours — adults ￡25, children ￡l0
Groups can get special prices
Tour Highlights：
※ Tours in 8 languages
※ 70 stops at all main London attractions
※ Free Thames River cruise and 3 walking tours included
※ Save money and time
※ High flexibility as you can hop on and hop off at any time
※ Perfect for family
Find the tour that best suits you, and have a look at our other London tours！
60. If you choose the red route, _____.
A. you can only do sightseeing on the bus
B. you’ll pass through famous Hyde Park
C. you can visit the main London attractions
D. the tour guide will speak to you only in English
61. Taking the blue route, you are able to _____.
A. experience the life in the heart of London
B. dine in the most famous restaurant of London
C. taste English food at Notting Hill
D. go shopping in the famous stores
62. What can we know about London Big Bus Tour from the passage？
A. Traveling with family doesn’t save money
B. Tourists can get on and get off at any stop.
C. No tourist can enjoy free Thames River cruise.
D. The London Big Bus can take you to all London attractions.
63. The passage is mainly written for _____.
A. travelers to London
B. travelers from London
C. travelers who want to save time
D. travelers who want to study English
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40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。
In old times, there was a story about a young athletic boy hungry for success, for whom winning was everything.
One day, the boy was preparing himself for a running competition in his small native village. He and two other young boys were to compete. A large crowd had gathered to witness the competition and a wise old man, upon hearing of the little boy, had travelled far to bear witness also.
The race started. Sure enough, the boy dug deep and showed his determination, strength and power. He came first. The crowd cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man remained still and calm. The little boy, however, felt proud and important.
A second race was called, and two new young challengers came forward to run with the little boy. The little boy finished first once again. The crowd again cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man expressed no opinion.
“Another race, another race!” shouted the little boy. The wise old man stepped forward and presented the little boy with two new challengers, a frail (虚弱的) old lady and a blind man. “What is this?” asked the little boy. “Race!” said the wise man. The race was started and the boy was the only finisher. The little boy raised his arms in delight. The crowd, however, was silent showing no happiness. “Why don’t they join in my success?” he asked the wise old man. “Race again,” replied the wise man. “This time, all three of you, finish together,” continued the wise man. The little boy thought a little, stood in the middle of the blind man and the frail old lady, and then took the two challengers by the hand.
The race began and the little boy walked slowly, ever so slowly, to the finishing line and crossed it. The crowd cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man smiled.
56. According to the passage, the young athletic boy _____.
A. was crazy about winning competitions
B. considered the blind man foolish
C. was angry with the wise man
D. showed no respect to the young challengers
57. The wise man went to watch the competitions to _____.
A. teach the boy a lesson B. show the crowd his wisdom.
C. help the lady and the blind man D. see whether the boy was powerful
58. Why did the crowd remain silent when the boy beat the lady and the blind man?
A. The boy was proud. B. The boy was impolite.
C. The boy was not helpful. D. The boy was overconfident.
59. What is the message conveyed in the story?
A. Small talk is helpful.
B. Love and kindness are rewarding.
C. Wisdom is more important than strength.
D. Sympathy should be given to the weak.