Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?’” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent—child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue int0 adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the ‘before’ side of that change, but today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It’s not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”
56. The underlined word gulf in Para.3 most probably means _________.
A. interest B. distance C. difference D. separation
57. Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?
A. Parents help their children develop interests in more activities.
B. Parents put more trust in their children’s abilities.
C. Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs.
D. Parents share more interests with their children.
58. The change in today’s parent-child relationship is _________.
A. more confusion among parents
B. new equality between parents and children
C.1ess respect for parents from children
D. more strictness and authority on the part of parents
59. By saying “today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side.” the author means that today’s parents _________.
A. follow the trend of the change
B. can set a limit to the change
C. fail to take the change seriously
D. have little difficulty adjusting to the change
60. The purpose of the passage is to _________.
A. describe the difficulties today’s parents have met with
B. discuss the development of the parent—child relationship
C. suggest the ways to handle the parent—child relationship
D. compare today’s parent—child relationship with that in the past
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分,满分40分）
Tess still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward, when a figure came out from the dark door of the tent. It was a tall young man, smoking.
He had an almost black face, though red and smooth. His moustache was black with curled points, though he could not be more than twenty, three or four. There was an unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes.
"Well, my beauty, what can I do for you?" said he, coming forward. And seeing that she was quite at a loss: "Never mind me. I am Mr. d'Urberville. Have you come to see me or my mother?"
This differed greatly from what Tess had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face. She tried to keep calm and answered, "I came to see your mother, sir."
"I am afraid you cannot see her—she is ill in bed," replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr.Alee, the only son of the noble family."What is the business you wish to see her about?"
"It isn't business—it is— I can hardly say what!"
"Pleasure?"
"Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem—"
Tess's sense of a certain ridicule was now so strong that, despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved(弯曲) towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.
"It is so foolish," she stammered(急急巴巴地说); "I fear I can't tell you!"
"Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear," said he kindly.
"Mother asked me to come," Tess continued; 'and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not think it would be like this.I came, sir,to tell you that we are of the same family as you."
"Ho! Poor relations?"
"Yes."
'Stokes?'
"No; d'Urbervilles."
"Ay, ay; I mean d'Urbervilles."
"Our names are wom away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are d'Urbervilles. The local scholars hold the view that we are,and we have an old seal(印章) and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we've lost our horse by a bad accident; we can hardly make a living."
"Very kind of your mother, I'm sure.' Alec looked at Tess as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. 'And so, my pretty girl, you've come on a friendly visit to us, as relations?"
"I suppose I have," looking less confident and uncomfortable again.
"Well-there's no harm in it. Where do you live? What are you?"
—Tess of the d'Urbervilles By Thomas Hardy
61. How does Tess feel in the whole course of the meeting with Alec?
A. Excited and hopeful. B. Nervous and uncomfortable.
C. Surprised but comfortable. D. Pleased but embarrassed.
62. In the eyes of Tess, Alec is _______________.
A. forceful and daring B. unfriendly and talkative
C. a gentle and reliable man D. older than she had expected
63. Why does Tess pay the visit to the d'Urbervilles?
A. To see Alec himself.
B. To see Alec's mother.
C. To confirm that they are of the same family.
D. To make known their relationship and seek help.
64. Alec appears quite friendly to Tess mainly because __________.
A. Tess is his distant relation B. Tess looks polite to him
C. Tess is a pretty girl D. Tess looks ridiculous
Audrey Hepburn (奥黛丽·赫本) was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. She really was blue-blood from the beginning with her father, a wealthy English banker, and her mother, a Dutch noblewoman. After her parents divorced, Audrey went to London with her mother where she went to a private girl school. Later, when her mother moved back to the Holland, she attended private schools as well. While taking a vacation with her mother in Arnhem, Holland, Hitler’s army took over the town. It was here that she fell on hard times during the Nazi occupation. Audrey suffered from depression and poor nutrition.
After the liberation, Audrey went to a ballet school in London on a scholarship and later began a modeling career. As a model, she was graceful and, it seemed, she had found her job suitable for her in life - until the film producers came calling. After being spotted modeling by a producer, she was signed to a bit part in the European film Nederlands in 7 lessen in 1948. Later, she had a speaking role in the 1951 film, Young Wives’ Tale (1951) as Eve Lester. The part still wasn’t much, so she headed to America to try her luck there. Audrey gained immediate prominence in the US with her role in Roman Holiday in 1953. This film turned out to be a splendid success as she won an Oscar as Best Actress. This gained her enormous popularity and more plum roles. One of the reasons for her popularity was the fact that she was self-like, unlike the sex-goddesses of the time. Roman Holiday was followed by another similarly wonderful performance in the 1957 classic Funny Face.In 1988, Audrey became a special ambassador to the United Nations fund helping children in Latin America and Africa, a position she retained until 1993.Her elegance and style will always be remembered in film history as evidenced by her being named in Empire magazine’s "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time."The underlined words “fell on hard times” in the second paragraph refer to______
| A．the producers always let her act a lit role in a film. |
| B．parents’ being divorced brought her serious pain |
| C．depression and no nutrition brought her serious pain |
| D．no good jobs were suitable to her |
Audrey went to America to look for a new chance because_______
| A．in the European films there were only little roles for her to act |
| B．in the Americana there were many important film roles waiting for her to act |
| C．in the American there were many different jobs suitable to her |
| D．in the European films there were all roles she didn’t like |
Which one of the following films made Audrey win an Oscar Best Actress Award?_______
| A．Nederlands in 7 lessen | B．Young Wives’ Tale as Eve Lester |
| C．Roman Holiday | D．the 1957 classic Funny Face |
This passage mainly tells us about______
| A．Audrey’s struggle in the film fields and public admiration |
| B．Audrey’s family and her career |
| C．Audrey’s childhood and her films won great awards |
| D．Audrey’s hard times and her achievement |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Audrey Hepburn was born into a poor family. |
| B．In 1957, Audrey Hepburn won another success in Funny Face. |
| C．Audrey Hepburn received many parts shortly after being spotted modeling by the producer. |
| D．In 1993 Audrey became a special ambassador to the United Nations fund helping children in Latin America and Africa. |
We’ve used the wind as an energy source for a long time. The Babylonians and Chinese were using wind power to pump water for irrigating crops 4,000 years ago, and sailing boats were around long before that. Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind(磨碎) corn, which is where the term “windmill” comes from. 
We can use the energy in the wind by building a tall tower, with a large propellor（螺旋桨） on the top. The wind blows the propellor round, which turns a generator to produce electricity. We tend to build many of these towers together, to make a “wind farm” and produce more electricity. The more towers, the more wind, and the larger the propellors, the more electricity we can make. It’s only worth building wind farms in places that have strong, steady winds, although boats and caravans（大篷车）increasingly have small wind generators to help keep their batteries charged.
The best places for wind farms are in coastal areas, at the tops of rounded hills, open plains and gaps in mountains — places where the wind is strong and reliable. Some are offshore. To be worthwhile, you need an average wind speed of around 25 km/h. Most wind farms in the UK are in Cornwall or Wales. Isolated places such as farms may have their own wind generators. In California, several “wind farms” supply electricity to homes around Los Angeles.
The propellors are large, to obtain energy from the largest possible volume of air. The blades can be angled to cope with varying wind speeds. Some designs use vertical turbines (垂直涡轮机), which don’t need to be turned to face the wind. The towers are tall, to get the propellors as high as possible, up to where the wind is stronger. This means that the land beneath can still be used for farming.The first paragraph aims to introduce to us _______.
| A．the function of wind power | B．the source of wind power |
| C．the nations using wind power | D．the history of using wind power |
The best places for building the wind farm are places where _______.
| A．boats and caravans can often be seen | B．isolated farms don’t have enough electricity |
| C．there are less human activities | D．the wind is strong and reliable |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．wind farms will not take up too much farming land |
| B．wind farms need no fuel because wind is free |
| C．the blades can be angled to turn to face the wind wherever it comes from |
| D．the higher and larger the towers are, the stronger the wind is |
What can be a suitable title for the passage?
| A．Where to build a wind farm. | B．ABC of the using of wind energy. |
| C．How to make best use of wind. | D．Wind energy is the best energy. |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means______________________.
| A．The blades can increase wind speeds |
| B．The blades can decrease the wind speeds |
| C．The speed of blades can be changed. |
| D．The blades can be adjusted to face different wind speeds |
Below is adapted from an English dictionary
| figure/fīg ə / noun, verb ●noun 1. [C, often pl.] a number representing particular amount, especially one given in official information: the trade /sales figures 2. [C] a symbol rather than a word representing one of the numbers between 0 and 9: a six-figure salary 3. [pl] (informal) the area of mathematics that deals with adding, multiplying, etc 4. a person of the type mentioned: Gandhi was both a political and a religious figure in Indian history. 5. the shape of a person seen from a distance or not clearly 6. a person or an animal as shown in art or a story: a wall with five carved figures in it 7. [C] the human shape, considered from the point of view of being attractively thin: doing exercise to improve one’s figure 8. [C] a pattern or series of movements performed on ice: figure-skating [IDM] be/become a figure of fun: be/become sb. that others laugh at cut a…figure: (of a person) to have a particular appearance He cut a striking figure in his dinner jacket. put a figure on sth.: to say the exact price or number of sth. |
a fine figure of man/woman: a tall, strong-looking and well-shaped person figure of speech: a word or phrase used in a different way from its usual meanings in order to create a particular mental image or effect figurehead: someone who is the head or chief in name only (with no real power or authority) ●verb 1. to think or decide that sth. will happen or is true: I figured that if I took the night train, I could be in Scotland by morning. 2. to be part of a process, situation, etc. especially an important part: My opinion of the matter didn’t seem to figure at all. 3. to calculate an amount or the cost of sth.: We figured that attendance at 150,000. [PHRV] 1. figure in: to include (in a sum): Have you figured in the cost of hotel? 2. figure on: to plan on; to expect sth. to happen: I haven’t figured on his getting home too late. 3. figure out: to work out; understand by thinking: Have you figured out how much the trip will cost? [IDM] It/That figures! (informal): That seems reasonable, logical and what I expect. |
I didn’t really mean my partner is a snake; it was just a ______.
| A．figure of eight | B．figure head | C．figure of speech | D．a fine figure |
—She was coming late again.
—______! That’s typical of her.
| A．It figures her out | B．It figures | C．It cuts a poor figure | D．She is a figure of fun |
What does “watch my figure” in the sentence “Don’t tempt me with chocolate; I am watching my figure.” mean?
| A．add the numbers | B．have sports | C．try not to get fat | D．watch games |
No one can figure out the reasons for the Poland president plane crash in 2010. Here figure out means:_________
| A．watch out | B．work out | C．understand well | D．break out |
—Promise you don’t wear this kind of clothes? People will play a joke on you.
—I don’t care whether I am________. I just want to keep warm.
| A．a figure of fun | B．a healthy figure | C．a figure head | D．a bad figure |
Internet dating has become one of the biggest and most successful business ventures on the Internet．Basically，Internet dating is a way to meet people for either friendship or dating without actually having to meet them in person first.
The first thing to do if you decide to try Internet dating is to build your profile(简介)which can include your hobbies，hopes for the future，and So on．A photograph is optional，but many sites claim that a photograph increases the number of people who look at your profile. Many Internet dating sites will charge a one-time registration fee to use their services.
Internet dating makes it possible to meet people from all over the world. You can even narrow the search down to your area by zip code．Another advantage is that you can communicate by email before you meet in person．Thousands of people have met，fallen in love，and married through Internet dating．It is an excellent way for shy people to meet．It is also a way for people with busy lives to connect with others，and an easy way to meet people who share your interests.
Just as in conventional dating and love，there are some pitfalls to be aware of in Internet dating．The person you have been talking to on the net may not be someone who he says that he is very aware that there are some people who misrepresent（歪曲）their appearance or private details，such as marital（婚姻的） status，income，and so on，for their own reasons．It would not be the first time that someone has been taken in , and talk shows are full of cheating partners who have been caught dating over the Internet in their spare time．Nevertheless，taking a few simple precautions should help ensure that your Internet dating experience is fun.The purpose of writing the passage is to．
| A．persuade readers to go dating on the Internet |
| B．inform us how to date on the Internet |
| C．warn readers against web love |
| D．introduce Internet dating to US |
Which of the following is a must to make an Internet dating possible?
| A．A photo． | B．A profile． |
| C．Registration fee． | D．Business experience． |
One advantage of Internet dating is that．
| A．you can avoid a face-to-face meeting in the beginning |
| B．you’re sure to find a partner with the same interests |
| C．you’ll find absolutely reliable information of others |
| D．you’11 gain fame and money overnight |
The underlined word “pitfalls” in Paragraph 4 most probably means．
| A．rules | B．trends | C．problems | D．skills |
What is probably talked about following the last paragraph?
| A．Traditional dating． | B．Hidden advantages． |
| C．Safety measures． | D．Romantic love． |