Ⅱ阅读(共两节，满分50分)第一节：阅读理解（共20小题；每-优题课

D
KIDS in a Sudanese refugee camp raise a cloud of dust as they kick around a football. NBA superstar Traey Mc Grady watches from a distance before offering to buy the kids a grass patch for $1,000.
Perhaps he sees a Ronaldinho rising up out of the African soil. Or maybe he just wants to do something—anything—to give these children some hope. But he is told, politely, that grass is not what the kids need.
Mc Grady, 29, writes on his website that he traveled to Africa because he was tired of only reading about it in the news.“Who are the faces behind the statistics?” he said.“I need to see it for myself.” And he did. He stepped out of his beautiful house and flew to a place torn to bits by war and famine(饥荒). He slept in a tent. He talked with people who had suffered. And he swallowed his pride.
But no one should blame Mc Grady for wanting to buy the kids a patch of grass. Sport gave him a chance, so perhaps he thought it would do the same for the refugees.
Mc Grady was eyed by NBA scouts as a teenager and he didn’t bother going to college. Instead, he leaped right into the NBA. Since that move, basketball has given him a handsome living, but one very far removed from the lives of ordinary people. As Mc Grady would learn in Africa, most people see sport as just a break from life’s difficulties. They don’t mistake it for life itself. Only Mc Grady knows how the trip to Africa changed him, but I’d bet that, at the very least, it has given him a new sense for what is truly meaningful.
Mc Grady doesn’t own an NBA championship ring. He hasn’t risen to the heights of Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. But, perhaps, now he knows he doesn’t have to in order to truly make a difference in the world.
63.The refugee children most probably need______.
A.clean drinking water B.a grass football patch
C.necessities of survival D.a tent to sleep in
64.What can we learn about Mc Grady from the passage?
A.Basketball made him what he is today.
B.He is an NBA superstar as great as Kobe or Jordan.
C.He didn’t show his talent for basketball as a teenager.
D.He taught children to play football in a refugee camp.
65.What does the underlined part “scouts” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?
A.players. B.fans. C.audience. D.hunters.
66.Mc Grady learned from his visit to Africa that______.
A.he needn’t improve his basketball skills to reach the heights of his seniors
B.sport gave him a chance and means everything to him
C.people in hunger can never understand the importance of sport
D.what’s truly meaningful can be a world of difference to different people

C
In many societies, there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin. Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success. These beliefs can lead to social pressure even within the same racial group, if some members are darker skinned than others.
The result is that skin lightening has become a common activity across Africa, Asia and other areas of the world. More and more people with dark skin are using skinlightening products, even if they may face health risks.
They believe that having whiter skin will improve their lives. Many people think they will have a better chance of getting a job or marrying into a better family. Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful.
Some beauty care products and soaps contain chemicals that make skin lighter. This process is also called bleaching. But some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous. One of the most dangerous is hydroquinone.
Hydroquinone has been banned in several countries. This chemical has been linked to kidney damage and some kinds of cancer. It also causes low birth weight in babies when mothers use it during pregnancy.
At first, bleaching products make the skin color lighter. But after long term use they can cause problems. They can even make some skin darker. The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural process that gives color to skin. The skin loses its natural barrier to protect against sunlight. Then the skin can become thick and discolored. Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem, but this only makes it worse.
Fatimata Ly treats skin conditions in the Senegalese capital. Dakar. Doctor Ly says skin bleaching has become a problem throughout Senegal. She says the chemicals are now more dangerous because they are stronger. Some cases have resulted in blackened fingernails, infections and permanent skin damage.
And these are not the only risks. Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage. They feel regret and sadness. They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to love and accept their skin color as it was.
59.Which of the following words can replace the underlined word “bleaching”?
A.coloring B.changing C.lighting D.pleasing
60.Why has the skin lightening become a common activity all over the world?
A.There are many products that can make the dark skin light.
B.Many people with dark skin have no confidence.
C.People with light skin seem to have more advantages over people with dark skin.
D.People with dark skin are forced by the pressure of their families.
61.According to the text customers using the bleaching products would also risk______.
A.finger damageB.low weight C.skin cancerD.emotional damage
62.The writer’s attitude toward using the bleaching products is______.
A.supportive B.positive C.doubtful D.negative

B
The first time I saw Carlos I would never have believed he was going to change my life. I had my arms full of books and I was tearing into the classroom when I ran into something solid. It was Carlos.
“My, you’re tall,” he said.
Of course, the class began to laugh. Angry, I walked to my seat without a word.
I glanced back to see if Reed Harrington was laughing with the rest. That would be the last straw. But Reed was studying chemistry and did not seem to be aware of anything else. I didn’t know why I considered Reed my friend. Maybe just because he was a good two inches taller than I. Anyway, every time I blew out my birthday candles and made a wish, it was for a date with Reed Harrington. “Take that seat,” Mr. McCarthy told the proud newcomer Carlos, pointing to the only empty one, in the back of the room.
Carlos smiled broadly.“But I need a couple of dictionaries.” Again the class laughed, but now they were laughing with Carlos, not at him. He had been here only 10 minutes and already he had them on his side.
It was the school elections that made me think of Carlos again. Reed Harrington was voted president and Carlos vicepresident.“How come?” I kept asking myself.“How come this shrimp(虾) who’s only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular.”
So on that morning, I stopped Carlos and said,“It doesn’t seem to bother you—being short.” He looked up at me.“Of course I mind being short. But there isn’t anything I can do about it. When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin, I just decided to make the best of it and concentrate on being myself.”“You seem to get along great,” I admitted.“But what about me? Nobody wants to date a girl taller than he is.”“The trouble with you is you’re afraid to be yourself. You’re smart. And you could be pretty. In fact, you might be more than pretty.” I felt myself turning red...
55.It’s a story about______.
A.a tall boy and a short girl B.a short boy and a tall girl
C.a tall boy and a tall girl D.a short boy and a short girl
56.From the story, we can see the boy Carlos is______.
A.handsome and humorous B.humorous and confident
C.handsome and popular D.honest and popular
57.The underlined sentence “That would be the last straw” suggests that the writer______.
A.cared much about Reed’s attitude
B.thought Reed was different from the rest
C.couldn’t stand Carlos making fun of her
D.hoped Reed was unaware of the event
58.According to the passage, what happened in the end?
A.Carlos and the author hurt each other.
B.Reed and the author fell into love with each other.
C.The author changed attitude and turned to be confident.
D.Carlos was finally elected president of student committee.

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，从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。
A
BILL GATES has promised to give all of his US $ 58 billion fortune to charity—rather than leaving it for his children.
The founder of Microsoft, who steps down from his post Friday, said he wants to make a “positive contribution” to the world. He has promised to transfer his money to the charity he has set up with his wife Melinda, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which funds health and education projects around the world.
He revealed(透露) his decision a week before he steps down as executive chairman of Microsoft, the firm he founded more than 30 years ago. The 52yearold will continue to work as nonexecutive chairman and will spend just one day a week at the business.
Speaking about the jointdecision he made regarding his fortune with his wife, he said,“We’ve chosen not to pass it on to our children. We want to give it back to society in the way that it will have the most positive impact.” He said he did not want to leave it in his will for his children and added,“It’s like saying which children are most important.”
In an interview with BBC’s Newsnight, he said:“I want to make a positive contribution to the world.”
Bill Gates will step down from his post Friday, 33 years after he founded Microsoft in 1975. His success with the computer giant has made him the richest man in the world for 13 years in a row according to Fortune magazine’s rich list.
When he founded the firm he said he wanted to put “a computer on every desk and in every home.” Many people have said that the computer revolution would not have happened without him and more than 90 percent of computers in the world run on Microsoft Windows.
He will be succeeded in his post by Steve Balmer, the cochief executive since 2000. Although the move was announced two years ago and there has been lots of planning, many people speculate that Gates’ departure will leave a big gap in the firm.
Charlene Li, from Consultants Forrester Research, said:“What they’re going to lose is that founding focus, and the ability to rally the troops.”
Microsoft has an outstanding financial performance and currently has profit margins estimated at 30 percent. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation claims to be the biggest philanthropic organization in the world.
51.Why has BILL GATES promised to give all of his US $58 billion fortune to charity?
A.He wants to make a positive contribution to the world.
B.He has set up the charity with his wife Melinda.
C.He has decided to step down from his post.
D.More than 90 percent of computers in the world run on Microsoft Windows.
52.Who set up the charity to which Bill Gates will transfer the money?
A.Bill Gates. B.Melinda Gates.
C.Bill Gates and his wife. D.Bill Gates and Steve Balmer.
53.What’s Charlene Li’s attitude towards Bill Gates’ departure?
A.Optimistic. B.Worried. C.Critical. D.Neutral.
54.The underlined sentence “He will be succeeded in his post by Steve Balmer.” means Steve Balmer will.
A.be as successful as Bill Gates
B.fill the gap Bill Gates leaves in the firm
C.start a computer revolution with the help of Bill Gates
D.take over after Bill Gates steps down

E
Windows not only let light in to cut down an electricity use for lighting, but the light coming through the window also provides heat. However, windows are not something people typically associate with being a cutting edge technology. Researchers are now working on new technologies that enable a window to quickly change from clear to dark and anywhere in between with a turn of a switch.
“It took us a long time to figure out what a window really is,” says Claes Granqvist, a professor of solid—state physics at Uppsala University in Sweden.“It’s contact with the outside world. You have to have visual contact with the surrounding world to feel well.” So, windows and natural light are important for improving the way people feel when they’re stuck indoors.
Yet, windows are the weak link in a building when it comes to energy and temperature control. In the winter, cold air leaks in. When it’s hot and sunny, sunlight streams in. All of this sunlight carries lots of heat and energy. And all of this extra heat forces people to turn on their air conditioners. Producing cold air, which can feel so refreshing, actually suck up enormous amounts of electricity in buildings around the world.
Windows have been a major focus of energy research for a long time. Over the years, scientists have come up with a variety of strategies for coating, glazing, and layering windows to make them more energy efficient. Smart windows go a step further. They use some technologies involving changes of color.
Electrochromic windows use electricity to change color. For example, a sheet of glass coated with thin layers(层) of tungsten oxide(氧化钨) works a bit like a battery. Tungsten oxide is clear when an electric charge is applied and dark when the charge is removed, that is, when the amount of voltage(电压) is decreased, the window darkens until it’s completely dark after all electricity is taken away. So applying a voltage determines whether the window looks clear or dark.
One important feature that makes a smart window so smart is that it has a sort of “memory”. All it takes is a small shock of voltage to turn the window from one state to the other. Then, it stays that way. Transitions take from 10 seconds to a few minutes, depending on the size of the window. The development of smart windows could mean that massive air conditioning systems may no longer need.“In the future,” Granqvist says,“our buildings may look different.”
67.Which statement does not indicate the importance of windows as described in the first two paragraphs?
A.Windows can change from clear to dark to save energy.
B.Windows help to save energy by letting light in.
C.Windows help to save energy by providing heat.
D.Windows enable people to have contact with the outside world.
68.According to the passage, smart windows are windows_______.
A.that are coated B.that use electricity
C.the color of which can be changedD.that have many layers
69.To make electrochromic windows change color, what is applied to the window glass?
A.Electricity. B.Tungsten oxide. C.A battery. D.A voltage.
70.What will be the benefit if the research on smart windows turns out to be successful?
A.The buildings will look different.
B.Windows can be as large as you want.
C.We may not need air conditioners any more.
D.They are less expensive than traditional windows.