第三部：阅读理解 （共两节，满分40分）
第一节：阅读短文（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
About 4 years ago, as a newly appointed general manager for a chemical plant near Toronto, I was faced with several leadership challenges. When I was first appointed as acting general manager, the plant was not eve
n covering its costs and I was told that it would either be turned around or else!
I met with all employees and explained the severity(严峻)of the situation and that we would all need to do what we could to increse sales and improve performance or reduce operating expenses. They all appreciated my honesty although they were very nervous about their futures.
I then started working with each department head to determine how I could support their efforts. At first, they thought that I was looking to fix the blame for inefficiencies(无效率), but over time, they realized that I only wanted to help them find solutions.
They learned to trust me; as when things sometimes went poorly, I told my boss that I was the person in charge rather than pointing my finger at one of my members of staff. When we gained new busuness and it directly improved our bottom line, I praised the efforts of the entire team.
The plant workers became more and more motivated and now they all seem to really enjoy their jobs and I feel honored to be their leader. Do we still have challenges? Yes, but the strength of the team is such that we all pull toghter to face them “as one”, kind of like a family facing life’s ups and downs.
56. When the author bacame the general manager, the plant _____.
A. could only make ends meet
B. had a strong management team
C. was really in bad situation
D. was planning to enter other fields
57. When the author came to the plant the firs time, he impressed the employees with his _____.
A. practical attitude B. Intelligence C. diligence D. politeness
58. Every time things didn’t go well, the auth
or would _____.
A. take the blame himself
B. ask his staff to take responsibility
C. get very depressed
D. think of ways to increase sales.
59. The passage offers a good example of _____.
A. being a good employee
B. being a good leader
C. reducing operating expenses
D. The importance of honesty.
Situated in the South West of England, between Exeter and Plymouth, Torquay is one of the most popular holiday resorts in Britain. It provides a variety of entertainment, sports of every kind and cultural facilities, all set in a position of outstanding natural beauty. Visitors can choose between luxury hotels by the sea, with private suites（套房），swimming pools and saunas, and comfortable but less expensive guest houses. There are camping sites, too, and hundreds of houses displaying“B & B”signs.
As well as a number of small quiet bays, which are ideal for beach barbecues away from the crowds, Torquay has large sandy beaches where you can buy refreshments（饮料）and hire deck chairs, boats and even beach huts. There are large areas of grassland overlooking the sea, and miles of winding cliff paths for walkers who just want to enjoy the scenery and what is often said to be the healthiest air in the country. For the sportsmen and women there are opportunities not only for golf, tennis, squash and bowls, but also for water-skiing, hang-gliding and deep-sea fishing.
After a day in the open air, there’s lots to do in the evenings, too. There are plenty of discos, the occasional opera or ballet, and summer variety shows in the seafront theatres. For the children, there is a beautiful model village with a complicated railway layout which is remarkably realistic-especially when the lights are all on at night.
Of course, there’s no need to spend your whole holidays in Torquay. Only a s
hort drive away is Dartmoor National Park, where you can walk for miles through dramatic, unspoiled countryside, or picnic by beautiful rivers and streams. Or, nearer to home, you can sail across Tor Bay to the lovely old fishing village of Brixham.
Torquay seems to have something for everyone. But don’t take my word for it----come and see for yourself. Which of the following best explains what “B & B” means on the signs?
| A．Beach and barbecue | B．Breakfast and bath |
| C．Bed and breakfast | D．Beautiful and British |
According to the text Torquay might be described as.
| A．comfortable and expensive | B．remote and beautiful |
| C．croweded and lively | D．fresh and healthy |
What is special about the model village?
| A．It opens at night. | B．It has a real railway system. |
| C．It’s in the open air. | D．It has something for the children |
What is the purpose of writing this text?
| A．To introduce the geography of Torquay to students. |
| B．To make some places known to visitors. |
| C．To show the beauty of resorts. |
| D．To attract more tourists. |
Ed Jocelyn and Andy McEwen might have appeared to be a bit mad---the
two set off on their own “Long March” through the remotest regions of China on October 16. The idea was to take a year to retrace one of the epic movements of modern military history.
The two British men in their mid-30s were working as editors in Beijing when they decided to reexperience
the tales of the original marches. “We hold these people in such respect,” McEwen says.
They plan to keep diaries but will not share the contents during the trip. “When we get to the end we’ll put our heads together and try and come up with a book,” Jocelyn said.
Their trip has had some auspicious beginning, they have already met two Long March veterans(老战士) in less than a month of travel.
In this modern version, the pair are aided by high-tech equipment including a satellite phone, mini-computer, video camera and solar panels to recharge batteries. A mountain tent and portable stove will help them in the remoter stretches.
They plan to average 35-40 kilometers a day, and rest about every third day. Ed admitted that their trip would be very tough.
If they succeed, they will be the first foreigners to complete the entire Long March route since Otto Braun, the German military advisor who accompanied the Red Army on the Long March. This text is mainly about.
| A．high-tech equipment helpful to the Long March |
| B．first foreigners to walk the Long March |
| C．British recall of the Long March spirit |
| D．British editors’ adventure original in China |
The underlined word “auspicious” most probably means.
| A．friendly | B．favourable | C．strange | D．surprising |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about the two foreigners?
| A．They will use anything modern on the way. |
| B．They will do some cooking by themselves. |
C．They’re planning to have a book pu blished one year later. |
| D．They will send off news about what happens day by day. |
Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.
The first caves appear as seven mysterious black dots （点） on the pictures which were sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.
“If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance that you’d find it in caves,” said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed th
e features (特征) while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.
Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting.
One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(红外线成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air may be flowing out.
“I said: ‘Wow, that’s a cave’” Dr. Clarke said excitedly. “People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them.”
He agreed such caves could be perfect places to search for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked(充满辐射的), dry surface.
“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,” he said. “If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria (细菌). A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”
The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lava flows(管状岩浆流) spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining to flow out, forming caves. What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．How the caves were formed on Mars. |
| B．How NASA sent the pictures back to earth |
| C．Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign（迹象）of life. |
| D．Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars. |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．water has already been found on Mars |
| B．the scientists found all the caves at night |
| C．it is certain that there is life in these caves |
| D．the surface of Mars is bitterly cold, radiation-soaked and dry |
According to the passage, Dr. Clarke was so excited because ________.
A．such caves could provide energy for life |
| B．they had finally found the caves on Mars |
| C．such caves would be perfect places to search for life |
| D．There would be life on Mars. |
Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include_________.
| A．lava and energy | B．water and radiation from space |
| C．gases and lava | D．water and protection from radiation |
what does the underlined word “ the planet” in paragraph 1 refer to?
| A．the Mars | B．the earth | C．the caves | D．radiation |
Discover
A science magazine, designed for wonders of modern science, written for the educated general readers. Published by Disney Magazine Publishing Co., Discover tells many of the same stories professionals (专业人员) read in Scientific American. A truly delightful family science ma
gazine, each issue （每期） brings new topics to make dinner time and water-cooler conversations interesting.
Cover Price: ＄59.88
Price:＄19.95(＄1.66/issue)
You Save: ＄39.93(67％)
Issues:12 issues/12months
Self
Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc., Self is a handbook designed for women’s overall physical and mental health. Every issue contains usable articles such as “Style Lab”, in which wearable clothes are mixed and matched on non-modles and the “Eat Night Road Map”, with tips on how to eat properly.
Cover Price: ＄35.86
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Issues: 10issues/12months
Instyle
Instyle is a guide to the lives and lifestyle of the world’s famous people. The magazine covers the choices people make about their homes, their clothes and their free time activities. With photos and articles, it opens the door to these people’s homes, families, parties and weddings, offering ideas about beauty, fitness and in general, lifestyles. Publisher: The Time Inc. Magazine Company.
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Wired
This magazine is designed for leaders in the field of information engineering including top managers and professionals in the computer, business, and education industries. Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc. , Wired often carries articles on how technology changes people’s lives.
Cover Price: ＄59.40
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Issues: 10 issues/12monthsWhich two magazines are published by the same publisher?
| A．Wired and Instyle | B． Discover and Instyle |
| C．Self and Discover | D．Self and Wired |
Which magazine offers the biggest price cut?
| A． Instyle | B．Wired | C．Discover | D．Self |
The “Style Lab” in Self provides readers with articles which _________.
| A．offer advice to ordinary women on clothes. |
| B．show how a woman can become famous |
| C．introduced places with the best food |
| D．discuss ways of training models |
Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16,1775, and died on July 18, 1817. She began writing early in life, although the prejudices (偏见) of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously (匿名 ).
But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath’s many famous local people and visitors. She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806, Bath was her home. Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath. The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, basically keeping its streets and public buildings in the original shape, just like what she described in her novels. Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austen’s Bath can be enhanced (增强)by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street. Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen’s time and the importance of Bath in her life and work.
The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society. After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts. Jane Austen quizs (小测验) are offered to keep the children busy.
You can also have walking tours of Jane Austen’s Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath. The tour lasts about one and a half hours. The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped. Jane Austen paid two long visits to Bath________.
| A．in her early twenties | B．in her  early teens |
| C．in her late twenties | D．in her late teens |
What can we learn about Bath from the passage?
| A．Bath has greatly changed since Jane Austen’s death. |
B．The city has changed as much as J ane Austen knew it. |
| C．Bath remains almost the same as in Jane Austen’s time. |
| D．No changes have taken place in Bath since Jane Austen’s time. |
The author writes this passage in order to________.
| A．attract readers to visit the city of Bath |
| B．ask readers to buy Austen’s books |
| C．tell readers about Jane Austen’s experience |
| D．give a brief introduction to the Jane Austen Society |
It takes you about one and a half hours________.
| A．to get to the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street |
| B．to buy Jane Austen related books, cards and gifts |
| C．to find a guide to take you to the Centre |
| D．to look around the city of Bath on foot |