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.
Pango was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides (杀虫剂）and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.From Paragraph 1 we learn that the villagers ________.
| A．worked very hard for centuries |
| B．dreamed of having a better life |
| C．were poor but somewhat content |
| D．lived a different life from their forefathers |
Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?
| A．The frogs were easy money. |
| B．They needed money to buy visitors. |
| C．They wanted to please the visitors. |
| D．The frogs made too much noise. |
What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?
| A．The crops didn’t do well. |
| B．There were too many insects. |
| C．The visitors brought in diseases. |
| D．The pesticides were overused. |
What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?
| A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country. |
| B．Health is more important than money. |
| C．The harmony between man and nature is important. |
| D．Good old days will never be forgotten. |
The physical education office of Peking University announced on Aug 27 that the university would build a golf course near Weiming Lake. Golf would thus become an elective course for Peking University's students in the near future.
Peking University's eastern sports ground will be rebuilt into two soccer fields and one golf course. The latter will be designed as 90 meters long and 40 meters wide, occupying only a quarter of the whole sports ground.
The director of the physical education office revealed that a student would make only one stroke on the ground, and one class session would hold no more than 30 students.
Some teachers suspect such an activity will be a waste of university's limited land resources, but the director thinks otherwise, for the place can also be used for such sports as javelin or discus throw.
It is reported that currently Peking University is still discussing about fees to be charged for the after-class use of the golf links.What is the best heading of the news?
| A．Golf in Peking University |
| B．One Golf Course to be Built in Peking University |
| C．Peking University to Teach Students Golf |
| D．Come to Peking University to Play Golf |
What does the underlined word “suspect” mean in the sentence?
| A．think | B．praise | C．hate | D．add |
We can learn from the news that _______.
| A．all the teachers support the building of the Golf course |
| B．the fees for the after-class use of the golf links has been set |
| C．students of Peking University must attend the golf course |
| D．there are only 30 students in one Golf class period |
A
Fun day
To celebrate the Year of the Snake
Organized by Lam Tin Youth Centre and Kwun Tong High school
Date：2 February 2013
Time：10 am – 5 pm
Place：Kwn Tong Playground
Fee: $ 20 (buy three get one free)
Programmes：drama, lion dance, magic show and ballet performance
Highlights: 1) enter the lucky draw to win a digital camera
2) learn to make festival food
John us on the Fun day! 
All are welcome!
Note:
★Ticket are available at the General Office of Lam Tin Youth Centre.
★For those who would like to be a volunteer, please contact Miss Olivia Wong one week before
the activity.What you have just read is a .
| A．note | B．report | C．schedule | D．poster |
What is going to take place on 2 February, 2013?
| A．A big event to welcome a Chinese new year. |
| B．A social gathering to raise money for wildlife. |
| C．A party for close friends to meet and have fun. |
| D．A meeting of Kwun Tong High School students. |
How much do you have to pay in total if four of you go together?
| A．$ 20. | B．$ 40 | C．$ 60. | D．$ 80. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Tickets are sold in Kwun Tong High School. |
| B．It’s unnecessary to take soft drinks with you. |
| C．Free digital cameras are provided for everybody. |
| D．Festival food will be served without extra charge. |
D
Experts estimate that one out of every five fish sold was caught illegally. It threatens(威胁) food security and hurts the environment. Officials are using new observational technology to fight illegal fishing.
“Thank you for taking the time to join us here in Harwell (UK) in the Operations Center to what we call ‘Project Eyes on the Seas.’” says Tony Long, who leads the Ending Illegal Fishing program for Pew Charitable Trusts. The group created Project Eyes on the Seas. Large three-dimensional images of a globe can be seen on a video.
“It looks different from what you might expect because this globe only shows you the boats that are coming into this system from a live automated information system or AIS.”
The screen shows 120,000 fishing boats have AIS. They are required to have the technology. But those who are fishing illegally often turn it off. The technology does not tell observers when that happens. Project Eyes on the Seas combines satellite information with secret government records on every ship’s past activities.
Mr. Long says that permits researchers to understand exactly where the fishing boats are operating. The Pew team gives the information it gathers to port officials to help them decide if they should take action against a ship. Tony Long says he would like to be able to provide port officials all over the world with clear lists. They would inform the officials about ships to inspect, ships to bar from entrance, and ships to permit entrance for trade activities.
The Pacific island nation of Palau was an early user of the technology. Palau has one of the richest fishing areas in the world. Last year, it announced a plan to ban commercial fishing in a 630,000 square kilometer area. K.B. Sakuma is a special adviser to the president of Palau. He says Palau is trying to deal with a recent increase in illegal, unsupervised（无人监管的）and unreported fishing.
“And it’s come to a head in the last year or two. From our southern island in the evening you can see on the horizon just dotted lights of these illegal fishermen that come into our waters, fill their ships with our fish, our resources, our food security...”According to the estimation, what is the percentage of illegal fishing?
| A．1% | B．5% | C．23.5% | D．20% |
The information is collected by the Pew team so as to ________.
| A．leave written records for the country only |
| B．help fishermen to catch more fish on the Seas |
| C．prevent all of the fishing practices on the Seas |
| D．assist port officials in deciding whether to ban a ship from fishing |
What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
| A．The clear lists. |
| B．The investigators. |
| C．The fishing boats. |
| D．The Project Eyes. |
Which of the following statements is closest in the meaning to the underlined sentence in the last paragraph?
| A．The issue is urgent. |
| B．The problem begins to appear. |
| C．The number of fishermen is increasing. |
| D．The head of the fishermen is coming. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．When the fishermen turn off the AIS, the inspector will know the situation. |
| B．The special adviser to the president of Palau leads the Ending Illegal Fishing program. |
| C．The new technology contributes to solving the problem of illegal fishing. |
| D．Commercial fishing is permitted in Palau. |
C
For pet owners, the hundreds of pet food recalls taking place each year has raised a lot of alarm. “Most people are caring pet owners, and they want to do what helps protect their pet,” explains Will Post, founder and CEO, Hound & Gatos Pet Foods Corporation. “Yet the problem is that most are not sure what that means and how to go about it. The more they learn about pet food, the better able they will be to make an informed decision that will keep their pet healthier and safer.”
Here are several tips that consumers may want to keep in mind when it comes to choosing a pet food that will help reduce the risks.
Get to know the company. Most people may know a company name simply because they spend millions on advertising. But that doesn’t mean they know much about the company or their morals. Research companies to find one that offers high standards, quality products, and great customer service.
Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with a pet food company and ask them where something was made, where ingredients(原料) came from, or any other questions. They should have no problem answering questions about their products, or with being able to provide proof of their quality standards.
Read reviews. Do some searches to read some reviews about various brands of pet food. Keep in mind that some reviews can be one-sided and even planted by the company itself, so look for fair third-party sources giving the review.
Investigate(调查) ingredients. The source of ingredients is of major concern when it comes to reducing the risks of pet food recalls and keeping pets healthy. Read the labels and ask questions to determine where the ingredients are coming from.
Understand pet foods. Cat and dog food should contain 100 percent protein, which will supply them with the nutrients their bodies require. The problem with many commercial pet foods is that it is full of numerous fillers, such as cheap fillers and grains.How can people provide a safer and healthier environment for their pet?
| A．By giving more food to their pet. |
| B．By getting a better understanding about pet food. |
| C．By accompanying their pet more. |
| D．By knowing more about their pet. |
How many pieces of advice on choosing a pet food are given by the author?
| A．Three. | B．Four. |
| C．Five. | D．Six. |
As for reducing the risks of pet food recalls, what should be mainly taken into consideration?
| A．Where the ingredients come from. |
| B．Whether the company has good reputation. |
| C．Whether the food supply enough nutrients. |
| D．Whether most people choose the food. |
The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．the increasingly serious problem about food safety |
| B．the ways to choose a safer pet food |
| C．the opinion about food safety |
| D．the advice on caring pets |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．People in general. |
| B．Food companies. |
| C．Pet shop owners. |
| D．Pet owners. |