China is casting such a huge shadow on the United States that many Americans are struggling to learn Chinese in order to maintain their competitive edge, "Interest in learning Chinese among American youth and their parents has grown dramatically in the past five years," said Vivien Stewart at the Asia Society, a US group trying to bridge the gap between Americans and people of Asia and the Pacific．
China, the world’s most popular nation, is critical to the United States because it is a leading trader, consumer and investor- Its political influence is also rising across the globe．It has replaced the United States as the world’s largest consumer and become the second largest economy in the world after the superpower status and its telling effects politically, economically and culturally are driving the interest to learn the language, experts say．
From kindergartens to high schools, studies by the Asia Society show, there is a "rapid rise" in interest among pupils to study the Chinese language．
Even though the US State Department has stressed the Chinese language "critical " to national prosperity and security, the "current infrastructure （基础设施）to support recruitment （招生） of students and teachers as well as the growth of high quality programs is -badly inadequate," an Asia Society study says．The Society has set a target of having at least 5% of American high school students learning Chinese by 2015．"Millions of Chinese are learning English, but only 24,000 Americans are learning Chinese," said Andrew Corcoran of the San Francisco - based Chinese American International School．
The most popular languages after English in the United States at present are Spanish and French.The passage mainly tells the readers that _____,
| A．China is getting under a shadow from USA |
| B．American competitive edge is shaking |
| C．Americans object to learning Chinese |
| D．Chinese appeals to more Americans |
Based on the context, what does the underlined word "inadequate" （in Paragraph 5） mean?
| A．leading | B．interesting |
| C．disappointing | D．promising |
According to the text which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Culture can have an effect on exciting persons’ |
| B．USA has got the high quality current |
| C．Chinese ranks 4th on the American Language |
| D．Politics decides language studying |
What might be the most suitable title for this passage?
A, US Government Requires its People to Learn Chinese
B．Chinese Gains its Popularity with Most Americans
C．China’s Economy Helps to Spread its Language
D．Americans Show Interest Learning Chinese
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A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Eye Facts
There are many commonly held beliefs about eyesight that are not proven facts. For example, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weakens the eyes. But there is no evidence to show that the structure（结构）of eyes is changed by wearing glasses at young age. Wearing the wrong glasses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that for adults there is no danger, but children can develop loss of sight if they have glasses unsuitable for their eyes.
We have all heard some of the common myths about how eyesight gets bad. Most people believe that reading in weak light causes poor eyesight, but that is untrue. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained. Eyestrain also results from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. However, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not damage eyesight in the long term.
Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced, or transplanted from one person to another. There are close to one million nerve fibers（神经纤维）that connect the eyeball to the brain; as of yet, it is impossible to connect them all in a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, someday a full transplant may be possible!
56. This passage is mostly about __________.
A. different types of eye problems B. myths about eyesight
C. beliefs of eye doctors D. eye transplants
57. One cause of eyestrain mentioned in the passage is __________.
A. wearing glasses too long B. suffering from pain or headaches
C. reading in poor light D. reading before going to bed
58. From the passage we can conclude that __________.
A. doctors are still learning things about eyesight
B. wearing wrong glasses is less harmful to adults
C. eye transplants have been performed successfully
D. people should not wear glasses at young age
C
Years ago ,when I started looking for my first job ,wise advised,“Barbara, be enthusiastic! Enthusiasm will take you further than any amount of experience. ”How right they were!
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is the paste that helps you hang on there when the going tough. It is the inner voice that whispers, “I can do it!”when others shout, “No, you can’t !”It took years and years for the early work of Barara McClintock, a geneticist who won the 1983 Nobel Prize in medicine , to be generally accepted. Yet she didn’t stop working on her experiments. Work was such a deep pleasure for her that she never thought of stopping.
We are all born with wide-eyed, enthusiastic wonder and it is this childlike wonder that gives enthusiastic people such youthful air, whatever their age was. At 90,cellist Palblo Cassls would start his day by playing Bach. A s the music flowed through his fingers his stooped shoulders would strengthen and joy would reappear in his eyes . As author and poet Samuei Ulman once wrote ,“ Years wrinkle the skin ,but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”
Enthusiastic people also love what they do, regardless of money or power . Patricia Mellrath, retired director of the Missouri Repertory Theatre in Kansas City, was once asked where she got her enthusiasm. She replied, “My father ,a lawyer long ago told me , I never made a dime until I stopped working for money.”
If we cannot do what we love as a full-time career, we can as a hobby. Elizabeth Layton was 68 before she began to draw. This activity ended periods of depression that had troubled her for at least 30 years ,and the quality of her led one critic to say,“I’m tempted to call Layton a genius.”
We can’t afford to waste tears on “might-have-beens”. We need to turn the tears into sweat as we go after “what-can-be ”.We need to live each moment whole-heartedly, which all our senses-including pleasure in the sweet smell of a back-yard garden, the simple picture of a six-year –old ,the beauty of a rainbow.
66. What is the Chinese for “Enthusiasm”?
A.热情 B. 色彩 C. 惰性 D.金钱
67. Which of the following can best explain the underlined sentence in the second paragraph?
A. Enthusiasm can give you courage and strength in difficult times.
B. If you don’t have enthusiasm, you can achieve nothing.
C. Enthusiastic people never consider money and fame.
D. Enthusiastic people can gain great fame and honor.
68. The author mentions cellist Pablo Casals in the third paragraph to show that____
A. music can arouse people’s enthusiasm
B. enthusiasm can give people inspiration needed to succeed
C. enthusiasm can keep people feel young
D. enthusiasm can keep people healthy
69. How many examples are given in the passage to show the importance of enthusiasm?
A. Three B. Two C. Four D. Five
70. The author mainly wants to say that _________
A. enthusiasm people never get old
B. enthusiasm can make you succeed and enjoy life
C. enthusiasm is more important than experience
D. enthusiasm can give people more success and fame .
B
Macao is only forty miles from Hong Kong and it is easy to reach. You can get there by sea. It is an interesting place and it had a long history. Macao is part of China and most people living there are Chinese.
The first Europeans to go to Macao came from Portugal. More than four hundred years ago the Portuguese went there to trade with China. Some settled and made their homes there. They built strong forts to guard the city and the harbor. They also built churches, schools, hospitals and other places. Slowly the city grew. People from many countries came to live and work in Macao.
Today many people visit Macao. Some only go there to watch dog-racing or motor-racing or to gamble with their money. But Macao is a quiet and peaceful place. It is pleasant just to walk around and look at old buildings and forts. You feel you are back in the old days. Of course, some of the buildings are now in ruins. The Church of St. Paul has only the front wall with many steps leading up to it. But it is still interesting to see.
When you are hot and tired, there are small cool gardens to rest in. when you are hungry, there are good restaurants with many kinds of food. Nearby there are some islands, which are also nice and are easy to get to. There is certainly a lot to do in Macao.
61. Macao is easy to get to because_______.
A. it is part of China and most people there are Chinese.
B. it is an interesting place.
C. it is very fast and cheap by sea
D. it is not far away from Hong Kong.
62. Which of the following is Not true?
A. Portuguese were the first Europeans to go to Macao.
B. some Portuguese settled in Macao and made their homes half a century ago.
C. the city Macao grew slowly
D. people there put up strong forts to defend the city.
63. You feel in Macao you are back in the old days because_____
A. some of the buildings are now in ruins.
B. you can watch dog-racing or motor-racing.
C. you can go about and look at the old buildings and forts with pleasure.
D. it is a peaceful place.
64. Where will you have a break when you feel worn out?
A. In good restaurants. B. In small cool gardens.
C. On some islands. D. In beautiful parks.
65. The writer’s idea seems to be that_____.
A. people from many countries came to live and work in Macao.
B. Portuguese were willing to do business in China.
C. people in Macao serve good food.
D. Macao is a quiet and peaceful place with a lot to see and to do.
第三部分阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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
Bamboo (竹子) is one of nature’s (自然) most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist reported one bamboo plant which grew 1.5 metres (4 feet) in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1, 000 kinds of bamboo.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimetres (1 foot) across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Bamboo has been used to make many things such as hats and kitchen tools(厨房用具). Because it is strong, bamboo is also used to build buildings.
Many Asian countries have used bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for buildings and supporting (支撑) new buildings and bridges while they are being built.
In Africa, poor farmers are taught how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap way to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water.Bamboo pipes (管子) help poor farmers bring water to their thirsty fields without spending a lot of money.
56. How is bamboo like grass?
A. It grows quickly. B. It’s wood. C. it is easy to cut D.It is very thin
57. Though you can see bamboo everywhere, it doesn’t grow.
A.in China B.in Europe C. on mountains D. in Africa
58. Why is bamboo used by African poor farmers? Because.
A.it is cheap B.it has different colours
C.it is strong D.it has been used by Asians
59. Bamboo pipes can.
A. make money B. be trees C. grow quickly D. carry water
60. In Asia, bamboo has been used for.
A.a short time B.many thousands of years
C. many hundreds of years D. about 100 years