In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastest-growing US minority. As their children began moving up through the nation’s schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was forming. Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their educations abroad arrived in the US with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English.They are also influenced by the promises of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree.
Most Asian-American students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that causes success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.
Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese, Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social separation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.. While making great achievements at college, Asian-American students ________.
| A．feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English |
| B．are afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian character |
| C．still worry about unfair treatment in academic areas |
| D．generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents |
. What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?
| A．Solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture. |
| B．Hard work and intelligence. |
| C．Hard work and a limited knowledge of English. |
| D．Asian culture and the American educational system. |
.Few Asian-American students major in human sciences mainly because_________.
| A．their English is not good enough |
| B．they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areas |
| C．there is a wide difference between Asian and Western cultures |
| D．they know little about American culture and society |
. The author’s tone in this passage is __________.
| A．sympathetic | B．doubtful | C．critical | D．objective |
I practised religion in this district. I used to find notes left in the collection basket of the church, beautiful notes about my homilies (布道) and about the writer’s thoughts on the daily readings. The 31 attracted me. But it was a long time __32__I met the author of the notes.
One Sunday morning, I was 33 that someone was waiting for me in the office, a young woman who said she 34 all the notes. When I saw her I was 35 , since I had no idea that it was she who wrote the notes. She was sitting in a chair in the office. Her 36 was bowed and when she raised it to look at me, she could hardly 37 without pain. Her face was disfigured (畸形), so smiling was very 38 for her.
We 39 for a while that Sunday morning and agreed to meet for lunch later that week.
As it 40 , we went to lunch several times, and we shared things about our 41 . We spoke of authors we both had 42 , and it was easy to tell that 43 are a great love of hers.
She suffered from a disfigurement which cannot make her look 44 . I know that her condition 45
her deeply. Yet there was a beauty to her that had nothing to do with 46 . She was one to be listened to, whose words came from a wounded but 47 heart. She possessed a fine tuned sense of beauty. Her only
48 in life was the loss of a friend.
The truth of her life was a desire to see beyond the 49 for a glimpse of what it is that matters. She found 50 and grace (优雅) and they befriended her, and showed her what is real.
31. A. questionsB. wordsC. answers D. texts
32. A. sinceB. afterC. whenD. before
33. A. toldB. warned C. informedD. showed
34. A. lost B. leftC. dropped D. collected
35. A. shocked B. satisfiedC. frightened D. disappointed
36. A. hand B. arm C. headD. body
37. A. standB. smileC. sayD. sit
38. A. pleasantB. bitterC. uglyD. difficult
39. A. chatted B. discussedC. drankD. greeted
40. A. turned out B. turned upC. came outD. came up
41. A. familiesB. beliefs C. hobbies D. lives
42. A. realizedB. readC. met D. heard
43. A. friendsB. churchesC. writingsD. books
44. A. friendlyB. happyC. attractive D. wonderful
45. A. hurtB. impressed C. changedD. affected
46. A. fameB. wealthC. interestD. appearance
47. A. cheerfulB. interestingC. lovingD. exciting
48. A. defeatB. wonderC. fearD. defend
49. A. dreamB. surface C. imaginationD. time
50. A. successB. hopeC. beauty D. help
第二部分：阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A gadget which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave.
Using the same technology as a dehumidifier（除湿器），the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source—the air．
The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water in
developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage．
The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter（过滤器）and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water droplets．It can produce up to 1 2 liters a day．The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases．In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights.
Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said: “The demand for water is off the chart．So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”
The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost ￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring．Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly calculates that a liter of water cost around 20p to produce.
Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080．One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.
The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.
41．What does the underlined word “it” refer do?
A．Drinking water. B．Invention. C．Microwave. D．Water Mill.
42．What do we learn about the machine?
A．It works in the same way as microwaves．
B．It is very expensive for families to afford.
C．It absorbs steam and turns it into water．
D．It helps to make the water clean to drink.
43．What does the passage lead us to believe?
A．The cost of water will go up. B．Bottled water will disappear sooner.
C．The machine is energy saving. D．The machine will be popular worldwide.
44．What’s the best title for the passage?
A．A New Way to Solve Water Problem. B．A Machine to Make Water out of Air.
C．A Dehumidifier to Produce Water. D．An Absolutely New Invention
If the world were a village of 1,000 people it would include:
• 584 Asians • 124 Africans • 95 Eastern and Western Europeans • 84 Latin Americans
• 55 former Soviets ( including Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, and other national groups)
• 52 North Americans • 6 Australians and New Zealanders
The people of the village would speak: • 165 Mandarin（普通话） • 86 English • 83 Hindu/Urdu • 64 Spanish • 58 Russian • 37 Arabic
The above list covers the mother tongues of only half the village.
One-third of the people in the village are children, and only 60 are over the age of 65. Just under half of the married women in the village have access to modem equipments.
This year 28 babies will be born. Ten people will die, 3 of them for lack of food, 1 from cancer. Two of the deaths will be of babies born within the year. With the 28 births and 10 deaths, the population of the village next year will be 1,018.
In this village of 1,000 persons, 200 people receive 75 percent of the income; another 200 receive only 2 percent of the income.
About one-third have access to clean, safe drinking water.
Of the 670 adults in the village, half can not read nor write.
The village has a total yearly budget (预算) , public and private, of over $3 million—$ 3 ,000 per person if it is distributed evenly. Of the total $3 million:
$ 181,000 goes to weapons and warfare
$ 159,000 to education
$ 132,000 to health care
These weapons are under the control of just 100 of the people. The other 900 are watching them with deep anxiety, wondering whether they can learn to get along together.
77. Which of the following is true about Mandarin according to the text?
A. Nearly one-third of Asian people speak Mandarin in the village.
B. About 8.25 percent of the people speak Mandarin in the village.
C. About 16. 5 per cent of the people speak Mandarin in the village.
D. Nearly all the Mandarin-speaking people are from Asia in the village.
78. Which of the following problems is NOT mentioned in the text?
A. Poverty. B. Education. C. Environment. D. Marriage.
79. The underlined part “have access to” (in Para. 4) means_____.
A. use B. buy C. produceD. try
80. The last sentence in the text implies that most of the people long for _____.
A. a peaceful world B. good education
C. better health care D. a life without anxiety
Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about drinking is the key to critical（判断性的）thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes（过程）. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.
The word “critical” here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen-beyond the pictures on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning.
Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker. If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker 。
Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful consideration. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today’s world: fast foods, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence（智力）, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banesh Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein. Hoffman was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, “Please go slowly. I don’t understand things quickly.”
73. Critical thinking is important to us because if we do not think critically, _______.
A. it will be hard for us to think naturally and fast
B. we might be controlled by other people’s ideas
C. we will follow the ideas of others naturally
D. we might be footed by other people’s ideas
74. If you are a critical thinker, you will ________.
A. think deeply about different ideas B. trust the reports in the newspapers
C. take one view against another view D. criticize other people for their mistakes
75. In the last paragraph, “something new” suggests that ________.
A. the smarter you are, the faster you do things
B. the faster you do things, the smarter you become
C. speed can improve intelligence
D. intelligence is not decided by speed
76. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Thinking and Critical Thinking. B. Understanding Critical Thinking.
C. Thinking Is Natural and Human. D. Thinking Fast Means Intelligence.
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers (青少年). But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his friends than to his parents . “The door to his room is always shut.” Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (蜷伏)with me on the sofa and talk ,” said Mark . “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list.” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years.” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.
69. “The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son .
A. is always busy with his studies B. doesn’t want to be disturbed
C. keeps himself away from his parents D. begins to dislike his parents
70. What troubles Tina and Mark most is that .
A. their daughter isn’t as lovely as before B. they can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly
C. they don’t know what to say to their daughter
D. their daughter talks with them only when she needs help
71. Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?
A. Teenagers talk a lot with their friends.
B. Teenagers do not want to understand their parents.
C. Teenagers do not talk much with their parents.
D. Teenagers talk little about their own lives.
72. What can be learned from the passage?
A. Parents are unhappy with their growing children.
B. Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers.
C. Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers.
D. Parents should try to understand their teenagers.