After battling hard times and danger for over nine months, British teenager Mike Perham made history last month as the youngest person to sail solo around the world.
The 17-year-old made the record after he cleared the Panama Canal and then sailed through the Caribbean and got home across the Atlantic.
Mike is only three months younger than Zac Sunderland, the 17-year-old American boy who had taken the crown as the youngest solo around-the-world sailor in July.
The two youngsters met in Cape Town in South Africa as they crossed the globe in different directions. Mike insisted they were not rivals(竞争对手). “No. It's two teenagers going out there, living their dream and having the adventure of a lifetime,” he said.
Mike may be young, but he is no stranger to sailing adventures. He picked up the hobby at the age of 6 when his father took him out in a small boat on a local lake. Father and son sailed separate boats across the Atlantic when Mike was 14, making him the youngest person to cross that ocean solo. That record gave him the taste for this even greater challenge.
On the recent journey, the scariest moment for Mike came when his sailboat was hit by storms in the southern Indian Ocean.
“We were picked up by what felt like a 60-foot wave and threw down on our side at 90 degrees,” he said.
“It felt like I was going right over. Stuff was flying around and I just thought ‘Oh no’.”
At other times, he had to dive into the Pacific and fix problems. He tied himself to the boat, jumped into the water and went to work with a knife in 30-second dives underneath the boat to cut a rope away.
Mike said he felt proud that he made his dream come true. “You've got to have confidence in yourself that you will make it,” he said.. What's the main idea of the passage?
| A．A British teenager became the youngest person to sail solo around the world. |
| B．How a British teenager developed his sailing hobby. |
| C．A British teenager's brave experience. |
| D．A British teenager's confidence. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Mike Perham crossed the Panama Canal. |
| B．Mike and Zac took the crown as the youngest solo around-the-world sailor at the same age. |
| C．The two youngsters crossed the globe in different directions. |
| D．Mike was never frightened during the sailing. |
What does the underlined word “taste” in the fifth paragraph mean?
| A．Flavor. | B．Preference. | C．Experience. | D．Ability. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Both Mike and Zac had adventured spirits. |
| B．Mike is older than Zac. |
| C．They both are brave but they have different goals. |
| D．Mike took up the hobby of sailing adventures at 14. |
What did Mike believe in?
| A．Having confidence in yourself will make you successful. |
| B．Braveness is important in sailing. |
| C．One should pick up a hobby as a child. |
| D．Pride goes before a fall. |
Computers are helpful because they offer a wide range of functions and services that are not available anywhere else. There are four main uses: word processing, Internet/ communications, digital video/ audio composition, and desktop publishing.
The word processing capabilities of computers are amazing. They can automatically correct your spelling and grammar mistakes. The cutting and pasting features are incredibly simple and very useful for revision. Having a digital backup is an added benefit. All of these things help writers get the job done. With desktop publishing, you can create page layouts（页面布局）for entire books on your home computer.
The Internet is one of the greatest inventions created by humans. It is a huge network of computers, each with the ability to contact any of the others. Vast amounts of information can be found on the Internet. It is the ultimate form of media, a combination of newspaper, radio and television. Using the Internet, any two people anywhere can communicate for free, whether it is by text or voice. New uses are being found for the Internet every day.
Audio/ video editing and composition have been made much easier by computers. Cutting and pasting no longer involve using scissors and tape on large reels of film. It no longer costs thousands of dollars of equipment to make a film or to compose music. Now musicians can compose their own songs and publish them without having to obtain a record contract. Film-makers can produce work from their own homes. Anybody who owns a computer can now enter the field of media production.
Internet/ communications, digital video and audio composition, and desktop publishing are features only offered on computers. With the aid of computers, humankind is entering a new era of civilization.
64 This passage is mainly talking about ______.
A. amazing word processing capabilities B. the new era of civilization
C. the ultimate form of media D. main uses of computers
65. According to the passage, which of the following uses have the features of easy cutting and pasting?
A. Internet/ communications and audio/ video composition
B. Word processing and desktop publishing.
C. Audio/ video editing and composition.
D. Audio/ video editing and word processing.
66. As used in the third paragraph, the word “ultimate” is closest in meaning to “______”.
A. original B. best C. basic D. extreme
67. In which of the following patterns of organization is this passage w ritten?
A. Introduction, listing of main features, conclusion.
B. Effect, analysis of causes, conclusion.
C. Topic, listing of examples, restatement of the topic.
D. Argument, contrasting opinions, author’s attitude.
Women turn to online shopping
Women have jumped ahead of men for the first time in using the Internet to do their holiday shopping, according to a study published last week in the US. For years men have been more likely to shop on the Internet than women, but during the 2004 holiday season 58 percent of those making online purchases were women. “It shows how mainstream the Internet is becoming,” said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project group, which carried out the study. Rainie said it was only a matter of time before women shoppers caught up with men. This is because women traditionally make decisions about spending. Users were more likely to shop online to save time . Internet users between the ages 18 and 29 were responsible for some of the most dramatic increase in the online gift-buying population this time around. However, three-quarters of the US Internet users did not buy holiday gifts online in 2004. They worried about credit card security, or just compared online prices with off-line prices, then dashed off to the shops to get the best deals. “But even if shoppers don’t buy online, websites are becoming promotion tools for stores,” said Dan Hess, vice president of ComScore Networks Inc. Hess said that actually most stores’ websites can make customers fully believe the security of their credit card numbers. And most are able to ensure that gifts arrive on time“It’s all about making the shopping experience more efficient, more reliable and more comfortable.” Hess said.
60. Which of the following statements is true?There were fewer women online shoppers than men in 2004. Most of the Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 are women. People in the US were more likely to buy gifts online. More women shopped online than men in 2004.
61. From the passage we can infer that ______________. men usually decide how to spend money in the familywomen usually decide what to buy in the familythe Internet is used in all the shopsmore and more shops will sell their goods online
62. According to Dan Hess , shopping online ______________. A. is unsafe B. is convenient C. is a waste of money D. is cheaper
63. What can we know from the passage?
A. American people only gifts in holidays.
B. Shopping online is fun for women.
C. Shopping off-line provides better serve.
D. Young people like to do gift-shopping online.
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列段文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将项涂黑。
Boston ― thieves dressed as police entered a museum early Sunday and stole 11 paintings, including major works by Rembrandt, Dagas, Manet, and Vermerr, FBI and the museum officials said.
The first judgement placed value of at least $100 million on the works stolen from the Isabella Teward Gardener Museum, said Boston police spokesman Jim Tordan.
The judgement was a loose（粗略的） one because the paintings have not been sold in nearly a century.
But art experts said such well-known works could not be sold in nearly a century, authorities said.
“It was not discovered until the cleaning people did some cleaning at 3 a.m.” said Paul Cavangah, special FBI agent in Boston.
“This is one of those thefts(盗窃)where people actually spent some time researching and took specific things,” he said.
He said the investigation(调查) would not be limited to the U.S.
William Bobinson of Harvard University’s Foggel Museum, called the objects stolen “major works”.
56.The best headline for this article is ______ .
A. A Theft Took Place in Boston B. Artworks Stolen by Thieves
C. Major Works D. Investigation into the Theft
57. The theft was discovered by______ .
A. Boston police B. art experts
C. the cleaning people D. special FBI agent
58 Investigation into the theft will take place_______.
A. in Boston
B. in the United States
C.the Isabella Teward Gardener Museum
D. in the U.S and other countries
59. The thieves took paintings by______ .
A. Jim Jordan
B. art experts
C. Paul Cavangah
D. Rembrandt, Dagas, Manet, and Vermerr
Atoms are all around us. They are the bricks of which everything is made. Many millions of atoms are contained in just one-grain of salt, but despite (尽管) their small size they are very important. The way an everyday object behaves depends on what kinds of atoms are in it and how they act. For example, you know that most solid objects melt if they got hot enough. Why is this? It is the effect of the heat on the object's atoms. All atoms move constantly. When they are hot, they move faster. Usually the atoms in an object hold together and give the object its shape. But if the object grows hot, its atoms move so fast that they break the force that usually holds them together. They move out of their usual places so that the object loses its shape. Then we say that the object is melting.
69. The way an object behaves depends on the _____ .
A. action of atoms in it B. number of atoms in it
C. kinds of atoms in it and how they behaveD. size of atoms in it
70. Atoms in an object move _____ .
A. at all times B. only when the object is heated
C. whenever they grow hot D. unless the object is melted
71. An object holds its shape because its atoms _____ .
A. usually hold together B. move fast
C. are hot D. are not moving
72. An object loses its shape because its atoms _____ .
A. move out B. are not in their usual place
C. lose the force D. break out
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk.
As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, saying "You don't say" "You don't say!" I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not a proper topic. "Well. I'd better change the topic." So I said to him, "Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall? By the way, have you ever been there?" "Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was magnificent." He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide. "The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it." Soon I was interrupted again by his order " You don’t say!" I couldn't help asking, "Why do you ask me not to talk about it?" "Well. I didn't request you to do so," he answered, greatly surprised. 1 said, "Didn't you say you don't say?" Hearing this, the Englishman laughed into tears. He began to explain, "You don't say actually means really? It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don't pay attention to English idioms."
Only then did I know I had made a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.
65. A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because______.
A. English idioms were too difficult to master
B.I cared little about the teacher's instruction
C. my teacher didn’t emphasize the importance
D.I had no interest in English learning
66. When I first heard "You don't say!" I thought ______.
A. the Englishman was not interested in my English studies
B. the Englishman was only interested in the Great Wall
C. I had talked too much
D. I had to stop talking at once
67. Which of the following is true?
A. The Englishman was leaving China without seeing the Great Wall.
B. The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wail after 1 talked about it.
C. The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide.
D. The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting.
68. After the Englishman explained the idiom, ______.
A. the Englishman made me a fool B. the Englishman made a fool of himself
C. I felt very sillyD. I felt proud of my understanding