“I Went Skydiving at 84!”
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001,when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community（社区）announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this， I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.What happened to the author in 2001?
| A．She flew an airplane | B．She entered a competition |
| C．She went on a hot air balloon ride | D．She moved into a retirement community |
The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to .
| A．build up her own reputation | B．show her admiration for him |
| C．compare their health condition | D．make her argument persuasive |
How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
| A．Excited | B．Scared | C．Nervous | D．Regretful |
What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
| A．The beautiful clouds | B．The wonderful view |
| C．The company of Jay | D．The one-minute free fall |
Which word could be used to replace the word “instructor,” in Paragraph 3?
| A．doctor | B．conductor | C．pilot | D．trainer |
A man noticed his father alive on television — five years after he thought he had cremated(火化) him. A body discovered three years after his disappearance in 2000 was thought to be the pensioner (a retired person), but it’s now emerged(显出) it wasn’t.
When John Delaney disappeared, he was spending much of his time living outside, and sleeping on the streets. He was last seen in a hospice(收容所) in Manchester. His family searched the streets of the city for him but had no luck. So when a badly-rotten body was found in the grounds of the Manchester Royal Infirmary in 2003, wearing similar clothes, police believed it was Mr Delaney and his family held a funeral.
But earlier this year his son, John Renehan, saw a picture of his father on a BBC programme.
An appeal was being made for anyone who knew the man — who had memory loss—to give information.
John Renehan:
Well I knew at that very moment that was my dad. I knew at that very moment. Obviously his face, it was a bit changed, but I just knew at that very moment that was my dad. It emerged that John Delaney had been living in a care home for the last eight years.
Police have admitted they made mistakes and their enquiries were insufficient. Mr Delaney’s son now wants to know the identity of the man he cremated — thinking it was his father.
31．John Renehan cremated his “father” .
A．in 2003 B．in 2000 C．in 2005 D．in 2008
32．What mistake did police make?
A．They couldn’t find Mr Delaney as soon as possible.
B．In 2003, they took a badly-rotten body for Mr Delaney.
C．They didn’t give any information to John Renehan.
D．They made John Renehan cremate the rotten body.
33．The most probable reason why Delaney disappeared was that .
A．he had memory loss. B．his family disliked him
C．he liked to live outside D．he met with a friendly family
34．It can be inferred from the passage that Delaney .
A．has recovered his memory
B．often quarrelled with his family
C．loitered(游荡) in the streets for 5 years
D．was once a man with luck
35．Which of the following is the best title?
A．A Badly-rotten Body B．Missing Body
C．Missing Father D．Dead Father
第二部分阅读（共两节，满分50分）
第一节阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列四篇短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
An eight-year-old child heard her parents talking about her little brother. All she knew was that he was very sick and they had no money. Only a very expensive operation could save him now and there was no one to lend them the money.
When she heard her daddy say to her tearful mother, “Only a miracle can save him now,” the little girl went to her bedroom and pulled her money from its hiding place and counted it carefully.
She hurried to a drugstore with the money in her hand.
“And what do you want?” asked the salesman. “It’s for my little brother,” the girl answered. “He’s really, really sick and I want to buy a miracle.” “Pardon?” said the salesman.
“My brother Andrew has something bad growing inside his head and my daddy says only a miracle can save him. So how much does a miracle cost?” “We don’t sell a miracle here, child. I’m sorry,” the salesman said with a smile.
“Listen, if it isn’t enough, I can try and get some more. Just tell me how much it costs.”
A well-dressed man heard it and asked, “What kind of a miracle does your brother need?”
“I don’t know,” she answered with her eyes full of tears. “He’s really sick and mum says he needs an operation. But my daddy can’t pay for it, so I have brought all my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man. “$ 1.11, but I can try and get some more,” she answered.
“Well, what luck,” smiled the man. “$ 1.11, the price of a miracle for little brothers.”
He took up the girl’s hand and said, “Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let’s see if I have the kind of miracle you need.”
That well-dressed man was Dr Carlton Armstrong, a famous doctor. The operation was successful and it wasn’t long before Andrew was home again.
How much did the miracle cost?
26．What was the trouble in the little girl’s family?
A．Her brother was seriously ill. B．They had no money.
C．Nothing could save her brother. D．Both A and B.
27．In the eye of the little girl, a miracle might be .
A．something interesting B．something beautiful
C．some wonderful medicine D．some good food
28．The little girl said again and again “...I can try and get some more.” That shows .
A．she had still kept some money
B．she hoped not to be refused
C．There was no need to worry about money
D．she thought money was easy to get
29．What made the miracle happen?
A．The girl’s love for her brother． B．The girl’s money.
C．The medicine from the drugstore. D．Nobody can tell.
30．From the passage we can infer(推断) that .
A．the doctor didn’t ask for any pay
B．a miracle is sure to happen if you keep on
C．the little girl is lovely but not so clever
D．the doctor had great sympathy for the girl’s little brother
Planet Hunter
When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky.
“What excited me most was whether there were planets（行星）in other solar（太阳的）systems where life might exist, ”he says. “I decided to try to find planets orbiting（沿…轨道运行）other stars like our Sun.”
And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995, ”Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything! But we stuck with it, and our patience paid off. ”
Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first “family”of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like（像木星一样的）planet orbiting star 55 Cancri.
At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55 Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about the same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.
Why is this important? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features（特征）in our solar system. The first is Jupiter.
“Because it’s so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids（小行星）, or they all come and hit the Earth. ”Dr. Marcy explains. “Without Jupiter, life on Earth would likely have been destroyed. ”
A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life, can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55 Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, “We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life! ”
59. What can we learn about Dr. Marcy from the passage?
A. He is fond of watching Jupiter.
B. He is from a scientist family.
C. He dislikes working with Paul Butler.
D. He is interested in finding life in outer space.
60. Which of the following is true of the recent discovery?
A. The planet is not as protective as Jupiter.
B. The planet is close to star 55 Cancri.
C. The planet proves to be a gas planet.
D. The planet is as large as Jupiter.
61. How many planets orbiting other stars have the two scientists discovered so far?
A. 100 B. 69 C. 66 D. 65
62. Dr. Marcy thinks that life may exist in the 55 Cancri system because ______.
A. he has found the system similar to the solar system
B. he has discovered an Earth-like planet there
C. he has discovered a rocky planet there
D. he has found signs of life in the system
63.“But we stuck with it”（in Paragraph 3）means ______.
A. they felt discouraged
B. they carried on with it
C. they failed in their attempt
D. they made some progress
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK - US President Bush said on Monday that he wanted Osama bin Laden “dead or alive” for last week’s attacks on the World Trade Center and the pentagon, but many of Washington’s allies are cool on strikes against Afghanistan.
Bush has named Saudi - born militant Osama bin Laden as a prime suspect, though he has provided no evidence for his claim. Still, he had been building public support for military action and has warned Afghanistan’s Taliban to give up Bin Laden.
But the Taliban, which has warned of “holy war” in response to any US attack, by Tuesday afternoon had given no indication of whether the man they call their“ guest” would be handed over.
On an unprecedented“ Day of terror”, two planes smashed into New York’s World Trade Center twin towers on September 11, putting them into ruins while explosions rocked the Pentagon in Washington, and the White House and State Department were evacuated. The attacks have left more than 5, 000 people dead or missing.
China has said it is ready to join international efforts in fighting “terrorism ”but insisted that peace, not war, is the best option.
In London, Blair declared it a“ war between the civilized world and fanaticism ”and determined to stand by an ally which aided Britain in two world wars. France, Germany and other, including Russia, are also supportive. “The evil must be punished, ” Russian President Vladimir Putin said. “But we should not liken ourselves to bandit.” His defense chiefs have ruled out hosting NATO forces in former Soviet Central Asia or joining US military action, although Moscow says it will help with intelligence.
55. What building（s）was/were totally damaged?
A. The World Trade Center and the Pentagon
B. The World Trade Center.
C. The Pentagon.
D. The White House
56. In this passage, what country does the underlined part refer to?
A. Russia B. France C. Germany D. America
57. According to the passage, which of the following is right?
A. It was bin Laden that made the terrorist attacks, which have left more than 5, 000 people dead or missing.
B. Russian forces will join US military action.
C. There is no sign to show that the Tailbone will hand over bin Laden.
D. Few countries support America after the attacks.
58. From the passage, what problem is the world facing?
A. Wars B. Terrorism C. Population D. Explosions
III. 阅读理解
That“Monday morning feeling”could be a crushing pain in the chest which leaves you sweating and gasping for breath. Recent research from Germany and Italy shows that heart attacks are more common on Monday mornings and doctors blame the stress of returning to work after the weekend break.
The risk of having a heart attack on any given day should be one in seven, but a six-year study helped by researchers at the Free University of Berlin of more than 2, 600 Germans showed that the average person had a 20 percent higher chance of having a heart attack on a Monday than on any other day.
Working Germans are particularly not protected against attack, with a 33 percent higher risk at the beginning of the working week. Non-workers, by comparison, appear to be no more at risk on a Monday than any other day.
A study of 11, 000 Italians proved 8 a. m. on a Monday morning as the most stressful time for the heart, and both studies showed that Sunday is the least stressful day, with fewest heart attacks in both countries.
The finding could lead to a better understanding of what is the immediate cause of heart attacks, according to Dr Stefan Willich of the Free University. “We know a lot about long-term risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol（胆固醇）but we don’t know what actually causes heart attacks, so we can’t give clear advice on how to prevent them, ”he said.
Monday mornings have a double helping of stress for the working body as it makes a rapid change from sleep to activity, and from the relaxing weekend to the pressures of work.
“When people get up, their blood pressure and heart rate go up and there are hormonal（内分泌）changes in their bodies, ”Willich explained. “All these things can have an unfavorable effect in the blood system and increase the risk of a clot（血凝块）which will cause a heart attack.”
“When people return to work after a weekend off, the pace of their life changes. They have a higher workload, more stress, more anger and more physical activities,”said Willich.
51. Monday morning feeling, as this passage shows, ________.
A. is not as serious as people thought
B. is the first killer in Germany and Italy
C. is created by researchers in Germany and Italy
D. is harmful to working people in developed countries
52. To protect people from a heart attack, doctors have paid much attention to ________.
A. people’s working time B. people’s living place
C. people’s diet and lifestyle D. people’s nationalities
53. It can be learned from this passage that the heart attack has something to do with all the following EXCEPT ________.
A. blood pressure B. heart rate
C. hormonal changes D. blood type
54. If the researchers give us some advice to avoid Monday morning feeling, what might it be?
A. Improve working conditions. B. Never go to work on Mondays.
C. Stay with a doctor on Mondays. D. Get up late on Monday mornings.