阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
第一节：（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和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When she flew into Athens on an unseasonably cold day in September, she quickly realized that she hadn’t brought enough warm clothes. Walking through the streets of the Greek capital, she happened to see a nice coat in a shop window and went in to ask about the price. The coat was too expensive, but as Christine was about to leave the shop, the woman asked her where she was from. When Christine answered Australia, the woman agreed to reduce the price because she knew a nice girl from Australia called Elena. Christine then noticed a photo of a young man standing next to a motorbike. Her eyes opened wide with astonishment. It was Nicos! Indeed the young man was Nicos, and the woman in the shop was Maria. She had come to Athens from Santorini to look after the shop for a friend.
Sadly, the story has a tragic ending. Nicos had been killed in a motorcycle accident.
“I wanted to tell Elena,” said Maria. “But I didn’t know how. Now that I have met you, I know that it’s time to tell her.”Elena went to Greece in order to visit .
| A．her parents | B．Christine | C．Nicos. | D．her grandparents |
Why did Nicos stop writing to Elena?
| A．He had moved away. |
| B．His mother forbade him to do so. |
| C．He h ad died in an accident. |
| D．They had lost touch with each other. |
What can be inferred from the fact that Christine and Maria had a talk in the shop?
| A．They two had planned the talk before. | B．They met each other accidentally. |
| C．They were business partners. | D．They recognized each other. |
How did your friendships begin? Most start with a short conversation on a random day. Asking about a homework assignment in class or complaining about your painful legs after playing in a soccer game, you found your best pal by accident.
“Small talk is where all your relationships begin,” Forbes magazine summed up.
The following is a five-step guide to making small talk from Bernardo J. Carducci, the director of the Shyness Research Institute at Indiana University Southeast, US. Let’s have a look.
Getting started
Begin by talking about the setting, such as the weather outside or the room you are in (“It’s cold in here, isn’t
it?”). The purpose of talking about the setting is to show the other person that you are willing to make a conversation.
②The personal introduction
You should mention something about yourself, such as your name. A good personal introduction helps move the conversation forward.
③Looking for topics
At this point, you and your conversation partner need to find common ground. This is a good time to ask questions or to refer back to things you’ve said or heard earlier. Don’t worry if it gets quiet. The other person is probably just thinking of something to say.
④Expanding the topic
The goal is to keep the conversation going. At every stage, you should be careful not to talk too much. But don’t let the other person dominate the conversation either. If that starts to happen, mention something about yourself when he or she takes a breath.
⑤A polite ending
When ending a conversation, let the person know you’ll be leaving soon, express gratitude for the conversation and set the stage for a future conversation. For example, you could say, “I really must be going soon, but I had a great time chatting with you. I really liked hearing your opinion about that new movie. Here’s my phone number. Call or text me if you know of any other movies you think I might enjoy.”According to the article, starting by talking about the setting is meant to ________.
| A．find common ground | B．impress the other person |
| C．make a conversation | D．make the room warmer |
What does the underlined word “dominate” mean in Tip④?
| A．interrupt | B．control | C．adapt | D．simplify |
When ending a conversation, you’d better ________.
| A．talk about how much you want to keep talking |
| B．show that you’ve not enjoyed the talk |
| C．mention a specific movie that you love |
| D．give your opinion about the other person’s earlier comments |
The main purpose of the article is to ________.
| A．encourage students to make more friends |
| B．give students tips on making small talk |
| C．introduce popular topics for students |
| D．teach students how to create friendships |
“How did Norman know, Sister Emma?”
“He overheard you and Aryan arguing. I suspect that he purposely overheard on you. Norman knew or concluded what profession Aryan practiced. He might well have followed Aryan on his explorations. Whether he did or not is beside the point. When Aryan came back yesterday afternoon, Norman certainly decided that he had made some find, for Aryan told Norman that he would be leaving for the capital to meet the detective the next morning. He probably followed Aryan to your room and overheard what passed between you.
“Since you could not act against the law of man and God, he would serve a natural justice in his own way. He took the jar of poison hemlock from the chemistry shop and when Aryan asked for a drink, he supplied it. Norman did not know the precise quantity needed and so Aryan did not suffer the full effects until after the bell called the community into the dining hall for the evening meal.”
Abbess was following Sister Emma closely.
“And then?”
“Then I began my investigation, and then the detective arrived seeking Aryan for an explanation for his death.”
“But who killed Norman?”
“Norman knew that sooner or later he would be discovered. But more importantly in his guileless (坦率的) mind there was also the guilt of having taken a man’s life to be considered. Norman was a simple man. He decided that he should accept the punishment—the honor-price of a life. What greater honor-price for the life of Aryan could he offer than his own? He also took a draught of poison hemlock.”
There was a pause.What may have happened to Aryan?
| A．He was killed by poison. |
| B．He was found missing. |
| C．He was poisoned but saved. |
| D．He went away with what he had found. |
What did Abbess do according to Sister Emma when Aryan came back?
| A．She talked with Aryan about Norman’s strange actions. . |
| B．She secretly discussed with Aryan about something secret. |
| C．She followed the two men and found what they were doing. |
| D．She let Sister Emma help find out the two men’s secret. |
What can we conclude from the above story?
| A．Abbess served the detective. |
| B．Emma knows all the people mentioned. |
| C．Aryan was sent to kill Abbess but failed. |
| D．Norman seemed very devoted to Abbess. |
Which of the following might be true according to the above passage?
| A．Abbess hired Norman to fight against Aryan. |
| B．Norman told everything to Emma. |
| C．Aryan worked for the detective. |
| D．All the people came from the capital. |
Enjoy a museum visit with your class!
Available（可获得的）Programs:
Art Tells a Story: By looking at the subject matter and by drawing from personal experiences, students can find the story in some works of art. ( All grades)
Learning to Look: An interactive （互动的）tour that explores a variety of （各种各样的）art using storytelling, movements, music, games, and other techniques helps introduce children to a museum. (Preschool~ Grade 3)
Native American Collection: This program explores relationships that exist between art, culture, the geographic location and natural resources. Students will see a bowl made by Maria Martinez, a Towa storyteller, a Northwest coast mask, and Inuit clothing. ( For Grades 2~5)
The Language of Art: Classes are welcome into the museum to take part in an interactive tour of American Art. It gives participants a new set of vocabulary while helping them feel comfortable. Art-on-the-Move: Teachers may borrow suitcases filled with art objects. Free organizations with Education Membership.
Planning Your Visit:
Booking: Booking is necessary for all tours and programs. Please book at least a week in advance. Teachers are encouraged to organize self-guided visits for their classes during public hours.
Tour Hours: Tours can be organized between 9:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Program Fees: Tours are free for those with Education Membership. There is a charge of $6 per student of non-member organizations. Tour with art activities cost $12 per student (non-members) or $10 per student (members).
Chaperones（保护人）:We require one adult chaperone for every 10 children. Chaperones help to make your museum visit a success. A chaperone must pay $5 admission.
Lunch: We regret that no lunch facilities are available at the museum.
Museum Rules: Don’t touch works of art. Don’t take photographs.
Ask questions. Look, and then LOOK again!
Enjoy!If teachers want their students to learn about what a museum is, they will choose____________.
| A．Art Tells a Story. | B．Learning to Look. |
| C．The Language of Art. | D．Native American Collection. |
Why does the museum feel sorry?
| A．Taking photos is not allowed at the museum. |
| B．Visitors can’t touch works of art at the museum. |
| C．Visitors are not able to have lunch at the museum. |
| D．Visitors can’t take part in all the activities at a time. |
How much should the museum charge a class of 60 students with Education Membership for a tour with art activities?
| A．$600. | B．$630. | C．$720. | D．$750. |
What do teachers need to do before leading their classes to the museum?
| A．To make bookings ahead of time. |
| B．To try to get Education Membership. |
| C．To learn about the history of the museum. |
| D．To ask for the permission of self-guided visits. |
In which section of the newspaper does the passage most probably appear?
| A．Health. | B．News. |
| C．Culture. | D．Advertisement. |
At first Kate thought the Romanian girl could not speak and understand English. Nadia would not reply to anything Kate said. Kate was in charge of（负责）showing Nadia around on her first day at Buck Minister Grade School. Kate could not figure out why the school had put Nadia in a class where she could not understand what people were saying.
“Why did they do this?” Kate wondered aloud. “I mean, you can’t learn if you can’t understand the teacher.”
Nadia’s voice was a whisper (speaking in a very low voice). “I understand English. I will learn.” Nadia’s English was perfect.
Kate was perplexed. She couldn’t understand why Nadia did not like to speak. Then she realized that moving to a new country probably wasn’t the easiest thing to do. There were hundreds of unfamiliar and unusual things to learn – all at the same time.
“There’re a lot of new things to learn, huh?” said Kate.
Nadia nodded rapidly. In a quiet voice she replied, “Many things people say, I do not understand. I have been speaking English and Romanian all my life, but I do not know what some children are saying. For example, yesterday a boy asked if I could help him find the USB port on a thin black box he was carrying. Isn’t a port a place for ships? It made no sense to me.”
“Don’t worry.” said Kate. “You’ll figure everything out in time. You see, that thin black box was a computer. A USB port is a place where you can connect other machines to a computer.”
Nadia and Kate were quiet after that. They took notes while the teacher gave a maths lesson. To Kate’s surprise, Nadia put up her hand and offered to answer the questions at the blackboard.
Nadia handled every question the teacher gave her. Some of the questions were really difficult, and no one understood what was going on except Nadia and the teacher. When the teacher said that Nadia answered everything correctly, the whole class clapped their hands.
Nadia was smiling when she sat back down next to Kate. “Some things,” she said in a normal voice, “are the same all over the world.” At the beginning of Nadia’s first day at school, she was____________.
| A．disappointed. | B．helpful. |
| C．lively. | D．shy. |
The underlined word “perplexed” probably means ____________.
| A．spellbound. | B．angry. |
| C．shocked. | D．serious. |
We can infer（推断）from the passage that _____________ .
| A．Nadia did not like Kate. |
| B．Nadia had lived by the sea before. |
| C．Nadia had never seen a computer before. |
| D．Nadia spoke in soft voice out of politeness. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Nadia was better at maths than other students. |
| B．Nadia found some of the maths questions difficult. |
| C．Nadia was encouraged to answer questions in class. |
| D．Nadia understood the maths teacher better than other teachers. |
What is the message of the story?
| A．Talking about something familiar gives you confidence in communication. |
| B．Answering questions in class makes you better understood by classmates. |
| C．Language plays an important role in communication between cultures. |
| D．Maths helps to improve communication between cultures. |
When Ann, a grade two student at a well-known school, was pestered (纠缠) by her classmates to join their group to steal from shops, she was shocked. She was a quiet, well-behaved girl and she did not understand why the girls had approached her.
They showed her some of the things they had stolen and said that shop theft was great fun and very exciting. Then they threatened to beat Ann if she did not join them.
Ann was deeply troubled. She did her best to avoid the group of the girls after classes, but they often waited for her outside the school and tried to persuade her to come with them.
This problem is one which many school students in Hong Kong face. We asked the chairman（主席） of the local-fight-crime committee（委员会） what Ann should do in these cases.
“First of all, she could try to talk the other girls out of the whole thing. Being caught stealing from shops could ruin their futures and it is simply not worth the risk,” he said.
“Young people may think that it is easy to get away with stealing from shops, but more and more stores now have plain clothes detectives who are dressed like customers. I would say shop thieves have a more than ninety percent possibility of being caught.
“If they won’t listen to her, Ann should turn to someone in charge in school, who can then decide if the matter can be dealt with by her.” From the first three paragraphs we can learn that ________.
| A．Ann didn’t know what to do with the case |
| B．Ann faced the group bravely |
| C．the group stole a lot of valuable things |
| D．the group were short of money |
The underlined part “talk the other girls out of the whole thing” in the fifth paragraph most probably means ________.
| A．discuss the possible result with them |
| B．tell them about their futures |
| C．persuade them to stop theft |
| D．warn them not to disturb her |
One of the suggestions to Ann is to ________.
| A．report the situation to the police |
| B．ask the local-fight-crime committee for advice |
| C．hire a detective to catch them |
| D．turn to her teacher for help |