The drug store was closing for the night and Alfred Higgins was about to go home when his new boss approached him.
“Empty your pockets please, Alfred,” Sam Carr demanded in a firm voice.
Alfred pretended to be shocked but he knew he had been caught. From his coat he withdrew a make-up kit, a lipstick and two tubes of toothpaste.
“I’m disappointed in you, Alfred!” said the little gray-haired man.
“Sorry, sir. Please forgive me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done such a thing,” Alfred lied, hoping to gain the old man’s sympathy.
Mr Carr’s brow furrowed as he reached for the telephone, “Do you take me for a fool? Let’s see what the police have to say. But first I’ll call your mother and let her know her son is heading to jail.”
“Do whatever you want,” Alfred shot back, trying to sound big. But deep down he felt like a child. He imagined his mother rushing in, eyes burning with anger, maybe in tears. Yet he wanted to come quickly before Mr. Carr called the police.
Mr. Carr was surprised when Mrs. Higgins finally arrived . She was very calm, quiet and friendly. “Is Alfred in trouble?” she asked.
“He’s been stealing from the store,” the old man coolly replied.
Mrs. Higgins pulled out her hand and touched Mr. Carr’s arm with great gentleness as if she knew just how he felt. She spoke as if she did not want to cause him any more trouble. “What do you want to do, Mr.Carr?”
The woman’s calm and gentle manner disarmed the once-angry store-owner, “I was going to get a cop. But I don’t want to be cruel. Tell your son not to come back here again and I will let it go.” Then he warmly shook Mrs. Higgins’ hand.
Mrs. Higgins thanked the old ma for his kindness, then mother and son left. They walked along the street in silence. When they arrived home his mother simply said, “Go to bed, you fool.”
In his bedroom, Alfred heard his mother in the kitchen. He felt no shame, only pride in his mother’s actions. “She was smooth!” he thought. He went to the kitchen to tell her how great she was, but was shocked by what he saw.
His mother’s face looked frightened, broken. Not the cool, bright face he saw earlier. Her lips moved nervously. She looked very old. There were tears in her eyes.
This picture of his mother made him want to cry. He felt his youth ending. He saw all the troubles he brought her and the deep lines of worry in her grey face. It seemed to him that this was the first time he had ever really seen his mother.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．It was the first time Alfred had stolen anything. |
| B．Mr. Carr set a trap to catch Alfred stealing. |
| C．Alfred tried to sound big to hide his fear. |
| D．Mr. Carr had planned to forgive Alfred from the beginning. |
What does the underlined word “disarmed” probably mean?
| A．annoyed | B．got over | C．convinced | D．made less angry |
What was the mother’s attitude towards Alfred?
| A．She felt disappointed with him. | B．She was strict with him. |
| C．She was supportive of him. | D．She was afraid of him. |
What impressed Alfred most about his mother at the drugstore was_______.
| A．how angry she was | B．how effective she handled Mr. Carr. |
| C．that she was able to save him | D．that she didn’t cry |
From the last paragraph, we know Alfred________.
| A．was no longer a youth. | B．felt proud of his mother |
| C．wanted his mother to be happy | D．felt guilty and regretful for his deed. |
Ⅲ 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：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和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity, others say that competition is bad; that it sets one person against another; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self – worth relied (依赖) on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life – and – death affairs. In their single – minded pursuit (追求) of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society. Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to se ek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.” What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth. Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self – respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve (缓解) can we discover a new meaning in competition.
41．What does this passage mainly talk about?
A．Competition helps to set up self – respect.
B．Opinions about competition are different among people.
C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development.
D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition
42．Why do some people favor competition according to the passage?
A．It pushes society forward. B．It builds up a sense of duty.
C．It improves personal abilities. D．It encourages individual efforts.
43．The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means .
A．those who try their best to win
B．those who value competition most highly
C．those who are against competition most strongly
D．those who rely on others most for success
44．What is the similar belief of the true competitors and those with a desire to fail ?
A．One’s worth lies in his performance compared with others.
B．One’s success in competition needs great efforts.
C．One’s achievement is determined by his particular skills.
D．One’s success is based on how hard he has tried.
45．Which point of view may the author agree to?
A．Every effort should be paid back.
B．Competition should be encouraged.
C．Winning should be a life – and – death matter.
D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition.
E
2010 Spring Vacation Program
Lexington Prep School’s (LPS)Spring Vacation Program offers students an opportunity to use their break time productively．
Students who plan ahead can take advantage of reduced rates：
*Spring Vacation：Friday 3／5／2010-Monday 3／29／2010
*Registration(报名)Deadline：2／15／2010
*Our Special Pricing offer ends after 2／1／2010
*If registered after 2／1／2010，$200／day for Basic Program
*ONLINE REGISTRATION (Click Here) *
Students will stay in our picturesque facility and choose from one of three following programs：
A．Basic Program: $120／day if registered before Feb．1，2010
Students in our Basic Program are provided with room，board and classroom space for
independent work．We also provide shuttle service to local sites including the local subway station．malls，and nearby movie theaters．Students may also choose to participate in outings to attractions such as the Boston Museum of Science，Salem Witch Museum，and Faneuil Hall Marketplace for all additional charge．
B．Balanced Program，$220 per day
students in our limited program participate in SSAT or SAT／English preparation classes during the morning session focusing on vocabulary and grammar, critical reading，and essay writing.
After lunch．students are free to work independently or to relax．
C．Intensive Program，$260 per day
Students in our intensive program are given a full day of SSAT or SAT／English preparation including grammar, vocabulary, critical reading， writing and mathematics. The intensive program is designed to achieve the greatest score increase in the shortest period of time.
For participants in all programs：
*Each student will have one roommate in a room equipped with a bathroom.
*Private classes are also available in：All AP Subjects，all SAT Ⅱ Subjects，school project work, school research paper assistance，art，music．
*Facilities include(a gym，art room，library，TOEFL certified computer lab，concert hall with
grand piano, movie room，and recreation room with karaoke and ping-pong table.
57．If students register for Basic Program before 2／1／2010，they Can save__________per day.
A．$80 8．$120 C．$220 D．$260
58．If choosing Balanced Program，students can do the following EXCEPT__________
A．share a double room(with a bathroom)with another student
B．take a full day of SSAT or SAT／English preparation classes
C．attend private classes such as school project work,art and music
D．have fun seeing a movie，singing karaoke or playing ping—pong
59．The purpose of Intensive Program is to help students_________
A．gain the highest score in the shortest time
B．1earn to get along with roommates
C．enjoy reduced price for the Spring Vacation Program
D．work independently on a school research paper
60．This passage may probably appear___________
A．in research report B．in a textbook C．at a website D．in a guidebook
D
President Obama，s plan last week to overhaul(改善)former president George W．Bush’s
No Child left Behind program is an improvement on a good thin9．But it doesn’t go far enough.
Obama outlined a goal that by 2020，all grade school and high school students ale on a path toward college and career readiness．
However, what we need is a practical plan that not only requires all high school graduates to take at least two years of college but also makes it financially possible for them to do so. We’ve provided a free public education through the l2th grade．If we’re going to keep up—or catch up—with some other countries(1ike China)in preparing young people for careers，a 12-year education program no longer is enough．
About 3 million students across the USA will graduate from high school this spring. But only 2 million will go on to college, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics(NCFES)．For the more than l million who won’t go on，money is a major factor．If tuition(学费)were free，about half of them could make up other COSTS from family or part—time jobs．
Critics(批评家)of free college tuition will say we can’t afford it because of the federal deficit(联邦赤字)and other rising costs．Let’s see some government spending in detail：
In the last nearly 10 years．the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us $1 trillion(that’s $1，000 billion，or an average of$100 billion a year)．Federal money spent on public elementary and secondary education in the last year for which figures are available was$47 billion．If we end costly and unnecessary wars and nation—building efforts abroad，the federal government could provide more money on public education，for which state and local governments now carry most of the burden(负担)．
53．According to President Obama’s plan，in 10 years______________
A．there will be no expensive and unnecessary Wars
B．all grade and high school students can go to college
C．the U．S．will catch up with China in career preparation
D．students Call enjoy a l2-year public free education
54．If tuition were not charged．______________
A．about 2．5 million students could afford college education
B．about 2 million students could be provided chances of college education
C．over l million students still could not afford college education
D．about 3 million students could graduate from high school
55.The author may agree that President Obama’s plan__________
A．has little to do with Gorge W．Bush’s program
B. does not agree with the survey by NCFES
C．does not contain practical measures to achieve its goal
D．will lighten the burden of state and local governments
56．It can be inferred from the passage that_____________
A．the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are expensive but necessary
B．the federal Can not provide more money on education
C，critics of free college tuition think little of the plan
D．President Obama’s plan might be hard to carry out
C
Things similar continuously happened in Haiti and Chile．Thousands of people were
buried in the earthquake and lost their fives．What if we could have warned them? People are always trying hard to find a way of preventing building collapsing(坍塌)．Better materials and technology help，but are not a solution．Just like humans，a building has its own life circle from “birth” to “death”．If we know when a building is going to collapse，we can repair it in advance or get out before it falls．
Now, scientists at the University of Illinois ha、，e developed a material that turns red before it breaks．The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes，or bridge supports．The secret behind the color-changing material is a type of molecule(分子)．A molecule is a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds(化学键)．Imagine you and your friends standing in a circle，holding hands．Each person stands for one atom，your hands represent the bonds，and the entire circle represents a molecule．If one person lets go of his or her hands，the molecule changes color．The research team put the molecule into a soft material．When the researchers stretched(拉长) the material：it turned bright red a few seconds before it broke into two pieces．
When they repeatedly stretched and relaxed the material，without breaking it，it only turned a little red．
The major problem is，light can get rid of the red color．When the team shone a bright light on the molecule，the broken bond was fixed，and the color disappeared．If bright fight keeps the red color from appearing，the material’s warning system will be useless．Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the color-changing molecule can be used outside the lab．
49.The passage is mainly about______________
A．a way of preventing building from breaking down
B．a series'-of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile
C．a way of warning before buildings collapse
D．a newly—discovered structure of a molecule
50.According to the passage，we call conclude that____________
A．there are problems to solve before putting the new material to use
B．scientists have found the life circle of buildings from “birth” to “death”
C．bright fight makes the red color visible to human eyes
D．the new material is unlikely to be used in building bridges
51.The color-changing molecule can___________
A．make building materials much stronger
B．help building materials get stretched if necessary
C．prevent the earthquake from killing people
D．remind people to leave buildings before they fall
52．The warning system is based on the fact that____________
A．red color won’t show up when it meets bright fight
B．a material with a certain type of molecule Can turn red when setched
C．a building has its own life circle of “birth”to“death”
D．the broken bond will fix itself when a molecule meets bright fight
B
15 Million Americans Suffer from Social Anxiety
Social anxiety disorder prevents some l 5 million Americans from leading normal social and romantic fives，a new survey finds．
The disorder leaves many isolated(孤立)and ashamed．36 percent of those with social
anxiety disorder have suffered for l0 year's or more before seeking help，the Anxiety Disorders Association of America reports．
“Social anxiety disorder is when somebody has a strong and long fear of social or performance situations，” Jerilyn Ross，the Association’s president and CE0，said．“The condition causes people to avoid common，everyday situations and even other people for fear of being judged or criticized or embarrassing(使……尴尬)themselves．”
Social anxiety disorder Can affect daily life and job performance．It also makes it very difficult for people to develop friends and romantic partnerships．
“People with this disorder recognize their fear is unreasonable，”Ross noted．But they feel powerless to do anything about it．”
The disorder also has physical symptoms(症状)，including heart palpitations(心悸)，feelings that their throat will close up，sweating，faintness，trembling．
“Among people with the disorder,75 percent said the condition affected their ability to do normal activities．In addition，69 percent said they didn’t want people to think they were crazy，and 58 percent said they were embarrassed by their condition．”Ross said．
“However, when the condition is diagnosed and treated，many reported improvement in their fives．In fact，59 percent who were receiving treatment said treatment had a positive effect on their ability to have a romantic relationship．In addition，39 percent who had received treatment said knowing that treatment can be successful aided their decision to get help. Ross noted．
45．People with social anxiety disorder are afraid of
A．being left aloneB．leading normal lives
C. Embarrassing other people D.Facing social situations
46．The percentage of sufferers who worry that others may consider them mad is_______
A．36％ B．69％ C．75％ D．59％
47．It can be learned from the last paragraph that___________
A．treatment of the disorder has no positive effect at all
B．sufferers’ condition is often hard to be diagnosed
C．treatment of the disorder helps many sufferers recover
D．anxiety disorder sufferers often refuse medical treatment
48．The author writes this passage to__________
A．tell people not to be anxious about their social performance
B．advise social anxiety disorder sufferers to receive proper treatment
C．highly praise Jerilyn Ross’achievement in the social survey
D. introduce the findings of a social survey about social anxiety disorder