My father had returned from his business visit to London when I came in, rather late, to supper. I could tell at once that he and my mother had been discussing something. In that half-playful, half-serious way I knew so well, he said, "How would you like to go to Eton?"
"You bet," I cried quickly catching the joke. Everyone knew it was the most expensive, the most famous of schools. You had to be entered at birth, if not before. Besides, even at 12 or 13, I understood my father. He disliked any form of showing off. He always knew his proper station in life, which was in the middle of the middle class, our house was medium-sized; he had avoided joining Royal Liverpool Golf Club and went to a smaller one instead; though once he had got a second-hand Rolls-Royce at a remarkably low price, he felt embarrassed driving it, and quickly changed it for an Austin 1100.
This could only be his delightful way of telling me that the whole boarding school idea was to be dropped. Alas! I should also have remembered that he had a liking for being different from everyone else, if it did not conflict(冲突) with his fear of drawing attention to himself.
It seemed that he had happened to be talking to Graham Brown of the London office, a very nice fellow, and Graham had a friend who had just entered his boy at the school, and while he was in that part of the world he thought he might just as well phone them. I remember my eyes stinging(刺痛) and my hands shaking with the puzzlement of my feelings. There was excitement, at the heart of great sadness.
"Oh, he doesn't want to go away," said my mother, "You shouldn't go on like this.” “It's up to him," said my father. "He can make up his own mind."The house the writer's family lived in was ________.
| A．the best they could afford | B．right for their social position |
| C．for showing off | D．rather small |
His father sold his Roils-Royce because ________.
| A．it made him feel uneasy | B．it was too old to work well |
| C．it was too expensive to possess | D．it was too cheap |
The writer's father enjoyed being different as long as ________.
| A．it drew attention to him | B．it didn't bring him in arguments |
| C．it was understood as a joke | D．there was no danger of his showing off |
What was the writer's reaction to the idea of going to Eton?
| A．He was very unhappy. | B．He didn't believe it. |
| C．He was delighted. | D．He had mixed feelings. |
We can know from the passage that ________.
| A．Children who can go to Eton are very famous |
| B．Children can go to Eton if they will |
| C．It is very difficult for a child to get admitted by Eton |
| D．Children don't have the right to decide whether they will go to Eton |
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和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
One night, Mrs. Riley, an elderly woman, was walking along a dark London street. She was carrying her handbag in one hand and a plastic carrier bag in the other. There was nobody else in the street except two youths. They were standing in a dark shop doorway. One of them was very tall with fail hair, the other was short and fat with a beard.
The youths waited for a few moments, and then ran quickly and quietly towards Mrs. Riley. The tall youth held her from behind while the other youth tried to seize her handbag.
Suddenly, Mrs. Riley threw the tall youth over her shoulder. He crashed into the other youth and they both landed on the ground. Without speaking, Mrs. Riley struck both of them on the head with her handbag and walked calmly away.
The two surprised youths were still sitting on the ground when Mrs. Riley crossed the street towards a door with a lighted sign above it. Mrs. Riley paused, turned round, smiled at the youths and walked into the South West London Judo（柔道）Club.The two youths stood in a dark shop doorway because _____.
| A．they had nothing to do | B．they were homeless |
| C．they meant to rob somebody | D．they were guarding the shop |
What did Mrs. Riley do to the two youths?
| A．She hurt them seriously. | B．She taught them a lesson. |
| C．She reported them to the police. | D．She sent them to a judo club. |
4The story tells about an elderly woman who _____.
| A．often went shopping at night | B．was brave and wise |
| C．worked in a shopping center | D．had a skill of self–defense |
Ship tourism to Antarctica is on the rise: More than 35,000 tourists are expected to visit Antarctic this summer. In 1992-1993, 6,750 visited Antarctica, according to the Antarctica Treaty. All of this tourism, however, is putting both tourists and the environment in great danger.
Among the tourist ships that visit the continent, the Explorer, a Canadian ship, was one of the first. Put to use in 1969, it was built to carry tourists to Antarctica. Last week, however, it became the first commercial passenger ship to sink beneath the waters. Fortunately, all of the passengers and crew members were rescued from the ship. However, the sunken ship endangered the Antarctic’s fragile(脆弱的) environment. The ship was estimated to be holding 48,000 gallons of fuel.
The accident was not unexpected. Both the US and UK had warned a conference of the Antarctic Treaty member countries in May that the tourism situation in this area was a potential disaster. The US said in a paper, people “should take a hard look at tourism issues now, especially those related to ship safety.” Although the Antarctic seas are relatively(相对地) calm, floating ice causes a potential threat to ships. The owner of the Explorer blamed the sinking on a fist-like hole in the ship created by ice.
Many of the other large ships now visiting Antarctica are not designed especially against thick ice. Such ships generally can only come to the continent in summer. But the tourist rush is pushing ships into dangerous situations. “The increasing number of ships operating in Antarctic means that the ship are under great pressure to get there in time for the key visiting sites,” the British government wrote in a paper at the meeting of member countries.
As a natural frontier, Antarctica is in a messy legal situation. There are no obvious answers as to who is responsible for dealing with the threat that tourist may cause to human life and the environment.
There is no coast guard for Antarctica. Do we want it to become Disneyland, or do we need some controls?Which of the following is true according to this passage?
| A．Antarctica tourism has a history of about 17 years |
| B．The number of tourists to the Antarctic is over 5 times as large as that of 17 years ago. |
| C．The tourism boom has caused holes in the floating ice in the Antarctic. |
| D．The Antarctica Treaty is responsible for the problem. |
The sinking of the Explorer____________.
| A．led to a conference about the tourism situation in the Antarctic. |
| B．was caused by the rough seas |
| C．had been predicted |
| D．did harm to the Antarctic. |
It can be inferred from the passage that_________.
| A．a Disneyland will be built in the Antarctic |
| B．fewer people are visiting the Antarctic because of the warnings given |
| C．not all the ships are suitable to go to the Antarctic |
| D．some ships take risks visiting the Antarctic in other seasons rather than in summer |
In this passage, the writer suggests that___________.
| A．people had better not make a tour of the Antarctic |
| B．ships to the Antarctic should be built strong enough |
| C．there should be legal controls over tourism in the Antarctic |
| D．the Antarctic’s environment is fragile |
What attitude does the writer hold towards Antarctic tourism?
| A．Supportive. | B．Positive. | C．Indifferent. | D．Anxious. |
Prison Break（《越狱》）is a huge hit thanks to its handsome star, Wentworth Miller. His character, Michael Scofield, is the engine that drives the show．
Having committed a crime to get into prison and broke out his innocent elder brother, Michael Scofield is one of the most interesting personalities on television today. But what about the man behind the character?
Miller, 35, is a hard guy to figure out. He does not come from a normal background and has never lived his life in a typical way．
Miller didn’t take a direct path to fame and fortune. He graduated from Princeton University in 1995, not with a degree in theatre or film, but in English．He didn’t even act when he was in college. His only performance experience was in his university’s singing group. Yet, at graduation Miller still decided to make the move to Hollywood．
Miller has always been different. Although he is American, he was born in Britain when his father was studying there. His family background is also a special mix of cultures．“My father is black and my mother is white. That means I have always been caught in the middle．I could be either one, which can make you feel out of place，”Miller says．
Following his unusual path, Miller did not start trying out for films and TV shows when he first got to Hollywood．Instead, he worked as a lowly production assistant, not what you would expect from a Princeton graduate. However, it all paid off for Miller in the end．
In 2002, Miller played a role in the drama Dinotopia．He starred as a thoughtful and shy man．Producers remembered his performance when they were casting Prison Break two years later. With a golden globe nomination(提名) and another season of Prison Break on his resume(履历), Miller seems ready to take over all of Hollywood．What do you think the text is mainly about?
| A．What kind of person Michael Scofield is． |
| B．Miller’s unusual path to fame and fortune． |
| C．Why Prison Break became a huge hit． |
| D．How special Miller is in the entertainment field． |
The author thinks “Miller is a hard guy to figure out” because．
| A．it’s difficult to tell him from others |
| B．he is a shy man and hard to work with |
| C．he always has ideas hard for people to understand |
| D．his family background and life experience are very special |
Which of the following can best explain “pay off” in the underlined sentence?
| A．to be successful and bring good results |
| B．to give someone all the money you owe them |
| C．to pay someone their wages and tell them to leave their job |
| D．to pay someone to keep quiet about something illegal or dishonest |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Miller succeeded in the field that he had never majored in． |
| B．Miller had lots of movie performance experiences when he was in college． |
| C．Miller’s only performance experience in university made him move to Hollywood． |
| D．Miller was chosen to play a role in Prison Break because he is a thoughtful and shy guy. |
It is very likely that Miller will ____________.
| A．pay off all his debts in the end |
| B．not star in another season of Prison Break |
| C．make greater achievements in his career |
| D．move to Hollywood and settle down there |
On December 8, Xinhua News Agency published a list of news keywords that it believes sum up the year 2009.
The phrase “low-carbon life” had been heard in China before 2009, but in 2009, it has become popular among young Chinese who are concerned about the environment. It comes as world leaders are talking about fighting global warming in Copenhagen, Denmark. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, are the main cause of global warming, which leads to extreme weather and other conditions.
Living a low carbon life means trying to cut carbon dioxide emissions(排放) in one’s daily life. For example, burning less coal and oil, which produce CO2. It means walking, biking or taking buses, rather than using a private car.
“A(H1N1) flu” is also on Xinhua’s list. Since April, 2009 the virus has made over 100,000 people ill on the Chinese mainland and 325 people had died of it as of December 9. But as US magazine Newsweek pointed out recently, the best evidence suggests it is no more dangerous than a bad seasonal flu.
The year 2009 saw the growing impact of the Internet on society, with the word “duomaomao”, meaning hide-and-seek, becoming a hit on the web. On February 12, Li Qiaoming died of brain injuries several days after being detained(拘留) by police in Jinning county, Yunnan Province. Police said it was an accident sustained(遭受)while he was playing hide-and-seek with his fellow prisoners. Netizens cast doubt on this explanation and called for an investigation. It turned out that Li had been beaten to death by other prisoners.
Another phrase connected with the Internet on the list is “Net Addiction Camps”. Many parents send children obsessed(沉迷) with the web to “Net Addiction Camps” for treatment. But some camps use physical punishment or electrical shocks. In 2009, some young people died as a result of the extreme methods, which led to a nationwide discussion. In November, the Ministry of Health banned the use of physical punishment to keep children off the net and dropped the term “net addiction(网瘾)”. It did not say that excessive(过度的) net use is a mental illness either.The purpose of the passage is to ___________.
| A．call on the public to live a low-carbon life |
| B．show the great effect of the Internet |
| C．introduce some news keywords of the year 2009 |
| D．warn people not to be addicted to the Internet |
The underlined word “Netizens” in the fifth paragraph refer to_________.
| A．Li’s fellow prisoners |
| B．Li’s friends and relatives |
| C．the local people |
| D．people actively involved in online communities |
What can be inferred from the incident of “duomaomao”?
| A．Hide-and-seek is a dangerous game. |
| B．Li was beaten to death by other prisoners. |
| C．Police did a great job in the investigation (调查). |
| D．It was the influence of the Internet that led to the truth. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The phrase “low-carbon life” had been popular among young people before 2009. |
| B．Global warming mainly results from greenhouse gases. |
| C．A (H1N1) flu is more dangerous than a bad seasonal flu. |
| D．Li Qiaoming died of an accident while playing hide-and-seek with his fellow prisoners. |
Which of the following doesn’t mean a low-carbon life ?
| A．Using a private car. |
| B．Using efficient light bulbs. |
| C．Walking, biking or taking buses. |
| D．Turning your air-conditioner one degree higher. |
Blue is the most attractive eye colour according to a new research.
Blue eyes like those belonging to sexy star Angelina Jolie are the most appealing colour according to a poll of 3,000 18-24 year olds by Fresh Look One Day Colour. Angelina, her partner Brad Pitt and his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston all have blue eyes and have all been named in a top twenty of the world’s most desirable eyes.
The survey found that young folk with blue eyes are generally seen as being more sexy and kind.
And when asked if they would change the colour of their eyes if they could, only one in ten blue-eyed people wanted to, significantly less than people with other colour eyes.
One in three people who didn’t have blue eyes wanted a change.
One quarter of respondents have considered wearing coloured contact lenses(隐形眼镜) to change their eye colour temporarily --- and blue is most wanted colour.
Green was the second most popular colour for those wanting a new look, with respondents saying green-eyed people were usually mysterious and creative.
People with brown or hazel eyes were perceived to be more trustworthy than people with other eye colours.
People with grey eyes were generally thought to be more intelligent than other people, and they were also described as usually being shy.
Blue was the most common eye colour among respondents, with 41 per cent of those who answered the survey having baby blue peepers and 39 per cent having brown or hazel eyes.
The survey also found that 18 per cent of people don’t know what colour eyes their partner has!Which of the following stars doesn’t have blue eyes?
| A．Angelina Jolie | B．Jennifer Aniston | C．Brad Pitt | D．Audrey Hepburn |
According to the study result, if you were a manager and wanted to find a most reliable person, you’d better hire one who has _________ eyes.
| A．blue | B．green | C．brown | D．grey |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．All people don’t know what colour eyes their partner has. |
| B．About 30% people without blue eyes don’t want a change. |
| C．Blue eyes are considered as the best eyes in the world. |
| D．People with grey eyes are thought to be less clever. |
The underlined word “peepers” in the passage could be replaced by ______.
| A．babies | B．colours | C．eyes | D．respondents |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．Different eye colours in the world | B．A survey result on eye colours |
| C．Blue--- the most attractive eye colour | D．My favourite eye colour |