WhileNickwasonthebus,readinghi-优题课

第二部分：阅读理解（共25小题，每小题2分，满分50分）
第一节：阅读下列短文，然后从所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该项涂黑。
A
The best Mother’s Day gift I ever received was a magnolia(木兰)tree. At first, it was a tired little thing, but it was mine, and I know I would treasure it.
Magnolia trees were my mother’s favorite. We had one in the front yard of our house when I was growing up. I can still remember Mom’s pleasure upon seeing the buds. “Oh, look,” she’d cry out every year, “the magnolia tree is going to bloom(开花)—just in time for my birthday.” And sure enough, on April 19, her birthday, the graceful pink-and-white flowers would be all over the branches, announcing the arrival of spring.
Back then, I didn’t find the blooming of a tree to be an event worthy of celebration. A new toy, a pretty dress or a trip to the amusement park—those were exciting. But my mother had a way of appreciating the smallest things as wonders. A baby’s smile, or a call from an old friend filled her with happiness.
On the first Mother’s Day following her death six years ago, I wasn’t sure how I’d manage. Reminders of my mother’s absence seemed to be everywhere.
That Sunday morning I awoke to a quiet house, with warm sun streaming through the windows. I wondered where my husband had gone with our two daughters, Kira,4, and Sophie, 9 months. As I was relaxing in bed, enjoying the peace, Kira suddenly burst through the bedroom door.
“Look outside, Mommy!” she ordered. There, in the yard, David was digging a hole. Next to him was a little tree whose roots were wrapped.
“It’s a magnolia tree,” Kira said, though I didn’t need to be told. I raised the window and called out to David. “Happy Mother’s Day!” he said.
It was. Although I didn’t have my mother any longer, I had her tree, and each year since, I’ve had her enthusiasm(激情). Now when we pull up to our house on a bright spring day, I say to my daughters, “Oh look! The magnolia’s about to bloom.” And when it does, we admire its beauty and use it as a chance to talk about my mother and her love for flowers.
What time does the magnolia bloom according to the passage?

A. In spring.	B. In summer.
C. During the writer’s birthday.	D. Around Mother’s Day.

42. What impresses the writer most about her mother was __________.

A. her care of children	B. her love for flowers
C. her devotion to family	D. her appreciation of life

43. By saying “I had her tree” (Paragraph 8), the writer most probably implies that _______.

A. the magnolia tree was just her mother’s favorite

B. she owned the same kind of tree as her mother once had

C. the same kind of tree could often remind her of her mother

D. the tree could take the place of her mother in her memory

44. The writer’s purpose in writing the passage is to __________.

A. describe her happy family life	B. recall her childhood experiences
C. show how she loves magnolia trees	D. express her love for her dead mother

E
How do successful people think? What drives them? Interviews and investigations show that there are several keys to success that successful people share.
First of all, successful people never blame someone or something outside of themselves for their failure to go ahead. They realize that their future lies in their own hands. They understand that they cannot control things in life, such as nature, the past and other people. But in the meantime, they are well aware that they can control their own thoughts and actions. They take responsibility for their life and regard this as one of the most empowering things they can do. Perhaps what most separates successful people from others is that they live life “on purpose”—they are doing what they believe they are put here to do. In their opinion, having a purpose in their life is the most important fact that enables them to become fully functioning people. They hold that when they live their life on purpose, their main concern is to do the job right. They love what they do —and it shows people want to do business with them because of their devotion to their jobs. To live their life on purpose, successful people find a cause they believe in and create a business around it. Besides, they never easily give up. Once they have set up goals in their life, they are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Top achievers always keep in mind what they don’t have forever. Rather than seeing it negative or depressing, they use the knowledge to encourage themselves to move on and go after what they want energetically and passionately.
67. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. How do people make plans? B. How do people do business?
C. How do people live their life on purpose? D. How can people be successful?
68. By living life “on purpose ”successful people can ________
A. concentrate on their jobs
B. do business with many people easily.
C. do a lot of work without using more money.
D. share what they have with every one unselfishly.
69.The pronoun “it” (Line 10.Para.2) refers to _____
A. the job that successful people do
B. the main concern of successful people
C. the devotion with which successful people do their job
D. the business that successful people do with other people.
70. According to the passage _______.
A. successful people are always rich
B. successful people have no weaknesses
C. successful people are quite similar to average people
D. it seems successful people usually share the same strengths

D
Hawking has left much for Chinese to think about.
British physicist Stephen hawking, possible the world’s most famous scientist after Albert Einstein, gave lectures in Zhejiang and Beijing in August.
An illness left him unable to move any part of his body except for three fingers. But his continuing efforts in the field of science have made many young people take him as their idol（偶像）.
His books, such as A Brief History of Time, become bestsellers in Chinese bookstores. “Hawking helps people enlarge their horizons and become interested in science,” said Pan Yunhe, president of Zhejiang University.
Indeed, experts don’t think it likely that Hawking’ s lectures and profound（深奥的） ideas will be easily understood by the average person. But he has certainly sowed the seeds of science among many young people.
And the “Hawking fever” caused by his visit has made people ask: How can China produce more top scientists like Hawking?
“Nurturing（培养）top scientists will take as much work to change society as to educate the scientists themselves,” said Zhang Fan. Zhang has studied in the UK since 1999 and will be a second – year student at Trinity College in October.
In Britain, Zhang said, teachers inspire students to have a general understanding of the subjects they are interested in. And they encourage students to develop new ideas, which helps them to nurture their creativity.
In China, the Department of Education has encouraged schools to provide quality education to develop students’ potential（潜力）.
“I hope teachers will pay more attention to helping us use our imaginations and solve problems on our own,” said Lu Jie, a Junior Three student in Sanfan Middle School in Beijing.
63. _________ have made young people take Hawking as their idol.
A. Hawking’ s ongoing devotion to science
B. the fact that Hawking is a famous physicist
C. Hawking’ s lectures in Zhejiang and Beijing
D. the fact that Hawking can just move three fingers
64. In paragraph 4, the underlined word “horizons” means “_________”.
A. one’s knowledge of science B. one’s sight of the subjects
C. the area of one’s knowledge D. the line where earth and sky meet
65. From the passage we learn that _______.
A. Hawking’ s books were not popular in China before his visit
B. most schools in China provide quality education to develop students’ potential
C. to nurture top scientists, teachers should solve all the problems for the students
D. ordinary people in China may find Hawking’ s ideas beyond their comprehension
66. The last three paragraphs mainly tell us_______.
A. students in Sanfan middle school are more imaginative
B. teachers should encourage students to be more creative
C. British students do not work as hard as Chinese students
D. top scientists won’t appear even if schools provide quality education

C
When the first European arrived in the land now called Canada, around 400 years ago, there were about 350,000 native people living there. Most of these people were later forced to live in separate places, called reserves, away from the cities where the Europeans settled.
The French and the British both settled in Canada and fought for the control of it. Finally in 1763 Britain defeated France and Canada became a British colony. Today both English and French are the official languages of Canada. Most French-speakers live in Quebec Province.
Canada became a separate country from Britain in 1867. At that time it had a population of 3.4 million. Today Canada’s population is 30 million as a result of immigration（移民）.
The first Chinese immigrated to Canada in the late 1800s. More have recently arrived and like to live in either Toronto, Canada’s largest city, or in Vancouver on the Pacific coast.
Canada is a cold, northern country with long winters, so winter sports are popular. Ice hockey is known as Canada’s national sport. However, Canadians also like to make the most of the short summer and enjoy picnics by the lakes or hiking in the mountains.
Canadians love to travel across their huge country and usually do so by car. But to get to some places you need to take a ferry. Really long journeys from the east to the west coast are taken by train or by plane.
Canadians celebrate many different holidays. One of the most important is Canada Day on July 1st which recalls when Canada became united. Another important day honors Britain’s Queen Victoria. It is called Victoria Day and is held on the last Monday in May. Like the USA, Canada also celebrates Thanksgiving.
59. We can infer from the first paragraph that _________________.
A. Canada has a history of about 400 years long
B. Europeans are the first people to arrive in Canada
C. Native Americans were not treated equally in Canada
D. Europeans and Native Americans always lived peacefully together
60. The first Chinese immigrants to Canada _______________.
A. came in 1867 B. lived in Toronto and Vancouver
C. added up to 30 million D. arrived in the late nineteenth century
61. The underlined part in the fifth paragraph is closest in meaning to _________________.
A. to make full use of B. to offer the best of
C. to give up the biggest joy of D. to work through most of
62. The passage is mainly about ______________.
A. the history of Canada B. transport in Canada
C. basic knowledge about Canada D. the geography of Canada

B
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
55. Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A. Parents bring up children.
B. Parents give love and care to children.
C. Parents pass away before children grow up.
D. Parents educate children to be good persons.
56. Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
A. It has only two kinds of colors.
B. It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.
C. People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May.
D. It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
57. What do you know from the passage?
A. Not all the children respect their parents.
B. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.
C. Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.
D. Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.
58. On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, _________.
A. people usually have family parties
B. everyone goes to visit the cemetery
C. children always go to parents’ home
D. hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts