Therearemanyplacesaroundthecit-优题课

B
Deep into the night, the bus pulled into a Howard Johnson’s restaurant and everybody got off the bus except Vingo. The young people began to wonder about him, trying to imagine his life:perhaps he was sea captain; maybe he had run away from wife; he could be an old soldier going home. When they went to the bus, one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself. After a long time, slowly and painfully, he began to tell his story. He had been in prison in New York for the last four years, and he was going home.
“Well, when I was in prison I wrote to my wife. I said, Martha, I understand if you can’t stay married to me. I said I was going to be away a long time, and that if she couldn’t stand it, if the kids kept asking questions, if it hurt her too much, well, she could just forget all about me. I told her she didn’t have to write to me, and she didn’t. Not for the three and a half years.”
“Last week, when I was sure freedom was coming through, I wrote to her. I told her if she had a new young man, I would understand. But if she didn’t, if she would take me back, she should let me know. We used to live in this town, Brunswick, and there’s a great big oak tree just as you come into the town. I told her if she could take me back, she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree, and if she didn’t want me, forget me, no handkerchief and I’d keep going on through.”
Soon all the others were in it. When they were 20 miles from Brunswick, the young people took over window seats on the right side, waiting for the approach of the great oak tree. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into the excon’s mask. Then it was 10 miles, and five, and the bus became very quiet.
Then suddenly all of the young people were up out of their seats, screaming and shouting and crying, doing small dances. All except Vingo.
39.In the story, the yellow handkerchief probably means_______.
A.happiness B.sadness C.I hate you D.I still love you
40.The bus became quiet when it came near the town because all the passengers_______.
A.got tired after a long journey B.got too sad to say anything
C.were anxious to see the oak tree D.were touched by the story
41.The underlined part “All except Vingo” probably implies_______.
A.he found no handkerchief on the oak tree
B.he feared that his wife was playing a joke
C.he felt he could not match his wife any longer, afraid to face her
D.he had complicated feelings at the moment:guilty, grateful as well as excited
42.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Going HomeB.A Handkerchief and an Oak Tree
C.A Long Bus Journey D.A Story of an Oak Tree

第二部分阅读理解(共20小题；每小题3分，满分60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。
A
Beijing Olympics praised at home and abroad
The curtain of the Beijing Olympics dropped on August 24th with a closing ceremony featured with carnival(狂欢节) festiveness. However, it seems that the atmosphere of gathering and celebration still goes on in people’s hearts. The readers of People’s Daily Online have left many messages expressing their admiration for the organizers and share their views on the whole games.
Most of them speak highly of the games by using such words as “extremely successful”, “memorable” and “flawless(无瑕的).” The opening and closing ceremonies have also received wide laud for being “exceptional(罕见的)”, “most attracting”, “unforgettable”, “unique”, “wonderful”, and “splendid”. The following are some of the messages:
“Wo Ai Beijing!!! Such a great event held by an exceptional host. Well done to all in Beijing and many thanks to the volunteers. The Chinese government did very well to keep the games safe for all. By Sudesh”.
“It was the most attracting show I’ve ever seen. Unlikely some country will ever be able to measure up! My deepest respect for all of you & sincere congratulations for these amazing, unique & breathtaking OG. Breathtaking! By Griet.”
“With great respect for the Chinese people and with much interest I have watched closely these unforgettable and unique Olympic Games. I’ve enjoyed the amazing and breathtaking opening & closing ceremonies in Belgium. Please accept my feelings of gratitude and respect. You were all amazing! Congratulations. By Nancy.”
“All the Americans I know think that China did a great job in the Olympics, and that the games and ceremonies were a pleasure to watch and were a triumph of China’s creativity. Jim Richards, Randolph, Mass. USA.”
36.What festival was the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics like?
A.Midautumn DayB.New year’s Day C.Christmas DayD.Carnival Day
37.What does the passage tell us about?
A.The closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
B.People’s congratulations on the Beijing Olympics.
C.People’s praise for the Beijing Olympics and the organizers.
D.People’s admiration for the organizers of the Beijing Olympics.
38.What does the underlined word “laud” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A.Praise. B.Celebration. C.Criticism. D.Comment.

(C)
A weather map is an important tool for geographers. A succession of three or four maps presents a continuous picture of weather changes. Weather forecasters are able to determine the speed of air masses and fronts（冷暖空气团接触的锋）to determine whether an individual pressure area is deepening or becoming shallow and whether a front is increasing or decreasing in intensity. They are also able to determine whether an air mass is retaining its original characteristics or taking on those of the surface over which it is moving. Thus, a most significant function of the map is to reveal a synoptic picture of conditions in the atmosphere at a given time.
All students of geography should be able to interpret a weather map accurately. Weather maps contain an enormous amount of information about weather conditions existing at the time of observation over a large geographical area. They reveal in a few minutes what otherwise would take hours to describe. The United States Weather Bureau issues information about approaching storms, floods, frosts, droughts, and all climatic conditions in general. Twice a month it issues a 30-day “outlook” which is a rough guide to weather conditions likely to occur over broad areas of the United States. These 30-day outlooks are based upon an analysis of the upper air levels which often set the stage for the development of air masses, fronts, and storms.
Considerable effort is being exerted today to achieve more accurate weather predictions. With the use of electronic instruments and earth satellites, enormous gains have taken place recently in identifying and tracking storms over regions which have but few meteorological stations (气象站). Extensive experiments are also in progress for weather modification（改变）studies. But the limitations of modification have prevented meteorological results except in the seeding of super-cooled, upslope mountainous winds which have produced additional orographic (山岳形态的) precipitation on the windward side of mountain ranges. Nevertheless, they have provided a clearer understanding of the fundamentals of weather elements.
72. By reading weather maps, students majoring in geography can .
A. design a project of weather modification
B. interpret the weather condition before the time of observation
C. obtain data on atmospheric conditions over a wide area
D. survey ever-changing fronts in local meteorological stations
73. A thirty-day forecast is determined by examining .
A. daily weather maps B. upper air levels
C. satellite reports D. changing fronts
74. The observation of weather conditions by satellites is advantageous because ______.
A. electronic instruments are used
B. it enables man to alter the weather
C. it makes weather prediction more time-consuming
D. information not obtained readily otherwise can be gained
75. At the present time, experiments are being conducted in .
A. controlling and influencing weather
B. determining density of pressure groups
C. 30-day “outlooks”
D. predicting storms

(B)
Martin Luther King, Jr., is well known for his work in civil rights and for his many famous speeches, among them his moving “I Have a Dream” speech. But few people know much about King’s childhood, Martin Luther as he was called was born in 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia, at the home of his maternal grandfather. Martin Luther’s grandfather, the Reverend A.D. Williams, purchased their home on Auburn Avenue in 1909, 28 years before Martin Luther was born. The Reverend A.D. Williams, an eloquent speaker, played an important role in the community because so many people’s lives centered around the church. He allowed his church and his home to be used as a meeting place for a number of organizations dedicated to the education and social advancement of blacks. Martin Luther grew up in this atmosphere, with his home being used as community gathering place, and was no doubt influenced by it.
Martin Luther’s childhood was not especially memorable. His father was a minister and his mother was a musician. He was the second of three children, and he attended all-black schools in a black neighbourhood. The neighbourhood was not poor, however, Auburn Avenue was the main artery through a prosperous neighbourhood that he had come to symbolize achievement for Atlanta’s black people. It was area of banks, insurance companies, builders, jewelers, tailors, doctors, lawyers and other black-owned or black-operated businesses and services. Even in the face of Atlanta’s segregation (种族隔离), district thrived. Dr. King never forgot the community spirit he had known as a child, nor did he forget the racial prejudice（歧视） that was a seemingly insurmountable barrier that kept black Atlantans from mingling with whites.
68. This passage mainly gives an account of ______.
A. the prejudice that existed in Atlanta B. Martin Luther’s grandfather
C. Martin Luther King’s childhood D. the neighbourhood where King grew up
69. According to the author, King was influenced by ______.
A. community spirit B. black lawyer
C. his mother D. his grandfather’s speeches
70. The word “mingling” in paragraph 2 is the closest in meaning to ______.
A. interfering B. consuming C. associating D. meeting
71. This passage tells us that Martin Luther King, Jr. ______.
A. had a difficult childhood
B. was a good musician when he was a boy
C. loved to listen to his grandfather speak
D. grew up in a relatively rich area of Atlanta

Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
From snow-clogged mountain roads to desert highways, freeways to crowded city streets, Californians face a variety of tough driving conditions. But thanks to savvy driving, they consume proportionately less gasoline the rest of the nation. Here, some tips from the Golden State that will help drivers all over the country to get up to 25% more miles per gallon! By SUSAN NESTOR
FREEWAY FRENZY
● Try to maintain a steady speed — especially on freeways and expressways. Never exceed a steady 55 mph. Varying speed by as little as 5mph can reduce mileage by 1.5 miles per gallon. Avoid constant lane changes to “get ahead.”
● Buy radial tyres. If you do a lot of expressway driving, they can increase mileage by as much as 10%. Your fuel savings will pay for the higher tyre price.
ON CITY STREETS
● Plan your route. City driving consumes about 50% more fuel than highway driving (100% more in crowed traffic). Always choose a route with synchronized traffic signals to get the best run for your money.
● Avoid unnecessary braking. Anticipate（预期）traffic light changes; it takes a lot of extra gas to get the car up to speed again.
COLD
● In winter, keep the car in a garage. It will start up easier, and start-up time is when you use the most gasoline. No garage? Cover the engine compartment with an old blanket or rug to shield it from cold winds; remove before starting up.
● Remove all ice and snow. Driving in snow consumes more gas anyway; no sense hauling around extra weight.
65. All these above are ______ for drivers.
A. notices B. tips C. lessons D. advertisements
66. Highway driving can use about ______ fuel than city driving.
A. 20% more B. 20% less C. 50% more D. 50% less
67. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. In winter, you will have difficulty starting up a car if it is kept in a garage.
B. Drivers should avoid necessary breaking and constant lane changes.
C. A steady 65 mph is the ideal speed to save gasoline.
D. Radial tyres can help increase mileage in expressway driving.