Every culture has a recognized point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed.
In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they drive into the grown-up world.
“Nobody wants to ride the cheese bus to school,” said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She brought the pressure back to memory, especially from kids from wealthier families. “It’s like you’re not cool if you don’t have a car,” she said.
According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.
Not all families can afford cars for their children. In cities with subways and limited parking, some teenagers don’t want them. But in rich suburban areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
But police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents pause before letting their kids drive.
Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17 to apply for his learner’s permit.
Chad said he has accepted his parents’ decision, although it has caused some teasing from his friends. “They say that I am unlucky,” he said, “But I’d rather be alive than driving, and I don’t really trust my friends on the road, either.”
In China, as more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult?Which may serve as the BEST title of the article?
| A．Cars Helping You to Grow-Up | B．Driving into the Grown-Up World |
| C．Teenagers’ Driving in America | D．Recognized Point of Becoming an Adult |
16-year-old drivers have more accidents possibly because .
| A．they want to show themselves off | B．they are never experienced drivers |
| C．older people always drive better | D．they never drive carefully on the road |
Which may NOT be taken into consideration when deciding whether to buy a car?
| A．How well off the family is. |
| B．Whether the kid is old enough. |
| C．What traffic condition there is around. |
| D．Whether it’s practically needed. |
When Chad said “I don’t really trust my friends ...”, he meant that .
| A．he might run into his friends if he drove |
| B．he didn’t agree with his friends |
| C．he might not be safe if his friends drove |
| D．he was afraid that his friends might well lie to him |
The passage mainly gives information about .
| A．an American culture |
| B．a cultural difference between America and China |
| C．a change in the Chinese culture |
| D．the relationship between driving and a person’s development |
B
From the earliest times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures. Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort(炮台). In 1190, it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat(护城河) to keep out his enemies.Over the years, the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle was no longer needed as a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens. During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged. When Francis I became king of France in 1515, he brought in artists from many countries. One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ is the best known painting in the museum today. In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy. 60. On the whole, this passage is mainly about________.A. an art museum called the Louvre
B. an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci C. a king of France named Francis I
D. the best known painting in Louvre 61. Which of the following is not true？A.The Louvre used to be a fort a very long time ago．B.French kings and queens once lived in it．C. The Louvre was taken by enemies in 1190．D. Many treasures were brought into the Louvre over the years．62. Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums？A.It helps people remember who the King of France is．B.It keeps people out of the palaces．C.It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art．D.It helps people to know who is the greatest artist．63. From the passage we know that _____．A. it is not possible for treasures to be stolen B. old forts always make the best museums C. great art should be shared with all the people D. king Francis I of France brought in artists from an old fort
第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
A
I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don’t have names; in Japan, people use landmarks(地标) in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
56. When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ______.
A. describe the place carefully
B. show him a map of the place
C. tell him the names of the streets
D. refer to recognizable buildings and places
57. What is the place where people measure distance in time?
A. New York. B. Los Angeles. C. Kansas. D. Iowa.
58. People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer ______.
A. in order to save timeB. Los Angeles.
C. so as to be polite D. for fun
59. What can we infer from the text?
A. It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences.
B. It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly.
C. People have similar understandings of politeness.
D. New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors.
E
A letter to Edward, a columnist (报刊专栏作家)
Dear Mr. Expert:
I grew up in an unhappy home. I always promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible. Now, at the age of 20, I have a good job and a nice house, and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.
Here’s the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine so much that they make mine theirs.
It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and stay out forever.
I enjoy having my friends here sometimes — it makes the place feel comfortable and warm — but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can’t I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy(隐私)?
Joan Edward’s reply to Joan
Dear Joan:
If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have
trouble letting others know your needs now.
And if you’ve gathered your friends
around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere, you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with— or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it’s okay to put your own needs first from time to time.
Be clear about the message you want to send. For example,
“I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call before you come over.”
Edward
73. We can learn from the first letter that Joan .
A. lives away from her parents B. takes pride in her friends
C. knows Mr. Expert quite wellD. hates her parents very much
74.We can infer from the first letter that .
A. Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy
B. Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept
C. Joan doesn’t like the parties at all
D. Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over
75. According to Mr. Expert, why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?
A. She likes her friends very muchB. She does not understand true friendship.
C. Her family experience stops her from doing so. D. She does not put her needs first.
D
A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders. Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience (服从), while children complained (抱怨) that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric (结构) of our society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation (职业). In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap b
etween the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities.
No
doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature (特点) of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes.
69. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ____________.
A. the generation gap suddenly appeared
B. the generation gap is a feature of modern social life
C. people can reduce the generation gap
D. many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap
70. The word “around” in Paragraph 1 means ____________.
A. on all sides B. near C. in every direction D. in existence
71. In American society, young people often ____________.
A. depend on their parents to make a life
B. stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education
C. seek the best advice from their parents
D. have very little in common with their parents
72. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Parents should be strict with their children.
B. The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom.
C. The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation.
D. The generation gap does not exist in American society.
C
Kerry and Alice were both artists in Britain. They taught drawing and painting at Cambridge University. Although they were friends, each thought oneself to be the better painter.
One day, Kerry promised marriage to Alice. Surprised and pleased by the offer, the girl was not sure whether she would spend her future as a wife or a painter. After a moment she replied as follows, "Each of us must paint a picture. If yours is superior to mine, you can make me your wife. If not, please drop the question." Then it was
decided to give it the following day.
The next morning. Alice hung her picture on the gate. It showed a bunch of flowers and won high praise from everyone who passed by. In fact, a crowd collected in front of her masterpiece and fixed eyes on it.
Several hours passed. Then Kerry was seen coming along to the gate with what appeared to be a beautiful leather suitcase in his hand. When he finally stopped before Alice, the girl artist brushed like a rose and agreed to marry him without any hesitation. Why?
64．What did Alice think Kerry's offer?
A. She liked Kerry, but she didn't expect him to promise marriage to her.
B. She didn't want to marry anybody.
C. She didn't like it at all.
D. She thought the offer wasn't polite.
65．In the sentence "If yours is superior to mine, you can make me your wife"。 "superior to" here means ____.
A. not so better thanB. better than C. so good asD. as good as
66． Which of the following is true?
A. Kerry didn't accept Alice's suggestion.
B. Kerry wasn't sure of his painting so he dropped his offer.
C. Kerry did go the next day, but he failed to take a picture
D. Kerry agreed to Alice's suggestion.
67．Alice's picture won high praise because ____.
A. it was true to nature B. the flowers were red
C. it showed so large a bunch of flowers D. people felt it strange to hang it on the gate
68．The "leather suitcase" was in fact ____.
A. a real one B. a painting drawn by Kerry
C. a box with a picture i
n it D. made up of leather