When Christopher Columbus landed on a land without name in 1502, he saw many Indians wearing gold earrings. So he thought the land must be rich in gold. He named the place Costa Rica, which means “rich coast” in Spanish.
Though little gold was found, Costa Rica today is indeed rich with coffee and bananas. Coffee is the most important product in Costa Rica and most of it is exported to other countries like America and West Germany. Bananas are the country’s second most important export.
Costa Ricans also grow many other crops such as fruits, corn and beans for their own use. Costa Ricans love colors and their houses are painted in bright colors.
Education is very important to the Costa Ricans. Almost every village has a school and education is a must for children between seven and fourteen years of age. Boys and girls go to separate schools. Classes begin in March and end in November. The other three months of the year are harvest time and the children have to help their parents to pick coffee beans.What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．How Columbus found Costa Rica. | B．How Costa Rica got its name. |
| C．What the Costa Ricans wore. | D．What language the Costa Ricans spoke. |
The Costa Ricans may NOT paint their houses ______.
| A．pink and red | B．grey and black | C．blue and green | D．yellow and orange |
In Costa Rica, boys and girls between seven and fourteen ______.
| A．must go to school | B．study in the same school |
| C．do not have to go to school at all | D．can choose to stop schooling at any time |
From December to February, school children in Costa Rica ______.
| A．have lessons every day | B．have their examinations |
| C．help their parents pick coffee beans | D．help their parents decorate their houses |
This passage is mainly about ______.
| A．Christopher Columbus | B．Costa Rica |
| C．some products from Costa Rica | D．the education of Costa Rica |
Shopping in Singapore is really a pleasure for tourists. The Great Singapore Sale is held every year, usually during the summer months. Singapore’s famous shopping stores welcome a great number of visitors from all over the world. Their shopping hours last till midnight. During this time, nice and cheap goods are on sale for tourists to choose from. Tourists can also try delicious foods there and experience the Singaporean nightlife.
Certain stores offer discounts (折扣) of up to 70 percent or even higher if people use their credit cards. For tourists that hold a special Tourist Card, they can enjoy a lot of benefits, such as discounts o
n watches, jewelry and cosmetics (化妆品). The card also gives discounts when you visit local attractions such as the Singapore Zoo.
It is well worth checking out in the different shopping districts o
f Singapore during this 8-week Shopping Marathon. Orchard Road is surely the best place for shopping in the city. A large number of restaurants, clubs and cafes can be found in this area. Marina Bay includes both big department stores as well as small shops, so everything you would want to buy can be found here.
Advice for tourists planning to enjoy this festival of shopping: travel light and take a comfortable pair of shoes with you for you are sure to do a lot of walking and return with your bags much heavier.
53. You probably see the Great Singapore Sale when you go to Singapore in ______.
A. January B. August C. May D. November
54. We can learn from the passage that ______.
A. the Great Singapore Sale is held twice each year
B. the Shopping Marathon lasts for more than two months
C. Orchard Road is Singapore’s best shopping street
D. Marina Bay is a narrow street with small shops
55. Why are tourists advised to travel light if they intend to enjoy the shopping festival?
A. They will buy many goods and have to do lots of walking.
B. It is not safe for them to take heavy bags with them.
C. There is heavy traffic in the shopping districts of Singapore.
D. Travelling with too many things is not allowed in Singapore.
56. The author wrote this passage mainly to ______.
A. tell readers his or her experience and impression of visiting Singapore
B. help readers find the best shopping centres in Singapore
C. explain what has made Singapore popular around the world
D. introduce shopping in Singapore and attract more readers to go shopping there
第三部分阅读技能（共两节，满分26 分）
第一节阅读理解（共12 小题满分18 分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
The song, Let’s Go Get Stoned, is an example of Ray Charles’ own kind of music and is his own sound. He mixed black church music, blues and rock-and-roll and produced a very different sound. Ray Charles could play blues, rock and jazz, and liked other kinds of music, too. He recorded an album (专辑) of country-and-western music, which was an immediate success. The album was called Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. Many of the songs became famous. One of the most popular was I Can’t Stop Loving You. Charles made himself a popular artist and an expert of soul music with the release (发行) of his most popular composition (乐曲作品) What I Say.
During the 1960s Charles appeared in the 1962 film Swinging Along, and the 1966 British film Ballad in Blue. In 1980 he appeared in The Blues Brothers movie and became even more successful. Charles also played an important part in the recording for Africa’s song of We Are the World in 1985.Ray Charles often said that sound and music were his life’s blood. He said many times that he would not trade his musical ability for the ability to see again. He did not give his time and money to help the blind, but helped create and support the Robinson Foundation for Hearing Disorders, which helps people deal with the loss of their hearing. He once said, “Being blind is my handicap (生理缺陷), but my ears are my opportunity. Losing my hearing would have ended my life.”
49. According to the passage, what can we learn about Ray Charles?
A. He lost both his sight and his hearing.
B. He lost his voice and could not sing.
C. He lost his sight.
D. He was disabled in both body and mind.
50. Charles appeared in films and _____.
A. played an important role at the very beginning
B. lost his interest in music in the 1960s
C. achieved great success in The Blues Brothers
D. failed to become successful in the end
51. What can we learn from th
e passage?
A. Ray Charles didn’t want to see again.
B. Let’s Go Get Stoned is Ray Charles’ best song.
C. Ray Charles couldn’t live without music and sound.
D. Charles supported the foundation for the blind.
52. What does the last paragraph tell us?
A. Ray Charles thought it was a big pity that he could not see.
B. Ray Charles paid attention to nothing except sound and music.
C. Ray Charles didn’t help the blind because he hated being blind.
D. He considered his hearing as the most important thing in his life.
Several years ago, I read a book Your Money or Your Life, written by Joe Domingguez and Vicki Robin. The major theme of the book is the idea that if you want to cut your spending, you’ll have to begin by stopping trying to impress other people.
The authors divide people into two groups : people whose opinions you care about, and people whose opinions you don’t care about one way or another. It’s easy to stop caring about people whose opinions you don’t care about. Who cares what they think ? As long as you’re not doing something truly immoral —— something that might potentially create a negative reputation for you —— it doesn’t matter what they think.
But shouldn’t you impress other people whose opinions you do care about ? Anyway, they are people you want to meet : customers, friends and family.
The answer is that you don’t need to impress those people with expensive, shiny things. The relationship you’ve built with them —— or you’re going to build with them —— is based on you, not on the material items. They’ll either like you for you or they won’t.
To put it simply, take care of the basics. Keep yourself clean. Keep your weight under control. Wear reasonable clothing. Work on your communication skills. If you have them covered, you don’t need to invest time and money in impressing other people.
Coming to this realization is incredibly valuable. It drops your clothing budget. It drops your automobile budget. It drops your electronics budget. It drops your housing budget. You don’t need a shiny car, an iPhone, or a ＄50 haircut.
Yes , you may actually still want one or two of these things, but the impetus(动力) comes from what your personal values are, not what other people around you seem to value or what marketing messages you receive.
For some people, it seems impossible. Their social cues come from advertising-laden media and from friends who also get their cues from advertising-laden media.They believe they need a slick cellphone and ＄100 casual clothes. Their self-worth revolves around that little burst they get from impressing others.
People should learn to break through that situation. In short, don’t play socially by the tiring old rules that revolve around needing to impress people. Instead, spend your time on things that bring real value to you and give real value to others.
46. Which of the following behaviours is “immoral”according to the second paragraph ?
A. Caring about other people’s opinion.
B. Dropping your clothing budget.
C. Copying existing works.
D. Obeying the traffic rule.
47. To build relationship with others, you should pay attention to the following EXEPT _______.
A. dressing casually
B. learning about weight control
C. improving communication skills
D. being a tidy person
48. As for people we care about, what does the author advise us to do ?
A. To impress them in a proper way.
B. To buy them special gifts.
C. To spare more time to be with them.
D. To impress them with shiny things.
49. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?
A. An iPhone is totally unnecessary in our life.
B. Your family members’ opinions are always worth caring about.
C. Learning how to impress others helps people save money.
D. You should always be aware of what other people around you seem to value.
50. What is the best title for the passage ?
A. Whose opinions do you care about ?
B. Two different groups of people.
C. My favorite book : Your Money or Your Life
D. Stop trying to impress other people.
Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the longest and most costly presidential campaign in American history. The election results were widely seen as a strong statement by voters on economy. A public opinion study reported by the Wall Street Journal found that about sixty percent of voters considered the economy as the top issue.
Mr. Obama faces the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Dow Jones Industrial Average of leading stocks has lost nearly thirty of its value. The government seized the nation’s two largest home financing companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also took control of the huge insurance company, A. I. G. The government is now a share holder in nine of the country’s largest banks. That will expand to small banks , too. The amount spent on these rescue plans has been close to one trillion dollars. That amount could increase.
Another problem the new administration faces is the budget deficit(赤字). Some experts predict the deficit for next year’s budget could be close to one trillion dollars. Some observers predict that the deficit will limit speeding in economic programs.
Barack Obama has promised a tax cut for middle income Americans. He is seeking fifty billion dollars in aid for states and job creation programs. Mr. Obama has put forward a health care reform plan that costs fifty to sixty-five billion dollars. Obama is also seeking to spend one hundred and fifty billion dollars on new energy technologies over the next ten years.
In addition, Mr. Obama has been discussing a program worth one hundred billion dollars. It includes spending in public works projects and aid to American states, cities and citizens.
41. According to the passage, the election results suggested ___________________.
A. how fierce the presidential campaign was
B. the significance of the election in American history
C. Obama promised to devote himself to economic development
D. how much money was spent during the presidential campaign
42. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is mentioned to show _________________.
A. how serious the economic crisis is
B. the value of all America’s stocks
C. the economy was considered as the top issue
D. what percentage of shares Obama has in leading stocks
43. We know from the passage that _______________________.
A. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are insurance companies
B. the government will become a share holder in small banks
C. money spent on the government’s rescue plan will be decreased
D. the budget deficit will not affect the economic programs
44. Which of the following statements does NOT belong to Obama’s rescue plans?
A. Cutting taxes for middle income Americans.
B. Seeking money for job creation programs.
C. Putting forward a health care reform plan.
D. Stopping spending on new energy technologies.
45. The passage mainly tells us ____________________________.
A. the deepest economic crisis in the 1930’s
B. the result of the presidential election
C. America tries to save the country’s economy
D. how Americans think of the newly-elected president
B．阅读理解：
Now we can see a man and his wife at the breakfast table. They are not speaking to each other.
They haven’t spoken to each other at the breakfast table for years. The husband is reading his newspaper. We can’t see his face. The wife looks very worried as she gets a cup of tea ready for him. Today she is using a new kind of tea for the first time. The husband picks up his cup. He isn’t interested. He tastes his tea. Suddenly he puts down his newspaper. Something is different! Can it be the tea? He takes another taste. It’s wonderful. He smiles. He looks at his wife and says in surprise, “Doris, when did you cut your hair?” Doris is pleased. She answers, “Two months ago.” Doris asks, “Herbie, when did your hair begin to become white?” He answers, “A long time ago.” Doris says, “We have been together for many years, but we never cared about each other.” Now they aren’t worried any longer. Breakfast is different. Has a new kind of tea changed their lives?
36. This story happens______________________.
A. before breakfast B. after breakfast
C. at home D. in a teahouse
37. In the passage, we can see ________________________.
A. Doris is drinking tea B. Herbie likes the new kind of tea
C. Doris is reading a newspaper D. Herbie is very young and good-looking
38. Herbie and Doris lived ______________ before this day.
A. a wonderful B. an unhappy
C. an enjoyable D. a friendly
39. Which of the following statements is true?
A. They are good friends. B. They have just got married.
C. They like to talk about their hair. D. They are no longer young.
40. From the passage, we think it may be ______________.
A. a radio programme B. a short film
C. a computer game D. a beautiful painting