Norah had a cottage on a cliff（悬崖）above a big bay. In winter it could be very unpleasant because of strong winds and sea waves. In fact, when a gale was blowing, Norah and her husband got used to sleeping in a small room downstairs, because their bedroom upstairs, which faced the gales, had a very big window, and they were afraid that an extra violent wind might break it and blow pieces of broken glass over them.
Also, the salt wave from the sea put an end to many of the colorful plants Norah planted in her garden. She tried putting up a fence to protect them, but the wind just hit it, went up over the top and then down the other side, so in the end she filled the garden with trees and bushes that liked salt.
But most of the summer Norah enjoyed her cottage and garden very much. At weekends she could sit out-of-doors in the sun, looking at the beautiful view, with interesting ships and boats passing by, and she could very easily cycle down to the sea for a swim.
Now, Norah and her husband had plenty of friends and relations. In the summer lots of them used to come to enjoy the beautiful place, and in the end it really became quite annoying for the couple. When they were at home, they found friends and relations arriving, expecting to be given unlimited drinks and meals, and to sit in the sun for hours, talking as if Norah and her husband had nothing else to do but entertain and listen to them.
This went on for several years. Norah didn’t wish to appear rude by refusing to let her friends and relations in, but on the other hand, she was getting tired every summer.
Then one day Norah was complaining about this to her hairdresser while she was doing her hair. “You’re disturbed by too many uninvited guests, are you?” said the hairdresser. “Why don’t you try my way of escaping?”
“What’s that?” asked Norah.
“Well,” the hairdresser answered, “when the bell rings, I put on my coat and take my shopping bag. If it’s someone I don’t want to see, I say innocently, ‘I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go out.’ But…”The underlined word “gale” can be replaced by _____.
| A．wind | B．ship | C．sea | D．animal |
We can infer that _____.
| A．lots of friends cam to visit them in winter |
| B．few friends came to visit them in winter |
| C．friends came to visit them only for drinks and meals |
| D．Norah was a good cook |
How did Norah go to the sea for a swim?
| A．She went there by ship. | B．She walked there. |
| C．She swam there. | D．She went there by bicycle. |
The hairdresser likely to continue to say “_____” in the end?
| A．if I’m tired, I say ‘Sorry, can you come next time?’ |
| B．if it’s someone I like to see, I say ‘How lucky! I’ve just come in!’ |
| C．if it is fine that day, I say, ‘I’m tired of this, but I’ll show you around the place.’ |
| D．if it’s someone I like to see, I say, ‘How happy to see you! But I was going shopping now .’ |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．A Good Place of Enjoying the Sea | B．A Visit to Norah |
| C．A clever Way of Escaping | D．A Warm-hearted Couple |
When the six very best students from different cities in Guangdong Province all together chose universities in Hong Kong; when the very best students of Beijing picked up HK University while giving up the nearby Beijing or Qinghua University; when the highest enrollment(录取) rate of Hong Kong Science and Industry University reached 48:1, it’s the high time to ask where the real education heaven for students in China is.
Years ago, the answer certainly would be “Beijing or Qinghua University”. But now no one could give the exact reaction without hesitation. The only sure thing is that HK universities have gradually showed an unusual attraction to a great many mainland students.
It’s no doubt to call this HK craze (狂热), which is even out of the expectation of those HK universities themselves.
How can HK universities shake the steady foundations of Beijing and Qinghua and attract so many mainland students?
First, Hong Kong universities offer large-amount scholarship, especially for the top students who can receive the sum scholarship as much as 400,000 HK dollars. Since higher education has become a kind of heavy burden of many families, it’s easy to understand why the reaction to the generous offering of HK universities is great.
Second, most HK universities receive professors and students from all over the world and carry out bilingual (双语) education. This kind of excellent language atmosphere is another attraction for mainland students.
Furthermore, university students in Hong Kong have a better chance to study abroad as exchange students.
Can mainland top universities like Beijing or Qinghua University be calm as before when facing the unexpected competition from HK? Will they take relevant measures to win back the top students who once help them set the worldwide reputation? Time will explain it.
The fierce competition brought by HK universities can be a good thing for an entire improvement of education in China. After the awakening and action-taking of mainland universities, they can perform better together with HK universities.
At least, it reminded the mainland universities the tuition fees (学费) are among students’ top concern when they are choosing universities. It’s time to move.What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．Some thoughts brought by the enrollment of HK universities. |
| B．Higher education in Hong Kong. |
| C．The competition between HK University and Beijing University. |
| D．The fall of mainland universities. |
Top students from mainland apply for HK universities because________.
| A．many students now would love to study abroad to get a better experience |
| B．they concern only about the tuition fees when choosing universities |
| C．HK Universities offer higher scholarship, better environment and more opportunities for their further study |
| D．Beijing University has lost its worldwide reputation |
What is the author’s attitude toward the competition brought by HK universities?
| A．The government should take relevant measures to stop this unfair competition. |
| B．Mainland universities had better lower their tuition fees and win back the top students. |
| C．Universities both in mainland and in HK would get an entire improvement during the competition. |
| D．It may probably cause a complete loss to both sides in the end. |
From the passage we can see HK universities________.
| A．didn’t mean to enroll top students from mainland |
| B．didn’t expect their enrollment of mainland students would be so popular |
| C．have strict enrollment rules and only 1out of 48 students can get the chance to study there |
| D．are proud of their teaching staff and facilities |
The Los Angeles Zoo has many public programs that aim to teach the public about animals and natural protection.
Safari shuttle(旅游电车)
While you’re here, take the Safari shuttle for a quick trip from one end of the Zoo to the other.
All day long, seven days a week (from 10 am to 5 pm), the Safari Shuttle picks up passengers, circles the Zoo, and returns to the main flamingo (火烈鸟) exhibit near the front entrance. You can get on and off the shuttle as often as you like.
Food
Safari Café (at the Zoo entrance) offers Starbucks coffee, fresh-baked cookies, and ice cream. Gorilla Grill is the spot for toasted food, kids’ meals, snacks, and ice cream. La Casita serves a variety of Mexican food and refreshments（甜点）. Silverback’s Cafe offers sandwiches, salads, bread bowls, cold beer, and refreshments.
Hour
The Zoo is open from 10 am to 5 pm every day of the year except Christmas Day. Special summer long hours are until 6 pm. from July 1 to September 7. Please remember, the Zoo starts putting animals in for the night at 4 pm during regular hours, and at 5 pm. during summer hours.
Admission Prices(票价)
Adults (aged 13 and above): $ 9
Seniors (aged 62 and above): $ 6
Children (aged 2 to 12): $ 4
Children (under 2): free
Items Not Allowed on Zoo Grounds
Alcohol, Glass bottles, Pets, Bicycles, Skateboards, and In-line skate.
If you are planning a picnic while visiting the Zoo, please do not bring any glass items or other things that are easy to break. Also for the safety of the animals, no plastic bags are allowed within the Zoo.Which of the following provides kids’ meals?
| A．Safari Café. | B．Gorilla Grill. | C．La Casita. | D．Silverback’s Café. |
People can see all the animals at the Los Angeles Zoo at ______.
| A．11 am. on Christmas Day | B．4:30 pm. on May 5 |
| C．3 pm. on March 5 | D．6 pm. on September 7 |
How much does it cost if a couple with their one-year-old twins visit the Los Angeles Zoo?
| A．$18. | B．$26. | C．$22. | D．$17. |
When visiting the Los Angeles Zoo, people can______.
| A．ride a bike through the Zoo | B．have a picnic on the Zoo grounds |
| C．take food with plastic bags | D．take their pets along |
Earthquakes are the shaking, rolling or sudden shock of the earth’s surface. Earthquakes happen along “fault lines” in the earth’s crust. Earthquakes can be felt over large areas although they usually last less than one minute. Earthquakes cannot be predicted —— although scientists are working on it!
Most of the time, you will notice an earthquake by the gentle shaking of the ground. You may notice hanging plants swaying or objects wobbling on shelves. Sometimes you may hear a low rumbling noise or feel a sharp jolt. A survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco said the sensation was like riding a bicycle down a long flight of stairs.
The intensity（强度）of an earthquake can be measured. One measurement is called the Richter scale. Earthquakes below 4.0 on the Richter scale usually do not cause damage, and earthquakes below 2.0 usually can’t be felt. Earthquakes over 5.0 on the scale can cause damage. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake is considered strong and a magnitude 7.0 is a major earthquake. The Wenchuan Earthquake, which hit Sichuan Province in 2008, was magnitude 7.8.
Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes, shakers or seismic activity. The most important thing to remember during an earthquake is to DROP, COVER and HOLD ON. So remember to DROP to the floor and get under something for COVER and HOLD ON during the shaking. Which statement about earthquakes is Not correct?
| A．Earthquakes are the result of the sudden shock of the earth’s surface. |
| B．Earthquakesusually can be felt because they can last for a long time. |
| C．There are usually some signs for people to notice an earthquake. |
| D．People can feel an earthquake over 6.0 because it is very strong. |
According to the passage, when the earthquake happened, a survivor of the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco_______.
| A．was riding a bicycle | B．was just climbing the stairs |
| C．heard a low rumbling noise | D．felt like riding a bicycle |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Most of the time, people can not feel or predict the earthquakes. |
| B．Earthquakes are sometimes called temblors, quakes shakers or seismic activity. |
| C．The Wenchuan Earthquake, which hit Sichuan Province in 2008 caused serious damage. |
| D．When an earthquake happens, it is important to drop on the floor immediately. |
The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small single-engined aeroplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad weather. To make things worse, her altimeter (高度表) failed and she didn’t know how high she was flying. At night, and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times, her plane nearly plunged (冲) into the sea.
Just before dawn, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames (火焰) coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except keep going and hope.
In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous.
What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of fourteen hours and fifty-six minutes.
In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion she set a new record for flying time. Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation (航空) and that air travel was useful.Which of the following statements is NOT the difficulty which Amelia Earhart met in her flight from north America to England?
| A．She was caught in a storm. | B．The altimeter went out of order. |
| C．Her engine went wrong. | D．She lost her direction. |
When Amelia Earhart saw flames coming from the engine, what did she do?
| A．She did nothing but pray for herself. |
| B．She changed her direction and landed in Ireland. |
| C．She continued flying. |
| D．She lost hope of reaching land. |
According to the passage, what was Amelia Earhart’s reason for making her flights?
| A．To set a new record for flying time. |
| B．To be the first woman to fly around the world. |
| C．To show that aviation was not just for men. |
| D．To become famous in the world. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Amelia Earhart—First Across the Atlantic. |
| B．Amelia Earhart—Pioneer in Women’s Aviation. |
| C．A New Record for Flying Time. |
| D．A Dangerous Flight from North America to England. |
阅读理解(共5小题；每小题2分．满分10分)
根据短文内容，在相应题号后的横线上写下相关信息(不多于七个单词)，完成对该问题的回答。答语要求结构正确，书写工整，字迹清楚。
The Fun They Had in School
On the page headed May l7，2517，Margie wrote in her diary，“Today Tommy found a real book!”
It was a very old book covered with dust．Margie’s grandfather once said that long ago all stories were printed on paper
“What is it about?” asked Margie
“School”
“School? What’s there to write about school? I hate school．”
Margie hated school now more than ever．The electric teacher had bee giving her drill after drill in geography and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had finally sent for someone to fix the teacher
The man came with a whole box of tools．He turned off the elecuicity，and started to repair the teacher．There was a momtor that showed questions，and a hole where Margie had to put compositions and test papers．The electric teacher marked the paper quickly．
Margie asked Tommy，“Why would anyone write about school?”
“Because it’s the school they bad hundreds of years ago”
Margie read the book for a while，then said，“Anyway，they had a teacher？”
“Yes，but it was a man”
“A man? How could a man be a teacher?”
“Well，he just told the kids things and gave them homework”
“A man isn’t smart enough．”
“Sure he is．My father knows as much as my teacher’’
“But I wouldn’t want a strange in my house to teach me．”Margie argued
Tommy laughed．“The teacher didn’t live in the house．They had a special building and all the kids went there”
“And all the kids learnt the same thing?”
“Sure，if they were the same age”
They weren’t even half-finished when Margle’s mother called．“Margfa! School!”
Margie went into the school next to her bedroom，and the electric teacher was waiting far her them．It was the same way every day except Saturday and Sunday
The monitor lit up，and it said，“Please put yesterday’s homework in the proper hole”
Margie sighed and threw a dirty sock at the machine．She was thinking about the old days．All the kids from the whole neighborhood came to the school，Iaughing and shouting in the yard．They could even help one another with the homework
And the teachers were people!
How happy they were in the old days，Margie thought．
1．When did the story in the passage take place?
2．Wny did Margie hate school?
3．How did Margie feel when she heard that teachers of hundreds of years ago were people instead
of machines?
4．How did kids in Margie’s time receive education?
5．What does the underlined word“They”refer to in the title?