For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.” (335 words)Which of the following is true of amusics?
| A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them. |
| B．They love places where they are likely to hear music. |
| C．They can easily tell two different songs apart. |
| D．Their situation is well understood by musicians. |
According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who __________.
| A．dislikes listening to speeches |
| B．can hear anything nonmusical |
| C．has a hearing problem |
| D．lacks a complex hearing system |
In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.
| A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier |
| B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy |
| C．her problem could be easily explained |
| D．she were able to meet other amusics |
What is the passage mainly concerned with?
| A．Amusics’ strange behaviours. |
| B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music. |
| C．Musical talent and brain structure. |
| D．Identification and treatment of amusics. |
Do you enjoy reading? Here readers of your age from all over the United States recommend (推荐) great books for you to read:
My favorite book is Don’t Die, My Love by Lurlene McDaniel. I love all her books, but this was the first one I read and I have to say, it is by far my favorite. It doesn’t end like other books, and I cried while reading.
I think Nancy Drew is great! Nancy is a detective (侦探) who has many fantastic ideas! I love it because it’s a book from when my grandma was my age, and I can share the fun with her!
I highly recommend Skinny Bones by Barbara Park. It is funny so please add it on your book list. You don’t want to miss out funny stories！
I would suggest ______ by Judy Blume. It is based on real things that happened to Judy Blume. It is about a girl, Alice, who meets some girls at a new state. They become friends, make a club and meet once a week. They stop after two weeks because they all like a boy in their class and put him as number one. I think every girl should read this because it is about our growing up.
I read a book called Neela: Victory Song and it was so good I read it twice! It takes place in India in 1936 and this 12-year-old girl named Neela tries to save her father! It has lots of history in it! I also learned a lot about different cultures! The author’s name is Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
44. According to the reader, Skinny Bones can be described as a ________ story.
A. sad B. history C. funny D. detective
45. From which book can we learn different cultures?
A. Skinny Bones. B. Nancy Drew. C. Don’t Die, My Love. D. Neela: Victory Song.
46. The best name of the 4th book is ________.
A. My Secret B. Growing Trouble C. Three Friends D. Alice Learns a Lesson
47. Which is TRUE about Nancy Drew?
A. Both the reader and the reader’s grandma love this book.
B. It’s based on real things that happened to the author.
C. It’s about a12-year-old girl who tries to save her father.
D. It doesn’t have a common ending like other books.
第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said,” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked. “Nothing.” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
41. The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.
A. show she was familiar with the city B. see some places for the last time
C. let the driver earn more money D. reach the destination(目的地) on time
42. The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.
A. wanted to do her a favor(帮忙) B. shut off the meter by mistake
C. had received her payment in advance D. was in a hurry to take other passengers
43. What can we learn from the story?
A. Giving is always a pleasure.
B. People should respect each other.
C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.
D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.
Alzheimer’s disease（早老性痴呆病）is a major national health problem．Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease．It is a leading cause of death among the elderly．But Alzheimer’s disease is not confined（限于）to the aged．There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease．
At one time．people suffering from the disease were said to be“getting old”．The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old，but it is now known that Alzheimer’s disease strikes young and old alike．It is an organic disease that destroys brain cells．
Alzheimer’s disease affects the patient’s memory，speech and movement．In the beginning stages of the disease，the patient may seem slightly confused．He may have trouble in speaking．
Then the patient’s memory begins to fail．He may forget dates，telephone numbers，names and plans．
As the disease progresses．the patient may not recognize his family and friends．These symptoms（症状）often cause terrible anxiety in the patient．He may feel lost and frightened．Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior．
In the last stages of the disease．the patient may not be able to take care of himself．He may have lost the ability to speak and walk．
Scientists don’t know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease．It may be caused by a virus or a poisonous substance in the environment．At present，there is no cure for the disease．But there are ways to slow its progress．Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease．
72．The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer’s disease______________．
A．is a terrible part of the aging process B．is an organic disease that affects young and old
C．can be cured by physical treatment D．causes forgetfulness
73．All of the following are symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease EXCEPT___________．
A．forgetfulness B．difficulty in speaking
C．loss of sight D．loss of the ability to walk
74．According to the passage，which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease?
A．Poisons produced by the brain． B．Getting old．
C．A virus． D．Lack of exercise．
75．The progress of Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed by_____________．
A．operation B．a change in environment
C．medicinesD．physical treatment and exercise
Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly stabbed（刺）him with sharp needles, causing blood to pour steadily out of his leg. Jack was getting a tattoo（纹身）. His friend Tony had recently got a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by Tony’s bravery and his tattoo that he decided to get one, too. Peer pressure, media influence and personal expression are some of the common reasons for wearing tattoos today.
The desire to be accepted by one’s friends or peers can have a great influence on what a person does. Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group. Gangs often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group. Some of these groups wear only brand-name clothes. Others wear tattoos. When a person’s friends are all doing something, that person is more likely to do the same．
The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America．A wide variety of media images show tattoos－people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars， famous sports heroes with tattoos in magazines，fashion models wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colourful patterns．These media images link tattoos to ideas of wealth．success and status． As a result，many people decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value．
Many people decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature，their beliefs or their feelings－in other words，to show their individuality（个性）．A musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the arm．Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders．A tattoo can be a public sign to show what is important in a person's life.
As you can see．there are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos. A tattoo can be part of a group’s uniform，a sign of fashion or an expression of individuality．The decision to get a tattoo is most often a result of the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself．For Jack．it was a mixture of all three．
68．Jack has got a tattoo in order to_________________.
A．show his great determination B．gain a special experience
C．make himself more healthy D．be different from others
69．According to the passage，media images are linked to_____________.
A．traditional lifestyles B．social positions
C．cultural backgrounds D．public interests
70．We can infer from the passage that______________．
A．some people get tattoos out of pressure B．a tattoo is related to religious belief
C．getting tattoos costs a lot of money D．most people with tattoos are artists
71．Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
CP：Central Point P：Point Sp：Sub-point（次要点） C：Conclusion
Your cellphone holds secrets about you. Besides the names and numbers that you’ve programmed into it, traces of your DNA remain on it, according to a new study.
DNA is genetic material that appears in every cell. Like your fingerprint, your DNA is unique to you - unless you have an identical twin. Scientists today usually analyze DNA in blood, saliva （唾液）or hair left behind at the scene of a crime. The results often help detectives identify criminals and victims.
Meghan J. McFadden, a biologist at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, heard about a crime in which the suspect bled onto a cellphone and later dropped it. This made her wonder whether traces of DNA remained on cellphones - even when no blood was involved. To find out, she and a colleague collected flip-style （翻盖式）phones from 10 volunteers. They collected invisible traces of the users from two parts of the phone: the outside, where the user holds it, and the speaker, which is placed at the user’s ear.
The scientists cleaned the phones using a liquid mixture made mostly of alcohol. The aim of washing was to remove all detectable traces of DNA. The owners got their phones back for another week. Then they returned the phones and the researchers collected traces on each phone once more. They discovered DNA that belonged to the phone’s owner on each of the phones.
Surprisingly, DNA was even picked up immediately after the phones were cleaned. That suggests that washing won’t remove all traces of evidence from a criminal’s cellphone. So cellphones can be added to the list of clues that can settle a crime-scene investigation.
64. In a crime-scene investigation, now experts are likely to turn to ________.
A. the criminal’s fingerprint B. the DNA analysis of physical items
C. the detectives D. the criminal’s cellphone
65. According to the passage, McFadden was inspired by ________.
A. the secrets stored in people’s cellphones B. the special characters of DNA
C. a cellphone-involved caseD. the challenging job of detectives
66. According to the passage, the potential application of the new study would be ________.
A. identifying criminalsB. designing new cellphones
C. protecting individual privacy D. preventing cellphone-involved crimes
67. Which of the following has the closest meaning with the underlined word “identify” in Paragraph 2?
A. imagine B. recognize C. discover D. determine