Goldie’s Secret
She turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way, not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before. “We’re moving house.” “No space for her any more with the baby coming.” “We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present.” People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.
I called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given her a more creative name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner’s. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down, always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.
That’s why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn’t hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could.
By the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking (舔) the four puppies (幼犬) I started to feel sympathy towards them. “We didn't know what had happened to her,” said the woman at the door. “I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared.” “She must have tried to come back to them and got lost,” added a boy from behind her.
I must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I’ve learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.How did the author feel about Goldie when Goldie came to the house?
| A．Shocked. | B．Sympathetic. | C．Annoyed. | D．Upset. |
In her first few days at the author's house, Goldie ______.
| A．felt worried | B．was angry | C．ate a little | D．sat by the fire |
Goldie rushed off to a farmhouse one day because she ______.
| A．saw her puppies | B．heard familiar barking |
| C．wanted to leave the author | D．found her way to her old home |
Singapore’s public transport system is one of the best in the world, so you should have no problem finding your way around like a local. There are three main forms of public transport that you would find in any other major city ---trains, buses and taxis
TRAINS
Trains run from 6:00 am to midnight. Single trip tickets start at 80 cents. If you buy an EZ-Link cars for $15, you can ride the trains and buses as you like.
If you need more information, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333.
BUESE
There are several bus services in Singapore and fares start at 80 cents. Be sure always ask the driver the cost of your ticket as he can not give change.
If you need help, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333.
TAXIS
There are three main taxi companies –City Cab(6552 2222), Comfort(6552 1111) and Tibs (6552 8888). Booking can also be easily by calling the numbers listed above.
TENTAL CARS
Driving in Singapore is a pleasure and if you liked to travel at your own pace, renting a car is a good choice. Renting takes away the hassle of getting to places around Singapore. Just sit back and enjoy the city. It also means you’ll get to see a lot more that a trains or a bus won’t let you see.
For car rental, call Avis on + 65 6737 1668.
45 By an EZ-Link card, you can take_______.
A both buses and trains B only trains
C both buses and taxis D only rental cars
46 When you take a bus there, always remember to________.
A take your own license with you B ask the driver how much your ticket is
C buy the bus map of Singapore D book your ticket ahead of time
47 What does the word “hassle” mean in Chinese?
A麻烦 B乐趣 C景点 D费用
48 What do you know about traveling in Singapore from the passage?
A A local has no trouble finding his way around.
B It’s much cheaper to go around by bus than by train.
C You can see a lot more in Singapore only by renting a car.
D It’s very convenient for visitors to travel in Singapore.
第三部分阅读技能 (共三节，满分35分)
阅读理解（共12小题；每小题2分，满分24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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
For most people, the word “fashion” means “clothes”. But people may ask the question, “What clothes are in fashion?” And they use the adjective (形容词) “fashionable” in the same way: “She was wearing a fashionable color.”
But of course there are fashions in many things, not only in clothes. There are fashions in holidays, in restaurants, in films and books. There are even fashions in school subjects, jobs…and in languages.
Fashions change as time goes. If you look at pictures of people or things from the past, you will see that fashions have always changed. An English house of 1750 was different from his grandson in 1860.
Today fashions change very quickly. Some of this is natural. We hear about things much more quickly than in the past. Newspapers, radios, telephones and television send information from one country to another in a few hours.
New fashions mean that people will buy new things, so you see there is money in fashion.
41 From this passage we know that “fashion” means _________.
A clothes B many things C most of the popular things D everything
42 Which of the following things is fashionable today?
A Surfing on the Internet
B Having a family dinner on New Year’s Day
C Learning to sing songs on the radio
D Doing morning exercises at school.
43 Today fashions change very quickly because _______.
A People read newspapers every day
B radios send information from one country to another
C new things that people like are often shown on TV
D people quickly learn what is happening in the world
44 “There is money in fashion.” means ________.
A clothes are expensive B money comes from fashion
C people like new things D there are no fashions without money
In the early days of human history, people lived by hunting wild animals, or gathering wild grains and plants for food. Then, some people learned to grow crops and raise animals for food. They were the first farmers.
Since the sixteenth century, the word farm has meant agricultural land. But a much older meaning of the word farm is linked to economics. The word farm comes from the Latin word, firma, which means an unchanging payment.
Experts say the earliest meaning of the English word farm was a yearly payment made as a tax or rent.
Farmers in early England did not own their land. They paid every year to use agricultural lands.
Beans are a popular farm crop. But beans are used to describe something of very little value in the expression, not worth a hill of beans. The expression is often used today. You could say, for example, that a bad idea is not worth a hill of beans.
Language expert Charles Earle Funk said the expression was first used almost seven hundred years ago. He said Robert of Gloucester described a message from the King of Germany to King John of England as altogether not worth a bean.
49. In the early days of human history, how did people live?
A. By raising animals. B. By hunting wild animals.
C. By growing crops. D. By selling plants.
50. What is the much older meaning of “farm” linked to?
A. Agriculture. B. Industry. C. Economics. D. Changing payment.
51. What does the expression “not worth a hill of beans” mean?
A. Very important. B. Very valuable. C. Not valuable. D. Not expensive.
52. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Since the sixteenth century, the word farm has meant agricultural land.
B. The word farm comes from the Latin word.
C. Farmers in early England owned their land.
D. The expression “not worth a hill of beans” was first used almost seven hundred years ago.
Some schools in the United States offer Chinese language classes with government support from China.
Saint Mary’s School is a private college preparatory school in Medford, Oregon.
Carly Irvine is in her fourth year of learning Mandarin(普通话).
CARLY IRVINE: “Since China and America are working so closely and our relationship is growing more and more, I think it will be very important in the future to know Chinese.”
Saint Mary’s also teaches Spanish, German and Latin. It added Mandarin in two thousand five. Two years ago, it became the first school in the country to join the Confucius Classroom program.
The program pays about half the costs of a teacher sent to a school in the United States. China’s Education Ministry also provides books and other materials.
Saint Mary’s principal, Frank Phillips, says knowing Chinese will help students in a world where China is quickly gaining economic power.
Zheng Ling, a teacher at Saint Mary’s, came from China in two thousand eight.
ZHENG LING: “People do not know much about China, especially the latest development. So I think this is a chance for them to know more about China, what China is really like. It’s quite different from what it was twenty years ago.”
The Confucius Classroom program is in about forty countries, including more than fifty American schools and universities.
A recent report said more schools in the United States are teaching Chinese and Arabic, although the numbers are still low.
45. How many American schools and universities have the Confucius Classroom program?
A. 4. B. 20. C. 40. D. 50.
46. Which of the following is true about Saint Mary’s School?
A. It is a public college preparatory school.
B. It added Mandarin in two thousand six.
C. It became the first school in America to join the Confucius Classroom program.
D. It also teaches Spanish, German and French.
47. How does Carly Irvine think learning Chinese?
A. Helpful. B. Useless. C. Unnecessary. D. Terrible.
48. What’s the passage mainly about?
A. Some US Students Learn Mandarin with China’s Help.
B. China is quickly gaining economic power.
C. Saint Mary’s School.
D. Carly Irvine.
第三部分阅读技能（共三节，满分35分）
第一节阅读理解（共12小题；每小题2分，满分24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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Animals are natural resources that people have wasted all through our history.
Animals have been killed for their fur and feathers, for food, for sport, and simply because they were in the way. Thousands of kinds of animals have disappeared from the world forever. Hundreds more are on the danger list today. About 170 kinds in the United States alone are considered in danger.
Why should people care? Because we need animals. And because once they are gone, there will never be any more.
Animals are more than just beautiful and interesting. They are more than just a source of food. The most important is that every animal has its place in the balance of nature. Destroying one kind of animal can create many problems.
For example, when farmers killed large numbers of hawks(老鹰), the farmers stores of corn and grain were destroyed by rats and mice. Why? Because hawks eat rats and mice. With no hawks to keep down their numbers, the rats and mice multiplied(繁殖) quickly.
Luckily, some people are working to help save the animals. Some groups raise money to let people know about the problem. And they try to get the governments to pass laws protecting animals in danger.
Quite a few countries have passed laws. These laws forbid the killing of any animals or plants on the danger list. Slowly, the number of some animals in danger is growing.
41. Animals are important to us mainly because ______.
A. they give us a source of food B. they are beautiful and lovely
C. they keep the balance of nature D. they give us a lot of pleasure
42. What has happened to the animals on the earth?
A. Hundreds of kinds of animals have disappeared forever.
B. Many kinds of animals have died out.
C. About 170 kinds of animals have disappeared forever.
D. All kinds of animals are in danger.
43. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. People care much about animals because they need them.
B. Once a certain kind of animals is gone forever, there will never be any more.
C. Killing all rats and mice may cause some problems.
D. People must not kill any animals.
44. What can we infer from the fact that quite a few countries have passed laws protecting animals
in danger?
A. Every person will know the importance of protecting wild animals.
B. Animals in danger will not be killed any more.
C. The number of some animals in danger will increase.
D. Animals in danger will be kept away from people.