The government of Norway is planning to build an unusual storage center on an island in the Arctic Ocean. The place would be large enough to hold about two million seeds. The goal is to present all crops known to scientists. The British magazine New Scientist published details of the plan last month. The structure will be designed to protect the world’s food supply against nuclear war, climate change and other possible threats. It will be built in a mountain on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. The mountain is less than one thousand kilometers from the North Pole, the northernmost position on earth.
An international group called the Global Crop Diversity Trust is working on the project. The director of the group, Cary Fowler, spoke to New Scientist. He said the project would let the world rebuild agriculture if, in his word, “the worst came to the worst”. Norway is expected to start work next year. The project is expected to cost three million dollars. Workers will drill deep in the side of a sandstone mountain. Temperatures in the area never rise above 0ºC. The seeds will be protected behind walls a meter thick and high-security door.
The magazine report says the collection will represent the products of ten thousand years of farming. Most of the seeds at first will come from collections at seed banks in Africa, Asia and Latin America. To last a long time, seeds need to be kept in very low temperatures. Workers will not be present all the time. But they plan to replace the air inside the storage space each winter. Winter temperatures on the island are about eighteen degrees below 0ºC. The cold weather would protect the seeds even if the air could not be replaced.
Mr. Fowler says the proposed structure will be the world’s most reliable gene bank. He says the plant seeds would only be used when all other seeds are gone for some reason. Norway first proposed the idea in the 1980s. But security concerns delayed the plan. At that time, the Soviet Union was meeting in Rome of the Food and Agriculture Organization.
The project is meant to ______.
| A．increase the world’s food output in the future |
| B．carry out some scientific experiments on plant genes |
| C．protect crop seeds from dying out in case of possible disasters |
| D．build an exhibition centre of the world’s plant seeds |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the above passage?
| A．The government of Norway will perform the project alone. |
| B．Seeds to be collected there were produced ten thousands years ago. |
| C．Spitsbergen is chosen because it is free of the threat unclear war forever. |
| D．Temperature is a major consideration when choosing the storage place. |
We can infer from the text that _______.
| A．People will get newly-developed seeds from the center every year. |
| B．The storage center will greatly promote world agriculture |
| C．Norway had meant to build the storage centre about 30 years before. |
| D．There haven’t been any seed storage centers in the world before. |
What is probably the best title of the passage?
| A．The Best Place to Store Seeds |
| B．Noah’s Ark（诺亚方舟）of Plant Seeds in Plan |
| C．Concerns of World Food Supply |
| D．A New Way to Feed the World |
When my family moved to America from a small village in Guangdong, China, we brought not only our luggage, but also our village rules, customs and culture. One of the rules is that young people should always respect elders. Unluckily, this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States.
I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant. One time, when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple, the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly. I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly. As soon as I said that, her face showed great displeasure. My manager, who happened to hear what I said, took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive(敏感) Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”. I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife. After the couple heard my reason, they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences, so they laughed and were no longer angry.
In my village in China, people are proud of being old. Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty, and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience. Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience.
However, in the United States, people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well. Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging, and women put on makeup, hoping to look young. When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly, they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young. I had told them something they didn’t want to hear.
After that, I changed the way I had been with older people. It is not that I don’t respect them any more; I still respect them, but now I don’t show my feelings through words.
36．Jack brought the couple their food very fast because .
A．the manager asked him to do so
B．he respected the elderly
C．the couple wanted him to do so
D．he wanted more pay
37．When Jack called the couple “elderly”, they became .
A．nervous B．satisfied
C．unhappy D．excited
38．In Jack’s hometown, .
A．people dislike being called “old”
B．people are proud of being old
C．many people reach the age of seventy or eighty
D．the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants
39．After this experience, Jack .
A．lost his job in the restaurant
B．made friends with the couple
C．no longer respected the elderly
D．changed his way with older people
40．Which of the following is TRUE?
A．The more Jack explained, the angrier the couple got.
B．Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience.
C．The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple.
D．From this experience, Jack learned more about American culture.
A young man was getting ready to finish school. For a long time he had looked forward to getting a beautiful sports car. He knew his father could well afford it, so he told him that was all he wanted.
Then on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful gift box. Surprised, the young man opened the box and found a lovely Bible with his name on it. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Bible?” He then rushed out of the house, leaving the Bible.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family, but realizing his father was very old, he thought perhaps he should go to see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make arrangements, he received a phone telling him his father had passed away. He had to come home immediately and take care of the things that his father left him.
When he began to search through his father’s important papers, he saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. He opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he was reading , a car key with a tag dropped from the back of the Bible. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words…“PAID IN FULL”. Sadness and regret filled his heart.
31．The underlined word “that” in Paragraph Ⅰ, means .
A．a car B．a box C．a Bible D．a phone
32．The young man was angry on the morning of his graduation because .
A．his father couldn’t afford a car B．he had to stay in his study
C．he thought he only got a Bible D．his father spent all the money
33．Which of the following isn’t mentioned in the third paragraph?
A．The young man succeeded in his business.
B．The young man lived with his father all the time.
C．The young man decided to see his father.
D．The young man set up his own family.
34．It can be seen from the passage that the young man .
A．came to know the truth at last B．had to pay for the car himself
C．became interested in the Bible D．got angry with his father again
35．Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A．A great father B．Father and son
C．Car and Bible D．Too late to know the fact
第二部分阅读（共两节，满分50分）
第一节阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列四篇短文，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。
Linda Evans was my best friend—like the sister I never had. We did everything together: piano lessons, movies, swimming, horseback riding.
When I was 13, my family moved away. Linda and I kept in touch through letters, and we saw each other on special time—like my wedding and Linda’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back, stamped “Address Unknown. ” I had no idea how to find Linda.
Over the years, I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share happiness of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
One day I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman — Linda’s married name. “There must be thousands of Wagmans,” I thought, but I still wrote to her.
She called as soon as she got my letter. “Mrs Tobin!” she said excitedly, “Linda Evans Wagman is my mother. ”
Minutes later I heard a voice that I knew very much, even after 40 years, laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure: We won’t lose each other again!
26．The writer went to piano lessons with Linda Evans .
A．at the age of 13
B．before she got married
C．after they moved to new homes
D．before the writer’s family moved away
27．They didn’t often write to each other because they .
A．got married B．had little time to do so
C．didn’t like writing letters D．could see each other on special time
28．There was an empty place in the writer’s heart because she .
A．was in trouble
B．didn’t know Linda’s address
C．received the card that she sent
D．didn’t have a friend like Linda to share her happiness or sadness
29．The writer was happy when she .
A．read the newspaper
B．heard Linda’s voice on the phone
C．met a young woman who looked a lot like Linda
D．wrote to the woman whose last name was Wagman
30．They haven’t kept in touch .
A．for about 40 years B．for about 27 years
C．since they got married D．since the writer’s family moved away
In 1990 Peter Salovey Ph. D and John Mayer Ph. D coined the term Emotional Intelligence. Their research has opened many people’s eyes to the fact that EQ or emotional quotient holds the key to one’s happiness and well being, and helped us to realize that our emotional makeup can be so much more important than our mental, or what we refer to as IQ—intelligent quotient.
IQ is essential for learning and mental development and EQ is much more important for happiness and success. Some time ago a study done in the United States proved that doctors who were impatient and did not exhibit much care towards their patients were more likely to be sued (起诉) for malpractice(渎职), whereas doctors who were caring and attentive to their patients were less likely to be sued even if they made a critical mistake. A woman wrote to newspaper recently telling about her brother. He was apparently a genius but did not get along with people, quit every job he started, and eventually became a taxi driver. These are just a few examples of people with high IQ but low EQ.
We have all known people who did not complete college, but who have become very successful in business. We call them street smart. We also know people who, on the whole, are positive, communicative, pleasant and supportive—these people enjoy a high level of EQ.
Many people wish to improve their EQ for the purpose of becoming happier, more successful, and at the same time more balanced, individuals. The remarkable thing about EQ is that it can always, at any age, be improved, unlike IQ, which remains more or less fixed in adult life.
Now psychologists start workshops focusing on showing people how to increase their EQ. This enables them to accomplish their dreams and desires, rid themselves of negative patterns and shows them that once they master their inner world, their outer world becomes much better.
47. In the second paragraph, the author gives us two examples to show that _____.
A. doctors in the United States are often involved in cases
B. working as a taxi driver in the United States requires high EQ
C. those with high IQ are often engaged in the low-rank work
D. those with low EQ have a harder time surviving in life
48. Which of the following can’t be used to describe the people with a high level of EQ?
A. They are positive, communicative, pleasant and supportive.
B. They are optimistic and untroubled by difficulties.
C. They are impatient and show little care towards others.
D. They may be very successful in business.
49. It can be inferred that predicting future successes, ______.
A. a person’s brainpower might actually matter less than a person’s character
B. a person’s IQ might be more important than a person’s EQ
C. IQ plays an important role as well as EQ
D. both IQ and EQ are the key points that should be considered
50. Which of following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. People with high IQ are likely to gain knowledge quickly.
B. At work EQ gets you hired easily and IQ gets you promoted.
C. Having a high IQ will help us in some ways but having a high EQ might help us even more.
D. People’s EQ could be raised much more than their IQ.
During recent years, floods and flash floods have caused billions of dollars in damage each year. They are among the most common and widespread of all natural disasters. Even more importantly, they’re No.1 weather-related killer. A flood can happen anywhere along the Mississippi, in New England, even in the desert.
The following are some fascinating facts about floods and flash floods.
A flood（commonly called river flood）is high flow of water from a river or similar body of water, happening over a period of time too long to be considered a flash flood. Flooding is caused in many ways. Winter or spring rains, together with melting snows, can fill rivers too quickly. Heavy rains from hurricanes or other tropical（热带的）systems can also produce river flooding. The Mississippi River Flood of 1993 was caused by repeated heavy rain from thunderstorms over a period of weeks.
Flash floods are quickly-rising floods which are usually the result of heavy rains over a short period of time, often only several hours or even less. They can also be caused by ice jams（冰塞）on rivers related to a winter or spring melting, or occasionally even a dam break. The constant influx（汇集） of water finally caused a great overflow to begin, powerful enough to sweep vehicles away, roll big stones into roadways, uproot trees, level（夷平） buildings, and knock bridges down. The speed of the rising of water is the most frightening.
Do remember: Move to higher ground and stay away from low areas during heavy rain. Stay out of flooded areas. Never allow children especially to play or walk in flowing water. Never drive your car into water of unknown depths.
43. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The power of floodsB. The damage of floods
C. The occurrence of floods D. The facts about floods
44. The last paragraph is mainly about ______ .
A. flood safety tips B. the reasons for floods
C. the waste water systems D. the swift flood waters
45. According to the passage, people are afraid of _____ most during flash floods.
A. the constant influx of water
B. the sudden occurrence of flash floods
C. the quick rising water
D. the great damage of flash floods
46. According to the passage, flash floods are ______.
A. great floods resulted from heavy rains in a short time
B. floods rising quickly from heavy rains in a short time
C. quickly-rising floods in a long time
D. floods happening over a long time