“I’ve changed my mind. I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my dad back.” Lucien Lawrence’s letter to Father Christmas, written after his father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched everyone’s heart. Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn’t see the stars in the sky. When those we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while.
But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again. And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father there too, either in your mind or heart. I find that my parents, who died years ago, still linger (留连) in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive. I still live to please them and I’m still surprised by their reactions. I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself that I couldn’t wait to cable my parents. The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all my mother said was “I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!” I haven’t forgotten. The values of my parents still live on.
It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care. Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence has been to face the aggressors(入侵者), and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas? It’s a serious thought, which gives me pause.
I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet “Deliver my soul from the sword and my darling from the power of the God.” Yet I know death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan to live together, but lives as if we will die tomorrow. We live on, I’m sure, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure. If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today.According to the whole text , we can see that the first paragraph ________.
| A．puts forward the subject of the text |
| B．shows the author’s pity on the kid |
| C．serves as an introduction to the discussion |
| D．makes a clear statement of the author’s views |
In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us ________.
| A．how much he misses his parents now |
| B．why his parents often appear in his dream |
| C．when Lucien will get over all his sadness |
| D．how proud he was when he succeeded in life |
In the author’s opinion, the value of a person’s life is ________.
| A．to leave a precious memory to the people related |
| B．to have a high sense of duty to the whole society |
| C．to care what others will remember and treasure |
| D．to share happiness and sadness with his family |
What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem?
| A．Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns. |
| B．Advise parents to stay with their children safely at home. |
| C．Spend every day meaningfully in memory of death. |
| D．Try to keep violence and murder far away from society. |
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40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。
Most American children eat potatoes every day, but they don't know which part of potato is most nourishing(有营养的).Take a sharp knife and cut a very thin slice(薄片) from it and hold it to the light, you will see that the potato has skin, an outside rim(边缘) and the inner part. The outside rim which is right under the skin is most nutritious(有营养).But this part is often thrown away with the skin. Even the skin itself is better for food than the inside. When eating a cooked potato, if you choose the inside and leave the outside, you are wasting the best part of it. If you can’t eat the whole potato, it is better to eat the outside rim and leave the inner part.
61. A potato has _____.
A. one part only B. two parts C. three parts D. four parts
62. The best part of the potato is the _____.
A. middle B. skin C. outside rim D. inside
63. In fact, the skin is _____.
A. no good at all B. better than the inside part
C. better than the outside rim D. as good as the outside rim
64. What does this lesson tell about potatoes? It tells us _________.
A. how to cook them B. how to cut potatoes
C. what is a potato made up of D. how to eat them
Professor Martin’s report says that children who attend a number of different schools，because their parents have to move around the country，probably make slow progress in their studies. There are also signs，says Professor Martin，that an unusually large number of such children are mentally affected. The professor says，“It’s true，my personal feeling is that children should stay in one school. But our findings are based on research and not on any personal feelings. ” Captain Thomas James，an Army lecturer for the past 20 years and himself a father of two，said，“I’ve never heard of such rubbish. Taking me for example. no harm is done to the education of my children，who change schools regularly—if they keep to the same system，as in our Army schools. In my experience—and I’ve known quite a few of them—Army children are as well adjusted as any others，if not more so. What the professor doesn’t appear to appreciate is the fact that in such situation children will adapt much better than grown-ups.”When this reached Professor Martin，he said that at no time had his team suggested that all children were backward or mentally affected in some way，but simply that in their experience there was a clear tendency.“Our findings show that while the very bright children can deal with regular changes without harming his or her general progress in studies，the majority of children suffer from constantly having to enter a new learning situation.” Professor’s Martin’s report suggests that
| A．it may not be good for children to change schools too often |
B．parents should not move around the country |
C．changing schools is the reason of children making slow progress |
D．more and more children are mentally affected |
According to the passage，Professor Martin's personal feeling.
| A．is the opposite of what his report has shown |
B．is in a way supported by his research |
C．has played a big part in his research |
D．is based on the experience of his own children |
From the passage，we can conclude that Captain James’ children_____.
| A．have been affected by changing schools |
B．go to ordinary state schools |
C．can get used to the Army school education |
D．discuss their education regularly with their father |
About children and grown-ups，Captain James says that children____.
| A．are generally poorly-adjusted | |
| B．are usually less experienced |
C．can adapt much more easily |
| D．can deal with changes quickly |
Many boys love reading about the legends of old pirates (海盗) and dreaming of their own wild adventures. But modern pirates are not a thing of the past. Last month Somali pirates did their boldest hijacking (劫持) to date. They seized the Saudi supertanker (超大型油轮) Sirius Star carrying crude oil worth about $100 million. They demanded $15 million to free the ship and its crew.
The pirates have kept hitting the headlines this year: 92 attacks have been attempted, with 36 successful hijackings and 268 crew members taken hostage (人质). The Chinese fishing ship Tianyu 8, with 17 Chinese and 8 foreigners on board, has been in their hands since November 14.
Of course piracy (海盗行为) is nothing new. Even since there has been water and ships there have been pirates. The earliest documented history of pirates dates back to the 13th century in the Mediterranean Sea. Even the famous Roman emperor Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates.
Piracy reached its peak in the mid-1700s. It was during this time in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa that men like “Blackbeard the Pirate” made this profession attractive. But with the creation of stronger national Navies piracy became less popular around the world.
In the mid-20th century, most pirates were petty (小规模的) thieves. They used hooks to sneak (偷偷摸摸) on board ships at anchor, and grabbed all that they could find. These pirates were more likely to flee than fight if faced by the crew.
However, nowadays piracy has become a multi-million-dollar business at tracting many in poor countries. Pirates are treated like heroes among local fishermen.
They use satellite phones and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Once they spot their target, they swarm the ship with fast boats and shoot it by firing AK-47s or even rocket-propelled grenades (火箭榴弹炮). Then they hold the ship and its crews for money.
“The world should take forceful actions together to fight piracy,” said leaders at the Asian and Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru.
“However, putting in anti-piracy army can only be half of the solution. We have to protect the fair chance of Somali fishermen to get a good living and keep them from the lure of easy money,” said Peter Lehr, a lecturer in terrorism studies. When did piracy reach its peak?
| A．In the 13th century. | B．In the mid-1700s. |
| C．In the mid-20th century. | D．November 14, 2008. |
What does the underlined sentence probably mean?
| A．Pirates were very bold at first. | B．Pirates were very popular then. |
| C．Pirates were very attractive then. | D．Pirates were not so bold at that time. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The pirates have committed 92 crimes successfully this year. |
| B．Piracy became more and more popular as the national Navies became powerful. |
| C．Nowadays, pirates are learning to use modern weapons to commit crimes at sea. |
| D．On November 18, a Chinese ship was attacked by a suspected pirate ship. |
From the earliest times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world's art treasures. Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort(炮台). In 1190, it was the king's castle with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat to keep out his enemies.5uOver the years, the number of buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle was no longer needed as a fort. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens. During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged. When Francis I became king of France in 1515, he brought in artists from many countries. One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci’s ‘Mona Lisa’ is the best known painting in the museum today. In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy. On the whole, this passage is mainly about________.
| A．an art museum called the Louvre | B．an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci |
C．a king of France named Francis I | D．the best known painting in Louvre |
Which of the following is not true？
| A．The Louvre used to be a fort a very long time ago． |
B．French kings and queens once lived in it． |
C．The Louvre was taken by enemies in 1190． |
D．Many treasures were brought into the Louvre over the years． |
Why is it good for great art to be kept in public museums？
| A．It helps people remember who the King of France is． |
B．It keeps people out of the palaces． |
C．It gives everyone a chance to enjoy good art． |
D．It helps people to know who is the greatest artist． |
From the passage we know that _____．
| A．it is not possible for treasures to be stolen |
B．old forts always make the best museums |
C．great art should be shared with all the people |
D．king Francis I of France brought in artists from an old fort |
My father had returned from his business visit to London when I came in, rather late, to supper. I could tell at once that he and my mother had been discussing something. In that half-playful, half-serious way I knew so well, he said, "How would you like to go to Eton?" "You bet," I cried quickly catching the joke. Everyone knew it was the most expensive, the most famous of schools. Besides, even at 12 or 13, I understood my father. He disliked any form of showing off. He always knew his proper station in life, which was in the middle of the middle class, our house was medium-sized; he had avoided joining Royal Liverpool Golf Club and went to a smaller one instead; though once he had got a second-hand Rolls-Royce at a remarkably low price, he felt embarrassed driving it, and quickly changed it for an Austin 1100. This could only be his delightful way of telling me that the whole boarding school idea was to be dropped. Alas! I should also have remembered that he had a liking for being different from everyone else, if it did not conflict（冲突） with his fear of drawing attention to himself. It seemed that he had happened to be talking to Graham Brown of the London office, a very nice fellow, and Graham had a friend who had just entered his boy at the school, and while he was in that part of the world he thought he might just as well phone them. I remember my eyes stinging（刺痛） and my hands shaking with the puzzlement of my feelings. There was excitement, at the heart of great sadness. "Oh, he doesn't want to go away," said my mother, "You shouldn't go on like this.” “It's up to him," said my father. "He can make up his own mind." His father sold his Rolls-Royce because ________.
| A．it made him feel uneasy | B．it was too old to work well |
C．it was too expensive to possess | D．it was too cheap |
The writer's father enjoyed being different as long as ________.
| A．it drew attention to him | B．it didn't bring him in arguments |
C．it was understood as a joke | D．there was no danger of his showing off K |
What was the writer's reaction to the idea of going to Eton?
| A．He was very unhappy. | B．He didn't believe it. |
C．He was delighted. | D．He had mixed feelings. |
We can know from the passage that ________.
| A．Children who can go to Eton are very famous |
B．Children can go to Eton if they will |
C．It is very difficult for a child to get admitted by Eton |
D．Children don't have the right to decide whether they will go to Eton |