I had the meanest mother in the whole world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs or toast. While others had Cokes and candy for lunch, I had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different from the other kids’ too. But at least, I wasn’t alone in my sufferings. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted upon knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and where we were going. She insisted if we said we’d be gone an hour, then we should be gone one hour or less -- not one hour and one minute. And she always insisted upon us telling the truth. Now you can see how mean she was.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by nine each night and up at eight the next morning. We couldn’t sleep till noon like our friends. So while they slept - my mother actually had the courage to break the Child Labor Law. She made us work. We had to wash dishes, make beds, and learn to cook. We had to wear clean clothes and take a bath every day. The other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money. I believe she laid awake at night thinking up mean things to do to us.
Through the years, things didn’t improve a bit. We could not lie in bed “sick” like our friends did, and miss school. Our marks in school had to live up to expectations. Our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, being as different as she was, would be satisfied with nothing less than ugly black marks.
As the years rolled by, first one and then the other of us was put to shame. We graduated from high school. With our mother behind us, talking, hitting and demanding respect, none of us was allowed the pleasure of being a drop-out.
My mother was a complete failure as a mother. Out of four children, a couple of us attained some higher education. None of us have ever been arrested or divorced. Each of my brothers served his time in the service of this country. She forced us to grow up into God-fearing, educated, honest adults. I am now trying to raise my three children. I am filled with pride when my children call me mean. Why? Because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the whole world.The author’s mother wanted her children to _________.
| A．do their best at school and be educated and respected citizens |
| B．be top students in school and graduate with honors |
| C．stop seeing her friends who pretended to be sick to skip classes |
| D．bring home colored report cards like her friends did |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?
| A．The author has a deep hatred for her mother. |
| B．The author’s mother set timetables for her children whenever they went out. |
| C．Some of the children weren’t able to go to college because of their mean mother. |
| D．As a parent, the author is following her mother’s example. |
It can be inferred from the passage that________.
| A．All the other kids at school studied better than the author. |
| B．The author worked hard and usually got good grades in studies. |
| C．Mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law. |
| D．The author’s family lived a miserable life. |
D
Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists call this the water cycle.
There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapor in clouds condenses(凝结). Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates（蒸发） some of the water in the ground and in the rivers, lakes, and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapor. The vapor rises onto the air. Water vapor（汽） is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day, however, you can sometimes see water vapor rising from a puddle(水坑) or pond in a mist above the water. Water vapor also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapor from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapor. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth, and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail(冰雹) fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapor in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist(潮湿) in the tropics than in the cold polar regions.
68. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Water cycle. B. Water vapor. C. How rain forms.D. Water, vapor, rain.
69. How many ways of the water returning to the air are discussed in the text?
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four.D. Five.
70. Whether water vapor can be seen or not depends on _______.
A. how much water is evaporatedB. how good your eyes are
C. in which way water is evaporatedD. climate or weather
C
Are you afraid of change? Whether it is you personally or the working/living environment around you that changes, change will happen, it’s one guarantee I can give you and if you want success you need to make changes too.
Throughout the history of mankind changes have happened and they will continue to do so until the end of time. I do not think I need give you a list of any of these events they are obvious to us all.
Where are you going with this Steve, I hear you saying to yourself, everyone knows that changes happen all the time and we as human beings adapt accordingly. Well, yes, I agree with you to a point, but in that case why are we all not living the life we want in the world we want?
Because some of us resist change, because we are afraid of the unknown factors that change may bring into our lives.
Stop resisting and the changes will happen automatically, that is what happened to me when I started using hypnosis（睡眠状态） and mediation （沉思）to help me come to terms with the changes I needed to make to get out of Going Nowhere Land. I honestly believe that if I had
not lost my fear of change when I did that there is absolutely no way that I would be enjoying life and the success I am having as much as I do at this moment in time.
My intention is to carry on enjoying life to the full and to successfully help others to do the same and if that means making even more changes to my life, as it surely will, then bring them on and let’s get started.
It does not matter if you start off making small changes like getting up early so that you can share breakfast with your loved ones, take some exercise or meditating before going to work, start making those changes now. By getting into the habit of making changes, you will accept change into your life, you will begin to change more of your old habits into new and better ones and even enjoy the feeling that making those changes brings and the success that comes with them.
64. Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. Are you afraid of change?B. Changing for success.
C. Why do you resist change. D. Change brings happiness.
65. The underlined phrase “come to terms with” in the fifth paragraph probably means “_______ “
A. reach an agreement with B. fight against
C. accept something unpleasant D. overcome the bad consequences of
66. From the fifth paragraph we can infer that ___________.
A. the author has never been afraid of changes in his life.
B. the author used to believe that changes happened automatically
C. the author is still not satisfied with his present situation
D. the author had experienced a period of frustration(挫折) in his life
67. In the last paragraph, the author intends to ________.
A. list the necessary changes we ought to make
B. advise us to make any necessary changes
C. explain what changes can bring
D. explain the progress of making changes
B.
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother’s Day，on the second Sunday in May，and Father’s Day，on the third Sunday in June．These days are to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer an opportunity to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home and more fathers must help with child-care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways．On Mother’s Day people wear carnations．A red one symbolizes a living mother．A white one shows that the mother is d
ead．Many people attend religious services to honor parents．It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home，as well as in restaurants．They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day．These are days of fun and good feelings and memories．
Another tradition is to give cards an d gifts．Children make them in school．Many people make their own presents．These are valued more than the ones bought in stores．It is not the value of the gift that is important，but it is “the thought that counts”．Greeting card stores，florists，candy makers，bakeries，telephone companies，and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays
60. What we can learn from the passage?
A. Both festivals are in May.
B. Fewer women worked outside the home past.
C. Not all the children respect their parents.
D. Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.
61. Which is not the reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A. Parents bring up children.
B. Parents give love and care for children.
C. Parents pass away before children grow up.
D. Parents educate children to be good persons
62. On Mother’s Day or Father’s Day ____________.
A. children always go to parents’ home. B. people usually have family parties
C. every goes to the cemetery D. hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts
63. What do you think “florists” do?
A. They sell flowers.
B. They make bread or pastry.
C. They offer enough room for having family party.
D. They sell special clothes for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
第三部分阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
阅读短文，从每题所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中，选出最佳选项.
A
Years of storms had taken their toll on the old windmill（风车）. Its wheel, rusted and fallen, lay silent in the lush bluegrass.
I hadn‘t walked across our old farm in fifteen years. Fifteen years ago，rain or shine, I used to walk this path each day to see Greta. She always made me smile, even after my sister and I had just had a big quarrel. I would help Greta with her chores. Then we would enjoy her delicious homemade chocolate cookies and ice cream. Being confined to a wheel chair didn‘t stop Greta from being a great cook.
Greta gave me two of the greatest gifts I‘ve ever received. First, she taught me how to read. She also taught me that when I forgave Sister for our quarrels, it meant I wouldn‘t keep feeling like a victim(受害者). Instead, I would feel sunny.
Mr. Dinking, the local banker, tried to foreclose on Greta‘s house and land after her husband passed away. Thanks to Pa and Uncle Johan, Greta got to keep everything. Pa said that it was the least he could do for someone talented enough to teach me to read!
Soon folks were coming from miles around to buy Greta‘s homemade cakes, pies, breads, cookies, cider, and ice cream. Greta even had me take a big apple pie to Mr. Dinking who became one of her best customers and friends. That‘s just what Greta was. She could turn anyone into a friend!
Greta always said, "Dear, keep walking in sunshine!" No matter how terrible my day started, I always felt sunny walking home from Greta‘s house---even beneath the winter starlight.
I arrived at Greta‘s house today just after sunset. An ambulance had stopped a few feet from her door, its red lights flashing. When I ran into the old house, Greta recognized me right away.
She smiled at me with her unforgettable twinkling blue eyes. She was almost out of breath when she reached out and softly touched my arm. Her last words to me were "Dear, keep walking in sunshine!"
56. Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. What Greta taught me B. Greta would never die
C. The past sunny days D. Keep walking in sunshine
57. What can we know about Greta from the passage?
A. She was kind and forgiving B. She was rich and generous
C. She was energetic and confidence D. She was practical and helpful
58. The author used to go to see Greta every day mainly because _____.
A. Greta could treat the author with delicious food
B. Greta could give the author comfort
C. the author could learn how to read from Greta
D. the author could learn something valuable from Greta
59. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Greta lived a hard and lonely life.
B. Greta was loved and respected by all the people there.
C. Greta must be a relative of the author’s family.
D. The author had been out of touch with Greta for fifteen years.
D
Social rules or laws on marriage vary widely between countries．Some countries, still do not have a legal minimum age for marriage, which makes child macriages are very common, there．
In the Western Christian countries, a 13 -year -old is still considered a child．Even getting married in one* s late teens is not usually encouraged because married life is likely to interfere with a young woman' s education and consequently restrict opportunities in later life．And there are also physical dangers in giving birth so young．
In Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan, the age of puberty（青春期）at around 13 or 14 is the legal age for marriage, but in Turkey it is 15, and in Egypt and Tunisia, 18 the same minimum age as in many Western countries．It is argued that by allowing, earlier marriages, Islamic law is promoting stable relationships, while Western laws are encouraging promiscuity among young people．
In many countries, the trends of urbanization and education for girls have seen a drop in the number of child brides．However, early marriages continue to occur in poor rural areas．In India, for example, the legal age of marriage for a girl is 18 and to a boy, 21．Yet, according to government statistics, 18 percent of ten to fourteen-year old girls in the poor, rural state of Rajasthan in the northwest of the country are married．It is clear, then, that child marriages are connected with poverty, lack of education, rural customs as well as religion．So there don't tend to be any child marriages in urban or rich areas．
57．The underlined word "promiscuity" in the third paragraph means ____．
A．permanent partnershipB．firm partnership
C．diverse relationship D．single relationship
58．According to the text, which of these women are married lastest?
A．Women from less educated background．
B．Women from poor rural areas．
C．Women from Islamic countries．
D．Wonferi from cities．
59．Child marriages are NOT related to ____ according to the passage．
A．social communication B．rural customs
C．poverty and lack of education D．religious beliefs
60．According to the passage, getting married early leads to all of the following EXCEPT____．
A．reducing a young woman's education
B．limiting a young woman's chances
C．causing baby death
D．doing harm to a young woman's health