Two dolphins race around in a big pool in the Ocean Park.The smaller dolphin,Grace,shows off a few of her tricks,turning around and waving hello to the crowd.The most amazing thing about her,however,is that she’s even swimming at all.She doesn’t have a tail.
Grace lost her tail as a baby when she got caught up in a fish trap.When the dolphin arrived at the Ocean Park in December 2005,she was fighting for her life.“Is she going to make it?”Her trainer,Abbey Stone,feared the worst.Grace did make it—but her tail didn’t.She ended up losing her flukes and the lower part of her peduncle.
Over the past six years,she has learned to swim without her tail.Dolphins swim by moving their flukes and peduncle up and down.Grace taught herself to move another way—like a fish! She pushed herself forward through the water by moving her peduncle from side to side.
The movements put harmful pressure on Grace’s backbone.So a company offered to create a manmade tail for her.The tail had to be strong enough to stay on Grace as she swam but soft enough that it wouldn’t hurt her.
The first time Grace wore the artificial tail,she soon shook it off and let it sink to the bottom of the pool.Now,she is still learning to use the tail.Some days she wears it for an hour at a time,others not at all.“The new tail isn’t necessary for her to feel comfortable,”says Stone,“but it helps to keep that range of motion (动作) and build muscles (肌肉).”
Now,the dolphin is about to get an even happier ending.This month,Grace will star in Dolphin Tale,a film that focuses on her rescue and recovery.Her progress has inspired more than just a new movie.Many people travel from near and far to meet her.Seeing Grace swim with her manmade tail gives people so much courage.When Grace first arrived at the Ocean Park,her trainer worried about her________.
A.physical build |
B.potential ability |
C.chance of survival |
D.adaptation to the surroundings. |
A manmade tail is created for Grace to________.
A.let her recover faster |
B.make her comfortable |
C.adjust her way of swimming |
D.help her perform better tricks |
The story of Grace inspires people to________.
A.stick to their dreams |
B.treat animals friendly |
C.treasure what they have |
D.face difficulties bravely |
When we do not understand each other’s language, we can talk with the help of signs.
A Frenchman was once traveling in England. He could not speak English at all. One day, he went into a restaurant and sat down at a table. When the waiter came, he opened his mouth, put his fingers in it and take them out again. He wanted to say, “Bring me something to eat.”
The waiter soon brought him a cup of tea. The man moved his head from side to side. The waiter understood him and took the tea away. In a moment he came with a cup of coffee and put it on the table. The man again refused his offer. He shook his head whenever the waiter brought him something to drink, for drinks are not food.
When the man was going away, another man came in. This man saw the waiter, and he put his hands on his stomach. This was enough. In a few minutes there was a large plate of meat and vegetables on the table in front of him.
So you see, we can understand the language of signs as well as we can understand the language of words.
68. A Frenchman signed to the waiter ______.
A. to translate B. to tell him what he said
C. to bring him a cup of tea D. to ask him for food
69. The waiter brought the Frenchman ______.
A. different kinds of drinks B. a large plate of meat and vegetables
C. another man to help him D. a piece of paper to write something on
70. By putting his hands on his stomach, the second man meant ______.
A. he was hungry B. he had had enough
C. he was very thirsty D. he had a stomachache
71. From the story, we learn that ______.
A. people can only understand the language of words
B. proper body language can help people to understand each other
C. waiters should understand body language
D. it is important to learn a foreign language
In some parts of the United States, farming is easy. But farming has always been difficult in the northeastern corner of the country, which is called New England.
New England has many trees and thin, rocky soil. Anyone who has wanted to start a new farm there has had to work very hard. The first job has been cutting down trees. The next job has been digging stumps (树桩) of the trees out of the soil. Then the farmer has had the difficult job of removing stones from his land.
The work of removing stones never really ends, because every winter more stones appear. They come up through the thin soil from the rocks below. Farmers have to keep removing stones from the fields. Even today, farms which have been worked on for 200 years keep producing more stones.
That is why stone walls are used instead of fences around New England fields. The stone walls are not high: A man can easily climb over them. But they keep the farmer’s cows from joining his neighbour’s cows.
64. New England is an area ______.
in the northeastern part of Britain
which has been newly discovered by the Englishmen
which lies between Australia and New Zealand
which lies in the northeastern part of the USA
65. According to the passage, farming is difficult in New England because ______.
A.the winter is very long there | B.the farms are very old |
C.the soil is rocky and thin | D.there are not enough machines for farming |
66. From this passage, we know the removing of stones ______.
must be done again and again
is usually done during the winter
is an interesting job children enjoy doing
was more difficult before machines were used
67. In New England, stone walls are used to ______.
keep dangerous beasts out
keep the farmer’s cows from wandering away
protect the farmers fields from thieves
provide comfortable living conditions for the farmer’s family
Come and see the Indian elephants and the new tigers from Northeast of China. The beautiful birds from England are ready to sing songs for you, and the monkeys from Mount Emei will be happy to talk to you. The lovely dogs from Australia want to laugh at you. Sichuan pandas will play balls for you. The giraffes from Africa are waiting to look down on you.
Tickets Opening time
Grown-ups (成人):¥3 9:00 a.m. ~ 4:00 p.m.
Children: Over 1.4m¥2 except Friday
Under 1.4m Free 10:00 a.m. ~ 3:00 a.m.
Keep the zoo clean!
Do not touch, give food or go near to the animals.
60. Why does the writer introduce so many animals from different places to us?
A. To frighten us in the zoo. B. To make us lovely in the zoo.
C. To attract us to the zoo. D. To show that animals can do everything.
61. How much does Mr. Smith have to pay if he visits the zoo with his son of three?
A. ¥3. B. ¥4. C. ¥5. D. ¥6.
62. At which of the following time can we visit the zoo?
A. 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. B. 9:30 a.m. Friday.
C. 3:00 p.m. Sunday. D. 5:00 p.m. Tuesday.
63. From the passage we can infer (推断) that a giraffe must be a very ______ animal.
A. fat B. short C. strong D. tall
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每题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。
I was walking along Orchard Road when I realized a tall young man wearing a jacket and tie was following me. I noticed him because not many people wear a jacket and tie in the middle of a hot summer day, and I had already seen this man four times that afternoon.
To make sure he was following me, I walked on quickly, turned right into a shopping center and then stopped to look in a shop window. Soon the man appeared and stopped at another shop window. I walked on and stopped several times. When I stopped, he stopped too.
I began to be rather worried and decided to try to get rid of this strange man. When I saw a taxi coming, I jumped into it. As I was telling the taxi driver where to go, I found the man get into another taxi, which then followed mine. As the two taxies slowly made their way along Orchard Road, I looked back at the taxi behind, and saw that the stranger was looking out at me. At MRT station, I told the taxi driver to stop and I got out. As I was paying my fare, I saw the man was getting out of his taxi.
By now I got angry, so I turned and walked straight to him. I asked him why he was following me. At first he said he was not following me at all, but when I threatened (威胁) to call the police, he admitted he was. He then told me that he was a journalist (news reporter) and that he was writing an article on how elderly people in Singapore spend their time. He said he was observing me to gather materials for his article.
56. What is strange about the man who followed the writer?
A. He seemed to be wearing too much.
B. He was out on such a hot day.
C. He walked quickly behind.
D. He was a tall young man.
57. Why did the writer get into a taxi?
A. To test the young man. B. To call the police.
C. To lose the young man. D. To get home earlier.
58. What did the stranger do when the writer jumped into a taxi?
A. He tried to stop the taxi.
B. He got into another taxi.
C. He almost gave up following him.
D. He made his way along Orchard Road.
59. The stranger followed the writer because ______.
A. he was interested in elderly people
B. he often did such things
C. he was writing a book about old people
D. he needed materials for his article
On Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate Stunt Patrick’s Day, which honors Patron Saint (or main religious figure) of Ireland. Communities across the United States will host parades, parties, and other festivities to mark the occasion.
This year, cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have organized massive events celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. In New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to watch the Saint Patrick’s Day parade -- the nation's largest. It is one of the most watched parades in the world. Last year, almost 2 million spectators and more than 150,000 participants filled the streets. The parade, first held in 1776, is also one of the oldest.
Chicago also throws a big celebration. Every year, the Chicago River, which crosses the city, glows green 40 pounds of fluorescence, a powerful dye, into the water.
Boston keeps its parade rolling for three hours or more. It is the nation's second-largest parade. The city will also salute one of its most famous former residents, President John Kennedy, by opening the exhibit "A journey Home: John F. Kennedy and Ireland" at his official library.
Patron Saint lived in Britain in the early Fifteenth century, when it was still part of the Roman Empire. He was captured and sold into slavery, in Ireland when he was only 16. He eventually escaped slavery and turned to a life of religious devotion. He trained to become a minister and set out to spread Christianity throughout Ireland. After 30 years as a religious leader, Patrick died on March 17, 1461. Saint Patrick's Day is always celebrated on March 17. In Ireland, it is an official holiday.
71. What's the best title of the passage?
A. History of Saint Patrick's DayB. An Official Holiday in the US
C. The Largest Parade in the World D. Celebrations across the Country
72. What do you think is the official color of Saint Patrick's Day?
A. Green. B. Red. C. Black. D. Yellow.
73. The last paragraph is mainly about ________.
A. the cruel slave trade B. Saint Patrick's contribution
C. activities during Saint Patrick's Day D. Ireland's Patron Saint
74. Patron Saint became a religious leader ________.
A. at the age of 16B. in 1430s
C. in the early fifteenth century D. in his birthplace
75. Which of the following is not correct according to the passage?
A. Parade is a most important event to observe Saint Patrick's Day.
B. Saint Patrick's Day is a religious holiday.
C. Saluting the former president has become a main event on the occasion.
D. The Saint Patrick's Day parade has a history, of over two centuries.