Have you ever thought, “I wish I could take a year off and just travel around the word?” Well, three lucky American teenagers were able to do just that. The teens — two males and one female — got an all-expenses paid, yearlong hike to five continents.
This trip didn’t include any five-star hotels or shopping funs. Eighteen-year-old Jamie Fiel from Keller, Texas, 17-year-old Arsen Ewing from Canyon, California, and 16-year-old Tyler Robinson from Lincoln, Massachusetts, didn’t expect fancy treatment. They signed up for the experience of a lifetime, which included hard work, often uncomfortable accommodations, and encounters with some of nature’s most dangerous animals and environments.
Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler were among hundreds of high school kids nominated by their science teachers to take this trip. Earthwatch Institute sponsored this adventure. Each year, Earthwatch employs thousands of volunteers worldwide to help with scientific research projects.
The group went all around the world to get a close look at the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Their assignments were as varied as their locations, and included measuring and attending pink flamingos in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, and tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica.
As they worked with the Earthwatch scientists, Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler began to understand that we are at a critical moment in the life of our planet. Time for change is running out. As the teens went from country to country and witnessed different environmental dangers and challenges, they understood that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one person’s actions. They realized that each of them can make a difference.These teenagers went on the journey around the world .
| A．to experience the most serous environmental problems on the earth |
| B．to bring the kindness of America to the other parts of the world |
| C．to go on sightseeing around the world |
| D．to call on more teenagers to join Earthwatch Institute |
What’s TRUE about their journey?
A. They had to pay for their journey on their own expense.
B, They often had to move from one hotel to another.
C. They had to take great pains to collect environmental information.
D. They received a warm welcome every time they arrived at a new place.It can be inferred that Earthwatch Institute could be .
A. an international university that takes in students from all over the world
B. a TV station that makes programmes on the beautiful scenery of the earth
C. a travel agency that organizes adventure trips specially for school children
III阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
April 27 is Take Our Daughters to Work Day in Britain. Started at first in the Unite States and brought to Britain in 1994, Take Our Daughters to Work Day has become a special day for girls between 11 and 15. On that day thousands of girls take a day off school and go together with one of their parents to their work places. The purpose of this day is to broaden girls’ horizons and raise their self-confidence.
For many years people have thought that boys can do better than girls in society. But actually, “girls can be whatever they want to be just like boys, whether it is a pilot, a nurse or a chief executive,” says the chairman of the Our Sons and Daughters Charitable Trust, an organization which supported the activity of the Day. “Now the girls have a close look at what their parents are doing and this may help them to be more self-confident when they are faced with a choice of work.”
Schools and many companies support the activity too. Palmers’ Green High School for girls, in north London, has made the day necessary part of careers education.
Zarina Bart, 15, from Palmers’ Green, went with her mother to her Lawyer’s office this year’s Take Our Daughters to Work Day. She found it interesting to see her mother at work. “It’s really strange seeing Mum at work--- running around, getting serious and telling people what to do.” She has always liked this idea of going into law and thinks it likely that she will follow in her mother’s footsteps. Having a chance to see how her mother works has given her more self-confidence.
Experts believe that girls with higher self-confidence aim higher and are more likely to be successful in life. Parents have most important effect on the confidence of teenage girls. If parents believe in their daughters and show examples both at work as well as at home for them, this will give a lot of help to girls. Take Our Daughters to Work Day is surely a step in the right direction.
1.Which is the best title of this passage?
A.Raising Self-confidence
B.Take Our Daughters to Work Day
C.Girls can be Excellent too!
D.Following Footsteps
2.It can be inferred from paragraph 2 that __________.
A.Women pilots are popular in Britain
B.Girls are sure about their future jobs
C.People have wrongly believed that girls can do as well as boys
D.For many years boys have a comparatively wider choice of work
3.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A.Take Our Daughters to Work Day is British in origin.
B.On Take Our Daughters to Work Day, children are taken to their parents’ work places.
C.Palmers’ Green High School for girls favors Take Our Daughters to Work Day.
D.Parents always show good examples for their children both at work and at home.
4.After her experience on Take Our Daughters to Work Day, Zarina felt __________.
A.confident about her study
B.strange to work in a lawyer’s office
C.sure about what to choose as her future career
D.interested in following in her father’s footsteps
5.The writer’s attitude towards Take Our Daughters to Work Day is __________.
A. favorable B. unclear C. critical D. not sure
The huge explosion at Krakatau was the result of two different factors. One was that the volcano had not broken out for some time and so at the very center of the volcano there was a huge plug of lava, which acted like a cork(塞子) in a bottle, stopping the pressure below from being released(释放). The second factor was that ocean water entered the very centre of the volcano as the explosions became more violent. This caused superheated steam to build up enormous pressure and this was finally released in the largest explosion of all on August 27, 1883. The sudden release of the pressure sent huge amounts of ash, rock and dust into the sky. Some of the ash rose 80km into the air and traveled around the Earth causing brightly coloured sunsets for several years.
Krakatau almost disappeared; for many years after this explosion, it remained very quiet. However, there was still activity going on under the sea and on 25 January, 1925, a small volcanic cone appeared above the surface of the water. This new volcano was named Anak Kmkatau, or Child of Krakatau. Over the following years, the size of the island grew larger, by 1959, the island was 300 metres above the surface of the sea. The volcanic activity has continued and the latest eruptions were in 1995.
There is no doubt Krakatau will continue to grow and there is also strong evidence that at some point in the future there will be another violent explosion. Krakatau is in a part of the world where the surface of the Earth is unstable and is always moving and cracking. If, in the future, another “cork” becomes fixed in the centre of the volcano, the pressure will build up. A series of a smaller explosions will allow sea-water into the centre of the volcano and once again the result will be a terribly destructive explosion.
1. The latest eruptions were in_______.
A.1925 B. 1959 C. 1995 D. 1983
2. The pressure under the volcano can not be released because _______.
the plug looks like a cork in a bottle
the volcano hasn’t broken out for some time
the center of the volcano is blocked(堵塞) by lava
the temperature of the steam is not high enough.
3. We can infer from the article that Krakatau volcano________.
A. has broken out three times B. never dies but continues to be active
C. will kill many people again in the future D. is always moving and growing above sea.
4. All of the following results are caused by the explosion at Krakatau EXCEPT that_____.
A. ash, rock and dust was thrown high into the air
B. other small volcanoes were soon produced.
C. the island of Krakatau was destroyed
D. people saw beautiful sunsets for some years
5. The article is mainly about________.
A. the cause of the Krakatau volcano
B. the danger of the Krakatau volcano
C. the history of the Krakatau volcano
D. the future of the Krakatau volcano
When I was small and my grandmother died, I couldn’t understand why I had no tears. But that night when my dad tried to cheer me up, my laugh turned into crying.
So it came as no surprise to learn that researchers believe crying and laughing come from the same part of the brain. Just as laughing has many health advantages, scientists are discovering that so, too, does crying.
Whatever it takes for us to reduce pressure is important to our emotional (情感的) health, and crying seems to work well. One study found that 85 percent of women and 73 percent of men report feeling better after crying.
Besides, tears attract help from other people. Researchers agree that when we cry, people around us become kinder and more friendly and they are more ready to provide support and comfort. Tears also enable us to understand our emotions better; sometimes we don't even know we' re very sad until we cry. We learn about our emotions through crying, and then we can deal with them.
Just as crying can be healthy, not crying — holding back tears of anger, pain or suffering — can be bad for physical health. Studies have shown that too much control of emotions can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems and some other illnesses. If you have a health problem, doctors will certainly not ask you to cry. But when you feel like crying, don't fight it. It's a natural — and healthy — emotional response.
1. People can do benefit from crying except_______?
A. reduce pressure
B. attract help from other people
C. learn about our emotions through crying
D. cause healthy problems
2. Why didn't the author cry when her grandmother died?
A. Because her father did not want her to feel too sad.
B. Because she did not love her grandmother.
C. Because she was too shy to cry at that time.
D. The author doesn’t give the reason.
3. It can be inferred from the text that ______.
A. there are two ways to keep healthy
B. crying does more good to health than laughing
C. crying and laughing play the same roles
D. emotional health has a close relationship to physical health
4. According to the author, which of the following statements is true?
A. Crying is the best way to get help from others.
B. Fighting back tears may cause some health problems.
C. We will never know our deep feelings unless we cry.
D. We must cry if we want to reduce pressure.
5. What might be the most suitable title for the text?
A. Power of Tears B. How to Keep Healthy
C. Why We Cry D. A New Scientific Discovery
第三部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：阅读理解（15小题，共30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。
In the southern part of America, when somebody has a birthday, often family or friends, or both, will arrange a party. The party could be elaborate(精心准备的)and include a meal or may be simple with a birthday cake and drinks. One does not plan, nor give, one’s own birthday as is the custom in some cultures. At a party there is usually a decorated cake, often with the words “Happy Birthday” and with the name of the person written on the top of the cake. Sometimes there is also one candle for each year of the person celebrating the birthday before the cake is cut. While blowing out the candles, the person makes a wish for something pleasant.
Usually those invited to a birthday party will bring a gift for the person honored. Gifts given by friends do not have to be expensive, but the family of the birthday person will spend whatever they can afford on a gift.
Christmas parties also are very popular in the South. Often this is the only time during the year that some people see acquaintances(熟人). These parties can be elaborate or simple, ranging from a buffet(自助餐)to a reception called “open house (家庭招待会)”. If you are invited to one of these, you don’t need to take a Christmas gift, as it is not customary to take the hostess a gift every time you are invited to a party or a meal. However, if you wish to take a gift, it should only be something useful and inexpensive and should be given to the hostess at the door as you enter the party. Usually gifts of Christmas food treats are the most appreciated.
1. On one’s birthday, before blowing out the candles, he or she will______.
A. wear beautiful clothes B. eat birthday cake
C. invite friends D. make a wish
2. This passage mainly tells us about __________.
A. two kinds of parties in the southern United States
B. how to arrange a birthday party
C. how to arrange a Christmas party
D. who will arrange a party
3. In southern America, birthday parties are often arranged by _________.
A. friends B. oneself C. family D. Both A and C
4. Which of the following is true?
A. For a birthday party, the cake is often cut before candles are blown out.
B. For a birthday party, neither friends nor the family will buy expensive presents.
C. It’s customary to take the hostess a gift when you are invited to a party.
D. If you take a gift to a Christmas party, you’d better take something useful and inexpensive.
5. What kind of gift is the best if someone is invited to a Christmas party?
A. Expensive things B. Candles C. Food D. Money
Nearly all the visitors to southeast France pay a visit a Monaco, too. Lying near the French-Italian border, Monaco is not part of France, but a separate principality (大公国)—though it is surrounded by its great neighbour.
Monaco became a principality in the 16th century after being owned by a family member of a certain Italian king. The French and Italian, however, soon came to protect it one after another until 1861, when it became its own master again.
Facing the blue Mediterranean (地中海), Monaco is mainly made up of two cities, Monaco, where the palace for the Prince stands, and Monte Carlo, which is a wonderful place for visitors. Every year, about half a million people come to Monaco, nearly 25 times as much as its population.
Believe it or not, Monaco has no soldiers or policemen of its own. Law and order is kept by the French police, and the French stand for it in its foreign affairs, even the money used in Monaco is the franc, too.
1. Which of the following maps shows the right position of Monaco and its neighbouring countries? (Mc="Monaco," Fr="=France," I="Italy," Md=Mediterranean)
2. Monaco has a population of ____.
A. nearly 25 thousand B. no more than 20 thousand
C. about 12,500 thousand D. a little over 20 thousand
3. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The national income of Monaco must be very little.
B. Monaco isn’t a completely independent country.
C. A principality is a country ruled by foreigners.
D. Monaco belongs to France since law and order is kept by the French police.
4. Now the head of the government of Monaco is ____.
A. an Italian B. a French C. a prince D. a president