He lost his arms in an accident that claimed his father’s life--who was the main source of support for the family. Since then, he has had to depend on the arms of his younger brother. For the sake of taking care of him, his younger brother became his shadow, never leaving him alone for years. Except for writing with his toes, he was completely unable to do anything in his life.
One late night, he suffered from diarrhea (腹泻) and had to wake up his younger brother. His younger brother accompanied him into the toilet and then went back to dorm to wait. But being so tired, his younger brother fell asleep, leaving him on the toilet for two hours till the teacher on duty discovered him. As the two brothers grew up together, they had their share of problems and they would often quarrel. Then one day, his younger brother wanted to live separate from him, living his own life, as many normal people do. So he was heart-broken and didn’t know what to do.
A similar misfortune happened to a girl, too. One night her mother, who suffered from chronic mental illness, disappeared. So her father went out looking for her mother, leaving her alone at home. She tried to prepare meals for her parents, only to overturn (弄翻) the kerosene light on the stove, resulting in a fire which took her hands away.
Though her elder sister, who was studying in another city, showed her willingness to take care of her, she was determined to be completely independent. At school, she always studied hard. Most of all she learned to be self-dependent. Once she wrote the following in her composition: “I am lucky. Though I lost my arms, I still have legs; I am lucky.” Though my wings are broken, my heart can still fly.”
One day, the boy and the girl were both invited to appear on a television interview program. The boy told the TV host about his uncertain future at being left on his own, whereas the girl was full of enthusiasm for her life. They both were asked to write something on a piece of paper with their toes. The boy wrote: My younger brother’s arms are my arms; while the girl wrote: Broken wings, flying heart.
They had both endured the same misfortune, but their different attitudes determined the nature of their lives. It is true that life is unpredictable. Disasters can strike at any time. How you handle misfortune when confronted with it actually is the true test of your character. If you choose only to complain and escape from the misfortune, it will always follow you wherever you go. But if you decide to be strong, the hardship will turn out to be fortune on which new hopes will arise.In the first paragraph, what happened in the accident?
| A．The boy wasn’t badly injured. |
| B．The boy’s father escaped being hurt. |
| C．The boy’s father was killed. |
| D．The boy’s younger brother was slightly wounded. |
The girl refused her elder sister’s help, because ______.
| A．she was lucky and still had two legs |
| B．she wanted to be self-dependent rather than rely on others |
| C．she didn’t want to move to another city |
| D．she enjoyed living separate from others |
When the girl wrote the words: Broken wings, flying heart, she really meant ______.
| A．though she lost arms, she still had legs |
| B．her elder sister’s willingness to take care of her could help her fly with wings |
| C．if one had wings, his or her heart could fly |
| D．faced with the misfortune, you should be strong, and you’ll make it |
As bananas ripen， the green skin turns ye11ow gradually. Chemical changes occur in the flesh of the fruit as well：starch（淀粉）changes to sugar；pectin（果胶）breaks down，losing its stiffness； and the flesh softens.
Is ripening fruit a self－contained system， or is the rate of these changes affected by the environment？ We designed the experiment below to see if different atmospheres， produced by different packaging， affected the rate of ripening. You will vary the atmosphere surrounding unripe bananas and observe the effect on the ripening process。
Now set up the bananas in their environments as follows：
1. Put two green bananas in a paper bag and fo1d the top over to seal out the air.
2．Put one green banana and the very ripe banana in the other paper bag and fold over the top.
3. Put two green bananas in a plastic bag and seal it.
4. Wrap（包）one green banana tightly in a plastic bag.
5. Leave one green banana exposed to the air.
Leave the fruit a1one for five days to ripen. Ripening fruit “breathes”． This means that it takes up oxygen and gives off C02. Oxygen is extremely important and necessary for the chemical reactions involved in ripening. In addition, ripening fruit gives off another gas, called ethylene（乙烯）. Not only is ethylene a product of ripening fruit, it also promotes the further ripening of the fruit.
Paper bags tend to keep the ethylene in, but they allow oxygen and ethylene to pass through slowly. Plastic bags do not allow the free flow of oxygen or ethylene. In this experiment, the green banana in paper bag with the ripe banana should ripen most quickly. The green bananas in the paper bag should ripen faster than the bananas in the plastic bag. The banana left exposed to air has an unlimited supply of oxygen, so it will turn brown most quickly. You will notice that the side of this banana that rests on the counter will ripen more quickly than the other sides, because it has the closest contact（接触） with its own ethylene. The banana that is tightly wrapped in plastic has no oxygen supply and should ripen most slowly. Now can you see why bananas are sealed in plastic in many supermarkets？
57. What makes the green banana in Bag 2 ripen more quickly than the ones in Bag 1？
A. Ethylene from the very ripe banana. B. The free flow of oxygen or ethylene
C. C02 from the very ripe banana. D. The limitation of oxygen supply.
58. How can we slow down the ripening of bananas exposed to the air？
A. To rest them on the counter. B. To keep them in the basket.
C. To put them on the ground. D. To hang them up from the ceiling
59. It can be concluded from the passage that_______ .
A. the ripening banana is a self-contained system
B. the rate of ripening bananas is affected by the environment
C. wrapped bananas experience no chemical changes to ripen
D. ripening bananas give off oxygen, C0, and ethylene
60. Why are bananas sealed in plastic in many supermarkets？
A. To make them ripen more quickly. B. To make them ripen more slowly.
C. To make banana flesh soften. D. To turn green bananas yellow.
For the people living in the Nile Basin, the river is their life:. This 6,825 km waterway, whose watershed（流域） covers three million square kilometers, flows through mountains ,woodlands, lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing, tourism and shipping is great—but so are its challenges.
Water shortage , already serious in Egypt and Sudan , will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today, about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 yeas ,the district's population is expected to double, adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought（干旱）adds to the urgency.
Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases continue unchecked. In areas where it's hot and damp, water hyacinths choke off（阻止） lakes, dams and other sections of the river, making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.
Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They’ve seen the river change course, and their only source（来源） of water thickened with mud. They’re very poor and have few choices.
But a new program, the Nile Basin Initiative （NBI）， is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It’s a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.
These are whole ecosystem problems, calling for united solutions（解决办法）. Half the Nile Basin's countries are among the world's poorest nations；yet, somehow, they must find the resources, skills and political will to overcome these challenges.
53. What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces？
A. The development of .shipping industry.
B. Overfishing of native people.
C. Water shortage and water quality.
D. Increasing population and tourism.
54. The underlined word “hyacinths” （in Paragraph 3） refer to “_______”.
A. animals B. plants C. rocks D. salts
55. The program NBI is mainly aimed at _______ .
A. preventing water pollution
B. changing the river course
C. improving living condition of the poor
D. preventing land from becoming desert
56. What would be the best title of this passage？
A. People's Life in Egypt and Sudan
B. Frequent Drought in Egypt and Sudan
C. The Poorest Countries in the Nile Basin
D. The Ecosystem Problems in the Nile Basin
Have you ever picked a job based on the fact that you were good at it but later found it made you feel very uncomfortable over time? When you select your career, there’s whole lot more to it than assessing your skills and matching them with a particular position. If you ignore your personality, it will hurt you long-term regardless of your skills or the job's pay. There are several areas of your personality that you need to consider to help you find a good job. Here are a few of those main areas:
1) Do you prefer working alone or with other people?
There are isolating(使孤立) jobs that will drive an outgoing person crazy and also interactive jobs that will make a shy person uneasy. Most people are not extremes in either direction but do have a tendency that they prefer. There are also positions that are sometimes a combination of the two, which may be best for someone in the middle who adapts easily to either situation.
2) How do you handle change?
Most jobs these days have some elements of change to them, but some are more than others. If you need stability in your life, you may need a job where the changes don't happen so often. Other people would be bored of the same daily routine.
3) Do you enjoy working with computers?
I do see this as a kind of personality characteristic. There are people who are happy to spend more than 40 hours a week on a computer, while there are others who need a lot of human interaction throughout the day. Again, these are extremes and you'll likely find a lot of positions somewhere in the middle as well.
4) What type of work environment do you enjoy?
This can range from being in a large building with a lot of people you won't know immediately to a smaller setting where you'll get to know almost all the people there fairly quickly.
5) How do you like to get paid?
Some people are motivated by the pay they get, while others feel too stressed to be like that. The variety of payment designs in the sales industry is a typical example for this.
Anyway, these are a great starting point for you. I've seen it over and over again with people that they make more money over time when they do something they love. It may take you a little longer, but making a move to do what you have a passion for can change the course of your life for the better.
49．This passage mainly talks about the importance of _______in jobs.
A．different payment B．personalities
C．personal skills D．job’s pay
50．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Isolating jobs usually drive people mad.
B．Interactive jobs make people shy easily.
C．Extreme people tend to work with others.
D．Almost everyone has a tendency in jobs.
51．What is the missing word about a job search in the following chart?
A．Design B．Skills C．Cooperation D．Hobbies
 |
52．What is the best title for this passage?
A．Lifestyles and Job Pay B．Jobs and Environment
C．Job Skills and Abilities D．Personalities and Jobs
On the first day of my new high school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Everything about the school seemed so difficult. When I got home, my parents said, “You're nervous and that's okay. Everyone is afraid of high school. ”I denied it. I wanted to be strong, so I refused to let anyone know about my fear, even my closest friends.
On the first day I was late for every class and was constantly lost. The school seemed like a puzzle that I couldn't figure out. Was this how the whole year was going to be？ I didn't think I could rise to this challenge, especially carrying a huge backpack that I could hardly lift. It was so big that I could knock someone out with it！The schoolmates seemed to regard me as a fool, and they were probably right.
Despite my fears, after the first week I finally had my schedule figured out.
With the exception of falling up and down the stairs a couple of times and getting laughed at, high school was turning out to be not so bad. It was actually much better than middle school and much more challenging.
Since then, I've been elected vice president of my class, which wasn't much of a victory since only three people ran for the four positions.
It is normal to be scared about a new school. Take a deep breath and relax. High school is something that any student can overcome. Make sure you participate in some out-of-class activities because you’ll find it easier to make friends. Try to do your best, even if it isn't straight A’s.
Most important of all, be who you are , whether you're a “fool”, an athlete, or a lower grader. Don't try to pretend to be someone you're not. Now you know the true secrets of high school.
45. The main reason for the authors fear on his first day is that_______.
A. he was unable to work out the puzzle
B. his schoolmates were unfriendly to him
C. he was not familiar with the new surroundings
D. his schoolbag was too heavy for him to carry
46. From the author's first day experience we can infer that_______.
A. his home was far from the school
B. he got to school after classes began
C. he didn’t get any school schedule（课程表）
D. he didn't know the right way to class
47. After his first week at school, the author_______.
A. was still not accustomed to the schedule
B. gradually adjusted himself to the new school
C. found high school not so challenging as he had imagined
D. ran for president of his class against three other students
48. According to the passage, the secret of the author’s success lies mainly in_______.
A. making more friends B. getting more A’s at school
C. being who he really is D. joining in out-of-class activities
第二部分 阅读理解（共２５小题。 第一节每小题２分， 第二节每小题１分；满分４５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
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most loved children’s books of all time, and many adults enjoys it as well. It tells the story of a young girl named Alice, who follows a rabbit entering a magical world called Wonderland. She has many experiences which seem to change the rules of reasoning or common sense. The popularity of the book comes from its imagination, interesting story, and art work.
The writer of the book is Lewis Carroll．In fact, Lewis Carroll was not the writer's real name． His real name was Charles Dodgson．One day, he took a boat ride down the Thames River to have a picnic with three little girls who were friends of the family．To keep them entertained on the ride, he told them a story in which Alice, the middle child, was the main character．They enjoyed the story very much．
Charles later wrote the story down under the name Alice’s Adventures Under Ground and gave it to Alice as a Christmas present. Later, he gave a copy to his friend George MacDonald. George read it to his children and they loved it. George suggested to Charles that he make a book from his story. Charles then wrote more parts to the story until it was around 35,000 words. It was first printed in 1866, with art work by John Tenniel, under the name Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland . The book was an immediate success.
One of its first fans was Queen Victoria. She immediately requested a collection of all of Lewis Carroll’s works. She was surprised to find that they included many works on math. In fact, Charles Dodgson was a highly respected mathematician. This can be seen in many puzzles and plays on reasoning that appear in his books and poems.
Since the story was first printed, it has kept selling up to the present day. It has been translated into over fifty languages and has had several movies based on it. The story is even mentioned in the popular l999 film The Matrix by the character Morpheus.
41．The passage is mainly about _______.
A. Charles’ family life
B. a girl’s adventurous experiences
C. a magical world called Wonderland
D. the birth of a book and its lasting influences .
42. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage？
A. The writer published his works under his real name.
B. The character Alice originated from George’s child.
C. John Tenniel contributed partly to the popularity of the book.
D. Charles offered a copy to George for advice.
43. We can learn from the passage that_______.
A. Queen Victoria asked for a few of Charles' writings
B. Charles had a gift for reasoning and writing
C. Charles had all his works translated into fifty languages
D. The Matrix was based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
44. Which of the following is the right order of the passage？
a. Charles gave his story to Alice as a Christmas present.
b. Charles had a picnic with three little girls on the Thames.
c. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was first printed in 1866.
d. More parts were added to the story by Charles.
e. The book won a large number of fans.
A. c-b-a-d-e B. c-a-b-e-d C. b-a-d-c-e D. b-a-c-e-d