Towards the end of Middle English, a sudden change in pronunciation started, with vowels (元音) being pronounced shorter and shorter. From the 16th century the British had contact (接触) with many people from around the world. This meant that lots of new vocabulary entered the language. The invention of printing also meant that there was now a common language in print. Books became cheaper and more people learned to read. Spelling and grammar became fixed, and the dialect of London became the standard. In 1604 the first English dictionary came out.
Early Modern English and Late Modern English are mostly different in the number of words. Late Modern English has many more words, mainly because of the following two reasons: First, the Industrial Revolution (工业革命) led to the need for new words. Second, the British Empire covered one quarter of the earth’s surface, and the English language took in foreign words from many countries.
From around 1600, the English colonization (殖民地化) of North America led to American English. Some English pronunciations and words “froze” when they reached America. In some ways, American English is more like the English of Shakespeare than modern British English. Some expressions that are called “American English” are in fact from British expressions. They were kept in the colonies while lost for a time in Britain. Spanish also had an influence (影响) on American English. For example, words like canyon, ranch, stampede and vigilante are from Spanish. They entered English by the people of Spain who settled in the American West. French words and West African words also influenced American English.
Today, American English has a greater influence, because of the USA’s movies, television, popular music, trade and technology.The main difference between Early and Late Modern English lies in _____.
| A．vocabulary | B．pronunciation |
| C．spelling | D．grammar |
What helped to increase the vocabulary of Late Modern English?
a. the invention of printing
b. the Industrial Revolution
c. the colonization
d. the contact with other countries
| A．a, b, c | B．a, c, d |
| C．a, b, d | D．b, c, d |
From the passage, we can learn the word “canyon” is from _____.
| A．American dialect | B．African dialect |
| C．Spanish | D．French |
Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing? Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his parents when he was a teenager.
“I would never have said to my mom, ‘Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?’” says Ballmer. “There was just a complete gap in taste.”
Music was not the only gulf. From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.
Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are comfortable and common. And parent—child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust and friendship that can continue int0 adulthood.
No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, “To my mother, my best friend.”
But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents. “There’s still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change happening,” says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. “In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents.”
Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving roles and attitudes. They see the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.
“My parents were on the ‘before’ side of that change, but today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side,” explains Mr. Ballmer. “It’s not something easily accomplished by parents these days, because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be a parent now.”
56. The underlined word gulf in Para.3 most probably means _________.
A. interest B. distance C. difference D. separation
57. Which of the following shows that the generation gap is disappearing?
A. Parents help their children develop interests in more activities.
B. Parents put more trust in their children’s abilities.
C. Parents and children talk more about sex and drugs.
D. Parents share more interests with their children.
58. The change in today’s parent-child relationship is _________.
A. more confusion among parents
B. new equality between parents and children
C.1ess respect for parents from children
D. more strictness and authority on the part of parents
59. By saying “today’s parents, the 40-year-olds, were on the ‘after’ side.” the author means that today’s parents _________.
A. follow the trend of the change
B. can set a limit to the change
C. fail to take the change seriously
D. have little difficulty adjusting to the change
60. The purpose of the passage is to _________.
A. describe the difficulties today’s parents have met with
B. discuss the development of the parent—child relationship
C. suggest the ways to handle the parent—child relationship
D. compare today’s parent—child relationship with that in the past
People travel for a lot of reasons．Some tourists go to see battlefields or religious shrines (宗教圣地)．Others are looking for culture，or simply want to have their pictures taken in front of famous places．But most European tourists are looking for a sunny beach to lie on．
Northern European are willing to pay a lot of money and put up with a lot of inconveniences for the sun because they have so little of it．People of cities like London，Copenhagen，and Amsterdam spend a lot of their winter in the dark because the days are so short，and much of the rest of the year in the rain．This is the reason why the Mediterranean has always attracted them．Every summer，more than 25 million people travel to Mediterranean resort and beaches for their vacation. They all come for the same reason：sun!
The huge crowds mean lots of money for the economies of Mediterranean countries. Italy’s 30，000 hotels are booked every summer．And 13 million people camp out on French beaches，parks and roadsides．Spain’s long sandy coastline attracts more people than anywhere else．37 million tourists visit yearly，or one tourist for every person living in Spain．
But there are signs that the area is getting more tourism than it can handle．The Mediterranean is already one of the most polluted seas on earth．And with increased tourism，it’s getting worse, The French can’t figure out what to do with all the garbage left by campers around St．Tropez．And in many places，swimming is dangerous because of pollution.
None of this，however，is spoiling anyone’s fun．The Mediterranean gets more popular every year with tourists．Obviously，they don’t go there for clean water and solitude(独居)．They bear traffic jams and seem to like crowded beaches．They don’t even mind the pollution．No matter how dirty the water is，the coastline still looks beautiful．And as long as the sun shines，it’s still better than sitting in the cold rain in Berlin，London，or Oslo．
51．The writer seems to imply that Europeans travel mostly for the reason that．
A．they want to see historic remains or religious spots
B．they are interested in different cultural traditions and social customs
C．they would like to take pictures in front of famous sites
D．they wish to escape from the cold，dark and rainy days back at home
52．In paragraph2，cities like London，Copenhagen，and Amsterdam are mentioned.
A．to show that they are not good cities in terms of geography and climate
B．to tell us how wealthy their people are
C．to suggest that these cities lack places of historic interest and scenic beauty
D．to prove that they have got more tourism than they handle
53．According to the passage，which of the following countries attracts more tourists than the others?
A．Italy B．Spain C．Greece D．France
54．The latter half of the last sentence in paragraph 3，“or one tourist for every person living in Spain”means．
A．all the 37 million people living in Spain are tourists
B．every year almost as many tourists visit Spain as there are people living in that country
C．every person living in Spain has to take care of a tourist
D．every Spanish is visited by a tourist every year
55．According to the passage，which of the following factors might spoil the tourists’fun at
Mediterranean resorts and beaches?
A．Polluted water． B．Crowded buses．
C．Traffic jams．D．Rainy weather．
三．阅读 (共两节，满分40分)
第一节阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并填写在答题卡上。
When people are asked to point out one or two things that are most important to themselves，many put friends ahead of homes，jobs，clothes and cars．
A true friendship carries a long history of experience that determines who we are and keeps us connected．It is a treasure we should protect．Unfortunately，the better friends you are，the more probably you’ll have disagreements．And the result can be what you don’t want-an end to the relationship．
The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended．First don’t let your pride get in your way．Most of us can forgive each other when differences are brought out in the open.
Second, apologize when you’re wrong-even if you’ve been wronged. Over the course of a friendship, even the best person makes mistakes. Sometimes, it may be best if the wronged person takes the lead and apologizes. When you apologize, give your friend a chance to admit that he has been wrong. Third, see things from your friend’s point of view. And finally , accept that friendships change as our needs and lifestyles change. Making friends can sometimes seem easy. The hard part is keeping the connections strong during the natural ups and downs that have an effect on all relationships. My suggestion; Consider friendship an honor and a gift , and worth the efforts to treasure and nurture (培养).
46．According to the text friendship can last long only if .
A．we have much in common B．we know our friends’ mistakes
C．we treat our disagreements wisely D．we have known one another for long
47．The underlined words “wronged person ” in the last paragraph refers to a person .
A．who has been mistaken for another B．who has been mistaken unfairly
C．who has treated friends badly D．who has admitted his mistakes
48．What should we do if we follow the author’s second suggestion?
A．Stick to our own points of view B．Avoid making mistakes
C．Make an apology first D．Change our lifestyles.
49．The writer believes.
A．there are surely disagreements between friends
B．there are no mistakes made by true friends
C．once your friend mistakes you, your friendship will certainly come to an end
D．only by making mistakes , can your friendship become stronger
50．What would be the best title for the text?
A．Easy Ways to Make Friends
B．Ups and Downs in Friendship
C．How to Mend a Troubled Friendship
D．How to Take the Lead in Making Friends
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A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出一个最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what’s important.
----Anonymous
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when, all of a sudden, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car’s back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car, who almost caused a big accident, started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck."
Many people are like garbage (rubbish) trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personally. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy with what you did.
I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do anymore."
Successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? If you let more garbage trucks pass you by, you'll be happier. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don't.
56. What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi?
A. The taxi almost hit another car.
B. The taxi driver was injured.
C. The author scolded the driver of the other car.
D. The author learned a lesson from the driver of the garbage truck.
57. How did the taxi driver respond to the behaviour of the driver of the black car?
A. He yelled back at the driver.
B. He sent the driver to the hospital.
C. He was friendly towards the driver.
D. He dumped some garbage in front of his car.
58. What does the taxi driver think of people according to Paragraph 3?
A. Many people like to drive garbage trucks.
B. Many people dump garbage wherever they like.
C. Many people are warm-hearted to make others happy.
D. Many people tend to be very much depressed.
59. What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A. The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks.
B. The author used to complain a lot.
C. The author used to have a lot of money.
D. The author used to be a good manager.
60. According to the passage, what should you do if people “dump garbage” on you?
A. Ignore them and go on with our own work.
B. Try our best to persuade them not to do that again.
C. Tell them to dump the garbage in the right place.
D. Take over their work and carry the garbage to somewhere else.
Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola—are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.
We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic or Pepsi, Diet Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them with four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guesswork could have accomplished.
Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse—only 7 out of 27 identified all four samples correctly.
Both groups did better than chance would predict, but nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.
71. According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to ________.
A. show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guesswork
B. compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks
C. find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking
D. reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers
72. The statistics recorded in the preference tests show that________.
A. there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and Pepsi
B. few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from Pepsi
C. people’s tastes differ from one another
D. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people’s two most favorite drinks
73. It is implied in the first paragraph that________.
A. the competition between the two colas is very strong
B. blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans
C. the purpose of taste test is to promote the sale of colas
D. the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companies
74. The underlined word “burnout” here refers to the state of________.
A. being seriously burnt in the skin
B. being badly damaged by fire
C. being unable to burn for lack of fuel
D. being unable to function because of too much use
75. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to________.
A. emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other
B. recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas
C. show that taste preference is highly subjective
D. argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy