I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch(养马场). He has let me use his house to put on fund-raising events. The last time I was there he introduced me by saying: “I want to tell you a story. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant horse trainer who would go from stable to stable, race track to race track, farm to farm and ranch to ranch, training horses. As a result, the boy’s high school career was continually interrupted. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be and do when he grew up.
“That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of someday owning a horse ranch. He wrote about his dream in great detail and he even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000-square-foot house that would sit on a 200-acre dream ranch.
“He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red F with a note that read, ‘See me after class.’
“The boy with the dream went to see the teacher after class and asked, ‘Why did I receive an F?’ The teacher said, ‘This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You have to buy the land. You have to pay for the original breeding stock and later you’ll have to pay large stud fees. There’s no way you could ever do it.’ Then the teacher added, ‘If you will rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’
“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.’ Finally, after a week, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’ ”
Monty then turned to the group present and said, “I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4,000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.” He added, “The best part of the story is that two years ago that same schoolteacher brought 30 kids to camp out on my ranch for a week. When the teacher was leaving, he said, ‘Look, Monty, I can tell you this now. When I was your teacher, I was something of a dream stealer. During those years I stole a lot of kids’ dreams. Fortunately you had enough courage not to give up yours.’ ”
“Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what,” Monty at last concluded. The teacher asked the boy to rewrite the paper because __________.
| A．the boy was too poor to achieve his dream |
| B．the teacher doubted his chance of success |
| C．the boy was not good enough to achieve his goal |
| D．the teacher looked down on the boy absolutely |
Which of the following could best express the teacher’s feelings when she said the words before leaving the ranch two years ago?
| A．Regretful and proud. | B．Regretful and guilty. |
| C．Honest and sorry. | D．Embarrassed and proud. |
【改编】Monty told the story to say that __________.
| A．If you don’t agree with the teacher, you should talk with him\her. |
| B．If your dream is beyond reach, give it up and be realistic. |
| C．Your dream will come true as long as you stick to it however hard it is. |
| D．The teacher made little difference to his students. |
What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Set a practical goal | B．Try to be realistic |
| C．Prove yourself through success | D．Keep your dream |
Every pet owner loves his pet. There is no argument here.
But when we asked our readers whether they would clone(克隆) their beloved animals, the answers were split almost down the middle. Of the 228 readers who answered it, 108 would clone, 111 would not and nine weighed each side without offering an opinion.
Clearly, from readers’ response, this is an issue that reaches deeply into both the joy and final sadness of owning a pet. It speaks, as well, to people’s widely differing expectations over the developing scientific procedure.
Most of the respondents (被调查的人) who liked the idea strongly believed it would produce at least a close copy of the original; many felt the process would actually return an exact copy. Those on the other side, however, held little hope a clone could never truly recreate a pet, many simply didn’t wish to go against the natural law of life and death.
Both sides expressed equal love for their animals. More than a few respondents owned “the best dog/cat in the world”. They thought of their pets as their “best friend”, “a member of the family,” “the light of my life.” They told moving stories of pets’ heroism(英勇精神), cleverness and selfless devotion.
“People become very close to their animals, and the loss can be just as hard to bear as when a friend or family member dies,” says Gary Kowalski, author of Goodbye, Friend: Healing Wisdom for Anyone Who Has Ever Lost a Pet. “For me, cloning feels like an attempt to turn death away…It’s understandable. Death is always painful. It’s difficult to deal with. It’s hard to accept.”
But would cloning reduce the blow? This question seemed to be at the heart of this problem.
71. So far as the cloning of pets is concerned, a recent survey shows that, of all pet owners, __________.
A. a lot more of them are for it
B. a lot more of them are against it
C. very few of them are willing to tell their opinions
D. about half of them are for it and the other half against it
72. While talking about the respondents from the readers, the underlined expression “final sadness of owning a pet” refers to ___________.
A. the death of one’s pet
B. the high cost of owning a pet
C. the troubles one has to deal with in keeping a pet
D. the dangers involved in the cloning of a pet
73. In spite of(尽管) their differences on the problem of cloning, it seems that ________.
A. all pet owners try to go against the natural law of life and death
B. all pet owners love their pets very much
C. people who support cloning love their pets more
D. people who dislike cloning love their pets more
74. From what Gary Kowalski says, we can know that he _________.
A. has never thought about the problem of cloning
B. is going to write another book on pets
C. support the idea of cloning pets
D. is all against the cloning of pets
75. What is the key question at the heart of the problem of cloning pets?
A. Can cloning make one suffers less pain when a pet dies?
B. Can pet owners afford the cost of cloning?
C. Does cloning go against the law of nature?
D. Can cloning really produce an exact copy of one’s pet?
Nick Petrels is a doctor in Montreal. He works 60 hours a week. He takes care of 159 patients a week in the hospital and at his office. He’s been a doctor for ten years.
Dr. Petrels gives his patients good medical advice. But he doesn’t just tell his patients what to do. He also sings to them on television! Dr. Petrels has his own TV show. The show is in Italian, English and French. The doctor starts the show with a song and then gives medical advice. He explains a medical problem or disease in simple language. After that, he sings another song.
Dr. Petrels produces and performs in his own show every week. The program is very popular with his patients and with people who enjoy his singing. His dream is to perform(表演) in Las Vegas. His favorite songs are love songs, and he has a compact disk of love songs that he wrote. Dr. Petrels says, “I always loved to s
ing. All my problems are gone when I sing.” But when Dr. Petrels was young, his father didn’t want him to be a singer, so he went to medical school.
Some people tell Dr. Petrels he can help people more as a doctor. But Dr. Petrels says he helps people when he sings, too. “I like to make people smile. Sometimes it’s difficult to make a sick person smile. Medicine and entertainment(娱乐) both try to do the same thing. They try to make people feel good.”
66. Dr. Petrels works 60 hours a week, because he _____________.
A. gives his patients medical advice B. takes care of 159 patients a week
C. sings on television D. has his own TV show
67. Dr. Petrels ___________, so he is called a singing doctor.
A. has been a doctor for ten years B. always loved to sing
C. is popular with his patientsD. also sings to his patients on TV
68. In his TV show, Dr. Petrel ____________.
A. sings and gives medical advice B. sings about different diseases
C. starts to explain diseases with a song D. sings love songs he wrote
69. Dr. Petrels’ show is popular ____________.
A. in Las Vegas B. at medical school
C. with people who like his singing D. with patients in Montreal
70. Dr. Petrels says he likes to ____________.
A. help people sing B. make people feel better
C. do the same thing D. make difficult people smile
A spirit of adventure, curiosity about different cultures and the desire for a challenge can be found in young people everywhere. More and more students in China are backpacking around the country.
According to the China Youth Travel Service, Hainan, Dalian, Zhangjiajie and Qingdao were among the most popular spots for young Chinese backpackers last year. Backpacking allows the traveler a greater sense of independence.
“I can no longer put up with the instructions of a tourist guide,” said Huang Ye, a 19-year-old college student in Beijing. “They are always driving you to places that you do not want to go to and trying to make you buy local souvenirs（纪念品）.”
Huang likes to travel as a backpacker. She prefers an independent trip that she took with two friends to Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan Province. There, they chose some scenic spots to visit and avoided the masses of tourists.
Backpackers see the difficulties of such travel as a challenge. Living on bread and water for days on end, wearing the same clothes over and over again and carrying a heavy bag on their backs while climbing a mountain are all character-building experiences.
But perhaps the greatest challenge that a backpacker faces is not a physical one, but mental. They may face loneliness if they travel alone.
Chen Xuewei, 21, suffered when he took off around China last year. “I felt very lonely at the beginning of my journey. A walkman didn’t make me feel better, but rather heightened the sense of loneliness I felt. I even called up my friends to tell them that I wanted to give up and go back to Beijing,” he recalled. But he kept going. He started to make friends and appreciate the local customs. He took lots of photos to record his trip and now he is glad he stuck it out.
Backpackers generally find themselves to be mature（成熟）after their experiences. “Their travel logs（旅行日志）track their development as people.” “When I feel frustrated, I read my travel log again,” said Tang Weifeng, a postgraduate at Peking University. “By reading it, I get a sense that I am better off now than I was when I wrote those words by the light of a torch in a hot tent.”
63. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as one of the advantages of backpacking according to the story?
A. It builds up your character.
B. Through the experience, you learn to live in a tent.
C. Through the experience, you learn to rely on yourself.
D. Through the experience, you learn to deal with loneliness.
64. What does the underlined word “frustrated” in the last paragraph mean?
A. Disappointed. B. Happy. C. Tired. D. Excited.
65. What is the story mainly about?
A. Some backpackers’ experiences.
B. The advantages of backpacking.
C. Young people’s love of backpacking.
D. The increasing p
opularity of backpacking among Chinese students and its reasons.
Visiting the Arctic
ZHOU Mingfeng, 17, has only stepped out of his birthplace, Qingdao, once to visit the top of the world, the Arctic!
The Senior 2 student from the High School Attached to Ocean University of China joined a two-week journey to the Arctic at the beginning of this month, after he was recommended for the trip. Including his teacher, Wu Jianying, the adventure group consisted of 12 students and teachers from China, Spain, Canada, Britain and the US.
“The trip brought the whole subject of geography and climate change to life,” Zhou said.
Before they landed by air on Canada’s research icebreaker (破冰船) in the Arctic, Amundsen, the group visited an Inuit (英纽特人的) community. Zhou also got the chance to experience dog-sledding for the first time!
He was surprised to find that Inuit people don’t live in snow igloos (圆顶建筑) any longer. “They live in modern, warm wooden houses and travel mostly by snowmobile,” he said.
During the time on board Amundsen, every day was science orientated (以……为主). Zhou and other teenagers were guided by scientists, who work there, to take part in laboratory and field work. Sometimes they went outside to collect ice and snow samples for experiments despite the windy, freezing climate.
As the only Chinese student, Zhou didn’t feel very confident due to his English inefficiency.
“Those students soon got close to the onboard scientists and became involved (参与) in their research,” he recalled in admiration.
However, it didn’t prevent Zhou from enjoying the unique and remote life there.
When the wind died and the sun shone on the frozen desert, Zhou and his new friends recorded their days with photo shoots out on the ice beside the Amundsen!
“The views were breathtaking! Everything around us seemed lifeless, which is shocking,” he said.
But there proved to be something alive, under the ice caps. A seal popped out of the water below the ship and greeted them on the last day of their stay.
“It was the only animal I saw in the Arctic!” he said. “But it’s a pity that I didn’t see a single polar bear in the ‘capital’ of the creature.
59. According to the passage, the students and teachers visiting Artic are most likely to _______.
A. go sightseeing B. take part in some science research
C. learn English D. learn about Inuit community
60. In the passage, Amundsen is _________.
A. an icebreaker B. an Inuit igloo C. a place in Artic D. a dog-drawn sled
61. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Zhou was surprised to find the Inuit lived in modern, warm wooden houses.
B. Zhou visited an Inuit community first.
C. Zhou’s inefficient English made him unable to enjoy the life in Artic.
D. Zhou took many photos with his new friends.
62. The underlined sentence “The trip brought the whole subject of geography and climate change to life,” in Paragraph 3 probably means _________.
A. The trip made what had been learned in geography lessons more vivid or interesting.
B. The trip suddenly started working.
C. The trip completely changed his life.
D. The trip made animals in Artic live.
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
For thousands of years, people have seen things they didn’t understand in the sky. The United States Air Force first used the words “Unidentified Flying Object” to describe them. Today everyone uses the term UFO. When people see a UFO, it is usually no more than a weather balloon or an airplane. But the Center for UFO Studies goes on to receive hundreds of reports each year.
In 1947 a businessman and pilot, Kenneth Arnold, was flying near Mount Rainier, Washington when he saw nine shiny, round objects flying through the air. He told a newspaper reporter they looked like “pie plates skipping over water.” The reporter used the words “flying saucer（碟子）” in his story and today that is the popular name for UFOs.
The Center for UFO Studies lists three kinds of contacts with flying saucers. “Encounters（遭遇）of the first kind” are reports of unknown objects or lights in the sky. People have “Encounters of the second kind” when a UFO leaves burn marks or other signs on the ground. People report “Close encounters of the third kind” when they see aliens in or near a UFO.
56. Who used the term UFO first?
A. The United States Air force. B. The Center for UFO Studies.
C. Kenneth Arnold. D. A report.
57. The Center for UFO Studies _____.
A. usually sees no more than a weather balloon or an airplane every year
B. is a branch of the United States Air Force
C. receive hundreds of reports every year
D. used “pie plates skipping over water” to describe the UFO seen by the people first
58. Why did the newspaper reporter use the words “flying saucer” to describe the UFO that Kenneth Arnold said he saw?
A. Because the UFO that Kenneth Arnold saw was flat.
B. Because Kenneth Arnold told the newspaper that what he had seen in the sky was round.
C. Because Kenneth Arnold described what he has seen looked like a plate flying in the sky.
D. Because what Kenneth Arnold saw was pie plates flying in the air.