For some people, music is no fun at all. About four percent of the population is what scientists call “amusic.” People who are amusic are born without the ability to recognize or reproduce musical notes (音调). Amusic people often cannot tell the difference between two songs. Amusics can only hear the difference between two notes if they are very far apart on the musical scale.
As a result, songs sound like noise to an amusic. Many amusics compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other. Life can be hard for amusics. Their inability to enjoy music set them apart from others. It can be difficult for other people to identify with their condition. In fact, most people cannot begin to grasp what it feels like to be amusic. Just going to a restaurant or a shopping mall can be uncomfortable or even painful. That is why many amusics intentionally stay away from places where there is music. However, this can result in withdrawal and social isolation. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
Scientists say that the brains of amusics are different from the brains of people who can appreciate music. The difference is complex, and it doesn’t involve defective hearing. Amusics can understand other nonmusical sounds well. They also have no problems understanding ordinary speech. Scientists compare amusics to people who just can’t see certain colors.
Many amusics are happy when their condition is finally diagnosed (诊断). For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her problem with music. Now she knows that she is not alone. There is a name for her condition. That makes it easier for her to explain. “When people invite me to a concert, I just say, ‘No thanks, I’m amusic,’” says Margaret. “I just wish I had learned to say that when I was seventeen and not seventy.”Which of the following is true of amusics?
| A．Listening to music is far from enjoyable for them. |
| B．They love places where they are likely to hear music. |
| C．They can easily tell two different songs apart. |
| D．Their situation is well understood by musicians. |
According to paragraph 3, a person with “defective hearing” is probably one who __________.
| A．dislikes listening to speeches |
| B．can hear anything nonmusical |
| C．has a hearing problem |
| D．lacks a complex hearing system |
In the last paragraph, Margaret expressed her wish that __________.
| A．her problem with music had been diagnosed earlier |
| B．she were seventeen years old rather than seventy |
| C．her problem could be easily explained |
| D．she were able to meet other amusics |
What is the passage mainly concerned with?
| A．Amusics’ strange behaviours. |
| B．Some people’s inability to enjoy music. |
| C．Musical talent and brain structure. |
| D．Identification and treatment of amusics. |
A new World Calendar is published every year, and provides the latest information about many places and things. For example, you can find the names of past academy-award winners, the names of award-winning athletes, and information about American cities and states.
The book also provides information about other nations. It includes world history, geography, business, science and technology and languages.
It presents the most important and most unusual news stories of the past year. And it gives interesting facts, such as the nation with the most refugees (难民) (Pakistan), the nation with the most vacation days each year (Italy), and the most popular breed (品种) of dog in the United States.
The New York World newspaper published the first World Calendar in 1868. The World Calendar website says the publication has even played a part in American politics. For example, in 1923, Calvin Coolidge was sworn (宣誓) in as president after the sudden death of President Warren Harding. Mr. Coolidge’s father, a judge, read the oath of office from a copy of the World Calendar. The website also says that several recent American presidents have used the book. It says there are photographs of presidents John Kennedy and Bill Clinton that show copies of the World Calendar on or near their desks.
The website also claims that the World Calendar is the best-selling American reference book of all time. It says that more than 80 million copies have been sold.
The World Calendar now also publishes a digital version (版本), as well as a separate calendar for children. The Kids Calendar provides information children might need for school reports. It also has games, puzzles and other activities children enjoy.
60. According to the passage, all the following are available in the new World Calendar EXCEPT ______.
A. information about famous awards in America
B. some interesting news stories
C. introductions to some American cities
D. Calvin Coolidge’s oath of office
61. Who is the owner of the World Calendar, according to the passage?
A. The New York World newspaper.
B. The World Calendar website.
C. John Kennedy.
D. The Kids Calendar.
62. According to the passage, the World Calendar has a history of about ______ years.
A. 140 B. 85 C. 55 D. 105
第三部分阅读理解(共10小题；每小题2分,满分20分)
How many times have you laughed today? Have you ever wondered what makes you laugh? In the whole animal kingdom, only we humans are capable (有能力的) of laughter. On average, we laugh about 17 times a day.
Laughter is a spontaneous reaction of the body to some-thing funny or pleasant. Have you noticed that when you laugh, many parts of your body respond (反应)? Your face changes expression, your breathing changes, and muscles throughout your body are affected.
An interesting story dates back to 1962. In a school in Tanganyika, in Africa, a group of schoolgirls started laughing uncontrollably over a joke. This laughter became epidemic (传染的), jumping from one person to the next, spreading across communities, and lasting for six months! So strong was the "laughter epidemic" that schools had to shut down till it ended.
How we laugh remains a mystery. Whatever the reasons, laughter, as the saying goes, "is the best medicine." In fact, science has proven that being happy and laughing can not only keep us healthy and fit but help deal with serious illnesses.
Laughing exercises all the important muscles, and keeps you fit. People have started forming laughter clubs that use laughter to treat illnesses. They meet at specific places at fixed times and laugh together. Laughter spreads, so this exercise works best in groups; once one person starts laughing, others automatically (自动地) join in.
56. The underlined word "spontaneous" in the second paragraph probably means "______".
A. perfect B. strange C. naturalD. terrible
57. People have formed laughter clubs to ______.
A. kill time B. relax C. meet others D. keep healthy
58. The best title for the passage would be ______.
A. A Laughter Epidemic
B. Laughter, What It Is, and What It Can Do
C. The Relationship Between Laughter and Health
D. How Laughter Helps Cure Disease
59. The passage is probably taken from a(n) ______.
A. ad B. novel C. magazine D. medical book
Robots are smart。 With their computer brains, they help people work in dangerous places or do difficult jobs。 Some robots do regular jobs。Bobby, the mail carrier, brings mail to a large office building in Washington, D。C。 He is one of 250 mail carriers in the United States。
Mr。 Leachim, who weighs two hundred pounds and is six feet tall, has some advantages as a teacher。 One is that he does not forget details。 He knows each child’s name, the parents’ names and what each child knows and needs to know。 In addition, he knows each child’s pets and hobbies。 Mr。 Leachim does not make mistakes。 Each child goes and tells him his or her name, then dials an identification (身份证明) number。 His computer brain puts the child’s voice and number together。 He identifies the child with no mistakes。 Then he starts the lesson。
Another advantage is that Mr。 Leachim is flexible。 If the children need more time to do their lessons they can move switches。 In this way they can repeat Mr。 Leachim’s lesson over and over again。 When the children do a good job he tells them something interesting about their hobbies。 At the end of the lesson the children switch Mr。 Leachim off。
58。 The first paragraph of the passage tells us _______。
A。 human beings are not as smart as robots
B。 robots will take the place of man to rule the earth
C。 we can only use robots to do some regular jobs
D。 robots can help people in many different ways
59。 Mr。 Leachim’s ______ makes him a good teacher。
A。 knowledge B。 appearance C。 advantage D。 energy
60。 The word “flexible” in the last paragraph means _______。
A。 not strict B。 not hard C。 suitable D。 changeable
Growing numbers of people are becoming addicted to text messaging（手机信息）, a German doctor warned recently。
Psychotherapist(采用精神疗法的医生) Andreas Herter estimated that there were some 380,000 sufferers in Germany。 Herter based his prediction（预测）on the growing number of manic mobile phone users among patients arriving at his Hanover clinic （诊所）for addiction treatment。
“Text message addiction is a real and serious illness because it causes mental and financial damage,” said Herter。 “The problem leads to depression and personality disorders, not to mention skyrocketing （飞涨的）phone bills。”
For example, a teenage boy spent 8,900 euros (US$11,000) texting people he didn’t even know and a married couple could only communicate by text message, even when they were sitting side by side。
55。 The passage is mainly to tell us ______。
A。 why people like text messaging B。 text messaging has many advantages
C。 overusing text message does great harm D。 text messaging does no good
56。 Herter thinks text message addiction is ______。
A。 acceptable B。 easy to deal with C。 unreasonable D。 worrying
57。 The examples given in the last paragraph are used to show ______。
A。 text message addiction is a serious diseas
B。they care about nothing else but text message
C。 sending text message is their only hobby
D。 they are very rich
Switzerland(瑞士) is famous for its watches。 However, this country didn’t invent the watch。It was the British who did it。 Here is a story of how the watch was brought to Switzerland。
Many years ago , an Englishman was travelling to Italy 。 On his way he stopped in a small town in South Switzerland。 This Englishman travelled in a carriage(马车) inside which there was a carriage watch。 This was the earliest kind of watch。 A native shop assistant (售货员) happened to see the watch 。 He wondered what it was and asked the Englishman about it。 “ It is a carriage watch 。” said the man 。 This machine tells the time but now it isn’t working 。
At once the shop assistant offered to try to repair it 。 So the traveller handed him the watch。 The assistant was a very wise man 。 So it was not surprising that he managed to repair it 。 He even remembered how it was made。 As soon as the traveller had gone on his way , he made a watch exactly the same type。
Thus the watch-making was started in Switzerland。 Today Swiss watches are sold in stores all over the world。
50 Switzerland is famous for ____________。
A 。making watches B selling watches C inventing watches D the carriage watch
51。It was ______who brought a watch to Switzerland earliest 。
A a SwissB an Italian C an Englishman D a shop assistant
52。 The earlist watches were made in __________。
A SwitzerlandB EnglandC ItalyD a small town
53 The first Swiss watch was made by ___________。
A an Italian shop assistant
B an English shop assistant
C a man who came from Switzerland
D。 a man who was travelling to Italy。
54。 The carriage watch was a machine which __________。
A was put in the carriageB wasn’t working
C told people timeD had to be repaired