One day, a train was approaching the small town of Cheekyville. On the train was a young man with a big suitcase. He was called William Warbler, and he looked very common indeed. What made him most unusual, though, was the fact that whenever he needed to communicate he did it by singing opera (歌剧). It didn’t matter to William whether it was simply a matter of answering a brief greeting, like “good day”. He would clear his voice and respond, “Gooood dayyy to youuuuuuuu... toooooo!”
No one could get a normal spoken word out of him and no one knew how he made his living. As he lived quite simply, always wearing his same old second-hand suit, people often looked down on him.
William had been in Cheekyville for some years, when, one day, word spread round town like wildfire: William had played a role in a very important opera in the nation’s capital. Everyone in the capital went to see it, and it was a great success. Everyone in Cheekyville felt it was a surprise. But something more surprising was, when William was being interviewed by reporters, he answered their questions by speaking rather than singing. And he did it with great manners, and with a clear and pleasant voice.
From that day, William gave up singing at all hours. Now he did it only during his stage appearances and world tours. Some people suspected why he had changed, but others continued believing him to be somewhat mad. They wouldn’t have thought so if they had seen what William kept in his big suitcase. It was a large stone, with a hand-carved (手工雕刻的) message on it. The message said: “Practice, my boy. Practice every second, for you never know when your chance will come.”
Little did people realize that he only got the role in the opera because the director had heard William singing while out buying a newspaper.Why did people in Cheekyville consider William strange?
| A．He always carried a big suitcase. |
| B．He always spoke by singing opera. |
| C．He always greeted people gladly. |
| D．He always wore an old suit. |
Hearing the news about William, people in Cheekyville felt it was _____.
| A．unbelievable | B．satisfying |
| C．disappointing | D．interesting |
According to the text, William _____.
| A．had no idea whether he should continue doing something mad |
| B．was nervous and didn’t know how to sing when he was interviewed |
| C．was selling newspapers when the opera director heard him singing |
| D．practiced singing whenever possible before he became famous |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Live and learn. |
| B．Better late than never. |
| C．Practice makes the master. |
| D．Experience is the best teacher. |
第二部分阅读（共两节，满分50分）
第一节阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列四篇短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Linda Evans was my best friend—like the sister I never had. We did everything together: piano lessons, movies, swimming, horseback riding.
When I was 13, my family moved away. Linda and I kept in touch through letters, and we saw each other on special time—like my wedding and Linda’s. Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes, and we wrote less often. One day a card that I sent came back, stamped “Address Unknown. ” I had no idea how to find Linda.
Over the years, I missed Linda very much. I wanted to share happiness of my children and then grandchildren. And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died. There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill.
One day I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman who looked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman — Linda’s married name. “There must be thousands of Wagmans,” I thought, but I still wrote to her.
She called as soon as she got my letter. “Mrs Tobin!” she said excitedly, “Linda Evans Wagman is my mother. ”
Minutes later I heard a voice that I knew very much, even after 40 years, laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives. Now the empty place in my heart is filled. And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure: We won’t lose each other again!
26．The writer went to piano lessons with Linda Evans .
A．at the age of 13
B．before she got married
C．after they moved to new homes
D．before the writer’s family moved away
27．They didn’t often write to each other because they .
A．got married B．had little time to do so
C．didn’t like writing letters D．could see each other on special time
28．There was an empty place in the writer’s heart because she .
A．was in trouble
B．didn’t know Linda’s address
C．received the card that she sent
D．didn’t have a friend like Linda to share her happiness or sadness
29．The writer was happy when she .
A．read the newspaper
B．heard Linda’s voice on the phone
C．met a young woman who looked a lot like Linda
D．wrote to the woman whose last name was Wagman
30．They haven’t kept in touch .
A．for about 40 years B．for about 27 years
C．since they got married D．since the writer’s family moved away
In 1990 Peter Salovey Ph. D and John Mayer Ph. D coined the term Emotional Intelligence. Their research has opened many people’s eyes to the fact that EQ or emotional quotient holds the key to one’s happiness and well being, and helped us to realize that our emotional makeup can be so much more important than our mental, or what we refer to as IQ—intelligent quotient.
IQ is essential for learning and mental development and EQ is much more important for happiness and success. Some time ago a study done in the United States proved that doctors who were impatient and did not exhibit much care towards their patients were more likely to be sued (起诉) for malpractice(渎职), whereas doctors who were caring and attentive to their patients were less likely to be sued even if they made a critical mistake. A woman wrote to newspaper recently telling about her brother. He was apparently a genius but did not get along with people, quit every job he started, and eventually became a taxi driver. These are just a few examples of people with high IQ but low EQ.
We have all known people who did not complete college, but who have become very successful in business. We call them street smart. We also know people who, on the whole, are positive, communicative, pleasant and supportive—these people enjoy a high level of EQ.
Many people wish to improve their EQ for the purpose of becoming happier, more successful, and at the same time more balanced, individuals. The remarkable thing about EQ is that it can always, at any age, be improved, unlike IQ, which remains more or less fixed in adult life.
Now psychologists start workshops focusing on showing people how to increase their EQ. This enables them to accomplish their dreams and desires, rid themselves of negative patterns and shows them that once they master their inner world, their outer world becomes much better.
47. In the second paragraph, the author gives us two examples to show that _____.
A. doctors in the United States are often involved in cases
B. working as a taxi driver in the United States requires high EQ
C. those with high IQ are often engaged in the low-rank work
D. those with low EQ have a harder time surviving in life
48. Which of the following can’t be used to describe the people with a high level of EQ?
A. They are positive, communicative, pleasant and supportive.
B. They are optimistic and untroubled by difficulties.
C. They are impatient and show little care towards others.
D. They may be very successful in business.
49. It can be inferred that predicting future successes, ______.
A. a person’s brainpower might actually matter less than a person’s character
B. a person’s IQ might be more important than a person’s EQ
C. IQ plays an important role as well as EQ
D. both IQ and EQ are the key points that should be considered
50. Which of following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. People with high IQ are likely to gain knowledge quickly.
B. At work EQ gets you hired easily and IQ gets you promoted.
C. Having a high IQ will help us in some ways but having a high EQ might help us even more.
D. People’s EQ could be raised much more than their IQ.
During recent years, floods and flash floods have caused billions of dollars in damage each year. They are among the most common and widespread of all natural disasters. Even more importantly, they’re No.1 weather-related killer. A flood can happen anywhere along the Mississippi, in New England, even in the desert.
The following are some fascinating facts about floods and flash floods.
A flood（commonly called river flood）is high flow of water from a river or similar body of water, happening over a period of time too long to be considered a flash flood. Flooding is caused in many ways. Winter or spring rains, together with melting snows, can fill rivers too quickly. Heavy rains from hurricanes or other tropical（热带的）systems can also produce river flooding. The Mississippi River Flood of 1993 was caused by repeated heavy rain from thunderstorms over a period of weeks.
Flash floods are quickly-rising floods which are usually the result of heavy rains over a short period of time, often only several hours or even less. They can also be caused by ice jams（冰塞）on rivers related to a winter or spring melting, or occasionally even a dam break. The constant influx（汇集） of water finally caused a great overflow to begin, powerful enough to sweep vehicles away, roll big stones into roadways, uproot trees, level（夷平） buildings, and knock bridges down. The speed of the rising of water is the most frightening.
Do remember: Move to higher ground and stay away from low areas during heavy rain. Stay out of flooded areas. Never allow children especially to play or walk in flowing water. Never drive your car into water of unknown depths.
43. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The power of floodsB. The damage of floods
C. The occurrence of floods D. The facts about floods
44. The last paragraph is mainly about ______ .
A. flood safety tips B. the reasons for floods
C. the waste water systems D. the swift flood waters
45. According to the passage, people are afraid of _____ most during flash floods.
A. the constant influx of water
B. the sudden occurrence of flash floods
C. the quick rising water
D. the great damage of flash floods
46. According to the passage, flash floods are ______.
A. great floods resulted from heavy rains in a short time
B. floods rising quickly from heavy rains in a short time
C. quickly-rising floods in a long time
D. floods happening over a long time
The winter holidays are a special time at the White House. Each year, about 44,000 people come to see the holiday decorations or to attend holiday parties at the President’s home in Washington, D.C.
I was able to attend a press preview of the holiday decorations recently, which was hosted by First Lady Laura Bush. This year’s theme for the decorations is “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” The decorations are all made of fresh flowers, garlands(花环), and fruits. The flowers will have to be changed every few days to keep the look fresh.
The main Christmas tree is in the Blue Room. It’s an 18-foot fir tree—tall enough that the chan-delier(吊灯) had to be removed to make room for it. Fresh white lilies(百合), crystal garlands, and white lights decorate the White House Christmas tree. The room smells of pine and lilies.
Mrs. Bush was asked whether she called the tree a holiday tree or a Christmas tree. “We know that Americans celebrate the season in a lot of different ways,” she said. “We’ll have a party and a reception here at the White House later during the month. But I think we’ve always called this the White House Christmas tree.”
Another centerpiece of the decorations each year is the gingerbread house(姜饼屋), made by chief Thaddeus Dubois.“This is his second gingerbread house,” Mrs. Bush said. “And this year Dubois painstakingly(辛苦地，辛勤地) made it special.” The gingerbread house was made with 100 pounds of gingerbread, 150 pounds of white and dark chocolate, and clear, poured sugar windows. A strand of white lights inside the Gingerbread White House made it glow.
40. Mrs. Bush chose “All Things Bright and Beautiful”as the theme for the decorations to ______. .
A. highlight nature’s beauty B. show the great wealth of the family
C. express her love of the country D. differ from other people’s ideas
41. Which of the following can probably be used to describe the White House after the decorations?
A. New and clean. B. Elegant(高贵的) and beautiful.
C. Smelly and shaky. D. Luxurious(豪华的) and serious.
42. The passage is mainly about ______. .
A. how Americans observe Christmas
B. decorating the White House for holidays
C. the differences between a holiday tree and a Christmas tree
D. how to select a present for the White House
第二部分：阅读理解
Shanghai—Shanghai officials are welcoming a new national-water law that they say will help them protect the upper reaches of the Huangpu River and other water ways in Shanghai.
The new law, which came into effect yesterday, updates a law enacted（颁布） in 1988 that focused on supplying water to needy areas, but didn’t pay a great deal of attention to environmental protection.
The previous law, for example, gave local authorities power over waterways in these areas, but didn’t pay attention to the sources of those rivers and lakes. So, Shanghai was responsible for cleaning and protecting the lower reaches of the Chang Jiang River but had no say in how the river’s upper reaches, which feed into Shanghai, are maintained.
The new law will make it easier to control the amount of waste that ends up in local rivers and reduce inefficient use of waterways, said Zhang Jia-yi, director of the Shanghai Water Affairs Bureau, on the bureau’s website commenting on law yesterday.
Zhang said the new law focuses on the efficient use of water sources and emphasizes the harmonious development of China’s population, its economy and environment.
Zhang also emphasizes the city will crack down on companies and individuals that pollute the city’s water sources. The bureau sets up a special force to investigate(调查) water pollution in March.
So far this year, the bureau has published more than 3 million in fines on various polluters, Zhang said.
36. The best title for the news report should be ______.
A. A new Law Is Born
B. A New Water Law to Protect Rivers
C. Is it Necessary to Protect the Rivers
D. Make Full Use of Water Sources
37. The underlined phrase “crack down on” means _____.
A. bring up carefullyB. speak highly of
C. deal with seriously D. destroy completely
38. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. The law in 1988 is suitable for the new requirements.
B. The new law will stop waste being poured into the Chang Jiang River.
C. A lot of polluting units have been fined this year.
D. The new law and the old one are the same in protecting the environment.
39. We can infer from the passage that _____ .
A. the problem of protecting the water sources wasn’t paid much attention to
B. no laws were carried out to manage the water sources in Shanghai.
C. the new law mainly emphasizes how to make use of the water sources.
D. companies or individuals that polluted the water sources didn’t get fined.