In her new book, “The Smartest Kids in the World,” Amanda Ripley, an investigative journalist, tells the story of Tom, a high-school student from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, who decides to spend his senior year in Warsaw, Poland. Poland is a surprising educational success story: in the past decade, the country raised students’ test scores from significantly below average to well above it. Polish kids have now outscored(超过……分数) American kids in math and science, even though Poland spends, on average, less than half as much per student as the United States does. One of the most striking differences between the high school Tom attended in Gettysburg and the one he ends up at in Warsaw is that the latter has no football team, or, for that matter, teams of any kind.
That American high schools waste more time and money on sports than on math is an old complaint. This is not a matter of how any given student who plays sports does in school, but of the culture and its priorities. This December, when the latest Program for International Student Assessment(PISA) results are announced, it’s safe to predict that American high-school students will once again display their limited skills in math and reading, outscored not just by students in Poland but also by students in places like South Korea, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland, Singapore, and Japan. Meanwhile, they will have played some very exciting football games, which will have been breathlessly written up in their hometown papers.
Why does this situation continue? Well, for one thing, kids like it. And for another, according to Ripley, parents seem to like the arrangement, too. She describes a tour she took of a school in Washington D.C., which costs thirty thousand dollars a year. The tour leader—a mother with three children in the school—was asked about the school’s flaws(暇疵). When she said that the math program was weak, none of the parents taking the tour reacted. When she said that the football program was weak, the parents suddenly became concerned. “Really?” one of them asked worriedly, “What do you mean?”
One of the ironies(讽刺) of the situation is that sports reveal what is possible. American kids’ performance on the field shows just how well they can do when expection are high. It’s too bad that their test scores show the same thing.【改编】The reason why Tom decides to spend his senior year in Poland is that _______.
| A．there are evident differences between the two countries |
| B．Polish kids are better at learning |
| C．he plans to improve his scores |
| D．sports are not supported at schools in Gettysburg |
According to Paragraph 2, we know that _______.
| A．little time is spent on sports in Japanese schools |
| B．too much importance is placed on sports in America |
| C．American high schools complain about sports time |
| D．PISA plays a very important role in America |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means _______.
| A．American students’ academic performance worries their parents a lot |
| B．high expectations push up American students’ academic performance |
| C．lacking practice contributes to American students’ average performance |
| D．low expectations result in American students’ poor PISA performance |
【改编】What is the main purpose of this article ?_______.
| A．push public attention to a weakness in American school tradition |
| B．Appeal to American schools to learn from the Polish model |
| C．compare Polish schools with those in America |
| D．explain what is the matter with American schools and provide solutions |
C
I was riding along the road when I heard someone shouting behind me. It was a young shepherd (牧羊人). He was running across a field, and pointing at something.
I looked and saw two wolves running across the field. One was fully grown, the other was a cub. The cub had on his back a lamb (羔羊) which had just been killed, and he had the leg in his mouth. The old wolf was running behind.
As soon as I saw the wolves, I joined the shepherd and started in pursuit (追击), setting up a shout.
When they heard, some peasants started out also in pursuit, with their dogs.
As soon as the old wolf caught sight of the dogs and the men, he ran to the young one, snatched (攫取) the lamb from him, threw it over his back, and both wolves increased their pace and were soon lost from view.
Then the shepherd began to tell me how it happened. The big wolf has sprung (跳跃) out from the valley, seized the lamb, killed it and carried it off. The old wolf allowed the young wolf to carry the lamb, but kept running a short distance behind.
But as soon as there was danger, the old wolf stopped giving the lesson, and seized the lamb himself.
58. What is a cub?
A. It’s an old wolf.B. It’s a young wolf. C. It’s a strong wolf.D. It’s a big wolf.
59. The old wolf seized the lamb for himself because __________.
A. the cub would not carry it any longerB. the cub was too tired
C. there was dangerD. the cub would not learn
60. What is the passage about?
A. How a young wolf carried a lamb.
B. How the wolves escaped.
C. How some peasants tried to catch the wolf.
D. How an old wolf taught its cub..
B
The Harp Seal is one of nature’s most beautiful and appealing (吸引人的) creatures. Many years ago it was hunted for its fur. Hunting Harp Seals is now illegal.
The seals spend the summer months migrating (迁徙) in large groups. Harp Seals close their nostrils (鼻孔) and earholes when diving in water, but have to surface frequently to breathe. Their favourite place to rest is on the top of icebergs.
The female Harp Seal gives birth in February or March and feeds her pups for 14-18 days. Baby Harp Seals begin to lose their white fur at around six to eight weeks of age. As an adult, the Harp Seal has brown skin. At birth, Harp Seals weigh 12kg but can weigh up to 130kg as adults. Harp Seals eat small fish, shrimps and krill. However, they are able to switch from one food to another depending on what they can get as food. Males have a lifespan of 29 years while females usually live for longer than 30 years.
Since the Canadian Government introduced laws to protect the seal pups from hunters, their numbers have increased to more than one million. Now every year, thousands of tourists flock to the pack ice to witness the wonderful sight of new pups born in spring.
55. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Hunting Harp Seals is illegal.
B. Protecting Harp Seals.
C. Harp Seals.
D. Lifespan of Harp Seals.
56. An adult Harp Seal could be described as being ___________.
A. brown in colour and weighing 12kg
B. brown in colour and weighing 130kg
C. white in colour and weighing 12kg
D. white in colour and weighing 130kg
57. According to the passage which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Adult Harp Seals only eat shrimp.
B. Adult Harp Seals eat different food at different times.
C. Adult Harp Seals prefer to eat krill.
D. Adult Harp Seals catch small fish to feed their young.
第三部分阅读理解（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
A
No other band has had the same influence in the world as the Beatles. Over eight years and with more than a dozen albums (专辑)，four young men from Liverpool, England — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Star changed popular music and culture forever.
People in the UK became crazy about the Beatles in late 1963. The phenomenon (现象) was called “Beatlemania” by the British press. The term referred to the young women seen screaming at the band’s concerts. Beatlemania came to North America in early 1964, and the band’s popularity spread across much of the world.
Within five years, the Beatles’music changed greatly from their simple early hits like “She Loves You” and “I want to Hold Your Hand”.
The band wrote their own songs, explored new ways to create music and strived (奋斗)for high quality in every album they put out.
However, with their popularity came criticism (批评). The press criticized the band as symbols of 1960s youth culture, which celebrated freedom from traditional family roles.
In 1970, Paul McCartney announced he was leaving the Beatles. And the group quietly came to an end.
In the 70s, fans hoped for a reunion, but the group decided to follow their own careers with different degrees of success.
Fans lost hope with a tragedy; John Lennon was murdered in New York in 1980.
51. How long did the Beatles exist?
A. Five years. B. Six years.
C. Eight years.D. Thirteen years.
52. The underlined word “press” means _______.
A. young women of a country
B. young fans of a singer or film star
C. a business that prints and sometimes also sells books
D. reports in newspapers and on radio and television
53. For what reason were the Beatles criticized？
A. Because their own songs were not popular.
B. Because they influenced the youth culture.
C. Because of their own families.
D. Because of their roles in the band.
54. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Beatles changed the face of music B. John Lennon’s death
C. John Lennon and his band D. The break-up of the Beatles
第二节阅读表达（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）
In the United States, friends can be close, constant, intense, generous, and real, yet fade away m a short time if circumstances change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship where it left out and are delighted.
In the States ,you can feel free to visit people' s homes ， share their holidays， enjoy their lives without fear that you are taking on alasting obligation (负担）. Do not hesitate to accept hospitality (热情款待) because you can't give it in return. No one will expect you to do so for they know you are, far from home. Americans will enjoy welcoming you and be pleased if you accept their hospitality easily.
Once you arrive there, the welcome will be full, warm and real. Most visitors find themselves readily invited into many homes there. In some countries it is considered inhospitable to entertain (招待) at home, offering what is felt as only home-cooked food, not “doing something for your guest". It is felt that restaurant entertaining shows more respect and welcome. Or for other different reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties, or family custom, outsiders are not invited into homes.
In the United States, both methods are used, but it is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one's home than to go to a public place, except in purely business relationships. So, if your host or hostess_________, do not feel that you are being shown inferior ( 差的，低级的) treatment.
Don' t feel neglected ( 被轻视的 ) if you do not find flowers awaiting you in your hotel room, either. Flowers are very expensive there, hotel delivery is uncertain, arrival times are delayed, changed, or canceled ( 取消 ) —so flowers are not customarily sent as a welcoming touch. Please do not feel unwanted! Outward signs vary in different lands, the inward welcome is what matters, and this will be real.
81.What' s the best title of the text? ( Please answer within 5 words. )
82.Which sentence in the text is similar in meaning to the following one?
Americans gladly continue their friendships after a chance encounter even if several years have passed.
83.Fill in the blank in the fourth paragraph with proper words. ( Please answer within 6 words. )
84.For what purpose does the writer mention flowers in the last paragraph? ( Please answer within 15 words. )
85.Translate the underlined part in the second paragraph into Chinese.
D
"In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight. "
"Two full inches in the first three days!"
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine, newspaper, radio and television ads, promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine 
or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs, slim the face, smooth wrinkles, or in some other way to add to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public, it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug, FDA(Food and Drug Administration )can require proof (证明) under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that is safe and effective before it is put on the market. But if the product is a device, FDA has no authority to require premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the market is a danger to health. FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily, or it can take legal action, including seizure (查封) of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor, which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously, most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings (法律诉讼),and new devices appear continually. Before buying, it is up to the consumer to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items.
71. It can be inferred that the ads mentioned in the text are .
A. objectiveB. costly C. unreliableD. illegal
72. Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. The court is in charge of removing dangerous products.
B. New products are more likely to be questionable.
C. The production of a device must be approved by FDA.
D. The promoters usually just care about profits.
73. FDA can ask for the proof of safety and effectiveness of a product .
A. if it is a drug
B. if it is a device
C. if its consumers make complaints
D. if its distributors challenge FDA's authority
74. The Relaxacisor is mentioned as .
A. a product which was designed to produce electricity
B. a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case
C. a successful advertisement of a beauty product
D. an example of a quality beauty product
75. The author intends to .
A. make consumers aware of the promoters' false promises
B. show the weakness of the law on product safety
C. give advice on how to keep young and beautiful
D. introduce the organization of FDA