There are 67 counties in the state of Alabama. Each county is rich with history and its own unique stories. Colbert County, located in the northwest corner of the state, has its share of exciting stories and claims to statewide fame. The county was created on February 6, 1867, and Tuscumbia became the county seat (the town in which the offices of the county government are located).
One of the most famous residents of Tuscumbia was Helen Keller. Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880. Her home was a white frame cottage built by her grandparents. Since ivy (常春藤) grew everywhere, the house was called Ivy Green. It was here, at the water pump in the backyard, that Keller learned the word “w-a-t-e-r” with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan. Visitors to Ivy Green can walk under boxwood trees that are 150 years old. The home has furniture that the Keller family used. It also has Keller’s Braille (盲文) books and her original Braille typewriter.
Spring Park is Tuscumbia’s most popular park and favorite tourist attraction. This park has the world’s largest manufactured waterfall called Coldwater Falls. The Spring Park Light and Water Show is an amazing sight to see. It takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at sundown. The water appears to dance to music and colored lights. The music played during the show is recorded by singers and musicians from Alabama.
Fame Recording Studios is in the city of Muscle Shoals in Colbert County. The studio is the first successful recording studio in Alabama. It is best known for creating “Southern rock,” “Southern soul,” and “county soul.” Well-known performers like Aretha Franklin and musical groups such as Alabama and Lynyrd have made recordings at this studio.
Visitors can continue to explore music in Alabama by visiting the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in Tuscumbia. Built in 1990, this site recognizes the musical talents of more than 500 Alabama residents in a wide variety of musical styles, including country and rhythm and blues.
Truly, Colbert County has a lot of wonderful locations to visit. Guests will not be disappointed in a visit to this delightful place.Which of the following is TRUE about Alabama and music?
| A．Alabama musicians have established exhibits for visitors. |
| B．There are a great many talented musicians in Alabama. |
| C．Music is the most important industry in Alabama. |
| D．Alabama residents enjoy listening to music. |
How many locations related to music in Colbert County are mentioned in the text?
| A．1. | B．2. | C．3. | D．4. |
The author writes the text mainly to persuade the reader __________.
| A．to learn from Helen Keller |
| B．to visit businesses in Alabama |
| C．to stop for a visit in Colbert County |
| D．to listen to Southern styles of music |
The text is most probably taken from __________.
| A．a story book | B．a book review |
| C．a personal diary | D．a travel magazine |
Sure, human dads can play catch and help with homework, but can they give birth? Daddy sea horses can! This Father’s Day, while you’re showing respect to your dad, remember some of the best dads in the world can also be found in the animal kingdom.
Sea Horses: The "Mr. Moms" of the marine world, male sea horses, carry up to 2,000 fertilized eggs in pouches in their stomachs until they hatch. Even after the babies are born, they stay inside the pouch until they are ready to venture out on their own.
Microhylid Frogs: Buy these dads a "Baby on Board" sign to put on their backs! These froggy fathers from New Guinea play piggyback once their babies hatch from their eggs. One by one, the dad lets as many as 24 froglets climb onto his back for a family road trip. He hops about 50 feet each night, and one by one, his kids jump off along the way to begin new lives of their own.
Darwin's Rheas: Thought your dad was overprotective? Darwin's rhea, also known as South American ostriches（鸵鸟）, are so protective of their children that they routinely rush cowboys on horseback and have even been known to attack small airplanes on the ground if they get too close to their brood!
Marmosets: These little monkeys do everything but Lamaze class（心理助产课）! Dedicated dads assist during labor by biting off the umbilical cord（脐带）and cleaning up the afterbirth. They also let Mom get some R&R（rest & recreation）by taking care of the kids when they're not nursing. Sand Grouse: Talk about sponging off Dad! These pigeon-like birds live in areas where water is sparse, so fathers fly as many as 50 miles to get water for their kids. After they soak up the water in their breast feathers, they fly home and let their chicks suckle the moisture from their bodies.
Fathers of the animal kingdom are not that different from our own beloved dads. This Father's Day, when you are honoring your dad, honor animal dads, too, by practicing kindness and compassion toward all animals.
1．The passage is mainly written to __________.
A．introduce to us some unusual animals
B．distinguish between human and animal dads
C.raise our awareness of animal protection
D．praise animal dads for their sacrifices
2．Among these animal dads, which have the ability to fly?
A．Microhylid Frogs. B．Sea Horses C.Darwin’s Rheas. D．Sand Grouses.
3．What these animals have in common is that_____________.
A．they carry their young to wherever they please
B．they’re all devoted to their children
C.they’re overprotective of their children
D．they help their wives clean up the afterbirth
4．When Microhylid Frogs play piggyback, they___________.
A．let their kids ride on their back
B．attack cowboys with their back
C.carry their babies inside a pouch
D．help their wife during the labor
Beijing plans to build huge free or low-cost parking lots（停车场）beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads to encourage more car owners to take buses or subways to the downtown area.
The plan is just one of the many measures the city plans to take to reduce its traffic jams. Low or no parking fees would be used as economic leverage（杠杆作用）to reduce growing parking demands from urban areas.
Car owners living in the suburbs（郊区）will be encouraged to park their cars beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads and take buses or subways to the downtown area. Statistics show that nearly one quarter of the city’s traffic flow is concentrated in the 62-square-kilometre downtown area within the Second Ring Road, which makes up only 12 percent of the city’s total area.
The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau receives between 400 and 500 calls reporting traffic jams every day and more than 90 percent of the roads are filled to capacity during rush hour every morning and evening. Part of the problem is the lack of easy links between bus routes, subways and cars.
According to the communication commission, half of the city’s investment in transportation will go towards public transit（公共交通）construction in the next few years, making a jump from the current only 20 percent. Moreover, Beijing plans to change its layout（布局）by building new city centers, such as at Yizhuang, Tongzhou, Shunyi and Changping, in a bid to reduce the traffic flow to the downtown.
The current layout of Beijing-expanded ring roads around the same center of the Forbidden City, is seen as the root cause of the endless traffic jams. The downtown area is crowded with three business centers and one financial centre, as well as nearly 400 government organs and institutions.
Traffic experts say building more urban centers around Beijing may reduce the number of residents living in the suburbs and traveling long distances to work downtown every day, thus reducing traffic flow.
1. In the coming years, if a man beyond the Fourth Ring Road goes to work in the downtown of Beijing, he is encouraged to ____.
A. take buses or subways B． take a taxi
C. drive the car quickly D． park his car in a place which asks for no fees
2. According to this passage, while more and more people drive to work in rush hour in Beijing, it is likely to ____.
A. save time B． cause traffic jams
C. cause traffic accidents D． reduce air pollution
3. The aim in building new city centers is to ____.
A. make it convenient for people to go shopping B． develop its local resources
C. reduce the traffic flow to the downtown D． solve the problem of more laid-off workers
4. The passage suggests the author ____.
A. is tired of driving to work
B. finds it costs less to take subways than to drive
C. is for the plan to reduce Beijing’s traffic congestion
D. has benefited a lot by driving to the downtown every day
Just be happy. Sounds too simplistic, doesn’t it? But, in reality, we can have much more happiness if we choose to consider things from a positive point of view. Everyone experiences the ups and downs of life, however, we can make a decision to take advantage of the negative or pratice what the old saying says to do：“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”
It really boils down to your attitude and you have the ability to work your attitude into any shape you like. Here are some tips:
●Ignore those who tell you life is too difficult to be happy. what do they know?
●When you awaken each morning, be thankful for another day, even if it’s raining.
●Smile at those you meet, even if they don’t return the favor.
● Don’t borrow trouble. Each day has enough of its own.
● Don’t allow trouble to bury you in its gray depth of sorrow.
● Don’t give in to negative thinking.
● Be positive even when others are not.
● Refuse to give up on anything worth having or doing.
● Do something you enjoy each day, even if it’s just a walk in your neighborhood.
● Whistle as you go though the day.
● Work at being happy because it’s worth it.
You’re human, like everyone else, and from time to time you need a little pick-me-up in your decision to be happy. When you reach that stage, find someone else who has decided to be happy. Join forces with him and march forward in your decision to be a happy person. Simply speaking, a happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.
Choose today to just be happy----as much as it depends on you!
1．The amount of happiness depends on__________.
A．the ups and downs you’ve experienced B．what attitude you take towards life
C.how simple a life you manage to live D．the kind of environment you stay in
2．The underlined sentence advises us to_______
A．work hard for a comfortable life B．drink lemonade when in difficulty
C.make the best of what we have D．ignore the negative side of life
3．Which of the following doesn’t help maintain your good state of mind?
A．Think in advance about future troubles. B．Greet others with a cheerful smile.
C.Stay positive all the way through.D．Try to enjoy every single moment.
4．The best title for the passage might be “_________ ”.
A．Don’t lose heart B．Share your happiness
C.Live a simple life D．Let’s cheer ourselves up
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
I was helping in my son’s classroom when I spotted a poster that reads, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can break my heart”. I started thinking.
Teachers are such an important part of a child’s life. A teacher’s support determines how safe a child feels in school. His inspiration determines how much risk a child will take in the classroom, his understanding determines how important a child feels in school and his love determines a child’s motivating and attitude toward education. And the effect a teacher has on a child doesn’t end when the school bell rings at the end of the day. Rather, those feelings developed in the classroom go home with the child and, in a large part, determine what sort of evening the child and the family have. The importance of a teacher to a child is fantastic and cannot be over-emphasized.
All my children are fortunate to have remarkable teachers. Consequently, the three of them love going to school almost as much as they love using teacherisms, for example, one of Hannah’s favorite phrases in used when I mess up. She looks at me with understanding and says, “It’s okay to make mistakes, mama, because you’re only learning.” Rachael’s favorite phrase is used to start most of her jobs; with a glow in her eye, she says, “I’m just going to do my best, mama, because that’s all I can do!” But perhaps my favorite is Jacob’s response to his sisters when one of them says something he doesn’t like. With his hand on his heart he says, “Don’t say that because words can break my heart.”
Like most parents, I hear teacherisms daily. And every time I hear one, my heart floods with gratefulness for the wonderful teachers who make my children feel safe, important, and successful in the classroom, and who are helping my children achieve emotional good health. There is much talk today how to measure a teacher’s worth. I think we need only look at the students. Children mirror teachers’ words and actions, and the content of those reflections shows teacher’s greatness.
1．Teachers are important to students in that ___________.
A．they equip them with book knowledge
B．they help free the parents from worries
C.they guarantee each family a happy evening
D．they help keep them emotionally healthy
2．The three children’s examples are used to show that_______.
A．they are lucky to have wonderful teachers
B．they can eventually develop into good teachers
C.they are sometimes mentally hurt by the teachers
D．they have a successful performance in school
3．To his mother, what the boy says possibly sounds_____.
A．ridiculous B．convincing C.humorous D．inspiring
4．The underlined word “teacherisms” probably refers to “_________”.
A．how teachers normally deal with their students
B．what teachers usually say to their students
C.why teachers seem important to their students
D．where teachers agree with their students
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.
1. The author thinks the golf is resource-hungry because of the following EXCEPT that _____.
A. Golf wastes large areas of countryside
B. Golf runs out of much water
C.Keeping golf court in good condition needs too much energy
D. Golf is bad for people’s health
2. According to the passage, which of the following is an environment-friendly sport?
A. swimming in the pool B. hiking in the hills
C.playing basketball in the gym D. motor racing in the desert
3. The reason why the author uses power walking as an example mainly is that ______.
A. it improves our health B. it is an outdoor sport
C.it uses fewer resourcesD. it is recommended by experts
4. The passage is developed mainly by _____.
A. examples and explanation B. comparison and persuasion
C.facts and descriptions D. figures and conclusion