B
In Britain and other countries，young people sometimes take a “gap year，” a year off between high school and college．This idea never gained a big following in America．Recent news reports have suggested that interest may be growing，though there are no official numbers．
Charles Deacon，Dean of Admissions at Georgetown University in Washington，D．C．，estimates that in the current first-year class of 1，600 students，only about 25 decided to take a year off．He says this number hasn’t changed much over the years．
Mr．Deacon says the most common reason for taking a “gap year” is to have a chance to travel，but he says international students may take a “gap year” to meet requirements at home for military duty．
Some high school graduates see a year off as a chance to recover after twelve years of required education，but it can also give students a chance to explore their interests．Students hoping to be doctors，for example，could learn about the profession by volunteering in a hospital．
Many colleges and universities support gap-year projects by permitting students to delay their admission．Experts say students can grow emotionally and intellectually as they work at something they enjoy．
The Harvard admissions office has an essay on its Web site called “Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation．” It praises the idea of taking time off to step back，think and enjoy gaining life experiences outside the pressure of studies．It also notes that students are sometimes admitted to Harvard or other colleges partly because they did something unusual with that time．
Of course，a gap year is not for everyone．Students might miss their friends who go on directly to college，and parents might worry that their children will decide not to go to college once they take time off．Another concern is money．A year off，away from home，can be costly．
Holly Bull’s job is to specialize in helping students plan their gap year．She notes that several books have been written about this subject．She says these books along with media attention and the availability of information on the Internet have increased interest in the idea of a year off，and she points out that many gap-year programs cost far less than a year of college．What is the passage mainly about？
| A．If you want to go to an American university，take a gap year first． |
| B．More and more American students are choosing to take a year off． |
| C．It is likely that taking a “gap year” is becoming popular in America． |
| D．Americans hold different opinions towards students’ taking a “gap year”． |
How many reasons for students’ taking a “gap year” are mentioned in the passage？
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5． |
The essay “Time Out or Burn Out for the Next Generation．” suggests that ______．
| A．every student must take a“gap year”before applying for a famous university |
| B．some famous universities encourage students to gain more life experiences |
| C．taking a‘gap year’can make students free from life learning |
| D．the stress of studies does harm to the students’ health |
What can we learn from the passage？
| A．Charles Deacon doesn’t support the idea of the students’ taking a “gap year”． |
| B．Books and media have contributed to the students’ interest in school learning． |
| C．Parents might disagree with the program，concerned about their children’s future． |
| D．Experts agree taking a year off will benefit the students emotionally and physically． |
D
Have you ever known a married couple that just didn’t seem as though they should fit together—yet they are both happy in the marriage, and you can’t figure out why?
I know of one couple: the husband is a burly(魁梧的)ex-athlete who, in addition to being a successful salesman, coaches Little League, is active in his Rotary Club and plays golf every Saturday with friends. Meanwhile, his wife is petite, quiet and a complete homebody. She doesn’t even like to go out to dinner.
What mysterious force drives us into the arms of one person, while pushing us away from another who might appear equally desirable to any unbiased(没有偏见的) observer?
Of the many factors influencing our idea of the perfect mate, one of the most telling, according to John Money, professor emeritus(荣誉退休的) of medical psychology and pediatrics(儿科学) at Johns Hopkins University, is what he calls our “love map”—a group of messages encoded in our brains that describes our likes and dislikes. It shows our preferences in hair and eye color, in voice, smell, body build. It also records the kind of personality that appeals to us, whether it’s the warm and friendly type or the strong, silent type.
In short, we fall for and pursue those people who most clearly fit our love map. And this love map is largely determined in childhood. By age eight, the pattern for our ideal mate has already begun to float around in our brains.
When I lecture, I often ask couples in the audience what drew them to their dates or mates. Answers range from “She’s strong and independent” and “I go for redheads” to “I love his sense of humor” and “That crooked smile, that’s what did it.”
I believe what they say. But I also know that if I were to ask those same men and women to describe their mothers, there would be many similarities between their ideal mates and their moms. Yes, our mothers—the first real love of our lives—write a significant portion of our love map.
51. What does the underlined word “petite” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Clever. B. Little. C. Energetic. D. Lovely.
52. What is “love map” according to John Money?
A. One of the many factors influencing our idea of the perfect mate.
B. Our preferences in hair and eye color, in voice, smell, body build.
C. A group of messages encodes in our brains that describes our likes and dislikes.
D. Something that appeals to us, whether it’s the warm and friendly type.
53. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. By age eight, the pattern for our ideal mate has already begun to float around in our brains.
B. We fall for and pursue those people who most clearly fit our love map.
C. Love map is largely determined in childhood.
D. “She’d strong and independent” is the most important reason that drew the couple together.
54. What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. The author believes what the questioned couple said.
B. Our mothers play a very important role in the forming of our “love map”.
C. Our mothers are the first real love in our lives.
D. There would be many similarities between ideal mates and moms.
55. What would be the best title of this passage?
A. The “love map” in our mind.
B. What mysterious force drives us into the arms of one person?
C. The real reason why we choose that special someone.
D. Our mothers write a significant portion of our love map.
C
The Tasmanian devil is a rare marsupial(有袋动物)that lives only on the Australian island state of Tasmania. The doglike animal is rapidly disappearing. The Tasmanian state government estimates that the number of devils has dropped from around 150,000 in the mid-1990s to between 20,000 and 50,000 at the end of 2007.
The devil was declared an endangered species last week. It is being wiped out by a rare cancer called devil facial tumor(肿瘤)disease(DFTD). It spreads like a cold or flu from animal to animal. The disease is passed when one devil bites another. When the marsupial is infected with DFTD, large tumors develop around its mouth and neck. These growths make it impossible for the devil to eat. Many finally die from starvation within six months of being infected. As the name implies, the disease occurs only in Tasmanian devils and cannot be passed to humans.
You’ve got to remember that devils are scavengers(清扫工). They search through garbage for food. Throughout Tasmania people maintain outdoor dumps. If somebody threw out a carcass(兽类尸体), then the devils might actually consume quite large quantities of it.
The disease has not yet appeared in the devil population that lives in the northwest region of Tasmania. Conservationists have captured some of the healthy devils and sent them to a new home on the mainland of Australia. They hope these DFTD-free marsupials can be used to start a captive-breeding population. Once there are more disease-free devils, they can then repopulate the areas of Tasmania where the species are being wiped out.
Tasmanian devils play an important role in keeping the state’s ecosystem in balance. They keep the population of other predators, such as foxes and wild cats, in check. Ray Nias, head of World Wildlife Federation—Australia’s conservation program, says all Tasmanian wildlife will suffer if the devil becomes extinct. “If the devils go and the foxes and cats increase, it would be all over for a good dozen or more species of mammals, many of which are unique to Tasmania.”
46. It can be inferred that the Tasmanian devil is __________.
A. a hard-working street-cleaner B. a grass-eating animal
C. a meat-eating marsupial D. A DFTD origin
47. What’s the reason for making the Tasmanian devil endangered?
A. A rare disease called DFTD occurs in Tasmanian devils.
B. Dogs like to attack Tasmanian devils.
C. Tasmanian people try to wipe out Tasmanian devils.
D. The region of Tasmania is becoming hard for Tasmanian devils to breed.
48. To which question does the last paragraph give the answer?
A. How should people protect the devils?
B. What do the Tasmanian people do with the devils?
C. What happens if the devils disappear?
D. Which animal is closely related to the devils?
49. What measures do Tasmanian people take to stop the devils from being wiped out?
A. Trapping disease-free devils in a new place to breed more young devils.
B. Searching the cause of the disease and finding an effective treatment.
C. Developing new chemicals for the infected animals.
D. Moving all the devils to a new home on the mainland of Australia.
50. What’s true about DFTD?
A. It’s a disease that can be spread to human beings.
B. It’s a cold that occurs only in Tasmanian devils.
C. It’s a flu that Tasmanian devils get from their companions.
D. It’s a cancer that can be passed from one Tasmanian devil to another.
B
The first step for the accomplishment of every act is the attitude of the person who wants to do something with his life. If you are the type of person who is always optimistic and has faith in your strengths then half of the job is already taken care of.
It is quite difficult to change the way you think or how you perceive(发现) reality and all the things
around you. It is useless if your friends keep pushing you to see life in another way, to be always optimistic, to laugh more and always think at the “pink” version of things. You get annoyed by everybody giving you pieces of advice. It is only you who can decide to have this great change of personality. Not only will you see things from another perspective(角度) but life itself will come to be different, meaning more exciting and more interesting.
For me every age has its beauty and one should always know how to live to the full every aspect of it. When you are a child you spend all your time playing and you don’t have anything to worry about; as the years pass you become more concerned with whatever goes around you, with the problems you have to take care of. You should always keep your sense of humor and never forget to smile. Not only the smile makes you more beautiful but it also makes you see life with other eyes.
You only have one life and you have to live it to the full every day, as if it were the last day of your existence so as not to get the point in which you are sorry you didn’t know how to live.
41. The most important thing for a person to make his dream come true is _________.
A. to try to work hard B. to do something with his life
C. to have a strong belief D. to face difficulty bravely
42. In the author’s opinion, which is the best way to see life correctly?
A. Getting help from friends. B. Finding a way yourselves.
C. Always being optimistic. D. Seeing life in different ways.
43. Paragraph 3 mainly tells us ___________.
A. not worrying too much is very important to people
B. keeping humor and smile is very important to children
C. how to deal with problems
D. how to find beauty in life
44. Which of the following best agrees with the passage?
A. Helping others is a good quality.
B. People’s advice always makes you angry.
C. The life you live depends on the way you see it.
D. The author has nothing to worry about in his life.
45. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Could we change our attitude? B. Do you enjoy life?
C. Ways to live happily. D. Find beauty in life.
第二部分阅读理解（共20小题：每小题2.5分，满分50分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
A
Edinburgh Zoo makes plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland. Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have recently returned from China, where they signed a letter of intent(意向书)making a promise to bring giant pandas to the zoo.
It has been suggested that the breeding pair should be on loan(暂借)to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) for 10 years and it is hoped they would give birth to babies during that time. Edinburgh Zoo would be the eighth zoo in the Western hemisphere(半球)to care for the species if the project goes ahead.
Zoo chiefs said that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation. David Windmill, chief executive(主管)of RZSS, said, “It is an opportunity to work on a global level with other conservationists to gain a better understanding of the giant panda, the threats they face, and what we can do to ensure their survival.”
At present, there are currently only around 1,500 giant pandas in the wild. RZSS has been working on the project for almost a year, and hopes to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by 2009, the year of the society’s centenary(一百年纪念日).
Mr. Windmill said that the project has received strong support from the UK and Scottish Governments and that this must continue if the zoo is to reach an agreement with the Chinese. As part of the proposed agreement with the Chinese government, Edinburgh Zoo will cooperate on research projects benefiting conservation in the wild.
RZSS will also provide considerable money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild. Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China and feed almost wholly on bamboo, which makes up 99% of the their diet.
36. What result did zoo representatives get from China?
A. A breeding pair is on loan to RZSS for ten years.
B. China promised to sell two giant pandas before 2009.
C. They signed a letter of intent about giant pandas to be loaned to Edinburgh Zoo.
D. China promised to offer the money but not the experts for research into giant pandas.
37. If Edinburgh Zoo can borrow giant pandas, what will happen?
A. RZSS will celebrate its centenary in 2009.
B. Scotland will be the eighth country to have giant pandas.
C. RZSS will have a better understanding of living habits of giant pandas.
D. Edinburgh Zoo will be the eighth zoo to have Chinese pandas in the world.
38. The underlined part “the project” in Paragraph 4 refers to “__________”.
A. the celebration of RZSS’s centenary
B. introducing giant pandas to RZSS’s collection
C. the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland itself
D. borrowing giant pandas from China for conservation
39. At present what seems to be the key factor for giant pandas to successfully go to Edinburgh Zoo?
A. RZSS’s attitude. B. The Chinese government’s attitude.
C. Edinburgh Zoo’s support. D. The Scottish government’ attitude.
40. The best title for this passage would be “___________”.
A. Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China
B. Edinburgh Zoo does research into giant pandas
C. Scotland supports giant panda conservation
D. Giant pandas live happily at Edinburgh Zoo
(B)
Discover
News magazine of science devoted to the wonders and stories of modern science, written for the educated general readers. Published by Disney Magazine Publishing Co., Discover tells many of the same stories professionals read in Scientific Actually. Actually delightful family science magazine, each issue brings to light new and newsworthy topics to make dinnertime and water-cooler conversations interesting.
Cover Price: $ 59.88
Price: $19.95 ($1.66/issue)
You Save: $ 39.93 (67%)
Issues: 12 issues / 12 months
Self
Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc., Self is a handbook devoted to women’s overall physical and mental health. Every issue contains usable articles such as “Style Lab,” in which wearable clothes are mixed and matched on non-model and the “Eat-right Road Map,” with tips on how to eat properly.
Cover Price: $35.86
Price: $15.00 ($2.5 / issue)
You Save: $20.86 (58%)
Issues: 10 issues / 12 months
Instyle
Instyle is a guide to the lives and lifestyles of the world’s famous people. The magazine covers the choices people make about their homes, their clothes and their free time activities. With photos and articles, it opens the door to these people’s homes, families, parties and weddings, offering ideas about beauty, fitness and in general, lifestyles. Publisher: The Time Inc. Magazine Company.
Cover Price: $47.88
Price: $23.88 ($2.38 / issue)
You Save: $24.00 (50%)
Issues: 10 issues / 12 months
Wired
This magazine is designed for leaders in the field of information engineering including top managers and professionals in the computer, business, design and education industries. Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc., Wired often carries a
rticles on how technology changes people’s lives.
Cover Price: $59.40
Price: $10.00 ($1.00 / issue)
You Save: $49.40 (83%)
Issues: 10 issues / 12 months
46. Which of the following magazines is published monthly?
A. Discover. B. Self. C. Instyle. D. Wired.
47. Which two magazines are published by the same publisher?
A. Wired and Instyle. B. Discover and Instyle.
C. Self and Discover. D. Self and Wired.
48. Which magazine offers the biggest price cut?
A. Instyle. B. Wired. C. Discover. D. Self.
49. The “Style Lab” in Self provides readers with articles which ______.
A. offer advice to ordinary women on clothes
B. show how a woman can become famous
C. introduce places with the best food
D. discuss ways of training models
50. Those who are interested in management and the use of high technology would probably choose ______.
A. Instyle. B. Self. C. Wired. D. Discover.