阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
I had just gone to bed after a very hard day when the phone rang. It was a strange farmer. I had never met him before although I had heard people talk about him. He sounded quite nervous and he had been talking for a minute or so before I understood anything. Even then all I could understand was that someone called Milly had had an accident. I hadn’t the slightest idea who she was but I obviously had to go.
It had been snowing heavily that day and I didn’t know the way. I had been driving for at least an hour when I finally found his place. He was standing there, waiting for me. “She meant more to me than anyone.even my own wife!” he said. I could see that he had been crying. I thought something terrible had taken place, a possible scandal(丑闻). I was even more shocked when he told me he had put her in the barn (厩). “I wouldn’t leave her out in the cold!” he said.
Milly had clearly been a secret lover of his. I was about to tell him he could not expect me to cover anything up when he opened the barn door. He lifted his candle and I saw a dark figure on the ground. “She was such a good cow! I wouldn’t let anyone but a doctor touch her!” he said, and burst into tears again.
What do we know about Milly from the story?
| A．She was the farmer’s wife. |
| B．She had an accident. |
| C．She was hidden somewhere. |
| D．She had caused a scandal. |
The farmer wished that the writer might .
| A．free him from a scandal |
| B．keep the whole things a secret |
| C．look into the matter |
| D．bring Milly back to life |
The person who told the story is probably a .
| A．country doctor | B．farmer |
| C．newspaper reporter | D．policeman |
PITTSBURGH – For most people, snakes seem unpleasant or even threatening. But Howie Choset sees in their delicate movements a way to save lives.
The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies.
Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows. He said there are other snake-like robots being developed, mainly at universities, but didn’t know of one that could climb pipes.
The Carnegie Mellon machines are designed to carry cameras and electronic sensors and can be controlled with a joystick(操纵杆). They move smoothly with the help of small electric motors, or servos, commonly used by hobbyists in model airplanes.
Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm or smaller. They can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added.
Sam Stover, a search term manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency based in Indiana, said snake-type robots would offer greater mobility than equipment currently available, such as cameras attached to extendable roles.
“It just allows us to do something we’ve not been able to do before,” Stover said, “We needed them yesterday.”
He said snifter dogs are still the best search tool for rescue workers, but that they can only be used effectively when workers have access to damaged building.
Stover, among the rescue workers who handled the aftermath (后果) of Hurricane Katrina, said snake robots would have helped rescuers search flooded houses in that disaster.
Choset said the robots may not be ready for use for another five to ten years, depending on funding. Which institution is responsible for the development of Choset’s robots?
| A．Robotics Trends. | B．Pittsburgh City Council. |
| C．Carnegie Mellon University. | D．Federal Emergency Management Agency. |
Choset believes that his invention ______.
| A．can be attached to an electronic arm |
| B．can be used by hobbyists in model airplanes |
| C．can find victims more quickly than a snifter dog |
| D．can sense its way no better than its operators |
By saying “We needed them yesterday” (paragraph 7), Stover means that snake-like robots _____.
| A．could help handle the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina |
| B．would have been put to use in past rescue work |
| C．helped rescuers search flooded houses yesterday |
| D．were in greater need yesterday than today |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Snake-like robots used in industries. |
| B．Snake-like robots made to aid in rescues. |
| C．The development of snake-like robots. |
| D．The working principles of snake-like robots. |
Italian Lakes and Greek Islands (12 Days)
Prices starting from $1,999
Your tour begins in Milan, Italy, and moves on to the pretty Italian Lake District and the attractive resort of Stresa, your home for two nights. Collette Vacations has carefully chosen the Costa Victoria as your home away from home for your 7-night journey along the waterways of Mediterranean. The cruise ship is filled with the warmth and culture of Italy and is richly designed with entertainment areas and very good living conditions. It will take you to the places of your dreams.
You’ll spend 4 days touring Greek cities you’ve always heard about. In Katakolon, you will have the only unguided tour to nearby Olympia on the whole journey. Then with a local guide you will visit the Greek islands of Santorini, which is often related to the story of the lost city of Atlantis , and Mykonos, a wonderful island with beautiful beaches.
Your journey ends in Verona, home of the love story Romeo and Juliet, with a fun-filled farewell dinner— perfect ending to a pleasant journey.
12 Days, 25 Meals: 10 Breakfasts, 6 Lunches, 9 Dinners
Day 1 Overnight flight to Italy
Day 2-3 Regina Palace, Stresa, Italy
Day 4-10 Costa Victoria (Costa cruises)
Day 11 Hotel Leopardi, Verona, Italy
Day 12 Leave for home
Please Note:
| Leaving date |
Price for one person |
| April 7 |
$2,099 |
| June 2 |
$2,199 |
| October 6 |
$2,099 |
| November 3 |
$1,999 |
How is the journey planned?
| A．It starts and ends in Italy |
| B．It starts and ends in Greece |
| C．It starts in Italy and ends in Italy |
| D．It starts in Greece and ends in Italy |
What can be inferred from the travel plan?
| A．The price may get lower than those in the plan. |
| B．The prices include three meals a day. |
| C．The price is the highest in summer. |
| D．The prices include entertainment service. |
What does the underlined part “the Costa Victoria” most probably refer to?
| A．A famous hotel | B．A beautiful resort |
| C．A comfortable ship | D．A long-distant bus |
Tourists will travel on their own in_________.
| A．Stresa | B．Olympia | C．Mykonos | D．Verona |
Mauritius, with its full name the Republic of Mauritius, an island country, lies 1,200 miles off the southeastern coast of Africa, and just east of Madagascar, another African island country, which is larger by far than Mauritius. It covers 788 square miles and has a population of 1,100,000, about 750,000 Indians, 300,000 Chinese and 20,000 Whites included. They are living together peacefully, although they share such different beliefs as Hindu, Roman Catholic, Muslim and so on.
The country can be divided into many parts with different climates all because of its peculiar terrains (地形). In the center there are volcanoes (火山) several thousand feet high, and 90% of its arable land is covered with sugarcane.
There were no people living on the island before the Dutch landed on it in 1638. The Dutch relinquished it in 1710, and five years later, the French came and succeeded in planting sugarcane there. It was conquered (征服) by Britain in 1818. As a result, its official language is English. The main big cities are Beau-Bassin and Mahebourg, with Port Louis as its capital.
Mauritius has many rare and unique animals, such as the snakes, parrots and lizards. The giraffe is a type of animal with a very long neck and legs and yellow skin with dark spots. It is the tallest of all living animals.
Mauritius was extremely poor when it declared its independence in 1968. In the past ten years, obvious economic prosperity (繁荣) has shown itself in this island country. Nowadays its business, culture and tourism are developing rapidly. Every year, thousands of millions of people rush there to enjoy the silver sad beach and song and dance performances with native national characters. The underlined word “relinquished” in the third paragraph means _______.
| A．took its place | B．gave it up |
| C．left for it | D．held it out |
The right order that shows the history of Mauritius should be _______.
a. seized by the French b. became its master
c. ruled by the Dutch d. conquered by the British
| A．b, a, c, d | B．a, c, d, b |
| C．d, c, a, b | D．c, a, d, b |
According to the passage all of the following statements are TRUE except ________.
Arable land covers 90% of the country’s total area
It was the rule of foreigners that made the Mauritius people live in poverty
More than half of Mauritius population are Indians
Britain ruled the island longer than French and Dutch
How do you address(称呼) people in English when you want to talk to them? The following may be some simple rules the beginners should follow.
1. When talking to strangers there is often no special form of address in English. Usually, if you want to catch the attention of a stranger it is necessary to use such phrases as “Excuse me”.
2. In British English “Sir” and “Madam” are considered to be too formal for most situations. They are used mostly to customers in shops or restaurants. While in American English “Sir” and “Madam” are not so formal and are commonly used between strangers, especially with old people whose names you don’t know.
3. When you talk to some people you know, you can use their names. If you are friends, use their first names; if your relationship is more formal, use “Mr., “Mrs.”, “Ms”, etc, before their family names.
4. There are many other forms of address which can be used between friends and strangers. However, many of these are limited in use. For example, “pal” and “mate” can be used between strangers, but are usually only used by men talking to other men. According to the passage, “Excuse me” is mainly used to _____.
| A．address a person you don’t know | B．apologize to others |
| C．catch the attention of a stranger | D．suggest good manners |
If John Smith is your best friend, according to the passage you should often call him _____.
| A．John | B．Smith | C．Mr. John | D．Mr. Smith |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．“Sir” and “Madam” are used more often in America than in England. |
| B．People often use “Mr.”, “Mrs.” or “Ms.” before the first names of those people who they don’t know very well. |
| C．“Pal” and “mate” are usually only used among men. |
| D．While addressing friends, people just use their first names. |
The passage is mostly likely taken from an English _____.
| A．textbook | B．card | C．storybook | D．grammar book |
I was a freshman in college when I met the Whites. They were completely different from my own family, yet I felt at home with them immediately. Jane White and I became friends at school, and her family welcomed me like a long-lost cousin.
In my family, it was always important to place blame when anything had happened.
“Who did this?” my mother would scream about a dirty kitchen.
“This is your entire fault, Katherine,” my father would insist when the cat got out or the dishwasher broke.
From the time we were little, my sister, brothers and I told to each other. We set a place for blame at the dinner table.
But the Whites didn’t worry about who had done what. They picked up the pieces and moved on with their lives. The beauty of this was driven home to me the summer Jane died.
In July, the Whites sisters and I decided to take a car trip from their home in Florida to New York. The two older sisters, Sarah and Jane, were college students, and the youngest, Amy, had recently turned sixteen. Proud of having a new drivers license, Amy was excited about practicing her driving on the trip. She showed off her license to everyone she met.
The big sisters shared the driving of Sarah’s new car during the first part of the trip, but when they reached less crowded areas, they let Amy take over. Somewhere in South Carolina, we pulled off the highway to eat. After lunch, Amy got behind the wheel. She came to a crossroads with a stop sign. Whether she was nervous or just didn’t see the sign no one would ever know, but Amy continued into the crossroads without stopping. The driver of a large truck, unable to stop in time, ran into our car.
Jane was killed immediately.
I was slightly injured. The most difficult thing that I had ever done was to call the Whites to tell them about the accident and that Jane had died. Painful as it was for me to lose a good friend, I knew that it was far worse for them to lose a child.
When Mr. and Mrs. White arrived at the hospital, they found their two daughters sharing a room. Sarah had a few cuts on the head; Amy’s leg was broken. They hugged us all and cried tears of sadness and of joy at seeing their daughters. They wiped away the girl’s tears and made a few jokes at Amy as she learned to use her crutches(拐杖).
To both of their daughters, and especially to Amy, over and over they simply said, “We are so glad that you are alive.”
I was astonished. No blame. No accusations.
Later, I asked the Whites why they never talked about the fact that Amy was driving and had run a stop sign.
Mrs. White said, “Jane is gone, and we miss her terribly. Nothing we say or do will bring her back. But Amy has her whole life ahead of her. How can she lead a full and happy life if she feels we blame her for her sister’s death?”
They were right. Amy graduated from the University of California and got married several years ago. She works as a teacher of learning-disabled students. She’s also a mother of two little girls of her own, the oldest named Jane. How did the author’s parents differ from the Whites?
| A．The author’s parents were less caring. | B．The author’s parents were less loving. |
| C．The author’s parents were less friendly | D．The author’s parents were less understanding |
How did the accident happen?
| A．Amy didn’t stop at a crossroad and a truck hit their car. |
| B．Amy didn’t know what to do when she saw the stop sign. |
| C．Amy didn’t slow down so their car ran into a truck. |
| D．Amy didn’t get off the highway at a crossroad. |
The accident took place in _____.
| A．Florida | B．California | C．South Carolina | D．New York |
The Whites did not blame Amy for Jane’s death because _____.
| A．they didn’t want Amy to feel ashamed and sorry for the rest of her life |
| B．Amy was badly injured herself and they didn’t want to add to her pain |
| C．They didn’t want to blame their children in front of others |
| D．Amy was their youngest daughter and they loved her best |
From the passage we can learn that _____.
| A．Amy has never recovered from the shock | B．Amy changed her job after the accident |
| C．Amy lost her memory after the accident | D．Amy has lived quite a normal life |