阅读理解
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。
Previously, I heard a story about a mother who had two daughters. She loved them very much, but two girls would fight with each other from their earliest years. As they grew older, they became total strangers. They had no contact with each other when they were adults.
This caused the mother great pain. Then, later, she had an idea. She decided to write a letter to them. In this letter, she told them how much she loved them, and how she wanted them to love each other in this way. She also gave them news of herself, and some guidance on how they might live happier lives.
When the letter was ready, she wrote out one copy for each daughter, but these copies were special. Each copy contained only every second sentence of the original letter. The copy for one daughter had only the even(偶数的) sentences, and the other daughter’s copy contained only the odd sentences. Neither copy made sense on its own. Neither contained the fullness of the mother’s message.
When the two daughters received their letters, they were puzzled. If they really wanted to know what the letters said, they would have to put the two letters together, and read them as one. That meant they must approach one another again in mutual(彼此的) love and respect.
For a long time, the mother waited in vain. Both daughters tried to understand the half-letter, but they each blamed the other for not helping them. Each daughter thought she knew her mother better.
Then one day, when the mother had almost given up hope, there was a knock at the door. There they stood, together. “We’ve come home,” they said at the same time. “We’ve finally put our letters together, and we’ve come to say how much we love you, Mum.” Then she hugged them both, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, and welcomed them back home. Why did the mother give her daughters incomplete letters?
| A．She wanted to tell them her good news and bad news. |
| B．She hoped they would ask her for more information. |
| C．She hoped they would approach each other and make up. |
| D．She thought she could change their attitude towards her. |
It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
| A．love can neither be bought nor sold |
| B．faults are thick when love is thin |
| C．without respect, love can’t go far |
| D．love can help enemies become friends |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．An Unusual Letter |
| B．A Mother’s Endless Love |
| C．Special Daughters |
| D．Deep Love from Daughters |
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
One day an old man is selling a big elephant. A young man comes to the elephant and begins to look at it slowly. The old man goes up to him and says in his ear, “Don’t say anything about the elephant before I sell it. Then I will give you twenty dollars.” “All right,” says the young man. After the old man sells the elephant, he gives the young man twenty dollars and says, “Now, can you tell me how you found the elephant’s bad ears?” “I didn’t find the bad ears,” says the young man. “Then why are you looking at the elephant slowly?” asks the old man. The young man answers, “Because I have never seen an elephant before, and I want to know what it looks like.”
1. _____________ the elephant.
| A. The young man sells |
B. The old man buys |
|
| C. The two men sell |
D. The old man sells |
2. The young man is looking at the elephant slowly. He wants to find out _______.
| A. what it looks like |
B. how heavy it is |
|
| C. which ear of the elephant is bad |
D. which foot of the elephant is bad |
3. The young man _______.
| A. knows the elephant has bad ears |
B. gets some money from the old man |
|
| C. looks after the elephant |
D. wants to buy the elephant |
4. Hearing what the young man said, the old man will probably be ______
| A. dangerous |
B. happy |
C. angry |
D. hungry |
Seeing a volcano erupt(喷发) is a wonderful experience, and you can really feel the heat by climing to the summit(山顶) of Pacaya for a close-up view. There are guided tours every day up this highly active volcano from Antigua, giving travelers a chance to see Mother Nature at her most powerful.
Pacaya is an easy drive from Antigua, a beautiful city with many colorful houses along its old streets that are turned into art-works during its Holy Week festival. No matter when you come to Antigua, you won’t miss the Pacaya-tour companies.
But climbing Pacaya is no easy job: it is 2,560 metres high, and reaching the summit takes two to three hours of seemingly one-step-forward and two-step-back movements. As you climb, you hear the dull sounds of eruptions high above. Steaming, hot remains from recent eruptions begin to line the path as you near the active summit: the McKenney Cone(火山堆). Just as though you were going to walk over to the edge of the cone, the road turns to the left and up to the relative safety of the old, inactive summit.
Many tours are timed so that you arrive at the cone of the volcano in plenty of time for sunset and the full contrast between the erupting red lava(熔岩) and the darking sky. On a good day the view from the summit is extremely exciting. The active mouth boils, sending red lava over its sides, and once in a while shoots hot steams up to 100 metres into the air. There is a strong bad smell in the air even if you take care to be upwind of the cone. As evening turns deeper into the night, the burning lava quietly falls down the side of the volcano. For you, too, it is time to get down..
1. What is the main purpose of this passage?
A. To attract tourists to Pacaya.
B. To describe the quiet beauty of Pacaya.
C. To introduce the shortest way to Pacaya.
D. To explain the strong power of nature at Pacaya.
2. Antigua is a city _____________.
A. where people can enjoy many cultural festivals
B. where people can enjoy cultural festivals
C. that gives a close-up view of Pacaya.
D. that is famous for its food companies
3. Climbing to the McKenney Cone, people will ____________.
A. walk directly and easily to the active summit
B. hear the continuous loud noise from above
C. make greater efforts than to other summits
D. see a path lined with remains of earlier eruptions
4. Many tours are timed for people to _________________.
A. get down the mountain in time when night falls
B. avoid the smell from the upwind direction of the cone
C. enjoy the fantastic eruption against the darkening sky
D. appreciate the scenery of the 2,560-metre-high mountain
Operation Green Sweep
For Teens Currently in 6th-12th Grades
Operation Green Sweep is a volunteer program for teens who want to earn community service
hours by helping to clean up our city parks and community centers. Teens will clean up various
local parks, remove light rubbish and learn a thing or two about our parks and surrounding
environment.
Fridays, April 17 to May 29, 2009
3:30 to 5:00
Meet at the Teen Center, 2203 Central Avenue, Room 170
Cost: $45 --- covers the uniform shirt, training guidebook and transportation
Note: If you miss more than two days, you may be dropped from the program without earning
your hours. Please bring a snack, wear work clothes (no skirts or open-toed shoes) and sunscreen.
Teens are expected to arrive at the meeting place on time, learn communication skills and learn to plan ahead. All volunteers must meet at the Veteran’s Memorial Building to receive their tasks. Do not be late because transportation is provided to take teens to their selected sites.
Save your receipts(收据). There will be a $15 charge per receipt to reprint receipts.
In the event if a class is cancelled(取消) by us, full refunds(退款) will be given. There will be a $15 administration(管理) fee for cancellations put forward by participants.
1. Operation Green Sweep is intended for those who __________.
A. are willing to serve the community
B. are interested in playing in the parks
C. hope to learn how to plant various flowers
D. expect to work in parks after graduation
2. What do we know about the program Operation Green Sweep?
A. Teens should pay $45 for transportation.
B. It lasts from 3:30 to 5:00 pm every day.
C. Teens will go to their working places themselves.
D. Teens can learn communication skills there.
3. To join in the program, teens are asked to ___________.
A. bring their own uniform shirt
B. pay $45 for it
C. promise to serve the community all life
D. wear skirts and open-toed shoes
4. If you give up the activity, how much money is left for you?
A. $45 B. $5 C. $30 D. $15
I worked as a waitress for a few months. I was not a great waitress and I worked in a restaurant that served mostly older people who, however, have not learned that ten percent of their expense is no longer a tip that waitresses can live on – let alone a college student working hard for 20 hours a week!
One night, when I was still working two hours after shift(轮班) was supposed to finish, all that I wanted was for my last table to clear out so I could clean and go home. My last customer caught me on her way out and asked if I had change for a twenty. I dug through my pocket and turned out my night’s earnings—a small amount of $14.
She smiled at me and said, “That is enough.”
My eyes were full of tears as I made the uneven(不等价的) exchange. “Thank you, ”I said in a low voice.
I heard her little boy ask why she did that and she explained that I’d had a hard night and she just wanted to help me out. I even heard her words, “Reach out your hands when somebody needs help.” I noticed the little boy nodded his head. Not only did her kindness touch my hurried and tiring life, but she also taught her son an important lesson that night.
I do not know her name, but I will always remember her.
1. According to the passage, at that time the author was ___________.
A. a full-time worker B. still a college student
C. a school-leaver D. a secretary in a big company
2. Why did the woman want an uneven exchange?
A. She was to thank the author for her service.
B. She was in great need of change to buy a gift for her son
C. She was only to teacher her son a lesson.
D. She only wanted to give a hand to the author.
3. What was the woman’s son’s attitude to what she did at last?
A. Unbelievable. B. Acceptable.
C. Disappointed. D. Amazed.
4. What did the woman probably teach her son?
A. To live a hard life.
B. To give a waitress a more than 10% tip.
C. To show kindness to those who need help.
D. To make an uneven change.
Computers Help Fire Fighters
In Kansas City, Missouri, a computer helps fire fighters. The computer contains information about every one of the 35000 street addresses in the city. When fire fighters answer a call, the computer will give them important about the burning building, its position and almost all the ways of helping fire fighters with the problems facing them. For example, it can give medical information about invalids living in a burning building. With this information, the fire fighters can take special care to find these sick persons and carry them away quickly and safely.
The Kansas City computer system also keeps a medical record of each of the city’s 9000 fire fighters. The kind of information is especially useful when a hospital can treat the injured. With this information, doctors at the hospital can treat the injured fire fighters more quickly and easily.
1. Missouri is most likely the name of ___________.
A. a well—known river B. the head of the fire fighters
C. a state in the USA D. a new kind of computer
2. The computer can give ______________.
A. useful and useless information about the city
B. useful information about everyone living in the city
C. useful information about every street address in the city
D. information about every town around the city
3. In this passage the word “invalid” means a person __________.
A. who is badly injured B. who is helped by firemen
C. who wants to be a firemen D. who has become weak through illness or injury
4. If injured, the firemen will ___________.
A. be treated at once with the computer’s help B. hardly get any treatment
C. ask doctors and nurses for help D. be taken to hospital by the computer