What separates me from everyone else? The difference is not what clothes I wear or the music I listen to, but what I feel inside.
Ever since I was young, I have loved professional wrestling.I woke up every Saturday to watch my favorite "Superstars." As I grew older, I got a lot of flak for watching this "fake" sport.My peers would laugh at me for following what was called a "man's soap opera." So, I put my love for wrestling on the shelf.Like everyone else, I wanted to be associated with the cool clique.I yearned to be invited to the parties of the in-crowd and hang out with the popular kids.I became pretty successful.Although my Friday evenings were busy with parties, I would still wake up early Saturdays to watch wrestling.It wasn't until freshman year that I realized I wasn't being myself.
That year, I tried many new things and activities and made new friends.In my town, football was the sport, so I decided to play football, thinking it might give me a head start in popularity.The team started with 48 athletes.At the end, there were 14 of us left.I stuck it out not because I liked it, but because I am not a quitter.That long season taught me a lesson: I wasn't a football player.More importantly, it taught me to be myself.
After that season, I went back to being a wrestling fan.I watched it religiously, no matter what insults were thrown my way.I came across a quote: "Don't Dream It, Be It." When I read this, my friend Dan had the same idea I had.
"What if we build a wrestling ring?" we asked.We acquired the necessary wood and equipment for its construction.The following weekend, we met at his house.We saw our dream in a pile in his backyard.We worked from dawn to dusk to build our great establishment.By Sunday night, our mission was complete.Our hard work (combined with a little creativity) had paid off.We had a real ring.We decided to hold an "event." We practiced for hours, trying to improve every aspect of our wrestling ability.The date was May 24th.Our show had a start time of 9: 00 p.m.To our surprise, about one hundred family, friends and fans showed up to support us.It was the most important night of my life and a complete success.Since that time, we have held five shows with as many as two hundred and fifty people turning out.We continue to live this dream.We accomplished what we set out to do.We are now well known throughout school.When I walk down the halls, I am respected by my peers.Some are the same peers who ridiculed me for watching wrestling when I was younger.When they approach me, they often say, "Good match, Chris." I humbly say, "Thank you," knowing I did something I believed in.
As my senior year winds down, I'll remember all of my high school memories.But what will stick out most is the memory that I did something I loved, despite what everyone said or thought.I accomplished my goal ...I lived my dream.What makes the writer different from the others is __________.
A.the different sports he loves |
B.the different clothes he wears and the different music he listens to |
C.that he is younger than the others. |
D.the different ideas he has |
What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.I practiced wrestling secretly in my spare time. |
B.I put the clothes for wrestling on the shelf. |
C.I decided to quit following wrestling. |
D.I began not to watch wrestling on TV. |
When the writer was a freshman, he ___________.
A.knew he couldn’t be a good football player |
B.realized he was being himself |
C.was still sociable |
D.built a wrestling ring |
The writer built the wrestling ring in order to ________.
A.play football there |
B.make his dream realized |
C.be a professional player |
D.have parties there. |
What is the writer’s attitude towards his experience in high school?
A.Optimistic |
B.Pessimistic |
C.Doubtful |
D.Surprised |
C
What should I eat for breakfast? Who should I go out with on weekends? What should I do if I miss the bus to school? What colleges should I apply for? Again and again Chinese kids ask these questions to their teachers and parents. They can’t make their own choices.
Kids in America would be very surprised to hear how much Chinese children depend on adults. When they are ten years old, kids decide what clothes they want to wear and buy. By twelve they know what classes to take for middle school. Thirteen years old is the beginning of being what Americans call a “teenager”. Now the child is up to almost all his / her decisions. Finally at sixteen the kid usually gets a car from his / her parents.
Why should kids be independent? Think about it. After high school most of us will be by ourselves. Will our parents be able to tell us what to eat for breakfast in college? Can our teachers decide what we should do at work?
Making our own choices can be quite hard and scary. But we can start with making small choices, and then slowly make bigger and more important choices.
64. The first paragraph is written to tell the readers that Chinese kids ______.
A. don’t know what to do B. always have many questions
C. believe in their teachers and parents D. depend on adults too much
65. At what age can an American kid make most decisions by himself or herself?
A. Ten.B. Twelve. C. Thirteen. D. Sixteen.
66. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. American kids are more independent than Chinese kids.
B. American kids will more easily adapt themselves to society.
C. American parents don’t care for their children.
D. A sixteen American youngster can drive his / her own car.
67. In the writer’s eyes, ______.
A. dependence on adults is shameful in China
B. independence from adults is worth encouraging
C. kids have no ability to make a real choice
D. making decisions is rather easy
B
Today, robots come in all shapes and sizes. They can’t complain, even if the work is heavy and dangerous. And they can work or play all day without getting bored. Unlike a human’s arms, a robot’s joints will never get stiff (僵硬的). The end of the arm can be fitted with devices (装置) to perform different tasks. These could be a welding (焊接) point, suction cups (吸附杯) or gripping fingers (钳形指) for lifting and moving objects. Such an arm of these computer controlled industrial robots can work 24 hours a day.
Robopets (机器人宠物) are high-tech robots programmed to play. They can communicate with their owners and recognize their voices. Each one will develop a different “personality”. They can be a lot of fun to play with, but these robots can also be helpful to people who are sick and can’t look after a real animal. Many doctors believe that when a person is happy and laughing, their body recovers faster. A robopet might be just what the doctor ordered.
NeCoRo is a robot cat that has been developed to be more than a toy. The robot uses sensors (传感器) that can detect movement and sound. It can even store helpful information in its memory. Its behaviour changes over time, just like a real pet.
60. From Paragraph 1 we learn that ________.
A. a human’s arms never get stiff
B. robots sometimes get bored just as humans do
C. robots can do some work which humans can’t
D. robots can work all day but they can’t play
61. Rob pets are especially useful in ________according to the passage.
A. schools B. Hospitals C. cinemas D. factories
62. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. A robot never says “NO” to the dangerous work.
B. A robot can “remember” useful information.
C. NeCoRo is a robot dog.
D. NeCoRo’s behaviour changes over time.
63. What does the underlined word “detect” in Paragraph 3 mean?
A. Recognize. B. Create. C. Store. D. Destroy.
第三部分阅读理解 (满分30分)
A
Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels (分贝) in oceans. They have observed that noises at the level can frighten and confuse (使困惑) whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that loud noises could seriously injure some animals. They found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales’ ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died.
Some researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to (反对) a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research. Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists agree that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures (生物) in the ocean.
56. According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?
A. The man-made noises.
B. The noises made by themselves.
C. The sound of earthquakes.
D. The sound of ice-breaking.
57. Concerning the effect of noises on whales, which of the following is TRUE?
A. They are deaf to noises.
B. Noises at a certain level may hurt them.
C. Noises could kill them.
D. Noises will cause them to lose their eyesight.
58. Some scientists think that the noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels would _________.
A. prevent them doing their research work
B. benefit them a lot in their research work
C. do good to their health
D. increase the industrial output
59. According to the last paragraph, what will scientists most probably do in the future?
A. They will study the effect of different noises in the sea.
B. They will work hard to make no noise.
C. They will never do any scientific research in the sea.
D. They will protect sea animals from harmful noises.
D
Tess still stood hesitating like a swimmer about to make his dive, hardly knowing whether to return or move forward, when a figure came out from the dark door of the tent. It was a tall young man, smoking.
He had an almost black face, though red and smooth. His moustache was black with curled points, though he could not be more than twenty-three or-four. There was all unusual force in his face, and in his daring rolling eyes.
“Well, my beauty, what can I do for you?” said he, coming forward. And seeing that she was quite at a loss: “Never mind me, I am Mr. d’Urbervilles. Have you come to see me or my mother”
This differed greatly from what Tess had expected. She had dreamed of an aged and dignified face. She tried to keep calm and answered-“I came to see your mother, sir.”
“I am afraid you cannot see her-she is ill in bed,” replied the representative of the house; for this was Mr. Alec, the only son of the noble family. “What is the business you wish to see her about?”
“It isn’t business-it is-I can hardly say what.”
“Pleasure”
“Oh no. Why, sir, if I tell you, it will seem…”
Tess’s sense of a certain ridicule was now so strong that despite her general discomfort at being here, her rosy lips curved(弯曲)towards a smile, much to the attraction of the young man.
“It is so foolish,” she stammered(结结巴巴地说); “I fear I can’t tell you”
“Never mind; I like foolish things. Try again, my dear,” said he kindly.
“Mother asked me to come,” Tess continued, “and, indeed, I was in the mind to do so myself. But I did not think it would be like this. I came, sir, to tell you that we are of the same family as you.”
“Ho! Poor relations!”
“Yes.”
“Stokes”
“No; d’Urbervilles.”
“Ay, ay; I mean d’Urbervilles.”
“Our names are worn away to Durbeyfield; but we have several proofs that we are d’Urbervilles. The local scholars hold the view that we are, …and…and we have an old seal(印章)and a silver spoon marked with the same castle as yours. So mother said we ought to make ourselves known to you, as we’ve lost our horse by a bad accident; we can hardly make a living.”
“Very kind of your mother, I’m sure.” Alec looked at Tess as he spoke, in a way that made her uneasy. ”And so, my pretty girl, you’ve come on a friendly visit to us, as relations.”
“I suppose I have,” looking less confident and uncomfortable again.
“Well—there’s no harm in it. Where do you live? What are you?”
—Tess of the d’Urbervilles By Thomas Hardy
67. How does Tess feel in the whole course of the meeting with Alec?
A. Excited and hopeful B. Nervous and uncomfortable
C. Surprised but comfortable D. Pleased but embarrassed
68. In the eyes of Tess, Alec is ________.
A. forceful and daring B. unfriendly and talkative
C. a gentle and reliable man D. older than she had expected
69. Why does Tess pay the visit to the d’Urbervilles?
A. To see Alec himself.
B. To see Alec’s mother.
C. To confirm that they are of the same family.
D. To make known their relationship and seek help.
70. Alec appears quite friendly to Tess mainly because ________.
A. Tess is his distant relation B. Tess looks polite to him
C. Tess is a pretty girl D. Tess looks ridiculous
C
Wind is the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. In fact, wind exists because the sun unequally heats the surface of the Earth. As hot air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the gap. As long as the sun shines, the wind will blow. And as long as the wind blows, people will manage it to power their lives.
Ancient sailors used sails to capture the wind and explore the world. Farmers once used windmills to grind their grains and pump water. Today, more and more people are using wind turbines to make electricity from the breeze. Over the past decade, wind turbine use has increased at more than 25 percent a year. Still, it only provides a small part of the world's energy.
Most wind energy comes from turbines that can be as tall as a 20-story building and have three 200-foot-long (60-meter-long) blades. These devices look like giant airplane propellers(螺桨)on a stick. The wind spins the blades, which turn a shaft connected to a generator.
The biggest wind turbines generate enough electricity to supply about 600 U.S. homes. Wind farms have tens and sometimes hundreds of these turbines lined up together in particularly windy spots, like along a ridge. Smaller turbines set up in a backyard can produce enough electricity for a single home or small business.
Wind is a clean source of renewable energy that produces no air or water pollution. And since the wind is free, operational costs are nearly zero once a turbine is erected. Mass production and technology advances are making turbines cheaper, and many governments decrease tax to encourage wind-energy development.
Some people think wind turbines are ugly and complain about the noise the machines make. The slowly rotating blades(螺旋风片) can also kill birds and bats, but not nearly as many as cars, power lines, and high-rise buildings do. The wind is also changeable: If it's not blowing, there's no electricity generated.
Nevertheless, the wind energy industry is increasing sharply. Globally, generation more than quadrupled(四倍) between 2000 and 2006. At the end of last year, global capacity was more than 70,000 megawatts. In the energy-hungry United States, a single megawatt is enough electricity to power about 250 homes. Germany has the most installed wind energy capacity, followed by Spain, the United States, India, and Denmark. Development is also fast growing in France and China.
Industry experts predict that if this pace of growth continues, by 2050 the answer to one third of the world's electricity needs will be found blowing in the wind
63. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. The rotating blades can kill as many birds as high-rise buildings do
B. Single families are not encouraged to build turbines.
C. The USA produces more wind power than any other country in the world.
D. The noise the turbines make may discourage people from building them.
64. The underlined word “generator” in the third paragraph probably means_______.
A. 电动机 B. 发电机 C. 机翼 D. 飞机引擎
65. If the USA wants to build wind turbines in an area with 30,000 homes, how many
should they build at least?
A. 50. B. 150. C. 250. D. 200.
66. All the following are the advantages of wind energy EXCEPT that_________.
A. it is environmentally friendly B. it is free to build and operate
C. the government supports it D. the energy is clean and renewable