Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn't easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin's work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked to play the violin. Joseph Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.

 One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand entrance at the party. He had an idea. He thought he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.

  Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

 On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room playing his violin. Everyone was astonished to see him. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!

The text is mainly about_________.

   A. a strange man

   B. an unusual party

   C. how roller skating began

   D. how people enjoyed themselves in the 18th century

 People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he________.

   A. often gave others surprises      B. was a gifted musician

   C. invented the roller skates       D. was full of imagination

  Merlin put wheels under his shoes in order to_______.

   A. impress the party guests       B. arrive at the party sooner

   C. test his invention           D. show his skill in walking on wheels

  What is the main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?

   A. The roller skates needed further improvement.

   B. The party guests took Merlin for a fool.

   C. Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.

   D. Merlin got himself into trouble.

 In the eyes of dog lovers, the dog is man’s best friend. But for much wildlife, loose dogs may be a dangerous enemy, according to a study by a biologist from Utah State University in the US.
Based on much existing research and their own case studies, Julie Young of Utah State University and four other scientists conclude that loose dogs may represent a huge danger to wildlife, especially endangered species, by hunting down or worrying them and by spreading diseases. They also found that dogs, their worldwide numbers around 500 million, can cause more damage to wildlife and livestock(牲畜) than wolves and other enemies of these animals.
Young gave examples from the US state of Idaho, where research showed the presence of dogs reducing some deer populations. On the Navajo American Indians’ reservation in northeastern Arizona, packs of loose dogs are chasing livestock. They have killed populations of small animals such as rabbits and act as a disease carrier for rabies(狂犬病) among people and other animals, she said. Loose dogs also were to blame for distemper outbreak leading to a die-off of endangered black-footed ferrets in northwestern Wyoming in the 1980s.
The phenomenon is not just limited to US; it’s a global problen. Julie Young once studied three endangered species in central Asia: wild sheep, gazelles and antelope. The rate of injury and death to these animals by loose dogs was very high. In another case, Young found that dogs, not wolves, as originally suspected, were responsible for a large number of livestock killings in the mountainous Basque country between Spain and France.
Authors of the new study said the problem is likely to worsen as communities expand. Then how to deal with it?
Indeed, in many countries, leash(拴狗的皮带) laws permit punishment of dog owners whose pets chase wildlife. But lawbreakers are rarely punished because the police lack both people and money.
Young has low-cost solutions to the problem for dog lovers, though. They include public dog-training programs and vaccinating (预防接种) dogs against rabies and other illnesses.
【小题1】. What is the main point of Julie Young’s study?

A.Many species are endangered because they are killed by loose dogs.
B.Wild dogs are immune to many diseases.
C.Wolves are still the greatest enemy of livestock.
D.Loose dogs pose a great danger to wildlife.
【小题2】. Which of the following statements about loose dogs is TRUE according to the research?
A.There are around 500 million loose dogs around the world.
B.The black-footed ferrets in northwestern Wyoming were once the main food source of local loose dogs.
C.The problem caused by loose dogs is the most serious in the US.
D.People used to think that wolves, rather than loose dogs killed livestock in the Basque country.
【小题3】. Which of the following is among Julie Young’s solutions to the trouble caused by loose dogs?
A.More strict leash laws
B.Public dog-training programs.
C.Vaccinating people against rabies and other illnesses.
D.More support from the police.
【小题4】. What is the main point of the article?
A.A global disaster caused by loose dogs.
B.What makes the dog man’s greatest friend.
C.The problem of loose dogs and the possible solutions.
D.The danger of the increasing numbers of dogs.

THIS was the year the Earth struck back.
Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, snow storms, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter of a million people in 2010 – the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.
"It just seemed like it was back-to-back and it came in waves," said Craig Fugate, who heads the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.
And we have ourselves to blame most of the time, scientists and disaster experts say.
Even though many catastrophes have the ring of random chance, the hand of man made this a particularly deadly, costly, extreme and weird(古怪的) year for everything from wild weather to earthquakes.
Poor construction and development practices conspire to make earthquakes more deadly than they need be. More people live in poverty in vulnerable(脆弱的) buildings in crowded cities. That means that when the ground shakes, the river breaches, or the tropical cyclone hits, more people die.
Disasters from the Earth, such as earthquakes and volcanoes "are pretty much constant," said Andreas Schraft, vice president of catastrophic perils for the Geneva-based insurance giant Swiss Re. "All the change that's made is man-made."
The January earthquake that killed well more than 220,000 people in Haiti is a perfect example. Port-au-Prince has nearly three times as many people - many of them living in poverty - and more poorly built shanties than it did 25 years ago. So had the same quake hit in 1985 instead of 2010, total deaths would have probably been in the 80,000 range, said Richard Olson, director of disaster risk reduction at Florida International University.
In February, an earthquake that was more than 500 times stronger than the one that struck Haiti hit an area of Chile that was less populated, better constructed, and not as poor. Chile's bigger quake caused fewer than 1,000 deaths.
Climate scientists say Earth's climate also is changing, bringing extreme weather, such as heat waves and flooding.
In the summer, one weather system caused oppressive heat in Russia, while farther south it caused flooding in Pakistan that inundated 161,200 square kilometers, about the size of Wisconsin. That single heat-and-storm system killed almost 17,000 people, more people than all the worldwide airplane crashes in the past 15 years.
Scientists have calculated that the killer Russian heat wave—setting a national record of 43.9℃—would happen once every 100,000 years without global warming.
【小题1】What is responsible for the most human deaths in 2010?

A.Natrual disasters.B.Terrorist attacks.
C.Poor buildings.D.Too rapid developrnent.
【小题2】According to Andreas Schraft,             .
A.earthquakes are happening more often because of human beings
B.earthquakes are causing more damage because of human beings
C.stronger houses should be built to limit storm damage
D.Port—au—Prince is now overpopulated
【小题3】The main point of the article is to           .
A.list the natural disasters that occurred in 2010
B.give the details of some natural disasters of 2010
C.warn that more natural disasters are to strike
D.blame humanity for not helping those affected by the disasters


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,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Looking back at my school yearbooks of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, I find the style of uniform says a lot about the students and the character of the times. In the 1970s, students accessorized (配饰) their uniforms with platform shoes. During the 80s, hair was huge—literally. Students’ goofy hair filled up nearly every shot in the yearbook. In the 90s, accessories were all the rage (流行).
Uniform rules have always been strict. The restrictions (限制) are down to the inch: Gray or plaid skirts must be no shorter than two inches above the knee; a red, green, navy or white polo must be worn at all times; and only white, blue, black, and gray sneakers or flats are allowed. With all these rules, one can’t help but wonder how the typical rebellious (叛逆的) teenager can express her individuality.
Still, they manage. Senior Michelle Ferrier says she accessorizes by wearing bright colors like green and pink in bracelets, shoe laces, and headbands to stand out and be fashionable. For any stylish (时尚的) Carondelet student, accessories are key.
At Carondelet, one thing’s for sure: The older a student gets, the more she’s willing to bend the rules. Senior Natalia Piwek admits that she often pairs her “tights and colorful socks” with “illegal shoes”. If you happen to see a girl with colorful tights or boots running across the hallway, it’s most likely that she’s running from a dean.
In about two months, I will say goodbye to my uniform. I will miss the convenience of wearing it. However, I must say, wearing a uniform has taught me an important lesson that I will take with me when I go off to college: it doesn’t matter what you wear, but how you wear it. And how you carry yourself.
56.In the 1980s, _________.
A.uniform rules are sneer
B.students preferred goofy hair
C.accessories were popular with students
D.students wrote colorful shoes with uniforms
57.Which of the following combinations might the students think stylish?
a. grey bracelets     b. parks shoes laces C. green heathens
d. patterned tights   E. red polo
A.abe   B.bde   C.bcd   D.ace
58.According to the students, the restrictions of uniforms are_______.
A.atcler              B.understanding childish
C.childish           D.unselfishly
59.What’s the author’s attitude towards wearing school uniforms?
A.Objictive. B.Tolerant.   C.Agreenble.       D.Oppcaitive.
60.What is the main point of the text?
A.The history of student’s uniforms.
B.How to make school uniforms stylish.
C.Memories and lessons From school uniforms.
D.The debate oven restrictions on school uniforms.

Nowadays, there’s a lot of debate about single sex education since it has begun to regain its popularity recently. According to long term studies of children from around the world, students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools.
An Australian study of 270,000 students found that both boys and girls performed much higher on standardized(标准化) tests when they attended separate schools. During an experiment in Virginia in 1995, 100 eighth graders were separated just for math and science courses. Almost immediately, the girls began to achieve more, become more confident and take part more often in class activities.
In 2001, a British study concluded that nearly every girl regardless of (不论) her ability or socio-economic status performed better in single sex classrooms than co-ed ones. The study of 2,954 high schools and 979 primary schools showed that while boys at the lowest levels in study improved the most in single sex schools, single sex education was particularly beneficial (有益的) to girls. Every one of the top 50 private elementary schools and top 20 private high schools in Britain are single sex schools.
Girls became more confident in themselves as students and earned higher scores on their College Board and Advanced Placement examinations. A quarter of the female members of the US Congress and one-third of all female members of Fortune 100 boards graduated from all-women’s colleges.
While the statistics are not as dramatic for boys, however, boys tend to soften their competitive edge and become more cooperative in a single sex setting. They can just be boys and not worry about what the girls might think.
Single sex education has a pleasant way of encouraging children to be fearless, to be curious, to be enthusiastic --- in short, to just be themselves. Children are subjected (屈从于) to pressures from every quarter to become adults before they are ready to do so. They grow up too quickly. Why not let them be children for a few more years? Single sex education with its gentler, more controlled social atmosphere is just the right answer for many children.
【小题1】With the experiment in Virginia in 1995, the writer wants to show that       .

A.single sex education has become popular in recent years
B.the effect of single sex education on girls is immediate
C.students at separate schools are better prepared for standardized tests
D.both boy and girl students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools
【小题2】According to the article, which of the following statements about single sex education is TRUE?
A.Girls’ performances in single sex classrooms are determined by their ability and socioeconomic status.
B.In all-boys schools boys with the worst academic performances improved the most.
C.Single sex education was particularly helpful for boys.
D.There are more single sex schools than co-ed schools in Britain.
【小题3】 In the article, the underlined phrase “soften their competitive edge” probably means        .
A.act in a kindly mannerB.become less competitive
C.lose interest in somethingD.take advantage of something
【小题4】 What is the main point of the article?
A.Ways to reduce pressure and help children grow.
B.The reason why girls perform better than boys at school.
C.The advantage of single sex education.
D.The development of single sex education in different countries.

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