The first breath-taking pictures of the Earth taken from space showed it as a solid ball covered by brown land masses and blue-green oceans. We had never seen the Earth from that distance before. To us, it appeared as though the Earth had always looked that way and always would. Scientists now know, however, that the surface of the Earth is not as permanent as we had thought.

Scientists explain that the surface of our planet is always moving. Continents moves about the Earth like huge ships at sea. They float on pieces of the Earth’s outer skin. New outer skin is created as melted rock pushed up from below the ocean floor. Old outer skin is destroyed as it rolls down into the hot area and melts again.

Only since the 1960s have scientists really began to understand that the planet Earth is a great living machine. Some experts have said this new understanding is one of the most important revolutions in scientific thought. The revolution is based on the work of scientists who study the movement of the continents—a science called plate tectonics.

The modern story of plate tectonics begins with the German scientist Alfred Wegener. Before World War One, Wegener argued that the continents had moved and were still moving. He said the idea first occurred to him when he observed that the coastlines of South America and Africa could fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. He proposed that the two continents might have been one and then split apart.

Wegener was not the first person to wonder about the shape of the continents. About 500 years ago, explorers thought about it when they made the first maps of Americas. The explorers noted the east coast of North America and South America would fit almost exactly into the west coast of Europe and south Africa. What the explorers did not do, but Wegener did, was to investigate the idea that the continents move.

What does the writer mainly tell us in the passage?

A. The first breath-taking pictures of the Earth taken from space.

B. Human’s recognition of the earth’s surface.

C. The German scientist Alfred Wegener.

D. The early explorers’ discovery.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. We didn’t see the Earth from far away until we saw the picture taken in the space.

B. Our ancient thought that the surface of the earth is still.

C. Alfred Wegener was not the first person to investigate the idea that the continents move.

D. The coastline of India and Africa fit together.

The last word of the third paragraph “tectonics” mean “________”.

A. study of construction

B. study of architecture

C. earth surface

D. structural geology

What did the explorers find?

A. The coastlines of South America and Africa could fit together.

B. The coastlines of North America and Africa could fit together.

C. The east coastlines of North America and the west coast of Europe could fit together.

D.The coastlines of North America and India could fit together.

Last Sunday turned out to be more exciting than I had expected. We were at our grandparents’ house for a visit as     31    . My cousin and I had made an appointment to go in-line skating in the nearby park. He could do some neat stunts (特技)and had promised to show me     32    .

We managed to persuade our parents to    33     us go in-line skating on our own.   34     it soon started to rain and we had to seek shelter on the empty deck (place) of a block of flats. It really dampened my     35    .

Suddenly, we heard a    36     and saw a man dashing out of a lift. Just as he ran   37      us, we saw an old woman coming out of the same lift and crying, “Thief! Thief!” My cousin immediately went after the thief in his    38     . To be honest, I was extremely    39     at the beginning .Then I heard a honk. It was my uncle and aunt. I jumped into their car and told them about the robbery. We   40    off in the thief’s direction while my aunt stayed with the old woman.

Soon, we    41   up with my cousin. He was still in hot pursuit of the thief. Seeing his 42     , my uncle sped up and turned suddenly to the right to   43    just in front of the thief. The man was   44    and fell to the ground. My uncle got out of the car and   45    the man down with his body.

By this time, we could hear the siren of a police car approaching,   46   , my aunt had phoned the police and told them the   47    in which we were heading, so they were able to locate us .

We handed the thief over to the police officers who took down our names and    48   . They informed us that we would be called up to give our   49    . After that, we returned to the empty deck in our uncle’s car to  50     my aunt up .

When we reached there, the old woman had already left to give a report to the police. Our family members were all proud of us for our courageous deed.

A.known        B.usual            C.well                D.far

A.what             B.that                 C.where              D.how

A.make            B.have                C.let                   D.see

A.And              B.But                 C.As                   D.So

A.spirits          B.ideas            C.intentions      D.imaginations

A.scream          B.noise            C.story               D.news

A.after             B.over                C.past                 D.to

A.place            B.boots            C.clothes             D.skates

A.proud           B.frightened       C.brave            D.excited

A.sped             B.put                  C.ran                  D.took

A.looked          B.kept                C.picked             D.caught

A.luck              B.chance             C.risk                 D.hope

A.stand            B.move            C.stop                 D.stay

A.tired             B.anxious            C.confused        D.shocked

A.pinned          B.pulled              C.threw                  D.broke

A.Surprisingly        B.Obviously      C.Certainly         D.Immediately

A.park             B.place            C.situation          D.direction

A.problems       B.pictures           C.particulars      D.possessions

A.statements    B.decisions        C.suggestions      D.protections

A.take             B.get                 C.pick            D.lift

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come to see the daffodils (黄水仙) before they are over,” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. “I will come next Tuesday,” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren. I said. “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see!”

My daughter smiled calmly and said. “We drive in this all the time, mother. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read: “Daffodil Garden.”

We got out of the car and each took a child's hand. And I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner of the path. and I looked up and gasped.Before me lay the most glorious sight. There were five acres of flowers. “But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn. “It's just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “That's her home.” Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio(露台), we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline.

The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs(球茎),” it read. The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”

I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun—one bulb at a time—to bring the beauty and joy to the mountain top.

6. The author didn't go to see the daffodils at first because ________.

A. she was not interested in them

B. they were growing on a mountain top

C. the weather was not good enough

D. it was a long drive to her daughter's house

7. Which of the following BEST describes the author's feeling seeing the daffodils?

A. Amazed.   B. Disappointed.    C. Confused.        D. Moved.

8. What do we know about the woman living in the A-frame house?

A. She must be out of mind.

B. She acted as a gardener here.

C. It took her great determination to grow the daffodils.

D. She was poor and made her living by selling daffodils.

9. What would be the BEST title of the passage?

A. A Wonderful Daffodil Garden        

B. A Remarkable Woman

C. One Bulb at a Time                

D. I Love Daffodils

10. What could the author probably learn from this experience?

A. Nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it.

B. We must put the interests of others above our own.

C. We can change the world through our own efforts.

D. It's never too late to learn.

Where we live, on the eastern shore of Maryland, the gentle waters run in and out like fingers slimming at the tips.

The Canada geese know this place, as do the white swans and ducks. In the autumn, they come home for the winter. Once or twice each year, snow and frozen rain move into the area. When this happens, if the river is at its narrowest, there is a freeze which hardens the water to the ice.

One morning, a friend of mine set the breakfast table beside the huge window, which overlooked the Tred Avon River. Suddenly she leaned forward and cried out, “There is a goose out

there.”

We saw the figure of a large Canada goose, very iii, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen to the ice.

Then from the dark sky, she saw a line of swans. They floated from the top of the sky downward and at last landed on the ice. My friend was on her feet now, with one unbelieving hand against her mouth. As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, she feared what life it still had might be pecked(啄)out by those great swan beaks.

Instead, those beaks began to work on the ice. The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again. It went on for a long time. At last, the goose’s head lifted. Its body pulled. Then the goose was free and standing on the ice. And the swans stood in the air watching. Then, as if it had cried, “I cannot fly,” four of the swans came down around it. Their powerful beaks chipped off the ice and held in the feathers. Slowly, the goose spread its wings as far as they could go, and moved slowly into the sky.

This is a true story. I just think of it in the bad moments, and from it comes only one hopeful question:“ If so for birds, why not for man?”

1.What happened to the Canada goose?

A. It was deserted by other geese.        B. It was stuck in the ice.

    C. It was wounded and couldn’t fly.       D. It was lost in the water.

2. At first the author’s friend was worried that ________.

    A. the swans would not help the Canada goose

    B. the swans would have the same fate with the Canada goose

    C. the Canada goose wouldn’t identify with the swans

    D. the swans would peck the Canada goose to death

3.What did the swans do when they saw the Canada goose couldn’t fly?

    A. They chipped off the ice held in its feathers.

    B. They waited patiently for the ice held in its feathers to melt.

    C. They came down and lifted it up to the sky together.

    D. They stayed with it and protected it.

4.What would probably happen to the author’s friend in the end?

    A. She stood there, watching attentively, still feeling a bit worried.

    B. She was on her feet, laughing at the swans and the Canada goose.

    C. She was embarrassed and went on with her breakfast silently.

    D. She stood there quietly, not realizing tears had come down her cheeks.

 

信息匹配 (共5小题, 每小题2分, 满分10分)

阅读下列应用文及相关信息,并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。

首先请阅读以下用户对宾馆的评价意见:

                                 A

Comment on : Hunter Country Lodge & Restaurant

    My husband and I stayed at this lodge during our honeymoon. Set in the beautiful surroundings of Hunter Valley you have your own very log cabin. The rooms are comparatively expensive, but they are very spacious. The restaurant has delicious food with wine of varieties, ready for you in the evening.

 

My ratings (等级) for this hotel are:   ●●●●●Value ●●●●●Service

I recommend this hotel for: honeymoon, romantic couples

                                  B

Comment on: Aloha Pualani Hotel

    My husband and I stayed at the Aloha Pualani after months’ busy work. The rooms are small but clean. The peaceful laidback feel was exactly what we were looking for. We didn’t hear noise from streets. My husband loved the outdoor barbecue (烧烤). If you are looking for a relaxing, childfree, clean, natural place to stay this is without a doubt, but it’s a long tiring way.

My ratings for this hotel are:  ●●●●○Rooms     ●●●●●Cleanliness

I recommend this hotel for: romantic getaway

I don’t recommend this hotel for: the aged, young children

                                   C

Comment on: Karin’s Holiday Cottage

    Karin’s Holiday Cottage is really worth the price for lower earners. Walking along the beach, we saw many fish and turtles. We had a rental car because it was a little far from the shopping center. But we found the windows needed to be open to allow air in, and the cottage didn’t have air conditioning but with the 3 ceiling fans. Anyway we stayed plenty cool.

My ratings for this hotel are:     ●●●○○Rooms       ●●●○○location

I recommend this hotel for: young, single people.

I don’t recommend this hotel for: People hunting for luxurious (豪华的) hotels.

                                  D

Comment on: Arison Centre Hotel

  We hosted a conference last month at the Arison Centre Hotel - a charming hotel. The modern and large rooms are air-conditioned and fully-equipped with private safe, wireless Internet access and all new equipments. The hotel also has a business centre, conference rooms, car park and a western-style restaurant.

My ratings for this hotel are: ●●●●●surroundings    ●●●●●Service

I recommend this hotel for: conference and holiday

I don’t recommend this hotel for: city getaway from noise

                                    E

Comment on: GeofBob Holiday Inn

  This hotel is great for the value. I was impressed by how attentive the staff were. I left my room without locking the door. The cleaning lady noticed and immediately informed me. Staying in the hotel made my trip a pleasant one. But we wouldn’t come again because of the walk. You can’t just hop down to the beach or the bar - 200 steep steps each way – so exhausted.

My ratings for this hotel are:    ●●●●●Value      ●●●○○location

Likes: Service                 Dislike: traffic

I recommend this hotel for: young travelers

I don’t recommend this hotel for: people with disabilities

                                   F

Comment on: Punta Regina Isle Hotel

   Tastefully located on an island, the hotel is good, with its staff helpful and its price reasonable. Don’t drive a car, for most of the tourist spots were walking distance, or you can go everywhere by boat. If you like sea food, island setting, and wine, this is excellent.

My ratings for this hotel are: ●●●●●location  ●●●●●Service

Like: beautiful surroundings             Dislike: vehicles

I recommend this hotel for: young holiday makers

I don’t recommend this hotel for: self-driving travelers

 

请阅读以下个人信息,并将他们的需求和以上的宾馆匹配:

 When the Blacks are budgeting their yearly vocation, money is the first thing they think about. They are used to simple life without too much modern equipment. The family all like swimming, and sea food as well.

57. Mr. John Wallace is going to have a product presentation to promote (促销)his late microphone. He is searching for a hotel in the city center which is well-equipped, and where people from different parts of the country can join in the event over the NetMeeting.

58. Having had their wedding, Jim and Sussane plan a trip. Imagine how sweet they are when they are sipping their favourite Nyetimber in the sunset. They also treasure the environment, the comfort of the rooms and the service of the hotel.

59. A group of college students are having their holiday. They plan to choose a place where they can have their BBQ food, and where they are free from noise. They don’t care much about room size but at least they should be clean.

60. Ken and Judy are newly-married. They dreamed of the life of islanders who are eating sea food, hunting for fish. They prefer that the hotel rooms are not so expensive and the service is good.

 

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