第三部分:阅读(共两节,满分40分)

第一节:阅读理解(共15小题,每小题2分,满分30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。

   What is a creepy crawly?

A few years ago, I was on a bicycle trip when I got off my bike for a rest. I sat down on the grass. A few seconds later, I was covered in ants. They were swarming all over me so I got up and brushed them off. It was a strange experience but I soon forgot about it.

A couple of years later, I was living in Jordan. I had just moved into a modern flat and was unpacking plates when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at the kitchen drawer and there was a cockroach crawling out of it. I screamed. Then I grabbed a can of insecticide and sprayed it on the cockroach. He ran under the nearby bathroom door. It took me three days before I found the courage to open the bathroom door to see if he was still alive. He wasn’t.

Why did I react so violently to one lone insect when a closer encounter with hundreds of ants hardly affected me? The answer is easy: because cockroaches are creepy crawlies and ants aren’t. Creepy crawlies are those little bugs which provoke feelings such as uneasiness, anxiety or dislike – they make your skin crawl.

Did you know that some people feel such a fear of bugs that it becomes a phobia? Psychologists have offered many explanations. Some say we associate them with dirt and disease. Or that these are life forms that are so alien to us, that we find them repulsive(令人厌恶的) for their dissimilarity.

Insects, however, don’t follow our rules – they just do what they want and invade our space. Unfortunately, although insects and bugs have been a successful animal species up to now, many of them, like many other species nowadays, are under threat of extinction. Entomologists warn that this could upset entire ecosystems and lead to all kinds of disastrous consequences.

So my plea to you is: the next time you feel the urge to stamp on, splatter or spray a creepy crawly, give a thought to the planet and stop.

1. Why did the author mention the ants in the beginning?

A. Because the experience with the ants presents a sharp contrast to that with the cockroach later.

B. Because the author wants to show her preference to the ants and her dislike for the cockroach.

C. Because both ants and cockroaches are creepy crawlies that the author dislikes.

D. Because meeting the ants is an unusual experience that the author can hardly forget.

2. What does “insecticide” in the second paragraph probably mean?

A. a kind of fruit juice.                              B. a kitchen knife.

C. liquid for killing insects.                        D. cleanser for the bathroom.                                                                                                                                                                       

3. How does the author feel about the bugs like cockroaches?

A. The author doesn’t mind the contact with those harmless small creatures.

B. They make the author feel so awful that they should be killed.

C. They invade our space and become a threat to humans.

D. They still deserve a place for keeping the balance of the nature.

4. Which of the following is NOT the reason why the cockroach makes the author’s skin crawl?

A. It looks so strange and different that the author can’t accept its appearance.

B. It can make the author feel sick and cause a strong dislike.

C. The author may relate it to something dirty or disease at the sight of it.

D. It reminds the author of the experience of meeting hundreds of ants.

5. Which of the following statements about bugs is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Some people may be frightened so much by bugs that it leads to a psychological barrier in some degree.

B. People can enjoy a cleaner living environment if more bugs like cockroaches are killed.

C. Many bugs are in danger of extinction so they should be placed under human’s protection.

D. Some bugs are extremely unpleasant that people have a strong wish to destroy them.


Modern Manners
Philip Howard answers your questions on contemporary etiquette (礼仪)
Philip Howard,
When my friend and I (two ladies of a certain age) go out to have a meal, she always leaves an extremely large tip. At times, the tip will equal the amount of one of the main dishes—sometimes it comes to about 30 per cent of the bill. I feel 15—20 per cent is adequate for services offered and depending on the type of restaurant. At a cafe I would like to leave 15 per cent or a bit more depending on the service and etc. A larger tip would be appropriate if we are in a big city or a nicer place. My friend says “Well, I am sure they are not driving a Mercedes (奔驰汽车).” Well, neither am I, and how does she know? Who is correct and how can I make changes? I might add I do truly feel tipping should be based on good service, and also if you frequent a place and know the staff a larger tip is OK. I would never hesitate to tip a waitperson. I always leave to the higher side. 
Yours,
Barbara Bade
Barbara Bade,
Americans are more generous tippers than the British. I suspect that 10 per cent for a tip is about normal in the UK. Tipping is a strange survival in our age of supposed equality and minimum wages. Your friend has a generous nature and deep purse. I do not see why you cannot let her tip whatever she wants, and do your own thing. I agree that a tip should be a reward for good service and general good feeling. If the service is rotten and the meal a disaster, we should withhold a tip and explain why we are doing so. Few of us have the chutzpah (厚颜) to do this. Sensible restaurants have a box for tips, so that they are shared out among the staff, including those in the kitchens whom we do not see. (I trust that the management does not receive the money as extra profit.) I look forward to the day when waiters and other servants are paid a good enough living wage, so that they do not have to depend on the generosity of strangers to survive. To wait at table is just as honorable a way to earn a living in this wicked world. If you are pleased with the meal and cheerful service, you should tip as handsomely as your purse affords. I don’t suppose that your waiter / waitress is driving a Mercedes, even in the States. 
Yours,
Philip Howard
60. We can learn from the first letter that Barbara prefers ___________.
A. changing her own ideas on how to tip waiters
B. leaving a bigger tip to the familiar waitpersons
C. eating at a café rather than in a nice restaurant
D. saving as much money as possible for herself
61. It can be inferred that Barbara’s friend tips waiters heavily ________.
A. to show that she is well off                              B. because they are thought to be poorly paid
C. to show that she is generous                          D. because they have offered her full service
62. Besides quality of service, Philip regards __________ as principles of tipping.
A. taste of food and amount of one’s money
B. taste of food and the number of servants
C. generosity of strangers and the number of servants
D. amount of one’s money and generosity of strangers


B
WASHINGTON – It’s a great achievement that inspires notions of robots with consciousness and independent minds.
When people or animals get hurt, they can usually compensate for minor injuries and keep limping along, but for robots, even slight damage can make them stumble and fall. However, a recently made robot has demonstrated a novel ability: it can heal its own damage.
The new robot, which looks like a splay – legged, four – footed starfish can sense injury to itself and adapt. That ability sets the new robot apart from earlier machines. Because the robot can recover from unfamiliar places. “There is a need for planetary robotic rovers to be able to fix things on their own,” says Josh Bongard, a professor in the University of Vermont, who is one of the device’s creator. “Robots on other planets must be able to continue their mission without human help if they are damaged and cannot communicate their problem back to Earth.”
A typical robot functions according to a computer program, but the new robot works differently. First, sensors in its four legs observe the robot’s movements and signals to its built – in computer. From the formation it collects, the robot creates its own programs that allow it to adapt to different situations. For example, when the researchers shortened one of the robot’s legs, the smart machine simply adjusted its way of walking – it used three legs instead of four.
The researchers are looking for other places to put the resilient robot to work. One pellicle spot is the ocean floor. That dark and dangerous undersea terrain might be a good choice for a robot the scientists call the Starfish. “We never officially named the robot, but we usually refer to it as the Starfish, even though a real starfish has five rather than four legs,” says Bongard. “Also, a real starfish  is much better than our robot at recovering from injury, because it can actually grow its legs again.” Scientists have created robots that help humans in many ways: by exploring space, fighting fires, and even performing surgery.
46.The newly designed robot distinguishes itself from the former ones because it___________
A.can communicate with people on the earth about their problems
B.works according to a certain computer program
C.can find its problems and solve them automatically
D.can explore unfamiliar places
47.An example is given in the fourth paragraph in order to explain that the robot ___________
A.is used to create new programs
B.has typical robot functions
C.has sensors to observe its movements
D.can gather information and adapt to new conditions
48.The underlined word “resilient” in the last paragraph means the robot is ___________.
A.creative    B.newly made     C.able to recover    D.informative
49.Which of the following is TURE about the robot “Starfish”?
A.It was spoken highly of by people for its special ability?
B.It will stumble and fall if damaged.
C.It can grow its legs again once they are broken.
D.It has started to work on the ocean floor.
50.What might be the best title of the passage?
A.How does the Starfish Robot work
B.Do – It – Yourself Robot Repair
C.Robots Designed to Work On Other Planets
D.New Robot Helping Us In Many Ways

Each time I see a balloon, my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. “Yes, honey. Of course.” she said.

    “Can we write him a letter?”

    She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, “Yes.”

    My heart jumped. “How? Does the mailman go there?” I asked.

    “No, but I have an idea.” Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.

    “Just wait, honey. You’ll see.” Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Mom was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.

    She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped (缠绕) the balloon string. We went outside and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.

    “Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three.”

The balloon, carrying my letter, darted upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.

Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he’d persevere, dart up, and finally transcend this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditary. I prayed to be a balloon.

1.What does the underlined sentence imply?

A. When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother felt it hard to answer.    

B. When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother thought her a creative girl.

C. When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother believed it easy to do so.        

D. When the girl asked if they could write to her father, her mother found it easy to lie.

2.When the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father, she _________.

A. jumped with surprise                     B. became excited

C. didn’t know how to write                           D. was worried that it couldn’t be delivered

3.In the eyes of the author, what was the rain like?

A. An incurable disease.                              B. An unforgettable memory.

C. The hard time her father had.        D. The failures her father experienced.

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A. An unforgettable experience.                     B. The strong red balloon.

C. Fly to paradise.                       D. A great father.

 

WASHINGTON(Reuters)‑People who drink two or more sweetened soft drinks a week have a much higher risk of pancreatic cancer (胰腺癌), an unusual but deadly cancer, researchers reported on Monday.

      People who drank mostly fruit juice instead of sodas did not have the same risk, the study of 60,000 people in Singapore found.

      “Sugar may be to blame but people who drink sweetened sodas regularly often have other poor health habits,” said Mark Pereira of the University of Minnesota, who led the study.

      “The high levels of sugar in soft drinks may be increasing the level of insulin(胰岛素) in the body, which we think contributes to pancreatic cancer cell growth,” President said in a statement.

      Writing in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Pereira and his colleagues said they followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore—Chinese Health Study for 14 years.

      Over that time, 140 of the volunteers developed pancreatic cancer. Those who drank two or more sweetened soft drinks a week had an 87 percent higher risk of being among those who got pancreatic cancer.

      Pereira said he believed the findings would apply elsewhere.

      “Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent healthcare. Favorite pastimes(消遣) are eating and shopping, so the findings should apply to other western countries.” he said.

      But Susan Mayne of the Yale Cancer Center at Yale University in Connecticut was cautious.

      “Although this study found a risk, the finding was based on a relatively small number of cases and it remains unclear whether it was a causal(因果的) connection or not.” Said Mayne, who serves on thee board of the journal, which is published by the American Association for Cancer Research.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest form of cancer, with 230,000 cases globally. In the United States, 37,680 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in a year and 34, 290 die of it.

1.We can infer from Pereira’s word that_________

A. the healthcare in Singapore should be greatly improved

B. 2 soft drinks a day are considered harmful to health

C. 87 out of 140 volunteers developed pancreatic cancer

D. sugar might not be the only cause of pancreatic cancer.

2.How does Susan seem to feel about the findings of the study?

A. Satisfied        B. Doubtful        C. Worried         D. Hopeful

3.The best title of the text might be_______

A. The Deadliest Forms of Cancer

B. Drink Fruit Juice Instead of Sodas

C. A Study in University of Minnesota

D. Sugary Soft Drinks Lead to Cancer

 

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