第二部分 阅读（共两节，满分80分）

第一节：阅读理解（共35小题；每小题2分，满分70分）

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从21~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

　　August has always been difficult for me. It is the time when I realize that the books my English teacher assigned to me are not going to read themselves and that I have a difficult month in front of me.

　　You might think that I don’t want to spend my summer reading, but that’s not the problem: I love reading. On the first day of my summer holidays this year, I went to the library and got “A Gathering of Old Men” by African-American writer Ernest Gaines. I enjoyed it very much. I read all the magazines that my parents subscribe to and spend about 30 minutes every day with the morning paper. So why do I hate summer reading for school? Because the books on summer reading lists are often slow-going and just uninviting. Teachers and librarians don’t understand that summer reading can be entertaining as well as educational. They choose books that a friend of my mother’s calls “spinach books”: good for you, but not much fun to take in. Every summer, I read them, hate them and get bitter about the experience.

　　This bitterness started three years ago when I was about to begin high school. As preparation, my English teacher told me to read “The Age of Innocence” by American author Edith Wharton. I’m sure there are many people who enjoyed “The Age of Innocence” — some might even say it’s their favorite book.

　　But I don’t think any of these people read it as a 14-year-old boy on his summer vacation.

　　“The Age of Innocence” is the story of a forbidden romance in New York 100 years ago. At 14, my only experience with romance was my love for baseball. I couldn’t imagine being in love, much less being in love in 1900. “The Age of Innocence” was totally different to my life.

　　Most of my required summer reading has been like that — books written in a style that plays up the adjectives and plays down the verbs. I guess teachers don’t think exciting plots make for “good literature”. To me, though, a good writer describes events and characters in a way that makes the reader want to know what happens next.

　　If I were making up a summer reading list, it would include “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” by George V. Higgins, “The Right Stuff” by Tom Wolfe, and “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer. These are all books that have literary value but, just as important, can also entertain kids on vacation. If the teachers could stand a little fun in the books they assign, my Augusts would be a lot more enjoyable.

1. The author thinks he will have a difficult August because ____________.

A. he doesn’t like reading in summer vacation

B. he is to read the books boring and not right for kids

C. he hates the English teacher assigning homework

D. he hates August

2. What can make students interested in August reading ought to be ___________.

A. romantic                                                      B. out of date

C. entertaining and educational                            D. pure

3. The author listed such books as “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” because he thinks __________.

A. they can change his opinion                            B. he can learn a lot more from them

C. they are of literary value, and enjoyable    D. he has to do as teachers tell him to

4. In the opinion of the author of this passage, a good writer should be ___________.

A. one who describes events and characters in different ways

B. one who is full of imagination         

C. one who is learned

D. one who uses a way of describing that makes the reader wish to know what to happen next

5. Which of the following could be the best title of this passage?

A. Why Can’t Teachers Set Us Fun Books?

B. I Don’t Like Reading on the Vacation

C. Teachers, Don’t Set Us Any Reading Assignments

D. Teachers, Set Us Free

Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants. But in the executive（主管的） circle, beauty can become a liability.

　　While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman.

　　Handsome male executives were considered having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to lead to their success.

　　Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was connected not with ability but with factors such as luck.

　　All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was connected more to personal relationships and less to ability than that of the attractive overnight successes.

　　Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is considered to be more feminine has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the "manly"qualifies required.

　　This is true even in politics, "When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently, " says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates（候选人）. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women, in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.

　　The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the women who had ranked most attractive unchangeably received the fewest votes.

　　The word "liability" most probably means ________.

　　A. disadvantage　B. advantage　　　C. misfortune　　 D. trouble

　Bowman's experiment shows that when it comes to politics, attractiveness________

　　A. turns out to　be a disadvantage to men

　　B. is more of a disadvantage than an advantage to women

　　C. has as little effect on men as on women

　　D. affects men and women alike

　　It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often________.

　　A. practical　　　B. supportive　　 C. old - fashioned　D. one - sided

　　The author writes this passage to ________.

　　A. give advice to job - seekers who are attractive

　　B. discuss the disadvantages of being attractive

　　C. demand equal rights for women

　　D. state the importance of appearance

Some time ago, a fellow teacher asked me to be the referee(仲裁人)  on the grading of an exam question. He was about to give a student a    1    for his answer to a physics question, while the student said he should receive a perfect    2   . I read the exam question: “Show how it is possible to    3   the height of a tall building with the    4    of a barometer(气压表) .”

The student had answered: “Take the barometer to the top of the building, fasten a    5  

rope to it,   6    the barometer to the street, and then bring it up,   7    the length of the rope. That’s the    8   .”

I pointed out that the student really have a strong case for full credit(学分) ,since he had answered the question   9    and correctly, but the answer did not prove competence(能力)  in physics. I   10    that the student have another try. I gave the student six minutes, with the   11    that his answer should show some    12   of physics. His answer reads:

“Take the barometer to the top of the building and lean    13    the edge of the roof. Drop the barometer,   14    its fall with a stop watch. Then using the formula s=1/2at²,calculate the height of the building.”

I gave the student    15    full credit.

Before I left, the student said he had   16    answers. “But,” said the student,   17    the best way is to knock at the superintendent’s(管理者)  door. When he    18    ,you say: “Mr. Superintendent, here I have a(n)    19    barometer. If you will tell me the height of the building, I will    20   you this barometer.”

1. A. tick　　    　　    B. zero　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. mark　　    　　　　  D. comment

2. A. score　　　　    B. praise　　　　　　　　　　   C. reward　　    　　　　　　  D. prize

3. A. change　　　　   B. raise　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. determine　　　　 D. find

4. A. care　　　　 　　  B. aid 　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. effort　　　　 　　　　　　  D. improvement

5. A. strong　　　　  B. big 　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. beautiful　　    　　 D. long

6. A. lower　　　　    B. drop 　　　　　　　　　　   C. carry　　　　  　　  D. place

7. A. covering　　　　 B. folding　　　　　　　　　　 C. measuring　　　　 D. imagining

8. A. height　　　　  B. width 　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. size　　　　  　　    D. weight

9. A. perfectly　　　　 B. completely　　　　　　   C. seriously  　　      D. carefully

10. A. demanded　　   B. required 　　　　　　　　 C. insisted　　　　 　　 D. suggested

11. A. warning　　　　 B. advice 　　　　　　　　   C. order　　　　 　　    D. point

12. A. wisdom　　　　 B. technology　　　　　　　　　　 C. knowledge　　　　 D. gift

13. A. on　　　　  　　 B. over 　　　　　　　　　　   C. against　　　　      D. beyond

14. A. stopping　　    B. observing　　　　　　　　 C. timing　　　　 　　  D. watching

15. A. almost　　　　 B. still 　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. simply　　　　      D. hardly

16. A. some　　        B. other　　　　　　　　　　    C. two　　    　　　　   D. no

17. A. interestingly　　 B. surprisingly　　　　　　  C. probably　　　　    D. strangely

18. A. opens　　　　   B. shouts 　　　　　　　　    C. stares　　　　 　　　　　　  D. answers

19. A. fine　　　　 　　 B. large 　　　　　　　　　　   C. interesting　　      D. attractive

20. A. give　　　　    B. lend 　　　　　　　　　　    C. sell　　　　  　　　　 D. show

I have a friend named Monty Roberts. He has let me use his horse ranch(养马场)to put on events to raise money for youth at risk programs.

Last time I was there he introduced me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of an itinerant(流动的)horse trainer. When he was a senior, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to be when he grew up.”

“That night he wrote a seven-page paper describing his goal of owning a horse ranch someday. He put all his heart into the project and wrote about his dream in great detail. He even drew a diagram of a 200-acre ranch, showing the location of the buildings, stables and the track, and even a detailed floor plan for a 4000-square-foot house on it.”

“The next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later ,he received a large red “F” on his paper with a note, ‘See me after class.’ The boy went to see the teacher and asked why. The teacher told him there was no way for a young boy like him to do that because owning a horse ranch required much money and resources, and then added ‘If you’ll rewrite his paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.’”

“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what to do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it’s a very important decision for you.’”

“Finally, a week later, the boy turned in the same paper without any change and stated, ‘You can keep the F and I’ll keep my dream.’”

“I tell you this story because you are sitting in my 4000-square-foot house in the middle of my 200-acre horse ranch. I still have that school paper framed over the fireplace.”

Don’t let anyone steal your dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.

1. The teacher gave him an “F” for his written paper because the

teacher thought 　　    .

2. Why did the boy turn in the same paper without any change?

3. From the story we can infer that the boy was actually 　　    .

4. According to the passage, the following statements are true EXCEPT

that 　　    .

5. The author wrote this passage mainly to 　　    

　　The following are four forms about medicine. How to use the medicine is very important. Never take any by mistake.

　　1）Take the medicine with water, followed by one tablet every eight hours, as required. For further night - time and early morning, take two tablets at bedtime. Do not take more than six tablets in 24 hours. For Children six to twelve years old, go to your doctor for advice.　Reduce dosage if nervousness, restlessness or sleeplessness takes place.

　　2）Each pill of the medicine taken three times every day for fourteen years old. As usual, a pill 6∶00 a. m., before breakfast, one before 11∶00 and one before sleep. Not for children under six years old and old persons with heart attack.

　　3）The medicine for a person with a fever. Once two pills a day before sleep for adult. Not take the medicine without fever. Half for Children under 12 years old. Children with a high fever, go to see a doctor.

　　4）The medicine taken three times a day, once five pills for adult with a cold. Half of the pills for children 10 years old. Take the medicine before breakfast, lunch, supper or before sleep.

　Obviously a kind of medicine can’t be proper for ________, judging from the information.

　　A. children over twelve years old

　　B. some old persons with a fever

　　C. some old persons with heart attack

　　D. neither adults nor heart attack

　When a person has a cold, he had better ________ .

　　A. have about more than fourteen pills a day

　　B. have twice a day

　　C. have four times a day

　　D. have nine pills a day

How many kinds of medicine are used for the children six years old?

　　A. All of them．

　　B. Three kinds of medicine.

　　C. Two kinds of medicine.

D. Almost not any medicine.