II. 阅读理解（Reading comprehension）（共20小题；选择题5小题，每小题1分；非选择题15小题，每小题2分，计35分）

A) 选择题：阅读下面的短文，根据文意从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C 和D）中，选出能回答所提问题或完成所给句子的最佳选项。(Read the following passage which is followed by five questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the passage.)

Mexic Past and Present

Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar (历法) and a written  language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in 1521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That's why Mexicans speak Spanish.

Every September 16 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country's capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled.

Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.

Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn't always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from 1846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.

Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales.

46. According to the passage, what happened second on a historical timeline?

A. Mexicans declared their independence from Spain.

B. The Spanish ruled Mexico.

C. The Aztecs lived in Mexico.

D. Americans fought a war with Mexico.

47. The passage says that President Polk wanted ________.

A. the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean

B. Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th

C. Mexico to become one of the states of the Union

D. Americans to adopt the Mexican language

48. Another word for the underlined word “ascertain” is ________.

A. inspect      B. discover     C. change      D. determine

49. Mexicans have the following influences on America EXCEPT ________.

A. building styles         B. vocabulary

C. clothes                 D. food

50. Before the Aztecs were conquered, these Native Americans probably ________.

A. didn't speak Spanish     

B. couldn't read or write any language

C. didn't have tools          

D. didn't understand the concept of time

根据下列句子及所给单词的首字母，写出各单词的正确形式（每空限填一词）。
【小题1】As we all know, Nelson Mandela was once s_______________ to 27 years in prison.
【小题2】On the top of the high mountain, they found the air was hard to b____________.
【小题3】He is not a Chinese but he can speak Chinese f_____________.
【小题4】Most scientists present at the meeting voted a_____________ the plan for it would be harmful to the air.
【小题5】They all b__________ out laughing at the funny joke.
【小题6】She is so generous that she gives the poor food and clothing and asks for nothing in r________.
【小题7】After the earthquake, the whole city lay in r__________.
【小题8】A majority of people like to play o__________ rather than stay indoors when it is fine.
【小题9】People in all countries hope for a p_____________ world instead of one filled with wars.
【小题10】We need more e___________ to prove that he is the thief.

Bob was a clever college student, but his family was poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies.
One summer he got a job in a butcher’s shop during the day time, and another in a hospital at night. In the shop, he learned to cut and sell meat. He did so well that the butcher went into a room behind the shop to do all the accounts. In the hospital, of course, Bob was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. Both in the butcher’s shop and in the hospital, Bob had to wear white clothes.
One evening in the hospital, Bob had to help to carry a woman from her bed to the operating - room. The woman already felt frightened when she thought about the operation. When she saw Bob coming to get her, she felt even more frightened.
"No! No!" she cried. "Not a butcher! I won’t let a butcher operate on me!" with these words ,she fainted away.
【小题1】根据第一段Bob was a clever college student, but his family was poor, so he had to work after class and during his holidays to get enough money for his studies.描述,可知选C.
【小题2】根据第二段One summer he got a job in a butcher’s shop during the day time, and another in a hospital at night.描述,可知选B.
【小题3】根据In the hospital, of course, Bob was told to do only the easiest jobs. He helped to lift people and carry them from one part of the hospital to another. 描述,可知选D.
【小题4】Bob had to work after class and during his holidays because_________.

第四部分根据短文的内容和首写字母填上适当的单词(10’)
Dear Jin Jing,
Your problem is a c_ 【小题1】_____ one among middle school students. Maybe the following a____【小题2】__ can help you. First of all, b_【小题3】___ in yourself. Your greatest problem is that you lack self-confidence. The first thing you must do is to s___【小题4】___ at your classmates. One smile speaks louder about your wish to make friends than any words. Your smile will s【小题5】_ that you are f____【小题6】__ to them.. Next, t____【小题7】___ talking with a student who is as shy as you or who s____【小题8】__ the same interest as you. You can discuss your studies with a classmate and you can talk about your h____【小题9】_ as well. If anyone is in trouble, you should be ready to help him or her. Once you have confidence, you can make as many friends as p【小题10】__. 
Yours
Lily

（2011·安徽卷）B

Think about the different ways that people use the wind. You can use it to fly a kite or to sail a boat. Wind is one of our cleanest and richest power sources（来源）, as well as one of the oldest. Evidence shows that windmills（风车）began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC. They were first introduced to Europe during the 1100s, when armies returned from the Middle East with knowledge of using wind power.

For many centuries, people used windmills to grind（磨碎）wheat into flour or pump water from deep underground. When electricity was discovered in the late 1800s, people living in remote areas began to use them to produce electricity. This allowed them to have electric lights and radio. However, by the 1940s, when electricity was available to people in almost all areas of the United States, windmills were rarely used.

During the 1970s, people started becoming concerned about the pollution that is created when coal and gas are burned to produce electricity. People also realized that the supply of coal and gas would not last forever. Then, wind was rediscovered, though it means higher costs. Today, there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind.

60. From the text we know that windmills              .

A. were invented by European armies

B. have a history of more than 2800 years

C. used to supply power to radio in remote areas

D. have rarely been used since electricity was discovered

61. What was a new use for wind power in the late l9th century?

A. Sailing a boat. 

B. Producing electricity.

C. Grinding wheat into flour.

D. Pumping water from underground.

62. One of the reasons wind was rediscovered in the 1970s is that             .

A. wind power is cleaner

B. it is one of the oldest power sources

C. it was cheaper to create energy from wind

D. the supply of coal and gas failed to meet needs

63. What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?

A. The advantage of wind power.

B. The design of wind power plants.

C. The worldwide movement to save energy.

D. The global trend towards producing power from wind.

【解析】选D。推理判断题。根据末段句子Today, there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind可知，接下来作者应该谈论利用风能发电的情况，因此选择D项。