IV. 阅读理解  30%

阅读下列短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

A

When Cathleen Gardiner’s twins were born 17 years ago, doctors told her that they were a pair in a million. One had Down syndrome(低能综合症), while the other did not. Here, Cathleen tells their touching story.

Since Sean was born 17 years ago, I have always thought that he is just as wonderful as his brother and sister. Though he had a disability(残疾), we have never viewed him as a burden. He has always been a blessing. The doctors explained that though they were twins, they came from two different eggs. Lisa could walk at 11 months old, while Sean didn’t take his first steps till he was three. By two, Lisa was talking a lot, but Sean wasn’t able to speak until he was nearly four.

For the first five years of his life, Sean needed a great deal of care. Looking after him was my full-time job, though I also worked as a technical adviser in a computing company. We never treated them differently. We gave them the same toys and spoke to them in the same way. We encouraged Sean to keep up with Lisa, even though he never could, and we would help him develop his abilities. We sent them to the same primary school even after doctors advised us that Sean should go to a school for the disabled.

We had to explain to Lisa that he wouldn’t learn as quickly as she would. She told us that she’d help him with his school work. Having a non-disabled twin has really helped Sean develop. The love they share has given him a great deal of support. Now Sean and Lisa are both about to finish high school. I don’t think he would have done nearly as well today without Lisa’s help.

56. At least how many children does Mrs. Gardiner have?

A. Two.     B. Three.      C. Four.   D. One.

57. The third paragraph mainly tells us that _______.

A. the couple treated the twins equally

B. Cathleen did all she could to look after Sean

C. the couple didn’t follow the doctor’s advice

D. the couple encouraged Sean to grow up

58. All of the following statements are true except_________.

A. Sean couldn’t develope so well without his parents’great effort.

B. As a twin sister,Lisa gave Sean a lot of help.

C. As a mother of a disabeled child,Cathleen must have suffered a lot.

D. Cathleen loved Sean more than Lisa because of his disability.

59. This passage tells us that _________.

A. love can do wonders           B. nobody is foolish or clever

C. being stupid doesn’t matter       D. all men are born equal

"I’ve changed my mind. I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my dad back." Lucien Lawence’s letter to Father Christmas written after his father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched every heart. Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn’t see the stars in the sky. When those whom we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while.

But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again. And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father is there too, in your mind and in your heart. I find that my parents, long dead now, still figure in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive. I still live to please them and I’m still surprised by their reactions. I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself, that I couldn’t wait to cable my parents. The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all mother said was, "I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children.” I haven’t forgotten. The values of my parents still live on.

It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care. Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence have been to face the aggressors (挑衅者),and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas? It’s a serious thought, one to give me pause.

I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet "Deliver my soul from the sword, and my darling from the power of the dog." Yet I know the death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan to live forever, but live as if we will die tomor??row. We live on, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure. If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today.

according to the whole text we can see that the first paragraph ________.

A. puts forward the subject of the text

B. shows the author’s pity on the kid

C. acts as an introduction to the discussion

D. makes a clear statement of the author’s views

In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us ________.

A. how much he misses his parents now

B. why his parents often appear in his dreams

C. when Lucien will get over all his sadness

D. how proud he was when he succeeded in life

What feeling did the author’s mother express in her reply?

A. Proud.     B. Happy.     C. Disappointed.    D. Worried.

In the author’s opinion, the value of a person’s life is ________.

A. to leave behind a precious memory to the people related

B. to have a high sense of duty to the whole society

C. to care what others will remember and treasure

D. to share happiness and sadness with his family

What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem?

A. Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns.

B. Advise parents stay with their children safely at home.

C. Spend every day meaningfully in memory of the death.

D. Try to keep violence and murder far away from society.

The president spoke at the meeting for nearly an hour without _______ his notes.

用单词的正确形式填空, 每空一词（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

1.It is certain that television has deeply t______________ our lives and society.

2. I am c_____________ about what I say because careless remarks are likely to hurt others’ feelings.

3.He is fond of literature, classics p_____________.

4.A____________ in his homework, he didn’t know that I had come in.

5.You can’t use his dictionary without his p______________.

6.It is ____________(违法的) to drive without a license.

7.We expected a better result than we’ve had in ____________(先前的；以前的) years.

8.When he was a young boy, he was always ____________(取笑，嘲弄)by his friends because he was so fat.

9.I must make an _____________(道歉) to you for the delay in reply to your letter.

10.He is a very _____________(敏感的) person, who takes her troubles and disappointments to heart.

“I’ve changed my mind. I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my dad back.” Lucien Lawrence’s letter to Father Christmas, written after his father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched everyone’s heart. Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn’t see the stars in the sky. When those we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while.

But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again. And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father there too, either in your mind or heart. I find that my parents, who died years ago, still linger (留连) in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive. I still live to please them and I’m still surprised by their reactions. I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself that I couldn’t wait to cable my parents. The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all my mother said was “I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!” I haven’t forgotten. The values of my parents still live on.

It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care. Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence has been to face the aggressors（入侵者）, and to lay down my life for those in my care? How many people would want me back for Christmas? It’s a serious thought, which gives me pause.

I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet “Deliver my soul from the sword and my darling from the power of the dog.” Yet I know death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly. We must therefore plan to live together, but live as if we will die tomorrow. We live on, I’m sure, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure. If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today.

According to the whole text we can see that the first paragraph ___________.

   A. puts forward the subject of the text

   B. shows the author’s pity on the kid

   C. serves as an introduction to the discussion

   D. makes a clear statement of the author’s views

In the second paragraph the author mainly wants to explain to us____________.

   A. how much he misses his parents now

   B. why his parents often appear in his dream

   C. when Lucien will get over all his sadness

   D. how proud he was when he succeeded in life

What feeling did the author’s mother express in her reply?

   A. Proud.            B. Happy.        C. Disappointed.         D. Worried.

In the author’s opinion, the value of a person’s life is _____________.

   A. to leave a precious memory to the people related

   B. to have a high sense of duty to the whole society

   C. to care what others will remember and treasure

   D. to share happiness and sadness with his family

What does the writer mean by the sentence taken from an old poem?    

   A. Call on criminals and murderers to lay down their guns.

   B. Advise parents stay with their children safely at home.

   C. Spend every day meaningfully in memory of death.

   D. Try to keep violence and murder far away from society.