When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk(冒…危险)being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.

“Storm chasing(追逐)” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby(喜好), especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.

Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.

Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”

However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”

1.For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to          .

A head straight for the center of the storm  B. get into the car for safety

C. wait patiently for the storm to develop.  D. collect information about a coming storm

2. Beginners of storm chasing are advised             .

A. not to drive in a heavy rain     B. to do it in an organized way

C. not to get too close to a storm    D. to spend more time on it in summer

3. By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that             .

A. storm chasing costs a lot of money  B. storm chasing is worth hours of waiting

C. efforts in storm chasing are well paid  D. a storm presents the greatest show on Earth

4. What can we learn from the text?

A. Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment

B. Many storm chasers get killed in the storms.

C. Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world.

D. Storm chasing is only fit for young people.

Zoos divide opinion ： there are those who think it is cruel to keep animals locked up while others believe zoos are essential for the survival of endangered species.
To argue that zoos imprison animals is to misunderstand what zoos are about. Without zoos many of the creatures we love and admire would no longer exist. Every single day，over one hundred animal species vanish. Scientists predict that as early as 2050 one quarter of the Earth’s species will become extinct.
Some animals are in danger because they are hunted. Alarmingly, the population of tigers has already fallen by ninety-five percent. Other species are in danger because of a lack of food. For example, there are fewer than 1300 giant pandas left in the wild.
Zoos have special breeding programmes to help those animals at risk. These breeding programmes are proving extremely successful. As Irene Shapiro from Zoo and Wildlife Support says, “the Puerto Rican Parrot has grown in numbers from just thirteen to about eighty-five and the Golden Lion Tamarin Monkey, which has almost ceased to exist twenty years ago, has been reintroduced back into the wild. ”
Unfortunately, not everyone understands this important role zoos play. For example, Brian Featherstone from the Anti-Zoo Forum says, “I can’t believe we take animals from the wild and put them in cages for the entertainment of the public! We should view them on film or TV in their natural environment.，’
However, this misses the point. A zoo does more than display animals to the public. It ensures their survival. Without zoos you would not be able to see many of these animals on TV or anywhere else!
【小题1】What’s the writer’s attitude towards zoos?

When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement . “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”
【小题1】For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to .

第三部分：阅读理解 
第一节 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。（共15小题，每小题2分，共30分）           
A
It was midnight in Paris and we were rolling toward Avenue Bosguet. As we came to the Pont Alexandra Ⅲ, the taxi slowed down, for the traffic light was red against us, and then, without stopping, we sailed through the red in a sudden burst of speed. The same performance was repeated at the Alma Bridge. As I paid the driver, I asked him why he had driven through two red lights.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself, breaking the law and endangering your life that way ,” I protested.
He looked at me, astonished. “Ashamed of myself? I am a law abiding(守法的)citizen and have no desire to get killed either.” He cut me off before I could protest.
“No, just listen to me before you complain .What did I do? Went through a red light. Well, did you ever stop to consider what a red light is, what it means?”
“Certainly,” I replied. “It’s a stop signal and means that traffic is rolling in the opposite direction.”
“Half-right,” said the driver, “but incomplete. It’s only an automatic stop signal. And it does not mean that there is cross traffic. Did you see any cross traffic during our trip? Of course not. I slowed down at the light, looked carefully to the right and to the left. Not another car on the street at this hour. Well, then! What would you have me do? Should I stop like a stupid animal because an automatic, brainless machine turns red every forty seconds? No, sir,” he shouted. “I am a man, not a machine. I have eyes and a brain and judgment, given me by God. Ashamed of myself, you say? I would only be ashamed of myself if I let those blinking lamps do my thinking for me. Good night ,sir.”
Is this bad, is this good? Frankly I am no longer sure...
56. At the Alma Bridge,_________.
A. the writer stopped the taxi and paid the driver              
B. the taxi went through a red light again
C. there was a performance the writer had already watched
D. the writer began to criticize the driver
57. To the taxi driver, a red light_________.
A. was not a stop signal                            
B. should not work at midnight
C. sometimes made mistakes in judgment    
D. didn’t always mean that there was cross traffic
58. The main reason the driver dared to drive through the red light was that______.
A. he found there was no cross traffic there at that time
B. he thought it a shame to be controlled by a machine
C. he knew no other driver would see him at this hour
D. he didn’t trust any brainless machine
59. According to the passage, the driver thought what he had done was________.
A. law abiding（守法的）                   B .lawbreaking 
C. something to be proud of                     D .something to be ashamed of

It was midnight in Paris and we were rolling toward Avenue Bosguet. As we came to the Pont Alexandra Ⅲ, the taxi slowed down, for the traffic light was red against us, and then, without stopping, we sailed through the red in a sudden burst of speed. The same performance was repeated at the Alma Bridge. As I paid the driver, I asked him why he had driven through two red lights.

   “You ought to be ashamed of yourself, breaking the law and endangering your life that way.” I protested.

He looked at me, astonished, “Ashamed of myself? I am a law abiding(守法的) citizen and have no desire to get killed either.” He cut me off before I could protest.

“No, just listen to me before you complain. What did I do? Went through a red light. Well, did you ever stop to consider what a red light is? What it means?”

“Certainly,”I replied. “It’s a stop signal and means the traffic is rolling in the opposite direction.”

“Half-right,”said the driver, “But incomplete. It’s only an automatic(自动的) stop signal. And it does not mean that there is cross traffic. Did you see any cross traffic during our trip? Of course not. I slowed down at the light, looked carefully to the right and to the left. Not another car on the street at this hour. Well, then! What would you have me do? Should I stop like a stupid animal because an automatic, brainless machine turns red every forty seconds? No, sir,”he shouted, “I am a man, not a machine. I have eyes and a brain and judgment, given me by God. Ashamed of myself, you say? I would only be ashamed of myself if I let those blinking lamps do my thinking for me. Good night,sir.”

1.At the Alma Bridge,__________.

   A.the writer stopped the taxi and aid the driver

   B.the taxi went through a red light again

   C.there was a performance the writer had already watched

   D.the writer began to criticize the driver

2.To the taxi driver, a red light__________.

   A.was not a stop signal

   B.should not work at midnight

   C.sometimes made mistakes in judgment

   D.didn’t always mean that there was cross traffic

3.The main reason the driver dared to drive through the red light was that________________.

   A.he found there was no cross traffic there at that time

   B.he thought it a shame to be controlled by a machine

   C.he knew no other driver would see him at this hour

   D.he didn’t trust any brainless machine

4.According to the passage, the driver thought of what he had done was____________.

   A.law abiding                        B.law breaking

   C.something to be proud of             D.something to be ashamed of