A Tchaikovsky concerto（协奏曲）is what made Romel Joseph fall in love with the violin.

He learned how to play in Haiti, where he was born, but a Fulbright scholarship brought him to the United States, and he finally earned a master’s degree, reports CBS News reporter Katie Couric. Music had changed his life. He wanted to do the same for the children of Haiti.

Joseph built a school in Port-au-Prince nearly 20 years ago. He was on the third floor when suddenly “It was like boom boom boom and everything just opened,” Joseph said. “And the next thing I knew I was on the ground.”

Blind since birth, Joseph tried to feel his way out, but was pinned（夹）beneath heavy concrete（混凝土）. He remained trapped for 18 hours. He prays that his new wife, seven months pregnant（怀孕的）, will be found.

He is now being treated at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital for two injured legs and an arm.

Joseph wonders if he’ll ever play the violin again. He can feel sensation（知觉）in his fingertips. He said, “If you were to give me a violin and if I didn’t have to fold the fingers, I would be able to play.”

Joseph’s daughter Victoria spent three terrifying days unsure of her father’s fate. For her, having him home is the sweetest music.

“Can you imagine your dad not being able to play the violin?” Couric asked.

“No, I can’t,” Victoria Joseph said. “But I will love him all the same if he can’t.”

Romel doesn’t know how many of his 300 students died in the quake. As he waits for news about his wife, Romel Joseph is already planning a return to Haiti to rebuild the school and continue teaching there.

“We can save two children, 20, 200, 300, 500 through education and music, and these children will make a difference,” Romel Joseph said.

54．Romel began to like music ________.

A. because he was blind since birth

B. after he had listened to a famous piece of music

C. when he got a scholarship to study in America

D. since he was born in Haiti

55．From what Romel said in Paragraph 6, we can infer that he was ________.

A. upset        B. fearful          C. excited          D. optimistic

56．To Victoria, the best thing is ________.

A. to see her father recover from the injury quickly

B. to listen to her father playing the sweetest music

C. to play the violin as well as her father

D. to be sure that her father could play the violin

57．Why does Romel want to go back to Haiti?

A. To save his students from the earthquake.

B. To change the life of children by teaching music.

C. To find out how seriously his school was damaged.

D. To look for his wife who is pregnant.

58．Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Music education: keep your creativity alive

B. A great blind musician and his students

C. Haiti earthquake: a story of a music teacher

D. How did some Haiti earthquake victims survive

 B

About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel. I didn’t want to carry too much money with me, so I asked the desk clerk to put a hundred- dollar bill in the safe for me.

 The next morning, however, the clerk said he knew nothing about my money. I didn’t have any proof that I had given the man the money. There was nothing I could do but go to the nearest lawyer.

  The lawyer advised me to return to the hotel with him and give another hundred-dollar bill to the clerk. This I did. An hour later, I went back to the desk and asked for my money. Since I had the lawyer as an eyewitness to the second hundred-dollar bill, the clerk could not say he knew nothing about it.

Another hour later, I put the second part of the lawyer’s plan into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the hotel. I asked for the hundred-dollar bill once again, and when the clerk insisted he had already given it to me, I denied（否认）it. The lawyer said to him, “I saw this gentleman give you a hundred dollars. If you don’t hand it over immediately, I’ll be forced to call the police.”

 The clerk realized he had been tricked, so he gave me back the first hundred-dollar bill.

 “I don’t know how to thank you enough for getting my money back,” I said to the lawyer. And what you suppose he answered?

  He said, “Oh, don’t thank me. That will be a hundred dollars, please.”

60. The man went to a Detroit hotel one day to___________.

A. get his money back                      B. put a hundred-dollar bill in the safe

C. ask to be a desk clerk             D. stay for the night

61. The hotel clerk at last returned the first hundred-dollar bill to the man because _________.

A. he knew the lawyer’s plan very well  

B. he found the lawyer tricking him

C. he didn’t want to get into trouble with the police  

D. he wanted to give the man a surprise

62. Which of the following statements is true?

A. The man didn’t get his 200 dollars back.

B. The lawyer was happy that the man got both his bills back.

C. The lawyer asked for 100 dollars.

D. The man thanked the lawyer by paying him some money.

63．The man was _______.

A. wise             B. foolish          C. happy           D. sad

七．阅读理解 (20分)
A
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
   On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
   But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
   Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
1. Which of the following is not a custom for a boy to do on Valentine’s Day?
   A. to take his girlfriend out to dinner
   B. to buy his girlfriend flowers and chocolates     
   C. to make Valentine’s cards for teachers and friends
   D. to spell out his girlfriend’s name with rose petals
2. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
   A. Because there were few women in his country at that time.
   B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.
   C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.
   D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.
3. Valentine was put into prison because ______.
   A. he killed one of the soldiers 
   B. he stole a lot of food
   C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order   
   D. he didn’t want to be a soldier
4. The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
   A. students in China send cards to their teachers
   B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
   C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
   D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now
5. The best title for this passage should be ______.
   A. Valentine’s Day                  B. A Brave Priest  
   C. Valentine’s Day in China          D. A Romantic Man

B
About a year ago, I went to stay at a Detroit hotel. I didn’t want to carry too much money with me, so I asked the desk clerk to put a hundred- dollar bill in the safe for me.
The next morning, however, the clerk said he knew nothing about my money. I didn’t have any proof that I had given the man the money. There was nothing I could do but go to the nearest lawyer.
The lawyer advised me to return to the hotel with him and give another hundred-dollar bill to the clerk. This I did. An hour later, I went back to the desk and asked for my money. Since I had the lawyer as an eyewitness to the second hundred-dollar bill, the clerk could not say he knew nothing about it.
Another hour later, I put the second part of the lawyer’s plan into action. This time both the lawyer and I went to the hotel. I asked for the hundred-dollar bill once again, and when the clerk insisted he had already given it to me, I denied（否认）it. The lawyer said to him, “I saw this gentleman give you a hundred dollars. If you don’t hand it over immediately, I’ll be forced to call the police.”
The clerk realized he had been tricked, so he gave me back the first hundred-dollar bill.
“I don’t know how to thank you enough for getting my money back,” I said to the lawyer. And what you suppose he answered?
He said, “Oh, don’t thank me. That will be a hundred dollars, please.”
60. The man went to a Detroit hotel one day to___________.
A. get his money back                    B. put a hundred-dollar bill in the safe
C. ask to be a desk clerk             D. stay for the night
61. The hotel clerk at last returned the first hundred-dollar bill to the man because _________.
A. he knew the lawyer’s plan very well  
B. he found the lawyer tricking him
C. he didn’t want to get into trouble with the police  
D. he wanted to give the man a surprise
62. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The man didn’t get his 200 dollars back.
B. The lawyer was happy that the man got both his bills back.
C. The lawyer asked for 100 dollars.
D. The man thanked the lawyer by paying him some money.
63．The man was _______.
A. wise             B. foolish          C. happy           D. sad

三．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A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并填写在答题卡上。
Linda often asked Luke to dinner. Linda loved Luke, but Luke loved Linda’s cooking, not Linda herself. Linda accepted that for the time being. But she felt that, with enough meals and enough time, she would get her man.
Luke rarely stayed more than ten minutes past the last bite of dessert. Linda would ask luke if he wanted to watch TV, or play cards or chess, or take a walk around the neighborhood, but Luke always declined. He always said, “ I’ve got to go.” They both knew that Luke didn’t have to go anywhere. All he ever did was to go back to his apartment and read books or go online.
Tonight was probably going to be more of the same. But Linda was a patient woman. She loved to cook, and she loved to watch people eat her cooking. Tonight she prepared shrimp, fresh green beans, mashed potatoes, and asparagus(芦笋). Luke ate everything. Then she brought out her homemade cheesecake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Luke asked, “ Are you trying to fatten me up for something? Every time I come over here, I have to eat celery(芹菜) and lettuce for a week to get back down to my normal weight. Or maybe I should start going to the gym more often. Nah, I’m too lazy for that.”
“Oh, stop exaggerating(夸张).” Linda replied. “ You enoy every mouthful. And besides, I don’t think you lazy at all.”
“ You’re right. I apologise. I love your cooking, and if you didn’t invite me over here, I’d be hurt and hungry.”
Linda watched contentedly(满足地) as Luke devoured the cheesecake and ice cream. Someday, she thought, I will be his dessert.
41. Which of the following were included in the meal Linda made for Luke.
A. Shrimp, tomatoes and ice cream.
B. Mashed potatoes, ice cream and cheesecake.
C. Bean, fried potaties and asparagus.
D. Shrimp, green peas and cheesecake.
42. What can be inferred from this passage?
A. Linda will eventually capture Luke’s heart.
B. Luke is often a very busy man.
C. Linda prefers fat men.
D. Both Luke and Linda are single.
43. According to the passage which of the following is NOT true about Luke?
A. He owns a computer.
B. He enjoys reading.
C. He prefers ice cream to cheesecake.
D. He has had dinner with Linda before.
44. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. My Foolish Heart.
B. The Way to a Man’s Heart is Through his Stomach.
C. The Fatter the Better.
D. The Food of Life.
45. Why did Luke always decline Linda’s invitations to do other things besides eating?
A. He was often busy at work.
B. He only liked Linda’s cooking.
C. He preferred being alone most of the time.
D. He was very shy.