七．阅读理解 (20分)   

When did you see a polar bear ? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps ? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These  “Polar Bears” are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3 degrees. And the water temperature was a little higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.

Doctors don’t agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body’s temperature drops so slow that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and the water tempreature is much greater in summer than in winter.

The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system (循环系统) because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and could not try cold-water swimming.

The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim all the year round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says, “When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away.”

1. Doctors _________ .

A. have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming

B. believe swimming is helpful both in summer and in winter

C. enourage people to take part in cold-water swimming

D. point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming

2. According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that _______ .

A. Polar bears are bears swimming in freezing water    

B. cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high            

C. you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue           

D. cold-water swimming causes more heart attack in summer than in winter

3. The Polar Bears like to swim year-round, for _______ .

A. it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter                        

B. they can stay young

C. they find it enjoyable and interesting

D. they might meet fewer troubles in life

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text ?

A.The Polar Bear is a club in which people swim to protect polar bears.

B. The club members are all over 60 years old.

C. There is no woman in the club.

D. None of the above.

5. This passage is mainly about _______ .

A. the requirements of the Polar Bear Club                

B. a group of cold-water-swimming lovers

C. the Polar Bears’ life in New York                 

D. doctors’ ideas about cold-water swimming

I walked alongside my father, clutching his right hand．All my clothes were new: the black shoes, the green school uniform, and the red cap．They did not make me happy, however, as tins was the day I was to be thrown into school for the first time．I tried in vain lo convince him that I did nothing wrong all the way, but it didn't help．

When we．arrived at the sate we could see the courtyard, vast and full of boys and girls．I hesitated and clung to his hand, but he gently pushed me from him．"Be a man, "he said．"today you truly begin your life．You will find me waiting for you when it's time to leave．"

I took a few steps．Then the faces of the boys and girls came into view．I did not know a single one of them, and none of them knew me．I felt I was a stranger who had lost his way．But then some boys began to glance at me in curiosity, and one of them came over and asked, " Who brought you? "

    "My father," I whispered．

    ''My father's dead, " he said simply．

I did not know what to say．The gate was now closed．Some of the children burst into tears．The bell rang．A lady came along, followed by a group of men．The men began soiling us into ranks．We were formed into an intricate pattern in the great courtyard surrounded by high buildings．

Well, it seemed that my misgivings had had no basis．From the first moments I made many friends and fell in love with many girls．I had never imagined school would have this rich variety of experiences．

We played all sorts, of games．In the music room we sang our first songs．We also had our first introduction to language．We saw a globe of Earth, which revolved and showed the various continents and countries．We started lean-line numbers, and we were told the story of the Creator of the universe．We ate delicious food, took a little nap, and woke up to go on with friendship and love, playing and learning．

Our path, however, was not totally sweet and unclouded．We had to be observant and patient．It was not all a matter of playing and fooling around． Rivalries could bring about pain and hatred or give rise to fighting．And while the lady would sometimes smile, she would often yell and scold．Even more frequently

she would resort to physical punishment．

The bell rang, announcing the passing of the day and the end of work．The children rushed toward the gate, which was opened again．I said goodbye to friends and sweethearts and passed through the gate．I looked around but found no trace of my father, who had promised to be there．I stepped aside to wait.

1.The writer hesitated and clung to his father's hand when they got to the school gate because ____．

    A．he loved his father and didn't want to leave his father

    B．he had thought attending school meant being punished

    C．he was afraid of the punishment given by teachers

    D．he did not want to leave his mother and his rather alone at home

2.What happened to him first during his first day at school?

    A．He was moved to tears by a sad story told by a girl．

    B．He together without other students was grouped．

    C．He learnt music and other courses and had a good time．

    D．He got punished by die woman teacher because of his impatience．

3.Which of the following subjects did he not probably have?

    A．Cooking．      B．Math．         C．Music．        D．Geography．

4.From the last but one paragraph we can learn that ______.

    A．they got on well with one another all the time

    B．they had a good time at school without being scolded

    C．their teacher was more kind to them than strict with them             

    D．more often than not they experienced physical punishment

5.The writer stepped aside after he got out of the school gate because           .

    A．he was polite to let other students go before him 

    B．he left something behind in his classroom         

    C．he wanted to say goodbye to his teacher

    D．his father has promised to wait for him

Americans hope Two-Thousand-Two will be happier than Two-Thousand-One. New York suffered terrible losses in the terrorist attacks on September Eleventh. However, the city is continuing with its New Year's Eve traditions in Times Square for the ninety-seventh year.

The tradition began in Nineteen-Oh-Four. That year, the owners of the building at Number One Times Square held a party on top of the building. Today, the New Year's Ball falls from the top of the same building. The ball contains thousands of pieces of lighted cut glass. It looks like burning stars as it falls through the darkness. When it reaches the ground, people in Times Square dance and sing. They throw tiny pieces of colorful paper into the air. Many people in the United States also watch this event on television.

Other cities also have New Year celebrations. For example, Chicago has a fireworks show. The fireworks are launched from the Navy Pier, a land area that extends into Lake Michigan. Some people like to watch the fireworks from a boat on the lake. The boat serves a special meal on New Year's Eve. People drink a special wine called Champagne to celebrate the clock striking midnight.

Many young people in Chicago celebrate New Year's Eve at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Children wear funny hats as they wish the animals a good New Year.

Many other Americans celebrate New Year's Eve with parties at home. Or they celebrate at public eating and drinking places. These events are usually noisy. People shout and sing. They often blow on small noise-makers when the New Year arrives at midnight. They kiss their husband or wife or the person they are with. They dance to broadcast music, records or live bands.

Some people drink too much alcohol at New Year's Eve celebrations. This can lead to tragic results if a person drinks too much and then drives a car. The National Safety Council says hundreds of people die in road accidents during the holiday.

In recent years, the danger of accidents has resulted in a new tradition called the "designated driver." One person among a group of friends drinks little or no alcohol during New Year's Eve celebrations. Then this designated driver can safely drive the other people home. Many American cities also offer free taxi service on New Year's Eve to take people home safely.

Other Americans observe the coming of the New Year at events without alcohol. More than two-hundred American cities hold these First Night celebrations. Artists in Boston, Massachusetts, started the tradition of First Night celebrations in Nineteen-Seventy-Six. They wanted to observe the coming of a New Year. But they did not want to hold noisy drinking parties. So they organized music, art and other events to observe the holiday.

66.What does the tradition refer to in the passage?

A. The celebration of New Year’s Eve.        B. The New Year’s Ball.

B. The fireworks show.                    D. The parties at home.

67.Why does the New Year’s Ball contain pieces of lighted cut glass?

A. To attract people in the square.            B. To light the Times Square

C. To give people atmosphere of a festival     D. To make people interested in the festival.

68. What is the passage mainly about?

A. To hope people remember the terrible suffering in the terrorist attacks

B. The colorful life of Americans.

C. The hopes of Americans in the coming new year.

D. The celebrating activities on New Year’s Eve in America.

69. How do Americans feel to the coming new year after the terrorist attacks?

A. sad, excited and hopeful             B. sad, excited and happy

C. happy, excited and hopeful           D. complicated, excited and hopeful.

70. The change people hope most to see in their tradition is __________

A. Less noise                        B. Drinking less alcohol

C. Fewer road accidents                D. Less tragedy

FOR Chinese students the end of their senior year is filled with studying and stress as they prepare for the college entrance exams in June.But for American high school seniors the experience couldn’t be more different. The end of senior year is a celebration of their time in high school and involves parties,games and fun.

Senioritis is a commonly used expression.It means seniors have a disease which makes them unable to do work.This starts in April when seniors find out whether they have been accepted to university.

Unwilling to do school work,seniors have plenty of other activities to focus on.

Many schools have a “Senior Show”,in which only seniors are allowed to perform.Some seniors sing or dance but many of them perform skits（滑稽短剧），where they make fun of their favorite teachers or their friends.For example,a group of boys may dress up and imitate a group of their friends.It is all light-hearted.

The“Senior Show”is usually a part of Senior Week,which is a week specifically dedicated(专用的) to seniors.During this week,seniors usually get academic or athletic awards they have won over their high school careers.The seniors also vote for one of their male and female classmates who they believe is the best-looking or funniest or most involved,etc.These are then published in the yearbook.

The yearbook is an important part of high school for seniors.It is usually dedicated to them and has all their pictures and some words from them in it.Then seniors go around and get it signed by their friends so they can always remember their time together.

Of course during all of this time,seniors are preparing for the Senior Prom,which is an important moment in American culture.It is the most important dance in a young American’s life.

The end of senior year is a truly special and wonderful time for American students.It’s something they will remember for the rest of their lives.

60.Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined sentence in paragraph1?

A.For American high school seniors,things are quite different.

B.It doesn’t make difference at the end of the senior year.

C.For American high school seniors,it is the best time of the year.

D.It is the period filled with stress and workload.

61.What activities that seniors would like to do according to the passage?

A.School work                       B.Voting for the film star

C.Singing or dance contests             D.Senior Show and Senior Prom

62.What will most probably be talked about in the next paragraph of the passage?

A.Activities on the sports field

B.The graduation ceremony where they receive their high school diploma

C.Their favorite film stars

D.The health of seniors

Ms Lo could hardly bear her sorrow when she received the call that her husband had died in a car accident. Her pain quickly turn to shock---- the car involved in the accident was driven by a friend. That friend, Henry Lee, had chosen to remain silent on the accident details in court. Her shock soon turned to extreme anger when Lee decided not to let out what had happened.

Her husband, Mr. Tan, was 21 when he died after an accident outside Las Vegas KTV at Havelock Road. That night, he was discussing supper plans with a group of friends, which included Lee. Later, Mr. Tan was found unconscious on the ground, next to the car driven by Lee. Mr. Tan died in the hospital a few hours later. Due to drinking driving, Lee was fined $3,000 and banned from driving for two years last month.

Lee, Ms Lo and her husband were colleagues at Asia Pacific-Breweries(APB).

She only heard of the accident and her husband’s death the next morning after the accident as she had switched off her band-phone that night. She told The New Paper, “Receiving the call, I thought it was a joke. I thought he had got his friend to call me to ask me out.” Ms Lo had moved out to live alone for three weeks because of a disagreement with her husband. “The next time I saw him was at the mortuary.(太平间)” She said that Lee went to visit her some days ago but didn’t apologize to her. “He looked sorry but he didn’t speak to me. I wanted to forgive him, but now I have no chance to tell him.” she said.

Ms Lo, who was a human resource manager in APB, left the company after the accident. She is now working in a photo studio.

1.Why Ms Lo was made pretty angry?

A. Her husband was knocked down by his friend

B. Henry Lee drove their car in the car accident

C. She was informed only after the accident occurred

D. The person involved did not tell the truth in court

2.Ms Lo hadn’t seen her husband for three weeks because______.

A. they did not sign a contract

B.she began working in a photo studio

C.there was a quarrel between them

D.she was busy writing a paper

3.Why did Ms Lo leave APB for another job?

   A. To escape the pain caused by the accident.

   B. To find out facts related to the accident.

   C. To force Henry Lee to let out the truth.

   D. To avoid meeting the dishonest man.