When people hear that I’m the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, they all have the same question: How did a 22-year old woman row a 19-foot boat for 70 days through high winds and crashing waves? Well, the biggest  difficulty for me wasn’t physical. By the time I decided to do the ocean row, I had already biked 3,300 miles cross-country, run across the Mojave Desert, and swum the 325-mile length of the Allegheny River. No, the tough part would be mental: How would I handle the loneliness, the boredom of the vast sea?

I set off on January 3, 2010. I set my sights on getting past the quarter-way mark, which would take about 20 days.

Day 20, January 22, was gray and cloudy. I could have done something to celebrate, such as treating myself to a chocolate bar. But I didn’t.

I was suffering from terrible loneliness. I hadn’t seen landing over two weeks. Every day was beginning to feel the same. Eating, rowing, sleeping, watch the sky, watch the ocean.

Then, around sunset, I saw something move on the horizon. They were dolphins! They circled my boat. Suddenly I felt so grateful. They had come to help me celebrate, just when I needed them. I rowed at full strength for the next 20 minutes with the dolphins around. By the time we went our separate ways, I was no longer lonely. Better yet, I knew I would be okay.

I did make it, all 2,817 miles. I hit the coast of Guyana, South America, on March 14, after 70 days and five hours at sea. My ocean row raised $70,000 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, which funds drinking water programs around the world. I know some athletes spend the entire journey imagining the end, and that helps them get through. But for me, the secret is to focus on the moment, where you experience the personal growth—those moments of awareness of being connected to the sun, the weather, and the waves. And, on the best day of my life, those dolphins, which freed myself from terrible loneliness.

1.

Which is the step taken as part of preparation for the tough row?

2.

What does the underlined part mean?

3.

What can be implied from the last two paragraphs?

4.

Which can be the best title of the passage?

.

第二部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A. B.C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

I used to work in an office, which had a Iocust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem dull. Unfortunately, this happened to be the room assigned(分配)to me, and l was depressed by it for quite some time.

When the first spring came, everything was green except the locust tree.I felt very happy because I had thought it had died!

One moming, when I opened the window for some some fresh air,I unexpectedly smelt a familiar

sweet scent floating into my office which I could not name. Suddenly,I realized it was the locust tree!

The tree that I thought dead was in full bloom!

From then on,I usually came to the office very early to see dew【露珠】forming on the locust treeblossoms, and was eager to see spring again every year.

During summer, the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight, butallowing enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn, the leaves turned many different colors. Its beauty touched my soul. Many times,I thought to take photos but never did. Then,I had to leave in a hurry. Later in life, it became a great regret that I had not done so.

Actually, many times in our livesj we think we own something and thus do not value it.We don't

feel regretful until we lose it one day! Moreover, sometimes, we have to accept the things we don'twant and need to discover the hidden beauty tofind unexpected joy!

56. The Jocust tree first attracted the author most by____.

A. the way it blocked the view    B.its height

C. the smell ofits flowers    D.its green leaves

57. In which season do you think the author paid the least attention to the locust tree?

A. Spring.    B.Summer    C.Autumn.    D.Winter.

58. Which ofthe following statements is true of the author according to the passage?

A. He would have regretted ifthe locust tree had died as he had thought it had.

B. The locust tree turned out to be a lovely memory for him.

C. He felt unhappy as he had forgotten to take the photos with him.

D. Hls work in the office changed with the seasons every year.

59. It can be inferred from the passage that _

A. the locust tree died soon after the author left the office

B. the author worked in the office for at least a few years

C. it was summer when the author took his job in the office

D. the wPather was dry when the author first saw the tree

60. What advice does the author intend to give us?

A. Treasure what we've owned.                B. Look before you leap.

C. Treat everything calmly.                  D. Never forget the past.

　短文改错（每小题1分）

此题要求改正所给短文中的错误。如无错误，在答题卡相应的位置上画一个勾(√)；如有错误(每行只有一个错误)，则按下列情况改正：

此行多一词：把多余的词写在答题卡相应的位置上，用斜线(\)划掉；

此行缺一词：在答题卡相应的位置上写出该加的词，并附带前(后)词；

此行错一词：在答题卡相应的位置上写出该错词和改正后的词。

It’s a story happened five years ago. Li Hua, who lived in the      ⒈________

city, came to visit her uncle in our village. She and me became  ⒉________

good friend. One day, I went to her uncle’s to do homework      ⒊________

with her. But she wasn’t in. I found beautiful clock on her bed.  ⒋________

I became very curiously and took it to have a look. Since I ⒌________

have never seen a clock before, I touched it here and there. ⒍________

But suddenly, I found the clock wasn’t working. I felt worrying ⒎________

and wanted to run away. But I didn’t. Later on that day, I told   ⒏________

Li Hua that I had broken her clock. She smiled at me, saying     ⒐________

that her little cousin had dropped it onto the ground this morning      ⒑________

and it had stopped working since then.

One day, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work, I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of bircks left over!   36  carry the bricks down by hand I decided to lower them by a pulley（滑车）, which fortunately was  _37  to the side of the building on the sixth floor.

Fastening the rope at the ground level, I went up to the roof and  _38  the bricks into a barrel (桶). Then I went back to the  _39  and untied the rope,   40  it tightly to insure a  __41__  fall of the 500 punds of bricks. You know, I only weighed 135 pounds. Due to my  __42 _ at being pulled off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and  _43   to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I went on at a rather  _44 _ rate up the building.

Near the third floor, I met the barrel __45  , which made my collarbone（锁骨）broken,  __46 _ only slightly, I didn’t stop. At approximately（大约）the same time, the barrel  _47__ the ground, and the bottom fell out of the barrel.   48  the bricks, the barrel now weighed about 50 pounds. I refer you again to my weight of 135 pounds.  _49   you might imagine, I began a rapid down.

Also near the  _50 _ floor, I met the barrel coming up, which made my legs broken. The encounter（相遇）with the _ 51 _ slowed me enough to reduce my  _52  when I fell onto the pile of bricks, and  53  , only three vertebrae（椎骨）were broken. However, as I __54__there on the bricks in pain, unable to move, and  _55   the barrel six stories above, I again lost my presence of mind. I let go of the rope!

1. A. Rather than           B. Other than           C. Better than          D. Instead of

2.A. connected          B. attached             C. added           D. joined

3. A. brought          B. carried              C. loaded               D. took

4. A. ceiling               B. floor            C. roof                 D. ground

5.A. grabbing           B. pulling          C. fastening            D. holding

6. A. sudden           B. quick                C. slow                 D. peaceful

7. A. carelessness          B. surprise             C. excitement           D. joy

8.A. forgot            B. had              C. took              D. began

9. A. slow             B. rapid                C. strange              D. special

10. A. coming down          B. going up         C. going down        D. coming up

11. A. Slowed               B. Calmed           C. Relaxed           D. Cooled

12.A. fell                  B. beat                 C. hit                  D. knocked

13. A. Besides              B. Without              C. With                 D. Beyond

14. A. As                   B. When             C. While                D. Which

15. A. first                B. ground           C. second            D. third

16. A. bricks               B. barrel               C. pulley               D. rope

17. A. pain                 B. weight               C. injuries             D. speed

18. A. unluckily           B. surely               C. undoubtedly          D. fortunately

19. A. sat                  B. lay              C. stood                D. bent

20. A. noticed             B. remembered        C. watched         D.saw                     

As I was driving out of the store parking lot, they crossed in front of me．My first reaction was filled with   36   at being delayed for a whole ten seconds．But I quickly became   37   when I realized that it was an elderly   38    ．

       The man leaned on his   39   who walked in front of him．He not only used her for   40   but it was obvious that he was blind．The two of them  _41   as one—each needing the other to  42     in this fast-changing world．

   That little example of true strength   43   my whole personal perception(理解) of life that day．Suddenly I wasn’t so   44  having to work a few extra hours on Saturdays．I had my    45  ，and I was still   46   young．

   That picture of those two elderly people walking with dignity(尊严) and strength   47   me the entire week．My   48   wasn’t so bad after all．I had my health and a good job．I had a wonderful，          49   wife．I started to think—not only was I   50   to have these all, but so was that wonderful old couple，who， _51   the trials and sufferings of a long life，still had the love and support of each other to   52    them through this world．

   There are so many people out there just like that couple．My wife and I sometimes   53  ourselves in our old age, walking arm in arm into the sunset. That image always gives us a    54  feeling．Just remember, none of us would be here if it wasn’t for our elders．We all should spend a little extra time and patience,   55   helping our elder friends．

1.A . tension           B. anger            C. surprise             D. puzzle

2.A. nervous                B. worried          C. patient              D. satisfied

3.A. couple                 B. driver               C. policeman            D. truck

4. A. friend                B. daughter             C. wife                 D. mother  

5. A. fun               B. free                 C. support              D. care

6.A. worked             B. stood            C. thought              D. considered

7. A. warn              B. point                C. remind               D. function

8.A. ruin               B. remove           C. change               D. fail

9.A. sure of                B. mad about            C. excited with         D. curious about

10.A. courage           B. freedom          C. dream            D. strength

11.A. similarly             B. extremely        C. naturally        D. relatively

12.A. agreed with           B. stayed with     C. happened to     D. connected with

13.A. family                B. plan             C. life            D. salary

14.A. supportive            B. famous               C. active          D. pretty

15. A. lucky                B. fit             C. willing              D. eager

16.A. unless                B. despite              C. owing to        D. since

17.A. challenge             B. value            C. carry                D. arrange

18. A. picture              B. share            C. compare          D. teach

19.A. sad               B. bitter          C. serious            D. warm

20. A. in case of           B. regardless of        C. as a result of      D. when it comes to