When Jane Austen (1775--1817) wrote her novels in England, she was writing about a   21 that most of us would not recognize.
But today Austen’s books are in great   22  than ever. In the last ten years, five or six novels have been   23  into Hollywood films, while her books continue to be bestsellers. So why is Austen still   24 ?
Richard Jenkyns, a professor of English at Oxford University argued that her novels still  25  people because they  26 the same issues today as they were when she wrote them.
Her novels are about women   27 to find a perfect husband, but also  28 issues surrounding marriages, friendships and the family. “The plots are fairly timeless about human interaction   29 are familiar to us,” Jenkyns says.
The most famous book Austen wrote is Pride and Prejudice, a   30  story between Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy. At first the two   31 do not get on. They   32  fall in love, but still have to   33  opposition to their relationship from their families.
All of Austen’s books are   34  to read, making them popular with children and adults,
  35 they work on different levels so people can take  36 they need from them, author Kate Henry says.
“You can choose to see the politics and feminism(男女平等思想) in them,  37 you don’t want to take on those issues you can turn a blind eye to it,” she says.
  38 is often hailed(赞扬) as the greatest romance writer in the English language, so it is surprising she remained  39 . “Maybe she was too much of a romantic, waiting for a    40
man,” Henry says.

Self-esteem is all about how much we are valued, loved, accepted, and thought well of by others and how much we value, love and accept ourselves. People with healthy self-esteem are able to do better in school and find it easier to make friends. They tend to have better relationships with others, feel happier, find it easier to deal with mistakes and failures, and are more likely to stick to something until they succeed. People with low self-esteem may feel as if no one will like them or accept them or that they can’t do well in anything.   
The following ways may help you improve your self-esteem.
Try to stop thinking negative thoughts about yourself. If you’re used to focusing on your shortcomings, start thinking about positive aspects of yourself that outweigh them. It is good to aim high, but your goals for yourself should be within reach. That’s why you should set practical goals and never expect the impossible. Mistakes are part of learning, so view mistakes as learning opportunities. Accept that you make mistakes because everyone does.
Also, you should recognize what you can change and what you can’t. If you realize that you’re unhappy with something about yourself, you can change and start from today. If it’s something you can’t change (like your height), start to work toward loving yourself the way you are.
Feeling like you’re making a difference or that your help is valued can do wonders to improve your self-esteem. So don’t hesitate to make a contribution. You can lend a hand to a classmate who’ s having trouble, help your neighborhood clean up, or volunteer to do some other things.
Self-esteem plays a role in almost everything you do. It’s never too late to build healthy self-esteem. It takes some work, and it’s a necessary skill you’ll have for life.
1. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 3 refers to “______”.
A. your classmates                                   B. your shortcomings
C. your strong points                                 D. your goals
2. According to the passage, which of the following can help improve your self-esteem?
A. Setting high goals similar to others’.
B. Never forgiving yourself for your mistakes.
C. Lending a hand to a classmate in trouble.
D. Changing all the things that make you unhappy.
3. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. the old tend to have healthier self-esteem than the young
B. we should build healthy self-esteem when young
C. there are more people with low self-esteem
D. it is not easy to build healthy self-esteem
4. The passage is mainly about ______.
A. how people improve their self-esteem                  
B. what self-esteem means
C. what people with low self-esteem are like             
D. what people with healthy self-esteem are like
5. How many ways of improving your self-esteem are mentioned in the passage?
A. Five                 B. Six                          C. Seven                      D. Eight.

Heroes come in different forms. They are the people who save lives and the people who can stand 36   times. My hero is my mother. When she was diagnosed（诊断）with breast cancer, I was 37  . I didn’t understand how she could appear so healthy 38   a deadly disease existed inside.
My mother went 39  a mastectomy（乳房切除手术）to remove the cancerous cells. For a month after her surgery (外科手术) she was unable to do anything.
It was after this surgery that my mother 40  me the most. Her inactivity really made her  frustrated (沮丧), but she never 41  . She is a strong woman. Unlike some, she never 42  why she had got cancer. Instead, she 43  it and remained optimistic(乐观的).
44   my mother’s illness, I had to step in to do the housework. Previously I would have 45  not to, but I knew this was my 46  .
Those weeks passed slowly but in the end I had a new 47  for my mom. I had never 48  all the things she does on a regular basis. Simple things like cleaning, cooking, laundry and bills really started to become great 49   .
During this special period, I saw the amazing supportive group we have. My parents’ friends couldn’t have done 50   .They stopped by on a regular basis, cooked meals, and supplied us with anything we 51  .They let me know that we will always be there 52   each other.
My mother is healthier now and back to her 53   activities. Our lives are busy but I am a little more willing to 54  around the house. I   55 my mother’s ability to stay optimistic and I only hope that some day I can be lucky enough to be like her.

Would you like a burger or fried chicken for lunch? No Way! Please pass me the salad  36 ．
Hi, my name is Mor­gan Jacobs, and I decided to be a vegetarian  37 I love all animals．I have read and seen pictures of  38  happens toanimals that are raised for their meat．It makes me so 39  ．Baby cows and chickens live their  40   lives in places that are too small for them．They have no  41   to move about．This is so 42  ．They suffer and do not get to
43  their lives．
I don't like other animals that also only live to be 44 by people while they are alive and the 45  they are killed．I feel sorry for them．
The best thing 46  being a vegetarian is all the tasty and healthy foods I eat．Vegetables and fruits are healthy for your body．47 , 1 think they taste better than meat．Oranges have vitamin C．I love the  48  of watermelon, peaches, and strawberries．Green vegetables  49 me feel strong．I enjoy drinking lots of soymilk to  50 my bones calcium（钙）．
I have a life threatening allergy（过敏）to nuts, seeds, and peanuts,  51  I eat soy butter to get my protein!
I  52  in being kind and loving to people and animals, being good to the earth, and 53  life, including animals!
54   is known to all, animals are our friends．We should live in  55  with the animals．If we destroyed the animals, we would destroy ourselves．

第三节：阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分，共30分）
请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Strong winds, sand in the air, poor visibility (能见度), we all know the characteristics of a sandstorm. But what else do you know about them?
Did you know, for example, that the first sandstorm of 2009 hit north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region late February?
Sandstorms are today a feature of life in northern China because of desertification (沙漠化) and the retreat (退化) of the northern grasslands. They usually occur between February and May.
Fortunately, sandstorms this year should be fewer than in past years in north China, according to the National Meteorological Center (中央气象台).
And the chances of sandstorms hitting Beijing are small, because recent rain has stopped drought and reduced dry dirt and dust. Tree planting, and other measures taken by the government, has also helped decrease the chance of sandstorms in the city.
Sandstorms can be dangerous. However, there are measures you can take to protect yourself from harm.
﹡Wear a mask. Cover your nose and mouth with a mask that can keep out sand, or use a damp handkerchief.
﹡If you are driving and the storm is at a distance, it may be possible to outrun (超过) it. If it looks like you will be caught in the storm, stop and wait it out.
﹡Take a cover. If there is no shelter, then lie down. Keep eyes, nose and mouth covered. Cover your head with your arms or a backpack to protect yourself against flying objects.
If you are caught in a desert sandstorm, take the following actions.
﹡Mark your direction before lying down. It is easy to get lost in a desert.
﹡Keep plenty of water at hand. If you get lost, you need water to survive until you find your way or help arrives.
﹡Stay together if traveling in a group. Lock arms if caught in a sandstorm. The most useful measure would actually be to make sandstorms disappear forever. To make this goal come true, people should plant trees, and stop desertification.
Today, the straight-line distance between Tiananmen Square and a desert called Tianmo in Hebei province is only about 80km. If desertification is not stopped, environmental protection experts say, it will probably not be long before Beijingers can catch a camel to work.
56.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. So far in 2009 no sandstorm has happened.
B. Sandstorms usually happen in spring.
C. Sandstorms are a feature of life in China.
D. In sandstorms in cities, what you need to protect yourself from is just the sand in the air.
57.Which may not be the right action to take to protect yourself from harm in a sandstorm?
A. Finding a shelter.
B. Covering your head with a bag.
C. Lying down.
D. When driving, speed up and rush through the sandstorm.
58.What can we infer from the passage ?
A. North China has been suffering from sandstorms for several years.
B. The distance between Beijing and the desert has made the chances of sandstorms hitting Beijing small this year.
C. Planting trees can help make sandstorms disappear.
D. It is more dangerous to be caught in sandstorms in cities because there are more flying objects.
59.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. The realities of sandstorm                          B. The cause of sandstorm.
C. The influences of sandstorm                       D. The future of sandstorm.