Dear Florence,
We arrived in India last week, and the voyage was the worst experience of my entire life. I’m lucky to be alive!
The first part of the journey was terrible, because the ship hit bad weather almost as soon as we left Liverpool. But much, much worse was to come. Later, we were involved in a collision with another boat and we had to abandon ship!
We had been at sea for about two weeks and we were in the Mediterranean. There is now a canal between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea called the Suez Canal, which opened last year. Our boat stopped at Port Said, the Egyptian port at the entrance to the canal. I remember looking through the porthole of my cabin and wishing that I could go ashore and visit this fascinating place, but mummy had ordered that I was to stay in the cabin because I was feeling ill. “you must stay here for at least another two days.” I remember her saying. How wrong she would turn out to be! The ship left the port and headed towards the canal . I was alone in the cabin and I watched the port disappear into the distance. Suddenly there was a loud bang, followed by the most awful crunching（嘎吱的）sound, and the ship shook and turned slightly on its side.
There was an eerie silence for a moment, then people started shouting. Mummy came running into the cabin and told me that we had collided with another boat. She took my hand and we ran along the deck towards the lifeboats. There was a lot of shouting and people were running everywhere, but the crew were all acting calmly, helping people into the lifeboats and telling people not to panic.
Well, clearly we survived, as did all the passengers and crew of the ship. The other boat wasn’t so lucky. It sank and several lives were lost.
I will write about the rest of the journey soon. Please give my love to Aunt Claire and Uncle Eric.
Your loving cousin,
Jane
56．【小题1】When was the letter written?

第二节  完形填空（共20小题;每小题1.5分，满分30分）

         阅读下面短文，掌握其大意。然后从36～55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

         When Alice started to cycle home from Jenny’s house, she wasn’t nervous. She was certainly not afraid of the dark.  36  , it was only a 15,ncnule ride home. But halfway there, she began to wish that he hadn’t been so   37  .

         As she rounded a sarp benu, it suddenly   38   cold－very cold. Alice’s breath became puffs of white cloud and her legs aso cale that it became hard to ride.

         With her liart beating fast, she struggled so hard to move   39   that the didn’t hear the car which suddenly appeared beside her. She stopped by the road. The big black car also   40  ,Slowly, the passenger-window began to slide down. Alice held her breath. In the soft light inside the car, something   41  . Then, the light brightened and Alice was staring at a sweet, grey-haired old lady. “Hello, dear,”said the old lady. “I need   42  . I’m afraid I’m lost. I need to find the nearest airport. I must be there in the next five minutes.”

         “Airport? You   43   are lost,”Alice said. “You need to go back five kilometers   44   you reach the”

T-junction.Turn left and  45  for about another 10 kilometers to the main highway.From there,just follow the  46  to the airport.But I’m afraid there’s no  47  you’ll get there in five minutes!”

         “Thank you very much,dearn eplied the old lady.“Don’t worry-I’ll  48  it time.”

         The  49  up and the started off.A little way ahead,it  50  and with hedlights filashing, it drove past Alice. But then, mething  51  happened.The car hegary changing flrst, its color  52  from black to silvey grew when, the wheels began disappearing, but the car    to move forward,  53  just above the grolld. As the car  54  into the dark sky, the big red tail-lights grew larger and larger and glowed more and more brightly.With a faint whistling  55  ,the car was gone in seconds,leaving Alice shaking her head in disbelief…

         36.A.However                    B.Besides                   C.Therefore               D.Othrwise

         37.A.brave                          B.excited                    C.eurious                   D.grew

         38.A.fell                               B.around                    C.forward                  D.backward

         40.A.arrived                       B.aopped                   C.stayed                     D.started

         41.A.gathered                   B.opped                      C.stayed                     D.started

         42.A.help                             B.exicult                     C.rest                          D.water

         43.A.necess                        B.gas                           C.rest                          D.water

         44.A.if                                  B.until                         C.unless                     D.as

         45.A.drive                           B.walk                         C.follow                      D.march

         46.A.address                      B.sigms                      C.notiees                   D.guidance

         47.A.doubt                          B.room                       C.time                         D.way

         48.A.have it                        B.get it                       C.make it                   D.finishit

         49.A.door                            B.window                   C.headlight                D.wheel

         50.A.passed                       B.rashed                    C.turned                     D.continued

         51.A.strange                      B.entive                      C.imaginable             D.horrible

         52.A.developen                 B.apend                      C.spread                    D.ladea

         53.A.rollin                           B.floating                   C.drawing                  D.flashing

         54.A.pointed                      B.returned                 C.broke                       D.rose

         55.A.tune                                     B.voice                        C.sound                      D.tone

.

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给题目的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Mother used to ask me what the most important part of the body is. Through the years I would  ­­21 ­­­ at the correct answer. When I was younger, I thought   22   very important to us, so I said, “My ears, mum.” She said, “No, many people are   23  . But think about it and I’ll ask you again.”

Since making my first   24  , I had often thought over the question. So the next time I told her, “Mum, it must be our eyes.” She said, “You are   25   fast, but the answer isn’t correct because there are blind people.”

26   the years, mother asked me a couple more   27   and always her response was, “No, but you are getting   28  , dear.” Last year, my Grandpa   29  . Everybody was heartbroken, crying. When it was our   __30   to say our final good-bye to Grandpa, Mum asked me, “Do you know the important body part yet, my dear?”

I was   31   when she was asking me. I always thought this was a    32__ between us. She saw the   __33   look on my face and told me “This question’s very important. It shows you have really   34   your life.” I saw her eyes full of tears. She said, “My dear, the most important body part is your   35  .” I asked, “Is it because they hold up your head?” she replied, “No, it is   36   on them a crying friend or a loved one can   __37   their head. I hope you’ll have a shoulder to cry   38   when you need it.”

Then and there I understood the most important body part is not a   39   one. It is being sympathetic(同情的) to the pain of   40  .

21. A. guess           B. believe             C. doubt                  D. notice

22. A. love            B. health               C. sight             D. sound

23. A. blind          B. invisible            C. deaf             D. thoughtful

24. A. discovery    B. decision            C. advice           D. attempt

25. A. thinking       B. learning            C. growing           D. changing

26. A. Over           B. Till              C. Beyond            D. Before

27. A. times           B. things               C. questions          D. ways

28. A. stronger      B. taller            C. nicer             D. smarter

29. A. left out       B. got ill               C. passed away      D. got wounded

30. A. turn             B. duty              C. pity              D. chance

31. A. satisfied              B. shocked             C. interested          D. excited

32. A. test              B. secret            C. match               D. game

33. A. worried       B. regretted           C. puzzled             D. pained

34. A. lived           B. found               C. disliked            D. enjoyed

35. A. feet             B. shoulders           C. hands               D. hair

36. A. how            B. why              C. because             D. whether

37. A. put             B. carry            C. leave             D. rest

38. A. on           B. by                C. above               D. for

39. A. valuable      B. selfish           C. useful           D. precious

40. A. Grandpa      B. the deaf        C. others         D. the blind

Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.

(A)

ASK LASKAS

YOU’VE GOT QUESTIONS. SHE'S GOT ANSWERS

My children go to a primary school where they are not allowed to play football in the playground for fear that a child might be hurt. Besides, now the school says there must be no homework because the local secondary school can't keep up with the amount of homework given in the primary school. Can the school do this?  Puzzled Dad

It can't if enough parents do something about it. It is not just schools. We live in a society which wishes to get rid of risk. However, schools should have a little common sense and courage. Children need risk if they arc to grow up self-sufficient and confident. They need homework, too, if they are to fulfill their academic potential. Complain, loudly.

I have a beautiful teenage daughter who spends an hour making up her face in front of the mirror every day. I tell her to go easy. She just gets mad or bursts into tears. How can I make her understand she's beautiful the way she is.   Plain Mom

You can't. Your daughter is at the age when she's trying to look beautiful, trying on new masks. And if her friends all dress up as she docs, you're in for an extra hard time. Support her and tell her she's beautiful — even if she looks ridiculous for now. Then invite her to join you for a day at a spa (健康美容中心). Let her try various looks until she's comfortable in her own skin.

Why are the children not allowed to play football in the playground?

A. The school is afraid that children might be injured.

B. The school is not sensible and confident.

C. The children don't have enough time to do homework.

D. The children may fail to fulfill their academic potential.

What disturbs Plain Mom is that her daughter______.

A. becomes mad                                                            B. cries a lot

C. spends much rime before the mirror                            D. is not beautiful enough

The solution to Plain Mom's problem is to______.

A. make her daughter look less ridiculous      

B. let her daughter dress up like her friends

C. make her daughter go to a spa every week  

D. let her daughter feel herself what beauty is