第三部分阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
阅读短文，从每题所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D) 中，选出最佳选项.
A
Years of storms had taken their toll on the old windmill（风车）. Its wheel, rusted and fallen, lay silent in the lush bluegrass.
　　I hadn‘t walked across our old farm in fifteen years. Fifteen years ago，rain or shine, I used to walk this path each day to see Greta. She always made me smile, even after my sister and I had just had a big quarrel. I would help Greta with her chores. Then we would enjoy her delicious homemade chocolate cookies and ice cream. Being confined to a wheel chair didn‘t stop Greta from being a great cook.
　　Greta gave me two of the greatest gifts I‘ve ever received. First, she taught me how to read. She also taught me that when I forgave Sister for our quarrels, it meant I wouldn‘t keep feeling like a victim(受害者). Instead, I would feel sunny.
　　Mr. Dinking, the local banker, tried to foreclose on Greta‘s house and land after her husband passed away. Thanks to Pa and Uncle Johan, Greta got to keep everything. Pa said that it was the least he could do for someone talented enough to teach me to read!
　　Soon folks were coming from miles around to buy Greta‘s homemade cakes, pies, breads, cookies, cider, and ice cream. Greta even had me take a big apple pie to Mr. Dinking who became one of her best customers and friends. That‘s just what Greta was.  She could turn anyone into a friend!
　　Greta always said, "Dear, keep walking in sunshine!" No matter how terrible my day started, I always felt sunny walking home from Greta‘s house---even beneath the winter starlight.
　　I arrived at Greta‘s house today just after sunset. An ambulance had stopped a few feet from her door, its red lights flashing. When I ran into the old house, Greta recognized me right away.
　　She smiled at me with her unforgettable twinkling blue eyes. She was almost out of breath when she reached out and softly touched my arm. Her last words to me were "Dear, keep walking in sunshine!"
56. Which would be the best title for the passage?
A. What Greta taught me              B. Greta would never die
C. The past sunny days               D. Keep walking in sunshine
57. What can we know about Greta from the passage?
A. She was kind and forgiving         B. She was rich and generous
C. She was energetic and confidence    D. She was practical and helpful
58. The author used to go to see Greta every day mainly because _____.
A. Greta could treat the author with delicious food
B. Greta could give the author comfort
C. the author could learn how to read from Greta
D. the author could learn something valuable from Greta
59. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Greta lived a hard and lonely life.
B. Greta was loved and respected by all the people there.
C. Greta must be a relative of the author’s family.
D. The author had been out of touch with Greta for fifteen years.

阅读理解

　　Tom Dyson tried to find out what his new machine could do. One day he fixed the small box to a flowering plant that was growing in a pot. He didn't say anything at all, but he began to think some cruel thoughts.

　　“I'm going to cut off these flowers. They're getting old and ugly. So I'll cut them off…”

　　The needle on the machine climbed quickly from  zero to 8, then 10, 12, 15. It stopped at 17. The plant was in trouble! Something was worrying it. Was it fear or sadness? The thought of being cut? The flowers bent their heads. They suddenly looked old and tired, and Tom felt sorry for them.

　　“No, no!” he cried.“I won't cut you. You're my friends. I just want you to grow and be lovely. I'll take you outside, into the sunshine. You'll like that, won't you?”

　　The flowers lifted their heads slowly and seemed to smile at him. The needle returned to zero. Tom put away the machine, picked up the plant and walked outside. It was very nice in the garden that morning.

　　All plants enjoy their owner's love and care and kindness. They know the sound of their voice. They also seem to understand people's thoughts. So if you have flowers of your own, think about them with love. They will return your kindness in the only way they can: they will grow strong and beautiful.

1．Choose the right order of the events given in the passage.

[　　]

a．The needle pointed to 17.

b．Tom felt sorry for the flowers.

c．Tom thought of cutting off the flowers.

d．The flowers looked old and tired.

e．Tom fixed the machine to a plant.

f．Tom took the plant outside.

g．The needle returned to zero.

h．Tom cried, “I won't cut you.”

[　　]

A．e; a; g; h; d; b; c; f

B．c; e; d; a; b; h; g; f

C．e; c; a; d; h; b; f; g

D．e; c; a; d; b; h; g; f

2．The only way in which plants can show their love is ________.

[　　]

A．enjoying their owner's love

B．bringing up nicely

C．holding up their heads

D．smiling at their owners

3．According to the passage, which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．Tom wanted to cut off the flowers.

B．Tom said nothing, but the flowers could understand him.

C．The machine didn't work properly.

D．The flowers were getting bad - looking

阅读理解

　　Tom Dyson tried to find out what his new machine could do. One day he fixed the small box to a flowering plant that was growing in a pot. He didn't say anything at all, but he began to think some cruel thoughts.

　　“I'm going to cut off these flowers. They're getting old and ugly. So I'll cut them off…”

　　The needle on the machine climbed quickly from  zero to 8, then 10, 12, 15. It stopped at 17. The plant was in trouble! Something was worrying it. Was it fear or sadness? The thought of being cut? The flowers bent their heads. They suddenly looked old and tired, and Tom felt sorry for them.

　　“No, no!” he cried.“I won't cut you. You're my friends. I just want you to grow and be lovely. I'll take you outside, into the sunshine. You'll like that, won't you?”

　　The flowers lifted their heads slowly and seemed to smile at him. The needle returned to zero. Tom put away the machine, picked up the plant and walked outside. It was very nice in the garden that morning.

　　All plants enjoy their owner's love and care and kindness. They know the sound of their voice. They also seem to understand people's thoughts. So if you have flowers of your own, think about them with love. They will return your kindness in the only way they can: they will grow strong and beautiful.

1．Choose the right order of the events given in the passage.

[　　]

a．The needle pointed to 17.

b．Tom felt sorry for the flowers.

c．Tom thought of cutting off the flowers.

d．The flowers looked old and tired.

e．Tom fixed the machine to a plant.

f．Tom took the plant outside.

g．The needle returned to zero.

h．Tom cried, “I won't cut you.”

[　　]

A．e; a; g; h; d; b; c; f

B．c; e; d; a; b; h; g; f

C．e; c; a; d; h; b; f; g

D．e; c; a; d; b; h; g; f

2．The only way in which plants can show their love is ________.

[　　]

A．enjoying their owner's love

B．bringing up nicely

C．holding up their heads

D．smiling at their owners

3．According to the passage, which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．Tom wanted to cut off the flowers.

B．Tom said nothing, but the flowers could understand him.

C．The machine didn't work properly.

D．The flowers were getting bad - looking

A senior United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF) official on May 29 praised China for its remarkable achievements in children’s welfare.

A. H. M. Farook, UNICEF’s operations area officer for China and Mongolia said that China “can be very satisfied to tell the whole world what can be done with limited resources to help its children to grow healthily and happily.”

　　China’s child population makes up one-fifth of the world’s total. “The reason behind the tremendous(巨大的) achievement is China’s long tradition of caring for children both at home and in society,” he said.

　　“What’s more is that Chinese people have always given special attention to children who are in special need.” The UN official made the remarks when addressing a group of 50 children and staff from the Beijing Children’s Welfare Home at the Shangri-la Hotel, Beijing.

　　The hotel invited the orphans to share snacks, sing, dance and play games at a park inside the hotel for a “Share the Sunshine” party, as a prelude(前奏) to celebrations to mark the Children’s Day.

　　The Beijing children’s Welfare Home, set up soon after New China was founded in 1949, has at present more than 400 children.

　　A leading official of the welfare institution said that the children live a happy life and that the agency spends 400—500 yuan a month for an average orphan. An average Chinese workers earned 440 yuan a month during the first quarter this year.

　　Gu Xiaojin, deputy secretary-general of the China Youth Development Foundation(CYDF), said people from all walks of life have contributed to the welfare of the Chinese children.

　　She said that CYDF set up the Project Hope in 1989, which calls on people across the country to donate money to help poor children to continue their schooling.

　　By the end of last year, she said, CYDF had collected nearly 700 million yuan in donations, which has helped the establishment of 2, 074 Hope primary schools and enabled more than 1. 25 million dropouts to return to school classrooms.

　　Three “Hope Stars” also attended the party. They were model teenagers chosen among students who are economically supported by the Project Hope to further their nine-year compulsory studies in the poverty-stricken regions. They will be torchbearers for the Chinese Team for the up coming Atlanta Olympic Games this year.

Children can grow healthily and happily as long as _______.

A. parents take good care of them both at home and in society

B. the whole society care for children as well as their parents

C. Schools and teachers pay much attention to the growth of children

D. Chinese people always give special attention to children who are in special need

Every year the Beijing Children’s Welfare Home spends _______ on the orphans

A. 1, 920, 000 yuan 　　　　　 　　              B. 2, 160, 000 yuan

C. Over 2, 400, 000 yuan 　　　　　        D. 2, 200, 000 yuan or so

CYDF collected 700 million yuan with the purpose of _______.

A. reducing dropouts                               

B. helping homeless orphans

C. supporting the Chinese Team for the coming Atlanta Olympic Games

D. establishing 2, 074 Hope primary schools all over the country

We can infer from the text that _______.

A. Every Chinese child has its own special need, so we should pay special attention to each.

B. All the children in the poverty-stricken regions of China are too poor to go to school.

C. Ever since liberation. the Chinese Communist Party has been concerned about the growth of the younger generation.

D. With the help of UNICEF officials, there are no more dropouts in China.

It is possible that this passage was written in _______.

A. 1992 　　　　  B. 1996 　　　　  C. 1998 　　　　   D. 2000