.

第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下面的短文，从短文后所给各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。

The world needs more people who are truly kind and caring. Yesterday it was about 11:00 p.m. _36_ my telephone rang. The number was that of a Best Western Hotel.  _37_ I don’t pay attention to this type of call. _38_, this time, for some reason, I went ahead and answered it.

The man on the _39_ end asked if I knew Samuel K., my 91-year-old grandfather. I didn’t _40_ why I was the one he had called. The caller went on to tell me that I was the only _41_ listed in my grandpa’s phone book.

The _42_, Mr. Mason, was the manager of the hotel at which my grandpa had shown up, wanting to rent a room. The _43_ was that my grandpa had no money with him. He was _44_. He had been going _45_ else but had taken the wrong bus and _46_ 100 miles from home. My grandpa just wanted me to tell Mr. Mason that he was a(n) _47_ guy and would pay the money once he got home.

The manager did all he could to help my grandpa, since he didn’t want to _48_ my grandpa, and wanted him to spend a _49_ night. Not only did he take the time to _50_ me, but he also charged just $39 to let my grandpa _51_ safely and comfortably overnight. The rooms in that _52_ normally go for about $140! And then the staff there all _53_ him until my uncle could drive the 100 miles to pick him up!

This is just one more _54_ to show that there are still good people out there. Everywhere you go, you can find someone who _55_ . Thanks, Mr. Mason!

36. A. while       B. when       C. after        D. before

37. A. Finally      B. Personally   C. Actually     D. Usually

38. A. However    B. Besides     C. Although     D. Therefore

39. A. last         B. other       C. only         D. next

40. A. remember   B. accept      C. understand    D. recognize

41. A. neighbor    B. relative     C. student       D. friend

42. A. caller       B. visitor      C. seller        D. driver

43. A. reason     B. opinion     C. problem      D. excuse

44. A. hurt        B. crazy       C. robbed       D. lost

45. A. somewhere  B. nowhere    C. anywhere     D. everywhere

46. A. added up    B. ended up   C. went up       D. sent up

47. A. brave       B. lovely    C. honest        D. kind

48. A. disappoint   B. receive     C. frighten      D. prevent

49. A. popular     B. general     C. special       D. pleasant

50. A. call        B. answer     C. warn         D. notice

51. A. work       B. eat        C. rent         D. stay

52. A. hotel       B. house      C. apartment     D. hospital

53. A. looked at    B. looked after  C. thought about  D. thought of

54. A. patience     B. information    C. knowledge  D. experience

55. A. minds       B. cares        C. sees         D. worries

After a very busy afternoon, as I walked into my house, I heard the phone ringing. It was my friend Lydia, upset over an argument with her husband. My usual approach is to offer advice, but this time, extremely tired from chores, I simply pulled off my coat, sat down in a chair and listened to my friend's frustration and sadness. Without the disturbance of judgment or the desire to comfort her, I stayed totally quiet while she talked. Eventually Lydia's depression eased and we said our goodbyes. The next day she phoned to thank me. "I'm so grateful for the way you helped me through this," she said.

At first I was surprised. After all, I had done nothing except be there for her. But after I had my own venting(发泄的) experience with another friend later that evening, I realized that my focused silence had some value. In fact, most relationship experts agree that talk is cheap; it's listening that's rare and valuable. It allows you not only to hear what the other person is saying, but also to have a clear understanding of her thoughts and feelings. And for the speaker, that level of understanding translates into concern and respect.

Unfortunately, listening isn't as easy as it sounds. Thanks to schedules filled with family and work, multitasking has become the barrier(障碍) to listening. My tiredness may have been the only thing stopping me from folding laundry or checking my e-mail while Lydia talked that afternoon.

Another barrier to listening is our listening system: Most of us take in only about half of what's being said during a conversation, according to the International Listening Association. Research shows that we speak at 125 to 150 words per minute, yet think at 500 words a minute. Therefore, because we think much more quickly than we speak, it is easy for us to lose our concentration when listening to speakers.

While it can be hard to focus at times, it's a skill worth developing. With a little practice — employing some techniques— you can become a better listener.

1. In Paragraph 2, the author mainly talks about ____.

  A. the importance of listening         B. the importance of venting anger

  C. her own listening experience       D. her own venting experience

2.The author uses the result of the research in Paragraph 4 to mainly show that ____.

  A. we think much more quickly than we speak

  B. we can only understand about half of what we hear

  C. there is not much thinking time available while we are listening

  D. we lose our concentration easily while we are listening

3. What will be discussed following the passage?

  A. Why listening is valuable.        B. What we should do while listening

C. How to become a good listener    D. How to stop drifting off while listening.

The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”.

     I was going to have my examination the next day. “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer. In fact I dared not.

     The clock struck twelve. “Oh, dear!” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.

     The clock struck one. I was quite desperate（拼命）now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.

1.The underlined word “wretched” in Paragraph 3 probably means _____.

    A. happy      B. disappointed      C. unhappy     D. hopeful

2.Reviewing his lessons that night didn’t help him because ____________.

A. it was too late at night                   

B. he was very tired

C. his eyelids were so heavy that he couldn’t keep them open

D. he hadn’t studied hard before the examination

3.What do you suppose probably happened to the author the next day?

A. He went to a church to pray again.  

B. He passed the exam all by luck.

C. He failed in the exam.           

D. He was punished by his teacher.

4.The best title for the passage would be ____________.

A. The Night Before the Examination  

B. Working Far into the Night

C. A Slow Student                 

D. Going Over My Lessons

   I don’t ever want to talk about being a woman scientist again. There was a time in my life when people asked constantly for stories about what it’s like to work in a field dominated by men. I was never very good at telling those stories because truthfully I never found them interesting. What I do find interesting is the origin of the universe, the shape of space-time and the nature of black holes.

   At 19, when I began studying astrophysics, it did not bother me in the least to be the only woman in the classroom. But while earning my Ph.D. at MIT and then as a post-doctor doing space research, the issue started to bother me. My every achievement—jobs, research papers, awards—was viewed through the lens of gender (性别) politics. So were my failures. Sometimes, when I was pushed into an argument on left brain versus (相对于) right brain, or nature versus nurture (培育), I would instantly fight fiercely on my behalf and all womankind.

   Then one day a few years ago, out of my mouth came a sentence that would eventually become my reply to any and all provocations(刺激): I don’t talk about that anymore. It took me 10 years to get back the confidence I had at 19 and to realize that I didn’t want to deal with gender issues. Why should curing sexism be yet another terrible burden on every female scientist? After all, I don’t study sociology or political theory.

   Today I research and teach at Barnard, a women’s college in New York City. Recently, someone asked me how many of the 45 students in my class were women. You cannot imagine my satisfaction at being able to answer, 45. I know some of my students worry how they will manage their scientific research and a desire for children. And I don’t dismiss those concerns. Still, I don’t tell them “war” stories. Instead, I have given them this: the visual of their physics professor heavily pregnant doing physics experiments. And in turn they have given me the image of 45 women driven by a love of science. And that’s a sight worth talking about.

1. Why doesn’t the author want to talk about being a woman scientist again?

A. She feels unhappy working in male-dominated fields.

B. She is fed up with the issue of gender discrimination.

C. She is not good at telling stories of the kind.             

D. She finds space research more important.

2. From Paragraph 2, we can infer that people would attribute the author’s failures to ________.

A. the very fact that she is a woman                       

B. her involvement in gender politics

C. her over-confidence as a female astrophysicist       

D. the burden she bears in a male-dominated society

3. What did the author constantly fight against while doing her Ph.D. and post-doctoral research?

A. Lack of confidence in succeeding in space science.

B. Unfair accusations from both inside and outside her circle.

C. People’s stereotyped attitude toward female scientists.

D. Widespread misconceptions about nature and nurtured.

4. Why does the author feel great satisfaction when talking about her class?

A. Female students no longer have to bother about gender issues.

B. Her students’ performance has brought back her confidence.

C. Her female students can do just as well as male students.

D. More female students are pursuing science than before.

5. What does the image the author presents to her students suggest?

A. Women students needn’t have the concerns of her generation.

B. Women have more barriers on their way to academic success.

C. Women can balance a career in science and having a family.

D. Women now have fewer problems pursuing a science career.            

The first time I saw Carlos I would never have believed he was going to change my life. I had my arms full of books and I was tearing into the classroom when 1 ran into something solid. It was Carlos.

“My God, you’re tall,” he said.

Of course, the class began to laugh. Angry, I walked to my seat without a word.

I glanced back to see if Reed Harrington was laughing with the rest. That would be the last straw. But Reed was studying chemistry and did not seem to be aware of anything else. I didn’t know why I considered Reed my friend. Maybe just because he was a good two inches taller than I. Anyway, every time I blew out my birthday candles and made a wish, it was for a date with Reed Harrington.

“Take that seat，” Mr. McCarthy told the cocky newcomer Carlos，pointing to the only empty one，in the back of the room.

Carlos laughed widely. “But I need a couple of dictionaries.” Again the class laughed, but now they were laughing with Carlos，not at him. He had been here only 10 minutes and already he had them on his side.

The bell rang for classes. As I stood up to go, I saw Carlos coming toward me. “ I’ sorry I embarrassed you,” he said. I looked straight head over the top of his black hair. “That’s all right.”

    “ I ought to know better.” He was still blocking my way.” What’s your name?” “Karen Forbes.” “ You probably heard me say I’m Carlos Herrera.” He held out his hand. Unwillingly, I shook hands with him. He looked up at me seriously with his brown eyes.” “ I don’t see why you’re so touchy.”

    I brushed by him and said sharply, “You wouldn’t understand.”

    He followed me a few steps. “I’m just the one who should, Karen,” he said. “ You and I have a lot in common.”

    It was the school elections that made me think of Carlos again. Reed Harrington was voted president and Carlos vice-president. “How come?” I kept asking myself,” How come this shrimp who’s only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular?”

    So that morning，I stopped Carlos and said，“It doesn’t seem to bother you — being short.” He looked up at me, “Of course I mind being short. But there isn’t anything I can do about it. When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin，I just decided to make the best of it and concentrate on being myself.” “You seem to get along great,” I admitted, “But what about me? Nobody wants to date a girl taller than he is.” “The trouble with you is that you’re afraid to be yourself. You’re smart. And you could be pretty. In fact, you might be more than pretty.” I felt myself turning red…

1.The author was angry because ________.

A．the class made fun of her                    B．Carlos was too rude to her

C．she had to carry many books                D．Reed Harrington didn’t date her

2.Which of the following about Carlos is NOT TRUE?

A．He was popular.                                        B．He was new in the school.

C．He was shorter than the author.            D．He was chosen president in the school elections. 

3.The underlined word “ touchy” in paragraph 8 probably means________

A. moved              B. cheerful           C. curious      D. annoyed

4.We can infer from Paragraph 4 that the author ________.

A. cared much about Reed’s attitude        B. hoped Reed was laughing with others

C. thought Reed was the same as others      D. couldn’t stand Carlos playing tricks on her

5.According to the text, which is the most likely ending?

A.Carlos and Reed became very good friends

B.Carlos and the author argued with each other.

C.The author changed her attitude towards Carlos.

D.Carlos was elected president of the student committee.