Today, roller skating is easy and fun. But a long time ago, it wasn’t easy at all. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn’t exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin. Merlin was a person who liked playing the violin and was full of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.

One day Merlin received an invitation to a fancy dress ball (化装舞会). He was very pleased and a little excited. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think how to make a grand  entrance at the party. He came up with an idea. He thought everyone would be attracted by him if he could skate into the room.

Merlin tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two, wheels under each shoe. These were the first rolled skates. Merlin was very proud of his invention and dreamed of arriving at the party on wheels while playing the violin.

　　On the night of the party Merlin rolled into the room, playing the violin. Everyone was amazed to see this. There was just one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. Suddenly he ran into a huge mirror hanging on the wall. It fell down and broke into pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's entrance for a long time.

The passage is mainly about_______.

A．a strange man   　　     

B．an unusual party

　　 C．how roller skating started

　　 D．how people held parties in the 18th century

People thought Merlin was a dreamer because he________.

       A．often gave others surprises      B．was a gifted musician

       C．invented the roller skates D．was full of imagination

Merlin put wheels under his shoes to_________.

       A．impress the party guests  B．arrive at the party sooner

       C．test his invention            D．show his skill in walking on wheels

What is main point the writer is trying to make in the last paragraph?

      A．The roller skates needed further improvement.

       B．The party guests took Merlin for a fool.

       C．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation.

       D．Merlin got himself into trouble.

第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）

My daddy doesn’t know how to express love at all. It is my mum that makes everyone happy and calm in our family; while daddy only works day and night, never looking us in the face. But mum makes a wrongdoing list of us for daddy scolding us. She’s a spy!

　　Once, I stole a candy. Daddy asked me to put it back and told the shopkeeper that I would like to carry loads for her. Well, mum told him I was just a child.

　　I broke my leg on the playground. It’s still mum that held me tightly in her warm arms. Daddy drove us right to the emergency room. He was asked to move the car away for that vacant was for ambulance. Daddy got angry, “what do you think of it? A touring car?”

　　On my birthday party, it was, again, my mum that took over the cake for me. My dad? He was busy blowing balloons and setting the table and doing the housework.

　　While looking over our album, friends always ask, “What does your father look like?” God knows. He photos others all the time. So there are many and many photos of my mum and me, pretty and lovely photos.

　　And I still remembered the day when dad taught me riding. I asked him not to let his hands away, but he did the opposite. And I certainly fell onto the ground. I got angry and decided to get on the bike and rode. But he smiled again.

　　Mum wrote every letter to me while I was in college. He, except checks, did write a letter, but extremely short, just a few words, saying, “Without your playing on the lawn, my son, my lawn grows prettier than before.”

　　Every time I phoned, it seemed he wanted to talk, but he would say, “I will get your mum.”

　　On the day of my wedding, mum cried as if we would never meet again, while dad went out with a nasal sound.

　　From very young, I heard him saying, “Where have you been?” “When do you go home?” “Did you get oil for your car?” “No, I don’t agree.” Dad really knows nothing about showing love. Unless... 

Maybe he showed while I didn’t notice, is it?

56. From the first and second paragraphs, we can infer that____.

A. it was the daddy that was in charge of his children’s education

B. the writer’s parents loved their children; at the same time, they were strict with them

C. the children were all afraid of their father so they had to be cute

D. the writer’s mom was like a spy who reported what the children did to the father

57. Why did the father get angry when he sent the writer to the hospital?

A. Because he parked his car at a wrong place.

B. Because the parking space of the ambulance was very crowded.

C. Because the writer’s injury made the father quite upset.

D. Because the person paid little attention to his son’s serious injury.

58. According to Paragraph Six, we know the father ____.

A. was not patient when he taught the writer riding

B. might want to see his child fall off the bike

C. used a wrong way of teaching his child riding

D. might want his son to learn riding through independent practice

59. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

A. The dad posted checks to the writer while he was in college.

B. The dad had no single photo of his own in the album.

C. The dad scolded the writer for having damaged the lawn.

D. The dad got excited when participating in the writer’s wedding.

第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
My daddy doesn’t know how to express love at all. It is my mum that makes everyone happy and calm in our family; while daddy only works day and night, never looking us in the face. But mum makes a wrongdoing list of us for daddy scolding us. She’s a spy!
　　Once, I stole a candy. Daddy asked me to put it back and told the shopkeeper that I would like to carry loads for her. Well, mum told him I was just a child.
　　I broke my leg on the playground. It’s still mum that held me tightly in her warm arms. Daddy drove us right to the emergency room. He was asked to move the car away for that vacant was for ambulance. Daddy got angry, “what do you think of it? A touring car?”
　　On my birthday party, it was, again, my mum that took over the cake for me. My dad? He was busy blowing balloons and setting the table and doing the housework.
　　While looking over our album, friends always ask, “What does your father look like?” God knows. He photos others all the time. So there are many and many photos of my mum and me, pretty and lovely photos.
　　And I still remembered the day when dad taught me riding. I asked him not to let his hands away, but he did the opposite. And I certainly fell onto the ground. I got angry and decided to get on the bike and rode. But he smiled again.
　　Mum wrote every letter to me while I was in college. He, except checks, did write a letter, but extremely short, just a few words, saying, “Without your playing on the lawn, my son, my lawn grows prettier than before.”
　　Every time I phoned, it seemed he wanted to talk, but he would say, “I will get your mum.”
　　On the day of my wedding, mum cried as if we would never meet again, while dad went out with a nasal sound.
　　From very young, I heard him saying, “Where have you been?” “When do you go home?” “Did you get oil for your car?” “No, I don’t agree.” Dad really knows nothing about showing love. Unless... 
Maybe he showed while I didn’t notice, is it?
56. From the first and second paragraphs, we can infer that____.
A. it was the daddy that was in charge of his children’s education
B. the writer’s parents loved their children; at the same time, they were strict with them
C. the children were all afraid of their father so they had to be cute
D. the writer’s mom was like a spy who reported what the children did to the father
57. Why did the father get angry when he sent the writer to the hospital?
A. Because he parked his car at a wrong place.
B. Because the parking space of the ambulance was very crowded.
C. Because the writer’s injury made the father quite upset.
D. Because the person paid little attention to his son’s serious injury.
58. According to Paragraph Six, we know the father ____.
A. was not patient when he taught the writer riding
B. might want to see his child fall off the bike
C. used a wrong way of teaching his child riding
D. might want his son to learn riding through independent practice
59. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A. The dad posted checks to the writer while he was in college.
B. The dad had no single photo of his own in the album.
C. The dad scolded the writer for having damaged the lawn.
D. The dad got excited when participating in the writer’s wedding.

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该项涂黑。

　　I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother’s who owned a book shop 　36　me for six hours a week to help her in the shop. I was very 　37　to earn my own pocket money and my parents 　38　interfered with how I spent it, even when I was spending it 　39　. They believed that by earning money, spending it, and learning from the 　40　, I would become more mature and 　41　 about how to handle work, relationships with others, and money.

　　Like many 　42　parents, my parents also let me and my brothers do things over which they 　43　a great deal. When I was sixteen, for example, after I finished high school and before I entered university, I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around 　44　. My mother was against the idea of my traveling alone at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great 　45　for me. In the end, my father won the 　46　on the condition that I limited my traveling to France, my mother’s home, where I had many uncles, aunts and cousins 　47　through the country who could 　48　shelter and help if I needed them.

　　Three years later, my younger brother decided to 　49　a year off after his first year in university and travel through the United States and the Caribbean. Again my mother was very worried and not 　50　to see my brother leave school, but my father encouraged him and my brother had a(n) 　51　year working his way on trains and ships to 　52　passage to different ports and cities, and discovering many fascinating places and people.

　　These kinds of experiences are probably rare for children in many countries but in the US they are fairly 　53　. Most parents start 　54　their children at a young age to do small things by themselves. By the time they have finished high school, many American kids have already had part-time jobs, traveled around the US or other countries on their own, have 　55　the university they plan to attend and maybe even decided on their future career, and so on.

　　36. A. taught　　　　 B. allowed　　　　C. treated　　　　 D. hired

　　37. A. anxious　　　　B. content　　　　C. proud　　　　　 D. hopeful

　　38. A. never　　　　　B. ever　　　　　 C. always　　　　　D. even

　　39. A. quickly　　　　B. foolishly　　　C. seriously　　　 D. honestly

　　40. A. work　　　　　 B. mistakes　　　 C. others　　　　　D. books

　　41. A. strict　　　　 B. reasonable　　 C. polite　　　　　D. responsible

　　42. A. American　　　 B. Japanese　　　 C. Chinese　　　　 D. British

　　43. A. helped　　　　 B. supported　　　C. shared　　　　　D. worried

　　44. A. Asia 　　　　　B. Africa　　　　 C. Europe　　　　　D. Oceania

　　45. A. journey　　　　B. experience　　 C. chance　　　　　D. possibility

　　46. A. argument 　　　B. game　　　　　 C. discussion　　　D. plan

　　47. A. send out 　　　B. give out　　　 C. carry out　　　 D. spread out

　　48. A. promise　　　　B. afford　　　　 C. provide　　　　 D. serve

　　49. A. leave　　　　　B. make　　　　　 C. take　　　　　　D. prepare

　　50. A. angry　　　　　B. eager　　　　　C. sorry 　　　　　D. sad

　　51. A. unusual　　　　B. hard　　　　　 C. strange　　　　 D. busy

　　52. A. accept　　　　 B. earn　　　　　 C. find　　　　　　D. search

　　53. A. welcome　　　　B. fit　　　　　　C. necessary　　　 D. common

　　54. A. bringing　　　 B. forcing　　　　C. pushing　　　　 D. protecting

　　55. A. selected　　　 B. admired　　　　C. afforded　　　　D. left