Only about half of this year’s high school graduates have the reading skills they need to succeed in college, and even fewer are prepared for college-level science and math courses, according to a yearly report from ACT, which produces one of the nation’s leading college admissions tests.

The report, based on scores of the 2005 high school graduates who took the exam, some 1.2 million students in all, also found that fewer than one in four met the college-readiness benchmarks① in all four subjects tested: reading comprehension, English, math and science.

ACT sets its college-readiness benchmarks — including the reading comprehension benchmark, which is new this year—by correlating② earlier students’ ACT scores with grades they actually received as college freshmen. Based on that data, the benchmarks indicate the skill level at which a student has a 70 percent likelihood③ of earning a C or better, and a 50 percent chance of earning a B or better.

Among those who took the 2005 test, only 51 percent achieved the benchmark in reading, 26 percent in science, and 41 percent in math; the figure for English was 68 percent. Results from the new optional ACT writing test, which was not widely taken this year, were not included in the report.

About 40 percent of the nation’s 2005 high school graduates took the ACT, and the average overall score was unchanged from the year before. Minority students make up 27 percent of all ACT test takers. Besides, there are also other worrying trends in the ACT report as well, including a continuing decline in the percentage of students planning to major in engineering, computer science and education.

Notes:

① benchmark  n.  基准

② correlate  v.  联系

③ likelihood  n.  可能性

1. The report from ACT mainly tells readers the problem that ______.

  A. few minority students graduates took ACT

  B. many who intend to go to college are not ready

  C. the college-readiness benchmarks is high this year

  D. the tests for some subjects are too difficult

2. According to the benchmarks in 2005, about how many students will not earn C?

  A. 30 percent.      B. 70 percent.      C. 50 percent.       D. 26 percent.

3. Which of the following pictures can correctly show the numbers of the students who achieve the benchmark in different subjects?

   A.        B.

   C.      D.

4. Which of the followings can be found in the report from ACT in 2005?

  A. The report about the writing test is very objective.

  B. More boy students are not good at science and math.

  C. The percentage of students majoring science declined.

  D. The average score of 2005 ACT participants changed greatly.

完形填空 （共20 小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下列短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

The story goes that some time ago, a man had a very lovely little daughter. One day the man  26  his 3-year-old daughter for  27  a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became  28  when the child tried to decorate a  29  to put under the Christmas tree.  30  , the little girl brought the gift to her  31  the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”

The man was  32  by his earlier  33  , but his anger flared again when he found out the box was  34 . He yelled at her, “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is  35  to be something inside?” The little girl looked  36  at him with tears in her eyes and cried, “Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I  37  kisses into the box. They are all for you, Daddy.”

The father was crushed. He  38  his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her  39 .

Only a short time later, an  40  took the life of the child. It is also told that her father  41  that gold box by his bed for many years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out a(n)  42  kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

         In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, has been given a gold container  43  unconditional love and kisses from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other  44  , which anyone could hold, more  45  than this.

第四节 完形填空 （共20 小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下列短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

The story goes that some time ago, a man had a very lovely little daughter. One day the man  26  his 3-year-old daughter for  27  a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became  28  when the child tried to decorate a  29  to put under the Christmas tree.  30  , the little girl brought the gift to her  31  the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”

The man was  32  by his earlier  33  , but his anger flared again when he found out the box was  34 . He yelled at her, “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is  35  to be something inside?” The little girl looked  36  at him with tears in her eyes and cried, “Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I  37  kisses into the box. They are all for you, Daddy.”

The father was crushed. He  38  his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her  39 .

Only a short time later, an  40  took the life of the child. It is also told that her father  41  that gold box by his bed for many years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out a(n)  42  kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

       In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, has been given a gold container  43  unconditional love and kisses from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other  44  , which anyone could hold, more  45  than this.

26. A. asked    B. praised       C. begged       D. punished

27. A. wasting B. stealing      C. selling D. holding

28. A. glad     B. angry  C. sad     D. upset 

29. A. room    B. hall     C. box     D. ball

30. A. Nevertheless B. But     C. Therefore   D. And

31. A. father   B. mother       C. teacher       D. sister

32. A. puzzled B. surprised    C. scared D. embarrassed

33. A. overwork     B. overreaction          C. overcoat     D. overpass 

34. A. empty   B. heavy  C. full     D. wet 

35. A. happened     B. seemed               C. supposed    D. used

36. A. down    B. back   C. up      D. forward 

37. A. blew     B. sent    C. set      D. passed 

38. A. put       B. turned C. handed       D. gave 

39. A. kindness      B. forgiveness    C. sadness       D. carelessness

40. A. overview     B. incident              C. accident     D. action 

41. A. remembered B. owned C. had     D. kept

42. A. imaginary      B. kind    C. gentle D. warm

43. A. filled with    B. pleased with      C. crowded with            D. equipped with

44. A. world   B. feeling       C. possession  D. love

45. A. expensive         B. precious        C. comfortable       D. interesting

完形填空 （共20 小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下列短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

The story goes that some time ago, a man had a very lovely little daughter. One day the man  26  his 3-year-old daughter for  27  a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became  28  when the child tried to decorate a  29  to put under the Christmas tree.  30  , the little girl brought the gift to her  31  the next morning and said, “This is for you, Daddy.”

The man was  32  by his earlier  33  , but his anger flared again when he found out the box was  34 . He yelled at her, “Don’t you know, when you give someone a present, there is  35  to be something inside?” The little girl looked  36  at him with tears in her eyes and cried, “Oh, Daddy, it’s not empty at all. I  37  kisses into the box. They are all for you, Daddy.”

The father was crushed. He  38  his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her  39 .

Only a short time later, an  40  took the life of the child. It is also told that her father  41  that gold box by his bed for many years and whenever he was discouraged, he would take out a(n)  42  kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

         In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, has been given a gold container  43  unconditional love and kisses from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other  44  , which anyone could hold, more  45  than this.  

I remember vividly that first English class in the last term of high school. We boys (there were no girls in the school) were   16  expectantly for the new teacher to appear. Before long, through the door came a tall ordinary-looking man  17  about 40. He said shyly,  “Good afternoon, gentlemen.” His  18 had a surprising tone (语气) of respect, almost  19  he were addressing （向---讲话）the Supreme Court (最高法院)20   a group of youngsters. He wrote his  21  on the blackboard---Wilmer T. Stone-- ,and  22  sat on the front of his desk.. “Gentlemen,” he began, “We are now this  23   ---your last---to continue your study of 24  . I know we shall  25  learning with and from one another. We are going to learn  26  about journalism and how to write your weekly school paper. And   27 we are going to try to  28  the joy of good literature (文学). Maybe some of us will be really   29   in reading and writing. A man who reads 30 a happy life. A man who doesn’t read  31  on the earth with a blindfold(眼罩). If I have to put all my  32  into a single word, it would be: ‘browse(广泛浏览)’”. Mr. Stone went on like that,  33 in a friendly and understanding tone. The 34  of the class came much too soon. And we boys had to 35  the classroom with an unexpected feeling of excitement.

1.A waiting  B. looking       C. asking     D. calling

2.                A．for            B．of             C．at   D．on

3.                A．sound          B．voice           C．appearance   D．look

4.                A．as             B．if              C．as if  D．after

5.                A．beside         B．except for       C．instead   D．instead of

6.                A．addres         B．telephone       C．name    D．word

7.                A．then           B．but            C．so   D．suddenly

8.                A．feel           B．season         C．year D．term

9.A. math    B. chemistry     C English       D. physics

10.               A．begin          B．enjoy          C．practice   D．suggest

11.               A．something      B．anything        C．nothing   D．all

12.               A．Really          B．Especially       C．Truly  D．Possibly

13.               A．feel           B．write          C．memorize D．accept

14.               A．moved         B．excited         C．interested D．used

15.               A．knows         B．says           C．has   D．lives

16.               A．runs           B．visits           C．walks D．chooses

17.               A．praise          B．trust           C．advice D．promise

18.               A．speaking        B．singing         C．telling D．shouting

19.               A．beginning       B．end           C．middle    D．time

20.               A．keep          B．enter          C．leave D．reach