第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However, inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the inventor tried to patent（申请专利）his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money.
In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englishman called Thomas Saint. There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. Neither of these early machines worked very well, however, it wasn’t until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient sewing machine. He was an American, Elias Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn’t make much money from it, however. The first commercially successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac Singer five years later.
Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum（旋转桶）of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today’s standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effort. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely used.
It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the original machine back in 1876. It didn’t pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）with an electric motor to suck the dust.
1. Whose sewing machine could do far more than the work that was done by five skilled sewing women?
A. Thomas Saint’s.                               B. Bartelemy Thimonier’s.
C. Elias Howe’s.                                         D. Isaac Singer’s.   [来源:学+科+网]
2. According to the article, modern inventors __________ .
A. follow the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much
B. only imitate the first washing machine
C. power the first ever-made washing machine by electricity
D. have to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time
3. The underlined word “crude” in the sentence “but it was crude by today’s standards”
probably means __________ .  
A. useless       B. ugly-looking     C. rough       D. not skillfully made
4 The article mainly tells us about __________ .
A. the great inventors in the world
B. the important inventions in the world
C. the short history of household machines
D. the importance of the machines used in the home

阅读下面的短文，然后按要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
What my mother does drives me crazy. She calls me at 10:30 pm every night to make sure I’ve arrived home safely. If I accidentally miss her call, she will keep calling all my friends and roommates until she "tracks me down".
As a 20-year-old lady in Beijing, sometimes I have to ask my friends to be quiet so that I can pick up my mother’s phone call, telling her a white lie that I’m already at home.
Recently I ran into a matchmaking meeting, which is held in a park and specifically designed for single white – collar workers in Beijing. The interesting part is that all of the attendees are single people’s parents, eager to look for a life partner for their children.
One mother told me that her 33-year-old son is busy with his career and has zero time to find a suitable girl for himself. So she goes to the matchmaking every week, trying to find her son a perfect bride.
She guaranteed that her future daughter-in-law doesn’t need to worry about anything for she has prepared an apartment and a car for them, and if they can’t find a kindergarten near the apartment she has bought, she will buy them another one. Looking at hundreds of middle – aged parents standing in the cold outdoors in a freezing winter trying to build their children a perfect future, I suddenly understand my mother more.
【写作内容】
1．以约30个词概括这段短文的内容；
2．然后以约120个词就“父母的过分关爱”进行议论，内容包括；
（1）请举一个你或你周围的周学得到父母的过分关爱的事例；
（2）谈谈你对此事的看法。
【写作要求】
1．在作文中可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子。
2．作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
【评分标准】
概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，语篇连贯。

第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)

Machines in the home have a short history. Sewing machines, washing machines and tumble dries are common enough today, but a hundred years ago few people could even imagine such things. However, inventors have designed and built a wide range of household machines since then. In most cases the inventor tried to patent（申请专利）his machine, to stop anyone copying it. Then he tried to produce a lot of them. If the machine became popular, the inventor could make a lot of money.

    In 1790 the first sewing machine was patented. The inventor was an Englishman called Thomas Saint. There was nothing to match his machine for forty years, and then someone built a similar device. He was a Frenchman, Bartelemy Thimonier. Neither of these early machines worked very well, however, it wasn’t until 1846 that an inventor came up with a really efficient sewing machine. He was an American, Elias Howe and his machine was good enough to beat five skilled sewing women. He didn’t make much money from it, however. The first commercially successful sewing machine was patented by Isaac Singer five years later.

     Today, we take washing machines for granted, but there was none before 1869. The revolving drum（旋转桶）of that first machine set a pattern for the future, but it was crude by today’s standards. The drum was turned by hand, and needed a lot of effort. Eight years passed before someone produced an electric washing machine. The world had to wait even longer for a machine to dry clothes. The first spin-drier was another American invention, patented in 1924; but it was 20 years before such machines were widely used.

     It was yet another American, called Bissell, who introduced the carpet sweeper. He patented the original machine back in 1876. It didn’t pick up dirt very well, but it was quicker than a dustpan and brush. Thirty-six years later, even the carpet sweeper was old-fashioned: modern homes now have a vacuum cleaner（吸尘器）with an electric motor to suck the dust.

1. Whose sewing machine could do far more than the work that was done by five skilled sewing women?

   A. Thomas Saint’s.                                          B. Bartelemy Thimonier’s.

   C. Elias Howe’s.                                                        D. Isaac Singer’s.   [来源:学+科+网]

2. According to the article, modern inventors __________ .

   A. follow the pattern of the first revolving drum but improve it much

   B. only imitate the first washing machine

   C. power the first ever-made washing machine by electricity

   D. have to wait for the first spin-drier for a long time

3. The underlined word “crude” in the sentence “but it was crude by today’s standards”

probably means __________ .  

   A. useless       B. ugly-looking     C. rough       D. not skillfully made

4 The article mainly tells us about __________ .

   A. the great inventors in the world

   B. the important inventions in the world

   C. the short history of household machines

   D. the importance of the machines used in the home

阅读下面的短文，然后按要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。

What my mother does drives me crazy. She calls me at 10:30 pm every night to make sure I’ve arrived home safely. If I accidentally miss her call, she will keep calling all my friends and roommates until she "tracks me down".

As a 20-year-old lady in Beijing, sometimes I have to ask my friends to be quiet so that I can pick up my mother's phone call, telling her a white lie that I'm already at home.

    Recently I ran into a matchmaking meeting, which is held in a park and specifically designed for single white – collar workers in Beijing. The interesting part is that all of the attendees are single people’s parents, eager to look for a life partner for their children.

One mother told me that her 33-year-old son is busy with his career and has zero time to find a suitable girl for himself. So she goes to the matchmaking every week, trying to find her son a perfect bride.

She guaranteed that her future daughter-in-law doesn't need to worry about anything for she has prepared an apartment and a car for them, and if they can’t find a kindergarten near the apartment she has bought, she will buy them another one. Looking at hundreds of middle – aged parents standing in the cold outdoors in a freezing winter trying to build their children a perfect future, I suddenly understand my mother more.

【写作内容】

    1．以约30个词概括这段短文的内容；

    2．然后以约120个词就“父母的过分关爱”进行议论，内容包括；

（1）请举一个你或你周围的周学得到父母的过分关爱的事例；

（2）谈谈你对此事的看法。

【写作要求】

    1．在作文中可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子。

    2．作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。

【评分标准】

    概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，语篇连贯。

With all the wars, fighting and sadness in the world today, it's not only necessary, but also essential to have a good sense of humor just to help us get through each and every day of our lives. Putting a smile on someone's face when you know they are feeling down in the dumps ( 处于沮丧中), as the saying goes, makes me feel good and warms my heart.
How would you feel if you could not joke around with your wife, husband, child, co-worker neighbor, close friend, or even just someone that you are standing in line with at your comer store? I am always saying things that make others smile or laugh, even if I don't know the person I'm joking around with. My Grandma always found humor in everything she did, even if it was the hardest job anyone could imagine. This not only relieves stress in any situation, but also is common courtesy (礼貌) to speak to others that are around you.
I know of a few people that don’t have a funny bone in their bodies, as they say. Everyone around them could be rolling on the floor after hearing a great joke and they would sit there without the slightest smile on their face. They don't get the joke that makes others laugh. I am busting a gut while they just sit there, looking at me as if I were from outer space. How can people not get a really funny joke?
Laughing is essential to keep your stress levels under control. Without humor we would find ourselves with a lot of psychological problems, or on a lot of medications to keep us from going crazy. There is too much sadness in this present world. It drives people crazy. We all need to find a way to bypass the sadness and bring a little light into our lives. So, I believe our best medicine is to get together and tell some jokes and have some fun laughing together.
1. According to the author, humor is useful in the aspect that ____________.
A. it makes people more confident
B. it can pick up people' s spirits
C. it can help get rid of the cruelty in the world
D. it can help people get on well with others
2. The author answers the question in the second paragraph with ___________.
A. facts and descriptions                B. evidence and argument   
C. examples and conclusion             D. stories and persuasion
3. The phrase “busting a gut" in the third paragraph can be replaced by __________.
A. explaining carefully                 B. speaking loud
    C. keeping silent                      D. laughing hard
4. In writing the passage, the author mainly intends to __________.
A. talk about his own understanding of humor
B. encourage people to be humorous in daily life
C. introduce a practical way to get through daily life
D. convince people of the power of being optimistic about life[来源:学*科*网]
5. What is the author' s attitude towards the present world?[来源:学科网ZXXK]
A. Positive.          B. Critical.            C. Satisfied.           D. Indifferent.