第二部分阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项。
A
Each time I see a balloon, my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. "Yes, honey. Of course," she said.
"Can we write him a letter?"
She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, "Yes."
My heart jumped. "How? Does the mailman go there?" I asked.
"No, but I have an idea." Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.
"Just wait, honey. You'll see." Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Morn was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.
She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped(缠绕) the balloon string. We went outside and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.
"Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three."
The balloon, carrying my letter, darted(猛冲) upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.
Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he'd persevere, dart up, and finally transcend(超越) this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditary(遗传的). I prayed to be a balloon.
56. When the girl asked her mother if they could write to her father, her mother ______.
A. felt it hard to answer                       B. thought her a creative girl
C. believed it easy to do so                    D. found it easy to lie
57. When the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father, she ______.
A. jumped with joy                           B. became excited
C. started writing immediately            D. was worried that it couldn't be delivered
58. In the eyes of the author, what was the rain like?
A. An incurable disease.                     B. An unforgettable memory.
C. The hard time her father had.                 D. The failures her father experienced.
59. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The strong red balloon                     B. An unforgettable experience
C. Fly to paradise                          D . A great father

Jeffrey Bezos, founder, president and chairman of the board of Amazon.com, was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His mother’s ancestors were early settlers in Texas, and over the generations had acquired a 25,000 acre farm at Cotulla. Jeffrey spent most summers of his youth working with his grandfather on their farm.

Jeffrey showed intense and varied scientific interests at an early age. He set up an electric alarm to keep his younger sisters and brothers out of his room and changed his parents’ garage into a laboratory for his science projects.

After he graduated from Princeton University with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, Jeffrey Bezos found employment on Wall Street, where computer science was increasingly in demand to study market trends. He rose quickly, becoming a senior vice president, and looked forward to a bright career in finance, when he made a discovery that changed his life, and the course of business history.

In 1994, there was still no internet commerce to speak of. One day that spring, Jeffrey Bezos observed that Internet usage was increasing by 2300 percent a year. He saw an opportunity for a new circle of commerce, and immediately began considering the possibilities.

Bezos founded Amazon.com in 1994, setting up the original company in his garage. The company was called Amazon for the seemingly endless South American river with its numberless branches. It started as an online bookstore but soon diversified to all kinds of products. His work with Amazon eventually led him to become one of the most excellent dot-com entrepreneurs. He was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 1999. In 2008, he was selected by U.S. News & World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders. Bezos’ Amazon has become “the Earth’s biggest anything store”. Amazon.com is now called “one of the smartest strategies in business history”.

Today, Jeffrey Bezos lives north of Seattle and is increasingly concerned with charity activities. “Giving away money takes as much attention as building a successful company,” he said.

1. In his childhood, Bezos ______.

2.Jeffrey changed the course of business history because he ______.

3.Which of the following isn’t mentioned in the passage?

4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

One day, a poor boy who was trying to pay his way through school by selling goods door to door found that he only had one dime (一角银币) left. He was hungry so he decided to 　 1　 for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. 　 2　 a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked 　 3　 so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I　 4　 you?” “You don’t owe me anything,” she replied, “Mother has taught me never to accept 　 5　 for a kindness.” He said, “Then I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger 　 6　 , but it also increased his faith in God and the human race. He was about to give up and 　 7　 before this point. Years later the young woman became critically ill. The 　 8　 doctors were baffled (阻挡). They finally sent her to the big city, where specialists can be called in to study her 　 9　 disease. Dr. Howard Kelly, now 　 10 was called in for the consultation (会诊). When he heard the name of the town she came from, a(an) 　 11 light filled his eyes. 　 12 , he rose and went down through the hospital hall into her room. Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He 　 13 her at once. He went back to the 　 14 room and determined to do his best to save her life. From that day on, he gave special 　 15 to her case.

After a long struggle, the battle was 　 16 . Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it and then 　 17 something on the side. The bill was sent to her room. She was 　 18 to open it because she was sure that it would take the rest of her life to pay it off. Finally she looked, and the note on the side of the bill 　 19 her attention. She read these words…

“Paid in full with a glass of 　 20 .”

(Singed) Dr. Howard Kelly

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as she prayed silently: “Thank you, God. Your love has spread through human hearts and hands.”

46.A. ask B. beg　　 C. wait　 D. look

47. A. Because of　 B. In front of C. In case of　 D. Instead of

48. A. upset　 B. thirsty C. hungry　　　 D. sad

49. A. owe　　 B. cost　 C. lend　 D. own

50. A. offer　　 B. pay　　 C. help　 D. thanks

51. A. quickly B. mentally　　 C. physically　 D. warmly

52. A. quit　　 B. continue　　 C. retire　 D. surrender

53. A. local　　 B. poor　 C. kind　 D. cruel

54. A. common　　 B. ordinary　　 C. rare　 D. scarce

55. A. old　　　 B. famous　　　 C. unknown　 D. retired

56. A. strange B. special C. poor　 D. angry

57. A. Suddenly　　 B. Generally　 C. Unfortunately　　 D. Immediately

58. A. called　　　　 B. recognized C. remembered　　 D. found

59. A. waiting B. treating　　　 C. information D. consultation

60. A. interest B. food　 C. attention　　　　　 D. effort

61. A. defeated　　　 B. won　 C. lost　　 D. completed

62. A. changed　　　 B. read　 C. crossed　　 D. wrote

63. A. excited B. afraid C. nervous　　 D. surprised

64. A. caught B. called C. paid　 D. caused

65. A. water　　　　　　　　 B. coffee　　　　　　　　　　 C. milk　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. ice cream

Each time I see a balloon, my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. "Yes, honey. Of course." she said.

    "Can we write him a letter?"

    She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, "Yes."

    My heart jumped. "How? Does the mailman go there?" I asked.

    "No, but I have an idea." Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.

    "Just wait, honey. You'll see." Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Mom was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.

    She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped (缠绕) the balloon string. We went outside and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.

    "Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three."

The balloon, carrying my letter, darted upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.

Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he'd persevere, dart up, and finally transcend (超越) this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditar. I prayed to be a balloon.

When the girl asked her mother if they could write to her father, her mother _________.

    A．felt it hard to answer       B．thought her a creative girl

    C．believed it easy to do so        D．found it easy to lie

When the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father, she _________.

    A．jumped with joy                  B．became excited

    C．started writing immediately              D．was worried that it couldn't be delivered

In the eyes of the author, what was the rain like?

    A．An incurable disease.           B．An unforgettable memory.

    C．The hard time her father had.                D．The failures her father experienced.

What would be the best title for the passage?

    A．An unforgettable experience     B．The strong red balloon

    C．Fly to paradise                          D．A great father