I’m lying on my back in my grandfather’s orchard(果园)，looking up at the branches above me.It is one of the last days of summer.Already the days are shorter and the nights are cooler.Some kinds of apples are already ripe(成熟的).Others will be ready to pick soon.I think of my grandmother’s apple pie，and how I used to make it with her.She died last year，before the apple harvest，and I have not had her pie since.I really miss her.I hear bees busily humming about，visiting the late summer flowers.The gentle hum of their wings nearly sends me to sleep.

The sky is as blue as my grandfather’s eyes.Above me，big white clouds race across the sky like pieces of cotton blowing in the w ind.School starts in another week，and time seems to have slowed down.

“Sophie！”calls my  grandfather.“Is that you？”I stand up，take his hand，and tell him all about my day as we walk through the orchard.We talk about apples，and bees，and Grandma.He tells me that he misses her too.

He puts his rough，brown farmer’s hand around my shoulder and pulls me close.“You know，Sophie，”he says，“I spent the morning in the attic(阁楼)，and you’ll never guess what I found.It’s the recipe(烹饪法) for Grandma’s apple pie.I used to help her make it sometimes.I can’t do it all alone，but you used to help her too.Maybe between the two of us，we ca n work it out.Want to try？”

“But it won’t be the same without Grandma，” I tell him.

“That’s true，”he says，“but nothing_is_the_same_without_Grandma.Still，I don’t think that she would want us never to have another apple pie.What do you say？” I nod yes，and we walk towards home...towards an afternoon in the farmhouse kitchen，making Grandma’s famous apple pie.

1.We learn from the passage that Sophie　　　　.

A．likes to watch clouds in the attic

B．comes to the orchard after school

C．enjoys Grandma’s apple pie very much

D．picks many apples in the orchard

2.Sophie’s grandfather spent the morning in the attic______　　　.

A．looking for Grandma’s recipe for apple pie

B．helping Sophie’s grandmother make apple pie

C．trying to make apple pie all alone for Sophie

D．talking about apples，and bees，and Grandma with Sophie

3.The underlined part in the last paragraph shows

A．how much Sophie’s grandmother loved Sophie

B．how much Sophie’s grandfather likes apple pies

C．how much Sophie loves her grandfather’s orchard

D．how much Sophie’s grandfather misses Grandma

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．My grandfather’s orchard           B．My grandmother’s apple pie

C．A morning in the attic              D．The last days of summer

---Hello,______

---It must be about two years since we last met. What have you been doing with yourself?

--- I've been doing all sorts of things.

A.I haven't seen you for ages

B how long have you been like this?

C. where have you been these years?  

D.nice to see you again.

Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships. One strength of the human conditions is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful(有压力的) conditions. Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties. Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems. People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties. Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely.

Social support cushions stress in a number of ways. First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us. Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties. Second, other people often provide us with informational support. They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them. Third, we typically find social companionship supportive. Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting(转移注意力) us from our worries and troubles. Finally, other people may give us instrumental support — money aid, material resources, and needed services — that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems.

1. Interpersonal relationships are important because they can _______.

A. make people live more easily

B. smooth away daily problems

C. deal with life changes

D. cure types of illnesses

2. The researches show that people's physical and mental health _______.

A. lies in the social medical care systems which support them

B. has much to do with the amount of support they get from others

C. depends on their ability to deal with daily worries and troubles

D. is related to their courage for dealing with major life changes

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “cushions” ?

       A. takes place of                                B. makes up of

       C. lessens the effect of                        D. gets rid of

4. Helping a sick neighbor with some repair work in spare time is an example of _______.

       A. instrumental support                       B. informational support

       C. social companionship                      D. the strengthening of self-respect

5. What is the subject discussed in the text?

A. Interpersonal relationships.             B. Kinds of social support.

C. Ways to deal with stress.                 D. Effects of stressful conditions.

   It is midnight on September 22, 2012. The sky above Manhattan，New York is filled with a curtain of colorful light. New Yorkers are fascinated by the beautiful aurora (极光). However, their fascination is short-lived.
Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker (闪烁), then become unusually bright for a few seconds. Then all the lights go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power.
Besides the US, Europe, Japan and China are also hit by the same terrible event. It is a violent solar flare (太阳耀斑) ,150 million kilometers away on the surface of the sun.
Science fiction? No. A report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences in January this year says it could happen.
A massive solar flare is most likely on a spring or autumn night in 2012, according to the report.
Solar flares are huge explosions on the surface of the sun. In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and release as much energy as a billion megatons (百万吨) of TNT explosives. Solar flares release a stream of charged high-energy particles (粒子). They are called “solar winds”.
If one solar “wind” should hit the Earth’s magnetic shield (磁场), the result could be terrible for humans.
But there’s no need to run for cover from solar winds. They do not harm life on Earth, they only affect the way we live, especially since we depend so much on modern technology. They can pump extra electricity into power lines and pipelines, causing blackouts and fuel leaks. Solar winds are also known to affect mobile phone operations and may disrupt wireless Internet services.
Moreover, solar winds can prevent normal satellite operations, and disrupt radio communications and navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System.
Auroras are powered by solar wind. This wind blows past the Earth at about 400-700 km per second and creates storms in the Earth’s magnetic environment. In the polar regions these explode into southern or northern polar lights.
The most serious solar storm that hit Earth in history happened in 1859. It caused the failure of telegraph systems in Europe and North America.
So, for humans, the sun is a double-edged sword. Without the sun, there would be no life on Earth. Without the sun, Earth would be a frozen dark ball floating in space. However, on the other hand, the sun can disorder our lives from time to time.
56. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. It introduces to readers the advantages and disadvantages of the sun.
B. It describes a science fiction set in Manhattan on 22 September 2012.
C. It shows readers the way in which solar winds form inside the sun.
D. It explains what solar flares are and their effects on human life.
57. The first two paragraphs are written ____.
A. to show a beautiful scene in a true story
B. to describe the beautiful scenery of Manhattan
C. to describe the power problem around the world
D. to introduce the topic of this passage
58. What can we conclude from the passage?
A. Solar flares will do great harm to those who are using the Internet.
B. Solar flares cannot reach as far as the polar regions.
C. Solar flares are huge explosions that happen inside the sun.
D. But for our reliance on technology, solar flares wouldn’t
affect us so much.
59. Solar winds will likely affect us in the following ways EXCEPT that ____.
A. normal satellite operations will be stopped
B. the lights in the areas affected will go out at the same time
C. people on the streets will be struck to death
D. some navigation systems will be out of order

第二节完形填空（20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
“I can’t believe it．These blooms have lasted so long this year,” my wife said．
“I hadn’t really thought about it, but you are right．As much as I love lilacs （丁香）, they come and go so   36  ,” I said．
It has been incredibly   37   this year here in my back-yard．Our lilac tree has   38   the most blooms I have ever seen．The scent （香味） is so wonderful that I spend a lot of time just standing on our small deck   39   it all in．
Many of the   40   are hollow and almost broken, leaving me to believe it has   41 _ many springs．A few winters ago one of the biggest branches crashed to the ground under the   42   of melting snow．It   43   my heart．I guess I wasn’t   44   much from the old thing this year．But it is magnificent!
Since we have been   45   so much rain lately the flowers have become heavier．The   46_ tall branches seem to be under a lot of pressure．I can relate to that．There are big gaps because the branches are   47 ．
48  , today I noticed the first bunch of flowers turning brown．It won’t be long   49 _ they are all gone．But here’s what I’ve learned from it．
Some people are like fragrant flowers．They come into our lives ever so   50   and leave behind a scent that stays in our being．They   51   your day by just having had contact with them even if for a moment．You cannot possibly   52   a day without thinking about them．Their beautiful   53   gently touches your heart each time you hear their name．In the coldest, darkest days of the winter of my life, the   54   of them will get me through it all and bring a smile to my face and I will have “spring forever in my   55 ．”
36．A．slowly        B．steadily       C．gently       D．fast
37．A．confusing     B．exciting      C．disappointing   D．annoying
38．A．supplied      B．raised          C．produced     D．presented
39．A．taking          B．breathing       C．bringing      D．getting
40．A．branches       B．leaves          C．flowers      D．fruits
41．A．seen           B．won           C．found         D．missed
42．A．threat       B．attack         C．weight       D．control
43．A．hurt          B．broke           C．struck          D．cured
44．A．expecting      B．learning         C．judging       D．borrowing
45．A．predicting     B．lacking         C．desiring      D．experiencing
46．A．still         B．even            C．once          D．just
47．A．lighter        B．softer         C．stronger      D．lower
48．A．Sadly       B．Luckily        C．Hopefully      D．Jokingly
49．A．when       B．before         C．after          D．since
50．A．casually       B．slowly         C．secretly       D．briefly
51．A．brighten      B．waste        C．ruin          D．end
52．A．put off        B．take up       C．go through    D．use up
53．A．expression    B．appearance    C．figure         D．spirit
54．A．memory      B．understanding  C．sympathy     D．tolerance
55．A．experience      B．theory       C．heart           D．conscience