Most kinds of rose plants come from Asia. But roses are also native to other areas including northwest Africa, Europe and the United States. In 1986, Congress chose the rose as America’s national flower. Technically, Congress and President Ronald Reagan declared it the “national floral emblem.” Whatever the name, the decision did not smell sweet to supporters of others popular flowers.

Some people say roses are difficult to grow. But you have a good chance of success if you start with a few suggestions from experts. You should plant your roses where they can get sunshine for about six hours on bright days. You can buy roses form a garden center or by mail order. You can buy potted roses, also known as container roses, or bare-root plants. Each kind has its fans.

Some gardeners say potted roses are easier to plant. They say the roots develop better. But Jeffrey Dinslage, an expert, pint out that bare-root roses come without soil. So they weigh less to transport.

Another expert advises getting bare-foot roses as close to planting time as you can. If they arrive before you are ready to plant them, make sure the packing material is moist. Keep the plants in a cool, dark place. The resting plants have no leaves but still need water. When growing roses, the soil should feel moist deep down. Watering should be done in the morning.

But do not water too much. People often ask Jeffrey Dinslage about unhealthy discoloration on rose leaves. He says the spots are usually caused by too much water. After heavy rains or too much watering, he advises pulling away mulch, the substance used to protect the roots, temporarily from around the roots. This will help dry the soil.

1.From the first paragraph, we know that in the United States _______.

A. all the people like roses                  B. there are a lot of national flowers

C. some roses don’t smell sweet             D. there are some other popular flowers

2.Why does Jeffrey Dinslage suggest planting bare-root roses?

A. They are easier to plant.          B. Their roots develop better.

C. They are cheap to transport     D. Their leaves need no water

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

A. Slightly wet.    B. Pretty dry.     C. Too hard.      D. Lightly soft.

4.According to Jeffrey Dinslage, people should ______ to avoid the spots on the rose leaves.

A. not water roses in the morning             B. protect the roots of roses

C. improve the quality of the soil            D. not water roses very much

The Times(January 8，2008)一A climber was left hanging over a 500 ft cliff for more than  seven hours in temperatures below zero as his companions looked on helplessly．
After setting out at dawn to make what they thought was straight forward ascent(垂直攀爬) in the Caimgorrns．one of the three friends suddenly slipped and then was 150 ft backwards into a gully(沟壑)．The only thing that stopped the climberfalling to his death wast he safety line fixed  to his friends．
They stayed on an icy rock face at 2，500 ft．All they could see wash is head torch shining in  the darkness and they had to shout down in turns to make sure that he was still alive．By the time .they were airlifted off the mountain just after midnight,the temperature had fallen to—20 ℃ and heavy snowstorms were setting in．Surprisingly,none ofthe three was seriously hurt．
The group had left their car at 8：30 am for the expedition which was expected to end with an 800 ft climb called Kiwi Gully in an area known as Hell’s Lure to the west of Lock Avon．Generally,there will be few problems for experienced climbers but it had become very harder after heavy snowfalls．Just before 4 pm the climbers reached a narrow part beneath a steep section of rock．Two of the party made it to the ice．Having got through the steepest section,he slipped when the ice suddenly gave way．He was left hanging and couldn’t climb back up because he had damaged his ankle and was in shock．
At 8 pm a team of ten rescue workers was dropped on a snowy place 300 ft above the climbers．One of the team was lowered to where the climbers were trapped．During a four-hour operation，they were saved．Thirty minutes later snowstorms enveloped the mountain．
56．The climber didn’t climb back up because      ．
A．the safety line was easy to break    B．he was too frightened to climb
C．he was shocked by some animals D．his damaged ankle prevented him climbing
57．Which of the following about the rescue work is TRUE?
A．Ten people were sent to rescue the climbers at dawn．
B．The work lasted about four hours ．
C．It was the workers that lifted the climber up．
D．The three climbers were seriously hurt during the work
58.According to the passage, it was implied that the person hanging over a cliff was     ．
A．a climbing learner            B．a clever climber
C. an experienced climber         D．a climbing guide
59．What will be the best title for the passage?
A．Climber Saved After Hanging for 7 Hours
B．An Unforgettable Climbing Experience
C．Time is Life for Climbers
D．Climber Left Hanging over a Cliff

第三部分：阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)

The Times(January 8，2008)一A climber was left hanging over a 500 ft cliff for more than  seven hours in temperatures below zero as his companions looked on helplessly．

After setting out at dawn to make what they thought was straight forward ascent(垂直攀爬) in the Caimgorrns．one of the three friends suddenly slipped and then was 150 ft backwards into a gully(沟壑)．The only thing that stopped the climberfalling to his death wast he safety line fixed  to his friends．

They stayed on an icy rock face at 2，500 ft．All they could see wash is head torch shining in  the darkness and they had to shout down in turns to make sure that he was still alive．By the time .they were airlifted off the mountain just after midnight,the temperature had fallen to—20 ℃ and heavy snowstorms were setting in．Surprisingly,none ofthe three was seriously hurt．

The group had left their car at 8：30 am for the expedition which was expected to end with an 800 ft climb called Kiwi Gully in an area known as Hell’s Lure to the west of Lock Avon．Generally,there will be few problems for experienced climbers but it had become very harder after heavy snowfalls．Just before 4 pm the climbers reached a narrow part beneath a steep section of rock．Two of the party made it to the ice．Having got through the steepest section,he slipped when the ice suddenly gave way．He was left hanging and couldn’t climb back up because he had damaged his ankle and was in shock．

At 8 pm a team of ten rescue workers was dropped on a snowy place 300 ft above the climbers．One of the team was lowered to where the climbers were trapped．During a four-hour operation，they were saved．Thirty minutes later snowstorms enveloped the mountain．

56．The climber didn’t climb back up because       ．

A．the safety line was easy to break    B．he was too frightened to climb

C．he was shocked by some animals D．his damaged ankle prevented him climbing

57．Which of the following about the rescue work is TRUE?

A．Ten people were sent to rescue the climbers at dawn．

B．The work lasted about four hours ．

C．It was the workers that lifted the climber up．

D．The three climbers were seriously hurt during the work

58.According to the passage, it was implied that the person hanging over a cliff was      ．

A．a climbing learner            B．a clever climber

C. an experienced climber         D．a climbing guide

59．What will be the best title for the passage?

A．Climber Saved After Hanging for 7 Hours

B．An Unforgettable Climbing Experience

C．Time is Life for Climbers

D．Climber Left Hanging over a Cliff