第三部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）

第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

　　Soon it may be harder to stop and smell the roses.

　　Growing levels of air pollution from power plants and automobiles have reduced flower fragrances (芬芳) by up to 90 percent in the US.That is compared with pre-industrial levels,a new study has found.

　　The trend is unpleasant for human noses,but may be life - threatening for bees and butterflies.

　　"Many insects find flowers by folowing the scent(香味) produced by those flowers," said the studies lead author Jose D.Fuentes,an environmental scientist at the University of Virginia.

　　"The increasing pollution makes it difficult for them to locate the flowers and feed on their nectar(花蜜)."

　　Scientists have alrady known that flowers produce scent molecules(分子) that bond with pollutants.The process breaks down the plants' sweet smell.

　　With more pollution in the air,the scent molecules don't remain effective as long and travel shorter distances on the wind.

　　The new study suggests that in the mid - 19th century,when pollution levels were first recorded,scent molecules would have been able to travel some 1,000 to 1,200 meters.

　　Today,in the polluted air found downwind of large cities,scentst may only make it some 200 to 300 meters.

　　The report was recently published in the journal,Atmospheric Environment.

　　Bee farmers have reported that bee populations are dropping dramatically in many parts of the world in recent years. Could these missing scents be a factor?

　　Scientists trying to hind the cause of bee population declines have blamed bacteria,pesticides,and even cellphone radiation.

　　Jay Evans,an entomologist(昆虫学者) at the US Department of Agriculture's bee research laboratory,was interested in the new study.But he says he hasn't seen bee behavior that suggests trouble with scents.

　　"Over the last couple of summers I don't think the bees in this area were bringing in much less food,"he said.

　　"It might be that they had to work harder,but it seems like as long as there were bees to collect food they were finding flowers somewhere."

　　But Fuentes fears that the fading smell of flowers may stress insects that are already faced with other threats.

　　"The effects shown in these studies will simply exacerbate whatever the bees are going through right now,"he said.

　　"It's something that is really worthwhile paying attention to."

　　56.What's the passage mainly about?

　　　A.How greatly air plooution affects our lives.

　　　B.Effects of air pollution on bee populations.

　　　C.Measures to fight air pollution.

　　　D.The rapid decline of bee populations in the world.

　　57.According to the passage,Jay Evans probably agrees that ______ .

　　　A.bees are the insect that suffers most from air pollution

　　　B.bees are at risk of dying out owing to air pollution

　　　C.the fading smell of flowers doesn't affect bees so greatly as was thought

　　　D.as is often the case,bees fail to locate the flowers because of the missing scents

　　58.The word"exacerbate" in the last paragraph but one probably means ______.

　　　A.worsen B.improve C.get rid of D.decrease

　　59.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

　　　A.The more air pollution there is in a region,the greater the destruction of the flower scents.

　　　B.Bacteria,pesticides,and cellphone radiation are blamed for causing the decline of bees.

　　　C.The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment oculd travel longer and farther.

　　　D.Air pollution does more harm to insects such as bees and butterflies than human beings.

第二节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5，满分30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）出可以填入空白的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took the small boy to a Paderewski concert.After they were seated, the mother saw a friend in the audience and walked   36   the aisle(通道)to greet her.  37  the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and   38  explored his way through a door   39   "NO ADMITTANCE."

      40   the house’s lights dimmed and the   41   was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was   42 . Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused   43   the impressive Steinway on stage.In   44  , the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently(纯洁地)picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

    At that moment, the great piano master   45   his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't   46  ." "Keep playing." Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left   47   and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the   48   side of the child and he   49   a running obbligato(伴奏).Together, the   50   master and the young novice(新手)transformed a   51  situation into a wonderfully creative   52  . The audience was mesmerized(迷倒).

    That's the way it is with God.  53  we can finish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the  54   aren't exactly flowing music. But   55  the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.

. A. through          B.down               C.across            D.over

. A. Seizing          B.Taking              C.Catching          D.Using

A. fortunately       B.immediatly          C.eventually         D.surprisingly

. A. marked          B.said                 C.carried           D.noticed

.A. Before           B.When                C.Since            D.Because

. A. concert          B.lecture               C.speech           D.party

. A. crying           B.sleeping             C.missing           D.playing

. A. on              B.to                  C.in                D.at

. A.anger             B.surprise            C.delight             D.horror

. A. made            B.walked             C.finished           D.found

. A.move             B.quit                C.leave             D.play

.A.finger             B.arm               C.foot               D. hand

.A. other             B.another             C.both              D.each

. A.filled             B.played              C.added             D.passed

. A. old              B.great               C.famous            D.patient

. A.fanscinating       B.exciting            C.surprising         D.frightening. A.experience         B.choice              C.performance       D.exercise

. A. which            B.That                C.What            D.How

. A.results            B.ways                C.music           D.concert

. A. of               B.for                   C. with            D.by

My six-year-old granddaughter stared at me as if she were seeing me for the first time.”Grandma, you are an antique(古董),”she said. "You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique."

I was not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I took out the Webster's Dictionary and read the definition(定义)to Jenny.I explained, "An antique is not only old, it's an object existing since or belonging to earlier times...a work of art... piece of furniture. Antiques are treasured,"I told Jenny as I put away the dictionary. "They have to be handled carefully because they sometimes are very valuable. In order to qualify as an antique, the object has to be at least 100 years old."

"I'm only 67,"I renunded Jenny.

We looked around the house for other antiques, besides me. There was a desk that was handed down from rone aunt to another and finally to our family. "It's very old,"I told Jenny.“I try to keep it polished and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques."

There was a picture on the wall purchased at a garage sale. It was dated 1867. "Now  that's an antique," I boasted. "Over 100 years old." Of course it was marked up and scratched and not in very good condition. "Sometimes age does that," I told Jenny. "But the marks are good marks. They show living, being around. That's something to display with pride. In fact, sometimes, the more an object shows age, the more valuable it can become." It was important that I believed this for my own self-esteem.

Our tour of antiques continued. There was a vase on the floor. It had been in my house for a long time. I was not certain where it came from but I didn't buy it new. One thing about antiques, I explained to Jenny, was that they usually had a story. They'd been in one home and then another, handed down from one family to another, traveling all over the place. They'd lasted through years and years. They could have been tossed away, or ignored. or destroyed, or lost. But instead, they survived.

For a moment, Jenny looked thoughtful. “l don't have any antiques but you," she said. Then her face brightened. "Could I take you to school for show and tell?"

"Only if I fit into your backpack," I answered. And then Jenny's antique lifted her up and embraced her in a hug that would last through the years.

1.Grandma read the definition of "antique" to Jenny in order to         .

A．list all the important characteristics of antiques

B．tell Jenny the importance of protecting antiques

C．change Jenny's shallow understanding of antiques

D．express her disappointment at being called "antique"

2.Which of the following information did grandma convey to Jenny?

A．The desk reminded her of her dear relatives.

B．The marks on the picture showed its age and value.

C．There was usually a sad story behind each antique.

D．She planned to buy a new vase to replace the old one.

3.By saying "I don't have any antiques but you" (Paragraph 7), Jenny meant         .

A．grandma was a treasure to her

B．antiques were rare and valuable

C．she had nothing but a few possessions

D．grandma and antiques had a lot in common

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Grandma was too old to lift Jenny up.

B．Jenny had a strong desire for grandma's love.

C．Jenny was too young to know grandma's humor.

D．Grandma had a deep long-lasting love for Jenny.

5.What can be the best title for the passage? 

A．Jenny's Antique                        B．A Story of Antiques

C．A Tour of Antiques                      D．Grandma's Antique

Having one of those days or weeks — when everything seems to annoy you? Even if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster — often within a day or two.

Walk it off

Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster. A person who’s in a bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.

Tune it out

Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we’ve had.

Give yourself a pep talk

Stop and listen to what’s on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper; the pessimistic (悲观的) messages you’ve been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers. ("I still don’t have a job. "vs" I have two interviews next week.")

Reduce your stress

Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing (想象), all of which sound complicated but aren’t. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to against distress is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no options(选择权) By taking control over certain areas, you realize you’re not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.

Avoid things that won’t improve your mood

TV may not help much: You need to increase your energy level and stimulate your mind something — that the TV show "Neighbors" won’t do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta, produce a calming effect in people who have a desire for them.  

We learn from the text that it might help rid us of a bad mood ________.

A. to do nothing about it

B. to take a long walk on the beach

C. to do some exercises with light music

D. to talk it to neighbours

Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?

A. It is not complicated to do so.

B. It is an area to be easily controlled.

C. It helps beat a bad mood.              

D. It brings us a new technique.

TV may not improve your mood because ________.

A. it sometimes shows what happens around you

B. it keeps you stay unmoved

C. it reminds you of eating and drinking

D. it produces a calming effect

This text most probably appears in ________.

A. a book on physical exercises            B. a doctor’s handbook

C. a notice                                    D. a magazine

We lived in a very quiet neighborhood. One evening I heard a loud crash in the street. Earlier that evening my wife had asked me to go to the store to get some soft drinks. It seemed like this would be a good time to let my teenage daughter Holly practice her driving, so I sent her to the store in my truck.

At dinner my son talked about how much he liked my truck. I enjoyed having it, but I said: "Guy, my heart is not set on that truck. I like it but it is just metal and won’t last forever. Never set your heart on anything that won’t last."

After hearing the loud noise, the whole family ran outside. My son shouted: "Dad! Dad, Holly crashed your truck."

My heart sank and my mind was flooded with conflicting thoughts. Was anyone hurt? Who else was involved? As I ran to the door, I heard a voice in my heart say: "Here is a chance to show Holly what you really love. She’ll never forget it."

The accident had occurred in my own driveway. Holly had crashed my truck into our other vehicle, the family van (搬运车). In her inexperience, she had confused the brakes and the gas pedal. Holly was unhurt physically, but when I reached her, she was crying and saying: "Oh, Dad, I’m sorry. I know how much you love this truck." I held her in my arms as she cried.

Later that week a friend stopped by and asked what had happened to my truck. I told her the whole story. Her eyes moistened (湿润) and she said: "That happened to me when I was a girl. I borrowed my dad’s car and ran into a log that had fallen across the road. I ruined the car. When I got home my Dad knocked me to the ground and began to kick me."

Over 40 years later, she still felt the pain of that night.

I remember how sad Holly was and how I comforted her. One day, when Holly thinks back on her life, I want her to know what really matters in my life.

1.How did the crash happen?

A．The van was parked in the wrong place that evening.

B．Holly stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brakes.

C．The brakes of the truck didn’t work properly.

D．Holly was too careless and young to drive a truck.

2.Why didn’t the writer punish Holly?

A．He was so rich that he didn’t care about losing one truck.

B．He thought there was no point punishing her after the accident.

C．He believed the truck was made of metal and of poor quality.

D．He wanted Holly to know he loved her more than any possessions.

3.What does the underlined sentence mean?

A．She still suffered physical pain.

B．She felt guilty of damaging the car.

C．It left a deep wound on her soul.

D．She was not forgiven by her Dad.

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

A．What really matters?

B．Better to forgive and forget

C．Who is to blame?

D．Accidents will happen