It all started at the beginning of this term. At first, Carmen wasn’t really sure what was happening. In class, she had to squint (眯眼) to see the blackboard clearly. As it got worse, she became more and more worried. It was important for her to see the notes and homework the teacher wrote on the board.
In class, she asked for a desk that was closer to the blackboard. One day, her teacher said, “Carmen, I’ve noticed you squinting a lot. Are you having trouble seeing the board?” Carmen shook her head. “I’m fine, Mrs. Cruz.”
At home, she had to sit closer and closer to the television. Her mother noticed her squinting as she watched her favorite shows.
“Tomorrow I will go to see a doctor,” she said firmly. Three days later, Carmen had new glasses. She was told to wear them all the time. “All of the kids at school will think I am a nerd (书呆子)，” she said. “You look just as beautiful with those glasses on as you do without them,” her mother said. But Carmen didn’t believe her.
The next day, Carmen kept the glasses in her pocket as she walked into the schoolyard. Suddenly, she heard her friend Theresa shout. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“My silver ring is gone!” Theresa cried. Carmen could tell that Theresa was very upset. They all looked for the ring in the grassy area of the playground.
Carmen realized that she could search better if she could see better. She took the glasses out of her pocket and put them on. Everything looked so different! So clear! And a glimmer (微光) of silver caught her eye.
“Here it is,” she shouted. “Thanks Carmen,” Theresa said. “I didn’t know you wore glasses. They look great!” “Thanks,” Carmen replied shyly.
As they walked back toward the school building, two more girls praised her glasses. Carmen smiled. “Maybe wearing glasses won’t be so bad after all,” she thought.
【小题1】According to the text, Carmen_________.

It’s a sure sign that summer is over and winter is on the way — leaves that were once deep green turn red, yellow and bright orange. It happens every autumn. But did you ever wonder why?

The leaves start changing color when the nights start getting longer and the temperature starts getting cooler. Some scientists think that as the number of daylight hours shrinks, the leaves stop making chlorophyll which makes plants green. The reason is that the process of making chlorophyll requires sunlight. But according to horticulture (园艺) educator Susan Rose from Colorado State University, it turns out leaves don’t really change color at all. “The fall colors are actually there all along,” she said. “But they are covered by the green chlorophyll. As the chlorophyll stops being produced, the other colors can shine through.”

The kind of color that the leaves are going to change to is determined by the plant’s genetic (基因的) background. In some places, the leaves start changing color in September — before autumn even officially begins. In other places, they don’t change until late October or even November. Some scientists say the leaves have been changing color later than usual in recent years. And they think global warming has something to do with that.

In one study, researchers found that the growing season in the Northern Hemisphere was nearly a week longer, on average, in 2008 than it was in 1982. And a professor from Harvard University found that the leaves, west of Boston, Massachusetts, are changing color about three days later than they used to. However, other scientists disagree with the global warming theory. Susan Rose said the leaves in her part of Colorado are changing “right on schedule.” But the leaves in other parts of that state are running a little late. “The lateness in the mountains may have something to do with the really warm late summer and early fall,” she said. “But I’m afraid that’s just a guess.”

1.According to Susan Rose, _____.

A．the fall colors are always in leaves

B．leaves make chlorophyll all the seasons

C．leaves’ changing color have nothing to with the weather

D．leaves begin changing color because they start making chlorophyll

2.The underlined word “shrinks” in Paragraph 2 could best be replaced by _____.

A．reduces          B．increases          C．lasts              D．appears

3.Scientists guess leaves change color later than usual probably as a result of _____.

A．genetic background                     B．dry weather

C．global warming                         D．low temperature

4.The purpose of the last paragraph is to tell readers _____.

A．why leaves change color at fall

B．leaves change color at different time

C．the effects of the global warming on plants

D．different opinions on the lateness of leaves’ changing color

完形填空（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40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，选出最佳选项。

I’ll never forget the summer day in 1965 when my mother suddenly died of an unexplained illness at the age of 36. Later that afternoon, a police officer came to ask for my father’s  36  for the hospital to  37  Mother’s valve (心脏瓣膜). I was shocked. I ran into the house  38 . At 14 I just  39  understand why anyone would take apart a person I loved.  40  my father told the police officer, “Yes .” “How can you let them do that to her?” I  41  him.

“Linda,” he said quietly,  42  his arms around me, “the greatest  43  you can give is a  44  of yourself. Your mother and I decided  45  that if we can 46  a difference in just one person’s life after we die, our death will have  47 .”

The  48  my father taught me that day became one of the most  49  in my life.

Years passed. I married and had a family of my own. In 1986, my father became seriously ill. He  50  told me that when he died, he wanted to donate  51  was in good condition, especially his eyes.

My father died and we donated his eyes  52  he had wanted. Three days later, my daughter said, “Mum, I’m so  53  of what you did for Grandpa. At that moment I realized that my father gave much more than his  54 . What he  55  behind sparkled in my daughter’s eyes — pride.

1.A. advice     B. permission   C. suggestion   D. speech

2.A. repair     B. operate C. treat    D. use

3.A. in tears   B. in silence   C. in a hurry   D. in surprise

4. A. couldn’t     B. mustn’t     C. might not    D. shouldn’t

5.A. So     B. And C. But D. For

6.A. said to   B. replied to       C. explained to D. cried at

7.A. carrying       B. putting      C. raising D. pushing

8.A. gift   B. wish C. talk     D. regret

9.A. health     B. body     C. part     D. value

10. A. then     B. later    C. soon     D. long ago

11. A. have     B. make     C. keep     D. tell

12. A. pleasure     B. right    C. fun D. meaning

13. A. lesson   B. subject C. thought D. experience

14. A. ordinary     B. important    C. useless D. hard

15. A. carefully    B. sadly    C. cruelly D. cheerfully

16.A. who   B. whatever     C. that     D. which

17. A. as   B. when     C. while    D. where

18.. A. fond    B. tired    C. proud    D. afraid

19. A. words    B. life     C. eyes     D. lessons

20. A. taught   B. left C. sent     D. gave

完形填空（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40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，选出最佳选项。
I’ll never forget the summer day in 1965 when my mother suddenly died of an unexplained illness at the age of 36. Later that afternoon, a police officer came to ask for my father’s  36  for the hospital to  37  Mother’s valve (心脏瓣膜). I was shocked. I ran into the house  38 . At 14 I just  39  understand why anyone would take apart a person I loved.  40  my father told the police officer, “Yes .” “How can you let them do that to her?” I  41  him.
“Linda,” he said quietly,  42  his arms around me, “the greatest  43  you can give is a  44  of yourself. Your mother and I decided  45  that if we can 46  a difference in just one person’s life after we die, our death will have  47 .”
The  48  my father taught me that day became one of the most  49  in my life.
Years passed. I married and had a family of my own. In 1986, my father became seriously ill. He  50  told me that when he died, he wanted to donate  51  was in good condition, especially his eyes.
My father died and we donated his eyes  52  he had wanted. Three days later, my daughter said, “Mum, I’m so  53  of what you did for Grandpa. At that moment I realized that my father gave much more than his  54 . What he  55  behind sparkled in my daughter’s eyes — pride.

It all started at the beginning of this term. At first, Carmen wasn’t really sure what was happening. In class, she had to squint (眯眼) to see the blackboard clearly. As it got worse, she became more and more worried. It was important for her to see the notes and homework the teacher wrote on the board.

In class, she asked for a desk that was closer to the blackboard. One day, her teacher said, “Carmen, I’ve noticed you squinting a lot. Are you having trouble seeing the board?” Carmen shook her head. “I’m fine, Mrs. Cruz.”

At home, she had to sit closer and closer to the television. Her mother noticed her squinting as she watched her favorite shows.

“Tomorrow I will go to see a doctor,” she said firmly. Three days later, Carmen had new glasses. She was told to wear them all the time. “All of the kids at school will think I am a nerd (书呆子)，” she said. “You look just as beautiful with those glasses on as you do without them,” her mother said. But Carmen didn’t believe her.

The next day, Carmen kept the glasses in her pocket as she walked into the schoolyard. Suddenly, she heard her friend Theresa shout. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“My silver ring is gone!” Theresa cried. Carmen could tell that Theresa was very upset. They all looked for the ring in the grassy area of the playground.

Carmen realized that she could search better if she could see better. She took the glasses out of her pocket and put them on. Everything looked so different! So clear! And a glimmer (微光) of silver caught her eye.

“Here it is,” she shouted. “Thanks Carmen,” Theresa said. “I didn’t know you wore glasses. They look great!” “Thanks,” Carmen replied shyly.

As they walked back toward the school building, two more girls praised her glasses. Carmen smiled. “Maybe wearing glasses won’t be so bad after all,” she thought.

1.According to the text, Carmen_________.

2.When Carmen wore glasses for the first time, she felt________.

3.What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

4.The purpose of the text is to tell readers__________.