Shane Thomas is a 10-year-old pianist from England. He’s being called the next Mozart because of his amazing abilities.
He has only been having piano lessons for four months, and practices four hours a week, but he has already played difficult classical pieces. He was just seven when he sat down at the piano, and could play at once. He also says he never gets nervous.
When Shane was three years old, he said that he could play the piano, but nobody took him seriously. At school, he could listen to the teacher and do his work while composing (作曲) in his head. Shame remembers all the melodies（旋律）,and when he gets home he plays them on the piano, while his father records them. Shane loves playing the piano, and when he grows up he wants to be a composer.
His tutor, Richard Goffin-Lecar, says he is like Amadeus Mozart, who lived during the 18^th century in Salzburg, Austria, and was one of the most famous composers ever. Mr. Goffin-lecar says, “I don’t teach Shane very much. I just give him directions, then sit back and watch.”
His father, a single parent with two other children, says that although he has little money, he wants to send Shane to a good music school. “I’m a single father, but I have this gifted child. I don’t have much money, but I want to give him the best teachers, and also take him into a studio to record.”
56. When did Shane tell others that he could play the piano?
A. At age three.                   B. At age ten.  C. At age seven.       D. At age four.
57. Which of the following is TRUE about Shane?
A. He feels nervous while playing the piano    
B. He can compose in his head while doing his work.       
C. He wants to be a piano tutor when he grows up.        
D. He doesn’t like to listen to the teacher at school.
58. What do we learn about Shane’s father?
A. He also plays the piano well.
B. He’s a single father with two children.
C. He believes in Shane’s talent for music and will support him.
D. Not having enough money, he will ask the teachers for help

D
Wouldn't it be great if you could just look up at the sky and read the weather forecast right away?
Well, you CAN. The forecast is written in clouds. If you can read that writing, you can tell something about the atmosphere. With some practice, you can become a pretty good weather forecaster. Who knows, you might even do as well as meteorologists (气象学家).
Meteorologists use much more information than just the appearance of the clouds to make their forecast. They collect data from all over the world. Then they put it into powerful, high-speed computers.
This does give meteorologists an advantage, because they can track weather patterns as they move from west to east across the country.
But you have an advantage, too. You have your brains. You can look at the sky and get your data directly. A meteorologist uses a computer forecast that’s several hours old to make a local forecast.
What are you seeing when you look at a cloud? “A picture of what moisture (水气) is doing in the atmosphere,”says meteorologist Peter Leavit. There’s moisture throughout the atmosphere. Most of the time you don't see it, because it's in the form of an invisible gas called water vapor.
Sometimes, the temperature of the air gets cold enough to cause the water vapor to change to liquid water. That’s called condensation, and we see it happen all the time, for example, when humid air from the shower hits the cold glass of a mirror. When enough water vapor condenses, droplets form in the air. These droplets scatter light. A cloud is seen.
Watching clouds over a day or two tells you a lot more than a single cloud about the weather to come. Changes in clouds show changes in the atmosphere.
You should begin to notice patterns. Certain clouds, fol1owing each other in order, can signal an approaching storm. But don’t take our word for it; see for yourself.
53. According to the passage, ordinary people can tell the weather because __________.

C
Jiang Nan, a full-time mother in Beijing, keeps a dozen or so cloth bags at home, carefully selecting one or two before heading out to get groceries. “Most of them were giveaways from advertising marketing campaigns, but
others had been handed out in the street by various environmental protection organizations,” she explained.
Since June 2008 China has forbidden the production,
sale and usage of plastic bags thinner than 0.025 millimeter (毫米), and retailers(零售商) are not allowed to provide free plastic bags to their customers, regardless of the thickness.
Many Chinese consumers like Jiang have learned to refuse plastic bags whenever possible in their shopping. “A plastic bag may only cost a few jiao, but it’s more about how bad they are for the environment,” Jiang said.
The plastic ban is for the most part well carried out in big cities, and has been distinctly effective in reducing white waste. On the first anniversary of the plastic ban Global Village of Beijing, an NGO environmental organization, shows that during the year of the ban the consumption of plastic bags fell by about 40 billion pieces in chain supermarkets alone, saving more than 1.2 million tons of petroleum.
However, enforcement shows considerably less muscle in smaller cities, towns and country-
side. In a remote town like Lichuan, the awareness of environmental protection is not as strong as that in big cities. Street vendors(街头小贩) worry that they are likely to lose customers if they charge them for plastic bags. Seeing no significance in the issue, local government often turn a blind eye to banned bag traffic in the market.
There are still those who don’t have an interest in living green. Cui Lin, another Beijinger, often forgets to bring a cloth bag when shopping, and has to buy plastic bags. “Anyway I think plastic bags are neater and cleaner, and I don’t mind paying a couple more jiao,” he shrugged.
Mrs Yu, a vegetable vendor in Lichuan County, Jiangxi Province, recalled that before plastic bags became popular in the early 1990s, Chinese people always carried a bamboo basket when they visited the market. “Plastic bags are more convenient,” she comments, and her view might be that of the tens of millions of people in the nation who still cling to plastic bags, paid or free. This is suggested by her trade where piles of plastic bags are still passed out every day.
49. In Paragraph 1, the writer uses Jiang Nan’s case to __________.

E
Having one of those days or weeks—when everything seems to trouble 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（破坏者）. 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 clear up worries 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 something in your mind—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.
72.  We learn from the passage that it might help rid us of a bad mood_______.
A. to do nothing about it
B. to take a slow walk on the beach
C. to do some exercises with light music
D. to talk it to neighbours
73.  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.
74.  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
75.  This passage most probably appears in_______.
A. a book on physical exercises       B. a doctor's handbook
C. a notice about amusement          D. a magazine on health

第三部分阅读理解(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、D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Jeanne Calment, a French woman, became a record breaker on 17 October, 1995 when at the age of 120 years and 238 days, she became the longest-lived human being on record. A Japanese man died in 1986 at the age of 120 years and 237 days.
Jeanne Calment lives in a small old people's home in the south of France; her husband, her only child and her grandson have all died. She is nearly blind and deaf and is always in a wheelchair, but her doctor describes her as being more like a 90?year?old woman in good health than someone of 120. She still has a lively sense of humor. When asked on her 120th birthday what she expected of the future, she replied: A very short one. She also remarked that she thought the good Lord had forgotten all about her.
So what is the key to a long life? According to some doctors, diet, exercise and no smoking are the three important factors. Jeanne Calment has followed two of the tips. She has always eaten a healthy diet, and she used to do exercises every day until she broke her leg at the age of 115. However, until recently she drank two glasses of strong red wine a day, and she does smoke (now only a little). Besides, Jeanne Calment might have got very good genes(基因) from her parents. Her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to 86.
A local lawyer bought her house when she was 80 under an agreement that he would pay her some money every year until her death. It must have seemed a good move at the time, but so far the lawyer has paid her at least three times the value of the house. Every year on her birthday Jeanne Calment sends him a card saying: Sorry, I’m still alive!
56. How does Jeanne Calment feel about her old age?
A. She is miserable and unhappy.
B. She is cheerful and humorous.
C. She would like to live much longer.
D. She feels she is going to die very soon.
57. We can owe Jeanne Calment's good health and long life to_______.
A. smoking only a little every day
B. her giving up smoking and drinking
C. drinking two glasses of strong red wine every day
D. the good genes from her parents, a healthy diet and some exercise
58. Which of the following word could best replace the word "move" in the fourth paragraph?
A. deal     B. trick          C. march     D. sport
59. Why does Jeanne Calment say "Sorry, I'm still alive" to the local lawyer every year on her birthday?
A. Because she had an agreement at 80 with the lawyer which was to her advantage.
B. Because she has asked the lawyer to pay her more rent than they first agreed.
C. Because the lawyer has paid her much more money than the value of the house.
D. Because the house she sold to the lawyer isn’t worth the money he has already paid.

D
Dear Michelle,
My mother is not a good example for me and my sister. She smokes, stays out late, and she curses(骂人).I love her but I am ashamed of her.I do not want to bring my friends home because she does not act like any of the other mothers. She says I am a loser because I sit at home and study. I wish I could live in another family that was normal,but it will be 5 years before I am 18 and legal. What am I supposed to do until then?
Prisoner of a Crazy House
Dear 7th Grader,
I am glad that you love your mother because the rest of your feeings about her may change as you get older and mature(成熟).
While it is true that your mother’s smoking, partying and cursing bring you shame, the fact that you want to stay separate from her doings is notable and very smart. It shows that you are a winner,not a loser.
I am guessing, therefore, that you do not bring shame to yourself, and that is a good thing, So,keep it that way and keep away from your mother’s habits.
At the same time,try to get the best grades and join clubs and school activities. Offer social service on weekends and visit your friends at their homes.
Unfortunately, you are not alone.Many teens live in homes with immature,misguided, selfish parents. Those kids often feel lonely and separate from the rest of their friends because of their parents’ terrible deeds.
But they develop good friendships with nice kids, do well in school,and often find a teacher or guidance advisor who makes all the difference!
Do it, Miss Winning 13 years old, and keep looking forward to your own fine future.Maybe by then your mother may even see the light and realize how surprising you really are.
Best luck!
Michelle
64.The kid asks for advice on how to___________.
A.make her mother change                                B.deal with her situation
C.get along well with her mother                       D.start a new family
65.Michelle doesn’t address her letter receiver as“Prisoner of a Crazy House”possibly because she
__________.
A.tries to be polite                                       B.doesn’t write to the kid alone
C.knows that’s a girl in Grade 7                         D.wants to cheer the kid up
66.According to the passage, Michelle advises the girl to_________.
A.try talking to her mother for her future
B.stick to her attitude towards her mother’s some habits
C.understand her mother’s habits and get used to them
D.try to keep away from her mother
67.What does Michelle mainly express by writing the last four paragraphs?
A.Don’t worry too much about the problem.
B.Many parents act terribly.
C.Parents manners make little difference.
D.The girl is not speaking for herself.

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从各篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A
Simona lives in Bucharest, Romania. She is nine years old and HIV positive. When Simona’s mother found out about her illness five years ago, her first reaction was to tell everyone, looking for support.
“That’s when I found out who really was my friend, and who wasn’t, ”she said.“Quite a few people stopped visiting me and asked their children not to play with Simona any more.Because of this, quarrels began in my family with each trouble brought about by her diagnosis. My husband became more and more unfriendly toward me and toward Simona. He didn’t understand how important it was for Simona to receive regular examinations by a doctor or why she needed proper treatment for her sickness.”
When her mother tried to enroll(登记) Simona in a school, the teacher warned her that when other parents found out about her illness she would be shunned by the other children.
Simona’s mother looked for help and found a social worker from the Community Resource Center. The social worker helped her enroll Simona in another school and provided emotional, financial, and material support for the family. Simona’s parents were able to ease the tension(紧张)in the family. Her mother also now attends parenting classes and support groups at the Center.
The Community Resource Center provides not only many needed resources, but also a place where women can gain skills and self-confidence. It provides children with a place where they are accepted. At the Center parents and children find a place where they can grow and find the support they need to stay together and care for each other.
51.Many people prevented their children playing with Simona because___________.
A.she had no true friends                        B.she was a naughty girl
C.she lived with HIV                                 D.she had a strange character
52.Simona’s father thought that Simona____________.
A.shouldn’t bring so much trouble to them
B.should receive examinations regularly by a doctor
C.shouldn’t see the doctor for her sickness
D.should be treated properly for her sickness
53.Which of the following is NOT true according to this passage?
A.Simona has been living with HIV for five years.
B.Few people visited Simona’s mother because of Simona’s illness.
C.Simona’s mother received help from a social worker.
D. Simona was admitted immediately by the first school.
54.From the last paragraph we can draw a conclusion that____________.
A.all the children at the Center are strong and healthy
B.Simona’s mother learned little knowledge at the Center
C.children at the Center are very friendly to each other
D.women at the Center learn to accept each other

三、阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下面短文，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的标号涂黑。
A
I remember a day when I was a little kid. I was making a sandwich in the kitchen when I noticed the date on one of the wine bottles.
"Dad, dad!" I cried. "This wine is too old to drink."
"Son, hold on," he said.
"No, you can't drink this tonight! This bottle of wine was made 10 years ago."
"Wait, let me tell you..."
"Would you like me to throw it away for you?" I asked.
"Son, wait a second," he said. "Son, some wines get better over time. The longer you wait to drink it, the better it will be. Although this may seem strange, it is true."
When I was young, I didn't have any understanding of what this meant, but now, this would have been very helpful to remember as I went through my teenage years.
In our society, we forget this simple role: The longer you wait for certain things, the better they will be. But we want the best job as quickly as possible; we want to graduate from college in as few years as possible; we even speed through our homework just to chat with friends. When we do this, we lose something of great importance.
We all want to get to the next step so quickly that perhaps we don't get ready enough to get there. This has a negative effect on our society. When trying to go to the right college, we will do anything to get in and when we rush through our class－work, we may not study enough for the test, and end up failing. We need to be ready for whatever comes, ready for the unexpected. Wine gets better over time, so do the things in our paths of life.
56．Why did the author tell his father not to drink the bottle of wine?
A．Because it smelt terrible.
B．Because it was mixed with something else.
C．Because his father drank too much that night.
D．Because it had been kept for years.
57．What the author's father said______.
A．made the author puzzled when he was a little child
B．was too simple a rule to be meaningful to the author
C．threw the author into deep thought then
D．was an excuse to drink the wine
58．In the author's opinion, if we do things too quickly we will______.
A．do it better                                                                 B．save much time
C．graduate from college more quickly          D．miss something useful to us in life
59．Which of the following best reflects the main idea of the passage?
A．Well begun is half done.                       B．More haste, less speed.
C．Failure is the mother of success.       D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

C
Susan Sontag（1933—2004） was one of the most noticeable figures in the world of literature. For more than 40 years she made it morally necessary to know everything—to read every book worth reading, to see every movie worth seeing. When she was still in her early 30s，publishing essays in such important magazines as Partisan Review，she appeared as the symbol of American culture life，trying hard to follow every new development in literature，film and art. With great effort and serious judgment，Sontag walked at the latest edges of world culture.
　　Seriousness was one of Sontag’s lifelong watchwords（格言），but at a time when the barriers between the well-educated and the poor-educated were obvious, she argued for a true openness to the pleasure of pop culture. In “Notes Camp”, the 1964 essay that first made her name，she explained what was then a little—known set of difficult understandings，through which she could not have been more famous.“Notes on Camp”，she wrote，represents “a victory of ‘form’ over ‘content’, ‘beauty’ over ‘morals’ ”.
By conviction（信念）she was a sensualist（感觉论者），but by nature she was a moralist（伦理学者），and in the works she published in the 1970s and 1980s，it was the latter side of her that came forward. In “Illness as Metaphor”—published in 1978，after she suffered cancer—she argued against the idea that cancer was somehow a special problem of repressed personalities（被压抑的性格），a concept that effectively blamed the victim for the disease. In fact，re-examining old positions was her lifelong habit.
In America，her story of a 19th century Polish actress who set up a perfect society in California，won the National Book Award in 2000. But it was as a tireless，all-purpose cultural view that she made her lasting fame.
“Sometimes,” she once said，“I feel that，in the end，all I am really defending…is the idea of seriousness，of true seriousness.”And in the end，she made us take it seriously too.
64．The underlined sentence in paragraph l means Sontag ____________.
A．was a symbol of American cultural life
B．developed world literature，film and art
C．published many essays about world culture
D．kept pace with the newest development of world culture
65．She first won her name through____________.
A．her story of a Polish actress
B．her book Illness as Metaphor
C．publishing essays in magazines like Partisan Review
D．her explanation of a set of difficult understandings
66．Susan Sontag’s lasting fame was made upon____________.
A．a tireless，all-purpose cultural view
B．her lifelong watchword: seriousness
C．publishing books on morals
D．enjoying books worth reading and movies worth seeing
67．From the works Susan published in the 1970s and 1980s，we can learn that _____.
A．she was more a moralist than a sensualist
B．she was more a sensualist than a moralist
C．she believed repressed personalities mainly led to illness
D．she would like to re-examine old positions

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，共40分）
请阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳答案，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
A
After my husband died suddenly from a heart attack，my world crashed around me. My six children were all under 10，and I was burdened with the responsibilities of earning a living，and caring for the children. I was fortunate to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the children during the week，but from Friday nights to Monday mornings，the children and I were alone.
One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big pretty German Shepherd（牧羊犬）on our doorstep. This dog seemed to intend to enter the house. The children liked “German” immediately and begged me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement. That night I slept peacefully for the first time in many weeks.
The following morning we made phone calls and checked lost-and-found ads for German’s owner，but with no results.
On Sunday I had planned to take the children on a picnic. Since I thought it best to leave German behind in case his owner came by，we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas，we were amazed to see German racing to the gas station after us. No way was he going to be left behind.
Monday morning I let him out for a run. He didn’t come back and we were all disappointed. We were convinced that we would never see him again. We were wrong. The next Friday evening，German was back on our doorstep. Again he stayed until Monday morning，when our housekeeper arrived.
This pattern repeated itself every weekend for almost 10 months. We grew more and more fond of German. We took comfort in his strong，warm presence，and we felt safe with him near us. As German became part of the family，he considered it his duty to check every bedroom to be sure each child was cozy in bed.
Each week，between German’s visits，I grew a little stronger，a little braver and more able to handle; every weekend we were no longer alone and enjoyed his company. Then one Monday morning we patted him on the head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. We never saw German again.
56．The dog first came to the family when _______________.
A．it was needed most
B．the writer became strong enough
C．the writer was away on a business trip
D．the writer was busy on the weekday
57．The family planned to go on a picnic without the German Shepherd because ____.
A．it was too wild to control
B．it was too young to walk so far
C．the owner might come by to pick it up
D．it might spoil the trip
58．The writer was ____________ the German Shepherd.
A．afraid of　　B．grateful to     C．cruel to 　　D．annoyed with
59．Which of the following can’t be used to describe the dog？
A．Loyal 　　　B．Helpful    C．Lovely 　　 D．Wild