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和D）中选出最佳选项

Sydney is Australia’s most exciting city. The history of Australia begins here. In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillips arrived is Sydney with 11 ships and 1,024 passengers (including 770 prisoners) from Britain. Today there are 2.5 million people in Sydney. It is the biggest city in Australia, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

There are over 20 fine beaches close to Sydney. Its warm summer climate and cool winter have made it a favorite city for immigrants(移民) from overseas. There are three things that made Sydney famous –its beautiful harbor, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and the Sydney Opera House.

But there are many more interesting things in Sydney: beautiful shops and restaurants, for example, rows of interesting old houses built everywhere in the 19th century. Summer or winter, day or night, Sydney is an outdoor city.

Some Americans think it is very British. Some British visitors think it is like America. There is some truth in both these opinions, because Sydney takes from both the Old World-Europe, and the New World – America, and makes it into something that is neither British nor America but truly Australian.

1.  The climate in Sydney is_____

A. hot in summer and cold in winter   B. warm all the year round

C. neither too hot nor too cold        D. cool all through the year

2  In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillips arrived in Sydney     .

A. with some ships and more than 1,000 passengers

B. with 11 ships and only 700 prisoners

C. with 1,024 passengers besides 700 prisoners

D. with only more than ten ships and some helpers

3.  What made Sydney famous?

A. Three things---the beautiful harbor, the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

B. Immigrants from Britain, the beautiful Harbor and ships.

C. Beautiful shops, modern restaurants and interesting old houses and seas.

D. The Sydney Opera House, interesting old houses and interesting restaurants.

4. The writer thinks Sydney          .

A. is like America         B. is very British

C. is neither British nor American but truly Australian

D. takes from Europe

Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset (不安的) if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you!?Dinner parties usually start between 7p．m．and 8p．m．, and end at about 11p．m． Ask your host (主人) what time you should arrive． It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine as a gift．

  Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks (小吃)． Do you want to be extra (特别地) polite? Say how much you like the room, or the pictures on the wall. But remember — it's not polite to ask how much things cost．

  In many families, the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other side． They eat with their guests．

  You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small, then you'll have meat or fish with vegetables, and then dessert (甜点心) followed by coffee． It's polite to finish everything on your plate and to take more if you want it．

  Did you enjoy the evening? Call your hosts the next day, or write them a short “Thank you” letter． British and American people like to say “thank you” all the time!

An English friend doesn't invite you to his or her dinner, which ＿＿＿＿．

 A． means he or she doesn't like you   B． means he or she likes you

 C． doesn't mean he or she likes you    D． doesn't mean he or she doesn't like you

You are going to attend a dinner party and ＿＿＿＿．

  A． you'd better bring a certain present with you

  B． you must leave home for it at 7 p．m．

  C． you should ask your host when you should leave

  D． you must arrive before 8 p．m．

It's impolite ＿＿＿＿＿．

  A． to say that you like the host's room very much

  B． for a guest to ask the host the price of the things in the room

  C． for a guest to have drinks and snacks before the evening

  D． for the host and the hostess (女主人) to sit and eat with their guests

In which order will you eat or drink the following things at a meal？

  A． Snacks, vegetables, meat, coffee．

  B． Coffee, drinks, soup, fish, vegetables, dessert．

  C． Soup, meat with vegetables, dessert and coffee．

  D． Drinks, soup, something small, fish and vegetables．

What is the proper way to express your enjoyment of the evening？

 A． Before leaving for home, you should say, “Thank you for inviting me．”

 B． When you shake hands with your host, you should say, “I did enjoy the evening．”

 C． You can write a “Thank you” letter to your host after that．

 D． You should finish everything on your plate and take more if you want it．

It has been more than twenty years since pioneering British computer programmer, Sir Tim Berners Lee, created the World Wide Web. But could he have ever imagined how much the web would change our lives? And would he approve of how some British students are taking advantage of his invention?
Universities and exam boards around the UK are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising number of cases of plagiarism, many of which are facilitated (助长) by the Internet access.
In the UK most school and university students complete coursework throughout the academic year which contributes toward their final mark. In many cases coursework makes up the main part of the qualification. Since coursework is completed in the students’ own time it cannot be monitored by teachers in the same way as an exam.
Derec Stockley, director of examinations in the UK, explains, “Plagiarism affects coursework more than anything else, and in the cases that come to our attention, more and more are linked to the Internet.”
At a university level recent reports suggest that plagiarism has evolved from separate cases of individual cheating to systematic and even commercial operation. Students can now pay for bespoke essays to be written for them by experts.
It is estimated that the market in online plagiarism is now worth 200 million pounds a year. Every month more and more websites offering to write student’s essays for them appear on the Internet.
Barclay Littlewood, owner of Degree Essays UK employs 3,500 specialist writers and charges between 120 pounds and 4,000 pounds per essay. However, Mr. Littlewood refutes the accusation that he is helping students to cheat.
【小题1】What dose the underlined word “plagiarism” in Paragraph 2 mean in the passage?

Have you ever wondered why the roots of the plants always know which way to grow—into the soil but not above it? Some British scientists have recently solved this mystery.
It turns out that roots have special hairs that tie them into the soil and help them grow their way past obstacles, a team at the John Inners Center in Norwich reports in the February 29 issue of Journal Science.
“The key is in the fuzzy(有绒毛的)coat of hairs on the roots of plants,” says professor Liam Dolan. “We have found a growth control system that enables these hairs to find their way and to become longer when their path is clear.”
Root hairs explore the soil in much the same way a person would feel their way in the dark. If they come across an obstacle, they make their way around until they can continue growing in an opening. In the meantime, the plant is held in place as the hairs grip(紧紧抓住)the soil.
The hairs are guided by a clever chemical trick. A protein(蛋白质) at the tip of the root hairs called RHD2 helps them to take calcium(钙) from the soil. Calcium makes the hairs grow, and produce more RHD2, and take more calcium.
But when an obstacle blocks the hair’s path, or the hair reaches the surface of the soil, the cycle is broken and growth starts in another direction.
This system gives plants the flexibility to explore a complex environment and to live in even the most unpromising soils, says Dolan.
In poor soils such as in parts of Australia and Africa, native plants have adapted by producing enormous numbers of root hairs. A better understanding of this adaptation will allow scientists to develop hairy rooted crops that can grow in unfriendly environments.
According to Dolan, “Research in the John Inners Center is taking a breeding approach to increase hair length in wheat but it will be some time before new cultivars(栽培变种) are developed.”
【小题1】The passage is mainly about _______.

Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you! Dinner parties usually start between 7 and 8 p.m., And end at about 11. Ask your hosts what time you should arrive. It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine as gift. Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks. Do you want to be extra polite? Say how much you like the room, or the pictures on the wall. But remember---- it's not polite to ask how much things cost. In many families, the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other end. They eat with their guests.
You'll probably start meal with soup or something small, and then you have meat of fish with vegetables, and then desert, followed by coffee. It's polite to finish everything on your plate and have more if you want it. Did you enjoy the evening? Call your host and hostess the next day, or write them a short "thank you" letter. British and American people like to say "thank you, thank you, thank you" all the time!
【小题1】You're not invited to the evening by a friend, which              .