第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题，每题2分，满分30分）

阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

Many people have described television as a passive activity that is harmful to children’s

education. However，there are good and bad ways to watch television．Parents who are interested in using television as a learning tool can actually turn time in front of TV into an educational chance．

Probably the most familiar educational way to use television is to simply watch educational programs．In particular，this means selecting channels and programs specially designed for educational purposes．Along with traditional educational shows for children on public broadcasting channels，cable television now offers kids and adults a wide variety of educational programs，with everything from nature shows to historical events in different countries．

Captioning，such as “closed captioning” for hearing disabled viewers provides another way for parents to exploit（开发） the educational possibilities of television．One study showed that children who watched captioned TV got great improvement in their vocabulary and oral reading ability．In addition，parents can make any show a learning class by watching television together with children．By actively joining children in the programs that they are watching，parents can help with the development of such skills as predicting  and summarizing．In order to develop predicting skills，parents and children could first refer to a program’s description in a viewing guide．After reading the program description and guessing what might happen in the program，parents and children could watch together to see which predictions were correct．And to practice summarizing，after watching a program，parents can turn off the TV and ask what the story was about．This kind of activity helps children develop thinking skills such as arranging events in an order and memorizing information．

Although there will still be plenty of times when children watch TV simply for passive enjoyment，parents can help make at least part of their children’s viewing time a more productive activity．Used intelligently by exploiting the learning chances available through various programs，television can play an instructive role in children’s education．

56．Which activity is NOT suggested in the passage?

A．Predicting and summarizing TV shows  B．Watching captions on TV．

C．Enjoying films about nature．              D．Watching shows for homework．

57．We can learn from the last paragraph that ______．

A．not every minute when a child watches television must be educational

B．children should not use television for passive enjoyment

C．some children prefer reading to watching television

D．television offers more learning chances than school

58．Which of the following questions is the major one discussed in the passage?

A．What makes television more interesting than books?

B．Why should schools put television into classrooms?

C．How can parents use television as a teaching tool?

D．Which program can actually make kids smarter?  

Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.

AVOID BIG EVENTS  Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost £169.15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room cost £118.15.

If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or you’re looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.

STAYAWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.

Don’t be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge’s Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was £95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was £75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just £62.95.

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O’Neill Flat on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, available for £420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults.

GET ON A BIKE London’s ‘Boris bikes’ have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.

Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle (casual members pay around £1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or £5 per day).  (358 words)

1. The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may __________.

A. help travelers pass time                                    

B. attract lots of travelers to the UK

C. allow travelers to make flexible plans   

D. cause travelers to pay more for accommodation

2.“Farringdon” in Paragraph 5 is most probably __________.

A. a hotel away from the train station                     

B. the tube line to Covent Garden

C. an ideal holiday destination                              

D. the name of a travel agency

3.The passage shows that the O’Neill Flat __________.

A. lies on the ground floor                               

B. is located in central London

C. provides cooking facilities for tourists      

D. costs over £100 on average per day in late September

4.Cardiff’s program allows a free bike for a maximum period of __________.

A. half an hour       B. one hour         C. one hour and a half        D. two hours

5.The main purpose of the passage is __________.

A. to tell visitors how to book in advance      

B. to supply visitors with hotel information

C. to show visitors the importance of self-help   

D. to offer visitors some money-saving tips

Welcome to Chatsworth

Opening Time

House 11:00 a.m. Last admission (允许进入) 4:30, closes 5:30 p.m. Last entry to Scots Rooms, when open, is 4:00 p.m.

Garden 11:00 a.m. Last admission 5:00, closes 6:00 p.m.

June, July and August Garden opens at 10:30 a.m.

Admission

Adults ………………………………………………………………………£ 6.50

Senior citizens & students ………………………………………………… £ 5.25

Children …………………………………………………………………… £ 3.00

Childrenunderthree …………………………………………………………Free

Family Ticket …………………………………………………………… …£ 16.75

Car Park …………………………………………………………………… £ 1.00

Shopping

Two gift shops, with many times based on designs from the House and Garden.

Christmas shopping available at weekends from November to Christmas

Eating

Restaurant serving home made food. Bar serving drinks and cakes.

Special Events in 2003

Angling Fair weekend

8th and 9th May. One of the only fairs in the Country for game and sea fishing funs.

Flower and garden Show Weekend

26th and 27th June. The second year of this event, with flower shows and sales and gardening advice.

Guided Tours

Guided tours for children and students in English and French at an extra charge. Further details from the Booking office after 10:30 a.m.

63. When is the opening time, during summer?

A. 11:00 a.m.        B. 4:30 p.m.   C. 10:30 a.m.        D. 10:30 p.m.

64. An old person above 60 will pay ______ less than an adult.

A. £1.25         B. £ 2.25          C. £ 5.25         D. £ 6.50

65. How much is a guided tour for children?

A. It’s free     B. £10        C. I don’t know    D. £3

66. What are on sale on 26th and 27th June?

A. Fishes         B. Gardens        C. Fairs          D. Flowers

67. If you want to visit Scots Rooms, when will you get there?

A. At 10:00 a.m.    B. At 5:00 p.m.      C. Before 4:00 p.m.   D. After 6:00 p.m.

A plane crash in Western Russian killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski and the other 96 political and military officials on board on April 10. The accident has led to huge national mourning in Poland. But it may provide an opportunity for reconciliation (和解) between Poland and Russia, countries that have a troubled relationship.

Many from the political elite were lost in the crash. Beside the president, the dead include the army chief of Staff, the head of National Security Bureau, the national bank president, the deputy foreign minister and other members of parliament.

The Polish delegation was heading to Russia to mark the 70 th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre (屠杀) when the accident occurred. In 1940, about 22,000 Polish soldiers, intellectuals, and officials captured after the Soviet Army invaded Poland in 1939, were killed secretly by Soviet police in the forest of Russia’s Katyn.

The Katyn Massacre had been a sensitive topic between the countries. The former Soviet Union always denied responsibility for the massacre. It was not until 1992 that Russian released archived documents about the killing.

Katyn is merely a short chapter in Poland and Russia’s long and troubled history. In the 18 th century, along with Prussia, (then an important part of Germany) and Austria. Russia participated in three carve – ups of Poland. In 1795, after the third carve – up, the country was erased from the map of Europe. It was in 1918 that Poland regained its independence. But in 1939, at the beginning of the World War II, it was invaded by Germany and the Soviet Union under a secret pact. After the war, Poland became a communist country with close ties to the Soviet Union.

In 1989, Poland switched to capitalism and pursued a pro – West position. The most recent tension between the two countries was in 2008. That year, Poland decided to have a US missile shield (导弹防御系统) on its soil, while neighboring Russia threatened to aim missiles at Poland.

But the plane crash has created a chance for reconciliation, with Russia sharing the sadness of Poland. Russia has declared April 12 a day of mourning for the victims. Flags flew at half – mast in Moscow. And earlier on April 7, Russia Prime Minister Vladimir Putin became the first Russian leader to mark the anniversary of the massacre.

“I think it should improve relations between the two countries, as Russians feel our grief,” said Radek Sikorski, Pland’s foreign minister.

66．Put the following events in order of time.

①The Katyn Massacre

②Poland switched to capitalism.

③Russia divided Poland with Austria and Prussia.

④Poland became a communist country.

⑤Poland was invaded by the Soviet Army.

A．③①④⑤② B．③⑤①④②  C．①③⑤④②  D．①⑤②④③

67．After the accident, which of the following did Russia do to share the sadness of Poland?

A．Flags were lowed to half – mast in the capital city of Russia.

B．Russia threatened to aim missiles at Poland.

C．Russia declared the day when the accident happened a day of mourning for the victims.

D．Vladimir Putin marked the anniversary of the massacre.

68．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The Katyn Massacre was the very beginning of Poland and Russia’s trouble relationship.

B．In 1939 about 22,000 Polish soldiers, intellectuals, and officials were killed by Soviet police in the forest of Russia’s Katyn.

C．Altogether 96 political and military officials were killed in the accident.

D．The relationship between Poland and Russia has not always been tense since the three carve – ups of Poland in the 18 th century.

69．It can be conclude from the article that        .

A．the relationship between Poland and Russia will be even tenser than before

B．Poland will cancel its plan to mark the anniversary of the Katyn Massacre

C．no Russian leaders have marked the anniversary of the massacre before, though Russia released the truth in 1992.

D．Poland will forgive Russians, for they showed great sympathy after the accident.

70．What would be the best title for the passage?

A．The troubled relationship between Russia and Poland.

B．Poland and Russia united by tragedy.

C．The 70 th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre.

D．A plane crash killing Polish president.

A holiday is any day when people lay aside their ordinary duties and cares. The word came from Old English. At first, holidays honored some holy events or persons. People in Great Britain and other countries speak of holidays as Americans speak of vacations.

Every nation has its special holidays. China observes New Year’s Day (January 1), May Day and National Day as legal (法定的)holidays , as it was on Oct.1,1949 that the People’s Republic of China was founded. The Chinese have long celebrated the Chinese lunar year. In the United States, congress has declared several days as legal holidays such as New Year’s Day (January 1), Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, Washington’s birthday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and so on. Some holidays celebrated special events in the development of a country, such as Greece’s Independence Day, Italy’s Liberation Day and India’s Independence Day.

In the United States, banks and schools usually close on a legal holiday. When such a holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is usually observed. Schools and organizations often observe days known as traditional holidays, although schools and business do not close then. Those holidays include Valentine’s Day and Halloween.

1.From the passage we know that China’s National Day is _______

A．January1                              B．May 1

C．October1                             D．December25

2.In the sentence “China observes New Year’s Day (January 1)’’, observe means ______

A．praises           B．spends            C．celebrates         D．cares

3.From the passage we can infer that _______

A．Chinese will no longer observe the Spring Festival

B．students don’t have to go to school on any holiday

C．Chinese and Americans share at least one holiday

D．Americans can easily draw money from banks on legal days.

4.Which of the following holidays has nothing to do with a country’s development?

A．China’s National Day                    B．Valentine’s Day

C．Italy’s liberation Day                    D．Independence Day

5.If a legal holiday falls on Sunday in the USA, people usually celebrate on ______.

A．Sunday                               B．the following

C．the following Monday                    D．the following Tuesday.