VI. 阅读理解(共20小题;第51—55题每小题1分，第56—70题每小题2分，满分35分)

阅读下列短文，然后从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出能回答所提问题或完成所给句子的最佳选项。

(A)

51. Who is this postcard sent to?

A. Peter.     B. Gemma.     C. Kim.      D. Tom.

52. Which country does this postcard come from?

A. Canada.    B. China.        C. England.   D. Australia.

53. How did Tom go to Holiday Cove?

A. By plane.    B. By ship.     C. By car.    D. By train.

54. Why does Peter want to go to the aquarium instead of the crocodile farm?

A. Because he has visited it before.         B. Because he is afraid of crocodiles.

C. Because he is interested in dolphins.      D. Because he has no tickets to the crocodile farm.

55. Where is Tom going on Friday?

A. Holiday Cove.   B. Rest Harbor.       C. Mill Hill.    D. Golden Beach.

(B)

You’ve probably heard of working dogs that help police officers, or horses that help farmers. Did you know that carrier pigeons(信鸽)can be trained to help people too? Here are some examples.

Mailman

Carrier pigeons can be trained to carry messages to people. The note is placed into a small can. The can is tied to the pigeon’s leg. Then the pigeon flies off with the note.

Lifeguard

From high up in the sky, specially trained pigeons can find orange life jackets in the ocean. Sometimes it is difficult for humans to find people lost at sea, especially when the weather is bad. However, pigeons can fly quickly over a large area of water to look for people.

Spy

Many years ago, carrier pigeons were used to help our country during wars (战争). “Spy pigeons” had small cameras that were tied to their feet. As a pigeon flew over enemy (敌人)land, the camera took photos of the land below. This would allow our soldiers to see where the enemies were and what they were doing.

So next time you see a pigeon, stop and watch it closely. What might look like an ordinary bird to most people, might actually be helpful.

56. Which part of the carrier pigeon is the can tied to?

A. The pigeon’s back.  B. The pigeon’s head.   C. The pigeon’s neck.   D. The pigeon’s leg.

57. What kind of people can the carrier pigeons find?

A. The people in orange life jackets at sea.     B. The people in red jackets in the boats.

C. The people swimming in the ocean.        D. The people lost in the mountains.

58. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. A pigeon could predict what the weather would be like.

B. A pigeon was tied with a small camera around its leg.

C. A pigeon could help us to know the number of the enemy.

D. A pigeon carried the camera to take photos of the enemy land.

59. What kind of jobs are mentioned for a carrier pigeon?

A. A mailman, a lifeguard and a spy.          B. A trainer, a spy and a police officer.

C. A soldier, a police officer and a mailman.    D. A farmer, a weather reporter and a lifeguard.

60. What is the purpose of writing this article?

A. To make readers like pigeons more.

B. To teach readers about the lives of wild pigeons.

C. To tell readers about real jobs held by carrier pigeons.

D. To share science fictions about pigeons helping people.

(C)

It was midday when I got the call that my grandfather was not well and he was quickly getting worse. My family did not know how long he would stay in the world. I knew I had to get to the hospital to tell him how much I loved him. As I drove to the hospital, I pictured him before I got to tell him how much he meant to me. Trying to fight back the tears, I wanted to stay calm when I saw him.

When I got to the hospital, I hurriedly looked for his hospital room. I found him in a semi-conscious state(半清醒状态). On my knees, I said softly, “Hello, Grandpa.”

Still feeling shy, I decided not to leave his bedside without letting him know. While I asked about how he was, he told me, “I’ll be fine, Henry.” although we both knew that wasn't true. Then he asked me with a smile how I was doing.

Hearing what my grandpa said, I was much moved. I made the decision that I had to show my gratitude for him. As I found all the courage (勇气) I had, I hold his hand tightly. I cried out, “Grandpa. I just want to let you know how much I love you. I hope you already know that yet I just want to make sure.” By this time, tears were rolling down my face. All those years of love that I had shut and not let him know, became free.

Smilingly, he said, “I know. Thank you for telling me that. All I have on this planet is my family and my love for them. If there is anything I could ask of you, I want you to be good to your family, your mother, your father, and your brother. That’s all I want of you.”

What I learned that day changed my whole life.

From then on, I began telling people how much I love them, care for them, and respect them. I get in touch with, for example, my babysitter, my barber, to show my appreciation. I go down into the city once a week and serve pizza to the homeless. I wake up every morning and list everything I’m thankful to in my life.

61. The author got the news of Grandpa’s illness________.

A. in the morning   B. at noon             C. in the evening   D. at midnight

62. The author didn’t tell Grandpa his love because _______ to say love to Grandpa before.

A. he was too shy   B. he was too frightened  C. he was too busy       D. he had no chances

63. The underlined word “gratitude” (in Paragraph 4) means _________ in Chinese.

A. 兴奋   B.惊讶          C. 害怕               D. 感激

64. The author wrote this passage to tell readers mainly about ________.

A. how to think highly of others            B. how to help others get out of trouble

C. how to get in touch with others            D. how to share feelings with others

65. The story develops with the changes of __________.

A. the author’s life   B. Grandpa’s feelings     C. the author’s emotion  D. Grandpa’s illness

(D)

Steven Jobs was born in 1955. He was an American businessman and inventor. He was the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Apple Inc. In the late 1970s, Steve, with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Mike Markkula, and others, designed, developed, and marketed one of the first successful lines of personal computers, the Apple II series and later, the Macintosh.

Steve was among the greatest of American inventors – brave enough to think differently, and believed he could change the world and in fact, he had the power to change the whole world. By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups.

Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. He changed the way each of us sees the world. Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is much better because of Steve. On October 5, 2011, Steve died of cancer. The world has lost a visionary. We all feel sad about it.

66. Where can we find this passage?

A. In a science book.       B. In a science fiction novel.

C. In a dictionary.       D. In a newspaper.

67. Why Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last?

A. Because he knew he would die soon.   B. Because he was too busy every day.

C. Because he was humorous.     D. Because he wanted to make full use of time.

68. From the passage, we can know that ______.

A. It is cancer that took the Steve’s life

B. Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy enrich and improve all of our lives

C. Apple II series and the Macintosh have made computers personal and put the Internet in our pockets

D. Steve was a businessman but not an inventor

69. According to the passage, “a visionary” means ______.

A. 一位伟人   B. 一位见证者       C. 一位梦想家   D. 一位冒险家

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

A. Steve Jobs’ death             B. Our loss of a great CEO

C. A great inventor, Steve Jobs           D. The great changes in our lives