第二部分 阅读理解 (共15小题;每小题2分，满分30分)

请认真阅读下列短文，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

Papa’s jaw dropped when Mama told him that Sister had cheated on her final exams—not to succeed but to fail. “It’s unbelievable!” he said. “Sister has always been so proud of her good grades!”

“Yes, she has,” said Mama. “But it’s not unbelievable. It just shows how badly she wanted off the swimming team.”

“Wanted off the swimming team?” said Papa. “She never said anything about that to me.”

“Of course she didn’t,” said Mama. “She was afraid you’d blow your top. You already had her getting a swimming scholarship to college and winning gold medals at the Olympics. Can you imagine how much pressure she must have felt? For her, being on the team couldn’t have been much fun.”

“Oh, my gosh!” Papa said, clapping a hand to his forehead. “I’ve been so stupid! I just thought she’d want to be a champion swimmer because she’s so good at it.”

“It’s like anything else, dear,” said Mama. “No matter how good at it you are, if it stops being fun, you won’t want to do it anymore.”

Papa put his head in his hands.

“She must be really mad at me,” he mumbled. “Maybe I should say sorry to her.”

Sister’s footsteps could be heard on the stairs. She came into the kitchen and looked hopefully up at her parents.

“Honey,” said Mama with a smile, “your papa and I have decided that there’s no reason for you to be on the swimming team if you don’t want to.”

Sister’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Yippee!” she cried.

“And,” added Papa, “there’s no need for any more drills. I’m sure you’ll bring your grades back up all by yourself.”

Sister ran to Papa and jumped into his arms. She gave him a big hug. “I’m going to go play cards with Lizzy!” she said. “See you later!”

From the kitchen window, Mama and Papa watched their daughter run down the sunny road toward Lizzy’s house.

“It’s good to see her happy again,” said Mama.

“It sure is,” Papa agreed. “As for the swimming team, there’s always next year.”

“If?” Mama prompted him.

“Oh, right,” said Papa. “If she wants to.”

Mama smiled. “At least you’re learning, dear,” she said. She kissed him.

“Well, you know what they say,” Papa said. “Better late than never.”

56. Sister wanted off the swimming team because _____.

A. she was not as good at swimming as ever before

B. she intended to improve her grades in her studies

C. she wanted to play cards far more than swimming

D. she felt it boring to struggle for Papa’s expectation

57. Mama insisted that the child should do _____.

A. what she was willing to B. what she felt easy to

C. what she was able to D. what she felt right to

58. What do you think of Papa?

A. Cruel but reasonable. B. Crazy but confident.

C. Stubborn but honest. D. Ambitious but considerate.

59. Which might be the proper title for the passage?

A. Easier Said Than Done B. Health Is Better Than Wealth

C. Better Late Than Never D. Something Is Better Than Nothing

B

Food Cures

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Description:

Did you know that fish oil is emerging as a real treatment for depression? That coffee and cinnamon can actually lower blood sugar in people with diabetes? Here you’ll find detailed food prescriptions, based on the latest research, for more than 57 common health problems, including colds, hay fever, memory loss and so on. Plus dozens of practical suggestions for getting more of the foods that can help prevent disease, and simple recipes for immune-boosting smoothies, healing teas, and more.

Product Details:

Hardcover: 352 pages

Publisher: Reader’s Digest Association

Publication Date: 2007-09

ISBN: 0762107308

※ ※ ※

Average Customer Rating: based on 3 reviews

Average Customer Review:

Exactly As Described Feb 15, 2010

Product arrived quickly. The description said there was a tear on the cover of the book. I was pleased that it was just a small tear and otherwise the book was in very good condition. This seller was honest and did not try to overplay the condition in order to make a sale.

Some good information Feb 06, 2010

This book does have some good information, but it does not talk at all about eating organic food, grass fed beef, free-range eggs, etc. The poisonous pesticides (杀虫剂) and artificial hormones (激素) in our society have a huge effect on our health and some illnesses probably wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for them.

Fantastic Aug 05, 2009

This book is perfect for any questions you have about using food to help your body. We all know chicken soup helps colds, but did you know? This book will tell you exactly what’s special about each food and what part of the body or disease it helps. Combat any health problems you have with this common sense food guide.

60. Who is the advertisement mainly intended for?

A. People who learn to treat patients. B. People who publish books on health.

C. People who cook food for certain patients. D. People who try to improve their health.

61. Which of the following statements about the book is WRONG?

A. It contains information about specific foods.

B. It has been poorly evaluated by its readers.

C. It is useful for people with diabetes.

D. It was published in September, 2007.

62. The underlined word “combat” in the last paragraph probably means “_____”.

A. discuss B. identify C. fight D. present

C

SYDNEY—Australia’s economic boom is encouraging a steady stream of unexpected visitors looking for work: Americans.

U.S. citizens are heading to Australia in small but growing numbers as near-10% unemployment at home drives more to look for jobs Down Under, where China’s thirst for iron ore (矿石) and energy is transforming the Pacific nation into an economic powerhouse.

A bricklaying student from Silver Trowel, a leading provider of quality education and training in the building and construction industry, apprentices (当学徒) on a building project in Western Australia, where workers are in short supply.

Daniel Davila, a 23-year-old floorer from Camarillo, California made the 14-hour move across the Pacific two years ago. He had been forced to take a job stocking shelves at a local grocery store for $8.90 an hour when he couldn’t get work fixing floors.

On a good day in Australia, he now makes as much as 50 Australian dollars (US$50.21) an hour—about twice the amount for a typical flooring job in the U.S. He plans to start his own flooring business.

“I can make what I did in a week in the U.S. in less than a day here,” said Mr. Davila, who lives near a mining boom town in Western Australia.

Australian government figures show just under 7,000 Americans currently working on long-term visas, an 80% jump over the past five years. U.S. citizens are now the third-largest group applying for so-called 457 work visas, after British and Indian nationals. Americans with degrees in areas such as accounting or mine engineering, as well as other skilled workers, can obtain a nonrenewable(不可续期的) permit for as much as a three-year stay. After that, they can apply for the renewable 457, which allows up to a four-year stay.

The need for workers is particularly pressing in Western Australia. The mining state’s unemployment rate was 4.5% in November, below the national average of 5.2%. Drivers of heavy trucks can pull in six-figure salaries while experienced crane (起重机) operators can earn hundreds of thousands a year. Attracting skilled workers is a shift for Australia, which historically sent many of its most highly educated to the U.S. and Europe, according to migration data.

63. _____, a growing number of Americans go to work in Australia.

A. As a result of the encouragement of Australia

B. As a result of high unemployment in the U.S.

C. Out of their ambition of finding valuable resources

D. Out of their determination to realize their dreams

64. It can be inferred from the passage that 457 work visas are _____.

A. for skilled workers in some fields B. for students on the building project

C. especially for American workers D. especially for those out of work

65. It is implied in the passage that _____.

A. foreigners have to give up their original professional jobs when working in Australia

B. it is possible for foreigners to earn more money in Australia than in their own countries

C. there are more U.S. citizens hoping to work in Australia than from other countries

D. Australians think it fair to exchange their talent with American skilled workers

66. In which of the following cities are workers probably most needed?

D

Scientists have long understood the key role that oceans play in regulating the Earth’s climate. Oceans cover 70 percent of the globe and store a thousand times more heat than the atmosphere does. What’s newer is the understanding of how this key component of our climate system responds to global warming.

A brake on global warming—for now

One of the ocean’s most important climate functions is absorbing heat and carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the gases that cause global warming. Acting as a heat sponge (海绵), the oceans have absorbed huge amounts of heat and CO2 in the last forty years.

Fujita explains that “the oceans are saving us from faster climate change—they are a big flywheel that delays rapid overheating of the earth, putting a brake on the climate system.”

“That’s the good news,” he adds. “The bad news is that the oceans only slow the atmospheric warming. Once the oceans come to balance with a greenhouse-gas warmed earth, the extreme heat will remain in the atmosphere and things will get much hotter.” But where and how the oceans release this accumulated (积累) heat is uncertain. And as the ocean stores heat, fragile underwater ecosystems are struggling.

The most recent scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) also notes with concern that the ocean is acidifying because of increased absorption of atmospheric CO2, and thus causing a threat for shell-forming species. Sharp increases in carbon dioxide levels will cause further acidification of the ocean.

Currents distributing heat

Another important role the oceans play is that of distributor. Oceans deliver heat and life-sustaining nutrients around the globe. Just as blood vessels bring oxygen and nutrients to cells in the human body, the ocean’s currents carry oxygen, nutrients and heat throughout the Earth. The ocean distributes 25 to 50 percent of the energy the planet receives from the sun. For example, the Gulf Stream carries heat across the Atlantic. This warm current gives northwestern Europe a milder climate than it would normally have so far north. A change to the ocean’s circulation (循环) patterns could throw Europe into a colder period, even as the rest of world experiences warmer temperatures.

67. We can infer from the passage that _____.

A. the oceans cause global warming B. the oceans stop global warming

C. the oceans release nutrients and heat D. the ocean ecosystems face more dangers

68. From the passage we can learn that the ocean’s currents _____.

A. produce oxygen and nutrients everywhere B. absorb 25~50% of the energy from the sun

C. distribute heat and nutrients around D. change the ocean’s circulation patterns

69. Which of the following is NOT the result of the ocean absorbing heat and carbon dioxide?

A. It causes further acidification. B. It affects shell-forming species.

C. It makes the atmosphere hotter. D. It regulates the Earth’s climate.

70. This passage mainly talks about ______.

A. the roles of oceans B. global warming C. ocean currents D. carbon dioxide

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