第三部分：阅读理解(共两节，40分)

第一节 (共15小题;每小题2分，共30分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的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

Until last spring, Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood went to school on Bus 59. But as fuel prices rose, the school district needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs. So the school’s busing company redrew its route map, canceling Nia’s bus. Now Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a “walking school bus”—a group of kids, supervised (监护) by an adult or two, who make the walk together.

Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school, partly because many did so themselves. According to a 1979 survey, nearly half of school kids walked or biked to school, compared with only 16 percent in 2011. Modern parents have been unwilling to let kids walk to school for fear of traffic, crime or simple bullying, but with organized adult supervision, those concerns have reduced.

Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save. In rural areas where busing is a must, some schools have even chosen four-day school weeks. Busing companies instruct drivers to cancel extra stops from routes and to turn off the engine while idling(挂空挡). They are also using computer software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes, which aren’t always the shortest ones.

There could be disadvantages, however, to the busing cutbacks. If every formerly bused student begins walking to school, it’s an environmental win—but if too many of their parents decide to drive them instead, the overall carbon footprint can grow. Replacing buses with many more parent-driven cars can also increase safety risks. A 2011 report concluded students are 13 times safer on a school bus than in a passenger car, since buses have fewer accidents and withstand them better due to their size. And some students complain about the long morning hikes, particularly when the route contains a really big hill.

56. In regards to walking to school, modern parents seem much concerned with the _____.

A. safety of their kids B. kids’ physical strength

C. time spent on the way D. changes in the route

57. To save money, some schools choose to _____.

A. shorten the school week B. take the shortest routes

C. stop using school buses D. use fuel-efficient buses

58. Busing cutbacks may lead to _____.

A. fewer complaints about long morning hikes

B. more students taking public transportation

C. an increase in carbon dioxide emissions

D. a decrease in the safety of school buses

B

A metaphor is a poetic device that deals with comparison. It compares similar qualities of two dissimilar objects. With a simple metaphor, one object becomes the other: Love is a rose. Although this does not sound like a particularly rich image, a metaphor can communicate so much about a particular image that poets use them more than any other type of figurative language. The reason for this is that poets compose their poetry to express what they are experiencing emotionally at that moment. Consequently, what the poet imagines love to be may or may not be our understanding of love. Therefore, the poet’s job is to enable us to experience it, to feel it the same way as the poet does.

Let’s analyze this remarkably simple metaphor concerning love and the rose to see what it offers. Because the poet uses a comparison with a rose, first we must examine the characteristics of that flower. A rose is impressive in its beauty, its petals(花瓣)are nicely soft, and its smell is pleasing. It’s possible to say that a rose is actually a feast to the senses of sight, touch, and smell. The rose’s appearance seems to border on perfection, each petal seemingly equal in form. Isn’t this the way one’s love should be?A loved one should be a delight to one’s senses and seem perfect.

However, there is another dimension added to the comparison by using a rose. Roses have thorns. The poet wants to convey the idea that roses can be tricky. So can love, the metaphor tells us. When one reaches out with absolute trust to touch the object of his or her affection, ouch, a thorn can cause great harm! “Be careful,” the metaphor warns, “Love is a feast to the senses, but it can overwhelm us, and it can also hurt us and cause acute suffering.” This is the poet’s understanding of love—an admonition (劝诫). What is the point?Just this: It took almost 14 sentences to clarify what a simple metaphor communicates in only four words! That is the artistry and the joy of the simple metaphor.

59. According to the passage, a metaphor is a ________.

A. description of two similar objects in a poetic way

B. literary device specially employed in poetry writing

C. contrast between two different things to create a vivid image

D. comparison between two different objects with similar features

60. As is meant by the author, thorns of a rose ________.

A. add a new element to the image of love

B. protect the rose from harm

C. symbolize reduced love

D. cause acute suffering

61. It can be inferred from the passage that a metaphor is _______.

A. difficult to understand B. rich in meaning

C. simple to use D. perfect in form

62. The main idea of this passage is that ________.

A. love is a rose in metaphor

B. a rose is a good image in poetry

C. a metaphor is a great poetic device

D. a poet should be careful to use a metaphor