第三部分 阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分，满分40分)

第一节 (共15小题;每小题2分，满分30分)

A

To Whom It May Concern:

On March 5, 2012 , I bought a Perfect Muffin Kit(松饼粉 ) from your store at Midfield Shopping Center. The cashier who assisted me was George. George was very friendly and told me that the Perfect Muffin Kit would live up to the guarantee on the box: “Perfect Muffins Every Time!”.

Unfortunately, this product did not live up to what it promised . The muffins I made were far from perfect . I followed the directions in the package very carefully . First , I removed the bag of mix from the box. Then , I poured it into a bowl. Next, I added the correct amount of water to the mix and stirred it. According to the directions, after stirring the mixture , I added half a cup of dried prapes, nuts , berries, or another favorite ingredient(配料 ) . My favorite ingredient happens to be hot sauce (沙司 ). I find that a bit of hot sauce makes pizza and soup taste very delicious. So, continuing to follow the directions, I added half a cup of hot sauce to the mix and stirred it. Finally, I poured the mix into muffin tins and baked it in the baker at 350 degrees for exactly 20 minutes.

When the muffins finished baking, I was very excited to eat the “Perfect Muffins” as promised on the box. You can imagine my disappointment when, upon tasting the muffins, I discovered that they were not perfect. These muffins were , in fact , absolutely terrible. Not even my dog was interested in eating these supposedly “perfect” muffins.

I would appreciate a full refund(退款 ) of $3.99 for this product as soon as possible. Enclosed are the receipt, the empty box, and one of the un-perfect muffins so that you can experience it for yourself . Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely ,

Michelle Bauer

56. This letter is most likely addressed to _______.

A. a local storeowner B. the owner of the muffin mix company

C. the clerk at a local muffin bakery D. George, the cashier who sold the muffin mix

57. The tone(语气 ) of the author can best be described as ________.

A. embarrassed B. hopeless C. disappointed D. disgusted

58. the author was unhappy with the product because________.

A. the directions of the product contained a mistake

B. it was not up to the promise made on the box

C. it was too difficult to follow the directions

D. it was worth less money than she paid for it

59. The author’s main purpose in writing this letter is to ________.

A. prevent others from making the same mistake

B. persuade the company to change the wording on their box

C. get back all the money paid from the shop

D. complain about how bad the muffins tasted

B

Why do people drink too much, eat too much, smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What’s to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive (自我毁灭的) acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.

According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn’t quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it’s having will power that really gets you into trouble.

Think back to the time you took your very first sip (啜饮) of beer. Disgusting, wasn’t it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette — it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation (诱惑) you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.

Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically (讽刺的是), only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a “taste” for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.

These bad habits aren’t self-control failures — far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control, but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.

60. What do most people think causes bad behavior?

A. Being forced by others. B. Not having enough will power.

C. Enjoying their first experiences. D. Following the examples of their friends.

61. The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove ____.

A. will power helps develop bad habits sometimes

B. drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers

C. self-control should be developed when one is young

D. everyone can be challenged by different temptations

62. In the last paragraph, the author stresses that ____.

A. without self-control, no one can succeed

B. bad habits don’t always lead to bad results

C. applying self-control correctly is important

D. people can develop wisdom from bad behavior

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

A. My First Sip of Beer B. Do You Have Will Power ?

C. Will Power Benefits Us D. Dark Side of Self-control

C

Should e­cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) be a new choice for the smokers trying to get rid of the habit? Reactions from Americans are mixed.More than half of the people questioned in a survey think e­cigarettes should be controlled by the US Food and Drug Administration，but 47 percent believe the e­cigarettes should be available to the smokers who want to quit.

“In the hunt for a safer cigarette，e­cigarettes are becoming a popular choice among those either trying to quit or looking to replace standard tobacco smoke with an alternative that manufacturers claim to be safer，” Zogby International，which conducted the survey，said in a statement.

About half of the 4,611 adults who took part in the survey had heard about e­cigarettes，which are battery­powered，or rechargeable cigarettes that vaporize a liquid nicotine solution.They do not produce smoke but a water vapor without smell.Sold mostly on the Internet，e­cigarettes were first made in China.

Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against using e­cigarettes，saying there was no evidence to prove they were safe or helped smokers break the habit.The WHO said people who smoke e­cigarettes breathe in a fine fog of nicotine into the lungs.

Nearly a third of people questioned in the survey think that e­cigarettes should be allowed in places where smoking is forbidden，because they don’t produce smoke，but 46 percent disagree.Men who were aware of the availability of e­cigarettes were more likely than women to say they should be a choice available to smokers who want to quit.Young people，aged 18-29，and singles were the groups most open to trying e­cigarettes.Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death worldwide，according to the WHO.

64.What can we learn from Paragraph 1?

A.American smokers ought to try e­cigarettes.

B.Americans have different opinions about e­cigarettes.

C.Every kind of cigarettes should be forbidden in America.

D.Most of the Americans don’t like e­cigarettes.

65.According to Zogby International，e­cigarettes ______.

A.are much safer than common cigarettes

B.are popular among people who want to quit smoking

C.will take the place of traditional cigarettes

D.are produced in a safer way by manufacturers

66.What do we know about e­cigarettes from the passage?

A.Most Americans are familiar with them.

B.They are a good choice as there is no nicotine.

C.They produce a water vapor that can’t be seen.

D.Most people buy them on the Internet.

67.What’s the attitude of the WHO towards e­cigarettes?

A.Negative B.Supportive C.Doubtful D.Indifferent