第二部分：阅读理解(共两节，满分40分)

(共15小题;每小题2分，满分30分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A,B,C,和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

A shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The boy walked a long way, and finally came upon the beautiful castle where the wise man lived.

On entering the main room of the castle, the boy was quite surprised: tradesmen coming and going, people chatting in the corners, and a small orchestra playing soft music. The wise man talked with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before  it was his turn.

The wise man listened carefully to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.

“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something,” said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.”

The boy began to walk up and down stairs of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the wise man.

“Well,” asked the wise man, “Did you see the Persian tapestries(挂毯)in the hall? Did you see the garden that took the master gardener ten years to create?” The boy was embarrassed, and replied that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil.

“Then go back and observe the wonders of my world,” said the wise man. The boy  picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace. This time he observed all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. When he returned, he described in detail everything he had seen.

“But where are the drops of oil?” asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

“Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,” said the wise man. “The secret of happiness is to see all the wonders of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.”

When the boy arrived at the castle, he           .

received a warm welcome from the wise man

had already missed his chance to talk to the wise man

was shown around the palace by the local people

didn’t expect to see so many people around

The wise man gave the boy two tasks in order to             .

show him how to observe the wonders in the world

teach him the secret of happiness

make him learn from his mistakes

let the boy enjoy his palace and garden

We can infer from the article that “the drops of the oil on the spoon” probably refer to         .

the beauty of one’s nature

the fortune a person possesses

the responsibilities one has to take on

the great opportunities in life

What would be the best title for the article?

A. Lesson about Happiness   B. The Secret of Happiness

C. Learning about Happiness   D. Searching for Happiness

B

“Have you ever been out on a boat and felt it lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the rush of energy as waves came over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves,” he said. Scientists are working to use that energy  to make electricity. Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The wind starts out by making little ripples(涟漪), but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.” When waves come toward the shore, people can set up dams to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine(涡轮机). The turbine can then power an electrical generator to produce electricity.

“The resource is huge,” said Janet Swain of the World Watch Institute. “We will never run out of wave power.” Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil or coal. Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface—that would make wave power seem ideal for creating energy throughout the world, though there are some weak points yet to overcome.

Swain said that wave power still costs too much money. She also said that its effects on sea animals are still unknown. What is more, wave power could affect fishing and boat traffic. Traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may someday run out. “Demand for en ergy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is rising rapidly throughout the world,” Swain said. In the future when you turn on a light, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

The writer uses the two questions at the beginning of the passage to        .

test the readers’ knowledge about waves

draw the readers’ attention to the topic

show Jamie Taylor’s importance

invite the readers to answer them

The underlined phrase “picking up” is closest in meaning to          .

A. starting again    B. speeding up

C. improving     D. gathering

We can make better use of wave energy if we          .

shorten its journey to thousands of homes

build more small power stations on the oceans

reduce the cost of turning it into electric power

quicken the steps of producing electricity

It can be inferred that someday we might not worry about        .

A. our power supply      B. our boat traffic

C. air pollution       D. our supply of sea fish