第二部分：阅读理解(第一节20小题，第二节5小题;每小题2分，满分50分)

第一节：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, 并在答题卡上将该选项标号涂黑。

A

It was an autumn morning shortly after my husband and I moved into our first house. Our children were upstairs unpacking, and I was looking out the window at my father moving around mysteriously on the front lawn. My parents lived nearby, and Dad had visited us several times already. “What are you doing out there?” I called to him.

He looked up, smiling. “I’m making you a surprise.” Knowing my father, I thought it could be just about anything. A self-employed jobber, he was always building things out of odds and ends. When we were kids, he always created something surprising for us.

Today, however, Dad would say no more, and caught ups in the busyness of our new life, I eventually forgot about his surprise.

Until one gloomy day the following March when I glanced out the window. Any yet… I saw a dot of blue across the yard. I headed outside for a closer look. They were crocuses (番红花), throughout the front lawn. Lavender, blue, yellow and my favorite pink ---- little faces moved up and down in the cold wind.

Dad! I smiled, remembering the things he had secretly planted last autumn. He knew how the darkness and dullness of winter always got me down. What could have been more perfectly timely to my needs?

My father’s crocuses bloomed each spring for the next four or five seasons, bringing the same assurance every time they arrived: Hard times almost over. Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon.

Then a spring came with only half the usual blooms. The next spring there were none. I missed the crocuses. I would ask Dad to come over and plant new bulbs. But I never did.

He died suddenly one October day. My family was in deep sorrow, leaning on our faith. I missed him terribly.

Four years passed, and on a dismal spring afternoon I was driving back when I found myself feeling depressed. “You’ve got the winter depression again and you get them every year.” I told myself.

It was Dad’s birthday, and I found myself thinking about him. This was not unusual --- my family often talked about him, remembering how he lived his faith. Once I saw him give his coat to a homeless man.

Suddenly I slowed as I turned into our driveway. I stopped and stared at the lawn. And there on the muddy grass and small gray piles of melting snow, bravely waving in the wind, was one pink crocus.

How could a flower bloom from a bulb more than 18 years old, one that had not blossomed in over a decade? But there was the crocus. Tears filled my eyes as I realized its significance.

Hold on, keep going, light is coming soon. The pink crocus bloomed for only a day. But it built my faith for a lifetime.

41. According to the first three paragraphs, we learn that _________.

A. the writer was unpacking when her father was making the surprise

B. the writer knew what the surprise was because she knew her father

C. it was not the first time that the writer’s father had made a surprise

D. it kept bothering the writer not knowing what the surprise was

42. Which of the following would most probably be the worst time of the year as seen by the writer?

A. Spring. B. Summer. C. Autumn. D. Winter.

43. Which of the following is NOT true, according to the passage?

A. The writer’s father planted the crocus to lift her low spirit.

B. The crocuses bloomed each spring before the writer’s father died.

C. The writer often thought about her father since her father died.

D. The writer’s father died 14 years after he planted the crocus.

44. The writer’s father should be best described as_________.

A. a full-time gardener with skillful hands B. a part-time jobber who loved flowers

C. a kind-hearted man who lived with faith D. an ordinary man with doubts in his life

45. Crocus was viewed as the symbol of _________ by the writer.

A. faith B. family C. love D. friendship

B

We can stay young forever. That is the message Dr. Shen Ziyin wants to give the world. And the Chinese doctor claims that he has found an answer to the problems of aging.

His solution is a herbal medicine to slow the process of aging.

Dr. Shen Ziyin has been trained in Western medicine. At the same time he studied traditional Chinese medicine. And, he has been working for the past forty years to put together the best of both and find a cure for aging. He has taken a hint from the ancient Chinese medicine system called “shen”.

According to Shen, it is the kidney(肾脏)which adjusts the functioning of the body as well as its aging process. It is responsible for the level of activity that the human bodies go through. Studies conducted by Dr. Shen show that herbal medicine based on the shen system slow the aging process, says a report in The Telegraph newspaper.

We notice that when people grow old, they have reduced strength, loss of hair, backache, weakness in general, and wrinkles, among others. This happens because when people grow old, their bodies produce T-cells. These T-cells contain a particular substance called Fas. Fas makes the cells in the body destruct themselves.

So the only way to slow down aging is to slow the production of T-cells in the body. This can happen if people eat low calorie food. Then the body is not active enough to produce extra T-cells. But, is going hungry all the time a good price to pay for staying young?

This is where Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine comes in. But how effective it will be, only time can tell.

46. How did Dr. Shen find the solution to the problem of aging?

A. By studying Western medicine.

B. By learning traditional Chinese medicine.

C. By combining both Western and Chinese medicine.

D. By doing research on both Western and Chinese people.

47. What plays the most important role in keeping people young according to Shen?

A. Medical treatment. B. People’s good kidney.

C. Level of people’s activity. D. Positive life attitude.

48. The reason why people become old is that _________.

A. their bodies produce T-cells

B. their bodies are unable to fight diseases

C. they have reduced strength, loss of hair

D. they become weaker and weaker

49. We can probably learn from the passage that _________.

A. producing more low calorie food allows people to keep young

B. the more Chinese herbal medicine people drink, the better for health

C. people should try to quicken the production of T-cells in the body

D. it remains unknown how effective Dr. Shen’s herbal medicine is

C

As China becomes increasingly urbanized (城市化), it has to find space for its urban and rural citizens as both groups become increasingly integrated. Experts suggest a possible model way may be “re-inventing” a “garden city”.

China’s mega-cities are bursting at the borders and the country is now undergoing the quickest and biggest urbanization in the history of mankind. It is estimated that by 2025, China will have 400 million more people living in its cities, raising its urban population to 900 million. Besides, new satellite towns are mushrooming on the urban fringes while city ring roads are rippling outwards into the countryside at amazing speed. Satellite maps collected by Professor Joshua Bolchover at the University of Hong Kong bring the problem sharply into focus. They track the changing rural-urban framework in the past 30 years, and suggest that cities are cruelly destroying surrounding rural land and rapidly reducing the amount of arable(可耕种的)land, which gives way to new residential blocks, new industrial zones, new financial centers and the other inevitable signs and signatures of economic growth.

This, however, is not sustainable growth pattern, especially when China has the world’s largest population to feed. So concerned urban planners are starting to note the social and physical effects of diaspora(大移居)when replaced rural communities are forced into the cities.

On the other hand, a trend of thought is gradually taking shape and this is the concept of the “garden city”, a combination of country and city that is being proposed by architects and city planners. Hua Li, from Tao Architects, is among the many professionals with such a voice. His argument is supported by a long-term study on this subject. As Hua says, the answer is to preserve patches of productive farmland within urban boundaries. Less transportation means we have fresh agricultural products at lower costs and less carbon emission in the city. And urban farmland can also be showcased for agricultural tourism and education.

The concept is already practiced at the grassroot level. Agriculture has gone into the air, up to roof and balcony in some communities in the cities. It’s common to see organic “hanging garden” on the roof of some traditional courtyard home. According to some people, the rooftop project translate to tangible (= practical) benefits, such as safe, nutritious vegetables, a cooler home in summer. Some say thanks to the tomatoes they plant that are natural insect killers, there’re fewer mosquitoes. Apart from these, it also contributes to better bonding with neighbors. Zhang, a doctor in Beijing, began creating his hanging garden five years ago. Since his garden became home to 30 kinds of vegetables and fruit --- all enough to feed his family, neighbors have enjoyed dropping by for a relaxing chat or just to see how well the lovely vegetables and fruit are doing.

Although people like Zhang are still rare and the greening of roof space with vegetables and fruit takes skill and energy, with more positive media exposure and advanced technology there is the prospect that garden city will become common practice in the near future. By then, cities will no longer look so gray when seen from the satellites.

50. Some experts suggest re-inventing a “garden city” because _________.

A. it is the only model way to save the cities

B. it helps stop destroying the rural areas

C. increasing urbanization takes place in China

D. China has the largest population to feed

51. What is the purpose of paragraph 2?

A. To show the experts’ concern about the increase of population.

B. To persuade people into supporting economic growth in cities.

C. To explain the reasons for the change of rural-urban framework.

D. To inform the readers of the consequences of quick urbanization.

52. In Hua Li’s opinion, a combination of country and city will __________.

A. benefit the environment and lower living costs

B. become a project that needs a long-term study

C. lead to more rural communities being replaced

D. attract more farmers to take tours in cities

53. Zhang is mentioned (Paragraph 5) to show that __________.

A. he achieves his dream to own a hanging garden

B. hanging gardens are becoming more popular

C. the garden contributes to a better neighborhood

D. he is a pioneer to practise the gardening concept

54. As for the concept of the “garden city”, the writer feels_________.

A. desperate B. hopeful C. disappointed D. concerned

D

Scientific experts from around the world are genuinely predicting that 3 years from now, all life on Earth could well finish. Some are saying it’ll be humans that set it off. Others believe that a natural phenomenon will be the cause. And the religious folks are saying it’ll be God himself who presses the stop button... Seven reasons are going about why the world will end in 2012 and netizens have started a discussion in the forum.

1.Mayan Calendar

The first mob to predict 2012 as the end of the world were the Mayans, a bloodthirsty race that were good at two things: Building highly accurate astrological(占星术的)equipment out of stone and sacrificing virgins.

Thousands of years ago they managed to calculate the length of the lunar moon as 329.53020 days, only 34 seconds out. The Mayan calendar predicts that the Earth will end on December 21, 2012. Given that they were pretty close to the mark with the lunar cycle, it’s likely they’ve got the end of the world right as well.

2. Sun Storms

Solar experts from around the world monitoring the sun have made an extremely discovery: our sun is a bit of conflict. The energy output of the sun is, like most things in nature, cyclic (循环的), and it’s supposed to be in the middle of a period of relative stability. However, recent solar storms have been bombarding the Earth with so much radiation energy, and it’s been knocking out power grids and destroying satellites. This activity is predicted to get worse, and calculations suggest it will reach its deadly peak sometime in 2012.

3. The Atom Smasher

Scientists in Europe have been building the world’s largest particle accelerator (粒子加速器). Basically it’s a 27km tunnel designed to break atoms together to find out what makes the Universe tick. However, the device has caused serious concern, with some scientists suggesting that it’s properly even a bad idea to turn it on in the first place. They’re predicting all manner of deadly results, including mini black holes. So when this machine is fired up for its first serious experiment in 2012, the world could be squeezed into a super-dense drop the size of a basketball.

4. The Bible says…

If having scientists warning us about the end of the world isn’t bad enough, religious folks are getting in on the act as well. Interpretations of the Christian Bible reveal that the date for Armageddon, the final battle between Good and Evil, has been set down for 2012. The I Ching, also known as the Chinese book of Changes, says the same thing, as do various sections of the Hindu teachings.

5. Super Volcano

Yellowstone National Park in the United States is famous for its thermal springs and Old Faithful geyser. The reason for this is simple --- it’s sitting on top of the world’s biggest volcano, and geological experts are beginning to get nervous sweats. The Yellowstone volcano has a pattern of erupting every 650,000 years or so, and we’re many years overdue for an explosion that will fill the atmosphere with ash, blocking the sun and suddenly moving the Earth into a frozen winter that could last up to 15,000 years. The pressure under the Yellowstone is building steadily, and geologists have set 2012 as a likely date for the big bang.

6. The Physicists

This one is case of bog-simple maths mathematics. Physicists at Berkley University have been dealing with the numbers and they have determined that the Earth is well overdue for a major catastrophic event. Even worse, they’re claiming their calculations proof that we’re all going to die, very soon --- while also saying their prediction comes with a certainty of 99 percent --- and 2012 just happens to be the best guess as to when it occurs.

7. Slip-Slop-Slap-BANG!

We all know the Earth is surrounded by a magnetic(磁的)field that shields us from most of the sun’s radiation. What you might not know is that the magnetic poles we call north and south have a bad habit of swapping places every 750,000 years or so – and right now we’re about 30,000 years overdue. Scientists have noted that the poles are drifting apart roughly 20-30kms each year, much faster than ever before, which points to a pole-shift being right around the corner. While the pole shift is underway, the magnetic field is disrupted and will eventually disappear, sometimes for ups to 100 years. The result is enough UV(紫外线的)outdoors to crisp your skin in seconds, killing everything it touches.

55. Some people are convinced of Mayans’ prediction about the end of the world probably because _________.

A. they had stone astrological equipment

B. they calculated the lunar cycle highly accurately

C. they could get close to the lunar moon

D. they were the first group to predict things

56. According to solar experts, what have solar storms attacked the Earth with?

A. Satellite power. B. Black holes. C. Radiation energy. D. Wind energy.

57. What does the writer mean by “religious folks are getting in on the act as well” ( Paragraph 6 )?

A. Religions also have predictions about the end of the world.

B. Religious people are taking action to solve the problem.

C. Religions come up with different views from the scientists.

D. Scientists do their research among the religious people.

58. According to Paragraph 7, we probably know that in Yellowstone National Park _________.

A. the volcano erupts rather frequently

B. springs are unknown by American people

C. pressure under it is gradually gathering

D. a volcanic eruption is unlikely to take place

59. The word “shields” (Paragraph 9) can best be replaced by _________.

A. refreshes B. preserves C. replaces D. protects

60. What would the passage probably be if it’s to be continued?

A. Worst effects. B. Possible solutions.

C. Humans’ measures. D. Netizens’ discussion.

第二节： 阅读下列材料，从所给的六个选项(A、B、C、D、E和F)中，选出符合各小题标题的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。选项中有一项为多余选项。

61. A Family Comes Back Home after Seven Years at Sea.

62. Floating Hotel Could Resist Rising Sea Levels.

63. Three Teenagers Found Alive after 50 Days Adrift in the Ocean.

64. Future City Will Be a Boat Floating Safely at Sea.

65. Lovely Bear Says Hello to Cruise Ship with a Friendly Wave.

A

The three Samoan teenagers who had survived fifty days all alone at the Pacific Ocean in a small boat and had given up all their hope, have now been found alive miraculously. The youths, two aged 15 and one aged 14, had disappeared in a tiny boat and were assumed to have died after unsuccessful searches in the vast ocean by the New Zealand air force and even the memorial service in their honor was held. But who knew the miracles of God? B

It’s like something straight out of a James Bond film – but a British firm believes this floating building could be the future of life at sea. With 11 accommodation decks, a 360-degree observation area, its own dock, several swimming pools and as much space as a cruise liner, it’s not so much a boat as a city. The boat is designed to float on four platforms, each with thrusters(推进器)to keep the whole boat island stable, even in the extreme seas.

C

While most of us will love to go on a vacation for a week or two on a small yacht, there is no doubt about the fact that spending seven precious years on sea is something which most of us will never imagine or dare to do. However, that is what an American family has done. Tom Crafton and Kathy Crafton along with their three children have traveled across the world on their 43-foot sailboat. Over the past seven years the family had sailed 30,000 miles and visited more than 20 different countries. The family has recently come back to their homeland. D

During a cruise through Svalbard in the Arctic, Swedish photographer Hans snapped a fame-hungry bear as he came out to pose for the excited crowd. Hans was on board the ship just taking in the view when he suddenly saw a head pop up from behind the ice about 15 yards away. The bear was yawning and seemed to be enjoying all the attention and walked over to the crowd. It waved twice. When it lifted his hand and waved again, Hans managed to capture the shot.

E

The rising sea waters caused by global warming have inspired a Russian architect to design a hotel that could be built on water as well as land. It’s called “The Ark”, but looks more like a ship sitting upside down on the water. A new design by Russian architect Alexander Remizov challenges the tradition of land-based hotel and would provide a shelter in the future ---- should the world face a modern-day flood of Biblical proportions. F

Bora Bora is the most beautiful island in the world. It’s so unbelievably attractive and so often used in pictorials as the perfect example of exotic islands, that some question its existence. But rest assured, this volcanic island with a palm-fringed coral reef that forms a small area of water so crystal clear that the Caribbean looks cloudy by comparison is very real and very achievable to world travelers and island lovers.