第二部分：阅读理解(共两节，45分)

第一节(共20小题;每小题2分，共40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

“I Went Skydiving at 84!”

As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2011,when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community(社区)announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.

On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute(降落伞), then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.

Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

41. What happened to the author in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane B. She entered a competition

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride D. She moved into a retirement community

42. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to .

A. build up her own reputation B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health condition D. make her argument persuasive

43. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited B. Scared

C. Nervous D. Regretful

44. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A. The beautiful clouds B. The wonderful view

C. The company of Jay D. The one-minute free fall

B

When milk arrived on the doorstep

When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.

Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note-“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”-and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically appear.

All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to out house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.

There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.

Recently, an old milk box in the countryside I saw brought back my childhood memories. I took it home and planted it on the back porch (门廊). Every so often my son’s friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.

45. Mr Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer____.

A. to show his magical power. B. to pay for the delivery

C. to satisfy his curiosity. D. to please his mother.

46. What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy’s house?

A. He wanted to have tea there.

B. He was a respectable person.

C. He was treated as a family member.

D. He was fully trusted by the family.

47. Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?

A. Nobody wants to be a milkman now.

B. It has been driven out of the market.

C. Its service is getting poor.

D. It is forbidden by law.

48. Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?

A. He missed the good old days.

B. He wanted to tell interesting stories.

C. He missed it for his milk bottles.

D. He planted flowers in it.

C

Students and Technology in the Classroom

I love my blackberry—it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me . I also love my laptop computer ，as it holds all of my writing and thoughts .Despite this love of technology ,I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices(设备) and truly communicate with others.

On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas .Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom ,I have a rule —no laptop ,iPads ,phones ,etc .When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy .

Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology . There’s a bit of truth to that. Some students assume that I am anti-technology . There’s no truth in that at all . I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students.

The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversations and truly engage complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas . I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course the material and the class discussion .

I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create .Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge , they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom .

I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change ,I’m sticking to my plan. A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up.

49.Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with____

A. the course material B. others’ misuse of technology

C. discussion topics D. the author’s class regulations

50.The underlined word “engage ”in para.4 probably means ____

A. explore B. accept

C. change D. reject

51.According to the author ,the use of technology in the classroom may ____

A. keep students from doing independent thinking

B. encourage students to have in-depth conversations

C. help students to better understand complex themes

D. affect students’ concentration on course evaluation

52.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author ____

A. is quite stubborn

B. will give up teaching history

C. will change his teaching plan soon

D. values technology-free dialogues in his class

D

As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electrical generating(发电)and transmission(输送)system for the 21th century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect the surrounding community. The same is true of big solar pants and the power lines that will be laid down to move electricity around.

The 19th century saw land grants(政府拨地)offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads ,leaving public land in between privately owned land . In much of the west ,some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped ,and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management ,with the completion or the interstate highway system ,many of the small towns which sprang up as railway stops and developed well ,have lost their lifeblood and died .

Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the west .this is not an argument against building then ,we need alternative energy badly .and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now .

So trade-offs will have to be made .some scenic sport will be sacrificed .some species (物种)will be forced to move ,or will be carefully moved to special accommodations ,deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects .

The lasting effects of these trade-offs are another matter .the 21st century development of the American west as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money to do a lot of good .but it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind , just like the railroad and the highway .

The money set aside in negotiated trade –offs and the institution that control will shape the west far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines .so let’s remember the effects of the railroad and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the west .

53.What was the problem caused by the construction of the railways ?

A. Small towns along the railways became abandoned.

B. Some railroad stops remained underused.

C. Land in the West was hard to manage.

D. Land grants went into private hands.

54.What is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to the last two paragraphs ?

A. The transmission of power. B. The use of money and power.

C. The conservation of solar energy. D. The selection of an ideal place.

55.What is the author ‘s attitude towards building solar plants ?

A. Cautious B. Approving C. Doubtful D. Disapproving

56.Which is the best title for the passage ?

A. How the Railways Have Affected the West

B. How Solar Energy Could Reshape the West

C. How the Effects of Power Plants Can Be Reduced

D. How the Problems of the Highways Have Been Settled

E

We know the famous ones—the Thomas Edison and the Alexander Graham Bells —but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper(雨刮器)?Shouldn’t we know who they are?

Joan Mclean think so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning “who” invented “what”, however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the “why” and ”how” questions. According to Mclean,” When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try.”

So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn’t be a built-in device for cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever(操作杆)on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.

Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations，It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan’s traffic light. It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible, Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?

57.By mentioning “traffic light” and “windshield wiper”, the author indicates that countless inventions are .

A. beneficial, because their inventors are famous

B. beneficial, though their inventors are less famous

C. not useful, because their inventors are less famous

D. not useful, though their inventors are famous

58.Professor Joan McLean’s course aims to_____.

A. add color and variety to students’ campus life

B. inform students of the windshield wiper’s invention

C. carry out the requirements by Mountain University

D. prepare students to try their own invention

B. inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper

C. due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm

D. not related to Professor Joan McLean’s lectures

60. Which 0f the following can best serve as the title of this passage?

A. How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers?

B. How to Design a Built-in Device for Cleaning the Window?

C. Shouldn’t We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper?

D. Shouldn’t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities?

第二节(共5小题：每小题1分，满分5分)

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。

M: Do you know something about pollution?

W: 61

M: What kinds of pollution have you learned about?

W: 62

M: Where does air pollution come from?

W: 63

M: What is it caused by?

W: 64

M: What will happen if we don’t stop polluting the earth?

W: 65

M: What should we do to care about nature and the environment?

W: We should “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Respond”.

A: Yes, I do.

B: Waste.

C: I don’t know, nor do I care about it.

D: It mainly comes from factories and cars.

E: Unless we take measures to stop it, our living environment will be worse and worse.

F: There are different kinds of pollution, such as air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution.

G: Nothing will happen if we do.