A

Buying insurance (保险) is a way in which people can protect themselves against large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large numbers of people pay small sums of money to an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only a few will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes out of the small sums of money it has collected.

The first modern fire insurance company was formed in London, England, in the 1760s. A great fire had just destroyed most of the city, and people wanted protection against further losses. The first company grew rapidly. Soon other companies were founded in other areas.

Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752, and then a new kind of insurance for farmers was suggested. The new insurance would provide protection against the loss of crops from storms.

Later on another new insurance company was started in America. This company, which offered life insurance, collected small sums of money regularly from many different men. If a man died, his family was given a large sum of money.

Over the years, insurance companies have offered new kinds of insurance protection. The new kinds of insurance cover losses from such accidents as car and plane crashes. Today, most people have some kind of insurance.

1.Who helped set up the first company in America?

A. Benjamin Franklin. B. Businessmen.

C. The first insurance company in London. D. Farmers.

2.Insurance means ________.

A. Protection against the losses from the storms

B. protection against illness

C. Protection against accidents

D. all of the above

3.The first modern insurance company offered ________.

A. life insurance B. fire insurance

C. a new kind of insurance D. both A and B

4.Why do most people buy some kind of insurance today?

A. Insurance will keep their homes from burning.

B. People can protect themselves against large losses.

C. Insurance will pay for safety.

D. The insurance companies grow rapidly.

B

Lisa never had the chance to know her father. He and her mother divorced(离婚) when she was just a young child. Even though he didn’t move far, he never came to visit his children.

Lisa often wondered about her father. What did he looked like and what he was doing. All she knew was his name: Jeff White.

After Lisa grew up, she became a nurse at a hospital, where she would help provide medicine and comfort for patients in their final days. A few weeks ago, she received a new patient whose name was Jeff White.

When Jeff came into his room, Lisa asked him if he had any children. Jeff told her that he had two daughters, Lisa and Elly. Lisa couldn’t hold her tears back. She told him, “I am Lisa, your daughter.”

Jeff embraced her, saying that he was not a good father. And the daughter held his hand and kissed him. Then Jeff began to sing This Magic Moment.

Jeff could have just weeks left to live, so Lisa wanted to make the most of the time she had with him. Lisa also brought her kids to the hospital to meet their grandfather. The kid made cards for him with the words, “I love you.”

Forgiveness(宽恕) is also a kind of love.

5. What did Lisa know about her father?

A. Her father’s looks B. Her father’s name

C. Her father’s hobby D. Her father’s job

C

A student was one day taking a walk with his teacher. As they went along, they saw a pair of old shoes lying in the path. They were a poor farmer’s, who was working in the nearby field.

The student turned to the teacher, saying: “we will hide his shoes, and hide ourselves behind those trees, and wait to see what he will do.”

“My young friend,” answered the teacher, “we should never make fun of the poor. Why not put a coin in each shoe, and then we will hide ourselves and watch?” The student did so and they both hid themselves behind the trees. The poor man soon finished his work, and came across the field to the path where he had left his coat and shoes.

After putting on his coat, he put his foot into one of his shoes, and felt something hard. Then he bent (弯腰) down to feel what it was, and found the coin. Surprised, he looked at the coin, turned it around and looked at it again. He then looked around, but no person was seen. He put the money into his pocket, and continued to put on the other shoe. His surprise was doubled on finding the other coin.

He couldn’t control his feelings and fell to his knees, looked up to the sky and expressed his thanks. Then he spoke of his wife, sick and helpless, and his children without bread. He said the help would save them from dying.

The student stood there deeply moved, and his eyes filled with tears. “Now,” said the teacher, “Are you not much happier than if you had hidden the shoes?”

9. When the student saw the shoes, he wanted to _____.

A. steal them B. find their owner

C. play a joke on the owner D. give the owner some money

10. According to the passage, the teacher is _____.

A. quiet and honest B. kind and friendly

C. patient and clever D. strict and careful

11. When the farmer saw the second coin, he _____.

A. was very excited and grateful

B. was worried and looked up at the sky

C. was surprised and decided to find the owner

D. spoke of his difficulties and asked for more help

12. What can we learn from the passage?

A. It is never too late to learn.

B. All good things come to an end.

C. Where there is a will, there is a way.

D. True happiness comes from helping others.

D

Perhaps you have heard a lot about the Internet, but what is it, do you know? The Internet is a network. It uses the telephone to join millions of computers together around the world.

Maybe that doesn’t sound very interesting. But when you’ve joined to the Internet, there are lots and lots of things you can do. You can do with all kinds of information on the World Wide Web (WWW). You can use QQ to chat with your friends, and they will make responses in a few seconds. You can send E-mails to your friends, and they can get them in a few seconds. You can also go shopping by the Internet without going out.

There are many different kinds of computers now. They all can be joined to the Internet. Most of them are small machines sitting on people’s desks at home, but there are still many others in schools, offices or large companies. These computers are owned by people and companies, but no one really owns the Internet itself.

There are lots of places for you to go into the Internet. For example, your school may have the Internet. You can use it during lessons or free time. Libraries often have computers joined to the Internet. You are welcome to use it at your spare time.

Thanks to the Internet, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. It is possible for you to work at home with a computer in front, getting and sending the information you need. It is also possible for you to discuss some projects or assign the work on the Internet instead of at a meeting. In addition, you can buy or sell whatever you want by the Internet. But do you know 98% of the information on the Internet is in English? So what will English be like tomorrow?

13. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Internet. B. Information. C. Computers. D. E-mails.

14. Who is the owner of the Internet?

A. The headmaster. B. The officer. C. The manager. D. No one.

15. Which may be the most possible place for people to work in the future?

A. In the office. B. At school.

C. At home. D. In the company.

第二节 阅读填空（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）

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

A good book can be satisfying. If reading is a habit you’d like to get into, there are some ways to develop it.

Realize that reading is enjoyable if you have a good book. If you have a difficult book and you are forcing yourself through it, it will seem like a task.

16 .

Set time. You should have some time during every day when you’ll read for at least 5 to 10 minutes. 17 . For example, make it a habit to read during breakfast and lunch and even dinner if you eat alone.

Always carry a book. 18 .When I leave the house, I always make sure to have my car keys and one book at hand. The book stays with me in the car, and I take it into the office and to appointments and pretty much everywhere I go.

19 .Find a place in your home where you can sit in a comfortable chair. Don’t lie down unless you’re going to sleep. There should be television or computer near the chair, and no music or no noisy family members/roommates. If you don’t have a place like this, create one.

Reduce television/the Internet. If you really want to read more, try cutting back on time on TV or the Internet. 20 .Still, every minute you reduce of the Internet/TV, you could use for reading. This could create hours of book reading time.

A. Wherever you go, take a book with you.

B. Go to bookstores.

C. Have some good tea or coffee while you read.

D. Find a quiet place.

E. This may be difficult for some people.

F. If this happens, give up the book and find another one that you’ll really love.

G. It means you will read no matter how busy you are.

第二部分 英语知识运用（共两节，满分60分）

第一节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并写在答题卡上。

A poor farmer had a friend who was famous for the wonderful apples he grew. One day, his friend 21 him a young apple tree and told him to take it home and 22 it.

Seeing the gift, the farmer was very 23 , and he thought he would also have a lot of wonderful apples, but when he got home, he had a(n) 24 . He didn’t know 25 to plant it. He thought over and over and 26 every place he could think of. 27 he decided to plant the tree in his woods. There were many high trees with thick leaves in the woods. With those trees around no one else could 28 the young apple tree. He even felt proud of himself for finding