第二部分：阅读理解题（共两节，满分40分）

第一节（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

People and the sources of air pollution are found in the same places. This means that cities with large populations have the biggest problem of dirty air. Air pollution is caused by many different things. A major source of air pollution is the gas fumes from cars. Statistics show that 93 percent of all auto trips are within cities. Another major source of dirty air is the burning of coal and oil for energy. This energy is needed to make electricity. Of course, much more electricity is used in the city than in the country.

On the average, we throw away more trash and garbage than the year before. The burning of garbage contributes to air pollution. Many major industries are also responsible for the dirty air in the around cities. The fumes from iron, steel, chemical, and petroleum production add particles to the air.

The effects of air pollution range from mild headaches to death. The levels of pollution found in heavy for traffic may cause headaches for loss of clear vision. Wherever coal and oil are used for fuel, fumes（气体）may kill trees and plants and cause metal to corrode. In some of the larger cities, these fumes endanger the live of human beings by contributing to lung diseases and causing early death.

21.Why is air pollution more serious in the city than in the country?

　 A. Because the air in the city is dirty.

　 B. Because there are larger populations in cities.

　 C. Because there are more cars in the city.

　 D. Because there are much more gas fumes, burning of coal and oil for energy.

22. In larger cities, the fumes from coal and oil may contribute to ___________.

　 A. heart disease B. lung diseases

C. loss of clear vision D. serious headache

23. The main idea of the passage is that _________.

　 A. the cause of air pollution is people

　 B. the effects of air pollution range from headaches to death

　C. the causes and the effects of air pollution are found in cities

　 D. air pollution is caused by dirty air

24. What is the purpose of this passage?

　 A. to persuade people to stop polluting the air

　 B. to tell the causes of air pollution

　 C. to tell why cities are bad places to live

　 D. to describe why cities are bad places to live

B

Helen Thomas, the pioneering White House reporter known for putting presidents on the hot seat, died at 92．

To those who regularly watch presidential press conferences, Helen Thomas is a familiar figure．Usually dressed in red and always seated in the front row, she is always the first or second reporter the president calls upon．It is an honor she has earned．Besides, it affords her the perfect opportunity to do what she does best - challenge the president and other public officials to tell the plain truth．She said, "We reporters' priority（首要事情） is the people's right to know - without fear or favor．We are the people's servants．"

Helen Thomas was born in Kentucky in 1920．All the nine Thomas children were brought up to value education, and all were expected to make something of themselves through working hard．She made up her mind while still in high school to become a reporter after writing for the student newspaper．After receiving her bachelor's degree in 1942, Thomas headed straight for Washington, D．C．in search of a newspaper job．Before long, she landed one at Washington Daily News．Her duty included fetching coffee and doughnuts for the paper's reporters and editors．The eager young woman found the atmosphere exciting and was convinced she had made the right career choice．

Her big break came when she was sent to Florida to report on the vacation of President-elect John F．Kennedy and his family．Once President Kennedy took office, Thomas changed her focus from the president's family to his policies．She began attending the daily press briefings at the White House as well as presidential press conferences．Thomas has covered every president since Kennedy．Over the years, Thomas found her job "thrilling and inspiring," but never boring．And she took very seriously her duty to "keep an eye on the president" and keep American people informed．

25: What can we learn about Helen Thomas from the passage?

A．Her first job was to deliver doughnuts to a news agency．

B．She was born to a large family in Kentucky in 1942．

C．Her career took off after covering the Kennedys．

D．She decided to be a reporter while in college．

26: Paragraph 3 is written to show Helen Thomas

A．is a good decision maker for her career

B．wants to be famous by writing reports

C．has great support from her family

D．appreciates education and hard work

27: What can be the best title for the text?

A．A reporter from an ordinary family．

B．A reporter sticking to the facts．

C．A reporter challenging President Kennedy．

D．A reporter for Washington Daily News．

C

MRS Flowers was one of the few gentlewomen I have ever known. One summer afternoon, she stopped at our store to buy food. Mom said: “Sister Flowers, I’ll send Bailey up to your house with these things.”

??? “Thank you, Mrs. Henderson. I’d prefer Marguerite, though.” My name sounded so beautiful when she said it. “I've been meaning to talk to her, anyway.”

???? There was a path beside the rocky road, and Mrs. Flowers walked ahead of me. Without turning her head, she spoke to me: “I hear you’re working very well in school, Marguerite, but only in written assignments. The teachers report that they have trouble getting you to talk in class.” “Language is mankind’s way of communicating with our fellow men, and it is language alone, which separates us from the lower animals.” That was a totally new idea to me, and I would need time to think about it.

??? “Your grandmother says you read a lot ---every chance you get. That’s good, but not good enough. Words mean more than what is set down on paper...”

??? She said she was going to give me some books and that I must not only read them, but read them aloud. She suggested that I should make a sentence sound in as many different ways as possible.

??? She brought a thick, small book from the bookcase. It was A Tale of Two Cities. She opened the book, started reading and I heard poetry for the first time in my life. “It was the best of times and the worst of time...” Her voice curved through and around the words. She was almost singing.

??28. Mrs. Flowers preferred the author to send what she bought home mainly because __________.

????? A. she wanted to invite the author to her home

????? B. she knew the author's name sounded so beautiful. ?????

C. she wanted to have a chat with the author

D. she wanted to help the author with her written tasks

??29. According to the article, the author ______.

????? A. got along well with her teachers and classmates

????? B. didn’t work hard in school

???? C. liked to talk with her classmates in class

????? D. was not active enough in class?

?? 30. On the way back home, Mrs. Flowers ______.

????? A. recommended some popular books to the author

????? B.encouraged the author to interact more with others?

?? ???C.tried to persuade the author to talk with her

?????D. convinced the author of the importance of reading

?31. We can infer from the article that Mrs. Flowers ______.

????? A. thinks reading classic literary works helps people communicate better

????? B. believes reading literary works aloud helps people better understand them

?????C. is a kind-hearted and humorous teacher

????? D.attaches more importance to written English than oral English?

D

I had just picked up my new car, a very beautiful automobile if you’re into cars. A few months later, I was involved in an accident. That new and very beautiful car was destroyed.

The accident was clearly not my fault. The other guy was so busy on?his?cell phone that he went right through a red light and slammed into the passenger side of my car. It was even scarier because my niece was asleep on the back seat and her father, my brother, was in the front passenger seat. He was not happy, to say the least.

The police arrived and began taking statements. I explained that I had been going at about 55kmph. “So you were going about 50kmph…” he said.

“No, I said I was doing about 55kmph” I said.

“Right, so you were doing about 50kmph…” again he repeated.

In a slightly annoyed tone because I felt I wasn’t being heard, I said: “No! I was doing about 55kmph!”

“OK, if that’s the way you want it,” this?time the officer simply replied.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was shooting myself in the foot. My insurance company paid me for the damages to my car. However, I totally missed the boat on the other driver’s insurance company.

The city speed limit is 50kmph.I ended up getting 50 percent less than I would have from the other guy’s insurance?company?because I had insisted I was doing 55kmph.

It suddenly struck me that the traffic policeman had been trying to help me out. He hadn’t minded about the 5kmph; he had known something about the insurance that I had not.

I thought about what had happened again. I might have carried on insisting that I told the truth, but I could at least have said “Thank you” to him instead of acting so rudely. After all, he had been trying to help me out.

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to let other people talk while you simply shut up and listen. Never forget to hear, you have to be able to listen.

32 Which of the following is true about the car accident the author had?

A the author’s car was not seriously broken.

B the author’s niece was injured in the accident.

C the author was not to blame for the accident

D the author didn’t get any money from the insurance company.

33 when the author insisted his speed was 55kmph, the policeman__

A was confused at first and then got slightly annoyed .

B tried to help him out all the time

C didn’t listen and wrote down 50kmph

D ignored the author at first ,then finally