第一卷

第一部分： 阅读理解 （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。

A

How will you celebrate New Year’s Eve? By having a party with your classmates? Going to the karaoke for a singing competition? Many people around the world celebrate the day. Let’s have a look at what people in other countries do.

In the United States, thousands of people jam into Times Square in New York to welcome in the new year at midnight. The change from New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is very exciting. People count down the seconds to welcome the new day as the New Year ball slowly gets down and lights up the area.

In Spain, when the clock strikes midnight, everyone eats 12 grapes. They eat one grape for each toll (钟声) to bring good luck for the next 12 months of the new year.

In Scotland, fireworks are set off in front of the Edinburgh Castle. Immediately after midnight, people sing Auld Lang Syne. The words are in Scottish and mean “days gone by”. The famous Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote the song.

In Brazil, most people wear white clothes on New Year’s Eve to bring good luck for the new year. If they live near a beach, after midnight, people go there, light candles in the sand, throw flowers in the sea and make a wish. They say that the goddess who protects the sea will make their wishes come true.

Did you know?

The date January 1 was picked by the Roman leader Julius Caesar as the change of the year when he established his own calendar in 46 BC. The month of January was named after the Roman god, Janus. He is pictured with two heads. One head looks forward and the other back. They represent a break between the old and new.

1. What’s the best title of the passage?

A. The history of New Year.

B. 12 grapes, 12 months .

C. Where to celebrate the New Year’s Eve.

D.New Year joy all around the world.

2. We can learn from the last paragraph that .

A. Janus established the calendar

B. Julius Caesar made the month of January the start of a year

C. The calendar before 46BC was the same as the one today

D. Julius Caesar was the Roman god

3. What does the underlined word jam in the second paragraph mean?

A. come in a large number B. walk up and down

C. rush from time to time D. come now and then

B

There is a lot of talk these days about how kids should be interested in science. Here’s an area of science for everyone, and these cool new books might inspire you to discover your inner scientist.

Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled by Catherine Thimmesh, 58 pages, ages 9-12

Seeing a picture or a model of a dinosaur, do you wonder how anybody knows what they look like? After all, nobody has seen a living dinosaur. This book explains how scientists and artists work together to re-create dinosaurs. As scientific discoveries have been made, the models have changed. Scientific tests may one day expose what a dinosaur’s coloring was, but now artists have to use their imagination to determine how these huge creatures looked.

Beyond the Solar System by Mary Kay Carson, 128 pages, ages 10-13

This book takes readers back to the beginnings of space exploration—thousands of years ago, when people began star observation—and forward to today’s search for planets in distant parts of the Milky Way. Along with history lessons, readers get 21 activities, such as making a black hole and creating a model of Albert Einstein’s universe using a T-shirt. The activities are perfect for cold winter days.

Ultimate Bugopedia by Darlyne Murawski and Nancy Honovich, 272 pages, ages 7 and older

If you’re always on the lookout for butterflies, this book is for you. Hundreds of color photos of common and unusual insects fill this hardcover. There are fascinating stories related to the photos. For example, do you know an insect feeds on the tears of Asian cattle? There’s a question-and-answer section with an insect scientist and advice on how to help preserve endangered insects.

Journey Into the Invisible by Christine Schlitt, 80 pages, ages 9-12

If you use a magnifying（放大的）glass, you know a leaf looks quite different. This book explains what microscopes do and then shows what happens to things around the house when watched with this amazing scientific tool. The bacteria(细菌) in your mouth, when magnified 20,000 times, look a bit like swimming pool noodles. Fascinating photos are paired with suggestions about how to learn about the world around you, just by looking a little closer.

4. Kids interested in pre-historical animals might read ______.

A. Ultimate Bugopedia

B. Beyond the Solar System

C. Journey Into the Invisible

D. Scaly Spotted Feathered Frilled

5. Beyond the Solar System is mainly about ______.

A. space exploration B. the Milky Way

C. history lessons D. Albert Einstein’s universe

6. From the passage, we can learn that ______.

A. butterflies are fond of the tears of Asian cattle

B. scientists have discovered the dinosaur’s coloring

C. microscopes can present you with an amazing world

D. man has explored the black hole for thousands of years

7. The main purpose of the passage is to ______.

A. compare features of different books

B. inspire people to become scientists

C. teach children some knowledge of science

D. recommend new science books to children

C

The man who admitted to killing an Italian woman inside her East Harlem apartment said he was possessed by an “evil spell (咒语),” police said Thursday.

Bakary Camara, 41, who once dated the murdered woman, penned his admission of guilt in a three-page letter folded in his pocket as he tried to kill himself after policemen burst into his home. Kelly, a policeman, said “He says that there was an evil spell that was cast on him.”

Camara, who was in stable condition at St. Barnabas Hospital, was later charged with the murder of Rita Morelli.

The 36-year-old woman was getting a degree at Borough of Manhattan Community College as she waited tables at Caffe Buon Gusto on the upper East Side, police said. Camara called 911 from a payphone after killing the lively Morelli on Nov. 23.

Her body was later found in her E. 120th St. home. She was hanged and had knife wounds to her throat and chest.

Policemen began dialing numbers from Morelli’s cell phone and when Camara picked up, a detective recognized his voice as the man who called in the report of a dead body, police said. When officers went to Camara’s home, he locked himself inside, forcing policemen to burst down the front door to catch him.

“He is standing there with a knife pointed at his chest,” Kelly, a policeman, said. “He makes threatening statements as to the fact that he killed the woman. He then stabs himself in the chest.”

Camara, who told police he served six years in prison for robbery back in his native country, was still waiting to be charged with murder Thursday.

Morelli left her hometown of Spoltore, Italy, five years ago to fully experience the arts and music culture of the big city, her family said.

8. The reason why Camara killed the woman was _______.

A. he didn’t love her any more B. the passage didn’t tell us clearly

C. he killed her by mistake D. he loved her dearly

9. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Morelli and Camara are both Italians.

B. Camara will be sentenced to six years in prison.

C. Camara was once in prison for six years.

D. Camara was seriously wounded.

10. From the passage we know ______.

A. Camara was in his native country B. “Evil spell” really works

C. Camara and Morelli are husband and wife D. Camara and Morelli knew each other

11. What did Camara do after killing the woman?

A. He called to report a dead body.

B. He called the hospital to save the woman.

C. He regretted and tried to kill himself but failed.

D. He called the police and was ready to be arrested.

D

Driving a car is not just handling controls and judging speed and distance. It requires you to predict what other road users will do and get ready to react to something unexpected. When alcohol is consumed, it enters your bloodstream and acts as a depressant (抑制药), damaging eyesight, judgment and co-ordination(协调), slowing down reaction time and greatly increasing the risk of accidents. Even below the drink driving limit, driving will be affected.

Alcohol may take a few minutes to be absorbed into the bloodstream and start action on the brain. Absorption rate is increased when drinking on an empty stomach or when consuming drinks mixed with fruit juice. To get rid of alcohol from the body is a very slow process and it is not possible to speed it up with any measures like taking a shower or having a cup of tea or coffee.

The present Road Traffic Ordinance states clearly that the limit of alcohol concentration is

● 50 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of blood; or

● 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath; or

● 67 milligrams of alcohol per 100ml of urine (尿液).

Drivers who cause traffic accidents, or who commit a moving traffic offence or are being suspected of drink driving will be tested.

Any drive found drinking beyond the limit will be charged. The driver declared guilty may be fined a maximum of HK $25,000 and be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison and punished for 10 driving-offence points; or temporarily banned from driving.

The same punishment applies to failing to provide specimens (样本) far breath, blood or urine tests without good excuse.

Drink driving is a criminal offence. Be a responsible driver, think before you drink. For the safety of yourself and other road users, never drive after consuming alcohol.

12. The first paragraph is mainly about ________.

A. the introduction of driving skills B. the damage of drinking to your body

C. the effect of drinki