II. 阅读理解（Reading comprehension）（共20小题；选择题5小题，每小题1分；非选择题15小题，每小题2分，计35分）

A) 选择题：阅读下面的短文，根据文意从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C 和D）中，选出能回答所提问题或完成所给句子的最佳选项。(Read the following passage which is followed by five questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the passage.)

Mexic Past and Present

Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar (历法) and a written  language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in 1521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That's why Mexicans speak Spanish.

Every September 16 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country's capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled.

Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.

Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn't always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from 1846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.

Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales.

46. According to the passage, what happened second on a historical timeline?

A. Mexicans declared their independence from Spain.

B. The Spanish ruled Mexico.

C. The Aztecs lived in Mexico.

D. Americans fought a war with Mexico.

47. The passage says that President Polk wanted ________.

A. the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean

B. Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th

C. Mexico to become one of the states of the Union

D. Americans to adopt the Mexican language

48. Another word for the underlined word “ascertain” is ________.

A. inspect      B. discover     C. change      D. determine

49. Mexicans have the following influences on America EXCEPT ________.

A. building styles         B. vocabulary

C. clothes                 D. food

50. Before the Aztecs were conquered, these Native Americans probably ________.

A. didn't speak Spanish     

B. couldn't read or write any language

C. didn't have tools          

D. didn't understand the concept of time

You either have it, or you don’t------ a sense of direction, that is. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?

Scientists say we’re all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works. One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don’t use it, we lose it.

“Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,” says Jim Martland, Research director of the project. “However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never develop the skills.”

Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions:

●If you are using a map, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing.

●If you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree----- something easy to recognize. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike. When you return, go back along the same route.

●Simplify the way for finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are.

Now you will never get lost again!

68. Scientists believe that ______.

 A. some babies are born with a sense of direction

B. people learn a sense of direction as they grow older

C. people never lose their sense of direction

D. everybody has a sense of direction from birth

69. What is true of 7-year-old children according to the passage?

A. They never have a sense of direction without maps.

B. They should never be allowed out alone if they lack(缺乏) a sense of direction.

C. They have a sense of direction and can find their way around.

D. They can develop a good sense of direction if they are driven around in a car.

70. If you leave your bike in a strange place, you should ______.

A. tie it to a tree so as to prevent it from being stolen

B. draw a map of the route to help remember where it is

C. avoid taking the same route when you come back to it

D. remember something easily recognizable on the route

71. According to the passage, the best way to find your way around is to ______.

A. ask policemen for directions

B. use walls, streams, and streets to guide yourself

C. remember your route by looking out for steps and stairs

D. count the number of landmarks that you see

 第三节:书面表达（满分30分）

假设你校高三学生在开展宜昌讨论。主题是：高三学生要不要参加体育锻炼。请根据下面所提供的信息介绍讨论情况，并表明你个人的意见．

Recently we’ve had a discussion about whether students of Senior 3 should take physical exercise.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

. I am very grateful to my high school teachers, without ______ help I wouldn’t be so excellent.

A. whom       B. them           C. which               D. whose

One day newly wedded Nancy lost her ring while helping to plant potatoes. Friends were called and the field was searched long but in vain. Later, when the potatoes were harvested, Everyone looked out for the ring but it remained lost. Another year came round and all the farmers working in the field kept their eyes open. The following year was the same. And year after year, whoever had business in the field aways had Nancy’s ring in his mind.

Then the farm changed hands but it went no farther than to cousins. So the memory of the lost ring remained alive until thirty-eight years had passed. Then came a spring day when a man was ploughing the field behind a pair of horses. Even after thirty-eight years he still looked out for the ring, and knew just which part of the field Nancy had lost it in. At this time, when he came there, he found it .He picked it up, put it carefully into his pocket, left his horse, and ran all the way down to the village and placed it into Nancy’s hand.

56．How did Nancy come to lose her ring?

A. She lost it while helping to harvest tomatoes in the field

B. She lost it while watering the plants in the field.

C. She lost it while working in the field.

D. She lost it while helping to plant potatoes in the field.

57.  What was done so that the lost ring could be found?

A. Friends were asked to join in the search.

B. The field was searched for a long time.

C. Dogs were called to look for it.

D. Both A and B

58.  Why did people keep looking for the ring even after the farm changed hands?

A. It was a very expensive ring                   B. They all wanted to solve the mystery.

C. They all loved Nancy.                                   D. Everybody wanted to have this ring.

59.  What did the ploughman do after finding the ring?

A. He picked it up and put it in his pocket.

B. He ran back to tell everybody in the village.

C. He placed it in a secret spot.

D. He returned it to the owner.

60.  What can you infer from the story?

A. The ring was invaluable.

B. People on the farm were honest and helpful.

C. The ring’s mysterious disappearance was the work of supernatural power.

D. Nancy no longer expected that her ring would be found again.

The great day we had been looking forward to _______ at last.

A．comes       B．come                 C．coming             D．came

. Please _____ and wait a while. We'll begin our meeting soon.

A. take a seat  B. have a seat  C. sit down     D. all the above

Too high house prices can be brought under control，_______  the government introduces a series

       of regulatory policies．

       A．even if                      B．as if                          C．so that                         D．as long as

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Even though it was only October, my students were already whispering about Christmas plans. With each passing day everyone became more  36  , waiting for the final school bell. Upon its  37  everyone would run for their coats and go home, everyone except David.

David was a small boy in ragged (破旧的) clothes. I had often  38  what kind of home life David had, and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so  39  for the cold winter months, without a coat, boots, or gloves. But something made David  40 . I can still remember he was always  41  a smile and willing to help. He always  42  after school to straighten chairs and mop the floor. We never talked much. He  43  just simply smile and ask what else he could do, then thank me for letting him stay and slowly  44  home.

Weeks passed and the  45  over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness until the last day of  46  before the holiday break. I smiled in  47  as the last of them hurried out of the door. Turning around I saw David  48  standing by my desk.

“I have something for you,” he said and  49  from behind his back a small box.  50  it to me, he said anxiously, “Open it.” I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid and to my  51  I saw nothing. I looked at David‘s smiling face and back into the box and said, “The box is nice, David, but it’s  52 .”

“Oh no, it isn’t,” said David. “It’s full of love. My mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn’t see or touch unless you know it’s there.”

Tears filled my eyes  53  I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely given  54  to. After that Christmas, David and I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning  55  the little empty box set on my desk.

36. A. anxious  B. courageous serious      D. sceptical

37. A. warning B. ringing calling        D. yelling

38. A. scolded  B. wondered    realized     D. learned

39. A. irregularly      B. unnaturally  untidily      D. improperly

40. A. patient  B. upset   special       D. funny

41. A. expressing     B. delivering     wearing    D. sharing

42. A. practiced        B. wandered    studied      D. stayed

43. A. would     B. should might         D. could

44. A. aim at    B. turn to put off       D. head for

45. A. argument       B. excitement  movement         D. judgment

46. A. school    B. year     education D. program

47. A. relief      B. return  vain   D. control

48. A. weakly   B. sadly    quietly       D. helplessly

49. A. searched        B. found   raised        D. pulled

50. A. Holding  B. Handing       Sending     D. Leaving

51. A. delight   B. expectation appreciation     D. surprise

52. A. cheap     B. empty  useless      D. improper

53. A. as  B. until     because    D. though

54. A. advice    B. support        attention  D. command

55. A. from       B. behind over  D. towards

Parents should stop blaming themselves because there’s not a lot they can do about it. I mean the teenager problem. Whatever you do or however you choose to deal with it, at certain times a wonderful, reasonable and helpful child will turn into a terrible animal.

I’ve seen friends deal with it in all kinds of different ways. One strict mother insisted that her son, right from a child, should stand up whenever anyone entered the room, open doors and shake hands like a gentleman. I saw him last week when I called round. Sprawling himself (懒散地躺) on the sofa in full length, he made no attempt to turn off the loud TV he was watching as I walked in, and his greeting was no more than a quick glance at me. His mother was ashamed. “I don't know what to do with him these days,” she said. “He’s forgotten all the manners we taught him.”

He hasn't forgotten them. He' s just decided that he' s not going to use them. She confessed (坦白) that she would like to come up behind him and throw him down from the sofa onto the floor.

Another good friend of mine let her two daughters climb all over the furniture, reach across the table, stare at me and say, “I don’t like your dress; it’s ugly.” One of the daughters has recently been driven out of school. The other has left home.

“Where did we go wrong?” her parents are now very sad. Probably nowhere much. At least, no more than the rest of that unfortunate race, parents.

1. This text is most probably written by ______.

A. a specialist in teenager studies B. a headmaster of a middle school

C. a parent with teenage children  D. a doctor for mental health problems

2. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.

A. the change from good to bad that’s seen in a child

B. die way that parents often blame themselves

C. the opinion that a child has of his parents

D. the advice that parents want their children to follow

3. The boy on the sofa would most probably be described as ______.

A. lazy           B. quiet C. unusual           D. rude

4. From the second example we can infer that the parents of the two daughters ____.

A. pay no attention to them   B. are too busy to look after them

C. have come to hate them    D. feel helpless to do much about them

5. What is the author’s opinion about the sudden change in teenage children?

A. Parents have no choice but to try to accept it.

B. Parents should pay still sore attention to the change.

C. Parents should work more closely with school teachers.

D. Parents are at fault for the change in their children.