.
In the 19th century, Americans from the eastern states moved out west to settle in the rich new lands along the Pacific Coast. The most difficult part of their trip was crossing “the Great American Desert” in the western part of the United States by horse and wagon.
The western desert can be very dangerous. There is little water and there are few trees. But the desert also has scenery of great beauty. Tall towers of red and yellow stone rise sharply from the flat, sandy valley floor. The scene has been photographed many times and appears in movies and on TV.
In Arizona, man-made dams across the Colorado River have made two large lakes in the middle of the dry desert country. At Lake Powell, the red stone arch of Rainbow Bridge rises high above the blue lake.
There are few roads. Many areas of Lake Powell’s shore can only be reached by boat or on foot. But hikers in this empty desert land sometimes find very old native American pictures, painted on the rocks.
In Death Valley, California, the summer temperature rises to 130°F—165°F. There is less than inches of rain each year. Death Valley is the lowest place in America---925 meters below sea level. In the 1800s, many travelers died when they tried to cross this waterless valley in the terrible heat.
Although the desert is dry and seems empty, there is plenty of life if you look closely. Snakes and rats have learned how to live in the desert heat. They live underground and come out at night, when it is cool. Plants such as cacti need very little water. When it does rain in the desert (sometimes only once or twice a year), plants grow quickly, and flowers open in a single day. For a short time, the desert is covered with brilliant (very bright) colors.
67．In the 19th century, Americans moved from east to west because they            .
A．enjoyed the trip                     B．wanted to make their home there
C．wanted to find new grassland there      D．had no water to drink
68．From this passage. we can conclude that         .
A．the western desert is a good place for people to live in
B．there is little water but there are many trees in the desert
C．the desert is dangerous but it is full of beauty
D．till now, people know little about the desert
69．In the 1800s, many travelers died in Death Valley because of            .
A．illness             B．high temperature
C．cold weather           D．poisonous water
70．In the desert, animals will die           .
A．if they move about                 B．if they can’t make holes underground
C．if they come out at night            D．if they drink much water

Before human’s history, in the middle of an ocean, miles from the nearest island, an undersea volcano broke out. The hot liquid rock piled higher and higher and spread wider and wider. In this way, an island rose up in the sea.
As time went on, hot sun and cool rains made the rock split and break into pieces. Sea waves dashed against the rock. In this way, soil and sand came into being.
Nothing lived on the naked soil. And then the wind and birds brought plant seeds, spiders and other little creatures there. Only plants could grow at first. Only they, in sunlight, could produce food from the minerals of the soil, water and air. While many animals landed on the island, they could find no food. A spider wove its web in vain, because there were no insects for its web to catch. Insects couldn’t stay until there were plants for them to eat. So plants had to be the pioneer life on this new island.
The underlined part “in vain” can be replaced by ________.
A. tirelessly    B. uselessly    C. fearlessly    D. effortlessly
According to the passage, ________ made the island rise up in the sea.
A. rock from the nearest island     B. sand brought by the wind
C. hot liquid rock from the volcano      D. sea waves dashing against the rock
What is the correct order of things appearing on the island?
A. Spiders, birds and plants.  B. Soil, plants and animals
C. Soil, hot liquid rock and animals.    D. Hot liquid rock, animals and plants.
The passage is mainly about ________.
A. how an island formed       B. how a volcano broke out
C. how plants were brought to the island      D. how plants and animals began to live on the island

One Canada, Two Languages
Canada is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages: English and French. There are 10 provinces in the country but only one of these—Quebec is known as “French Canada”. This is because it was founded by French explorers while British adventurers discovered the rest.
Canada left the British empire(帝国) in 1867 to become an independent country and English and French have been recognized as the official languages ever since.
Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country. Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast, French television is very rare.
The same goes for traffic signs and menus, for example, outside of Quebec, there are only a few places where you’ll see traffic signs in French. In restaurants, it’s almost impossible to find French on the menu unless you are in the heartland (中心地带) of French Canada. However, all  products sold in Canada must, by law, have labels (标签) and instructions in both languages.
In Canada’s English speaking provinces, official bilingualism (双语) means that students can choose to complete a special French language course. Under this program, they are taught most of their subjects in French.
If a student begins the course in kindergarten (幼儿园) or Grade One, it is likely that all their lessons will be in French. However, if they start at junior high school, 25 percent of the teaching will continue to be in English.
59. How many provinces are there in Canada?
A. Ten.   B. Nine.    C. Eleven.    D. Two.
60. Which country controlled Canada before its independence?
A. France.    B. Britain.    C. America.     D. Germany
61. Where can you watch French television programs?
A. Only in Quebec.
B. In Quebec and a few other places.
C. From the two national television networks.
D. All over Canada
62. What do we know about the education in Canada?
A. In English speaking provinces only English courses are offered.
B. If you choose a special French language course, most of the subjects are taught in French.
C. The courses in primary school are all taught in English.
D. Most of the courses in junior high schools are taught in English.

C
When the first European arrived in the land now called Canada, around 400 years ago, there were about 350,000 native people living there. Most of these people were later forced to live in separate places, called reserves, away from the cities where the Europeans settled.
The French and the British both settled in Canada and fought for the control of it. Finally in 1763 Britain defeated France and Canada became a British colony. Today both English and French are the official languages of Canada. Most French-speakers live in Quebec Province.
Canada became a separate country from Britain in 1867. At that time it had a population of 3.4 million. Today Canada’s population is 30 million as a result of immigration（移民）.
The first Chinese immigrated to Canada in the late 1800s. More have recently arrived and like to live in either Toronto, Canada’s largest city, or in Vancouver on the Pacific coast.
Canada is a cold, northern country with long winters, so winter sports are popular. Ice hockey is known as Canada’s national sport. However, Canadians also like to make the most of the short summer and enjoy picnics by the lakes or hiking in the mountains.
Canadians love to travel across their huge country and usually do so by car. But to get to some places you need to take a ferry. Really long journeys from the east to the west coast are taken by train or by plane.
Canadians celebrate many different holidays. One of the most important is Canada Day on July 1st which recalls when Canada became united. Another important day honors Britain’s Queen Victoria. It is called Victoria Day and is held on the last Monday in May. Like the USA, Canada also celebrates Thanksgiving.
59. We can infer from the first paragraph that _________________.
A. Canada has a history of about 400 years long
B. Europeans are the first people to arrive in Canada
C. Native Americans were not treated equally in Canada
D. Europeans and Native Americans always lived peacefully together
60. The first Chinese immigrants to Canada _______________.
A. came in 1867                                           B. lived in Toronto and Vancouver
C. added up to 30 million                              D. arrived in the late nineteenth century
61. The underlined part in the fifth paragraph is closest in meaning to _________________.
A. to make full use of                                          B. to offer the best of
C. to give up the biggest joy of                      D. to work through most of
62. The passage is mainly about ______________.
A. the history of Canada                           B. transport in Canada
C. basic knowledge about Canada                   D. the geography of Canada

E
In 1789 the US. government passed a law which said that the land of the American Indians could never be taken from them without their agreement. One hundred years later, however, the Indians only had a very small part of the land that originally belonged to them. How did this great injustice occur?
After 1812 white settlers began to move west across North America. At first, the settlers and the Indians lived in peace. However, the number of settlers increased greatly every year, and slowly the Indians began to see the white settlers as a danger to their survival. To feed themselves, the settlers killed more and more wild animals. The Indians, who depended on these animals for food, had to struggle against starvation. The settlers also brought with them many diseases which were common in white society, but which were new for the Indians. Great numbers of Indians became sick and died. Between 1843 and 1854 the Indian population in one area of the country went down from 100,000 to 30,000.
More land was needed for the increasing number of white settlers. In Washington, the old respect for the rights of the Indians disappeared. The old promises to the Indians were broken; the government began to move groups of Indians from their original homelands to other poorer parts of the country. Some Indians reacted angrily and violently to this treatment. They began to attack white settlers, and the Indian war began. For 30 years, until the late 1880s, different groups of Indians fought against the injustices of the white man. They had a few famous successes, but the result of the struggle was never in doubt. There were too many white soldiers, and they were too powerful. Many Indians were killed; the survivors were moved from their homelands to different areas of the country. It was a terrible chapter in the history of a country that promised freedom and equality to everyone.
72．It can be inferred from the passage that______.
A．in the US there were many laws that provided to the rights of American Indians
B．the law which was passed in 1789 by the US government was not successfully carried out
C．in the 19th century no injustices were done against the Indians by the US government
D．the majority of white settlers were openly opposed to the law passed in 1789
73．According to the passage which of the following is true?
A．The Indians believed that killing too many wild animals had disturbed the balance of nature.
B．The government began to have a better understanding of the Indians in the 1850s.
C．Between 1843 and 1854 about 70,000 Indians were killed in the battle.
D．The whites carried serious diseases into where the Indians lived.
74．It is implied in the passage that______.
A．the Indians had many great successes in the Indians war
B．the Indians had no doubt that they would win the war
C．after the war the Indians stayed where they were before
D．the Indians were too weak to win the struggle
75．The last sentence of the passage______.
A．serves as the author's comment on the historical event described above
B．gives the reader the impression that injustice is everywhere in the US
C．makes a conclusion that such events talked above will never happen again
D．brings about the topic that how the US government will deal with the problem

第二部分：阅读理解（第一节20小题；第二节共5小题；每小题2分，满分50分）
第一节：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
In 1921, Lewis Lawes became the warden （监狱长） at Sing Sing Prison of New York State．No prison was tougher than Sing Sing during that time．But when Warden Lawes retired some 20 years later, that prison had become a humanitarian institution．Those who studied the system said credit for the change belonged to Lawes．But when he was asked about the transformation, here’s what he said, “I owe it all to my wonderful wife, Catherine, who is buried outside the prison walls．”
Catherine Lawes was a young mother with three small children when her husband became the warden．Everybody warned her from the beginning that she should never set foot inside the prison walls, but that didn’t stop Catherine!
When the first prison basketball game was held, she went into the gym with her three beautiful kids and she sat in the stands with the inmates．Her attitude was: “My husband and I are going to take care of these men and I believe they will take care of me! I don’t have to worry!” She insisted on getting acquainted with them and their records．She discovered one convicted murderer was blind so she paid him a visit．Holding his hand in hers she said, “Do you read Braille?” “What’s Braille?” he asked．Then she taught him how to read．Later, Catherine found a deaf-mute in prison．She went to school to learn how to use sign language．
Many said that Catherine Lawes was the body of Jesus that came alive again in Sing Sing from 1921to 1937．Then, she was killed in a car accident．The next morning Lewis Lawes didn’t come to work, so the acting warden took his place．It seemed almost instantly that the prison knew something was wrong．The following day, her body was resting in a casket in her home, three-quarters of a mile from the prison．As the acting warden took his early morning walk, he was shocked to see a large crowd of the toughest, hardest-looking criminals gathered like a herd of animals at the main gate．He came closer and noted tears of grief and sadness．He knew how much they loved Catherine．He turned and faced the men．
“All right, men, you can go．Just be sure and check in tonight!” Then he opened the gate and a parade of criminals walked, without a guard, the three-quarters of a mile to stand in line to pay their final respects to Catherine Lawes．And every one of them checked back in．Every one!
41．Catherine was not afraid of getting inside the prison walls because she believed ______．
A．one good turn deserves another      B．no pains, no gains
C．a new broom sweeps clean         D．virtue never grows old
42．The underlined word in paragraph three most probably refers to ______．
A．basketball players           B．prison guards
C．prisoners                 D．family of the prisoners
43．What made every one of the criminals check back in?
A．The acting warden’s requirement    B．The strict rules of the prison
C．Their respect for Catherine        D．The force of the guards
44．What is the best title of the passage?
A．A Tough Prison                            B．A Woman Bringing Changes
C．A warden Caring for Prisoners         D．A Great Wife

B
When a Swedish ship that sank in 1628 was recovered from the port of Stockholm, historians and scientists were overjoyed with the chance to examine the remains of the past. The ship construction showed how ships were built and operated during the seventeenth century. In this way, artifacts, objects made by human beings, provided a picture of daily life almost 400 years ago.
Underwater archaeology –the study of ships, aircraft and human settlements that have sunk under large bodies of water—is really a product of the last 50 years. The rapid growth of this new area of study has occurred because of the invention of better diving equipment. Besides the Swedish ship
wreck(残骸), underwater archaeologists have made more exciting discoveries such as the 5,000-year-old boats in the Mediterranean Sea.
Underwater archaeology can provide facts about the past. In ancient ports all over the world are ships sunken in the past 6,000 years. There are also sunken settlements in seas and lakes telling of people’s way of life and their systems of trade in ancient times. Underwater archaeologists want to study these objects to add to the world’s knowledge of history , but they have to fight two enemies. One enemy is treasure hunters who dive for ancient artifacts that they can sell to collectors. Once sold, these objects are lost to experts. The second enemy is dredging machines (挖掘机)often used to repair ports. These machines destroy  wrecks and artifacts or bury them deeper under sand and mud. By teaching the public about the importance of underwater “museums” of the past, archaeologists are hoping to get support for laws to protect underwater treasures.
59．What purpose does Paragraph 1 serve in the passage?
A．To provide background information of the topic.
B．To attract readers’ attention to the topic.
C．To use an example to support the topic.
D．To offer basic knowledge of the topic.
60．The aim of underwater archaeology is to___________.
A．exploit water bodies
B．search for underwater life
C．study underwater artifacts
D．examine underwater environment
61．Underwater archaeologists are worried because___________.
A．sea hunters have better diving equipment
B．their knowledge of world history is limited
C．dredging machines cause damage to the ports
D．sold artifacts can hardly be regained for research
62．What is the main purpose of the passage?
A．to introduce a young branch of learning.
B．To discuss the scientists ’ problems.
C．To explain people’s way of life in the past.
D．To describe the sunken ships.

Throughout time, people have loved music for its ability to transport them into a world of rhythm and melody. Recently more and more hospitals and clinics have been tapping into the power of music - not only to comfort patients, but to help them heal as well. Welcome to the world of music therapy.
After each of the two world wars, musicians visited hospitals and played instruments for injured soldiers suffering from emotional and physical pain. Today’s music therapists continue this practice, playing instruments such as guitars and harps to bring comfort to their audiences.
Therapist Eric Mammen encourages his patients at a children’s hospital to participate with him as he plays. During visits with 13-year-old cancer patient Lawrence Garcia, Mammen encourages Garcia to beat on electric drums while he plays the guitar. The therapy won’t cure his cancer, but it does, according to Garcia’s mom, take away much of the boy’s depression.
Music therapy can elevate patients’ moods and ease the symptoms of depression according to the American Music Therapy Association. Other benefits include relieving pain, calming tension, aiding sleep, counteracting worry or fear, and easing muscle tension.
Jose Haro personally experienced the benefits of music therapy when he was recovering from heart surgery. During his recovery, he played a piano whose keys lit up, indicating which keys to touch to play along with the background music. Soon, he was playing tunes and noticing something strange. “I was searching for my pain.” He says of his experience, “but it was gone.”
While Haro’s experience provides an evidence of the power of music to relieve pain, scientific research has proven music also helps patients with Alzheimer’s disease and arthritis.
In addition, music therapy helps premature (早产的) babies. Doctors are tapping into a powerful way to teach premature babies that haven’t yet learned how to suck. Doctors use a device that comforts the babies by playing music when they suck on a pacifier (奶嘴). Soon, the babies learn to suck in return for music, gaining weight faster and going home earlier than those who don’t use the device.
Even perfectly healthy people are discovering the power of music to calm and heal. Drum circles attract people who find stress relief in pounding out rhythms. While music isn’t a cure-all, it does make life a little easier.
68.   In the first paragraph, the underlined phrase “tapping into” can be replaced by “________”.
A. discussing on                                                      B. looking for
C. showing interest in                                           D. making use of
69.   According to the passage, Jose Haro ________.
A. went through an obvious effect of music on his recovery                    
B. recovered from heart disease completely
C. felt no pain in his surgery                      
D. was asked to play the piano by his doctors
70.   From the passage, we know ________.
A. musicians cured many soldiers after each of the two world wars
B. Garcia found much comfort in music according to his mom
C. music can prevent people from suffering from arthritis
D. the more music they listen to, the faster premature babies gain weight
71.   What is the best title for this passage?
A. Music Is Becoming Popular in Most Hospitals
B. Music Helps Patients Recover
C. Musicians Work with Doctors
D. People’s Life Benefits from Music

III. 阅读（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
1685 was a very good year for German composers. Within the space of a month, two of the greatest were born: Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel.
Handel’s father was a barber and surgeon, which sounds like a strange combination today, but back then those occupations went hand in hand. Even though Handel was very interested in music, his father didn’t think that was a good way to earn a living, so he wanted his son to be a lawyer. The story goes that Handel smuggled a quiet piano into the house so that he could practise in secret.
One day, Handel went along when his father went to shave a duke. While his father was working, Handel sat down and played the duke’s organ. The duke was so impressed that he convinced Handel’s father to let his son study music, and Handel finally got to learn how to compose.
Handel soon discovered that what he liked most was opera. In fact, he was so passionate about opera that he even fought a duel (决斗) over it with one of his friends. Since Italy was the place to learn about opera composing, Handel went off to Italy to study. When he got home, he got a job as court composer for a German prince.
Having landed such a wonderful job, Handel immediately asked his boss for time off. He wanted to go to England, where he’d heard that there weren’t nearly enough composers to satisfy the British taste for Italian opera.
After great success writing opera in London, Handel came back to Germany. Then fate played a funny trick on Handel and his boss. The Queen of England died, and it just so happened that the prince Handel worked for was next in line to the British throne. When he arrived in London as King George, followed Handel, his court composer in Germany.
In addition to serving the King, Handel became one of the most successful opera composers of his time. And he also produced them and traveled all over Europe to hire the best singers. There are stories of battles with rival opera producers and of fights between rival singers. Handel apparently had quite a temper.
If you ever go to London, look for Handel’s grave in Westminster Abbey, where there’s a wonderful monument to him.
56.How did Handel begin to learn to compose?
A.His father was sure of his future success.
B.His performance impressed a duke.
C.He begged his father to send him to Italy.
D.He practised hard and taught himself music.
57. What does the underlined word “smuggled” mean in the passage?
A. bought secretly     B. took secretly   C. carried in advance    D. possessed personally
58.Why did Handel later settle down in Britain instead of Germany?
A. Because he could find better jobs in London.
B. Because he enjoyed greater fame in London.
C. Because his boss became King of Britain and brought him along.
D. Because London was a wonderful place to learn about opera.
59.Which of the following words can NOT be used to describe Handel, as shown in the passage?
A. bad-tempered   B. talented     C. enthusiastic    D. optimistic
60. Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the passage?
A. Handel was born in the same year with Bach.
B. Many people worked both as a barber and surgeon.
C. Handel quit his job to learn about opera in Italy.
Handel was buried in London and was built a monument.

Kataria is the founder of the worldwide
laughter movement. The celebration of world
Laughter Day is a positive activity for world peace
and is intended to build up a global sense of
brotherhood and friendship through laughter. The
first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place
in Mumbai, India, on 11th January 1998. 12,000
members from India and international Laughter
Clubs attended it. Now there are over 5,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide on all 5 continents.
“HAPPY-DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took place on 9th January 2000. In Copenhagen, Denmark , more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square. The event went into Guinness Book of World records. “World Laughter Day” is now organized on the first Sunday of May every year. Hundreds of people gather worldwide on that day to laugh together.
Today, many people fear widespread international terrorism. The world has never faced so much unrest before. People are at war within themselves. Laughter is a universal language, which has the ability to unite humanity without religion. Laughter can build a common connection between various religions and create a new world order. The idea may sound over-ambitious (野心太大的), and maybe it is. But maybe it is not. It is our deep belief that laughter and only laughter can unite the world, building up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship.
Studies also say that laughter helps your body do the following: lower blood pressure; lighten depression; reduce stress; work out the heart, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercise. So in life, when you can laugh, you should laugh loudly and with your entire body—because it’s good for you.
56．The purpose of celebrating World Laughter Day is            .
A．to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter
B．to build a common connection between various religions
C．to reduce stress and lighten depression
D．to lower blood pressure
57．The first World Laughter Day gathering outside India took place _         _．             
A．on llth January 1998           B．on the first Sunday of May
C．on 9th January 1996           D．on 9th January 2000
58．The author's attitude towards laughter movement is    .
A．positive      B．negative    C．uninterested  D．objective
59．The passage is mainly about ____．                                    
A．World Laughter Day and its significance          
B．the worldwide laughter movement
C．a universal language                   
D．laughter