第三部分      阅读理解（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。
Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.
He rode along until a strange around drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked him. A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like clack cloud and the buzzing mass      towards him.
With no time to waste. Andy sped off in the opposite direction, riding furiously without knowing how to escape the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings(蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital—and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bead for two whole days. Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your ways out of it. ”
On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards form the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.”Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground. Andy knew be could not reach the house in time. He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to irrigate his vegetable garden. Off his bike and into the cool water he dived, disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees have gone. Dragging himself out of the date, he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell. Mr Nelson took his inside and rang his mother.
“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,”laughed his mother with relief. “Thank goodness you didn’t panic! But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow. ”
1. Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?
A. He was riding to school.
B. He was listening to a strange sound.
C. He was going fishing with his father.
D. He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip.
2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?
A. They crowded like a black cloud.
B. They shocked and terrified Andy.
C. They tried to attack Andy in a mass.
D. They made Andy stay in hospital for two days.
3. How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?
A. He asked Mr. Nelson in help.
B. He hid himself under the water.
C. He rushed into the Nelson house.
D. He rode off in the oppossnte ditcction.
4. Which of  he tollowing can best describe Andy’s escape from the becs?
A. No pain no gains.
B. Once bitten, twice she
C. Where there is a will, there is a way.
D. In time of danger, one’s mind works fast.

The week after Jane's birthday, Barbara and Mary were away. Jane decided to have a late birthday party. She telephoned several friends. She asked some to bring records, some to bring food and others to bring something to drink. She rang another friend to see if she could borrow his record player. She herself bought some food and drink to get the party going. She took up all the carpets (地毯) so that they could dance. She did not know whether Barbara and Mary would have approved (赞成), but as long as she was careful, she was sure that they would not mind. She warned the two people in the flat above and invited them down. ?

         “Oh, ” said Jane, surprised. “What's all this about? ”

The first guests arrived soon after eight. The music was soon playing loudly and they started dancing. Some of Jane's friends brought other friends with them. As more and more people arrived,the noise increased. People started shouting at each other, so they turned the music up. This made it more difficult to hear each other above the music, so they shouted more loudly. At half past ten the bell rang. “Turn down the music!” someone shouted. “Someone probably called the police.” When Jane opened the door, there was a policeman standing there. She started to apologize, “I'm sorry about all the noise, officer. But you see, it was my birthday last week and I'm having a party.” “Never mind about that, miss. We're here because of something much more important.”

         “Well, there's been a report of burglary (盗窃行为). We think the thief may have come to your party, pretending to be a friend of someone here. ”

1.When did Jane have the party?

A. On her birthday.                                        B. After her birthday.

C. Before Barbara and Mary left.                D. As soon as she telephone her friends. 

2.Why did people shout at each other at the party?

A. They got rather angry with each other. 

B. They were very glad to make new friends.

C. They became too excited while dancing.

D. They couldn't hear each other because of the music.

3.What reason did Jane think the policeman came for?

A. They made too much noise.                    　　

B. A thief was among the guests.  

C. He had some important things to do.   

D. He was interested in birthday parties.

D
School kids show talents for charity
Youngsters at Fulwood High School and Arts College in Preston will show their talents to raise money for sick children. It is putting on a wonderful show on Thursday November to support Derian House Children’s Hospice（安养院）near Chorley.
Pupils are planning a night to remember, with a wide range of acts from singers and dancers to a magician. Local band Vox Population, fronted by former pupil Laurence Holt, will be playing following their recent tour of Germany. The best part of the night will be a surprise act by a group of teachers.
Tickets are available from the school priced ￡1.50 for pupils and ￡2 for adults. The show starts at 7 pm.
Grants（补助金）aim to boost recycling
Children and community groups across Lancashire have been given help to recycle more. More than 40 schools, organizations and community groups have received Waste Action Grants.
Brinscall Primary School in Chorley has been awarded 500 pounds to provide money for its Infant Fruit Waste project. The money has been used to buy a Roly Pig composter that will turn fruit waste into compost（堆肥）.
Carole Lormer, from the school, said, “The children completely love the Roly Pigs. They have been feeding and turning them every day, using leftover fruit.”
For information visit www.globalrenewables.co.uk/wasteactiongrants or call 01172 642885.
Ready when you are
If you’re looking to bag that dream job, your basic maths and English skills need to be good. If you think your basic skills are a little out of practice, try taking Learnerdirect’s “Ready When You Are” challenge.
Hosted by Eamonn Holmes and Johnny Ball, it’s a fun and interactive quiz based on real life situations, which aims to help you decide where you might need to brush up on your basic skills. Log onto: www.learndirect.co.uk/ready
Good luck!
68.What information can we get from the first advertisement?
A. Laurence Holt is the main singer in the band.
B. Teachers will be surprised at the performance.
C. The show is held to celebrate students’ graduation.
D. Parents are expected to offer ￡2 to each pupil.
69.   How do the students in Brinscall Primary School recycle?
A. They feed pigs on the leftover fruit.
B. They turn waste fruit into fertilizer with a machine.
C. They awarded ￡500 to those who waste least at school.
D. They raised ￡500 for the Infant Fruit Waste project.
70.   “Ready when you are” is an advertisement for ________.
A. a good job.                 B. a skill learning course
C. an interactive quiz              D. an interesting website

Ⅲ.阅读（共两节，满分40分）
阅读理解（共15小题；每小2分，满分30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。
When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks,
And at restaurants did not take her seriously ,did not give her good service ,pretended not to
Understand her ,or even acted as if they did not hear her .  
My mother has realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she . I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票经纪人).I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs.Tan..”
And my mother was standing beside me ,whispering loudly, “Why he don’t send me cheek already two week lone.”
And then , in perfect English I said : “I’m getting rather concerned .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.”
Then she talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately , I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs.Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.
1.Why was the author’s mother poorly served?
A.She was unable to speak good English.
B.She was often misunderstood.
C.She was not clearly heard.
D.She was not very polite.
2.From Paragorph 2, we know that the author was____________.
A.good a pretending
B.rude to the stockbroker
C.ready to help her mother
D.unwilling to phone for her mother
3.After the author made the phone call, __________
A.they forgave the stockbroker
B.they failed to get the check
C.they went to New York immediately
D.they spoke to their boss at once
4.What does the author think of her mother’s English now?
A.It confuses her.
B.It embarrasses her.
C.It helps her understand the world.
D.It helps her tolerate rude people.
5.We can inter from the passage that Chinese English__________.
A.is clear and natural to non-native speakers
B.is vivid and direct to non-native speakers
C.has a verv bad reputation in America
D.may bring inconvenience in America

C
At dawn on Friday, May 19, 1780, farmers in New England stopped to wonder at the pink color of the sun. By noon the sky had darkened to midnight blackness, causing Americans, still in the painful struggle of a prolonged war of independence, to light candles and tremble at thoughts of the Last Judgment. As the birds quieted and no storm accompanied the darkness, men and women crowded into churches, where one minister commented that “The people were very attentive.” John Greenleaf Whittier later wrote that “Men prayed, and women wept; all ears grew sharp . . .”
A recent study of researchers, led by Richard Guyette from the University of Missouri’s Tree Ring Laboratory, has shown that vast forest fires in the Algonquin Highlands of southern Ontario and elsewhere in Canada brought this event upon New England. The scientists have discovered “fire scars” on the rings for that year, left when the heat of a wildfire has killed a part of a tree’s cambium (形成层). Evidence collected also points to a drought that year. An easterly wind and low barometric pressure (低气压) helped force smoke into the upper atmosphere. “The record fits pretty close,” says Guyette. “We had the right fuel, the drought. The conditions were all there.”
Lacking the ability to communicate quickly over long distances, Americans in 1780 remained in the dark about the event, which had disappeared by the next day. Over the next several months, the papers carried heated debates about what brought the darkness. Some were the voices of angry prediction, such as one Massachusetts farmer who wrote, “Oh! Backsliding New-England, attend now to the things which belong to your peace before they are forever hid from your eyes.” Others gave different answers. One stated that a “flaming star” had passed between the earth and the sun. Ash, argued another commentator. The debate, carried on throughout New England, where there were no scientific journals or academies yet, reflected an unfolding culture of scientific enquiry already sweeping the Western world, a revolution nearly as influential as the war for independence from the English.
New Englanders would not soon forget that dark day; it lived on in folklore, poems, and sermons for generations.
66. New Englanders crowded into churches because they were frightened by_____.
A. the pink color of the sun       B. the darkened sky at daytime
C. the Last Judgment on Friday    D. the American War of Independence
67. What can we infer about the event in New England on May 19, 1780?
A. Prayers remained silent and attentive.    B. Night birds no longer came out to sing.
C. People’s ears became sharper than usual.  D. Midday meals were served by candlelight.
68. According to the researchers, the origin of the event was_________.
A. an east wind    B. a severe drought   C. some burning fuel   D. low barometric pressure
69. What can we know about the debates after the dark day?
A. They focused on causes of the event.
B. They swept throughout the Western world.
C. They were organized by scientific institutions.
D. They improved Americans’ ability to communicate.
70. What can be the best title for the text?
A. New England’s dark day.      B. Voices of angry prediction.
C. There is no smoke without fire.  D. Tree rings and scientific discovery.