Why do 33% of the households in the USA have cats? And how do you explain why there are 16 million more pet cats than dogs? Yes, kittens are adorable （讨人喜欢的）．Yes, they can grow up to be good mousers and are very entertaining to watch．And yes, cats are independent and don't require as much care as dogs．But research shows cats can also be caretakers for us and our families, improve our health and teach us and our children to be kinder, gentler souls．

       Theodora Wesselman is 94 and has lived the past two years with her elderly cat, Cleo, at TigerPlace, a retirement community in Columbia, Mo．Their enduring friendship is a classic example of how humans and animals can become family and look out for each other．

       Wesselman visits other residents, and her children stop by, but Cleo is her best friend, she says．They've been together nearly 21 years．

       "She sleeps on her own pillow right beside mine," Wesselman says．"In the morning, she pecks on my cheek to wake me up．It's really sweet．I pet her, tell her I love her and take her to the kitchen to prepare her food．"

       Research shows that being able to care for a pet improves our morale （士气;精神状态）, helps validate us and encourages us to take care of ourselves, says Rebecca Johnson, director of the University of Missouri's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction．The body of research is leading more retirement communities and universities to roll out the welcome mat for pets．

According to the context, where do you think the sentence “They start and end the day together” should appear in the passage?

       A．Between para．1 and para．2 B．Between para．2 and para．3

       C．Between para．3 and para．4 D．Between para．4 and para．5

Which of the following words best describe the author’s attitude towards keeping pet cats?

       A．Favorable B．Critical     C．Reserved   D．Doubtful

Why does the author take 94-year-old Theodora Wesselman as an example in the passage?

       A．To show that the elderly like Theodora Wesselman in the USA have pet cats．

       B．To suggest to what degree humans and pet cats can be caretakers for each other．

       C．Because Theodora Wesselman has been living with a pet cat for the past two years．

       D．Because Theodora Wesselman pets her cat Cleo and tells her she loves her．

What does “to roll out the welcome mat for pets” in the last paragraph imply?

       A．To give a special welcome to pets．

       B．To make the welcome mat flat on the ground for pets．

       C．To open out the welcome mat for pets to sleep．

       D．To wrap the welcome mat to make room for pets．

 

Ⅱ 语言知识及应用（共两节，满分35分）

第一节 完形填空 (共10小题; 每小题2分, 满分20分)

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从21-30各题所给的A、B、C和D项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

                     The Squirrel and the Lion

     A squirrel, merrily leaping on the branches of an oak tree, accidentally missed its hold and fell upon a lion who lay sound asleep at the trunk. His Majesty awoke in ___21___, and displayed his terrific teeth to the ___22___ squirrel, who, in the most humble manner, begged __23___ for the intrusion. “I grant you your life,” said the lion, “but on condition that you tell me the reason why you are always so lively and __24___, while my time passes so boringly.”

     “Yes, sire,” replied the squirrel, “I will, in return for your mercy, tell you the secret. But he who speaks the truth ought to stand higher than he who ___25___ it; permit me, therefore, to jump up the tree.”

     The lion agreed to this and when the squirrel was out of his ___26___ he thus addressed him: “You seek to know how I am always merry. ___27___ gives me a joyous mind, but sire, you are just lacking in it. Think of the many crimes and cruelties you have___28___. How many animals have you killed, while I have been ___29___ in carrying nuts to help my folks! You hate, and I love! Believe me, there is great meaning and truth in these words, and often have I heard my father observe when young: “Son, let your happiness be founded in virtue, and pleasure will be the constant ___30___ of your heart.”.

21.  A. anger         B. silence         C. surprise        D. hunger

22.  A. thrilling           B. skipping            C. trembling     D. frightening

23.  A. explanation         B. understanding     C. forgiveness D. consideration

24.  A. lovely          B. interesting      C. athletic         D. happy

25.  A. witnesses       B. answers           C. analyzes       D. hears

26.  A. sight           B. reach           C. mind        D. catch

27.  A. Nature            B. Wealth                  C. Conscience  D. Knowledge

28.  A. made          B. committed      C. performed   D. accomplished

29.  A. employed       B. required           C. interested   D. devoted

30.  A. tendency        B. desire          C. companion  D. assistant

 

 A friend and I were standing in line at the grocery store the other day, and I was telling her how lazy my children were．I had come in from work that morning, and like most times, my house was wrecked.

“I believe children nowadays are just out for what they can get．They can never help keep our house clean.” I said, feeling unhappy.

“Do you know how happy you are?” a woman behind us asked．“I would love to go home and find my house a mess．I wouldn’t mind my floor being dirty．Nor would I mind the dirty clothes being piled high．I wouldn’t even mind anyone talking about my dirty home．I would love it．I would love to kick my way through the house just to get to my kids and be able to hug them, kiss them and tell them how much I love them．You see, my two children were killed in an accident． My house stays clean; my clothes stay put up; the dishes are done.”

“There are no fingerprints on my walls．There are no sounds of arguing, either．So you see, you are very lucky．I would give anything to be going through what you are now! How I’d love to be able to hold my kids, wipe away their tears and share their dreams! I wouldn’t care how my house looked．I would be happy just to have them.”

Now if you come into my house and see a big mess, you can think bad thoughts if you want, but I feel greatly blessed.(268 words)

1.The writer was complaining about her children to her friend because they ____.

A．would go out without permission	B．couldn’t keep the house clean
C．made her look dirty and bad	D．were too lazy to hug or kiss her

2.My house was wrecked in the first paragraph means my house _____.

A．was very dirty	B．was broken into
C．needed to be painted	D．looked beautiful

3.What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Children shouldn’t be left home alone.

B．A mother lost her children in an accident.

C．People should be thankful for what life gives.

D．A mother complained about the mess at her house.

 

Students and Technology in the Classroom
　　I love my blackberry—it’s my little connection to the larger world that can go anywhere with me. I also love my laptop computer，as it holds all of my writing and thoughts. Despite this love of technology, I know that there are times when I need to move away from these devices(设备) and truly communicate with others.
　　On occasion, I teach a course called History Matters for a group of higher education managers. My goals for the class include a full discussion of historical themes and ideas. Because I want students to thoroughly study the material and exchange their ideas with each other in the classroom, I have a rule —no laptop, iPads, phones, etc. When students were told my rule in advance of the class, some of them were not happy.
　　Most students assume that my reasons for this rule include unpleasant experiences in the past with students misusing technology. There’s a bit of truth to that. Some students assume that I am anti-technology. There’s no truth in that at all. I love technology and try to keep up with it so I can relate to my students.
　　The real reason why I ask students to leave technology at the door is that I think there are very few places in which we can have deep conversions and truly engage complex ideas. Interruptions by technology often break concentration and allow for too much dependence on outside information for ideas. I want students to dig deep within themselves for inspiration and ideas. I want them to push each other to think differently and make connections between the course material and the class discussion.
　　I’ve been teaching my history class in this way for many years and the evaluations reflect student satisfaction with the environment that I create. Students realize that with deep conversation and challenge, they learn at a level that helps them keep the course material beyond the classroom.
　　I’m not saying that I won’t ever change my mind about technology use in my history class, but until I hear a really good reason for the change, I’m sticking to my plan. A few hours of technology-free dialogue is just too sweet to give up.
【小题1】Some of the students in the history class were unhappy with____

A．the course material	B．the author’s class regulations
C．discussion topics	D．others’ misuse of technology

【小题2】The underlined word “engage ”in para.4 probably means ____

A．explore

B．accept

C．change

D．reject

【小题3】According to the author, the use of technology in the classroom may ____

A．keep students from doing independent thinking

B．encourage students to have in-depth conversations

C．help students to better understand complex themes

D．affect students’ concentration on course evaluation

【小题4】It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author ____

A．is quite stubborn

B．will give up teaching history

C．values technology-free dialogues in his class

D．will change his teaching plan soon

请阅读下列应用文及其相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。（选E时，同时涂AB; 选F时，同时涂CD）

以下是几本儿童书籍的封面：

A. I Will Hold You 'til You Sleep           B. Two Finger Puppet Magnet Books

C. I SPY TREASURE HUNT            D. Disney's Little Einsteins

 

 

 

E. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz         F. Learn About Math With Bert & Ernie  

以下是儿童书籍的介绍，请匹配与之对应的书籍：

1.Based on the new hit animated show airing on the Disney Channel, this new series takes preschoolers along on the thrilling adventures of Leo, June, Quincy, and Annie, whose missions are illustrated with beautiful, full-color photos. Emmy-Award winner Susan Ring specializes in writing for children, and has written for all types of media. Her books for Disney Publishing Worldwide include boxed sets of Pixar’s Fun with Phonics, featuring Nemo and Toy Story characters and the Baby Einstein books.

2. Here is the rare book that not only expresses a parent's love for their child, but offers a hope for what that love will become. It begins with a wish at bedtime, as parents hold their children tight and hope their love will cradle them, safe and sound. It continues through the day their children have grown up, proud and strong, and can pass that love on to someone else. This is a book that goes beyond a parent's "I love you" to the generous wish that our children will make the world a better place.

3.This bestselling book features riddles that send readers searching for hidden objects in 12 photographs with treasure hunt themes. Children will love to pursue the mystery of the pirate's hidden treasure, narrowing their search with every delightfully cluttered page. Looking for an additional challenge? Try the extra-credit riddles.

4.Pooh, Piglet, and the gang from the Hundred-Acre wood are here to guide you through some amazing activities. Just slip one of the pointing puppets (木偶)onto your finger, and see if you can solve the puzzles inside. Your puppet will be drawn to the solutions, and your heart will be hooked by the colorful crew! This book includes 2 magnetic finger puppets.

5. This exciting new workbook from Sesame Workshop and Learning Horizons is designed so your child can have fun learning right along with Big Bird and the other friends from Sesame Street! In this workbook, your child will learn to recognize numbers, count and match sets of like items. Your child will even begin to add and subtract! A special “think icon” feature calls attention to activities that are challenging and more advanced. A special Explore More feature provides several easy-to-do home activities to extend learning in practical and fun ways.