Whether I’m looking for a good chat with some old Mends or a quiet place to meet a colleague, the pub will be the place I always choose.

I could, of course, go to a bar. But a pub, I always find, is far more comfortable and has a more relaxed atmosphere.

Many people in the UK also have a favorite pub at the end of the road where they live or nearby to where they work. I can almost always guarantee that I’ll bump into someone I know at my “local”, as we British call our nearest pub.

In fact, many people from the UK say that the pub is a cornerstone (基础) of British life. Coming together over a drink, usually of beer, is generally con­sidered the best way to catch up with friends. For those who are a little reserved (内向的), as the British sometimes are, it’s the best way to open up and get chatting.

However, this habit is slowly changing among some British people. According to a survey completed in August by UK trade magazine The Publican, eating, rather than drinking, has become the main source of income for our 52,000 pubs.

The gastropub (美食酒吧), with its greater emphasis on food, is primarily responsible. All over the country, this more expensive type of pub has been springing up, providing a place for more formal meetings with business partners. Wine is often drunk instead of the traditional beer.

But not everyone’s happy. Many people hate the fact that some local pubs are closing because new gastropubs are proving more profitable. “Beer sales are sinking and many pubs are struggling to survive,” Rob Haward, of the British Beer and Pub Association, told UK newspaper The Daily Mail.

For my part, I’m going to do all I can to keep the local British pub alive. It will be the first place I visit when I go back home.

1..   The article is mainly about         .

A. the British pub losing popularity             B. the author’s love of pubs

C. how the British socialize                     D. the local British pub

2..  Many British people say that the pub is a cornerstone of British life because         .

A. it is nearby and convenient

B. it is a great place for meeting friends

C. it is far more comfortable than a bar to have a drink

D. it is easy to bump into people they know in a pub ,

3..  From the text, we can conclude that gastropubs         .

A. will replace the local pubs

B. attach more importance to drinks

C. are somewhere between a restaurant and a bar

D. attract beer lovers as well as wine lovers

4..   Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?

A. The author is in favor of gastropubs.

B. Wine is thought to show one’s class and taste.

C. British people do not go to pubs as often as be­fore.

D. Local pubs are being seriously affected by gastropubs.

第二部分 阅读理解(共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

When students think of learning a foreign language, the first thought is of books, exercises, and audio cassettes．Those are important to learning but sometimes a little bit boring．Therefore, it is time for us to spice things up a bit.

Things like a cellphone can keep your interest level high．It’s a perfect study material．You have it with you day after day, you are familiar with how it works and you can use it to practice whenever you have time．You don’t need to have your books by your side or stay in your room to listen to tapes.

Let’s take a look at how to add your cellphone to your study tools.

Set up your cellphone to use the language you want to study．Go to the menu, find settings, locate language and change it to English or Spanish, which benefits your language learning.

Look at the buttons and connect those items with the new vocabulary．This enables you to master simple words and phrases with little effort．For example, each time you open up your cellphone you’ll see “messages”, “games” and “calls made”．These words begin to take root if you see them again and again.

When you have time, take out your cellphone and start hitting buttons．You’ll be surprised at all the vocabulary you can learn by playing with the different menu items．Some things you’ll recognize immediately and others you can guess just by where you find them.

It can keep your learning fresh and interesting．And that’s important because boredom is a big problem with language learners．You need variety and a cellphone is one way to get it.

1．The underlined part “spice things up” in the first paragraph means “______”.

     A．make things interesting         B．make things realistic

         C．make things helpful             D．make things obvious

2．Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using a cellphone as a study material?

     A．We can study with it at any moment.

         B．It keeps our learning interest high.

         C．We can use it to practice freely.

         D．It offers the chance to practice learning.

3．By playing with a cellphone, you can ______.

     A．learn the words in the menu

         B．remember the messages sent by others

         C．improve the techniques of playing games

         D．become familiar with different kinds of languages

4．Why did the author write the passage?

     A．To stress the importance of language learning.

         B．To introduce the latest ways of language learning.

         C．To inform how to keep your learning fresh.

         D．To explain how to use cellphones to learn language.

Songs that make our hearts happy can make them stronger too, US researchers reported on Tuesday.
They found that when people listened to their favorite music, their blood vessels (血管) dilated in much the same way as when they are laughing, or taking blood medications.
"We have a pretty impressive effect," said Dr Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology (心脏病学) at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.
"Blood vessel diameter improved," he said. "The vessel opened up pretty significantly. You can see the vessels opening up with other activities such as exercise." A similar effect is seen with drugs such as statins.
When blood vessels open up more, blood flows more smoothly and is less likely to form the clots (凝块) that cause heart attacks and strokes. "We are not saying to stop your statins or not to exercise but rather to add this to an overall program of heart health," said Miller, who presented his findings to a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans.
Miller's team tested 10 healthy, non-smoking men and women, who were told to bring their favorite music. They spent half an hour listening to the recordings and half an hour listening to music they said made them feel anxious while the researchers did ultrasound tests designed to show blood vessel function.
Compared to their normal baseline measurements, blood vessel diameter increased 26 percent on average when the volunteers heard their joyful music. Listening to music they disliked — in most cases in this group heavy metal — blood vessels narrowed by six percent, Miller said.
Miller said he came up with the idea after discovering that laughter caused blood to literally flow more smoothly. "I asked myself what other things make us feel really good, besides calories from dark chocolate of course. Music came to mind. ... It makes me feel really good," he said.
Most of the volunteers chose country music but Miller said the style is not so important rather than what pleases each individual.
1. The underlined word dilate (in paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to “_____”.
A. widen             B. move               C. change              D. increase    
2. According to the passage, which of the following will NOT cause blood vessels to open up?
A. Taking exercise.                            B. Listening to unpleasant music.
C. Bursting into laughter.                       D. Taking drugs like statins.
3. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A. blood clots are caused by heart attacks and strokes
B. music is better than chocolate for your health
C. the style of music has different effects on different people
D. a person’s overall health is more influenced by how much exercise he gets
4. What is the passage possibly taken out from?
A. A scientific journal.                      B. A school textbook.
C. A medical brochure.                            D. A local newspaper.
5. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Pleasant Music Cures              B. Research into Blood Vessel
C. Music and Heart Attack                   D. Music and Happiness 

Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.

Make friendship a priority. Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the grass in your garden uncut or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.

Open up to close friends. Maintaining a deep friendship requires a level of “heartfelt” intimacy (亲密). Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems，but offer advice only when it’s wanted. Help raise friends’ self-esteem (自尊)when they are shaken by a job loss, or other such events.

Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies，singing in a choir，and joining in a bowling league.

Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu，offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their after­school activities.

Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage，friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.

Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms，or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.

Enroll in an adult­education course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests.

1. People with close friends have a ________ ability to fight disease than people who are alone.

A．less            B．greater        C．poorer          D．little

2. According to the passage，you’d better offer advice to your friends ________.

A．at any moment                    B．only when they are happy

C．only when they want it             D．only when you are glad

3. How many things have been mentioned that we must pay attention to in the passage to have friends?

   A. 3              B. 4              C. 6             D. 7

4.Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. You should have different friends for the same activities.

B. You should wait for a friend to ask a favor.

C. You should avoid talking with strangers in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores.

D. You should never take a friendship for granted.

5.The underlined word “enroll” in the last paragraph means________.

A．give         B．join           C．get             D．catch

While all my classmates seen to be crazy about a one-way ticket to Mars(火星), I’d rather say Mars is totally unsuitable for human existence. People won’t have enough food supplies there, and the terrible environment would make it impossible for them to live a long life. Besides, the journey won’t be safe. Can anybody explain to me just why people would go to Mars, never to return?

Steve Minear, UK

Here are the things you can think of: the desire to explore a foreign and unique environment, the excitement of being the first humans to open up a new world, the expectation of fame and glory…For scientists there is another reason. Their observations and research will probably lead to great scientific achievements.

Donal Trollop, Canada

There are already too many people on the Earth. I think that sometime before the end of the century, there will be a human colony(殖民地)on Mars. It will happen when people finally realize that tow-way trips to the red planet Mars are unnecessary. Most of the danger of space Flight is in the launches(发射) and landings. Cutting the trip home would therefore reduce the danger of accidents, save a lot of money, and open the way to building an everlasting human settlement on another world.

Enough supplies can be sent on ahead. And every two years more supplies and more people will needs, and Mars is far more pleasant than the other planets in the outer space.

Paul Davies. USA

1. The main purpose of Steve Minear’s writing is     .

2.Which of the following best states Donal Trollop’s idea?

3.Paul Davies points out that      .

4.What does Paul Davies think of human existence on Mars?