Americans hope Two-Thousand-Two will be happier than Two-Thousand-One. New York suffered terrible losses in the terrorist attacks on September Eleventh. However, the city is continuing with its New Year's Eve traditions in Times Square for the ninety-seventh year.

The tradition began in Nineteen-Oh-Four. That year, the owners of the building at Number One Times Square held a party on top of the building. Today, the New Year's Ball falls from the top of the same building. The ball contains thousands of pieces of lighted cut glass. It looks like burning stars as it falls through the darkness. When it reaches the ground, people in Times Square dance and sing. They throw tiny pieces of colorful paper into the air. Many people in the United States also watch this event on television.

Other cities also have New Year celebrations. For example, Chicago has a fireworks show. The fireworks are launched from the Navy Pier, a land area that extends into Lake Michigan. Some people like to watch the fireworks from a boat on the lake. The boat serves a special meal on New Year's Eve. People drink a special wine called Champagne to celebrate the clock striking midnight.

Many young people in Chicago celebrate New Year's Eve at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Children wear funny hats as they wish the animals a good New Year.

Many other Americans celebrate New Year's Eve with parties at home. Or they celebrate at public eating and drinking places. These events are usually noisy. People shout and sing. They often blow on small noise-makers when the New Year arrives at midnight. They kiss their husband or wife or the person they are with. They dance to broadcast music, records or live bands.

Some people drink too much alcohol at New Year's Eve celebrations. This can lead to tragic results if a person drinks too much and then drives a car. The National Safety Council says hundreds of people die in road accidents during the holiday.

In recent years, the danger of accidents has resulted in a new tradition called the "designated driver." One person among a group of friends drinks little or no alcohol during New Year's Eve celebrations. Then this designated driver can safely drive the other people home. Many American cities also offer free taxi service on New Year's Eve to take people home safely.

Other Americans observe the coming of the New Year at events without alcohol. More than two-hundred American cities hold these First Night celebrations. Artists in Boston, Massachusetts, started the tradition of First Night celebrations in Nineteen-Seventy-Six. They wanted to observe the coming of a New Year. But they did not want to hold noisy drinking parties. So they organized music, art and other events to observe the holiday.

66.What does the tradition refer to in the passage?

A. The celebration of New Year’s Eve.        B. The New Year’s Ball.

B. The fireworks show.                    D. The parties at home.

67.Why does the New Year’s Ball contain pieces of lighted cut glass?

A. To attract people in the square.            B. To light the Times Square

C. To give people atmosphere of a festival     D. To make people interested in the festival.

68. What is the passage mainly about?

A. To hope people remember the terrible suffering in the terrorist attacks

B. The colorful life of Americans.

C. The hopes of Americans in the coming new year.

D. The celebrating activities on New Year’s Eve in America.

69. How do Americans feel to the coming new year after the terrorist attacks?

A. sad, excited and hopeful             B. sad, excited and happy

C. happy, excited and hopeful           D. complicated, excited and hopeful.

70. The change people hope most to see in their tradition is __________

A. Less noise                        B. Drinking less alcohol

C. Fewer road accidents                D. Less tragedy

 

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has recovered his spot at the top of the US money heap, taking the place of Investor Warren Buffett as America's richest person, Forbes magazine's latest list reveals.

With 57 billion dollars net worth Gates again leads the list of 400 richest individuals in the world’s wealthiest country. He displaced Buffett who briefly held the position this year but who has seen his Berkshire Hathaway investment group's shares slip 15 percent since February and is now worth 50 billion.

According to Forbes, whose list was published late Wednesday, the golden 400 have 1.3 billion dollars net worth or more. However, their combined net worth rose only 30 billion dollars, or two percent, to 1.57 trillion dollars.

Forbes said that rising oil and dizzy art prices fuelled the entry of 31 new members into the ultra -rich club and the return of eight previous members.

A notable arrival was Mark Zuckerberg, 24, founder of the social networking site Facebook (脸谱网). Forbes estimates his worth at 1.5 billion dollars.

Meanwhile, turmoil (动荡) on the stock and housing markets saw 33 others drop off the list, including former head of the troubled insurance giant AIG, Maurice Greenberg, and a former head of the online auction site eBay, Margaret Whitman.

Biggest gainers were led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who took eighth place with 20 billion dollars worth after a transaction (交易) put a new value on his Bloomberg media and financial data network.

The biggest loser was casino (赌场，娱乐场所) tycoon Sheldon Adelson, whose fortune fell 13 billion dollars over 12 months -- the equivalent to 1.5 million dollars an hour -- although he still has 15 billion dollars and occupies 15th place.

About two thirds of the list are self-made billionaires and just over 10 percent are women, led by television star Oprah Winfrey whose fortune rose 200 million dollars to 2.7 billion dollars.

68. According to Forbes, Warren Buffet is worth ________.

A. 57 billion dollars    B. 50 billion dollars  C. 1.5 billion dollars    D.20 billion dollars 

69. 31 new members entered the ultra-rich club as a result of ________.

A. turmoil on the stock and housing market     

B. media and financial data network

C. rising oil and dizzy art prices                     

D. investment

70. The purpose of the author using the television star Oprah Winfrey as an example is to _________.

A. tell the readers that television stars make money easily

B. prove that a millionaire can become a billionaire

C women can also be billionaires

D. tell the readers that most of the billionaires are self-made

 

One day Marilla said, “Anne, your new teacher, Miss Stacy, spoke to me yesterday. She says you must study for the examinations for Queen’s College in two years’ time. Then if you do well, you can study at Queen’s in Charlottetown for a year, and after that you’ll be a teacher!”

“That doesn’t matter, Anne. When Matthew and I adopted you three years ago, we decided to look after you as well as we could. Of course we’ll pay for you to study.”So in the afternoons Anne and some of her friends stayed late at school, and Miss Stacy helped them with the special examination work. Diana didn’t want to go to Queen’s, so she went home early, but Gilbert stayed. He and Anne still never spoke and everybody knew that they were enemies, because they both wanted to be first in the examination. Secretly, Anne was sorry that she and Gilbert weren’t friends, but it was too late now.

For two years, Anne studied hard at school. She enjoyed learning, and Miss Stacy was pleased with her. But she didn’t study all the time. In the evenings and at weekends she visited her friends, or walked through the fields with Diana, or sat talking to Matthew.

“Your Anne is a big girl now. She’s taller than you,” Rachel Lynde told Marilla one day.

“You’re right, Rachel!” said Marilla in surprise.

“And she’s a very good girl now, isn’t she? She doesn’t get into trouble these days. I’m sure she helps you a lot with the housework, Marilla.”

“Yes, I don’t know what I’d do without her,” said Marilla, smiling.

“And look at her! Those beautiful grey eyes, and that red-brown hair! You know, Marilla, I thought you and Matthew made a mistake when you adopted her. But now I see I was wrong. You’ve looked after her very well.”

“Well, thank you, Rachel,” replied Marilla, pleased.

That evening, when Matthew came into the kitchen, he saw that his sister was crying.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, surprised. “You haven’t cried since… well, I can’t remember when.”

“It’s just… well, I was thinking about Anne,” said Marilla. “I’ll…I’ll miss her when she goes away.”

“When she goes to Queen’s, you mean? Yes, but she can come home at weekends, on the train.”

“I’ll still miss her,” said Marilla sadly.”

In June the Avonlea boys and girls had to go to Charlottetown to take their examinations.

“Oh, I do hope that I’ve done well,” Anne told Diana when she arrived back at Green Gables. “The examinations were very difficult. And I’ve got to wait for three weeks before I know! Three weeks! I’ll die!”

Anne wanted to do better than Gilbert. But she also wanted to do well for Matthew and Marilla. That was very important to her.

Diana was the first to hear the news, she ran into the kitchen at Green Gables and shouted, “Look, Anne! It’s in Father’s newspaper! You’re first… with Gilbert… out of all the students on the island! Oh, how wonderful!” Anne took the paper with shaking hands, and saw her name, at the top of the list of two hundred. She could not speak.

“Well, now, I knew it,” said Matthew with a warm smile.

“You’ve done well, I must say, Anne,” said Marilla, who was secretly very pleased.

For the next three weeks Anne and Marilla were very busy. Anne needs new dresses to take to Charlottetown.

1.Which of the following statements is true?

A．To be a teacher was one of Annes’ dreams.

B．Both Anne and Diana studied hard for the special examination.

C．Matthew and Marilla were Anne’s parents.

D．Anne was adopted by Matthew and Marilla.

2.Why are Anne and Gilbert enemies? Because _____________.

A．they were competitors in school            B．they didn’t like each other

C．it wasn’t mentioned in the passage         D．their parents were enemies

3.The paragraph “Oh Marilla! I’d love to be a teacher! But won’t it be very expensive?” should be put between___________.

A．paragraph ③ and ④                    B．paragraph ⑦ and ⑧

C．paragraph ① and ②                    D．paragraph ⑨ and ⑩

4.What will be written in the following paragraph?

A．Anne’s summer holiday.

B．What will Anne talk about her college life with Diana

C．How will Miss Stacy help Anne study.

D．What will Anne do before attending college.

5.From the passage, we can learn that _____________.

A．Miss Stay liked Anne very much

B．when Anne became a teacher, she would have lived in the family for six years

C．Marilla cried because Anne would leave for ever

D．Rachel was a teacher of Anne’s

 

 

SECTION B

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C, and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

 

Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met me, even in bad weather. So when I went away to college, I knew I was in for a long  36  whenever I came home. The walk didn't bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I felt less than valued that my father didn't seem concerned about my  37 . That feeling was canceled one spring evening.

It had been a particularly difficult week at college. Tests and long hours in labs had left me  38  . I longed for home and a soft bed. Finally, the bus stopped at my destination point, and I  39 , beginning the long journey home.

A row of privet hedge (女贞树篱）edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my  40  , I was always relieved (轻松) to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedge had just come into view  41  a gentle rain began to fall. Suddenly I saw something  42  moving fast along the top of the hedge, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew 一 each time I came home, he had stood  43  the hedge, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care, after all.

On following visits, that spot of gray became my beacon (指路标）. I could hardly  44    until I was close enough to watch for its covert (掩蔽的)  45  above the greenery. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting in his chair. "So! It's you!" he  46  say, pretending to be surprised.

I replied, "Yes, Dad, it's me. I'm home."

The greatest happiness of life is the fact that we are  47  .

36. A. walk     B. time    C. patience     D. anxiety

37. A. study    B. safety  C. suitcase      D. growth

38. A. figured out   B. given out    C. made out    D. worn out

39. A. stepped off   B. drove off    C. took off     D. came off

40. A. journey B. trouble      C. adventure   D. arrangement

41. A. when    B. after   C. that     D. because

42. A. bright   B. gray    C. funny         D. strange

43. A. beyond B. over    C. behind       D. through

44. A. wait     B. promise      C. approach    D. follow

45. A. performance B. action C. feeling       D. movement

46. A. did       B. could  C. should D. would

47. A. trusted  B. saved  C. loved  D. encouraged

 

课文句子背诵：写在二卷答题纸相应位置上，写在其他地方该题不得分（共10分）(每空一词)

81. So whether life will continue on the earth for millions of years ①____  _____ will depend on whether this problem can be ② _______.

82.The universe began with a “Big Bang” that threw matter ③_____ ______ ________.

83. She is ④______ a busy life but she says : Once I stop, it all comes ⑤_______  ________ and I remember the chimps in laboratories.

84. ⑥_________ reading made me realize that it was hard work and determination as well as her

⑦_______ ________ that got her into medical school.

85. They went through a ⑧________  province and saw farms that ⑨ _________thousands of acres.

After dinner, they were back in an ⑩_______ area , the busy port city of Thunder Bay at the top of the Great Lakes.