III 阅读（共两节，满分40分）

第一节  阅读理解（共15小题；每小题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。

Most children, even the youngest of children, are delighted to be around cats and dogs. But these pets carry plenty of germs and allergens(过敏原), prompting researchers to ask: Are cats and dogs really safe for children?

A study finds that, contrary to many parents’ fears, owning cats or dogs does not increase a child’s risk of developing allergies, and in fact, may actually protect them. The study’s lead author, Dr. Dennis Ownby of the Medical College of Georgia, said that even he was “very surprised” by the results. Ownby and colleagues followed more than 470 children from birth to age 6 or 7, comparing those exposed to cats and dogs during their first years of life to those who were not.

By using skin-prick tests for detecting common allergies, the researchers found that, contrary to what many doctors had been taught for years, children who had lived with a pet were not at greater risk.

Even more remarkable, children who had two or more dogs or cats had an even greater reduction, up to 77 percent, in risk of allergies. Researchers suggest this protective effect may be the result of early exposure to lots of bacteria that are carried by dogs and cats. Exposing young children to these bacteria helps “exercise” their immune（免疫的） systems early in life so that they’re better able to resist allergic diseases later.

“There’s something very important in the first years of life when the immune system is developing that we can retrain it away from an allergic response,” said Dr. William Davis.

And while researchers are not encouraging parents to buy dogs or cats just to reduce a child’s allergy risk, they say if a family already has one or more animals, there’s no need to get rid of them.

41. Why do the researchers feel “very surprised” by the results of the study?

    A. Because the results are contrary to what they have expected.

B. Because so many families are going to get rid of their cats and dogs.

C. Because parents are so much worried about their children.

D. Because children with animals may develop allergies easily.

42. Compared with children who have pets, those who haven’t ________.

    A. will lose the chance to develop immune system

B. may suffer allergic diseases more often

C. will reduce the harm from bacteria

D. are more likely to resist allergic diseases

43. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

    A. pets are ill-treated by their owners

B. fewer families would like to own cats and dogs

C. keeping pets is a good way to keep children healthy

D. the results of the study can make families with pets feel at ease

44. The underlined word “it” in the fifth paragraph refers to ________.

    A. the early life                      B. an allergic disease

C. immune system                    D. something important

45. What may be the best title of the passage?

A. How to protect your kids from allergies.

B. Your pets may be helping your kids.

    C. Bacteria do good to your kids.        

    D. Advantages of owning pets.

II. 阅读理解（Reading comprehension）（共20小题；选择题5小题，每小题1分；非选择题15小题，每小题2分，计35分）

A) 选择题：阅读下面的短文，根据文意从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C 和D）中，选出能回答所提问题或完成所给句子的最佳选项。(Read the following passage which is followed by five questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the passage.)

Mexic Past and Present

Hundreds of years ago, Native-American tribes lived in Mexico. The Aztecs built beautiful cities. They had a calendar (历法) and a written  language. However, the Spanish destroyed the Aztecs in 1521. For the next 300 years, Spain ruled over Mexico. That's why Mexicans speak Spanish.

Every September 16 the Mexican people hold a celebration in Mexico City, their country's capital. It is their Independence Day. On that date in 1821 they told Spain they would no longer be ruled.

Breaking free from Spain caused a war. When it was over, the Mexicans had their own government. They made their own laws.

Today America and Mexico are friends, but it wasn't always that way. President James Polk wanted America to reach from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. He tried to buy what is now the American southwest from Mexico. Mexico would not sell. So from 1846 to 1848 Mexico and America fought a war to ascertain where their borders would be. When the war ended, Mexico had lost a lot of land. Now the Rio Grande River forms the border between the two nations. America is on the north side of the river. Mexico is on the south side.

Mexico has mountains and a hot, dry climate. Crops can grow on only a small part of the land. Still, Mexicans grow much of the coffee, oranges, and sugar used in the US. Mexicans have influenced building styles in southwestern US and added words such as patio and canton to American English. Americans also enjoy eating many Mexican foods like burritos, tacos, tortillas, and tamales.

46. According to the passage, what happened second on a historical timeline?

A. Mexicans declared their independence from Spain.

B. The Spanish ruled Mexico.

C. The Aztecs lived in Mexico.

D. Americans fought a war with Mexico.

47. The passage says that President Polk wanted ________.

A. the US to expand its borders to the Pacific Ocean

B. Mexico to change its Independence Day to July 4th

C. Mexico to become one of the states of the Union

D. Americans to adopt the Mexican language

48. Another word for the underlined word “ascertain” is ________.

A. inspect      B. discover     C. change      D. determine

49. Mexicans have the following influences on America EXCEPT ________.

A. building styles         B. vocabulary

C. clothes                 D. food

50. Before the Aztecs were conquered, these Native Americans probably ________.

A. didn't speak Spanish     

B. couldn't read or write any language

C. didn't have tools          

D. didn't understand the concept of time