The idea of sailing west to reach the riches of the East Indies and the Asian mainland was much in fashion with cultured Europeans during the late fifteenth century. Learned people agreed that the earth was round: their only questions were how long and how dangerous would be a trip to reach the Orient. Christopher Columbus, the son of an unknown weaver, and himself a weaver of ambitious dreams, made his historic voyage to the New World in 1492. He didn't go to school very much, but be learned to read and write Spanish during his travels. He also taught himself Latin because all the geography books were written in Latin. Sailing with a tiny fleet of three ships, the Santa Maria and two smaller ships, the Pinta and the Nina and a crew of ninety sailors, be found the thirty-three-day crossing easier than his nearly-decade-long effort to find royal sponsors willing to support it. The trip drew not only on his own skills as an expert ship's captain, but also on his ability to plan such an expedition, obtain governmental approval and financing, and finally, demonstrate its success so that such explorations could continue. He tried for years to get King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to supply him with ships and money. Finally they agreed, but he made more demands. He wanted to be made a knight, admiral of the Ocean Sea. He wanted to be the viceroy(总督)and governor general of all lands he would discover. Also he wanted one-tenth of everything he found of value in the new lands. The explorations that followed Columbus-those of Cabot, Verrazano, Cartier, and many others-benefited from a new maritime technology borrowed from Arab sailors and from a variety of new vessels (船，舰) such as the light-weight caravels employed by Columbus. Sailors also perfected sails and various types of riggings that gave ships added stability and greater maneuverability(可操作性)on the open seas. And when leaving sight of the coast, new navigational aids-charts, compasses, and astrolabes-permitted them to determine their position with some, though not perfect, accuracy. Columbus himself made a total of four voyages to the New World but he did not become rich as he had hoped. At the end of his life he only had a pension the king and queen had given him because he was the first to reach the New World. He spent the last few months of his life in bed because of the pain of arthritis(关)． Columbus not only discovered a New World, but led the way for other explorers.

1.What was the dream destination of Europeans in the late fifteenth century?

2.What preparations did Columbus make for his first voyage to the New World?

①He planned the expedition thoroughly.

②He spent almost ten years in looking for sponsors.

③He gathered a great many ships.

④He hired 90 sailors.

⑤He demonstrated his success of former far-reaching explorations.

3.We can learn from the passage that ________.

4.What equipment aided the sailors in locating relatively more accurately?

5.In the passage, the author mainly tells us ________.

The idea of sailing west to reach the riches of the East Indies and the Asian mainland was much in fashion with cultured Europeans during the late fifteenth century. Learned people agreed that the earth was round: their only questions were how long and how dangerous would be a trip to reach the Orient. Christopher Columbus, the son of an unknown weaver, and himself a weaver of ambitious dreams, made his historic voyage to the New World in 1492. He didn't go to school very much, but be learned to read and write Spanish during his travels. He also taught himself Latin because all the geography books were written in Latin. Sailing with a tiny fleet of three ships, the Santa Maria and two smaller ships, the Pinta and the Nina and a crew of ninety sailors, be found the thirty-three-day crossing easier than his nearly-decade-long effort to find royal sponsors willing to support it. The trip drew not only on his own skills as an expert ship's captain, but also on his ability to plan such an expedition, obtain governmental approval and financing, and finally, demonstrate its success so that such explorations could continue. He tried for years to get King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to supply him with ships and money. Finally they agreed, but he made more demands. He wanted to be made a knight, admiral of the Ocean Sea. He wanted to be the viceroy(总督)and governor general of all lands he would discover. Also he wanted one-tenth of everything he found of value in the new lands. The explorations that followed Columbus-those of Cabot, Verrazano, Cartier, and many others-benefited from a new maritime technology borrowed from Arab sailors and from a variety of new vessels (船，舰) such as the light-weight caravels employed by Columbus. Sailors also perfected sails and various types of riggings that gave ships added stability and greater maneuverability(可操作性)on the open seas. And when leaving sight of the coast, new navigational aids-charts, compasses, and astrolabes-permitted them to determine their position with some, though not perfect, accuracy. Columbus himself made a total of four voyages to the New World but he did not become rich as he had hoped. At the end of his life he only had a pension the king and queen had given him because he was the first to reach the New World. He spent the last few months of his life in bed because of the pain of arthritis(关)． Columbus not only discovered a New World, but led the way for other explorers.
【小题1】What was the dream destination of Europeans in the late fifteenth century?

The idea of sailing west to reach the riches of the East Indies and the Asian mainland was much in fashion with cultured Europeans during the late fifteenth century. Learned people agreed that the earth was round: their only questions were how long and how dangerous would be a trip to reach the Orient. Christopher Columbus, the son of an unknown weaver, and himself a weaver of ambitious dreams, made his historic voyage to the New World in 1492. He didn't go to school very much, but be learned to read and write Spanish during his travels. He also taught himself Latin because all the geography books were written in Latin. Sailing with a tiny fleet of three ships, the Santa Maria and two smaller ships, the Pinta and the Nina and a crew of ninety sailors, be found the thirty-three-day crossing easier than his nearly-decade-long effort to find royal sponsors willing to support it. The trip drew not only on his own skills as an expert ship's captain, but also on his ability to plan such an expedition, obtain governmental approval and financing, and finally, demonstrate its success so that such explorations could continue. He tried for years to get King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella to supply him with ships and money. Finally they agreed, but he made more demands. He wanted to be made a knight, admiral of the Ocean Sea. He wanted to be the viceroy(总督)and governor general of all lands he would discover. Also he wanted one-tenth of everything he found of value in the new lands. The explorations that followed Columbus-those of Cabot, Verrazano, Cartier, and many others-benefited from a new maritime technology borrowed from Arab sailors and from a variety of new vessels (船，舰) such as the light-weight caravels employed by Columbus. Sailors also perfected sails and various types of riggings that gave ships added stability and greater maneuverability(可操作性)on the open seas. And when leaving sight of the coast, new navigational aids-charts, compasses, and astrolabes-permitted them to determine their position with some, though not perfect, accuracy. Columbus himself made a total of four voyages to the New World but he did not become rich as he had hoped. At the end of his life he only had a pension the king and queen had given him because he was the first to reach the New World. He spent the last few months of his life in bed because of the pain of arthritis(关). Columbus not only discovered a New World, but led the way for other explorers.

1. 1.

   What was the dream destination of Europeans in the late fifteenth century?

   1. A.
      The oriental countries.
   2. B.
      The East Indonesia.
   3. C.
      The Old World.
   4. D.
      The African mainland. .
2. 2.

   What preparations did Columbus make for his first voyage to the New World?
   ①He planned the expedition thoroughly.
   ②He spent almost ten years in looking for sponsors.
   ③He gathered a great many ships.
   ④He hired 90 sailors.
   ⑤He demonstrated his success of former far-reaching explorations.

   1. A.
      ①②③④⑤
   2. B.
      ①②④
   3. C.
      ①④⑤
   4. D.
      ②④⑤
3. 3.

   We can learn from the passage that ________.

   1. A.
      Christopher Columbus was an ambitious explorer
   2. B.
      he was a geologist with ambitious dreams
   3. C.
      Columbus became extremely wealthy after making a total of four voyages
   4. D.
      he was an unsuccessful canvasser(游说者)
4. 4.

   What equipment aided the sailors in locating relatively more accurately?

   1. A.
      A variety of new vessels.
   2. B.
      The light-weighted caravels.
   3. C.
      Various types of riggings.
   4. D.
      Charts, compasses and astrolabes.
5. 5.

   In the passage, the author mainly tells us ________.

   1. A.
      the tragedy of Columbus's life as a whole
   2. B.
      Columbus's life story and his achievements
   3. C.
      Columbus's exploration to the East Indies and Asia
   4. D.
      how Columbus arrived in the New World .

第二节：完形填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

I have learned to expect gifts from Cod in the form of people．People who I meet for a few

seconds，a few hours or even for   16 ．

My wife and I   17   a short train ride on an old train．It was   18   of her birthday plan．I was expecting to meet someone new who would   19   at our table．That was to be my

20   for that day．

We weren’t seated for two minutes   21   I heard，“Would you mind if I   22   you?”I replied，“  23 ．1 was expecting you!”

He was in his early sixties and   24   introduced himself．But for the following 45    minutes，he never stopped   25   loudly．If there was a pause in the conversation，it was because   26   on the train was giving us some background information about the old train

27 ，this gentleman kept speaking to us about himself．Some things he said were very interesting．but most was a complaint about his experience as a   28   and different types of law．He never asked   29   of us what we did

So．if   30   did send him，what was the message this time?

He needed   31   and I needed to be reminded how important it was to listen to people，

32   for a few seconds．a few hours or for a lifetime．Perhaps I was sent to him．Maybe he was

33   to God to meet someone who   34 ．

God gave us two ears and one mouth，because we need to listen   35   as much as we speak．

16．A．a lifetime            B．a few months      C．several years           D．a long time

17．A．put                     B．enjoyed              C．took                             D．planned

18．A．part                    B．gift                    C．dream                    D．intention

19．A．explain               B．glare                  C．come                     D．sit

20．A．inspiration                 B．expectation         C．gift                        D．conversation

21．A．after                   B．when                  C．suddenly                D．before

22．A．seated                 B．joined in             C．talked with             D．joined

23．A．Go ahead            B．Never mind         C．Forget it                D．With pleasure

24．A．formally             B．politely               C．immediately           D．intelligently

25．A．complaining         B．weeping              C．talking                   D．laughing

26．A．a tour guide          B．a conductor         C．a consumer             D．a trainer

27．A．However            B．Sometimes          C．Moreover               D．Otherwise

28．A．supporter            B．professor            C．mayor                    D．1awyer

29．A．each                   B．every                  C．either                     D．one

30．A．someone             B．God                   C．my wife                 D．the train

31．A．to improve          B．to talk                C．to control               D．to target

32．A．once                   B．by contrast          C．if only                   D．other than

33．A．praying              B．talking                C．desiring                 D．begging

34．A．should listen         B．maybe listen        C．must listen             D．would listen

35．A．much more           B．twice                  C．with two                D．a lot more

Michael Jordan was born on February 17, 1963. In 1984 he joined the NBA's Chicago Bull. His wonderful performance with leaping ability earned him the nickname “Air Jordan”. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and1993.

Because of some personal reasons, he left the team in 1993, he returned to the Bulls in 1995. Then, he got three additional championships in the following three years. Jordan retired for a second time in 1999, but he returned for two more NBA seasons in 2001.

In Jordan’s career, he was awarded with different titles and reputations, which included 5 MVP awards, ten All-NBA First Team designations, nine All-defensive First Team honors, fourteen NBA All-Star appearances and so on.

Jordan played on two Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball teams. As a college player he participated, and won the gold, in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Jordan led the team in scoring averaging 17.1 points per game for the tournament. In the 1992 Summer Olympics he was a member of the star-studded team that included Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and David Robinson and was known as "Dream Team". Playing limited minutes due to the frequent blowouts, Jordan averaged 12.7 points per game, finishing fourth on the team in scoring. The team won the gold medal, restoring the United States to the top of the basketball world.

Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time. He has gained tremendous popularity throughout the world. People of all ages and from all nationalities have gathered to watch him play. He is a hero among basketball spectators.

1.What earned Michael Jordan the nickname "Air Jordan"?

(no more than 6 words)

______________________________________________________________

2.How many times was he awarded with the title of Most Valuable Player?

(no more than 2 words)

______________________________________________________________

3.What was the Olympic gold medal-winning American basketball team called in 1992?

(no more than 3 words)

______________________________________________________________

4.How does the writer comment on Michael Jordan? ( no more than 10 words)

______________________________________________________________