Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(变化无常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened urban school administrators and teachers.
Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.　　　　
One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.
Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education.
60. It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.
A) the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties
B) many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities
C) there is a serious shortage of academic facilities
D) homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education
61. The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.
A) 350,000
B) 1,500,000
C) 440,000
D) 110,000
62. One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.
A) the homeless children are too young to be counted as children
B) the homeless population is growing rapidly
C) the homeless children usually stay outside school
D) some homeless children are deserted by their families
63. The passage mainly deals with ____.
A) the legal problems of the homeless children
B) the educational problems of homeless children
C) the social status of older males
D) estimates on the homeless population

Several years ago, while attending a communication course, I experienced a most unusual process. The instructor asked us to list__36__ in our past that we felt __37__ of, regretted, or incomplete about and read our lists aloud.

This seemed like a very __38__ process, but there’s always some __39__soul in the crowd who will volunteer. The instructor then __40__ that we find ways to __41__ people, or take some action to right any wrong doings. I was seriously wondering how this could ever __42__ my communication.

Then the man next to me raised his hand and volunteered this story: “Making my__43__, I remembered an incident from high school. I grew up in a small town. There was a Sheriff __44__ of us kids liked. One night, my two buddies（同伴） and I decided to play a __45__ on him.

After drinking a few beers, we climbed the tall water tank in the middle of the town, and wrote on the tank in bright red paint: Sheriff Brown is a s.o.b. (畜生). The next day, almost the whole town saw our glorious __46__. Within two hours, Sheriff Brown had us in his office. My friends told the truth but I lied. No one __47__ found out.”

“Nearly 20 years later, Sheriff Brown’s name __48__ on my list. I didn’t even know if he was still __49__. Last weekend, I dialed the information in my hometown and found there was a Roger Brown still listed. I tried his number. After a few __50__, I heard, “Hello?” I said, “Sheriff Brown?” Paused. “Yes.” “Well, this is Jimmy Calkins.”

“And I want you to know that I did it.” Paused. “I knew it!” he yelled back. We had a good laugh and a __51__ discussion. His closing words were: “Jimmy, I always felt bad for you __52__ your buddies got it off their chest, but you were carrying it __53__ all these years. I want to thank you for calling me...for your sake.”

Jimmy inspired me to __54__all 101 items on my list within two years, and I always remember what I learned from the course: It’s never too late to __55__the past wrongdoings.

At five he was collecting old newspapers to make money. And when he was 15 he signed his schoolmates up to start a baby-sitting circle.
Now 20, third-year Cambridge University student, Peter Blackburn is managing director of a company with a £ 30,000 plan. And he thinks it will make more than $15,000 by next summer.
He set up Peter Black born Ltd last year to bring out a new, color term-planner that now students all over the UK are using.
“I felt that most of the planners going around were pretty unimaginative,” he says, “I believed that I could do a better job and decided to have a go”.
Blackburn admits that he is putting far more effort into business than his computer studies course at university. While fellow students are out with their friends, he keeps in touch with his business office in Lancashire by movable phone. Before he set up the company he spent one holiday preparing a plan that would persuade his bank to lend him money.
“Most students work hard for a good degree because they believe that will help them get a job to support themselves,” he says “I work hard at my company, because that is what will support me next year, after I leave college.”
Friends believe that Blackburn will make £ 1 million within 5 years.
He is not quite so sure, however. “There’s a lot to be done yet,” he says.
【小题1】Choose the right order of the facts given in the passage.
a. He spent his holiday preparing a plan.
b. He collected newspapers.
c. He set up his own company.
d. He asked the bank for money.
e. He set up a babysitting circle.

第三节阅读理解(共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分)
A
A marketing director for a famous computer manufacturer was designing a new advertisement for his company. While researching consumers’ response to his product, he asked, “Ships are commonly referred to as ‘she’ or ‘her’. What gender (性别) would you give to your computer? Give four reasons to support your answer.
A large group of women reported that the computers should be referred to as “he” or “him” because:
1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
2. They have a lot of data, but are still hard to understand.
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are problems.
4. As soon as you buy one, you realize that, if you had waited a little longer you could have had a better model.
The men, on the other hand, said that computers should be referred to as “she” or “her” because:
1. The language they use to communicate with other computers is impossible to understand for most men.
2. Even your smallest mistakes are stored in the long-term memory and will be remembered forever.
3. As soon as you get one, you find yourself spending half your money on accessories (附件) for it.
21. In fact, computers really _______.
A. should be referred to as “she”        B. should be talked about as “he”
C. are neither “she” nor “he”                 D. are either “he” or “she”
22. Why did the man ask people such a strange question? 
A. Because he was a marketing director of a computer company.
B. Because he was not sure whether to use “she” or “he” for his computer.
C. Because he wanted to make special computers for men and women.
D. Because he was planning an advertisement for his computer.
23. From the women’s answers, we can see _______.
A. they generally don’t know as much about computer as men do
B. they want to use a computer without turning it on
C. they can’t make up their minds when to buy a new computer
D. they love computers as much as they love their husbands

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

Every year at this time I remember a Christmas when I was 8 years old. It is the one memory of Christmas that has  31  with me all my life. My children always loved listening to it. I  32  in a small community in Newfoundland, with the sea right at our door. My  33  was a sea captain and was away from home   34  of the year, but he was always home for Christmas. I remember how  35   I was. It would soon be Christmas and Dad would be home for  36  three months.   Everything would be OK. Our home would be  37  and our time together would be  38  . My parents did what they could to give me and my four sisters what we needed, but not  39  what we needed.

That particular Christmas when my dad  40  me what I wanted for Christmas, I told him that I wanted a new pair of shoes and a beautiful hat. He knew that I needed new rubber boots because the old ones had  41  in them and I had to walk to school  42  them on rainy days. My Dad told me that I would have to choose, but I couldn’t have  43  . So I had to choose the rubber boots which weren’t expensive. All I could  44  during the weeks before Christmas was that I would have to  45  rubber boots with my new dress my mother was  46  for me.

Christmas morning came, and hidden in the toe of my stocking was a note that  47  “Look behind the kitchen door”. I did, and found another  48  : “Look behind the radio”. I did and found a box with a new pair of black leather  49  I had dreamed of. They were very dear and the most beautiful shoes I had ever seen. I knew my father  50  money long to buy them for me. I was so happy and grateful.