I tend to accept any idea put forward by experts on TV. One day, a sociologist(社会学家) proposed that the   36  society has been consuming modern humans little by little. For fear that I would become a victim of the consumer society, I   37  hurried to a bicycle shop in my neighborhood.   38  the shopkeeper Mr. Johnson was selling me the bicycle, he said, “This is the best thing you   39  have done. Life has become hopelessly   40 . A bicycle is simple, and it brings to you   41  things: fresh air, sunshine and exercise.” I agreed. Happy as a child, I got on the bicycle and headed out onto the streets. After some time, I   42  at the other end of the town. I was   43  that this simple vehicle could let me   44  long distances in a fairly short time. But how   45  did I really go?

Since I hated to be   46 , I went back to Mr. Johnson and asked him to   47  an odometer (里程表) on my bicycle. He agreed, but   48 , “An odometer without a speedometer (速度计) is like a   49  without a knife.” I admitted he was right and in a few minutes, the two devices (装置) were   50  to the handlebars of my bicycle. “What about a horn?” he then asked. “Look, this horn is no larger than a matchbox and has many   51 .” Attracted by these functions, I bought the horn.

“You can’t leave the back part   52 ,” noted Mr. Johnson. He fixed a metal box with buttons   53  the seat, and said, “Is there anything better than this oven(烤箱) when you feel   54  on your way? I can give you a special discount.” I was not strong enough to   55  the offer.

“I congratulate you once more; this is the best thing you could have done,” said Mr. Johnson in the end.

18.         

It was about midday. I’d left work early in the morning to cash a cheque. I walked along to the bank, and found that there weren’t too many people about ten or eleven customers in there, which was pretty unusual for those central city banks.

    I waited until it was my turn and just went up to the desk and started to talk to the bank clerk. He had a really strange expression on his face -- just sort of blank stare at least I thought he was looking at me and then I realized he was staring over my shoulder.

    I began to turn round to see what he was looking at. At the same moment the outside bank guard came flying through the door and lay face down on the floor and following him through the door were three frightening masked men. They were carrying guns; at least I think the one in front was carrying a gun. Whether or not they said anything at that point I can’t remember to this day, or whether people just automatically put their hands up I’ve just no idea.

    For a few moments there was just total silence, suddenly broken by the telephone ringing and I remember thinking and wondering who was on the other end of the telephone. Nobody went to answer the telephone, so this thing just kept on ringing and ringing. Then two of the masked men went to the counter, jumped over it and got the cashiers and the bank clerks to start filling the bags with cash. While the two were getting the money, the one at the door who was covering us with the gun was a bit frightened. He started swearing at them, and telling them to hurry up, to get a move on. They jumped back over the counter. One of them slipped as he landed on the floor and fell over and the other two swore at him again. They left through the door. Warning us, “Don’t move, stay like that with your hands up for ten minutes.” And then they just disappeared. Again back to total silence. People put their hands down, I put my hands down but I just stayed exactly where I was.

What does the writer mean by saying “…a pretty unusual number for those central banks” in the first paragraph?

    A. More customers than usual were staying in the bank.

    B. Less bank clerks than expected were in the bank.

    C. There were often more than a dozen customers in the bank.

    D. More banks should be open to serve customers in the city center.

The bank clerk wore a blank expression on his face probably because ________.

    A. he was feeling upset at that moment

    B. he felt puzzled and sensed something terrible

    C. he was required to keep silence

    D. he was threatened with a gun by robbers

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

    A. The customers didn’t wait in line but jumped the queue because of the confusion.

    B. All the people in the bank except the writer put their hands up automatically.

    C. Nobody answered the phone because all the clerks were busy with work.

    D. the bank workers were forced to fill the robbers’ bags with cash.

What’s the best title of this passage?

    A. A Street Gang              B. A Strange Bank

    C. A Bank Robbery            D. A Horrible Adventure

It was about midday. I’d left work early in the morning to cash a cheque. I walked along to the bank, and found that there weren’t too many people about ten or eleven customers in there, which was pretty unusual for those central city banks.
I waited until it was my turn and just went up to the desk and started to talk to the bank clerk. He had a really strange expression on his face -- just sort of blank stare at least I thought he was looking at me and then I realized he was staring over my shoulder.
I began to turn round to see what he was looking at. At the same moment the outside bank guard came flying through the door and lay face down on the floor and following him through the door were three frightening masked men. They were carrying guns; at least I think the one in front was carrying a gun. Whether or not they said anything at that point I can’t remember to this day, or whether people just automatically put their hands up I’ve just no idea.
For a few moments there was just total silence, suddenly broken by the telephone ringing and I remember thinking and wondering who was on the other end of the telephone. Nobody went to answer the telephone, so this thing just kept on ringing and ringing. Then two of the masked men went to the counter, jumped over it and got the cashiers and the bank clerks to start filling the bags with cash. While the two were getting the money, the one at the door who was covering us with the gun was a bit frightened. He started swearing at them, and telling them to hurry up, to get a move on. They jumped back over the counter. One of them slipped as he landed on the floor and fell over and the other two swore at him again. They left through the door. Warning us, “Don’t move, stay like that with your hands up for ten minutes.” And then they just disappeared. Again back to total silence. People put their hands down, I put my hands down but I just stayed exactly where I was.
【小题1】What does the writer mean by saying “…a pretty unusual number for those central banks” in the first paragraph?

第二卷（两部分共35分）
第四部分：写作（共两节，满分35分）
第一节：短文填词（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
阅读下面短文，根据以下要求：1）汉语提示；2）首字母提示；3）语境提示，在每个空格内填入一个适当的英语单词，并将该词完整地写在右边相对应的横线上。所填单词要求意义准确、拼写正确
My father is an ordinary-looking farmer, already in his forties.    
Though he has never gone to school, he knows ________(知识)is     76.____________
very important. In order to make me r_______ better education, he    77. ____________
worked extremely hard, s_________ money coin by coin to send     78. ____________
me to the town to study. ____ a result, he looks older than he really    79. ____________
_____. For him, my school work is the most important. Once when    80. ____________
I got first in the exam, he was so d__________ that he drank a lot. I    81. ____________    
didn’t know if he got d_______. All I could remember was what he    82. ____________
said.“Although I am poor, I never mind. I am ______(骄傲) of you.”   83. ____________   
I could hardly hear _________ he said next because I was crying. I     84. ____________     
swore I must study hard and offer my father a ________(舒适) life.     85. ____________

It was about midday. I’d left work early in the morning to cash a cheque. I walked along to the bank, and found that there weren’t too many people about ten or eleven customers in there, which was pretty unusual for those central city banks.

    I waited until it was my turn and just went up to the desk and started to talk to the bank clerk. He had a really strange expression on his face -- just sort of blank stare at least I thought he was looking at me and then I realized he was staring over my shoulder.

    I began to turn round to see what he was looking at. At the same moment the outside bank guard came flying through the door and lay face down on the floor and following him through the door were three frightening masked men. They were carrying guns; at least I think the one in front was carrying a gun. Whether or not they said anything at that point I can’t remember to this day, or whether people just automatically put their hands up I’ve just no idea.

    For a few moments there was just total silence, suddenly broken by the telephone ringing and I remember thinking and wondering who was on the other end of the telephone. Nobody went to answer the telephone, so this thing just kept on ringing and ringing. Then two of the masked men went to the counter, jumped over it and got the cashiers and the bank clerks to start filling the bags with cash. While the two were getting the money, the one at the door who was covering us with the gun was a bit frightened. He started swearing at them, and telling them to hurry up, to get a move on. They jumped back over the counter. One of them slipped as he landed on the floor and fell over and the other two swore at him again. They left through the door. Warning us, “Don’t move, stay like that with your hands up for ten minutes.” And then they just disappeared. Again back to total silence. People put their hands down, I put my hands down but I just stayed exactly where I was.

1.What does the writer mean by saying “…a pretty unusual number for those central banks” in the first paragraph?

    A. More customers than usual were staying in the bank.

    B. Less bank clerks than expected were in the bank.

    C. There were often more than a dozen customers in the bank.

    D. More banks should be open to serve customers in the city center.

2. The bank clerk wore a blank expression on his face probably because ________.

    A. he was feeling upset at that moment

    B. he felt puzzled and sensed something terrible

    C. he was required to keep silence

    D. he was threatened with a gun by robbers

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

    A. The customers didn’t wait in line but jumped the queue because of the confusion.

    B. All the people in the bank except the writer put their hands up automatically.

    C. Nobody answered the phone because all the clerks were busy with work.

    D. the bank workers were forced to fill the robbers’ bags with cash.

4. What’s the best title of this passage?

    A. A Street Gang              B. A Strange Bank

    C. A Bank Robbery            D. A Horrible Adventure