When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety…But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm．These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-Kilometer- an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up．
　 “Storm chasing (追逐)”is becoming an increasingly popular hobby，especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July．A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to l,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop．
　  Although anyone can do it，storm chasing is extremely dangerous．The power of a big storm  can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds．Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain．If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm - chasing vacations during the storm season．
　  Even then，storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement．“Storm chasing is 95％driving，”says Daniel Lynch，who spends most of his summer storm-chasing．“Sometimes you
Can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen，and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
　  However，for storm chasers，it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm，it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life，”says Jasper Morley．“Every storm is an example of the power of nature．It is the greatest show on Earth．”
【小题1】For storm chasing，the first thing storm chasers do is to　　　 ．

第三部分阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，共30分）
(A)
It is easier to start to learn a new language than to become good at it. I’ve started to learn many new languages, such as French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Afrikaans (南非荷兰语), and so on. I can’t speak them yet, but I’ve started picking up a few words and phrases that help me when I’m visiting. Most importantly, I’ve had fun doing this.
I’ve started to learn Italian, but I haven’t learned any Italian grammar, and when I visit Italy I’m not able to speak Italian correctly. My aim is just to communicate at a very basic level when I visit a country, to make an effort, and to show appreciation of the language and culture. I’m not trying to talk about politics or explain my views on life. I pick key or useful words and phrases that I want to learn. For example, as a visitor to another country, the key words in a foreign language are the words which will be of the most use to you and which you will use most often. These key words and phrases will vary from visitor to visitor, depending on the purpose of their trip.
It is worth remembering that it is easier to start a task than to finish it, and the same goes for learning a new language. The better you are at it, the slower your rate of progress will be, as you have to learn grammar, words and so on. If you are only trying to learn a few foreign words and phrases, you will make faster progress, have more fun, and won’t have to spend too much time on any given language.
61. From the second paragraph, we can infer that ______.
A. the writer is good at Italian, although it is rather difficult
B. the writer doesn’t like learning Italian because it is no fun
C. discussing politics or explaining one’s view requires an advanced language level
D. it is great fun to communicate with the local people in another country
62. Which of the following does the writer prefer to learn?
A. Sentence structure.        B. Important words and phrases.
C. Complicated sentences.        D. Grammar.
63. You can make faster progress ______.
A. if your language level is advanced  B. if you only try to learn some basic words
C. once you speak the language well 
D. once you have mastered several other languages
64. Which of the following would be the best title of this passage?
A. Starting Learning a New Language Is Easier than Becoming Good at It
B. How to Visit a Foreign Country
C. The Importance of Learning a Foreign Language
D. Why You Should Learn Several Foreign Languages

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，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、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 am a man who has been egoistic(以自我为中心的) and I have had a lack of respect for myself and others around me.I participated in various transformation workshops, 36 ,it made no differece.I remained 37 in my life.As a result,I became 38 from my family and reached rock 39 in my life.Having reached there,I resisted transforming myself.
　　After some time,I thought to myself: start believing in yourself and it will make a 40 in your life.I first started loing 41 and then all those around me.I started respecting myself and then others around me.My 42 increased.
　　Sangeeta is my workmate.She's transparent, 43 and respectful.She's very 44 and has a large family to support.In addition,her husband doesn't hold a regular job.In short,she's struggling in life.
　　On a cold winter morning,when she came to work,I found her 45 .I asked whether she had a pullover(毛线套衫). She didn't reply.I had my 46 .The next day when she came to work again,I gave her the money to buy a 47 for herself.The expression of 48 in her eyes was something that would remain with me for a long time.
　　A few weeks ago,she was 49 and didn't come to work.Instead,she sent her friend to do her work.The moment I 50 Sangeeta was sick,I gave 51 the money to buy medicines for her treatment. I took Sangeeta some time to recover 52 her illness.The first thing I 53 was whether she needed any more help of any kind. And she said,"Sir, you've done enough for me.I'm grateful to you."
　　That was the moment 54 I realized that I'm walking my path.Sometimes,I still fall down,but I get up and start walking again 55 I may have hurt myself in the process.
　　36.A.fortunately     B.however        C.gradually       D.obviously
　　37.A.stuck          B.engaged        C.caught         D.made
　　38.A.independent     B.separated       C.prevented      D.locked
　　39.A.top            B.turning         C.bottom        D.exit
　　40.A.progress        B.deal           C.decision        D.difference
　　41.A.others          B.life            C.myself         D.friends
　　42.A.self - worth      B.self - control    C.self - service     D.self - defense
　　43.A.imaginative      B.fascinating     C.honest          D.good - looking
　　44.A.poor            B.healthy        C.patient          D.disappointed
　　45.A.exciting         B.singing        C.confusing        D.shaking
　　46.A.idea            B.promise        C.performance     D.answer
　　47.A.bike            B.pullover        C.ticket          D.drink
　　48.A.thankfulness    B.guilty          C.pity            D.shock
　　49.A.away           B.ill             C.late            D.missing
　　50.A.puzzled         B.considered      C.realized        D.admitted
　　51.A.her husband     B.her family       C.Sangeeta       D.her friend
　　52.A.from           B.of              C.off           D.for
　　53.A.looked into      B.took down       C.cared about    D.called on
　　54.A.that            B.which           C.how          D.when
　　55.A.as if           B.even though      C.so that        D.if only

I needed to buy a digital camera, one that was simply good at taking good snaps (快照), maybe occasionally for magazines. Being the cautious type, I fancied a reliable brand. So I went on the net, spent 15 minutes reading product reviews on good websites, wrote down the names of three top recommendations and headed for my nearest big friendly camera store. There in the cupboard was one of the cameras on my list. And it was on special offer. Oh joy. I pointed at it and asked an assistant, “Can I have one of those?”? He looked perturbed (不安). “Do you want to try it first?” he said. It didn’t quite sound like a question. “Do I need to?” I replied ,“There is nothing wrong with it？” This made him look a bit insulted and I started to feel bad. “No, no. But you should try it,” he said encouragingly. “Compare it with the others. ”
I looked across at the others: shelves of similar cameras placed along the wall, offering a wide range of slightly different prices and discounts, with each company selling a range of models based around the same basic box. With so many models to choose from, it seemed that I would have to spend hours weighing X against Y, always trying to take Z and possibly H into account at the same time. But when I had finished, I would still have only the same two certainties that I had entered the store with: first, soon after I carried my new camera out of the shop, it would be worth half what I paid for it; and second, my wonderful camera would very quickly be replaced by a new model.
But something in the human soul whispers that you can beat these traps by making the right choice, the clever choice, the wise choice. In the end, I agreed to try the model I had chosen. The assistant seemed a sincere man. So I let him take out of my chosen camera from cupboard, show how it took excellent pictures of my fellow shoppers… and when he started to introduce the special features, I interrupted to ask whether I needed to buy a carry-case and a memory card as well.
Why do we think that new options still offer us anything new? Perhaps it is because they offer an opportunity to avoid facing the fact that our real choices in this culture are far more limited than we would like to imagine.
【小题1】The shop assistant insisted that the writer should________.

What makes a gift special? Is it the price you see on the gift receipt? Or is it the look on the recipient's face when they receive it that determines the true value? What gift is worth the most?
This Christmas I was debating what to give my father. My dad is a hard person to buy for because he never wants anything. I pulled out my phone to read a text message from my mom saying that we were leaving for Christmas shopping for him when I came across a message on my phone that I had locked. The message was from my father. My eyes fell on a photo of a flower taken in Wyoming. and underneath a poem by William Blake. The flower, a lonely dandelion（蒲公英） standing against the bright blue sky, inspired me. My dad had been reciting those words to me since I was a kid. That may even be the reason why I love writing. I decided that those words would be my gift to my father.
I called back. I told my mom to go without me and that I already created my gift. I sent the photo of the cream-colored flower to my computer and typed the poem on top of it. As I was arranging the details another poem came to mind. The poem was written by Edgar Allan Poe; my dad recited it as much as he did the other. I typed that out as well and searched online for a background to the words of it. The poem was focused around dreaming, and after searching I found the perfect picture. The image was painted with blues and greens and purples, twisting together to create the theme and wonder of a dream. As I watched both poems passing through the printer, the white paper coloring with words that shaped my childhood. I felt that this was a gift that my father would truly appreciate.
Christmas soon arrived. The minute I saw the look on my dad's face as he unwrapped those swirling black letters carefully placed in a cheap frame, I knew I had given the perfect gift.
【小题1】The idea for a special gift began to form when the author was____________.