高中英语故事类阅读试题

　　Olaf Stapledon wrote a book called First and Last Men, in which he looked millions of years ahead. He told of different men and of strange civilisations（文明）, broken up by long 'dark ages' in between. In his view, what is called the present time is no more than a moment in human history and we are just the First Men. In 2,000 million years from now there will be the Eighteenth or Last Men.
　　However, most of our ideas about the future are really very short-sighted. Perhaps we can see some possibilities for the next fifty years. But the next hundred ? The next thousand? The next million? That's much more difficult.
　　When men and women lived by hunting 50,000 years ago, how could they even begin to picture modern life? Yet to men of 50,000 years from now, we may seem as primitive（原始的）in our ideas as the Stone-Age hunters do to us. Perhaps through the spundels and ballalators, these words, which I have just made up, have to stand for things and ideas that we simply can't think of .
　　So why bother even to try imagining life far in the future ? Here are two reasons. First unless we remember how short our own lives are compared with the whole human history, we are likely to think our own interests are much more important than they really are. If we make the earth a poor place to live because. we are careless or greedy（贪婪） or quarrelsome,our grand-children will not bother to think of excuses for us.
　　Second, by trying to escape from present interests and imagine life far in the future, we may arrive at quite fresh ideas that we can use ourselves. For example, if we imagine that in the future men may give up farming, we can think of trying it now. So set your imagination free when you think about the future .
53．A particular mention made of Stapledon's book in the opening paragraph ____________
　　A．serves as a description of human history
　　B．serves an introduction to the discussion
　　C．shows a disagreement of views
　　D． Shows the popularity of the book
54．The text discusses men and women 50,000 years ago and 50,000 years from now in order to show that _________.
　　A．human history is extremely long    B．life has changed a great deal
　　C．it is useless to plan for the next 50 years
　　D．it is difficult to tell what will happen in the future
55．Spundels and ballalators are used in the text to refer to _________.
　　A．tools used in farming                   B．ideas about modern life
　　C．unknown things in the future         D．hunting skills in the Stone Age
56．According to the writer of the text, imagining the future will _________.
　　A．serve the interests of the present and future generations
　　B．enable us to better understand human history
　　C．help us to improve farming
　　D．make life worth living

Jewelweeds are pretty flowers that grow in wet, shady spots all over the Northern Hemisphere. According to a recent experiment, they seem to know their own flower family —or at least, recognize whether or not they came from the same mother plant. Together with other through their leaves, but through their roots.
Scientists planted jewelweeds in pots with either siblings（兄弟姐妹）or strangers. Sibling plants were grown from seeds that came from the same mother plant. Stranger plants were grown from seeds from different plants.
When jewelweeds were planted in pots with strangers, the plants started to grow more leaves than if they had been planted alone. This response suggests that plants are competing with strangers for sunlight, since a plant with more leaves can receive more light and make more food.
When jewelweed seedlings were planted with siblings, they few a few more branches than they normally would if they were alone—but they did not start growing lots of extra leaves. This behavior suggests the plants are more likely to share resources, rather than compete.
The plants only responded this way when they shared soil. If stranger seedlings were planted in different pots and placed next to each other, for example, they did not grow more leaves. This different shows that the plants must use their roots to detect sibling plants in the same soil. In 2007, Dudley and her team studied the Great Lakes sea rocket, a plant that grows on the beach—where it may be hard to get fresh water. In that experiment, the botanists observed that when sea rockets were planed with siblings, they tolerated each other. But when they were planted with strangers, the sea prickets reacted by working extra hard to grow lots of roots, but not extra leaves.
The different types of plants may react in different ways, but they have one thing in common: the roots. In both experiments, on Jewelweeds and sea rockets, the key was the shared soil—and other plant species may turn out to show similar behavior. These experiments, as well as earlier experiments, suggest “The phenomenon is quite common.” Says Hans de Kroonof, an ecologist in the Netherlands.
57．In Paragraph 1, the author mentions a recent experiment of Jewelweeds to___________.
A．make a comparison  B．introduce a topic
C．describe a pretty flower   D．put forward a new theory
58．What can we know from the experiments done by scientists?
A．Jewelweeds can grow in the Northern Hemisphere.
B．Jewelweeds can grow in wet, shady spots.
C．Jewelweeds are more friendly to their siblings than to stranger plants.
D．jewelweeds can recognize their siblings through leaves.
59．If jewelweeds and their siblings are planted in different pots and placed close to one another, they will___________.
A．start to grow more leaves       B．detect the strangers 
C．compete with sibling plants     D．grow normally
60．The best title of the passage would be___________.
A．Flower family knows its roots
B．The growing conditions of Jewelweeds
C．Jewelweeds and sea rockets
D．The stranger plant recognize each other

Youth volunteers from Beijing University visited Songtang Hospital, a care clinic for the aged and dying patients, on April 21, the second Global Youth Service Day.
Thirty student volunteers from the university’s School of International Studies sat at the beds of the patients in their specially-decorated “care huts”. They talked with them and gave messages to patients kept in their beds.
“I felt sorry that I could not offer more to these people except talking with them and trying to cheer them up”, said Deng Yetao, a third-year student, “But it occurred to me that they need more care and love than babies. They are afraid of the coming death. Their loneliness is worse than physical pains.”
“Even though they are suffering a lot, the majority of the elderly people want to talk to us. Each of them has a lot of life experiences and philosophies to share. Instead of doing them a favor, I felt I was gaining a valuable lesson,” said Mao Xiaohua, another third-year student.
Mao talked with two elderly patients for a whole afternoon. The fact that most of the patients in the 80-room clinic are aged people with diseases which will lead to death soon made the volunteers’ hearts heavy.
Ninety-one percent of the patients will spend the last days of their lives in the clinic, according to a survey by the hospital.
Daily visits and services by social workers and youth volunteers are a very important part of their programme. A total of 330,000 Beijing students from 119 universities and colleges have visited the hospital. Many continue to offer services in their spare time. Some of them volunteer to hold the hands of dying patients during the last minutes of their lives.
Yin Hang, a student from Beijing Medical College, said he felt “the glory of life” as he saw the fading smile on the face of the old man who slipped into a deep unconsciousness while he was holding his hands.
61. Youth volunteers from Beijing University went to Songtang Hospital to ______.
A. pay a visit to the wounded        B. talk with the aged
C. offer services to the aged          D. learn something from the aged
62. What the aged most suffered from is ______.
A. loneliness          B. death                       C. physical pain            D. disease
63. According to what Mao Xiaohua said, we know that_____.
A. the elderly taught him a good lesson when he talked to them
B. he learned something important from the elderly instead of only helping them
C. he only wanted to get something rather than do them a favor
D. he was glad to have given them a favor
64. When volunteers know most of the aged people in the clinic are dying patients, they feel _____.
A. sad                   B. disappointed             C. hopeless                   D. worthless
65. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The youth are fond of doing popular things.
B. The Second Youth Service Day is started by the Chinese government.
C. 91% of the aged in China are facing death.
D. The volunteers are taking an active part in the activity

A year ago August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan. His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but work for Dave was scarce, and the price of everything was rising. The Fusses were at risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years. Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift－$7,000,a legacy(遗产) from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident. “It really made a difference when we were going under financially(经济上),” says Dave.
But the Fusses weren’t the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches. Dozens of other families were touched by the Hatches’ generosity. In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars; in others, it was more than $100,000.
It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than $3 million—they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm.
Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving. They thrived on(喜欢) comparison shopping and would routinely go from store to store, checking prices before buying something.
Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camp when their parents couldn’t afford it. “Ish and Arlene never asked if you needed anything.” says their friend Sandy Van Weelden. “They could see things they could do to make you happier and they would do them.”
Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches had their farmland distributed(分送). It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy—a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents —should enrich the whole community (社区) and last for generations to come.
Neighbors helping neighbors—that was Ish and Arlene Hatch’s story.
64. According to the text, the Fusses ____________.
A. were employed by a truck company              B. worked in a school cafeteria
C. were in financial difficulty                            D. lost their home
65. Which of the following is true of the Hatches?
A. They gave away their possessions to their neighbors.
B. They left the family farm to live in an old house.
C. They had their children during the Great Depression. 
D. They helped their neighbors to find jobs.
66. Why would the Hatches routinely go from store to store?
A. They decided to open a store.                   B. They wanted to save money.
C. They couldn’t afford expensive things       .      D. They wanted to buy gifts for local kids.
67. According to Sandy Van Weelden, the Hatches were _________.
A. mean                  B. childlike                   C. curious                    D. understanding

I know what you’re thinking: pizza（比萨饼）？For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers in the a.m. if you want to.
I know lots of women who skip breakfast (不吃早饭), and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it. Some say they don’t have time, others think they’re “saving” calories (卡路里)，still others just don’t like breakfast food .
But the bottom line is that eating in the morning is very important when you’re trying to lose weight.  “Eating just about anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking, R.D., who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, and you stick to one small piece.
Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.
So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast altogether, and have just coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers – it may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always eat it tomorrow.” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it … you may save yourself some pre-bedtime calories. And watch your body gain the fat-burning effects.
60. The word “leftovers” in paragraph I probably means  ______.
A. things left undone                          B. food remaining after a meal
C. meals made of vegetables               D. pizza topped with fruit
61. What can we infer from the text?
A. Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry.
B. There are some easy ways of cooking a meal. 
C. Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast.学
D. Eating vegetables helps save energy.
62. According to the last paragraph, it is important to _______.
A. eat calorie-controlled food                       B. be careful about what you eat
C. heat up food before eating it               D. eat something for breakfast
63. The text is written mainly for those _______.
A. who want to lose weight                          B. who go to work early 
C. who stay up late                         D. who eat before sleep

The well－known Rushmore National Monument in the United States is built on the Rush Moore Peak，1829 meters above sea level，of the Black Hills in the south－west of South Dakota. It is a group of huge stone statues of four American presidents，George Washington，Thomas Jefferson，Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. President Washington is the founding father of the country；the 3rd President Jefferson drafted the U. S. Declaration of Independence；the 16th President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the26th President Roosevelt protected the average people’s right to compete fairly with trusts. All 1829 meters above sea level， made outstanding achievements for their country. They were pioneers of U. S. history.
The stone statues of presidents were built at the suggestion of an historian in the State of Dakota，with a view to carrying forward the U. S. pioneering spirit everlastingly.
The statues are 18meters high. They are the highest and greatest realistic stone statues in the world，taller than a 6－storied building and larger than the Great Sphinx of Egypt. The size of each head is 20sq mt，with a 20-meter- long face，a 7-meter -long nose，a 2.6-meter- wide mouth and two 1.5-meter -wide eyes. Though not facing the same direction，they are all lifelike and look ahead gravely in harmony with fixed gazes. On clear days，one can have a sight of the four presidents with their firm and steady expression at a distance of dozens of kilometers.
Since the stone sculpture is unique in style，the Monument is now the U. S. National Art Centre of Popular Education. Groups of people keep streaming everyday to the site for a visit and tourists across the world are also interested in taking a view of this great Monument.
52．Which statement is false according to the first paragraph?
A．The famous Rushmore National Monument is 1829 meters above sea level
B．All the four presidents made great contributions to London.
C．the group of statues are made of huge stones
D．The statues are built to honor the presidents in the U.S
53．Why were those four presidents chosen ?because the four presidents_____.
A．made great contributions to their country   B．were pioneers of US history
C．played an important role in the different periods of the American history
D．all of the above
54．What are the statues like?
A .They look like a 6-storied building   
B．They are like the great Sphinx of Egypt
C．They are like true men standing there
D．They are lifelike , looking ahead with fixed gazes
55．For what groups of people across the world come to visit the Monument? They come___.
A．to learn the U.S pioneering spirit   B．to look back upon the history of the U.S
C．to learn the art of sculpture        D．to enjoy the view of the Monument
56．The proper title of the paragraph may be ____.
A．The stone sculpture  B．the Spirit of the USA
C．A Place of Interest D．Four Presidents of America

Last Sunday I made a visit to some new neighbors down the block. No specific purpose in mind, just an opportunity to sit at the kitchen table, have some tea and chat. As I did so, it occurred to me how rare the Sunday visit has become.
When I was a kid in the New Jersey of the 1960s, Sunday visits were routine. Most stores were closed, almost nobody worked, and the highways, as a result, were not the desperate steeplechases（障碍赛跑） they have become today. My family normally traveled eight city blocks to the home of my grandmother—the same house my father was raised in, where adults would sit on the front porch and chat while we children played hide-and-seek.
The Sunday visit was something to desire strongly. It was the repetition to church, our reward for an hour of devotion, an opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Dad was not at work, we were not in school, and there were no chores that couldn’t wait until Monday. Sunday was, indeed, different from all the other days of the week, because everyone seemed to be on the same schedule, which means that there was one day when everyone seemed to have time for everybody else.
Sunday as a day of rest is, or was, so deeply rooted in the culture that it’s surprising to consider that, in a short span of time, it has almost entirely lost this association. In my childhood, it was assumed that everyone would either be home or visiting someone else’s home on Sunday. But now the question is, “What do you plan to DO this Sunday?” The answer can range from going to the mall to participating in a road race to jetting to Montreal for lunch. If one were to respond, “I’m making a Sunday visit to family,” such an answer would feel sepia-toned, an echo from another era.
I suppose I should be grateful to live in Maine, a state of small towns, abundant land and tight relationships. Even though folks work as hard here as they do anywhere else, the state’s powerfully rural cast（特质）still harbors at least remnants of the ethic of yesterday’s America, where people had to depend on one another in the face of economic vagaries（反复无常的情况）and a challenging environment.
63．The writer’s general impression of the Sunday in the past was a day when _______.
A. everyone was paying a visit to some relative far away
B. everyone seemed to be free and could have some leisure
C. Dad was not at work while Mom was busy cleaning the house
D. nearly every adult would go to church and children were not at school
64．In the fourth paragraph, the writer compares the response “I’m making a Sunday visit to family” to an echo from another era because _______.
A. people nowadays prefer staying at home on Sunday
B. such answers are rarely heard in our modern society
C. people in the city dislike being disturbed on Sunday
D. visiting someone on Sunday might take a lot of time
65．From the last paragraph we may infer that _______.
A. people in Maine suffer more from economic depression and the changed environment
B. people in Maine has abandoned their tradition and lived an absolute new life
C. land in Maine is short, thus the relationship between people is tense
D. people in Maine always help each other when they are in need
66．Which word we may use to describe the writer’s attitude towards the Sunday today?
A. Unsatisfied.          B. Anxious.          C. Treasured.          D. Teased.                 

第三部分:阅读理解（共20小题;每小题2分, 满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Mr. Whitson taught sixth-grade science. On the first day of class, he gave us a lecture about an animal called the Cattywampus, a nocturnal (夜间活动的) animal that was wiped out during the Ice Age. He passed around a skull as he talked. We all took notes and later had a quiz.
When he returned my paper, I was shocked. There was a big red “X” through each of my answers. There had to be some mistakes! I had written down exactly what Mr. Whitson said. Then I realized that everyone in the class had failed. What had happened? Very simple, Mr. Whitson explained. He had made up all that story about the Cattywampus. The information in our notes was, therefore, incorrect. Did we expect credit for incorrect answers? Needless to say, we were outraged. What kind of text was this? And what kind of teacher is he?
We should have figured it out, Mr. Whitson said. After all, at the very moment he was passing around the Cattywampus skull (in truth, a cat’s), hadn’t he been telling us that no trace of the animal remained? He had described its amazing night vision, the color of its fur and any number of other facts he couldn’t have known, he had given the animal a ridiculous name, and we still hadn’t been suspicious. The zeroes on our papers would be recorded in his grade book, he said. And they were. Mr. Whitson said he hoped we would learn something from this experience. He told us not to let our minds go to sleep, and to speak up if we ever thought he or the textbook was wrong.
We carded our new skepticism (怀疑主义) into all our classes. This caused problems for the other teachers, who weren’t used to being challenged. Our history teacher would be lecturing about something, and then there would be clearings of the throat and someone would say “Cattywampus”.
If I’m ever asked to propose a solution to the crisis in our schools, it will be Mr. Whitson. I haven’t made any great scientific discoveries, but Mr. Whitson’s class gave me and my classmates something just as important: the courage to look people in the eye and tell them they are wrong. He also showed us that you can have fun doing it.
51．The best title for this passage would probably be _______.
A. Cattywampus                                      
B. An interesting and unforgettable Lesson
C. A new teaching method                        
D. The Best Teacher I Ever Had
52．The underlined word outraged in the second paragraph here means _______.
A. angry                            B. excited                     C. disappointed             D. discouraged
53．From this passage, we know that Mr. Whitson was a teacher _______.
A. difficult to get along with                                   B. creative in teaching  
C. fond of being challenged                          D. full of energy and enthusiasm 
54．We can infer from the passage that _______.
A. teachers and textbooks are not always right
B. Cattywampus could be found in the Ice Age
C. the history teacher didn’t like to be challenged
D. Mr. Whitson always made a bad impression on his students

Pupils are ordered not to wade into ankle-deep water unless teachers first carry out a full risk assessment and put“proper measures in place”.
Staff are expected to check rivers, ponds and the sea for currents and rocks before allowing children to dip their feet.
Guidance issued to schools warns that any“impromptu (事先无准备的) water-based activities”could pose dangers to children.
The recommendations were outlined in a document-available to all 21,000 schools in England — to help teachers organize more school trips. Advice from the Department for Children, Schools and Families is intended to cut red tape (官样文章) and give staff practical tips.
But the guidance caused argument after teachers were presented with a series of orders surrounding swimming and the use of minibuses.
It said:“Swimming and padding or otherwise entering the waters of river, canal, sea or lake should never be allowed as an impromptu activity. The pleas of young people to bathe — because it is hot weather, for example, should be resisted where bathing has not been prepared for.”
“In-water activities should take place only when a proper risk assessment has been completed and proper measures put in place to control the risks.”
Teachers are urged to check the weather, currents, weeds, rip tides, river or sea beds and breakwaters before allowing children into the water. No child should be able to swim deeper than waist height, the guidance added.
Margaret Morrissey, from campaign group Parents Outloud, said:“Wading out into the ocean is one thing but there’s nothing wrong with padding where the waves break.”
“Part of children’s learning is to walk along the water’s edge and get your feet wet. There are dangerous currents further out and you stay at the edge.”
She added:“I want to see schools and youth groups taking advantage of opportunities that learning outside the classroom can provide.”
But the Department for Children, Schools and Families said teachers had to plan activities carefully.
“We are not banning padding,”said a spokeswoman.“We have seen cases in the past where things have not been planned and assessed for the risk. Unplanned activities around water can be dangerous.”
67．Guidance issued to schools in England gives the information that _________.
A．school trips to oceans are forbidden in the country
B．school swimming pools should be surrounded with fence
C．school staff must plan water-based activities carefully
D．school children shouldn’t have a walk along river banks
68．Advice from the Department for Children, Schools and Families shows us that _________.
A．they are strongly against the guidance
B．they are fond of the outline of the guidance
C．they don’t understand the aim of the guidance
D．they want the guidance to become more useful
69．To the guidance, Margaret Morrissey holds the opinion that _________.
A．oceans are dangerous place for children to visit
B．young people should be encouraged to learn outside
C．children should learn padding in rough ocean alone
D．schools should stop students from walking along beaches
70．Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A．No padding on school trips, children told.           
B．No walking along the rivers, teachers told.
C．No swimming after school, parents told.
D．No learning out of school, students told.

第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Looking back at my school yearbooks of the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, I find the style of uniform says a lot about the students and the character of the times. In the 1970s, students accessorized (配饰) their uniforms with platform shoes. During the 80s, hair was huge—literally. Students’ goofy hair filled up nearly every shot in the yearbook. In the 90s, accessories were all the rage (流行).
Uniform rules have always been strict. The restrictions (限制) are down to the inch: Gray or plaid skirts must be no shorter than two inches above the knee; a red, green, navy or white polo must be worn at all times; and only white, blue, black, and gray sneakers or flats are allowed. With all these rules, one can’t help but wonder how the typical rebellious (叛逆的) teenager can express her individuality.
Still, they manage. Senior Michelle Ferrier says she accessorizes by wearing bright colors like green and pink in bracelets, shoe laces, and headbands to stand out and be fashionable. For any stylish (时尚的) Carondelet student, accessories are key.
At Carondelet, one thing’s for sure: The older a student gets, the more she’s willing to bend the rules. Senior Natalia Piwek admits that she often pairs her “tights and colorful socks” with “illegal shoes”. If you happen to see a girl with colorful tights or boots running across the hallway, it’s most likely that she’s running from a dean.
In about two months, I will say goodbye to my uniform. I will miss the convenience of wearing it. However, I must say, wearing a uniform has taught me an important lesson that I will take with me when I go off to college: it doesn’t matter what you wear, but how you wear it. And how you carry yourself.
56．In the 1980s, _________.
A．uniform rules are sneer
B．students preferred goofy hair
C．accessories were popular with students
D．students wrote colorful shoes with uniforms
57．Which of the following combinations might the students think stylish?
a. grey bracelets     b. parks shoes laces C. green heathens
d. patterned tights   E. red polo
A．abe   B．bde   C．bcd   D．ace
58．According to the students, the restrictions of uniforms are_______.
A．atcler              B．understanding childish
C．childish           D．unselfishly
59．What’s the author’s attitude towards wearing school uniforms?
A．Objictive. B．Tolerant.   C．Agreenble.       D．Oppcaitive.
60．What is the main point of the text?
A．The history of student’s uniforms.
B．How to make school uniforms stylish.
C．Memories and lessons From school uniforms.
D．The debate oven restrictions on school uniforms.

第三部分：阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中(A、B、c和D)00，选出最佳选项，并在答卡上将该项涂黑。
Ryan  and Lowry had been friends  since high school，  but it wasn’t until after college
that they hit on the idea of a home—care-products company．“We were shocked to learn how  toxic  cleaning  products  were，”  says  Ryan．  Why  couldn’t they  create  green products that would be just as environmentally pure as Aveda’s skin—and—hair—care lines?
When Ryan’s mom heard about the plan，she stared at him blankly: “I’ve never even seen  you  clean your room!” Not discouraged，Lowry experimented with  nontoxic ways to clean．  while  Ryan  focused on marketing．  In  February 2001，they  mixed their first four   cleaning  sprays  and  convinced the  managers  of  20  grocers to try them·  Once  they had their  approval，they tapped  friends  and  family  and pooled their  savings to  come  up  with $90，000 in seed money．
From the start，“Go big or go home’’was their mantra(口头禅)．Their first financing— that $l million—was due to be signed on September 11, 2001. By the time they got it, two months later，says Ryan, "we had$16 in the bank and personally owed$300，000·”
Seeking a national retailer(零售商)proved just as troublesome．The friends set their sights on Target，known for its trendy，affordable goods．“But Target didn’t like the product or the brand，”recalled Ryan．“We thought the deal was dead，but then a new buyer saw that even though we weren’t selling big volumes, we were  profitable, just on a smaller scale．”They won over Target．
Consumers  were  hooked  on the  natural things  and  wonderful  fragrance. Today，the partners sell 130 products in more than 8,000 stores，and taxes are over$100 million. Such  rapid  growth has  at times  stressed the  men’s  friendship． “Eric  and  I  agree on ‘what’  but  never  on‘how，’”  says Lowry．  “Although  we  are  willing to  challenge  each  other，we come up with interesting and smarter solutions．There’s little fire and ice between us·
56．The underlined word“toxic”in Paragraph 1 most probably means——·
A．poisonous    B．dirty    C．expensive   D．troublesome
57．When Ryan told his mom his plan, ___________.
A．he knew his mom was sure to support him
B．his mom asked him to clean his room
C．his mom suspected his ability
D．he was discouraged by his mom
58．We can learn：from the third paragraph that __________________．
A．Ryan and Lowry wanted to gave up and go home at first
B．their plan didn’t go smoothly at the very beginning
C．they made profit two months later after their first financing
D．$1 million was not enough as their seed money
59．The partners’cleaning products are sold very well because——．
A．the products are made of natural material and smell nice
B．their friends and family offered to use their products
C．they cooperated with a well—known national retailer
D．they convinced 20 grocer managers to try them
60．It can be inferred from the—passage that——．
A．Aveda’s skin—and—hair-care lines are not so successful as Ryan and Lowry’s
B．Target is a famous environment-friendly cleaning brand
C．The friends "cooperation with Target was very successful
D．The partners get on well with each other in their business

　　Olaf Stapledon wrote a book called First and Last Men, in which he looked millions of years ahead. He told of different men and of strange civilisations（文明）, broken up by long 'dark ages' in between. In his view, what is called the present time is no more than a moment in human history and we are just the First Men. In 2,000 million years from now there will be the Eighteenth or Last Men.
　　However, most of our ideas about the future are really very short-sighted. Perhaps we can see some possibilities for the next fifty years. But the next hundred ? The next thousand? The next million? That's much more difficult.
　　When men and women lived by hunting 50,000 years ago, how could they even begin to picture modern life? Yet to men of 50,000 years from now, we may seem as primitive（原始的）in our ideas as the Stone-Age hunters do to us. Perhaps through the spundels and ballalators, these words, which I have just made up, have to stand for things and ideas that we simply can't think of .
　　So why bother even to try imagining life far in the future ? Here are two reasons. First unless we remember how short our own lives are compared with the whole human history, we are likely to think our own interests are much more important than they really are. If we make the earth a poor place to live because. we are careless or greedy（贪婪） or quarrelsome,our grand-children will not bother to think of excuses for us.
　　Second, by trying to escape from present interests and imagine life far in the future, we may arrive at quite fresh ideas that we can use ourselves. For example, if we imagine that in the future men may give up farming, we can think of trying it now. So set your imagination free when you think about the future .
53．A particular mention made of Stapledon's book in the opening paragraph ____________
　　A．serves as a description of human history
　　B．serves an introduction to the discussion
　　C．shows a disagreement of views
　　D． Shows the popularity of the book
54．The text discusses men and women 50,000 years ago and 50,000 years from now in order to show that _________.
　　A．human history is extremely long    B．life has changed a great deal
　　C．it is useless to plan for the next 50 years
　　D．it is difficult to tell what will happen in the future
55．Spundels and ballalators are used in the text to refer to _________.
　　A．tools used in farming                   B．ideas about modern life
　　C．unknown things in the future         D．hunting skills in the Stone Age
56．According to the writer of the text, imagining the future will _________.
　　A．serve the interests of the present and future generations
　　B．enable us to better understand human history
　　C．help us to improve farming
　　D．make life worth living

第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Cao Min couldn’t believe she was experiencing exactly what she had seen years ago in the film “Titanic”．
Cao and her two children from Anhui Province were traveling on board the “Liaoludu 7” on February 22．They were among the first people on the ship who were rescued by lifeboats．Cao’s one-year-old son was the youngest passenger on board．
The “Liaoludu 7” was traveling in the Bohai Straits from Lvshun in Liaoning Province to the port city of Longkou in Shandong Province．It suddenly lost its power at 2:30 pm and tilted（倾斜）on its side．With 81 people on board, the ferry（渡船）began to sink．
“I was so scared that my legs couldn’t move forward．They kept shaking even when I was asked to jump onto a lifeboat,” Cao recalled．
Upon receiving the may•day appeal（紧急呼救）, China Marine Search and Rescue Centre immediately informed the State Council．The center sent eight lifeboats to the sinking ship and asked for help from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Navy and nearby fishing boats．
After more than four hours of fighting strong winds and freezing ocean water, the passengers were rescued．All but four survived．These four died after spending too long time in the freezing waters, according to a spokesperson for the Beijing-based center．
46．According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A．The film “Titanic” had been on show again in Shanghai．
B．Cao’s two-year-old son was the youngest passenger on board．
C．“Liaoludu 7” with all passengers on board survived．
D．The ferry began to sink on the way to the port of Shangdong Province．
47．The underlined word “scared” in paragraph 4 means “__________” in English．
A．anxious        B．unfortunate   C．frightened     D．disappointed
48．From the passage we can infer that __________．
A．China Marine Search and Rescue Centre quickly carried out the rescue task
B．the center sent eight lifeboats and asked for help from the United Nations
C．the passengers were fighting strong winds and freezing ocean water for one hour
D．the ferry sank into the sea immediately it tilted on its side at 2:30 pm

When Toyota’s president, Akio Toyoda, apologized for the recalls that have harmed Toyota’s reputation, he talked not just about his company’s fate, but also his nation’s.
“I hope to return Toyota to profit and contribute to the revitalization of Japan,” he said.
Once a leading symbol of Japan’s rise to global economic might, Toyota has become one of the most obvious signs of its decline. And even before the recalls, Japan’s rivals(竞争对手) from South Korea and China had started overtaking Japan in key industries from semi－conductors to flat-panel televisions. And Toyota on Tuesday issued another damaging recall, this time of its popular Prius car.
“At this rate, Japan will sink into the sea,” said Masatomo Tanaka, a professor at the Institute of Technologists. “If Toyota is not healthy, then Japan is not healthy.”
Many economists and business leaders say they hope that Toyota’s trouble will be the wake – up call that Japan needs to understand that its reliance on manufacturing(制造业) and industrial exports, which served the country so well after World War II, is no longer wise.
Yukio Noguchi, a professor of finance at Waseda University in Tokyo, said Japan must finally step into a post - industrial, service-based economy — a painful shift that the United States and Great Britain underwent in the 1980s. Others said Japan should focus on high-end, high-profit products, like robots and fuel cells, rather than mass-produced goods subject to quality-control issues.
“Even Toyota can fail. Even Lexus, even Prius,” said Mr. Noguchi. “Our world-leading manufacturing industry may no longer world-leading. This has a strong impact on the national psyche.”
According to the Cabinet Office, manufacturing accounted for 22% of Japan’s entire economic output in 2008, down from 28% in 1990. however, manufacturing’s share of the economy still remains far above the level of 12% in the US. And few economists or journalists here advocate abrupt shifting. Rather, the feeling is that Japan needs to find a new balance by replacing its traditional industries with more information technology and software industries in which it is weak.
Yet this shift will be hard for Japan, where many policy makers and experts still seem to cling to the old model of heavy industries and consumer goods. If Japan can pull it off, it could serve as a model for other export – dependent Asian nations, which will also eventually face the same choice.
“I hope that Toyota will change our way of looking at our economy,” Mr Noguchi said. “We cannot survive if we continue to stick to the old type of industries.”
67．Since the Second World War,          have been contributing much to Japan’s economy.
A．high – end and high – profit products like robots and fuel cells
B．manufacturing and industrial exports
C．information technology and software industries
D．industries from semi – conductors to panel – televisions
68．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage above?
A．Few Japanese economists advocate a rapid shift into a service – based economy.
B．Most journalists in Japan advocate an abrupt change into a post – industrial economy.
C．Many economists hold that it is too early for Japan to shift into a service – based economy.
D．No Japanese reporters think it high time for Japan to step into a post – industrial economy.
69．The underlined part “cling to” probably means         in the passage.
A．hold on to       B．keep up with    C．turn to      D．pick up
70．From the passage we know the way out for Japan to get itself free from its decline consists in
.
A．keeping up its reliance on manufacturing
B．continuing to focus on its industrial export
C．speeding up its shift into a post – industrial economy
D．increasing its manufacturing

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has recovered his spot at the top of the US money heap, taking the place of Investor Warren Buffett as America's richest person, Forbes magazine's latest list reveals.
With 57 billion dollars net worth Gates again leads the list of 400 richest individuals in the world’s wealthiest country. He displaced Buffett who briefly held the position this year but who has seen his Berkshire Hathaway investment group's shares slip 15 percent since February and is now worth 50 billion.
According to Forbes, whose list was published late Wednesday, the golden 400 have 1.3 billion dollars net worth or more. However, their combined net worth rose only 30 billion dollars, or two percent, to 1.57 trillion dollars.
Forbes said that rising oil and dizzy art prices fuelled the entry of 31 new members into the ultra -rich club and the return of eight previous members.
A notable arrival was Mark Zuckerberg, 24, founder of the social networking site Facebook (脸谱网). Forbes estimates his worth at 1.5 billion dollars.
Meanwhile, turmoil (动荡) on the stock and housing markets saw 33 others drop off the list, including former head of the troubled insurance giant AIG, Maurice Greenberg, and a former head of the online auction site eBay, Margaret Whitman.
Biggest gainers were led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who took eighth place with 20 billion dollars worth after a transaction (交易) put a new value on his Bloomberg media and financial data network.
The biggest loser was casino (赌场，娱乐场所) tycoon Sheldon Adelson, whose fortune fell 13 billion dollars over 12 months -- the equivalent to 1.5 million dollars an hour -- although he still has 15 billion dollars and occupies 15th place.
About two thirds of the list are self-made billionaires and just over 10 percent are women, led by television star Oprah Winfrey whose fortune rose 200 million dollars to 2.7 billion dollars.
68. According to Forbes, Warren Buffet is worth ________.
A. 57 billion dollars    B. 50 billion dollars  C. 1.5 billion dollars    D.20 billion dollars 
69. 31 new members entered the ultra-rich club as a result of ________.
A. turmoil on the stock and housing market     
B. media and financial data network
C. rising oil and dizzy art prices                     
D. investment
70. The purpose of the author using the television star Oprah Winfrey as an example is to _________.
A. tell the readers that television stars make money easily
B. prove that a millionaire can become a billionaire
C women can also be billionaires
D. tell the readers that most of the billionaires are self-made