四．任务型阅读 ：

认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table, I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked,“So, how have you been?”And the boy—who could not have been more than seven or eight years old—replied. “Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately.”

This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed” until we were in high school.

The evidence of a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don’t seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

Human development is based not only on natural biological states, but also on patterns of access to social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new situation. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages: traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation(揭示)machine has been installed in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information, and indiscriminately(不加区分地), to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation, many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more vivid moving pictures.

Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access. Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practiced. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

Title: Change in Today’s Children

When most people think of tropical islands, lined with white sandy beaches and bright blue seas, it is often the Caribbean or South Pacific that comes to mind. But for Chinese tourists who want a taste of paradise on Earth there is new place to consider. Mauritius, an island lying off the southeast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, has just been added to China’s list of tourist destinations. Rich in history, natural beauty and culture, the island has been a popular destination for the world’s tourists for many years.

On December 15 a total of eight African countries were added to the list. The others are Tunisia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Seychelles.

The island has passed through the controlling hands of a number of European powers, including Dutch, French and British. In 1968, Mauritius won its independence.

At present, over half the population of Mauritius is Hindu and another fifth is Muslim (穆斯林). Both groups are descendants (后裔) from workers brought to the island from India by the British. Some Chinese were also brought over to work. There are also descendants of African slaves and Franco Mauritians, the original settlers of the island. One of the best things about the island is the food. There is a mouth watering mix of European, Chinese and Indian flavours and seafood is very popular. A typical Mauritian dinner might have Indian chicken curry, Chinese pork, British roast beef and French style vegetables. Boiled rice is served with just about everything. All that is washed down with a plentiful supply of local beer and rum (浪姆酒).

The pleasant tropical climate and scenery provide the perfect setting to enjoy everything. The sea is full of colorful life that lives around the coral reef (珊瑚礁). This makes Mauritius a wonderful place for swimming and diving. The large number of interesting fish means it is also an exciting place for those who like to go fishing.

52. Which group of the following topics is NOT discussed in the text?

A. Food and history.        B. Scenery and population.

C. Location and sports.      D. Natural resources and agriculture.

53. Which of the following is TRUE?   

A. Mauritius has something similar to the Caribbean or South Pacific.

B. Mauritius has a history of less than 40 years.

C. Mauritius has been a popular destination for Chinese tourists for many years.

D. The main food in Mauritius is local beer and rum.

54. The underlined word "This" in the last paragraph refers to "______".

A. pleasant tropical climate         B. beautiful scenery

C. the sea with colorful life          D. the coral reef

55. The text is mainly written to_______.

    A. attract more Chinese to travel to Mauritius.

    B. introduce some information about Mauritius.

    C. give some advice on how to visit Mauritius.

    D. help the visitors understand more about Mauritius.

---You don’t seem to be quite yourself today. What’s wrong?

   --- Oh, I'm suffering from a cold. Nothing serious, ____.

A. though                     B. yet                    C. indeed               D.anyway

If the building project ________ by the end of this month is delayed, the construction company will be fined.

A. being completed　B. is completed   C. to be completed　D. completed

 No one but the experts in this field can _____ the difference between them.

   A. recognize          B. speak                   C. spot                        D. predict

 A small plane crashed into a hillside five miles east of the city, ________ all four people on board.

A. killed                    B. killing            C. kills                     D. to kill

 President Obama is letting Congress write the details of his plan for ________ he calls health insurance reform.

A. as             B. what                    C. that            D. all what

Ⅲ 阅读 (共两节，满分40分)

第一节 阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

For most pregnant women, exercise is the last thing on their minds. After all, keeping slim while you’re expecting isn’t exactly the top priority— rather, it’s making sure your baby gets enough nutrients to grow. But in a small new study, researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand report that a mother’s regular aerobic exercise may be good for a growing fetus’ health — and may even help a baby get a healthier start in life.

The finding is a bit surprising, because exercise is known to lower the risk of insulin resistance（胰岛素抵抗），a condition eventually leading to diabetes（糖尿病）. Although insulin resistance is a detriment in healthy adults, it turns out to be helpful for proper fetal（胎儿）development. In pregnant women, this condition means nutrients get shunted to the growing baby.

The question is: could a mother’s exercise put her developing baby’s food supply at risk? Past studies looking at the effect of exercise on birth weight have been inconclusive, and none have really investigated the influence of exercise on the mother’s sensitivity to insulin. So the University of Auckland’s Dr. Paul Hoffman and his team decided to study 84 first-time mothers, who were of normal weight on average, and track any effects aerobic exercise(有氧运动) might have on their insulin sensitivity and, ultimately, on their babies’ birth weight. Researchers asked some women to exercise on a stationary bicycle for at least 40 minutes per session, up to five times each week, starting in the 20th week of pregnancy; the other women were not specifically asked to exercise. When the two groups and their babies were compared, the team found that women who bicycled regularly gave birth to babies who were on average 150g lighter than those born to the non-exercising mothers. In both groups, however, the babies were of healthy weight, and there was no difference in the mothers’ weights.

Generally speaking, babies on the lower end of the normal weight range are considered healthier and less prone to developing diabetes and obesity than heavier ones, so this was an encouraging result. Even more reassuring was that regular exercise did not seem to affect the flow of nutrients to the growing babies in the womb.

41. According to the new study, a pregnant woman’s regular exercise may _______.

  A. bring benefits to a baby’s growth

  B. lower the risk of insulin resistance

  C. put her baby’s food supply at risk

  D. help her keep slim and healthy

42. What does the underlined word “detriment” mean in the second paragraph?

  A. Something that brings good.

  B. Something that brings damage.

  C. Something that brings obstacles.

  D. Something that brings development.

43. What is the purpose of the experiment carried out by Dr. Paul Hoffman?

  A. To investigate the influence of exercise on pregnant women.

  B. To find out what aerobic exercise can benefit a baby’s growth.

  C. To make sure of the effects exercise may have on babies’ birth weight

  D. To compare the differences between mothers who exercise and who don’t

44. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

  A. Lighter babies are generally believed to be healthier than heavier ones.

  B. Non??－exercising mothers will definitely give birth to heavier babies.

  C. No studies have looked at the effect of exercise on birth weight before.

  D. Some women studied were asked to exercise regularly while some don’t.

45. Which of the following may be the best title for the passage?

  A. All mothers should take aerobic exercise.

  B. Moms who exercise give birth to lighter babies。

  C. Exercise reduces the risk of insulin resistance.

  D. Heavier babies are more likely to develop diabetes.

. It is because English is being widely used at present _______.

A. why we learn it hard   B. that we learn it hard

C. which we must learn   D. when we should learn

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

   Once upon a time there lived an old man in a nice cottage with a large garden. The old man was seen   33   his flowers all the time. They were so well-tended that every passer-by could not but   34   for a glance.

   One day a young man went by the garden. He gazed at the splendid garden,   35   in admiration at the beauty of these sceneries. Then, suddenly he   36   the old gardener was blind.   37   , the young man asked, “Why are you busy tending these flowers every day which you can’t  38  in fact?” The old man smiled and answered that “ I can tell you 39   reasons. First I was a   40  when I was young, and I really like this job. Second, although I can’t see these flowers, yet I can   41  them. Third，I can smell sweetness of them. As to the last one, that’s   42  .

    “Me? But you don’t know me,” responded the young man   43   .

   “Yeah, it’s   44  that I don’t know you. But I know everyone knows flowers and would never   45   them down. I know the beauty of my garden will get many people into a good   46   . In the meantime, it also   47  a chance to me to have a word with you here and to enjoy the happiness these flowers have brought us.”

    The old man’s  48  astonished me. The blind man grows flowers and  49  them as a link of minds so as to make   50   enjoy the sunshine in spring. Isn’t it one kind of happiness？

   I believe every flower has   51 with which they can see the kindness of the man’s heart. The blind man grows flowers in his heart. Though   52  to see the beauty of blossoming, he surely can hear the voice of it, I suppose.

33. A. loving        B. watering        C. tending      D. planting

34. A. stop     　　 B. stay            C. live         D. run

35. A. kept          B. dropped        C. fallen        D. lost

36. A. realized       B. noticed         C. felt          D. thought

37. A. Excited       B. Frightened      C. Shocked      D. Satisfied

38. A. feel          B. see            C. hear          D. eat

39. A. one          B. two            C. three         D. four

40. A. gardener      B. teacher         C. farmer        D. painter

41. A. taste          B. plant          C. touch         D. appreciate

 42. A. it            B. me            C. them          D. you

 43. A. with pleasure   B. in surprise      C. with hope     D. in anger

 44. A. true           B. possible       C. a pity         D. a shame

 45. A. put            B. turn          C. get           D. knock

 46. A. mind          B. life           C. future         D. mood

 47. A. introduces      B. offers         C. stands        D. leaves

 48. A. words         B. behavior       C. story         D. attitudes

 49. A. treats          B. acts          C. works         D. serves

 50. A. anybody       B. somebody      C. everybody     D. nobody

 51. A. ears           B. soul          C. eyes          D. heart

 52. A. refusing       B. trying         C. pretending     D. failing