(08·重庆)

I was on a bus one March evening.The driver didn’t   36   to start the bus soon because it was not yet   37  .A middle-aged woman got on.Tired and sad,she told her story   38  ,not to anyone in particular.On her way to the station,half of her

  39   was stolen.The other half was hidden under her blouse,so she   40   still had some left.A few minutes later,she stopped crying,but still looked   41  .

When all the seats were taken,the driver started the engine.The conductor began to collect fares(车费).When she came to an old man in worn-out clothes,he  42  that he had spent all his money when he had accidentally got on a wrong bus and now he was trying to go home.On hearing this,she ordered the old man to   43   the bus.The old man was almost in tears as he   44   her to let him take the bus home.The driver took the conductor’s side and repeated the conductor’s   45  .

The woman was watching the incident.  46   the driver and the conductor raised their voices at the old man,she interfered(干预).

“Stop   47   him!Can’t you see he’s only trying to get home?”

“He doesn’t have any money!” the driver   48  .

“Well,that’s no   49   to throw him off the bus,”she insisted.

Then she reached inside her blouse,took out her   50   money,and handed it to the conductor.“Here’s his fare and mine.Just stop giving him a   51   time.”

All heads turned to the woman.“It’s only money,”she shrugged.

She rode the rest of the way home   52   a happy smile,with the money she’d lost earlier   53  .

On the road of life,the help of strangers can   54   our loads and lift our spirits.How much sweeter the   55   will be when we make it a little smoother for others!

36.A.try                    B.care                   C.decide                    D.intend

37.A.empty                   B.full                     C.crowded                   D.ready

38.A.tearfully             B.seriously             C.carefully                    D.calmly

39.A.fare                   B.possession       C.money                      D.wealth

40.A.strangely            B.happily            C.secretly                     D.fortunately

41.A.unsatisfied         B.weak                  C.unhappy                    D.excited

42.A.explained              B.declared             C.admitted                    D.found

43.A.get off               B.start                   C.get on                    D.stop

44.A.begged                 B.scolded                  C.praised                   D.thanked

45.A.request              B.action              C.suggestion              D.command

46.A.Unless                  B.Although            C.Until                         D.When

47.A.attacking            B.bothering            C.blaming                     D.wronging

48.A.warned                 B.whispered           C.shouted                     D.repeated

49.A.problem             B.need                   C.matter                    D.reason

50.A.spending            B.collected             C.remaining                  D.borrowed

51.A.busy                     B.cold                   C.hard                          D.fearful

52.A.giving                   B.wearing              C.taking                    D.forcing

53.A.forgotten                  B.used                   C.earned                    D.returned

54.A.move                    B.increase              C.lighten                    D.carry

55.A.world                   B.journey            C.smile                         D.friendship

 (08·重庆A篇)

I arrived at my mother’s home for our Monday family dinner.The smells of food flew over from the kitchen.Mother was pulling out quilt(被子) after quilt from the boxes,proudly showing me their beauties.She was preparing for a quilt show at the Elmhurst Church.When we began to fold and put them back into the boxes,I noticed something at the bottom of one box.I pulled it out.“What is this?” I asked.

“Oh?” Mom said,“That’s Mama’s quilt.”

I spread the quilt.It looked as if a group of school children had pieced it together;irregular designs,childish pictures,a crooked line on the right.

“Grandmother made this?” I said,surprised.My grandmother was a master at making quilts.This certainly didn’t look like any of the quilts she had made.

“Yes,right before she died.I brought it home with me last year and made some changes,” she said.“I’m still working on it.See,this is what I’ve done so far.”

I looked at it more closely.She had made straight a crooked line.At the center of the quilt,she had stitched(缝) a piece of cloth with these words:“My mother made many quilts.She didn’t get all lines straight.But I think this is beautiful.I want to see it finished.Her last quilt.”

“Ooh,this is so nice,Mom,”I said.It occurred to me that by completing my grandmother’s quilt,my mother was honoring her own mother.I realized,too,that I held in my hands a family treasure.It started with the loving hands of one woman,and continued with the loving hands of another.”

56.Why did the author go to her mother’s home?

A.To see her mother’s quilts.

B.To help prepare for a show.

C.To get together for the family dinner.

D.To discuss her grandmother’s life.

57.The author was surprised because         .

A.the quilt looked very strange

B.her grandmother liked the quilt

C.the quilt was the best she had seen

D.her mother had made some changes

58.The underlined word “crooked” in the passage most probably means         .

A.unfinished                B.broken                C.bent                       D.unusual

59.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A.A Quilt Show                                         B.Mother’s Home

C.A Monday Dinner                                   D.Grandmother’s Quilt

  

 (08·重庆B篇)

While all my classmates seem to be crazy about a one-way ticket to Mars(火星),

I’d rather say Mars is totally unsuitable for human existence.People won’t have enough food supplies there,and the terrible environment would make it impossible for them to live a long life.Besides,the journey won’t be safe.Can anybody explain to me just why people would go to Mars,never to return?

Steve Minear,UK

Here are the things you can think of:the desire to explore a foreign and unique environment,the excitement of being the first humans to open up a new world,the expectation of fame and glory....For scientists there is another reason.Their observations and research will probably lead to great scientific achievements.

Donal Trollop,Canada

There are already too many people on the Earth.I think that sometime before the end of the century,there will be a human colony(殖民地) on Mars.It will happen when people finally realize that two-way trips to the red planet Mars are unnecessary.Most of the danger of space flight is in the launches(发射) and landings.Cutting the trip home would therefore reduce the danger of accidents,save a lot of money,and open the way to building an everlasting human settlement in another world.

Enough supplies can be sent on ahead.And every two years more supplies and more people will be sent to the new colony.Mars has all the materials for a colony to produce or make everything it needs,and Mars is far more pleasant than the other planets in the outer space.

Paul Davies,USA

60.The main purpose of Steve Minear’s writing is         .

A.to report his classmates’ discussion

B.to invite an answer to his question

C.to explain the natural state of Mars

D.to show his agreement on going to Mars

61.Which of the following best states Donal Trollop’s idea?

A.There is a plan to send humans to Mars.

B.There are many reasons for going to Mars.

C.Scientists become famous by doing research on Mars.

D.It is possible to build an Earth-like environment on Mars.

62.Paul Davies points out that         .

A.humans need only a one-way ticket to Mars

B.two-way trips to Mars will be made safe soon

C.it is easy to reduce the danger and cost of flights to Mars

D.it is cheap to build an everlasting human settlement on Mars

63.What does Paul Davies think of human existence on Mars?

A.Humans will have to bring all they need from the Earth.

B.Humans will find Mars totally unsuitable for living.

C.Humans can produce everything they need.

D.Humans can live longer in the colony on Mars.

 (08·重庆D篇)

Seeing a volcano erupt(喷发) is a wonderful experience,and you can really feel the heat by climbing to the summit(山顶) of Pacaya for a close-up view.There are guided tours every day up this highly active volcano from Antigua.Giving travelers a chance to see Mother Nature at her most powerful.

Pacaya is an easy drive from Antigua,a beautiful city with many colorful houses along its old streets that are turned into art-works during its Holy Week festival.No matter when you come to Antigua,you won’t miss the Pacaya-tour companies.

But climbing Pacaya is no easy job:it is 2,560 metres high,and reaching the summit takes two to three hours of seemingly one-step-forward and two-step-back movements.As you climb,you hear the dull sounds of eruptions high above.Steaming,hot remains from recent eruptions begin to line the path as you near the active summit:the McKenney Cone(火山锥).Just as though you were going to walk over to the edge of the cone,the road turns to the left and up to the relative safety of the old,inactive summit.

Many tours are timed so that you arrive at the cone of the volcano in plenty of time for sunset and the full contrast between the erupting red lava(熔岩) and the darkening sky.On a good day the view from the summit is extremely exciting.The active mouth boils,sending red lava over its sides,and once in a while shoots hot streams up to 100 metres into the air.There is a strong bad smell in the air even if you take care to be upwind of the cone.As evening turns deeper into the night,the burning lava quietly falls down the side of the volcano.For you,too,it is time to get down.

68.What is the main purpose of this passage?

A.To attract tourists to Pacaya.

B.To describe the beauty of Pacaya.

C.To introduce guided tours to Pacaya.

D.To explain the power of nature at Pacaya.

69.Antigua is a city         .

A.where people can enjoy cultural festivals

B.where the daring Pacaya tour starts

C.that gives a close-up view of Pacaya

D.that is famous for its tour companies

70.Climbing to the McKenney Cone,people will         .

A.walk directly to the active summit

B.hear the continuous loud noise from above

C.make greater efforts than to other summits

D.see a path lined with remains of earlier eruptions

71.Many tours are timed for people to         .

A.get down the mountain in time when night falls

B.avoid the smell from the upwind direction of the cone

C.enjoy the fantastic eruption against the darkening sky

D.appreciate the scenery of the 2,560-metre-high mountain

We’ve all done it at one point or another. You’re driving along to work or school when that familiar sound reaches your eardrums(耳膜). You look down, reach into your pocket and begin to read, your steering wheel(方向盘) in one hand, your phone in the other. As you respond to that text message from your friend, you look intermittently(间歇地) at the road, and then back down at your phone. You’ve done it plenty of times before. What can go wrong?

What do you think is the number one killer of teenagers in the U.S.? Drugs? Alcohol? Violence? The answer is distracted driving. According to the National Safety Council, over 24 percent of all motor vehicle crashes involve cell phone use. Either a quick 30-second phone call or a simple text reading may be the cause of a traffic accident. In addition, drivers who talk on a cell phone, whether hands-free or not, are four times more likely to crash.

The risk of teenagers getting into an accident rises sharply. According to keepthedrive.com, more than 3,000 teenagers die in car accidents each year with about another 450,000 teenagers being injured. Additionally, according to a University of Utah study, reading or sending even one text message is equal to having a 0.08 alcohol level. In most states, that is considered as drunk-driving.

So, how do you prevent yourself from the danger of distracted driving? The answer is simpler than you might think. Put your phone away. Mute(消音) your phone or just turn it off while driving. If you still can’t help reaching for your phone, throw it on the backseat. This way, you won’t be able to get to it until you arrive at your destination.

You may get away with talking on the phone now, but there may be a day when you don’t. Dropping your phone may be an inconvenience, but it’s better than being a victim of your distracted driving.

Title: The danger of reading and texting on the phone while driving
1._______	Drivers are used to reading and2.___ to text messages while driving.
3.___ of distracted driving	About a quarter of all motor vehicle crashes are 4.___ to cell phone use. Drivers talking on a cell phone have a much stronger 5. of crashing.
The rising risk of teenagers getting into accidents	A number of teenagers get 6._____ in or even die from car accidents every year. Reading or sending one text message while driving 7.____ having a 0.08 alcohol level.
8.___ of preventing distracted driving	Mute your phone or turn it off to keep you concentrated on driving. Put your phone out of your 9.___ while driving.
Conclusion	It may be not 10.___ for you to drop your phone but you can protect your self from hurt or death.