第二节 完形填空(共20小题：每小题1.5分，满分30分)

阅读下面的短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

Sometimes we have to wonder where all the good news has gone. Turn on the TV or check the news online and it seems to be one 36 after another.

37 when we do get a glimpse of 38 news, it attracts our eyes right up. Like just recently, there was a science article online about 39 and how they prepare delicious meals. I went right for it. I was really 40 about what was happening out there in the ocean. It was a short break from the 41 news which we really don't want to know about.

In an attempt to write more 42 articles, the media sometimes give us a glimpse of what I call, almost news. Like a recent articles about finding a woman they think might be 128 years old. That's kind of 43  But they didn't wait to find out if it was 44 news first. Instead, they just printed that 45 news story. It's still a nice break. And if the woman actually is 128 years old, I'd like to see a follow-up article on 46 she did it. Wouldn't it be great if she grew so 4 7 from eating ice cream, potato chips and dip?

While it's true that sensationalism (追求轰动效应)  48 stories, we need frequent breaks from all that negative reality. There's another form of reporting that's extremely 49 and it's neither positive nor negative. It’s 50  news. A possible problem is 51 , such as a volcano in Alaska that's expected to erupt.  Scientists at the volcano center in Alaska had been monitoring a series of 52 under the volcano. The residents, being warned as a good news report will do, were buying up breathing masks and air filters for their homes. They're 53 food and water in case they need to hunker (蹲下) down in the house for a few days while volcanic ash falls and settles and even the earthquakes follow.

News like that serves a great 54 : giving people time to prepare for a disaster on the way so they have a chance to do whatever is necessary to 55 themselves and their kids.

36. A. story         B. disaster        C. comedy         D. joke

37. A. So          B. But            C. Still            D. Otherwise

38. A. sudden       B. shocking       C. good            D. sad

39. A. tigers         B. dolphins        C. monkeys        D. birds

40. A. sorry         B. happy          C. upset            D. curious

41. A. normal       B. common        C. usual           D. average

42. A. positive      B. valuable       C. scary           D. interesting

43. A. cool         B. strange         C. bad             D. exciting

44. A. attractive     B.  realistic       C. reasonable       D. real

45. A. moving      B. impressive     C. maybe          D. comfortable

46. A. what         B. where          C. why            D. how

47.  A. young        B. old             C. strong           D. wise

48. A. develops     B. helps           C. sells            D. benefits

49. A. great        B. useful          C. alarming        D. normal

50. A. daily         B. warning        C. political         D. scientific

51. A. coming up    B. coming over   C. coming back    D. come down

52. A. collapse      B. fire            C. flood            D. earthquakes

53. A. giving away  B. taking away    C. storing up       D. using up

54. A. idea         B. model          C. lesson          D. purpose

55. A. protect       B. educate         C. persuade        D. encourage

第三部分 阅读理解(共20小题，满分40分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。

□A

When my interest shifted from space to the sea, I never expected it would cause such confusion among my friends, yet I can understand their feelings. As I have been writing and talking about space flight for the best part of 20 years, a sudden switch of interest to the depth of the sea does seem peculiar. To explain, I'd like to share my reasons behind this unusual change of mind. The first excuse I give is an economic one. Underwater exploration is so much cheaper than space flight. The first round-trip ticket to the moon is going to cost at least 10 billion dollars if you include research and development. By the end of this century, the cost will be down to a few million. On the other hand, the diving suit and a set of basic tools needed for skin-diving can be bought for 20 dollars. My second argument is more philosophical. The ocean, surprisingly enough, has many things in common with space. In their different ways, both sea and space are equally hostile. If we wish to survive in either for any length of time, we need to have mechanical aids. The diving suit helped the design of the space suit. The feeling and the emotions of a man beneath the sea will be much like those of a man beyond the atmosphere.

56. How did the speaker's frien ds respond to his change of interest?

A. They wanted to follow his example.

B. They fully supported his undertaking.

C. They were puzzled by his decision.

D. They were afraid he wasn't fully prepared.

57. In what way does the speaker think diving is similar to space travel7

A. They both attract scientists' attention.

B. They can both be quite challenging.

C. They are both thought-provoking (激发思考的).

D. They may both lead to surprising findings.

58. What is the speaker's purpose in giving this talk?

A. To show how simple the mechanical aids for diving can be.

B. To provide an excuse for his changeable character.

C. To explore the philosophical issues of space travel.

D. To explain why he took up underwater exploration.

□B

If you want to teach your children how to say sorry, you must be good at saying it yourself, especially to your own children.  But how you say it can be quite tricky.

If you say to your children “I'm sorry I got angry with you, but...”What follows that “but”can render the apology ineffective: “I had a bad day” or “your noise was giving me a headache” leaves the person who has been injured feeling that he should be apologizing for his bad behavior in expecting an apology.

Another method by which people appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say“I'm sorry you're upset”; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done.

Then there is the general, all covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific:  act that was particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again. Saying “I'm useless as a parent”does not commit a person to any specific improvement.

These pseudo-apologies (伪道歉) are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness. Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not resort to these pseudo-apologies.

But even when presented with examples of genuine contrition (悔悟) ,children still need help to become aware of the complexities of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in understanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old might need reminding that spoiling other children's expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old might need to be shown that r aiding the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that borrowing a parent's clothes without permission is not.

59. If a mother adds “but” to an apology,

A. she doesn't feel that she should have apologized

B. she does not realize that the child has been hurt

C. the child may find the apology easier to accept

D. the child may feel that he owes her an apology

60. According to the author, saying “I'm sorry you're upset” most probably means“______”

A. You have good reason to get upset

B. I'm aware you're upset, but I'm not to blame

C. I apologize for hurting your feelings

D. I'm at fault for making you upset

61. It is not advisable to use the general, all-covering apology because ______ .

A. it gets one into the habit of making empty promises

B. it may make the other person feel guilty

C. it is vague and ineffective

D. it is hurtful and insulting

62. We learn from the last paragraph that in teaching children to say sorry ______.

A. the complexities involved should be ignored

B. their ages should be taken into account

C. parents need to set them a good example

D. parents should be patient and tolerant

63. It can be inferred from the passage that apologizing properly is ______.新课 标 第 一网

A. a social issue calling for immediate attention

B. not necessary among family members

C. a sign of social progress     D. not as simple as it seems