第二部分：阅读理解(第一节20小题，第二节5小题;每小题2分，满分50分)

第一节：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，并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。

A

I was feeling a little blue because my mother had been laid off from her job and she had lots of bills to pay. It left me wondering what was going to happen to us now. But it reassured me some when my mother told me she was relieved to be leaving since her boss wasn't the nicest person to be around.

I got off the college shuttle bus and started walking. That's when I heard piano music and singing rising above the noise of the people and the traffic. I walked a little slower so I could find out to where it was coming from. Through the crowd I saw

a young lady sitting at a piano with a carriage next to her.

She was singing songs about love, keeping on trying, and not underestimating the power within yourself. The way she was singing comforted me a bit. I stood there watching her play for about fifteen minutes, thinking that it must take courage to perform on your own in the middle of a crowded New York ferry terminal.

So I stood there listening.

She must have felt my presence because she would occasionally look in my direction. By now I was telling myself that if she could perform in front of hundreds of people she didn't know then I could at least tell her how good she sounded. I walked over and put some money in her carriage and she said, "Thank you." Instead of continuing my way home, I said to her, "I have been going through a rough time lately, but you've made me hopeful again."

"I'm happy that I could help," she replied. "Why are you so sad?"

"Well, my mum told me she had got fired from her job, and that made me sad. I'm not so sure what to do ..."

"You see, here's the problem," she explained. "The way you were walking, your head was down. Don't look defeated, because opportunity comes in different ways and if your head is down you might never see it. You should smile more ... lift your head up."

I smiled faintly, amazed by how she was encouraging me. So, I asked her, "Why are you playing the piano in the middle of a crowded place? I've seen you do this more then once."

She explained to me that she sees a lot of negative

people in the world and she tries to alleviate the pain and bring more positivity by sharing motivational music. She told me that when she wasn't making music she studied psychology. So, that was how she knew some of the things she was telling me.

I smiled a little wider because I knew that she was doing a good thing. So, after that we parted, my heart touched and light

ened by a musical soul!

41. The writer’s felt sad because ______ .

A. her mother was injured while at work and a lot of money was needed

B. her mother resigned because she disliked her boss

C. her mother made a serious mistake and had to pay for it

D. her mother lost her job and had difficulty paying for her bills

42. We can learn from Paragraph 3 that the young lady sang to ______ .

A. show her love for life B. rid herself of low spirits

C. earn money for her schooling D. inspire others to live positively

43. What did the singer recommend to avoid negative mood?

A. smiling and raising your head B. looking for opportunities

C. underestimating the power within yourself D. playing music in public

44. Which word may best describe the young lady?

A. helpful B. outgong C. ambitious D. humorous

45. Which do you think is the best title of the passage?

A. A Unforgettable Experience B. A Heart Touched By A Musical Soul

C. Music Can Do Wonders D. A Good Deed Helped Me Out

B

Nicknames for Los Angeles

A nickname is a shortened form of a person's name. A nickname can also be a descriptive name for a person, place or thing. Many American cities have nicknames. These can help establish an identity, spread pride among citizens and build unity. Nicknames can also be funny.

Los Angeles, California is the second largest city in population, after New York City. Los Angeles has several nicknames. One is simply the city’s initials, L.A. It is also called the City of Angels because Los Angeles means “the angels” in Spanish.

Los Angeles often has warm, sunny weather. So another nickname is City of Flowers and Sunshine. New York is called The Big Apple. So Los Angeles is sometimes called The Big Orange because of the fruit that grows in that city’s warm climate.