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。

A

I moved to this area seven years ago. For years I have had noisy neighbors. Ever since I moved into this flat, I’ve had to put up with noise during the night. I decided I’d had enough and I’ve been looking for a new flat since the beginning of the year. I haven’t found anything till now. Every week I go to the estate agent’s(当地房地产代理人的)office, but it’s the same story. “I might have something by the end of the week” he says, or, “Wait till next week. I think I might have a few flats by then.” I’ve seen a few flats during my search, but I don’t like any of them. One flat I saw has been empty for two years. “It’s got a busy road on one side and a railway on the other!” I said loudly, “I want peace and quiet.” Last week I visited the agent again. “I won’t leave till you show me something,” I said. “I’ve got just the flat for you.” I went to see it and I was frightened. “But it’s next to a cemetery!” I cried. “But you won’t have noisy neighbors,” my agent said. “It’s exactly right for peace and quiet!”

56.The writer has had to bear the noise in this area for             years.

A.about seven B.six C.nine D.four

57.The writer decided to move away because            .

A.he had been looking for a new flat

B.his neighbors were not friendly

C.he could no longer stand the noise

D.he wanted to sell his old flat

58.Which of the following is NOT true?

A.The writer would like a quiet place to live in.

B.The agent didn’t want to help the writer at all.

C.The writer has seen several flats already.

D.It seemed rather difficult to rind a right flat.

59.The main idea of the passage is         .

A.how the agent tried to help the writer find a flat

B.why the writer was satisfied with the agent’s service

C.how difficult it was to find a new flat

D.you can depend on the estate agents for a nice flat

B

Israeli paintings Israeli artist Menashe Kadishman will hold a solo (个人的) show entitled "Flock of Sheep" from November 26 to December 20, at the China National Art Museum. On show are 550 colorful oil paintings of sheep heads.  His works have been displayed in many important galleries over the past 30 years. They may be seen in the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and Tate Gallery in London.

Time: 9am-4pm, November 26-December 20.

Place: China National Art Museum, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing.

Tel: 6401-2252

Russian Ballet The Kremlin Ballet from Russia will perform two immortal classical ballets

"Swan Lake" and "The Nutcracker" -at the Beijing Beizh'an Theatre.Set up in 1990, the theatre has a number of first-class ballet dancers. Most of their performances are classical.

Time: 7:15. December 5 and 6 ("Swan Lake"); 7:15pm, December 7 ("Nutcracker")

Place: Beizhan Theatre, Xiwai Dajie, Xicheng District, Beijing.

Tel: 6500-3388

Folk concert The Central Conservatory of Music will hold a folk concert to commemorate the late musician Situ Huacheng. On the programme are many popular folks such as "Moon Night on the Bamboo Tower", "Celebrating Harvest", "Deep and Lasting Friendship", "Golden Snake Danoes Wildly", and "Children's Holiday".

Time: 7:30pm, November 25.

Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie.

Tel: 6605-5812

60. If your child is very fond of dancing, you may take your child to__________.

A. China National Art Museum             B. Beizhan Theatre

C. Beijing Concert Hall                   D. 1 Wusi Dajie

61. Menashe Kadishman is famous for painting

A. deer          B. birds           C. sheep          D. flowers

62. If you dial the telephone number 6500-3388 on Dec. 8, you can

A. go to the folk concert                B. visit the Art Museum

C. watch the ballet                     D. none of the above

C

Some schools that are not year-round often have summer programs. In many cases, students take summer classes to repeat a subject they failed. This way they get a second chance to succeed. But schools also offer summer classes to students who want to be free of a required class during the next school year.

Generally, students in these classes want to take fewer subjects during the year because they are involved in a lot of activities. They might be involved in sports or music programs. Or both – and more.

These summer school students do the same amount of work as if they took the class during the school year. But they do it in a much shorter time, one or two months. They say it makes for a lot of reading and homework and not much time for anything else. Some education experts are worried about high school students who take summer school because of pressure to attend a top university.

The New York Times recently reported about summer classes at one of the best high schools in the United States. New Trier High School is in Winnetka, Illinois. Almost six hundred students are in school this summer. Only twenty are repeating classes that they failed. The others are in difficult courses like physics and history.

The students say taking classes like these in the summer means that they can take even more difficult classes next year. They say this shows not only that they are serious about their studies but that they have experienced the most difficult high school program.

Another place with a lot of students in summer school is Palo Alto, California. The Mercury News reported that about twenty percent of the students in the city schools are in class this summer. That is more than two thousand teenagers.

A third are in classes they failed before. The others are taking subjects they do not have time for during the normal school year.

But they are not taking subjects like physics and history. The students in Palo Alto are in classes like creative writing, film studies, literature and cooking.

63. This passage mainly talks about ______.

A. summer classes in American schools

B. why American schools offer summer classes

C. the advantages of American summer school

D. experts’ anxiety(担忧)about American summer school

64. Which of the following is NOT the reason for the students’ attending summer classes in America?

A. Repeating a subject.

B. Completing a required subject ahead of time.

C. Improving their physical quality

D. Learning some special skills

65. What’s the biggest difference between the summer classes in New Trier High School and in Palo Alto?

A. There are more students attending classes that they failed before in Palo Alto.

B. Some students in Palo Alto learn some special skills instead of taking physics and history.

C. Some students in Palo Alto take some subjects so that they can join in sports or music programs later.

D. The students’ attitude towards studies in Palo Alto is worse than that in New Trier High School.

66. What can we infer from the passage?

A. American students in schools don’t have any pressure to attend top universities.

B. Summer school students don’t do the same amount of work as they do during the school year.

C. American students attend summer schools in order to relax themselves very much.

D. American students in high schools face great pressure to attend top universities.

D

In the 19th century, Americans from the eastern states moved out west to settle in the rich new lands along the Pacific Coast. The most difficult part of their trip was crossing “the Great American Desert” in the western part of the United States by horse and wagon.

The western desert can be very dangerous. There is little water and there are few trees. But the desert also has scenery of great beauty. Tall towers of red and yellow stone rise sharply from the flat, sandy valley floor. The scene has been photographed many times and appears in movies and on TV.

In Arizona, man-made dams across the Colorado River have made two large lakes in the middle of the dry desert country. At Lake Powell, the red stone arch of Rainbow Bridge rises high above the blue lake.

There are few roads. Many areas of Lake Powell’s shore can only be reached by boat or on foot. But hikers in this empty desert land sometimes find very old native American pictures, painted on the rocks.

In Death Valley, California, the summer temperature rises to 130°F—165°F. There is less than inches of rain each year. Death Valley is the lowest place in America---925 meters below sea level. In the 1800s, many travelers died when they tried to cross this waterless valley in the terrible heat.

Although the desert is dry and seems empty, there is plenty of life if you look closely. Snakes and rats have learned how to live in the desert heat. They live underground and come out at night, when it is cool. Plants such as cacti need very little water. When it does rain in the desert (sometimes only once or twice a year), plants grow quickly, and flowers open in a single day. For a short time, the desert is covered with brilliant (very bright) colors.

67.In the 19th century, Americans moved from east to west because they            .

A.enjoyed the trip                     B.wanted to make their home there

C.wanted to find new grassland there      D.had no water to drink

68.From this passage. we can conclude that         .

A.the western desert is a good place for people to live in

B.there is little water but there are many trees in the desert

C.the desert is dangerous but it is full of beauty

D.till now, people know little about the desert

69.In the 1800s, many travelers died in Death Valley because of            .

A.illness  B.high temperature

C.cold weather  D.poisonous water

70.In the desert, animals will die           .

A.if they move about                 B.if they can’t make holes underground

C.if they come out at night            D.if they drink much water

E

Today, people all over the world are moving out of small villages in the country to go and live in big, noisy cities. They are moving from the peaceful hills, mountains, fields, rivers and streams of the countryside to the busy world of streets, buildings, traffic and crowds. This movement from rural areas to urban areas has been going on for over two hundred years.

In many countries, the main reason people come to live in towns and cities is work. After one or two large factories have been built in or near a town, people come to find work, and soon an industrial area begins to grow. There is usually a residential area nearby where the factory workers can live. The families of these workers need schools, hospitals and shops, so many people come to live in the area to provide these services and a city grows.

In every major city in the world, there is a business district where the big companies have their main offices. In the United States, this area is usually in the city center downtown. It is here that you can see many huge skyscrapers(摩天楼)and office blocks. The people who work here often travel a long way to work each day. Many of them live in the suburbs of the city, far away from the industrial area and the city center. Some suburbs are very pleasant, with nice houses and big gardens. There are usually parks for children to play in and large department stores where you can buy all you need.

But what is the future of the big cities? Will they continue to get bigger and bigger? Perhaps not. Some major cities have actually become smaller in the last ten years, and it is quite possible that one day we will see people moving out of the major cities and back into smaller town and villages.

71. The underlined phrase “a residential area” means ________.

A. an area where people can buy things       B. an area where people live

C. an area where people can do business      D. an area near a city center

72. Why do people move to live in cities or towns?

A. Because they can live more comfortably there.

B. Because they like noisy life better than peaceful life.

C. They do so mainly to find work.

D. Because they are sure of having a better life there.

73. In a residential area you can see ________.

A. rows of houses               B. many offices and factories

C. a lot of factories and farms     D. many houses with offices and factories

74. In the United States, many people work in the center of a big city__________.

A. and live there               B. while living on the far away edge(边缘)of the city

C. but live in another city        D. but live far away out of the city

75. We can infer that this movement from rural to urban areas ______.

A. has been going on for more than 2,000 years    B. will surely continue in the future

C. may not continue in the future                 D. has now stopped already