第三部分 阅读理解(共两节，满分40分)

第一节(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

ANCHORAGE, Alaska--The 2004 winner of Alaska’s famous 1,000-mile sled-dog race, the Iditarod, won again at age 53 to become the oldest champion in 2013, a year after his son became the youngest winner.

Mitch Seavey got his dogs to the finishing line first in 9 days, 7 hours, 39 minutes and 56 seconds. His son, Dallas Seavey, now 26, ended up ranking fourth, behind the older competitor, 43-year-old Aliy Zirkle, who followed four-time champion Jeff King, now 57.

Mitch Seavey, who lives in Seward, Alaska, operates a seasonal sled-dog touring business. The race was Mitch Seavey’s 20th Iditarod.

This year’s contest was marked by unusual conditions and unseasonable rain in the northern part of the trail, and conditions that Seavey said helped his team. “It seems like the tougher it is, the better we can do.”

He also thought highly of Zirkle, a New England immigrant(移民)who now lives in Two Rivers, Alaska. “She’s a great musher(赶狗拉雪橇的人), and she’s going to win the Iditarod sometime, and probably more than once. We just had a little more energy, I think.” Zirkle, one of the most popular mushers, was greeted by shouts of “Aliy, Ally” from the fans as she drove her dog team approaching the finishing line on Nome’s Front Street. “I am pretty happy to be here,” she said. “I was going for it.”

The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is one of the few major U. S. sports events in which men and women compete on an equal footing. The name “Iditarod” dates from a local Athabascan term meaning “a far, distant place”. Youthful mushers in the race may have some physical advantages--they can do some things more easily. But more importantly, winning the race needs the experience in dog race.

The year’s event started on Saturday, March 2 with a ceremonial nm in Anchorage. Of the 66 mushers who started the race, 10 had dropped out of competition as of Tuesday night. For his victory, Mitch Seavey will take home $50,400 and a new truck.

56. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Mitch Seavey is the oldest competitor in the sled-dog race in 2013.

B. Mitch Seavey, who operates a touring business, is a New England immigrant.

C. Mitch Seavey won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 2004 and 2013.

D. Mitch Seavey managed to help his son become the youngest winner in 2012.

57. On which day did Mitch Seavey probably win the champion in the 2013 Iditarod?

A. On Saturday, March 2. B. On Monday, March 11.

C. On Saturday, March 9. D. On Tuesday, March 13.

58. Who ranked the 2nd place in the 2013 Iditarod according to the passage?

A. Aliy Zirkle. B. Dallas Seavey. C. Mitch Seavey. D. Jeff King.

59. According to the passage, we can learn that ________.

A. the sled-dog race is the most important sports event in the US

B. experience also has a major influence on the result of the race besides age

C. men and women can’t compete in the sled-dog race together at the same time

D. all the athletes in the sled-dog race are limited by age to win the sled-dog race

B

Which comes first, happiness or money? Are richer people happier? And if so, how do people get much richer? A recent study could tell you the answer.

The study looked into thousands of teenagers and found that those who felt better about life as young adults tended to have higher incomes by the time they turned 29. Those who were happiest earned an average of $8,000 more than those who were the most depressed.

The researchers, from University College London and the University of Warwick, say that very gloomy teens, no matter how tall or smart they were, earned 10% less than their peers, while the ha ppier ones earned up to 30% more.

Happier teenagers have an easier time getting through school, college and a job interview, chiefly because they always feel better about life. It may also be true that happier people find it easier to make friends, who are often the key to homework help or networking.

A report in June suggested that professional respect was more important than dollars in terms of workplace happiness. In August scientists announced that they had found the gene for happiness in women, Alas (the same gene doesn’t appear to have the same effect on men). And in October researchers in the UK and in the US announced that people who eat seven portions of fruit and vegetables a day report being the happiest.

The big question is: if it really is true that happier kids end up being wealthier k id s, is it necessary for parents to get their kids to do the homework? The fact is that no homework will make kids happy but surely hurt their grades. Studies do show, after all, that more education leads to better-paid jobs, which may give us a deep thought.

“These findings show that the teenagers’ happiness is important to their future success,” one of the report’s authors writes. “But what is the most important is that we should find a way to help children gain more satisfaction from doing schoolwork.”

60. What conclusion can the researchers draw from the recent study?

A. Happy teenagers grow up to be wealthier.

B. Money can make people become happier.

C. Wealth has nothing to do with happiness at all.

D. Schoolwork can help teens achieve success.

61. The main reason why happier people have more chances to succeed is that ________.

A. they are easy to communicate with others

B. they are good at doing their schoolwork

C. they are hopeful and optimistic about their life

D. they eat much more fruit and vegetables a day

62. The underlined word “gloomy” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________”.

A. upset B. glorious C. happy D. wealthy

63. What can be the best title for the text?

A. The way to educate kids. B. The source of happiness.

C. How to achieve your goal. D. The secret of being wealthier.