第二节  完形填空(共20小题;每小题1分，满分20分)

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

The first day of college I met a little old lady. I was __36__. “Why are you here at such a young age?” I asked.

“To meet a rich husband, __37__, have children, and then retire and travel!” she replied __38__.

I laughed, but we became close friends. For the whole __39__ we would leave class together and __40__ nonstop. I was always listening as she __41__ her wisdom and experience.

At the end of the term Rose was invited to make a __42__. I’ll never forget her words. “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old __43__ because we stop playing. The only __44__ of staying young is being happy and achieving success. You have to find humor and __45__. You’ve got to have a(n) __46__. When you lose dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are __47__ and don’t even know it! Growing older doesn’t __48__ growing up. Anybody can grow older doing __49__. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. My idea is that one grows up by always finding __50__ in life. Have no regrets. The elderly don’t have regrets for what we did, __51__ for things we didn’t do. The only people who fear death are those with __52__.”

The college year ended. Rose got her __53__ but passed away one week after graduation. Many students attended the funeral (葬礼) of the __54__ woman who taught by __55__: never too late to be all you can possibly be.

36. A. happy   B. sorry    C. active    D. curious

37. A. make money  B. get married   C. earn a degree  D. find work

38. A. briefly   B. happily   C. jokingly   D. seriously

39. A. term   B. month    C. week    D. day

40. A. talk   B. work    C. race    D. smile

41. A. shared   B. enjoyed   C. admired   D. imagined

42. A. decision   B. speech    C. wish    D. bet

43. A. slightly   B. possibly   C. hardly    D. simply

44. A. skill   B. secret    C. plan    D. style

45. A. stop   B. rest    C. wonder   D. laugh

46. A. try    B. chance    C. dream    D. education

47. A. weak   B. dead    C. old    D. ill

48. A. include   B. need    C. mean    D. escape

49. A. nothing   B. anything   C. something   D. everything

50. A. solutions  B. faults    C. secrets    D. opportunities

51. A. but rather  B. in turn    C. and yet   D. if not

52. A. talents   B. abilities   C. regrets    D. dreams

53. A. respect   B. degree    C. fame    D. disease

54. A. attractive  B. funny    C. easy-going   D. impressive

55. A. direction  B. promise   C. example   D. theory

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A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

The most popular food in America was invented because a cook got angry. George Crum was a cook at a restaurant in Saratoga Springs, New York. One day in 1853, a customer who had ordered fried potatoes sent them back to the kitchen. He wanted the cook to slice (切片) them thinner and fry them longer. George Crum had a bad temper (脾气), and he thought the potatoes were fine the way he made them. To teach the customer a lesson, he sliced potatoes very thin and fried them until they were crispy (脆的). But instead of being angry, the customer loved the new fried potatoes. He asked for more. Other people who tried them liked them too and customers kept asking for them. For many years, people called them Saratoga chips after the town where they were first made.

Even now, after more than 150 years, potato chips are very popular. At least one of every ten potatoes grown in the United States is made into potato chips. So if you like potato chips, be thankful that George Crum had a bad temper!

56. The customer sent the fried potatoes back to the kitchen because ______.

A. he wanted to make George Crum angry

B. he liked thinner potatoes fried a longer time

C. he knew the cook would invent potato chips

D. he didn’t want to pay for the food

57. George Crum cooked the potatoes in a special way in order to ______.

A. teach the customer a lesson

B. invent the potato chips

C. make the potato chips crispy

D. please that customer

58. What’s the best title for this story?

A. A cook with a very bad temper.

B. A clever customer.

C. Potato chips — the most popular food in America.

D. The invention of potato chips.

B

Back in the fifteenth century, in a village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Despite the hopeless condition, two of the children, Albrecht Durer and his elder brother Albert Durer, had a dream. They both wanted to become artists. After many long discussions, the two boys finally worked out an agreement. They would toss (投掷) a coin. The loser would go down to the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy (大学). Then, when that brother completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other at the academy.

Tossing a coin, Albrecht won and went off to Nuremberg. Albert went down to the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, supported his brother, whose work at the academy was excellent. By the time Albrecht graduated, he had earned a lot of money for his works of art.

When the young artist returned to his village, Albrecht thanked his brother for the years of support that enabled him to realize his dream. “ And now, Albert, it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to go for your dream, and I will take care of you.”

Tears running down his face, Albert said,” No, brother. I cannot go to Nuernberg. It is too late for me. Look…what four years in the mines has done to my hands! I have been suffering from arthritis (关节炎) so badly that I cannot even hold a wine glass. No, brother ... for me it is too late !”

Later, Albrecht Durer drew his brother’s hands. He called his drawing simply Hands, and later it was renamed The Praying Hands.

More than 500 years have passed. Among the works of Albrecht Durer, The Praying Hands, is probably the most familiar to people. Reproductions of it hang in people’s homes or offices.

Next time you see a copy of that touching painting, take a second look. Let it be your reminder — if you still need one — no one ever makes it alone!

59. Why did the two brothers work out the agreement?

A. They were curious about the result.

B. Their family couldn’t afford their attending the academy.

C. They had to support the other sisters and brothers in the family.

D. Neither of them wanted to study in the academy.

60. Why couldn’t Albert go to the academy after four years?

A. Albrecht changed his mind and refused to support Albert.

B. Albrecht was not able to earn enough money to support Albert.

C. Albert didn’t have a great love for painting any more.

D. Albert couldn’t hold a pen or brush to paint.

61. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. It proved that Albrecht was not good at painting.

B. Albrecht couldn’t earn any money while he was studying at the academy.

C. Years of hard work in the mines brought great suffering to Albert.

D. In the painting “The Praying Hands”, the hands were Albrecht’s.

62. What does the underlined sentence imply (暗示)?

A. You can achieve success all on your own.

B. Cooperation is important if you want to succeed.

C. There is other people’s sacrifice (牺牲) behind your success.

D. No one will succeed without working hard.

C

A frugal (节俭) traveler, I’m on the road for three to six months out of a year, and all that wandering takes not just energy but organization as well. Before I set off, I will research destinations (目的地), book flights and hotels, and figure out what to do when I arrive. To do all those things,I have a long list of websites and other resources (资源). Since many people are now planning their summer vacations, I think I’d share my experience.

Once I have decided on a destination, I head straight for a little website called “Google” to do research. One of the first searches is for my destination with the words “frugal” and “affordable”. Seriously! When I went to Hawaii in 2008, the search immediately brought out the Pomaikai “Lucky” Farm B&B, a farm with comfortable rooms for $ 80 a night — a steal in America’s most expensive vacation spots.

I don’t just surf the Web, however — print still has its uses. I have a guidebook with me. When I travel for work, the information it provides is quite useful.

In order to know about the culture of my destination, I often turn to novels. In Manhattan, there’s Idlewild Books, where all kinds of books and novels sit side by side. But you could just easily visit the local independent bookstores or public libraries. If there’s really nothing in your area, log on the LongitudeBooks.com.

When it’s time to book a flight, I’m back online. My first stop is kayak.com, which searches almost every other booking site. I’ve also started to use ITAsoftware.com’s QPX system. It was developed for the airline companies.

Finally, when I’m ready to buy the ticket, I’ll go to the airline’s own website, because it offers the lowest price for the ticket. Then I’ll check SeatGuru.com, which offers seat maps of most airlines’ planes to find the best, most comfortable spot.

63. What does the writer usually do to prepare for a trip?

A. He turns to some organizations.

B. He wanders around to get information.

C. He consults websites and other resources.

D. He asks people who are planning summer vacations.

64. The underlined word “steal” most probably means “______”.

A. bargain       B. farm   C. room   D. price

65. To know the culture of your destination, which of the following is suggested by the writer?

A. Tour the place and experience it.

B. Watch TV programs about the place.

C. Visit bookstores or public libraries.

D. Read the guidebooks about the place.

66. Where does the writer buy his flight tickets?

A. On the airline’s own website.

B. On kayak.com.

C. On ITAsoftware.com.

D. On SeatGuru.com.