第三部分：阅读理解（每题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。
Although the new year is already here, the great moments of the old year are still in the memory. Let’s look back at some of these.
the United States
One of the world’s largest New Year’s Eve parties was held in Times Square, New Year. The festival attracted hundreds of thousands of people to watch brightly-lit ball drop on a landmark building at the stroke(报时的钟声) of midnight.
A great amount of confetti(五彩纸屑) was released from the sky at zero o’clock..
Britain
Painted in shining colours and blowing on whistles,50,000 party-goers arrived in London’s Millennium Dome to dance in the New Year. The Millennium Dome came to life at midnight as 50 DJs started up, competing on five separate dance floors to warm the crowd into the party mood.
Russia
New Year is the biggest holiday in Russia. It is traditional to put up a tree for celebrations with family and friends.
On the very last day of the years, Russians with a taste for a very cold swim braved freezing temperatures to plant traditional, festival trees on the bed of the Northern Ocean and at the bottom of Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake.
Malaysia
Brave skydivers threw themselves off the world’s tallest buildings near midnight and floated towards the new year.
The jump from the 452-metre Petronas Twin Tower was called a real leap from one year to the next since the group took off in the last second of the old year and landed a minute later in the new year.“That was really cool,”said Roland Simpson,“over crowds of onlookers to the landing spot.”
61. In New Year the brightly-lit ball dropped______.
A. from the sky onto the Times Square B. to celebrate the stroke of midnight
C. to welcome the arrival of Christmas D. at the point between the old and the new year
62. Which of the following is NOT true about celebrations in the world?
A. A large quantity of confetti was given out from the tallest building.
B. Skydivers in Malaysia jumped down from the world’s tallest buildings.
C. Some Russians planted trees on the bed of Lake Baikal.
D. In Britain 50 DJs competed on five separate floors.
63.The underlined word “landmark”means______ in the text.
A. an easily recognizable object, such as a tall tree or building
B. something that marks an important point in one’s life
C. something marking the limits of a piece of land
D. a building that is marked on a map
64. The text shows that_____.
A. New Year has been the starting point for people to have dreams
B. people in different countries welcomed New Year in different ways
C. people’s ways of celebrations are exciting
D. the new year is better than the old year
How much can environment affect intelligence? In one study, striking increases in IQ occurred in 25 children who were moved from an orphanage(孤儿院) to more stimulating（使人兴奋的，使人振奋的） environments．The children, who were all considered mentally retarded and unadoptable, were moved to an institution where they received personal attention from adults．Later, these supposedly retarded children were adopted by parents who gave them love, a family ,and a stimulating home environment．The children gained an average of 29 IQ points．For one child, the increase was an amazing 58 points．A second group of initially less "retarded" children, who stayed in the orphanage, lost an average of 26 IQ points.
Other encouraging results can be found in early childhood education programs, which provide stimulating intellectual experiences for disadvantaged children．In one study, children from low-income families were given enriched environments from early infancy(婴儿期) through preschool．By age 2 their IQ scores were already higher than those in a control group．More important, they were still 5 points higher seven years later．High-quality enrichment programs such as Head Start can prevent children from falling behind in school.
A particularly striking environmental effect is the fact that 14 nations have shown average IQ gains of from 5 to 25 points during the last 30 years．These IQ boosts, averaging 15 points, occurred in far too short a time for genetics to explain them．It is more likely that the gains reflect environmental forces, such as improved education, nutrition, and living in a technologically complex society.What's the main idea of this passage
| A．Retarded children cannot improve their IQ's. |
| B．Orphanages are full of mentally retarded children. |
| C．Environmental factors influence a child's IQ. |
| D．Early childhood education programs are important. |
The author is in favor of _____________ according to the passage.
| A．putting retarded children into institutions |
| B．providing early childhood education programs |
| C．keeping children in orphanages |
| D．keeping retarded children with others like themselves |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an environmental factor that affects IQ .
| A．Good nutrition． | B．Improved technology. |
| C．Better education． | D．Food pollution. |
What can we conclude from the passage ?
| A．Attention from parents has little effect on a child's IQ. |
| B．Head Start programs are a waste of money. |
| C．Increases in IQ have happened in the US more rapidly than elsewhere. |
| D．Genetics are less important than environment in gaining one's IQ. |
Have you ever thought, “I wish I could take a year off and just travel around the world”?
Well,three lucky American teenagers were able to do just that．The teens—two males and one female--got an all-expenses paid, yearlong hike to five continents.
This trip didn’t include any five-star hotels or shopping funs．Eighteen-year-old Jamie Fiel from Keller, Texas, 17-year-old Arsen Ewing from Canyon, California, and 16-year-old Tyler Robinson from Lincoln, Massachusetts, didn’t expect fancy treatment．They signed up for the experience of a lifetime, which included hard work, often uncomfortable accommodations, and encounters with（遭遇） some of nature’s most dangerous animals and environments.
Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler were among hundreds of high school kids nominated by their science teachers to take this trip．Earthwatch Institute sponsored this adventure．Each year, Earthwatch employs thousands of volunteers worldwide to help with scientific research projects．
The group went all around the world to get a close look at the most pressing environmental issues of our time．Their assignments were as varied as their locations, and included measuring and attending pink flamingos in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, and tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica.
As they worked with the Earthwatch scientists, Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler began to understand that we are at a critical moment in the life of our planet．Time for change is running out．As the teens went from country to country and witnessed different environmental dangers and challenges, they understood that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one person's actions．They realized that each of them can make a difference.These teenagers went on the journey around the world _____.
| A．to experience the most serous environmental problems on the earth |
| B．to bring the kindness of America to the other parts of the world |
| C．to go on sightseeing around the world |
| D．to call on more teenagers to join Earthwatch Institute |
What’s true about their journey?
| A．They had to pay for their journey at their own expense. |
| B．They often had to move from one hotel to another. |
| C．They had to take great pains to collect environmental information. |
| D．They received a warm welcome every time they arrived at a new place. |
It can be inferred that Earthwatch Institute could be _____．
| A．an international university that takes in students from all over the world |
| B．a TV station that makes programmes on the beautiful scenery of the earth |
| C．a travel agency that organizes adventure trips specially for school children |
| D．an organization that brings science to life for people concerned about the earth’s environment |
What did they these teenagers learn from the journey?
| A．It was high time that people protected the environment. |
| B．Long journey was not suitable for school children. |
| C．It should take the whole world to help the children. |
| D．Environmental problems can be solved if school children take part. |
You may have heard the term “the American Dream”．In 1848, James W．Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams.That 19th century “American Dream" motivated(激发) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".
The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors（采矿者）but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next．People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold in the streets．But most．instead, worked as railroad laborers．They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill"．
In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work． Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare(噩梦).
Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley．People poured their energy into the Internet． This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortune in America.
Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive．However, the new American Dream .is no longer just about money．It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice（正义，公正）.
The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger has become the model of the new American Dream．After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a super movie star and then a governor． Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future.It can be inferred that_____________.
| A．America' s golden dream could never be realized |
| B．America's golden dream had bought great fortune to Chinese immigrants |
| C．different times have different themes of the American dream |
| D．determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream |
Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?
| A．Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers? |
| B．Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers． |
| C．Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold. |
| D．Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time. |
The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that_____________．
| A．the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize |
| B．most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goals |
| C．the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants |
| D．the immigrants have made great contributions to California |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Wave of Immigrants to America |
| B．Make Fortunes Abroad |
| C．Hard Work Leads to Success |
| D．Changes of America’s Golden Dream |
Suppose you want to go abroad and learn about the foreign exchange in culture in different countries．Here is some information you may need．
| Name：Susan Lane Age：22 Place：Reykjavik, Iceland, 1994. Cost：$7,000 Organization：AFS Experience：“I think it was a turning point in my life．I began to understand more about my own culture by experiencing another culture and seeing how other people live.” |
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| Name：Sara Small Age：23 Place：Crivitz, Germany, 1996. Cost：$8,000 Organization：EF Foundation Experience：“I love the traveling and I made a lot of friends．I found the European school system to be hard but I am fluent now in German so it was worth it．I did miss my family and friends in Australia but I would love to do it again.” |
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| Name：David Links Age：16 Place：Stuttgart, Germany, 1996. Cost：$6,000 Organization：Southern Cross Cultural Exchange Experience：“I wanted to try something that was very different in culture．In Germany everything was different but I soon got settled．The family I was with was great and I really feel as though I have a second family.” |
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| Name：Tom Jennings Age：21 Place：Conflans, France, 1995.. Cost：$7,000 Organization：Southern Cross cultural Exchange Experience：“There were times when it was difficult but I liked it, experiencing a different culture．You just have to play each situation as it comes．If there is one thing you learn when you are on a student-exchange program it is how to take care of yourself.” |
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| Name：Linda Marks Age：19 Place：Chonburi Province, Thailand, 1994. Cost：$3,500 Organization：Rotary International Experience：“There are lots of ups and downs, but you always come back for more．I had a few problems but there was always someone to turn to and that was great.” |
According to the information, taking part in a foreign exchange program can cost _______．
| A．from $6,000 to $8,000 | B．from $3,500 to $8,000 |
| C．anything from $3,500 | D．no more than $7,000 |
Most of the students had their trips organized by ________．
| A．EF Foundation | B．AFS |
| C．Rotary International | D．SCCE |
The students who refer to both the good and bad times as an exchange student include ______．
| A．Susan Lane and Sara Small | B．Linda Marks and David Links |
| C．Tom Jennings and Linda Marks | D．Susan Lane and Tom Jennings |
UNICEF is appealing for more than one billion dollars in aid for women and children around the world．The United Nations Children's Fund has released its " Humanitarian Action Report" for two thousand ten． The report lists twenty -eight countries and territories with some of the world's most pressing crisis affecting women and children．
Haiti was considered to be in crisis long before the earthquake in January．The deputy executive director of UNICEF, Hilde Johnson, says the quake has only made the need for aid more immediate．But she says children all over the world have the right to the same assistance as children everywhere else．
The "Humanitarian Action Report" discusses several issues that UNICEF says increasingly threaten the basic rights of women and children．It says climate change has caused droughts and' food insecurity in many areas．High food prices and the global financial crisis of two thousand eight - two thousand nine have only added to poverty and malnutrition （营养不良）．And armed conflict continues to threaten the lives of millions．
Hilde Johnson says children are always the most affected by conflicts and disasters．They face an increased risk of abuse, including sexual violence and other serious rights violations （侵犯）．
UNICEF deals with about t
wo hundred emergencies around the world every year．The greatest need last year was in sub - Saharan Africa．The report says drought, food insecurity and civil unrest affected about twenty - four million people．
Violence and displacements（驱逐）of people were especially bad in Sudan, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic．
In Asia, UNICEF expects its financial assistance needs to more than double this year．This is partly the result of adding Pakistan and the Philippines to the latest report．In Pakistan, it says, more than two million people have been forced from their homes by the conflict in the．Swat Valley and other areas of the northwest．And in the Philippines, more than two hundred thousand people are st
ill living in shelters after severe storms last year．
This years UNICEF report talks about the value of public and private partnerships in helping children and families in emergencies．
And thats the VOA Special English Development Report, written by June Simms．For a link to the UNICEF report listing the twenty - eight countries and territories in crisis, go to www.unsv.com．I'm Steve Ember．According to Hilde Johnson, the most easily affected persons suffering from conflicts and disasters are __________．
| A．women | B．children | C．the old | D．the disabled |
From this passage we know that the most serious problems in Asia are __________．
| A．earthquakes and malnutrition |
| B．displacements and storms |
| C．sexual violence and other rights violations |
| D．droughts and food insecurity |
Which of the following might serve as a suitable title for this passage?
| A．Haiti was in crisis due to the earthquake in January |
| B．Violence in the twenty -eight countries and territories |
| C．UNICEF Appeals for Aid for Women and Children |
| D．the value of public and private partnerships in helping |
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