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和D) 中, 选出最佳选项。
I'm from the South Bronx. At 7, my neighborhood was the beginning and end of my universe. It was a small town to me. Everyone knew each other, so if you got into trouble in school, chances are your mom knew about it before you got home. I felt watched over and safe.
But just before I turned 8, things began to change. I watched two buildings on my block burn down. I remember seeing my neighbor Pito go up and down the fire escape to get people out. Where were the firemen? Where was the truck? Somebody must have called them.
That same summer, after serving two tours in Vietnam, my brother was killed in the South Bronx. He was shot above the left eye and died instantly.
People who could moved out of the neighborhood, and all I wanted to do was get out, too. I used education to get away from there and got good at avoiding the topic of where I was from. To be from the South Bronx meant that you were not a good person. It felt like a stain.
After college, I didn't want to come back to the South Bronx, but in order to afford graduate school, I had to. I was almost 30 and could only afford to live at my parents' home. It felt like a defeat, and I hated it.
At the same time, the city was planning a huge waste facility here, and no one seemed to care — including many of us who lived here. They were like, "Well, it's a poor community; what's the difference?"
I was very angry. It drove me to act. It moved my spirit in a way that I didn't know was possible. And it changed my beliefs — it changed the way I felt about myself and my community. I worked hard with others who felt the same way, and together, we defeated the plan.
After that, I realized it's just as important to fight for something as it is to fight against something. So we dreamed up a new park on the site of an illegal waste dump — and after many community clean-ups, along with $3 million from the city, we have one. And it's a glory. It was the seed from which many new plans for our community have grown.
Today, the South Bronx is no longer a stain; it's a badge(象征) of honor for me. I believe that where I'm from helps me to really see the world. Today, when I say I'm from the South Bronx, I stand up straight. This is home, and it always will be.
1Paragraphs 2 and 3 make the readers believe ____________.
| A. the author felt watched over and safe |
| B. he author’s brother was a bad man |
| C. the author’s neighbor Pito was braver than a fireman |
| D. the author felt his hometown was not a safe place to live in |
2.The author went back to the South Bronx after college because ____________.
| A. he couldn’t afford to live without his parents’ help |
| B. he loved his hometown very much |
| C. he was defeated in studies at college |
| D. he almost reached the age of 30 |
3.The underlined sentences(Paragraph 2) imply that ____________.
| A. the author wondered where the firemen and the truck were |
| B. the author wanted someone to call the firemen |
| C. the firemen didn’t come to help although called |
| D. the firemen didn’t find a place to park the truck |
4.What does the author want to convey in the passage?
| A. Great changes have taken place in the South Bronx. |
| B. The South Bronx is a beautiful place. |
| C. You can make a difference to your hometown if you act. |
| D. Everyone should love his hometown. |
A smart phone is a mobile phone built on a mobile operating system, with more advanced computing abilities than a common phone. The first smart phones enabled the users to send and receive emails. Later models added the function of portable media players, pocket video cameras, and GPS navigation units to form one multi-use device. Many modem smart phones also include touchscreens and web browsers that display web pages.
A recent report says we spend an average of two hours and 40 minutes each day looking at a smart phone. That doesn’t mean making calls, but playing phone games and browsing the Web.
Nowadays we always find people checking emails in a restaurant, taking a picture of the food when it arrives, or checking a message during a conversation instead of traditional communication. It’s no secret that our lives are being affected by our smart phones obsession.
However, this phenomenon has never been presented so vividly as in the short YouTube film I Forgot My Phone. Despite only being online for a few days, it's already been viewed more than 10.5 million times. Whether it will be screened in the cinema remains to be seen.
Ironically, YouTube’s data show that the site gets a billion views per day from mobile devices, so a lot of those people watched it on their phones.
The short film, written by and starring actress Charlene Deguzman, shows groups of people in various social situations, the majority of whom are absorbed in their phones instead of the world around them. To a certain extent, we all do it.People prefer a smart phone to a common one, because the latter only can help us ______.
| A．check emails | B．send messages | C．find the destination | D．watch a video |
The underlined word “obsession” in the third paragraph most probably means “______”.
| A．devotion | B．contribution | C．addiction | D．emotion |
Which of the following is right?
| A．People spend as average of two hours and 40 minutes each day using smart phones. |
| B．The film hasn’t been put on in the cinema. |
| C．The film is written by an actor named Charlene Deguzman. |
| D．The film has already been viewed more than 105 million times in the first few days. |
When the writer mentions the number of people watching the film from mobile devices in the fifth paragraph, he mainly feels ______.
| A．encouraged | B．depressed | C．proud | D．satisfied |
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the money box without stopping, and continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most beautiful pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell’s playing in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment.
The outlines were: in a common environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we enjoy beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected situation?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”Few people stopped to listen to Joshua Bell playing because______.
| A．people were in a hurry |
| B．they were not interested in music |
| C．it was too cold in the subway |
| D．the performance was not good enough |
When children stopped to look at the violinist, their parents ______.
| A．would give him some money |
| B．would stop to enjoy the music |
| C．would applaud for the performance |
| D．would urge them to continue walking |
Joshua Bell played in the metro station in order to ______.
| A．make more money |
| B．practice his skills in playing music |
| C．made an advertisement for his concert |
| D．find out people’s reaction under such a circumstance |
The purpose of the passage is to _____.
| A．set us to think about our life |
| B．show us how to play music |
| C．tell us the importance of music |
| D．report a subway performance |
It’s the place where smart people make smart machines work even smarter. It’s also in the heart of sunny California, a great place to start a family and raise kids. What could be better?
But something is happening to their children. Up until the age of two they develop normally. But then everything seems to go backwards. The children become locked into their own small world, unable to communicate at all.
They call it the “curse(诅咒)of Silicon Valley,” but the medical name for the condition is autism(自闭症). It used to be thought that autism was a kind of mental illness. Now doctors are sure that it is a neurological disease transmitted genetically. It seems that the people leading the communications revolution are having children who cannot communicate at all.
But even the parents have trouble communicating. Asperger’s Syndrome is a mild version of autism. People who have it are highly intelligent and often brilliant with numbers or system but have no social skill. This very combination of symptoms makes Asperger’s sufferers into ideal computer professionals.
The Asperger’s sufferer has always been a well—known figure in popular culture. He or she was the eccentric but dedicated scholar or the strange uncle or auntie who never married. But the high numbers of such people in Silicon Valley mean that they can meet others who understand them and share their interests. And while they might not be personally attractive, they can earn truly attractive amounts of money. They can get married and have kids. Unfortunately, many of the children of two Asperger’s parents seem to be developing serious autism.
There is little anyone can do. It takes hours of work just to make autistic child realize that anyone else exists. And there is no cure in sight. Some argue that no cure should be found. “It may be that autistics are essentially different from normal people, but that these differences make them invaluable for the evolution of the human race,” says Dr. Kirk Whilhelmsen of the University of California. “To eliminate the genes for autism could be disastrous. ”
It seems that the children of Silicon Valley are paying the price of genius.What does Dr Kirk Whilhelmsen think of autism?
| A．It is disastrous to society. |
| B．It is not completely a bad thing. |
| C．It is a punishment to those working in Silicon Valley. |
| D．People with autism should never marry. |
What can we learn about autism according to the passage?
| A．It is believed to be a king of mental illness that can be cured. |
| B．People with autism can’t find people sharing their interests. |
| C．They do not care about the presence of others. |
| D．They are a burden for the society. |
Why do people call autism “curse of Silicon Valley”？
| A．Because autistic people live in Silicon Valley. |
| B．Because many people working in Silicon Valley have autism children. |
| C．Because people with autism will be driven out of Silicon Valley. |
| D．Because people with autism are not personally attractive and not liked by others. |
What can we know about Asperger’s Syndrome according to the passage?
| A．Asperger’s sufferers are ideal computer professionals. |
| B．Asperger’s sufferers never get married and have children. |
| C．Asperger’s sufferers are ashamed of themselves and locked into their own world. |
| D．Asperger’s sufferers can be beneficial to society if they are cured. |
The popular US drama series “House of Cards”, which has already started its second season, features Chinese elements in its storyline. Traditional heroes are no longer sought after anymore. Today, it’s unconventional leading figure -like Francis J. Underwood from “House of Cards” who are winning audiences’ hearts.
The political drama, which airs on the Internet service Netflix, has won the applauses of viewers around the world since its debut(首次亮相) on February 1, 2013. And it has caught the attention of real politicians, including US President Barack Obama.
Kevin Spacey plays Francis J. Underwood, a cold-blooded Democrat who moves his way up the political ladder by any means necessary. He often uses his under-exposure in media to carry out misdeeds that will later benefit him.
The revenge(报仇) theme plays a heavy role throughout the storyline, Underwood, who had high hopes for an appointment as Secretary of State in the first season, was betrayed by the US President and his former colleagues. He and his wife then conducted a plan of revenge and swore to unseat those who turned their backs against him. Through their plan, Underwood’s own hunger for power grew and empowered him to get rid of whoever stood in his Way.
The release of the trailer(预告片) of the second season excited millions of viewers around the world, including US President Barack Obama, who has been a loyal fan since the series debuted. Obama expressed his admiration for Underwood. “This guy’s getting a lot of stuff done,” he said. Although the President is anxious to watch the story unfold, he’d like to do it at his own pace. After the release of the second season on February 14, 2014, Obama sent words on his Twitter account, “Tomorrow: @HouseOfCards. No spoilers , please.”
The second season has promised to be darker, with more unexpected turnouts, and is to include more Chinese elements. “Perhaps the team, including myself, has realized that in the next decade, Asia will be an extensively important region, and China will play an active role in its transition and change,” says Spacey.The second season is different in that _____.
| A．it is a political drama |
| B．more Chinese elements are involved |
| C．it has caught the attention of US President Barack Obama |
| D．Kevin Spacey, a cold-blooded Democrat, plays Francis’J. Underwood |
The 3rd and 4th paragraph mainly deal with ______.
| A．the plot of the drama series |
| B．the background of the drama series |
| C．the characters of the drama series |
| D．the popularity of the drama series |
The author may agree that ______.
| A．the second season is expected to be darker with more deaths |
| B．audiences lose their heart to traditional heroes in the drama |
| C．the drama is the reflection of politics of America in real life |
| D．the drama has won the recognition of viewers since its first season |
The message sent by Obama on his Twitter account proves that he_______.
| A．doesn’t wish to be told what to do as a drama fan |
| B．adores the drama so much that he wants to watch it in advance |
| C．doesn’t want to be disturbed while watching the drama |
| D．hopes nobody will inform him of the plot of the drama in advance |
The English test will be removed from China’s college entrance exam by 2020, according to details of exam and admission reform revealed by the Ministry of Education. The national college entrance exam, known as the “Gaokao” has been used to evaluate Chinese students for three decades. The Ministry of Education has worked out a plan for reforming exams and enrollment. The Ministry will solicit(征求) public opinions before its release. Instead, tests will be held several times a year to allow students to choose when and how often they sit the exam so as to alleviate study pressure and change China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system.
The plan and suggestions for its implementation will be announced in the first half of next year. It will be piloted in selected provinces and cities and promoted nationwide from 2017. A new exam and admission system will be established by 2020, according to the education ministry.
The decision has aroused a heated discussion among Shanghai educators and parents who doubted the reform would reduce the burden of learning English or if the substitute test could reflect a student’s English skills and help students learn English better.
“The reform shows China is learning from the West to give students more test-taking chances. But more chances might become more of a burden since Chinese students are likely to repeat the test until they get the highest score,” said Cai Jigang, a professor at Fudan University’s College of Foreign Languages and Literature and chairman of the Shanghai Advisory Committee for College English Teaching at Tertiary Level.
Yu Lizhong, chancellor of New York University Shanghai, where classes are in English and students are required to have a high standard of English, said the most important aspect of the reform lay in what to test and how to test.
“ As far as I see, the reform doesn’t mean English is no longer important for Chinese students after it will be excluded from the unified college entrance exam,” Yu said. “In a way, English is even more important than before since the test would only serve as reference, while every college and university, even every major, can have different requirements of a student’s English skills under a diverse evaluation system. ”
Yu said some students will have their study pressure reduced if the major they choose doesn’t need excellent English while others still need to study hard if they want to be among the best students.
The education ministry said the reform would not affect students attending the college entrance exam over the next three years.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．English will become less and less important in the stage of compulsory education. |
| B．It has been 30 years since English became one subject of national college entrance exam. |
| C．China’s once-in-a-lifetime exam system is unacceptable at all. |
| D．The system that tests are held several times does more good than once-in-a-lifetime exam system. |
According to the passage, Shanghai educators and parents argue that _____.
| A．the new exam and admission system will make no difference |
| B．English shouldn’t be removed from China’s college entrance exam |
| C．the reform may accomplish the very opposite |
| D．Western educational system does not apply to China |
What does the passage try to express in the underlined sentence?
| A．Students needn’t lay a good foundation during the period of high school. |
| B．Whether students should study hard English may depend on their major. |
| C．Students can constantly strive for perfection only in their major. |
| D．English must be close to full mark. |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To advise students not to devote themselves to English. |
| B．To call on Education Department to remove English from “Gaokao”. |
| C．To support the act of Ministry of Education. |
| D．To encourage students to do as they have planned. |
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