四、阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在机读卡上将该项涂黑。
Watson entered Mr Smith’s office. The Boss was a hard man. He fired people who didn’t do well without giving them a second chance.
“Watson,” said Mr Smith, “this past year your department hasn’t earned money. We’re going to drop that department. It’s finished. I’ m sorry, —but you’ll have to go.” “But, sir—if I just had a little more time. For the moment I need the job to keep my son at Riverside School.”
“What’s that!” said the Boss. “Riverside! I didn’t know you had a boy there. That’s an expensive school for a man with your salary.”
“1 know, sir. But he likes it there so much! He’s a star trackman（田径运动员） and the best boxer in the school. The boys call him Champ（冠军） there.”
The Boss sat perfectly still for a long time—a faraway （恍惚的） look in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he said, “We’ve got to close your department, Watson. But you’ll take over a new job in another department. It means longer hours—maybe more pay. Now get out. You’re here for life.”
Watson got out, with surprise in his face. Then the Boss took a letter from the top drawer of his desk. It was Herbie’s last letter from Riverside School —written a few days before he died. He had read it over and over again with sick pain. The letter read:
I can’t say the boys here are any nicer to me than the others were. I guess it’s the same everywhere when you’re a cripple (跛脚的人). But don’t worry about me, Dad. They’ve got a good chemistry department here. And there’s one boy here who is really great. He’s a track star and boxing champ and just tops in chemistry. The boys call him Champ. He made them stop throwing my books around. And he knocked a boy down who hit me. He is the best friend I ever had. Dad, when I grow up, I want to do something for Champ. Something big—that he won’t even know about.
Your son,
Herbie
56. The underlined word “drop” in paragraph 2 could best be replaced by ________.
A. fall B. close C. punish D. sell
57. It can be inferred from the text that Champ is_______.
A. Watson’ s son B. Mr Smith’ s son
C. a teacher of Mr Smith’s son D. the son of Mr Smith’s friend
58. From the text we know that Herbie_______.
A. was a college student B. didn’t live to grow up
C. made friends with many boys D. died from a car accident
59. Watson was given a second chance because_______.
A. Mr Smith wanted to help Watson’s son
B. a man was needed in another department
C. Herbie told Mr Smith to do so in his letter
D. Mr Smith wanted to realize his son’s dream
Intellectual property (IP) is a product of the mind that has commercial value. The concept dates back to 1623 when the first patent law to protect IP sights was passed. IP rights protect the artist from having his/her creative ideas copied by another. For example, if somebody generated an idea for a novel, that idea is protected by IP rights. If someone else wishes to represent the idea or develop it further, he/ she must consult the original artists, who will normally be rewarded financially for its use. Back in the 17th century, IP rights were primarily carried out to protect newly developed manufacturing processes against stealing. But today, intellectual property rights, are also enjoyed by those who creative music, art and literature.
In recent years, IP rights have been the focus of a great deal of discussion because of a technology which looks set to weaken them altogether; the Internet. Many years ago, if you wanted a recording of a song, you would have to purchase it from a music store; if a novel, form a book store. In those days, IP rights were easily protected since it was very difficult to obtain intellectual property without paying for it. However, a lot of IP, including songs, films, books and artwork, can be downloaded today free of charge using the Internet. This practice has now taken the world by storm, dramatically affecting the way in which we view IP rights.According to the writer, in the beginning, If rights were mainly of use to ______.
| A．those creating music, art and literature |
| B．novelists |
| C．engineers and inventors |
| D．those not receiving financial reward for their work |
What do we know about the internet according to the passage?
| A．It makes IP rights harder to protect. |
| B．It sells songs and films. |
| C．It does not affect the way we understand IP rights. |
| D．It prevents the production of artwork. |
According to paragraph 2, what has “taken the world by storm”?
| A．Intellectual property rights. |
| B．The Internet. |
| C．Free downloading |
| D．The large number of songs, films and books. |
A possible title for this passage could be ______.
| A．A History of IP Rights |
| B．Ways to Protect Your IP Rights. |
| C．The Present and the Future Of IP |
| D．IP Rights and Our Attitudes |
Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
“I have two kids in college, and I want to say ‘come home,’ but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education,” says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid form the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan (贷款) program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuition（学费）continues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade,
“If we go on this way for another 25years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education,” says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. “The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt.”
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted.
According to Paragraph 1, why did the plan of Jacobs family fail?
| A．The twins wasted too much money. |
| B．The father was out of work. |
| C．Their saving ran out. |
| D．The family fell apart. |
How did the Jacobs manage to solve their problem?
| A．They asked their kids to come home. |
| B．They borrowed $20,000 from the school. |
| C．They encouraged their twin sons to do part-time jobs. |
| D．They got help from the school and the federal government. |
Financial aid administrators believe that _______.
| A．more families will face the same problem as the Jacobses |
| B．the government will receive more letters of complaint |
| C．college tuition fees will double soon |
| D．America’s unemployment will fall |
What can we learn about the middle class families from the text?
| A．They blamed the government for the tuition increase. |
| B．Their income remained steady in the last decade. |
| C．They will try their best to send kids to college. |
| D．Their debts will be paid off within 25 years. |
According to the last paragraph, the government will .
| A．provide most students will scholarships |
| B．dismiss some financial aid administrators |
| C．stop the companies from making student loans |
| D．go on providing financial support for college students |
Imagination and fantasy can play an important role in achieving the things we fear. Children know this very well. Fred Epstein ,in his book If I Make It to Five, tells a story he heard from one of friends about Tom, a four-year-old boy with a cancer in his back bone. He came through several operations and a lot of pain by mastering his imagination.
Tom loved to pretend, and he particularly loved to play superheroes ,Dr. Epstein explained that it was actually a brilliant way for his young mind to handle the terrifying and painful life he led.
The day before his third trip to the operating room, Tom was terribly afraid. ”Maybe I could go as Superman ,”he whispered to his mom. Hearing this, the mother hesitated for a while. She had avoided buying the expensive costume（戏装），finally she agreed.
The next day Tom appeared as the powerful Superman, showing off through the hospital halls and coolly waving his hand to the people greeting him along the way. And Tom, with the strength of his fantasy, successfully made it through the operation.
The power of imagination need not be reserved for children only. We all have the power to use our fantasies to attempt things we never thought possible, to go through those things that seem impossible, and to achieve what we never believed we could. Just as Dr. Epstein puts it ,”If you can dream it, you can do it”
It doesn‘t mean that you should dress as a superhero for your next job interview. But, next time you are texted in a way that seems impossible, imagine what it would take to overcome it .Become the person you need to become to win over your challenge and do it in your mind first. So, let your imagination run wild, and dare to dream.
What do we know about Tom?
| A．He was seriously ill |
| B．He was a dishonest boy. |
| C．He was crazy about magic |
| D．He was Dr.Epstein’s patient |
What can be inferred about Tom’s mother?
| A．She was a rich lady |
| B．She refused Tom’s request |
| C．She wanted Tom to be a superhero |
| D．She wanted to get Tom through the pain |
When Tom went for the third operation,he .
| A．pretended to be painful |
| B．acted like a superhero |
| C．appeared in poor spirits |
| D．argued with his mother |
In the last paragraph, you are advised______ .
| A．to go through some difficult tests |
| B．to wake up from your wild dreams |
| C．to become a powerful person in your mind |
| D．to wear expensive clothes for job interviews |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To tell us an interesting story. |
| B．To help us make right decisions. |
| C．To advise us to care about children. |
| D．To encourage us to use our imagination. |
“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine, newspaper, radio and television ads, promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs, slim the face, smooth wrinkles, or in some other way to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoter. The re they produce are questionable, and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public, it is necessary? Understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug, FDA（Food Drug Administration）can require proof （证明）under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that safe and effective before it is put on the market . But if the product is a device, FDA. has no author to require premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the marker danger to health, FDA. can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the a voluntarily, or it can take legal action ,including seizure （查封） of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor, had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the ## through contact pads. FDA. took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the ## the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Olwionsly, most of the devices on the maker never been the subject of court proceedings （法律诉讼）,and new devices appear continually, Before buying, it is up to the consumer to the safety or effectiveness of such items.It can be inferred that ads mentioned in the text are ______.
| A．objective | B．costly |
| C．unreliable | D．illegal |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. The court is in charge of removing dangerous product.
B. New products are more likely to be questionable.
C. The production of a device must be approved by FDA.
D. The promoters usually just care about profits.FDA. can ask for the proof of safety and effectiveness of a product ________.
A. if it is a drug
B. if it is a device
C. if its consumers make complaints
D. if its distributors challenge FDA’s authorityThe Relaxacisor is mentioned as_______.
| A．a product which was designed to produce electricity |
| B．a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case |
| C．a successful advertisement of a beauty product |
| D．an example of a quality beauty product |
The author intends to __________
A. make consumers aware of the promoters’ false promises
B. show the weakness of the law on product safety
C. give advice on how to keep young and beautiful
D. introduce the organization of FDA.
Mom was right! If you say thank you, for even the smallest gift or slightest show of kindness, you’ll feel happy.
Gratitude, says Robert A. Emmons, a professor of psychology at the University of California, is an important element of happiness. In his recent book, Thanks!, Emmons uses the first major study on gratitude to prove mom’s point.
As one of the leading scholars of the positive psychology movement, he admits gratitude may be difficult to express. He advises you to begin by admitting that life is good and full of events and elements that make daily existence a wonder. Second, recognize that the source of life’s goodness is more than just you. That source may be your mom, a friend, partner, child, colleague at work or play.
Gratitude is always other-directed, notes Emmons. You can be pleased or angry with yourself and feel guilty about doing something wrong, but you can never be grateful to or for yourself.
Expressing gratitude shouldn’t be a reaction; it should be a state of mind. To feel grateful when life is a breeze and you have more than you need is easy. To feel grateful in time of crisis—anger, hatred and bitterness—is easier. Also, too many people are aware of life’s blessings only after these are lost.
It’s crisis and chaos—danger, disease, disability and death—that bring many individuals to realize just how dependent they are on others. Yet it’s the way each of us begins life and ends it. It’s too bad that so many people waste those decades in between laboring under the illusion(幻觉) they are self-sufficient, says Emmons.
The abundance of voices expressing gratitude from his studies of individuals with chronic health problems is many. But Emmons goes beyond his “groundbreaking” science to make his case for gratitude by including the inspirational writings of philosophers, novelists and saints, as well as the beliefs of various religious and their respective scripture(经文). Taken together, these observations are summed up quite nicely by famous humanist Albert Schweitzer, who said the secret of life is “giving thanks for everything”.
To enable and embrace gratitude, Emmons encourages the readers of Thanks! to keep a gratitude diary. He even provides easy-to-follow directions on how to practise and develop gratitude.
I’m not a reader or advocate of self-help books, but I am thankful for the reference I found in a newspaper article to the research Emmons was conducting on gratitude involving organ donors and recipients. The chance discovery led me to this book.
Mom implied that kindness seems to find its way back to the giver because life really is all about giving, receiving and repaying. So I’ll pay attention to her professional advice and say: Thank you, professor Emmons.What is the text mainly discussed?
| A．There are many ways of being thankful. |
| B．Gratitude is important to happiness. |
| C．Mom is great for her being thankful. |
| D．Being thankful will keep you fit. |
The author mentions Robert A. Emmons’ book Thanks! in order to prove that __________.
A. Professor Emmons supports mom’s study on psychology.
B. mom is as great a psychologist as Professor Emmons.
C. Professor Emmons is a famous psychologist.
D. mom is right about her viewpoint on gratitude.It will be easier for you to feel grateful when___________.
| A．you live a comfortable life |
| B．you receive gifts on your birthday |
| C．you get help during your hard times |
| D．you are congratulated on your success |
What is the opinion of Professor Emmons?
| A．It is enough to thank others orally |
| B．Whether you are thankful is always up to you |
| C．Remember to be thankful anytime and anywhere |
| D．It is easier to be thankful for yourself than for others. |
In the writer’s opinion, Emmon’s book Thanks! on gratitude is________.
| A．one-side | B．reasonable |
| C．puzzling | D．helpful |
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