第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2题，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。
Who says Americans worship the almighty dollar? It’s not true．Having enough free time is more important to most Americans than being rich, according to a new poll．
Only 13 percent of more than 2,400 people questioned in the telephone poll ranked being wealthy as most important to them, while 67 percent ranked free time as their top priority, higher than having a successful career, getting married, and having children．"Everyone wants free time to do the things they want to do, young, middle-aged or old," said Richard Morin, of the Pew Social & Demographic Trends Project, which conducted the survey．"So our desire to play unites us．"
The poll also showed that people who were university educated valued career success over wealth, as middle-aged people did．Not surprisingly, those who didn't have money, ranked wealth very highly．This included minorities, first generation Americans and less educated people．The survey also revealed that a disproportionate （不成比例的） number of people under the age of 30 and retirees in the group made $ 20,000 or less a year．But the emphasis on wealth lessens with age, with younger people putting value on it but hardly any seniors．"It just diminishes with time as the reality sets in that you would never be rich," Morin said．"But also, the reality sets in that you don't have to be rich to lead a very comfortable and fulfilling life．"
While wealth was not at the top of people' s list of priorities, 43 percent still said it was somewhat important．
56．The poll showed that the majority of American people ranked ____ as the most important．
A．wealth B．a successful career
C．marriage D．free time
57．Who cares least for wealth, according to the passage?
A．Young people． B．Middle-aged people．
C．Old people． D．Well-educated people．
58．The underlined word "diminishes" in the third paragraph probably means "____"．
A．to increase B．to decrease C．to change D．to stay
Have you ever dreamed about sending a letter to yourself or your friends in the future ? While express mail representing efficiency and speed is prevalent（盛行的）in China , there is another type of mail appearing as a new business : “ Future Mail ” . “ Future Mail ” service can make people slow down and let them understand the meaning of “ time ” in another way . And “ Future Mail ” letters are “ reminders of affection , friendship and love ”.
Lin Xiaofan , a senior high school student in Hefei , wrote a letter to her mother in advance to express her love to her mother for next Mother’s Day . Feng Xiao , a youth who feels pressure despite of some achievements in her career decided to write a letter to herself on her 25th birthday and have it delivered five years later on her 30th birthday through a “ Future Mail ” . She expressed her thoughts about her present life and her expectations for the future to encourage herself to face up to the challenges of her life with courage .
While “ Future Mail ” is gaining popularity , some people are concerned about what happens if the postal address of the receiver changes or if the company goes broken before letters are delivered . Actually , customers required to complete an acceptance form and make an assessment so they can be compensated if their letters or goods are lost or damaged .
Most of the business’s customers are college students and young white-collar workers . Psychologists said young Chinese might be given a vent（发泄）to their negative feelings through the service . Most people put their hopes and wishes in the letters so they can experience the connection between “ past ” and “ present ” while they receive the letters . It can help people reunderstand the meaning of “ time ” .The underlined word in Para . 3 probably means .
| A．paid | B．changed | C．bought | D．repaired |
Which of the following is NOT true ?
| A．People can express their thoughts and feelings to themselves or others through a “ Future Mail ” . |
| B．The “ Future Mail ” business is not perfect . |
| C．Only young people accept the new “ Future Mail ” service . |
| D．“ Future Mail ”service can let people reunderstand the meaning of “ time ” . |
You can read this article in newspaper’s part .
| A．sports . | B．science |
| C．leisure(闲暇) | D．policy |
Which is NOT the purpose of Feng Xiao’s letter ?
| A．To encourage herself to face up to the challenges . |
| B．To express her thoughts about her present life . |
| C．To express her expectations for the future . |
| D．To remind herself of something she must do . |
The best title of this article should be .
| A．The Different Kinds of Letter |
| B．“ Future Mail ” Business Taking off in China |
| C．The Advantage of “ Future Mail ” |
| D．The Letter in Future |
There are 115 distinct（独特的）species of pine trees with 35 native to North America. Pines are defined as evergreens with long, needle-like leaves and are only native to the northern hemisphere. Pine trees are an adaptable and tough species that can survive in many conditions where other plants cannot. The average pine is 45 to 60 feet tall, but some are nearly twice as high.
Western White Pine
The western white pine grows the tallest of any pine tree, reaching up to 110 feet in height. They have blue-green needles arranged in bundles（束）of five and produce a long cone（球果）.
Bristlecone Pine
The bristlecone pine grows slowly, reading about 20 feet tall. It is one of the oldest species of pine.
Mexican Pine
The Mexican pine can grow to 50 feet tall, with long, slender needles that drape（下垂）off it like a weeping willow（柳树）. Often nicknamed the “willow pine”, it is native to Mexico. Its leaves can droop up to 12 inches long.
Sugar Pine
The sugar pine is another of the large pine species, such as the bull pine, but it also has the largest cones of any pine species, at 10 to 20 inches long. It grows from Oregon to California and is often used for construction.
Jack Pine
The jack pine is one of the smallest species of pine with rare leaves. Compared with the pines mentioned above, it doesn’t seem to belong to the family. It is considered a member of the scrub-pine family; it prefers sandy soil.From the first paragraph, we know that pines _______.
| A．are native to North America |
| B．are very adaptable |
| C．can grow to 60 feet tall at most |
| D．usually grow in tough conditions |
Which of the following pines is often used as a building material?
| A．The Mexican pine. | B．The bristlecone pine. |
| C．The sugar pine. | D．The jack pine. |
The Mexican pine ______.
| A．is the oldest species of pine. |
| B．produces a long cone |
| C．has willow-like needles |
| D．prefers sandy soil |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．the Mexican pine has the longest leaves |
| B．the Jack pine doesn’t seem to belong to the same family as the other pine trees |
| C．the bull pine is a kind of little pine tree |
| D．all the pine trees mentioned have a great number of leaves |
This text is most probably taken from ______.
| A．a celebrity（名人）magazine | B．a nature magazine |
| C．a fashion magazine | D．a history magazine |
Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere.
Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics ，and activities of the American people.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, ail the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
Serious music for the concert halls is called classical music. Music for instruments is called orchestra music，such as the symphonies of Beethoven. There is opera for singers. There is ballet (芭蕾舞剧)for dancers like the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai in China. What can we know about music and people in America?
| A．Student drivers carry small radios with earphones when they drive on the street. |
| B．Students listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. |
| C．Adult drivers only listen to news except music when they drive to work. |
| D．Adult drivers never listen to music when they drive to work. |
How many kinds of music are mentioned in the passage?
| A．5. |
| B．6. |
| C．7. |
| D．8. |
Country music __________.
| A．is a kind of music that is important in America |
| B．is a kind of folk music |
| C．is only sung by cowboys |
| D．is serious music for the concert halls |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．All people in America like popular music. |
| B．Pop singers can get all the money from the tapes. |
| C．Now, western or country music is a little different from its beginning. |
| D．Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is a kind of pop music. |
Have you ever wondered what kind of music the kids across the Pacific Ocean are listening to? Are they crazy about Britney Spears? Do they love the Backstreet Boys? Or do they dance to Eminem?
Well, nearly 6,000 teens have taken part in a Teens & Music study, conducted by USA Weekend Magazine last autumn. And the results show what type of music is hot and what is not. It comes as no surprise that hip-hop and rap are the most popular types of music among American teenagers. They began in the mid-1970s, with young black kids in New York, taking music onto the streets. Hip-hop and rap are well-known for the break-dancing (霹雳舞)that goes with them.
The word “rap”comes from a 1960s slang(俚语)word for conversation. It is a rapid, slangy rhyme that is spoken rather than sung.
Eminem is among the most popular rappers ever to hit the US. His first album “ The Marshall Mathers LP” topped the American music charts in May 2000. Although about a third of teens in the US showed their support for him，almost as many said that his music was so boring that they couldn't listen to it.
Compared with Eminem，actor rapper Will Smith is more of a star for the kids. He was awarded the Wannabe Award, on April 12 at Nickelodeon's 16th Annual Kids' Choice Awards. It is an award given to a celebrity whom kids most want to be.
Pop music，such as Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, has always suited the tastes of the general public. It continues to enjoy support among teens and is the second most popular after rap.
The third is rock—music with excited dance beats and simple lyrics that speak loudly of social problems. The melodies are led by electric guitars. Rock became popular in the US in the early 1950s. American singer Elvis Presley and British group the Beatles became world-famous rock artists.
The study also showed that jazz is least loved by American teens. It developed in the latter part of the 19th century from a mixture of African work songs and hymns. Jazz tends to be the type of music that people enjoy more as they get old. Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．What Is Hip-hop and Rap? |
| B．American Teenagers Like Hip-hop and Rap |
| C．The Sounds of the World |
| D．Hip-hop and Rap and Pop Music |
__________ is the right order which are popular among the teens in the US according to the passage.
| A．Jazz, pop music, hip-hop and rap and rock |
| B．Hip-hop and rap, pop music, rock and jazz |
| C．Hip-hop and rap, rock, pop music and jazz |
| D．Rock, jazz, pop music and hip-hop and rap |
Which statement is NOT right according to the passage?
| A．In rap music, the singer or "rapper" will speak or "rap" the words along with the beat. |
| B．Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys mainly perform pop music. |
| C．Rock music often expresses true feelings about society. |
| D．Eminem is the most popular rapper among the teens. |
Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. These violins sound better than any others. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin-makers and scientists try to make instruments like the Italian violins. But they aren't the same. Musicians still prefer the old ones.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But not all old violins sound wonderful. Only the old violins from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood must be from certain kinds of trees.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians. Maybe they understood more than we do about how to cut the wood.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old ones. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish. Varnish is what covers the wood of the violin. It makes the wood look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. But no one knows what the Italian violinmakers used in their varnish. The passage is about __________.
| A．making violins |
| B．musical instruments |
| C．scientific ideas |
| D．the old Italian violins |
Some scientists believe that the secret of the old violins maybe __________.
| A．their sound |
| B．their color |
| C．their varnish |
| D．the music |
Which statement is WRONG?
| A．Violins made today have the same size and shape as the old ones. |
| B．Some people think the Italian violin-makers knew something special. |
| C．Some people think that modern violins will sound better in the future. |
| D．All the old violins sound nice. |
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