Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, fundingcuts, and many other administrative chores and started to dream of retirement．Sitting in trafficon a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering．I would imagine spending time withmy grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books．Itold myself that I wouldn't sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anythingrequiring a schedule．
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me,leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends．On thesecond day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper …On the third day, ...This is retirement? Itried to tell myself that it was just the transition, that those golden moments were right roundthe corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough．But something was missing．
A former colleague asked a favor．A group of students was going to Jamaica to work withchildren in the poorest neighbourhood．Would I interrupt my newfound "happiness" and returnto the students, just this once? One trip．That's all．My bags were packed and by the door．
The trip was very inspiring．I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by thesense of responsibility of the young people on the trip．When I returned home, I offered to workone day a week with a local youth organization．The experience was so positive that I was soonvolunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them intheir voluntary work．
Now，it seems, the tables have turned ．Some days I am the teacher, other days I am thestudent．These young people have reawakened my commitment to social justice issues bychallenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poorand suffer because of greed, corruption and war．Most importantly, they have given me theopportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions．In return, I help them do theircharitable projects overseas．I've gone from running one school to helping oversee theconstruction of schools in twenty-one countries!What did the writer expect to do after he retired?
| A．To stay away from busy schedules． | B．To write some great books． |
| C．To do some voluntary work． | D．To plan for his future． |
Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?
| A．He missed his students in that country． |
| B．He couldn't reflise his colleague's favor． |
| C．He was concerned about the people there． |
| D．He was not satisfied with his retired life． |
The underlined part "the tables have turned" （Paragraph 5 ） means that thewriter ．
| A．improved the situation in his school | B．felt happy to work with students again |
| C．became a learner rather than a teacher | D．changed his attitude toward his retired life |
What does the writer think of his retired life now?
| A．Disappointing． | B．Troublesome． |
| C．Promising． | D．Meaningful． |
B
Language is always changing. In a society where life continues year after year with few changes, the language does not change, either. The earliest known languages had difficult grammar but a small, limited vocabulary. Over the century, the grammar changed, and the vocabulary grew. For example, the English and Spanish people who came to America during the sixteenth century gave names to all new plants and animals they found. In this way, hundreds of new words were introduced into English and Spanish vocabularies. Today life is changing very fast, and language is changing fast too.
There are several major language families in the world. Some scientists say there are nine main families, but other scientists divide them differently. The languages in each family are connected, and scientists think that they came from the same parent language About 3 percent of the people in the world speak languages that are not in these major families.
60. The early language had ______.
A. a lot of problems B. words and easy grammar
C. words but no grammar D. grammar but not many words
61. In the next few hundred years we can expect language to ______.
A. stay exactly the same B. change a great deal
C. change only a little D. add more words and drop some grammar
62. What this article shows is that ______.
A. languages change fast B. languages really don’t want to change
C. language changes with changes of society D. Spanish and English change
63. From this article we can see that ______.
A. language can change very slowly or very quickly
B. if we don’t change, then our language won’t change, either
C. we should give our plants new names
D. English and Spanish are the only languages that have changes
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，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项
A
No one is glad to hear that his body has to be cut open by a surgeon（外科医生） and part of it taken out． Today， however， we needn't worry about feeling pain during the operation． The sick person falls into a kind of sleep， and when he awakes， the operation is finished． But these happy conditions are fairly new． It is not many years since a man who had to have operation felt all its pain．
Long ago， operation had usually to be done while the sick man could feel everything． The sick man had to be held down on a table by force while the doctors did their best for him． He could feel all the pain if his leg or arm was being cut off， and his fearful cries filled the room and the hearts of those who watched．
Soon after 1770， Josept Priestley discovered a gas which is now called “laughing gas”．Laughing gas became known in America．Young men and women went to parties to try it． Most of them spent their time laughing，but one man at a party，Horace Wells，noticed that people didn't seem to feel pain when they were using this gas．He decided to make an experiment on himself．He asked a friend to help him．
Wells took some of the gas，and his friend pulled out one of Well’s teeth．Wells felt no pain at all．
As he didn't know enough about laughing gas， he gave a man less gas than he should have． The man cried out with pain when his tooth was being pulled out．
Wells tried again，but this time he gave too much of the gas，and the man died．Wells never forgot this terrible event．
56.It is ___________since a man being operated felt all the pain.
A.a few more years B.not long C.few years D.two thousand years
57. Long ago, when the sick man was operated on, he___________.
A.could feel nothing B.could not want anything
C.could feel all the pain D.could do anything
58.Using the laughing gas, the people did not seem to___________.
A.be afraid of anything B.feel pain C.want to go to the parties D.be ill
59.If a man took less laughing gas than he should have when an operation went on he___________.
A.felt nothing B.felt very comfortable C.still felt pain D.would die
E
BBC News (May 11, 2008) —Edinburgh Zoo plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland. Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have recently returned from China. They signed a letter of intent (意向书) there, making a promise to bring giant pandas to the Zoo.
It has been suggested that the pair of giant pandas should be on loan (暂借) to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) for 10 years. The pair of giant pandas would give birth to babies during that time. Edinburgh Zoo would be the eighth zoo in the Western world to care for the species if the project goes ahead.
Zoo chiefs said that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation. David Windmill, chief of RZSS, said, "Working with giant pandas means so much more to us than introducing a new species to our collection. It is an opportunity to work on a global level with other conservationists to gain a better understanding of the giant pandas, the threats they face, and what we can do to ensure their survival."
At present, there are only around 1,500 giant pandas in the wild. RZSS has been working on the project for almost a year, hoping to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by 2009, the year of the society’s centenary (一百周年纪念日). Mr. Windmill said that the project has received strong support from the UK and Scottish Governments. He also said that this must continue if the Zoo is to reach an agreement with the Chinese. As part of the agreement with the Chinese Government, Edinburgh Zoo will work together with Chinese scientists on research projects benefiting conservation in the wild.
RZSS will also provide money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild. Giant pandas live in mountainous regions in central China and almost mainly feed on bamboo, which makes up 99% of what they eat.
57. What do we know from the first two paragraphs?
A. China will give a pair of giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo.
B. Representatives from Edinburgh Zoo have been to China.
C. The Scottish Government has signed a letter of intent with China.
D. Edinburgh Zoo is the first Western zoo to have giant pandas.
58. According to the text, RZSS may be ___________.
A. a company that deals with international business
B. an organization that researches endangered animals
C. a government department in charge of Western issues
D. an activity having something to do with animals
59. We can know from the text that _____________.
A. David Windmill is Edinburgh Zoo’s chief
B. the number of giant pandas in the wild is still unknown
C. RZSS will celebrate its centenary in 2009
D. RZSS knows the threats the giant pandas face well
60. What’s the main idea of the text?
A. Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China.
B. Edinburgh Zoo does research into giant pandas.
C. Scotland supports giant panda conservation.
D. Giant pandas live happily in central China.
D
The United States is one of the richest countries in the world. Most people live in urban areas, and the large stretch of land left unused is full of scenic beauty. On the one hand it is proud of its urban areas, and on the other hand, it has the rich wealth of forests, mountains, plains and much more.
On the east coast of the country there are cities like New York, the leading city in business. Washington, D.C. is the capital of the country, where you will get an opportunity to see the White House. The city will simply impress you, with many museums showing the culture, lifestyle, art and architecture of the country. Another place worth visiting is Miami, one of the most popular international tourist destinations. It is also well known for its Latin culture, wonderful urban nightlife and beaches.
Moving to the west coast, you will come across the most amazing places in which to relax. Los Angeles is the place where you can see life in all its many forms; this city is world-famous for its Hollywood film industry. It also has beaches that can offer breathtaking surfing experiences.
Moving on to the Pacific Coast Highway, we get to see the beauty of San Francisco. Clean beaches and mountains topped (盖住) by clouds are worth seeing. Travelers can enjoy day trips to beaches, deserts and wine-producing regions. Chicago lies on the shore of the Great Lakes and is believed to be the fastest growing city in the world, with its high standard of living and rich lifestyles. The city is a center for many theaters and is world-famous for its strong tradition of music jazz and the blues.
53. According to the first paragraph, we know that ______.
A. most American people live in the countryside
B. a lot of land has not been used in the US
C. the US has the largest forest in the world
D. the US has a larger area of urban land than wild land
54. Which city in the US is famous for its Latin culture?
A. New York. B. San Francisco.
C. Los Angeles. D. Miami.
55. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The article refers to four cities on the east coast.
B. You can go to Los Angeles to experience surfing.
C. You cannot enjoy the blues in Chicago.
D. San Francisco is a center for many theaters.
56. What is the text mainly about?
A. One of the reasons why the US is rich.
B. The customs and culture of the US.
C. A brief introduction to some American cities.
D. The beautiful landscapes of the US.
C
I chose to study in Madrid because I had a desire to learn Spanish. My first impressions of Madrid were incredible. It was before the New Year that I arrived in Madrid for the first time. While traveling to my Spanish friend’s house in a taxi, I appreciated the buildings along the road which were different from those of my own country.
There are an incredible number of restaurants and bars from all over the world. If you are really into sightseeing, I hope you have rechargeable batteries for your digital camera, because one week really isn’t enough time to see everything here including a number of art, science, and historical museums as well as parks, buildings, and amazing landscapes.
What I liked best about life in Madrid was the fact that if you were frustrated with schoolwork and wanted to have some fun, you can easily go out. The nightlife never seems to stop and the people are all very friendly. You can meet people and practice Spanish while having fun at the same time.
What I liked least was the fact that many people smoked in the streets. Also, coming from the US, I was used to having a big breakfast every morning, but while living with an actual Spanish family, I wasn’t really satisfied with the food in the morning.
I think I have definitely become more independent since I came back from Spain. Living in a big city like Madrid I found that it is necessary to plan ahead and to make a schedule (时间表) for future. There is so much to see, not just in the Spanish World, but in the European World as well.
49. What’s the purpose of the text?
A. To attract people to tour around Madrid.
B. To show how to enjoy Spanish culture.
C. To give advice on how to study Spanish.
D. To describe the author’s life in Madrid.
50. The author went to Madrid to _________________.
A. visit his friend B. go on a sightseeing tour
C. study Spanish D. complete his trip around Europe
51. Why did the author suggest taking rechargeable batteries?
A. It’s difficult to deal with the used batteries.
B. It’s not convenient to recharge batteries.
C. There are few stores that sell ordinary batteries.
D. You will find lots of places worth taking pictures of.
52. Which of the following in Madrid didn’t please the author?
A. Parks and buildings. B. Restaurants and bars.
C. Nightlife. D. Breakfast.
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