This is my world now; it’s all I have left. You see, I’m old. And, I’m not as healthy as I used to be. I’m not necessarily happy with it, but I accept it. Occasionally, a member of my family will stop in to see me. He or she will bring me some flowers or a little present, maybe a set of slippers—I’ve got eight pairs. And then they will return to the outside world and I’ll be alone again. Oh, there are other people here in the nursing home. Residents, we’re called. The majority are about my age. I’m 84. Many are in wheelchairs. The lucky ones are passing through—a broken hip, a diseased heart, something has brought them here for rehabilitation(康复). When they’re well they’ll be going home.
The help here is basically pretty good, although there’s a large turnover of staff. Just when I get comfortable with someone he or she moves on to another job. I understand that. This is not the best job to have. I don’t much like some of the physical things that happen to us. I don’t care much for a diaper(尿布). I seem to have lost the control acquired so diligently as a child. The difference is that I’m aware and embarrassed, but I can’t do anything about it. I’ve had three children, and I know it isn’t pleasant to clean another’s diaper. My husband used to wear a gas mask when he changed the kids. I wish I had one now.
Why do you think the staff insists on talking baby talk when speaking to me? I understand English. I have a degree in music and am a certified teacher. Now I hear a lot of words that end in “y”. There is little need for anyone to position their face directly in front of mine and raise their voice with those “y” words. Sometimes it takes longer for a meaning to sink in; sometimes my mind wanders when I am bored. But there’s no need to shout.
I’d love to go out for a meal or travel again. I’d love to go to my own church, sing with my own choir. I’d love to visit my friends. Most of them are gone now or else they are in different “homes” of their children’s choosing. I’d love to play a good game of bridge, but no one here seems to concentrate very well. My children put me here for my own good. They said they would be able to visit me frequently. But they have their own lives to lead. That sounds normal. I don’t want to be a burden. They know that. But I would like to see them more. One of them is here in town. He visits as much as he can.
Something else I’ve learned to accept is loss of privacy. Quite often I’ll close my door when my roommate—imagine having a roommate at my age—is in the TV room. I do appreciate some time to myself and believe that I have earned at least that courtesy(礼貌). As I sit thinking or writing, one of the aides invariably opens the door unannounced and walks in as if I’m not there. Sometimes she even opens my drawers and begins searching around. Am I invisible? Have I lost my right to respect and dignity? I am still a human being. I would like to be treated as one.
Back to my semiprivate room for a little semi-privacy or a nap(午睡). I do need my beauty rest; company may come today. What is today, again? The afternoon drags into early evening. This used to be my favorite time of the day. Things would wind down. I would kick off my shoes. Put my feet up on the coffee table. Pop open a bottle of Chablis and enjoy the fruits of my day’s labor with my husband. He’s gone. So is my health. This is my world.Which of the following statements can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The staff at the nursing home mistreated the elderly people. |
| B．Nursing home workers sometimes stole items from her drawers. |
| C．Her children did not often visit because they felt guilty for having put her in the nursing home. |
| D．The staff used baby talk with her because they assumed her mind had aged as her body had. |
The author concluded her essay with a tone of ________.
| A．dignity | B．sadness | C．disappointment | D．confusion |
How will the author’s son most probably feel after he reads this essay?
| A．Sympathetic. | B．Regretful. | C．Angry. | D．Relieved. |
The best title for the passage would be ________.
| A．The Disadvantages of Growing Old |
| B．If Only I could be getting better |
| C．The Elderly: A Forgotten Generation |
| D．The Place That Changed My Life |
B
Almost 200 countries met for two weeks in Copenhagen, Denmark at a United Nations conference on climate change. It was due to conclude a deal designed to set a carbon cutting framework to cover 2012-2050. In the end, only five of them reached an agreement: the United States, China, India, Brazil and South Africa.
President Obama praised the agreement last Friday. He said, “Many people are disappointed in the agreement, but the compromise is better than nothing.”
The voluntary agreement, known as the Copenhagen Accord, urges major polluters to make deeper cuts in the emission(排放) of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gas emissions, such as carbon dioxide, are partly created by burning oil and coal for transportation and electricity.
The agreement sets targets to prevent the Earth’s average temperature from rising more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. And the plan calls for 100 billion dollars a year in aid to poor nations to deal with climate change. This would start in 2020.
But the agreement is not legally binding(约束). It fails to set detailed targets for cuts in carbon emissions. And it failed to earn the support of all the nations at the talks.
India’s environment minister praised the united position taken by India, China, Brazil and South Africa. He said it permitted them to avoid the legally binding targets and international supervision proposed by developed countries.
India has promised to cut emissions by at least twenty percent but they say rich nations created the problem, so they should take most of the responsibility for reducing greenhouse gases.
China rejected accusations that it was responsible for the results at Copenhagen. A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said developed countries didn’t perform well at the talks. She said China has taken its own measures to fight climate change and supports pressing ahead with international cooperation.
China and other large developing countries have accused rich nations of failing to offer big enough cuts in their own emissions. They also say wealthy nations did not offer enough money and technology to help poor countries deal with climate change.
In Europe, politicians and environmentalists expressed deep disappointment that world leaders failed to reach a stronger agreement. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the Copenhagen Accord is only a beginning, and that he will work with world leaders to reach a legally binding treaty(条约) in the coming months.
46. What’s the main purpose of the Copenhagen conference?
A. To sign the Copenhagen Accord.
B. To reach a legally binding agreement on cutting carbon emissions.
C. To discuss measures of controlling the world climate change.
D. To prevent the Earth’s average temperature from rising.
47. Which is true about the agreement, the Copenhagen Accord?
A. It will collect $ 100 billion to help poor countries to deal with climate change.
B. It has earned the support of all the nations at the conference.
C. It has set detailed targets for big enough cuts in carbon emissions.
D. It is far from a satisfactory agreement, which should be legally binding.
48. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. the Copenhagen conference has achieved most of its designed goals
B. a stronger agreement with legal effect will soon be reached
C. big differences still remain between developing and developed countries.
D. developed countries won’t make cuts in the emission of greenhouse gases
49. Which of the following is NOT China’s attitude towards the issue of climate change?
A. China should be responsible for the result of the world climate change.
B. Rich countries should offer more money to help poor ones deal with climate change.
C. China supports pressing ahead with international cooperation to fight climate change.
D. Major polluters should make deeper cuts in the emission of greenhouse gases.
50. By saying “the Copenhagen Accord is only a beginning”, Ban Ki-moon implies that ______.
A. there is still a long way to go
B. there is little hope to realize the goal
C. too little is achieved at this conference
D. he is disappointed with the world leaders
Ⅲ 阅读（共两节。满分40分）
阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Cold weather has a great effect on how our minds and our bodies work. Maybe that is why there are so many expressions that use the word cold. For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, for example, are said to be cold-blooded. Cold-blooded people act in merciless ways. They may do brutal things to others, and not by accident. For example, a newspaper says the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. The killer murdered someone, not in self-defense. He seemed to kill for no reason, and with no emotion, as if taking someone’s life meant nothing. Cold can affect other parts of the body. The feet, for example. Heavy socks can warm your feet, if your feet are really cold. But there is an expression -- to get cold feet -- that has nothing to do with cold or your feet.
The expression means being afraid to do something you had decided to do. For example, you agree to be president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned. All the work of the organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation.
Cold can also affect your shoulder. You give someone the cold shoulder when you refuse to speak to them. You treat them in a distant, cold way. The expression probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face-to-face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you. Or, to someone who has lied about you to others.
A cold fish is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and shows no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone.
Out in the cold is an expression often heard. It means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise, that he was left out in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be.
41. The passage is intended to tell us that______.
A. cold weather has a great effect on human bodies
B. many English expressions contain the word cold
C. cold is a word closely linked with human emotions
D. the word cold has many different meanings in English
42. The underlined word brutal in paragraph 1 most probably means _______.
A. impolite B. illegal C. cruel D. extreme
43. Which of the following expressions can best describe a person who is unwilling to offer anything to others?
A. Cold-blooded. B. To get cold feet.
C. A cold shoulder. D. A cold fish.
44. You can say Tom ______ if the teacher gives all the boys except him a pen as a prize.
A. is given the cold shoulder
B. is left out in the cold
C. has got cold feet
D. is murdered by a cold-blooded killer
45. We can draw a conclusion from the passage that ______.
A. all the expressions containing the word cold have a negative meaning
B. all the expressions containing the word cold have something to do with cold
C. People who show no human emotions or feelings have cold blood
D. Many parts of the human body can be badly affected by cold.
第二节语法填空（共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分）
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填人一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31～40的相应位置上。
I met Kumkum at a children’s home in Delhi. It is a home 31 children who are sick are provided treatment and care before 32 (send) to some other orphanage. Kumkum was 7 years old, and a very brave soul. Despite suffering from tuberculosis(肺结核), I never saw 33 crying. She had lost her parents and was struggling herself through this terrible disease.
Upon meeting, we took an instant liking 34 each other. Every Saturday I would visit Kumkum and play with her. She would love to sit on my lap. It was one such moment that the child felt like 35 (kiss) me... and I suddenly remembered that she was suffering from tuberculosis which is a communicable(传染性的）disease. I tried to stop her 36 she really wanted to show her affection for me, so I overcame my fear and let her place the 37 gentle and sweet kiss on my cheek that I ever had.
Although I overcame my fear at that moment, I 38 (not forgive) myself ever since for refusing her 39 (initial). Although the child kissed me, I think she sensed my hesitation 40 she has never kissed me again. I will never forget that the most beautiful thing in this world is a child’s kiss... so full of love and innocence.
C
As Joe and Michael were heading towards the Drivers License place, Michael, who was behind the wheel, froze as he heard the voice on the radio saying that a man had been murdered by a bullet that had came from the sky. He immediately drove off and went to a secret place. Later on that day, after thinking that the shot they had fired possibly wasn’t the shot that killed Mr Ward, they headed back to the Drivers License place where Michael failed the driver’s test because he could not think straight. For the next two months, Michael and Joe hid the secret that the bullet had actually shot Mr Ward.
During this time, Jenna Ward started to realize life without her father. While Jenna mourned the death of her father, a strange boy started to appear at the front steps of the church across the street from her house. After many nights of watching this boy, she finally recognized that it was Michael who was sitting on the steps every night.
After months of finding out where the shot came, the police were able to narrow the search area down to within a four-block area. Among these four blocks were Michael’s house and Joe’s house. When the police arrived at Michael’s house, his dad mentioned the gun that Michael had received from his grandpa at his birthday party. Michael, trying to be sly, told the cops that Joe had borrowed the gun. Upon this, Joe said that the gun had been stolen out of his car along with his CD player. After the police were gone, Michael met Joe at a special spot and told Joe the gun was under the wood pile in his backyard.
One day, when Michael thought the police would not come back, he came home to find the police searching his backyard with metal detectors. When the Sergeant(警官) went into the woods behind the house, he came out with a bullet that Joe and he had shot off on his birthday. The bullet matched the one that they had recovered from Mr. Ward, but without the gun, the police could not place Michael as the killer.
With the pressure mounting, Michael finally broke down and realized he had to give up. On a Saturday morning, he went to Jenna’s house to confess to her and her mother and then turned himself in.
51. It can be inferred from the story that Michael and Joe _____.
A. shot and killed Mr Ward by accident
B. shot and killed Mr Ward deliberately
C. fired a bullet that killed Ward from the sky
D. were experienced professional murders
52. Michael and Joe drove to the Drivers License place ______.
A. to find out whether Mr Ward was dead
B. to find a secret place to hide themselves
C. to take the driver’s licence test
D. to have their car wheel repaired
53. Why did Michael sit on the steps of the church every night?
A. He was monitoring Jenna’s whereabouts (行踪)
B. He was probably feeling upset and guilty.
C. He wanted to make sure that Ward was dead.
D. He wanted to show sympathy for the Ward’s.
54. From the passage we can learn that _____.
A. Michael lent the gun to Joe at his birthday party
B. the gun together with a CD player was stolen from Joe’s car
C. Michael hid the gun under the wood pile in his backyard
D. the Sergeant discovered the bullet in the wood pile
55. The underlined phrase “turned himself in” in the last paragraph means _____.
A. returned home B. went into the room
C. fled into the woods D. delivered himself to the police
B
Yes. It’s really happening. This is the last weekend that Washington D.C.’s beloved giant panda, Tai Shan (aka Butterstick), has resided at the National Zoo. Born in Washtington D.C. four and a half years ago, Tai Shan is leaving for China on February 4 to become part of a breeding(培育) program that will help support panda populations in the wild. We’ve known it was coming: He’s the property of China and his departure was part of an agreement made long before he stole our hearts. And while acknowledging that he will be helping the breed (there are only about 1,600 giant pandas left in the wild), we can’t help but be sad to see him go. He’s been an international concern from the moment he was born on July 9, 2005, thanks in part to the popularity of the PandaCam, which cameraed his every roly-poly(不倒翁似的) move.
The National Zoo is hosting a huge send-off celebration this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to say goodbye to Tai Shan, gathering their team of vets, nutritionists, reproduction specialists, and other scientists to share their knowledge about pandas. The Chinese Embassy will present dance and music presentations, kids will be able to write cards for Tai Shan, and in the most brilliant display we’ve seen in a while, Land O’Lakes will host a photo gallery of favorite images of Tai Shan from the past few years. “When Tai Shan was born,” the Zoo explains in its press release, “...he was about the size of a stick of butter. This earned him the affectionate nickname ‘Butterstick.’” .
Happily, Tai Shan will be departing in style. According to the Washington Post, FedEx has offered to donate the transportation and he’ll be leaving in a 777 FedEx aircraft next week that’s fitted with his own logo on the side. There’ll be “only eight people on board, including a doctor, as well as a panda member of the opposite sex...and more than 50 pounds of his favorite food available on demand,” says the Post. Not a bad way to travel 8,642 miles, even if it is in a crate(板条箱).
So goodbye, Butterstick, safe travels, and may you lead a long and fruitful life in China!
46. We can infer from the passage that the author most probably is ________.
A. an American B. a Chinese C. a foreign tourist D. a young writer
47. Why must the National Zoo send Tai Shan to China on February 4?
A. Because he’s the property of China.
B. Because his mother was stolen from China.
C. Because it’s the first part of a breeding program.
D. Because it’s bound and required by the agreement.
48. By saying “long before he stole our hearts” (in paragraph 1), the author means “long before______”.
A. he made us heartbroken B. he made us lose heart
C. we fell in love with him D. we felt disappointed with him
49. The send-off celebration will include the following activities except ______.
A. sharing knowledge about pandas B. dance and music presentations
C. a photo gallery of images of Tai Shan D. collecting nicknames for Tai Shan
50. Which of the following statements is True?
A. The number of pandas in the world is now sharply decreasing.
B. FedEx will fly Tai Shan to China in a Boeing 777 aircraft for free.
C. Washington Post is a branch company of FedEx’s in the US.
D. Tai Shan is to be accompanied on board only by eight people.
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