Alice’s mother died when Alice was five years old. Alice, who grew up to be my mother, told me that after her mother’s death her family was too poor to even afford to give her a doll.
In December 2012, I had a job at a local bank. One afternoon, we were decorating the tree in the bank lobby(大厅). One of my customers approached me with her beautiful handmade dolls. I decided to get one for my daughter, Katie, who was almost five years old. Then I had an idea. I asked my customer if she could make me a special doll for my mother—one with gray hair and spectacles(眼镜): a grandmother doll. And she gladly agreed.
A friend had told me that his dad who played Santa Claus would be willing to make a visit on Christmas morning to our home to deliver my Katie her presents, so I made some special arrangements.
Christmas Day arrived and at the planned time; so did Santa Claus. Katie was surprised that Santa had come to see her at her own house. As Santa turned to leave, he looked once more into his bag and found one more gift. As he asked who Alice was, my mother, surprised at her name being called, indicated that she in fact was Alice. Santa handed her the gift, with a message card that read:
For Alice:
I was cleaning out my sleigh(雪橇) before my trip this year and came across this package that was supposed to be delivered on December 25,1953. The present inside has aged, but I felt that you might still wish to have it. Many apologies for the lateness of the gift.
Love,
Santa Claus
My mother’s reaction was one of the most deeply emotional scenes I have ever seen. She couldn’t speak but only held the doll she had waited fifty-nine years to receive as tears of joy ran down her cheeks. That doll, given by “Santa”, made my mother the happiest “child” that Christmas.The reason why the writer’s mother couldn’t have a doll when young was that_________.
| A．Santa Clause forgot to deliver the doll to her |
| B．her daughter couldn’t make a doll by herself |
| C．her parents left the doll in the Santa Clause’s sleigh |
| D．her family was badly off when she was a child |
It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
| A．the writer’s father played the Father Christmas |
| B．the writer’s mother was already in her sixties when she received the doll |
| C．the writer asked one of her friends to make the doll for her mother |
| D．the Santa Clause was too careless to deliver the doll on time |
When the writer’s mother received the doll that she had waited so long, she was __________.
| A．pleased and inspired | B．puzzled and angry |
| C．happy and excited | D．curious and grateful |
The best title for this passage could be __________.
| A．A Doll from Santa | B．An unforgettable Christmas |
| C．A considerate daughter | D．A help from Santa Claus |
D
A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders. Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience (服从), while children complained (抱怨) that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric (结构) of our society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation (职业). In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap b
etween the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities.
No
doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature (特点) of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes.
69. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ____________.
A. the generation gap suddenly appeared
B. the generation gap is a feature of modern social life
C. people can reduce the generation gap
D. many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap
70. The word “around” in Paragraph 1 means ____________.
A. on all sides B. near C. in every direction D. in existence
71. In American society, young people often ____________.
A. depend on their parents to make a life
B. stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education
C. seek the best advice from their parents
D. have very little in common with their parents
72. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Parents should be strict with their children.
B. The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom.
C. The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation.
D. The generation gap does not exist in American society.
C
Kerry and Alice were both artists in Britain. They taught drawing and painting at Cambridge University. Although they were friends, each thought oneself to be the better painter.
One day, Kerry promised marriage to Alice. Surprised and pleased by the offer, the girl was not sure whether she would spend her future as a wife or a painter. After a moment she replied as follows, "Each of us must paint a picture. If yours is superior to mine, you can make me your wife. If not, please drop the question." Then it was
decided to give it the following day.
The next morning. Alice hung her picture on the gate. It showed a bunch of flowers and won high praise from everyone who passed by. In fact, a crowd collected in front of her masterpiece and fixed eyes on it.
Several hours passed. Then Kerry was seen coming along to the gate with what appeared to be a beautiful leather suitcase in his hand. When he finally stopped before Alice, the girl artist brushed like a rose and agreed to marry him without any hesitation. Why?
64．What did Alice think Kerry's offer?
A. She liked Kerry, but she didn't expect him to promise marriage to her.
B. She didn't want to marry anybody.
C. She didn't like it at all.
D. She thought the offer wasn't polite.
65．In the sentence "If yours is superior to mine, you can make me your wife"。 "superior to" here means ____.
A. not so better than B. better than C. so good as D. as good as
66． Which of the following is true?
A. Kerry didn't accept Alice's suggestion.
B. Kerry wasn't sure of his painting so he dropped his offer.
C. Kerry did go the next day, but he failed to take a picture
D. Kerry agreed to Alice's suggestion.
67．Alice's picture won high praise because ____.
A. it was true to nature B. the flowers were red
C. it showed so large a bunch of flowers D. people felt it strange to hang it on the gate
68．The "leather suitcase" was in fact ____.
A. a real one B. a painting drawn by Kerry
C. a box with a picture i
n it D. made up of leather
B
David, a French priest(牧师)of thirty-six, was sent to China by the church in 1872.He did well in the natural and social science besides his religious activities(宗教活动)。He was also very interested in the rare wild animals and plants in China.
On May 4th, 1879, after searching half a month in the western part of Baoxing, Sichuan the hunters hired(雇用)by David succeeded in bringing him a "black-and-white bear". "The bear is extremely lovely", he wrote in his diary excitedly. Meanwhile, he felt it might be a new species (物种)never discovered by scientists.
He then decided to send it to Paris for a further study. Unfortunately the poor "black-and white" bear died of Jolts(颠簸)of the mountain roads and the climatic (气候)change. He had to send its pelt (皮毛)to the National Museum in Paris for display (展览)。In fact, the so-called "black-and white" bear was neither a bear nor a cat. After a complete study, Milla Edwards, head of the museum, judged that it was a new species. He gave the "giant panda".
The discovery made the world excited and Baoxing was also made famous for "home of the giant panda"
60．From the passage we can see that David mainly came to China to ____.
A. learn Chinese science and history B. look for a panda for church
C. do something on religion(宗教) D. study the wild animals and plants in China
61．The word "rare" in this passage means ____.
A. very hard to
find B. worth no money C. easy to find D. running very fast
62．The first giant panda was caught ____.
A. by David, a French priest B. quite by accident
C. with a lot of difficulty D. after the hunters followed it for half a month
63. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A. The giant panda died when it was on display.
B. David had never seen a giant panda before.
C. Milla was sure the animal was neither a bear nor a cat.
D. The discovery made the world excited with interest
三：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
Most dog owners feel that their dogs are their best friends. Almost everyone likes dogs because they try hard to please their owners. One of my favorite stories is about a dog who wanted his owner to please him.
One of my friends has a large German shepherd ( 牧羊狗) named Jack. Every Sunday afternoon, my friend takes Jack for a walk in the park. Jack likes these long walks very much.
One Sunday afternoon, a young man came to visit my friend. He stayed a long time, and he talked and talked. Soon it was time for my friend to take Jack for his walk, but the visitor didn’t leave. Jack became very worried about his walk in the park. He walked around the room several times and then sat down directly in front of the visitor and looked at him. But the visitor paid no attention. He continued talking. Finally, Jack couldn’t stand it any longer. He went out of the room and came back a few minutes later. He sat down again in front of the visitor, but this time he held the man’s hat in his mouth.
German shepherds aren’t the only intelligent dogs. Another intelligent dog is a Seeing Eye dog. This is a special dog which helps blind people walk along the streets and do many other things. We call these dogs Seeing Eye dogs because they are the “eye” of the blind people and they help them to “see”. Seeing Eye dogs generally go to special schools for several years to learn to help blind people.
56. The writer tells the story about the dog Jack to show that _____________.
A. like many other dogs, it always tried to please its owner master
B. unlike many other dogs, it always wanted its master to please it
C. it was more intelligent than many other dogs
D. it was the most faithful dog of his friend’s
57. Jack came to sit in front of the visitor in order to __________.
A. 
please him B. be pleased
C. ask him to leave immediately D. invite him for a walk
58. The sentence “Finally, Jack couldn’t stand it any longer.” means_________.
A. Jack could no longer put up with the visitor
B. Jack could no longer stand but he might sit down
C. Jack was very tired and wanted a rest
D. Jack was very angry with the visitor
59. Which of the following titles would be the best for the passage?
A. Dogs--- A Great Help to People B. Dogs--- Our Faithful Companions
C. An Introduction to Dogs D. Famous Dogs in Germany
E
We might be surprised at the progress made in every field of study, but the methods of testing a person’s knowledge and ability remain as primitive as ever they were. It really is extraordinary that after all these years, educationists have still failed to design anything more efficient and reliable than examinations. For the claim that examinations test what you know, it is common knowledge that they more often do the exact opposite. They may be a good means of testing memory, or the knack(窍门) of working rapidly under extreme pressure, but they can tell you nothing about a person’s true ability and attitude.
As anxiety-makers, examinations are second to none. That is because so much depends on them. They are the marks of success or failure in our society. Your whole future may be decided in one fateful day. It doesn’t matter that you weren’t feeling very well, or that your mother died. Little things like that don’t count: the exam goes on. No one can give his best when he is in mortal terror, or after a sleepless night, yet this is precisely what the examination system expects him to do. The moment a child begins school, he enters a world of various competitions where success and failure are clearly defined and measured. Can we wonder at the increasing number of ‘drop-outs’: young people who are written off as failures before they have even started a career? Can we be surprised at the suicide rate among students?
A good education should, among other things, train you to think for yourself. The examination system does anything but that. What has to be learnt is rigidly laid down by a syllabus(教学大纲), so the student is encouraged to memorize. Examinations do not motivate a student to read widely, but to restrict his reading; they do not enable him to seek more and more knowledge, but induce cramming. They lower the standards of teaching, for they deprive(剥夺) the teacher of all freedoms. Teachers themselves are often judged by examination results and instead of teaching their subjects, they are reduced to training their students in exam techniques. The most successful candidates are not always the best educated; they are the best trained in the technique of working under pressure.
The results on which so much depends are often nothing more than a subjective assessment by some anonymous examiner. Examiners are only human. They get tired and hungry; they make mistakes. Yet they have to mark piles of hastily scrawled (潦草的)
scripts in a limited amount of time. They work under the same sort of pressure as the candidates. And their word carries weight. After a judge’s decision you have the right of appeal, but not after an examiner’s. There must surely be many simpler and more effective ways of assessing a person’s true abilities.
56.The main idea of this passage is _______.
A. examinations produce a harmful influence on education
B. examinations are ineffective
C. examinations are important to students’ development
D. examinations are a burden on students
57.The author’s attitude toward examinations is _______.
A. supportive B. neutral C. critical D. indifferent
58.The fate of students is decided by _______.
A. education B. examiners C. examinations D. students themselves
59.According to the author, the most important of a good education is _______.
A. to encourage students to read widely B. to train students to think on their own
C. to teach students how to deal with exams D. to master his fate
60.What does the author mean by saying “After a judge’s decision you have the right of appeal, but not after an examiner’s”(Para 4, Line 6) ?
A. Judges are not important.
B. The examiner has the final say concerning the result of the examination.
C. Prisoners are more powerful than students.
D. The court decisions are often inaccurate.
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