I have happy memories of trips to Europe, but my trip to Romania (罗马尼亚) was unique. When I was there as recalled, it was like being in a “James Bond” movie. My husband was born there, but his family sent him to study in Italy. Before he left, his mother told him, “As long as I write in pencil, don’t come back. When I write to you in pen, it’s safe to return.” But she never wrote in pen.
My husband lived a poor life in Italy. He applied to go to America, but there was a limit in number and he was rejected. He was accepted by Canada, though, and from Calgary he jumped onto a train to San Francisco. There he stayed —illegally. He became a US citizen when we got married. By then he was a charming European with a Romanian accent and the manners of a prince.
With seven years’ experience in America, a US passport, and two children later, he felt it was safe to visit Romania. He hadn’t seen his mother, two sisters, and two brothers since he was sixteen. We flew to Munich, Germany; picked up the German-made car we had purchased in the States; and drove to Romania via Austria and Hungary. When we reached Bucharest, the capital city of Romania, his family was waiting outside his sister’s house to greet us. After a long time of hugging, kissing, and crying, his family also hugged me, the American wife with two young children. They had great interest in me. Few Americans visited Romania at that time, and most Romanians had little chance to travel. I had brought an English-Romanian dictionary with me and managed to communicate, using only nouns, with no verbs. My Romanian improved, and the family’s stock of English words increased, but mostly I spoke in broken, New York-accented Romanian. The sisters loved their gifts of skirts and purses, the brothers loved the radios, and the children loved the candy. We made side trips to the Black Sea and enjoyed sightseeing in beautiful mountains. Dining at outdoor cafes to the music of violins was fantastic with fancy flavor, but nothing was as special as family dinners.
Romania didn’t have many dry cleaners. Most homes had old-fashioned washing machines but no dryers, and it was a hot summer. My husband’s relatives didn’t want to risk dirtying their clothes. Their solution was as simple as it was shocking: the women only wore their bras(胸罩) and slips (衬裙) at dinner table. The men were eating without shirts. They all had jobs, so time was precious. Having dinner without proper clothes was a small inconvenience compared with the effort of washing clothes —at least in my husband’s home, perhaps all across Romania. I, of course, having just met them, ate fully clothed. I washed my clothes by hand and hung them outdoors to dry.
On the last night of our three-week stay, we had a large family dinner. I was tired of washing my clothes. So I pulled my dress over my head and placed it on the chair behind me. All men and women applauded for my action. Even with my poor Romanian, I understood that they were saying, “She’s part of our family now.”
My children were 4 and 5 at the time, but they still have memories of that trip. They know how to say, “Good morning.” and “There are apricots (杏子) on the tree.” I can still say, “Do you speak Romanian?” and “I swim in the Black Sea.” But most of all, I remember sitting at a long dining-room table in my bra, enjoying meatballs with fresh garlic (大蒜).From Para.1, we learn that ________.
| A．a trip to Europe would be dangerous |
| B．the mother didn’t want to see her son |
| C．Romania might be unsafe at that time |
| D．the mother didn’t like to write in pen |
The writer’s husband became an American citizen through ________.
| A．experiences | B．application |
| C．illegal stay | D．marriage |
What made the writer feel special about the family dinner in Romania?
| A．The way people dressed . |
| B．The way people spoke. |
| C．The fantastic violin music. |
| D．The fancy food flavor. |
The writer was completely accepted by her husband’s family when ________.
| A．she offered gifts to the whole family |
| B．she spoke her husband’s language |
| C．she washed all the clothes by hand |
| D．she had dinner in bra like other ladies |
The writer shared her story to say ________.
| A．“East or west, home is the best” |
| B．“When in Rome do as the Romans do” |
| C．“Marry a dog and follow the dog forever” |
| D．“The course of true love never runs smooth” |
Earlier this month, the United States Library of Congress named Katherine Paterson the national ambassador for young people’s literature.
She is only the second person to hold the position. S
he replaces writer Jon Scieszka,who had served since two thousand eight.
The librarian of Congress, James Billington, said Miz Paterson “represents the finest in literature for young people”. He spoke of the importance of reading in the lives of America’s young people.Miz Paterson has written more than thirty books. She is among only five writers to have won two Newbery Medals. These are among the most important children’s book awards in the United States.
“Bridge to Terabithia” won a Newbery Medal in nineteen seventy-seven. Her book “Jacob Have I
Loved” won the award in nineteen eighty-one.
Katherin
e Paterson’s books for children are often quite complex. “Bridge to Terabithia” includes
adult themes like depression and death. The book has caused debate because of its place on school
library bookshelves. Some parents think it is too adult for young children. Miz Paterson says the idea
for the book came from a real life experience. Her son’s best friend died in nineteen seventy-four
when she was struck by lightening.
Katherine Paterson is seventy-seven. She began writing as a young mother with three children. But
she says her interest in writing came as a surprise. As a child she had thought about becoming a
Christian religious worker in foreign countries like her parents were.
Katherine Paterson spoke to a gathering of children when she was named ambassador on January
fifth in Washington. She said: “Read for your life. Read for your life as a member of a family, as a part
of a community, as a citizen of
this country and a citizen of the world.
1. The Newbery medal is designed for ______.
A. writers with best books for grown-ups B. children with best books on adult themes
C. writers with best books for children D. children with best books on nature
2. Which of the following is NOT true about the book Bridge to Terabithia?
A. Its topics include depression and death. B. It won a Newbery Medal in the 1980s.
C. Some people think it’s for adults only. D. The idea for it came directly from real life.
3. As a child, Katherine_______.
A. had bad relations with her parents B. showed great interest in writing books
C. hoped to take part in religious activities D. began writing books with serious themes
4. The national ambassador for young people’s literature as a position started in_____.
A. 1977 B. 1981 C. 2008 D. 2009
第二部分阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A new study in West Africa shows how farm irrigation systems powered by the sun can produce more food and money for villagers. The study in Benin found that solar-powered pumps are effective in supplying water, especially during the long dry season.
Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the least food security. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than one billion of the world’s people faced hunger last year. Around two hundred sixty-five million of them live south of the Sahara Desert. Lack of rainfall is one of their main causes of food shortages.
Jennifer Burney from Stanford University in California led the study. The research team helped build three solar-powered irrigation systems in northern Benin.
The solar-powered irrigation systems produced an average of nearly two metric tons of vegetables per month.
They sold the surplus(过剩的) produce at local markets. The earnings greatly increased their ability to buy food during the dry season which can last six to nine months.
People in the two villages with the systems were able to eat three to five more serving of vegetables per day. But making the surplus available at markets also had a wider effect.
The study compared the villages with two others where women farmed with traditional methods like carrying water in buckets. The amount of vegetables eaten in those villages also increased, though not as much.
The researchers note that only four percent of the cropland in sub-Saharan Africa is irrigated. Using solar power to pump water has higher costs at first. But the study says it can be more economical in the long term than using fuels like gasoline, diesel or kerosene. And solar power is environmentally friendly.
1. People living in sub-Saharan Africa are short of food mainly because______.
A. it seldom rains there throughout the year B. there is little farmland in the area
C. people there lack experience in farming D. people know nothing about irrigation techniques
2. Which of the following is an advantage of Jennifer’s irrigation systems?
A. They are not affected by the weather.
B. They cost much less than traditional irrigation systems.
C. They have no bad effects on the environment.
D. They use less fuel than traditional irrigation systems.
3. We can learn from the last paragraph that______.
A. people in South Africa will soon be provided with enough food
B. the demand for fuels like gasoline will greatly decrease in Africa
C. people in sub-Saharan Africa don’t take agriculture seriously
D. it’s worthwhile to use the new irrigation systems on the while
4. People in the two villages owe all the following to Jennifer’s irrigation systems EXCEPT that ______.
A. they could buy more food during the dry season
B. they could eat more vegetables than usual every day
C. they could supply local markets with vegetables
D. they could provide people in other villages with food
LONDON---Life for Cathy Hagner and her three children is set to permanent fast-forward.
Their full school day and her job as a lawyer’s assistant are busy enough. But Hangner also has to take the two boys to soccer or hockey or basketball while dropping off her daughter at piano lessons or Girl Scout Club.
Often，the exhausted family doesn’t get home until 7 p. m. There is just time for a quick supper before homework
In today’s world， middle-class American and British parents treat their children as if they are competitors racing for some finishing line.
Parents take their children from activity to activity in order to make their future bright. It seems that raising a genius has become a more important goal than raising a happy and well-balanced child.
"Doctors across the country are reporting a growing number of children suffering from stomachaches and headaches due to exhaustion and stress, "says child expert William Doherty of the University of Minnesota.
Teachers are dealing with exhausted kids in the classroom. It’s a very serious problem.
Many children attend after-school clubs by necessity. But competitive pressures also create an explosion of activities. They include sports， language， music and math classes for children as young as four.
"There is a new parenting trend under way which says that you have to tap all your child’s potential at a young age; otherwise you will let him down，" says Terry Apter， a Cambridge-based child and adolescent psychiatrist（青少年精神病专家）.“It isn’t entirely new: there have always been pushy parents. But what was previously seen as strange behavior is now well accepted.”
1．From the second paragraph of this passage we can find that ________.
A．Hanger wastes much time helping her children’s lessons
B．Hanger doesn’t spend much time on her full time job
C．Hanger is interested in sports and music
D．Hanger busies herself by following a trend
2．British parents， as the writer described in this passage， ________.
A．treat their children as sports players
B．pay no attention to their children’s lessons
C．bring up their children in a simple way
D．give their children little time to develop freely
3．The writer’s opinion of after-school clubs is that _________.
A．activities in the country are too competitive
B．children should attend four clubs at a time
C．some clubs lead to competitive pressures
D．clubs should have more subjects for school children
4．The last paragraph tells us that in Britain______
A．parents used to take their children to every club.
B．parents used to be wise on how to raise children
C．parents have all benefited from children’s clubs.
D．parents have come to know the standard of education
It’s 2035. You have a job, a family and you’re about 40 years old. Welcome to your future life.
Getting ready for work, you pause in front of the mirror, “Turn red,” you say. Your shirt changes from sky blue to deep red. Tiny preprogrammed electronic are rearranged in your shirt to change its color. Looking into the mirror, you find it hard to believe that you are 40. You look much younger. With amazing advances in medicine, people in your generation may live to be 150 years old. You’re not even middle-aged.
As you go into the kitchen and prepare to pour your breakfast cereal into a bowl, you hear: “To lose weight, you shouldn’t eat that, ” from your shoes. They read the tiny electronic code on the cereal box find out the nutrition details. “Kitchen, what can I have for breakfast?” A list of possible foods appear on the counter as kitchen checks its food supplies.
“Ready for your trip to space. You ask your son and daughter. ” In 2005 only specially trained astronauts went into space－and very few of them. Today anyone can go to space for day trips or longer vacation. Your best friend even works in space. Handing your children three strawberries each, you add, “The doctor said you need these for space travel. ” Thanks to medical advices, vaccination（疫苗）shots are a thing of the past. Ordinary foods contain specific vaccines. With the berries in their mouths, the kids head for the front door.
It’s time for you to go to work. Your car checks your fingerprints and unlocks the doors. “My office. Autopilot,” you command. Your car drives itself down the road and moves smoothly into traffic on the highway. You sit back and unroll your e-newspaper. The latest news downloads and fills the viewer. Looking through the pages, you watch the news as video films rather than read it.
1．What changes the color of your shirt?
A．The mirror B．The shirt itself
C．The counter D．The medicine
2．How do the shoes know that you shouldn’t eat the breakfast cereal?
A．By pouring the breakfast into a bowl
B．By listening to the doctor’s advice
C．By testing the food supplies in the kitchen
D．By checking the nutrition details of the food
3．The strawberries the children eat serve as______.
A．breakfast B．lunch C．vaccines D．nutrition
4．How is the text organized?
A．In order of time B．In order of frequency
C．In order of preference D．In order of importance
People in the United States honour their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day’s, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days offer a chance to think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child-care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations A red one stands for a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services（宗教仪式）to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit their graves. On these days, families get together at home and in restaurants. They often have outdoor BBQs for Father’ Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephones companies and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
1．Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A．Parents bring up children.
B．Parents give love and care to children.
C．Parents educate children to be good persons.
D．Parents pass away before children grow up.
2．What do you know from the passage?
A．Mother’s Day and Father’ Day are both in May.
B．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.
C．Not all the children respect their parents.
D．Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.
3．Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
A．It only has two kinds of color.
B．It is a special kind of clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
C．It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.
D．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May.
4．What do you think “florists” do?
A．They sell flowers.
B．They made bread or pastry.
C．They offer enough room for having family parties.
D．They sell special clothes for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
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