阅读理解
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
“Have you ever been out on a boat and felt it lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the rush of energy as waves came over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh. “There is certainly a lot of energy in waves,” he said. Scientists are working to use that energy to make electricity. Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean. “The wind starts out by making little ripples(涟漪), but if they keep on blowing, those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves,” Taylor said. “Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey.” When waves come toward the shore, people can set up dams to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (涡轮机). The turbine can then power an electrical generator to produce electricity.
“The resource is huge,” said Janet Swain of the World Watch Institute. “We will never run out of wave power.” Besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil or coal. Oceans cover three quarters of the Earth’s surface—that would make wave power seem ideal for creating energy throughout the world, though there are some weak points yet to overcome.
Swain said that wave power still costs too much money. She also said that its effects on sea animals are still unknown. What is more, wave power could affect fishing and boat traffic. Traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may someday run out. “Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is rising rapidly throughout the world,” Swain said. In the future when you turn on a light, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!
The writer uses the two questions at the beginning of the passage to .
| A．test the readers’ knowledge about waves |
| B．draw the readers’ attention to the topic |
| C．show Jamie Taylor’s importance |
| D．invite the readers to answer them |
The underlined phrase “picking up” is closest in meaning to .
| A．starting again | B．speeding up |
| C．improving | D．gathering |
We can make better use of wave energy if we .
| A．shorten its journey to thousands of homes |
| B．build more small power stations on the oceans |
| C．reduce the cost of turning it into electric power |
| D．quicken the steps of producing electricity |
It can be inferred that someday we might not worry about .
| A．our power supply |
| B．our boat traffic |
| C．air pollution |
| D．our supply of sea fish |
Do American children still learn handwriting in school? In the age of the keyboard, some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out. 90% of teachers say they are required to teach handwriting. But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it. One study published this year found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting. Some teachers are teaching handwriting by providing instruction for 10 to 15 minutes a day, and then other teachers who basically teach it for 60 to 70 minutes a day — which really for handwriting is pretty much.
Many adults remember learning that way — by copying letters over and over again. Today’ s thinking is that short periods of practice are better. Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself. Instead, they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. After all, that is why we write.
Handwriting involves two skills. One is legibility, which means forming the letters so they can be read. The other is fluency — writing without having to think about it. Fluency continues to develop up until high school.
But not everyone masters these skills. Teachers commonly report that about one fourth of their kids have poor handwriting. Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs.
But Steve Graham at Vanderbilt says word processing is rarely done in elementary school, especially in the early years. American children traditionally first learn to print, and then to write in cursive, which connects the letters. But guess what we learned from a spokeswoman for the College Board, which administers the SAT college admission test. More than 75 percent of students choose to print their essay on the test rather than write in cursive.From Paragraph 1 we can learn ________.
| A．teaching handwriting is a basic requirement in teaching job |
| B．most teachers prefer to teach handwriting |
| C．teachers spend little time in teaching handwriting |
| D．a keyboard has taken the place of the handwriting entirely |
The underlined word “legibility” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
| A．being easy to read | B．being complex |
| C．being unexpected | D．being unreadable |
The best title for the passage is ________.
| A．How to improve handwriting in school |
| B．Right or wrong: the death of handwriting |
| C．Handwriting involves two skills |
| D．Handwriting lessons are on the way out |
The author’ s attitude towards whether still to learn handwriting in school is________.
| A．negative | B．objective |
| C．critical | D．optimistic |
When Peng Liyuan stepped off the plane in Moscow, the whole world wanted to know who dressed the elegant first lady. The reporter released the secret—Ma Ke.
Peng Liyuan has been wearing Ma Ke’s designs for more than a decade, a fact that was only highlighted recently when she was on her first state visit accompanying her husband President Xi Jinping. The elegant and attractive Peng, formerly a popular singer, has been compared with the US’ first lady Michelle Obama and France’s Carla BruniSarkozy, since stepping off the airplane in Moscow on March 22. Suddenly, everyone was curious to know more about the first lady’s wardrobe.
Even so, Ma prefers a lowkey approach. “If you eat a tasty egg why would you want to see the hen？” she says of all the media attention.
Ma’s relationship with Peng began 10 years ago after a concert in Guangzhou when a reporter told Peng she knew the designer behind the label Exception de Mixmind. Peng asked for an introduction because she was a fan of Ma’s designs and had been wearing them for years.
The two naturally became friends. Ma says: “The painting reflects the painter, and clothes reflect both the designer and the wearer. Someone desires fame and wealth, or love and sympathy; what you have in your heart is reflected in the design. Those who don’t share my philosophy won’t buy my clothes. Peng is a caring person, devoted to charity and environmental protection, which is exactly what I’m doing now.”
However, regardless of the brand, Peng’s support of Chinese labels has surprised millions of Chinese who favor foreign fashion brands.
“Instead she presented a vision of Chinese fashion, desiring to bring Chinese designers to the world stage, ” says a western designer.
The first lady’s doublebreasted coat and her black leather handbag aren’t available at any of Exception’s shops, though Exception’s physical stores do have seen a rising number of visitors.The passage mainly discusses________.
| A．the designer of the first lady Peng Liyuan’s dress, Ma Ke |
| B．the friendship between Peng Liyuan and her designer |
| C．Peng Liyuan’s clothes on her first state visit |
| D．the reactions to Peng Liyuan’s first visit to Moscow |
In the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 Ma Ke mentioned “an egg and the hen” to show________.
| A．it is hard to explain “Which came first，the egg or the hen？” |
| B．paying such great attention to her was unnecessary |
| C．the outcome was more important than the process |
| D．her dissatisfaction with the media attention on her dress |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．First ladies compete with each other whenever they are together. |
| B．Peng’s suits can be bought in Ma Ke’s clothes stores. |
| C．Ma Ke offered to design the first lady’s clothes through her friends. |
| D．Peng had liked Ma’s designs long before she got to know her in the flesh. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Peng wears the dress designed by a Chinese designer probably to support Chinese brands. |
| B．Many citizens found Peng Liyuan’s choice quite unexpected. |
| C．Black leather handbags like Peng’s are widely sold in bag stores in big cities. |
| D．After Peng Liyuan’s visit to Moscow Ma Ke’s clothes became more popular. |
“Do you like doing things for people?” I asked a friend.
“Yes, most of the time,” she replied.
“Most of the time?”
“Well, I love to do things that are unexpected. I like to do little things most people wouldn't think about doing,” she said.
“But why did you say most of the time?”
“Well, sometimes after doing those little things people take advantage of you. I mean, they expect you to do it again. They ask you to do it. That’s when I don’t like it.”
It was odd that I had this conversation. This just happened to me. I love to do little things. I will pay for a meal card for the people in the office every time we have a meeting there. Not a big thing. It’s a little thing. $5.30 will pay for almost five lunches. Hey, big spender!
I also bought a bag of animal crackers for a friend at work. She was having a tough day and not very happy at all. I drove down to the Wal-Mart and picked up a huge bag for under $2.00. Her smile was worth it.
But one week she said, “Bob, we ran out of crackers. We love them so much.” I didn't want to do it. I smiled and she persisted. I finally admitted, “It’s different when I do it because I want to, but now you are trying to make me go to get them. It’s not the same.” But I bought it for her.
Unfortunately, a big fire in my family took away all the possessions we had. I didn’t know what to do and how to do it. What happened to me then surprised me most. I once had my bike repaired, but the repairman said “no charge” on hearing my sufferings. A stranger called James Kennedy read some pieces I’d written about our sufferings for Slate, the online magazine, and wanted to give us a new house across the lake from New Orleans. I refused but I felt moved. Another poet at the University of Florida also wanted to let his house to me free of charge while he was on holiday. My mates gave us more money for us to rebuild my home. When you do something kind for others, do you always get rewarded? Yes, but not in the way you might expect.What’s the main purpose of the first paragraph?
| A．To tell the background of the story. |
| B．To attract the attention of the readers. |
| C．To get the readers to know main idea directly. |
| D．To explain the reasons why he wrote the passage. |
What do we know about James Kennedy?
| A．He was a writer of an online magazine. |
| B．He was also a poet at the University of Florida. |
| C．He offered the author a new house free of charge. |
| D．He learned about the author’s sufferings online. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Misfortune of blessing on happiness. |
| B．Never too late to learn. |
| C．Helping others means helping yourself. |
| D．Many hands make the work lighter. |
As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from her classroom, she crashed with a tall boy from the fifth grade running in the opposite direction．
“Watch it, Squirt,” the boy yelled, as he dodged around the little third grader. Then, with an unfriendly smile on his face, the boy took hold of his right leg and mimicked the way Amy limped（跛行）when she walked．
Amy closed her eyes for a moment. ―Ignore him, she told herself as she headed for her classroom．
But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about the tall boy’s mean teasing． It wasn’t as if he were the only one． Amy was tired of it． Sometimes, even in a classroom full of other students, the teasing about her speech or her limping made her feel all alone．
Back home at the dinner table that evening Amy was quiet． That’s why Patti Hagdorn was happy to havesome exciting news to share with her daughter．
“There’s a Christmas Wish Contest on the radio station,” she announced. “Write a letter to Santa and you might win a prize. I think someone at this table with blond curly hair should enter.”
Amy giggled. The contest sounded like fun. She started thinking about what she wanted most for Christmas．
A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to her. Out came pencil and paper and Amy went to work on her letter. ―Dear Santa Claus, she began．
While Amy worked away at her best printing, the rest of the family tried to guess what she might ask from Santa. Amy’s sister, Jamie, and Amy’s mom both thought a 3-foot Barbie Doll would top Amy’s wish list. Amy’s dad guessed a picture book. But Amy wasn’t ready to reveal her secret Christmas wish just then. Here is Amy’s letter to Santa, just as she wrote it that night:
Dear Santa Clause,
My name is Amy． I am 9 years old． I have a problem at school． Can you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and run and talk． I have cerebral palsy（大脑性瘫痪）． I just want one day where no one laughs at me or makes fun of me．
Love,
Amy
At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for the Christmas Wish Contest． The workers had fun reading about all the different presents that boys and girls from across the city wanted for Christmas．
When Amy’s letter arrived at the radio station, manager Lee Tobin read it carefully． He knew cerebral palsy was a muscle disorder that might confuse the schoolmates of Amy who didn’t understand her disability． He thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne to hear about this special third grader and her unusual wish. Mr. Tobin called up the local newspaper．
The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the front page of the News Sentinel. The story spread quickly. All across the country, newspapers and radio and television station reported the story of the little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who asked for such a simple, yet remarkable Christmas gift – just one day without teasing．
Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house． Envelopes of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults all across the nation． They came filled with holiday greetings and words of encouragement．
During that unforgettable Christmas season, over two thousand people from all over the world sent Amy letters of friendship and support． Amy and her family read every single one． Some of the writers had disabilities; some had been teased as children． Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up． Others encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her head high． Each writer had a special message for Amy． Through the cards and letters from strangers, Amy glimpsed a world full of people who truly cared about each other． She realized that no amount or form of teasing could ever make her feel lonely again．
Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne Elementary School． Additionally, everyone at school got an added bonus． Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing can make others feel．
That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed December 21st as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city． The mayor explained that by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson．
“Everyone,” said the mayor, “wants and deserves to be treated with respect, dignity and warmth．” The underlined word ―mimicked（Paragraph 2）can probably be replaced with ___________．
| A．struck | B．copied | C．blocked | D．declined |
According to Paragraph 4, the message is conveyed that ___________．
| A．Amy was often made fun of at school and she disliked the fact |
| B．loneliness always accompanied Amy because of the tall boy |
| C．some other students teased Amy made her think of the mean boy |
| D．Amy hated being laughed at in the classroom full of other students |
Amy’s mother shared the news of a Christmas Wish Contest that day because she knew ___________．
| A．her daughter was teased by a fifth grader |
| B．Amy’s disease went much worse than before |
| C．the contest would change Amy’s life |
| D．things weren’t going well with Amy at school |
The postman suddenly became a regular because ___________．
| A．he wanted to comfort Amy regularly |
| B．a number of letters needed delivering there |
| C．he used to be teased alike at school |
| D．holidays greetings were asked to give to Amy |
Amy learned through strangers’ cards and letters that ___________．
| A．the world was filled with care and love |
| B．she would take teasing as a present in life |
| C．some people were being teased similarly |
| D．everyone should be treated with kindness |
The passage talks about ___________．
| A．Everyone can do something remarkable |
| B．A small act makes a difference |
| C．A girl who was brave to speak her wish up |
| D．The disabled deserve respect |
More than four decades ago British scientist Robert Edwards first witnessed the miracle of human life growing inside a test tube at his Cambridge lab． Since that ground-breaking moment, more than four million babies have been born through IVF and in 2010 his great contribution to science was finally recognized as he was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine．
The prize for Dr Edwards, who was given a Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Award in 2008, includes a ￡900,000 cheque． The Nobel Assembly described IVF as a "milestone in modern medicine"．
With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, the Manchester-born physiologist developed IVF — leading to the birth of the world's first test tube baby． Dr Steptoe died 10 years later but their work has transformed fertility treatment and given hope to millions of couples．
It was a scientific breakthrough that transformed the lives of millions of couples． They said: "His achievements have made it possible to treat infertility, a disease which makes human unable to have a baby． This condition has been afflicting a large percentage of mankind including more than 10% of all couples worldwide．"
Louise Brown, the world's first test tube baby, made international headlines when she was born in Oldham, Gtr Manchester, in 1978 to parents Lesley and John who had been fruitlessly trying for a baby since 1969．
Ivf-in-vitro fertilisation is the process whereby egg cells are fertilised outside the body before being implanted in the womb． After a cycle of IVF, the probability of a couple with infertility problems having a baby is one in five — the same as healthy couples who conceive naturally．
Professor Edwards, who has five daughters and 11 grandchildren, began his research at Cambridge University in 1963, after receiving his PhD in 1955．He once said: "The most important thing in life is having a child． Nothing is more special than a child．" With the help of fellow scientist Patrick Steptoe, Prof． Edwards founded the Bourn Hall clinic in Cambridge shire, which now treats more than 900 women a year． Each year, more than 30,000 women in Britain now undergo IVF and 11,000 babies are born as a result of the treatment．
But his work attracted widespread criticism from some scientists and the Catholic Church who said it was "unethical and immoral"．
Martin Johnson, professor of reproductive（生殖的） sciences at the University of Cambridge, said the award was "long overdue"． He said: “We couldn't understand why the Nobel has come so late but he is delighted — this is the cherry on the cake for him．”
Professor Edwards was too ill to give interviews but a statement released by his family said he was "thrilled and delighted"．What is Robert Edwards’ contribution to science?
| A．Challenging a disease which stops human having a baby． |
| B．Seeing the wonder of the first tube baby growing. |
| C．Enabling millions of couples to live a better life． |
| D．Helping couples with infertility to have tube babies． |
What does the underlined word “afflicting”（Paragraph 4）most probably refer to?
| A．Troubling. | B．Developing. |
| C．Improving. | D．Confusing. |
Why did Professor Edwards begin his research on tube baby?
| A．Because he thought it of great significance to have a child in life． |
| B．Because the birthrate around the world was unexpectedly low then． |
| C．Because a special child did make a difference to an ordinary family． |
| D．Because his fellow scientist wanted to give hope to the unlucky couples． |
It can be inferred from Paragraph 8 and Paragraph 9 that ___________．
| A．some people envied Professor Edwards for his being awarded |
| B．different opinions were voiced on Professor Edwards’ finding |
| C．Professor Edwards deserved the prize for his breakthrough |
| D．the prize was late because the finding was first considered immoral |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Life Stories of Robert Edwards |
| B．Preparations for Having a Baby |
| C．Nobel Prize for IVF Expert Edwards |
| D．Treatment of Infertility in a Lab |
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