1 . How is it that siblings (兄弟姐妹) can turn out so differently? One answer is that in fact each sibling grows up in a different family. The firstborn is, for a while, an only child, and therefore has a completely different experience of the parents than those born later. The next child is, for a while, the youngest, until the situation is changed by a new arrival. The mother and father themselves are changing and growing up too. One sibling might live in a stable and close family in the first few years; another might be raised in a family crisis, with a disappointed mother or an angry father.
Sibling competition was identified as an important shaping force as early as in 1918. But more recently, researchers have found many ways in which brothers and sisters are a lasting force in each others’ lives. Dr. Annette Henderson says firstborn children pick up vocabulary more quickly than their siblings. The reason for this might be that the later children aren’t getting the same one-on-one time with parents. But that doesn’t mean that the younger children have problems with language development. Later-borns don’t enjoy that much talking time with parents, but instead they harvest lessons from bigger brothers and sisters, learning entire phrases and getting an understanding of social concepts such as the difference between “I” and “me”.
A Cambridge University study of 140 children found that siblings created a rich world of play that helped them grow socially. Love-hate relationships were common among the children. Even those siblings who fought the most had just as much positive communication as the other sibling pairs.
One way children seek more attention from parents is by making themselves different from their siblings, particularly if they are close in age. Researchers have found that the first two children in a family are typically more different from each other than the second and third. Girls with brothers show their differences to a maximum degree by being more feminine than girls with sisters. A 2003 research paper studied adolescents from 185 families over two years, finding that those who changed to make themselves different from their siblings were successful in increasing the amount of warmth they gained from their parents.
1. The underlined part “in a different family” (in Para. 1) means “_______”.

A．in a different family environment

B．in a different family tradition

C．in different family crises

D．in different families

2. In terms of language development, later-borns ________.

A．get their parents’ individual guidance

B．learn a lot from their elder siblings

C．experience a lot of difficulties

D．pick up words more quickly

3. What was found about fights among siblings?

A．Siblings hated fighting and loved playing.

B．Siblings in some families fought frequently.

C．Sibling fights led to bad sibling relationships.

D．Siblings learned to get on together from fights.

4. The word “feminine” (in Para. 4) means “_______”.

A．having qualities of parents

B．having qualities of women

C．having defensive qualities

D．having extraordinary qualities

2 . When my brother and I were young, my mom would take us on Transportation Days.
It goes like this: You can’t take any means of transportation more than once. We would start from home, walking two blocks to the rail station. We’d take the train into the city center, then a bus, switching to the tram, then maybe a taxi. We always considered taking a horse carriage in the historic district, but we didn’t like the way the horses were treated, so we never did. At the end of the day, we took the subway to our closest station, where Mom’s friend was waiting to give us a ride home—our first car ride of the day.
The good thing about Transportation Days is not only that Mom taught us how to get around. She was born to be multimodal (多方式的). She understood that depending on cars only was a failure of imagination and, above all, a failure of confidence—the product of a childhood not spent exploring subway tunnels.
Once you learn the route map and step with certainty over the gap between the train and the platform, nothing is frightening anymore. New cities are just light-rail lines to be explored. And your personal car, if you have one, becomes just one more tool in the toolbox—and often an inadequate one, limiting both your mobility and your wallet.
On Transportation Days, we might stop for lunch on Chestnut Street or buy a new book or toy, but the transportation was the point. First, it was exciting enough to watch the world speed by from the train window. As I got older, my mom helped me unlock the mysteries that would otherwise have paralyzed my first attempts to do it myself: How do I know where to get off? How do I know how much it costs? How do I know when I need tickets, and where to get them? What track, what line, which direction, where’s the stop, and will I get wet when we go under the river?
I’m writing this right now on an airplane, a means we didn’t try on our Transportation Days and, we now know, the dirtiest and most polluting of them all. My flight routed me through Philadelphia. My multimodal mom met me for dinner in the airport. She took a train to meet me.
1. Which was forbidden by Mom on Transportation Days?

A．Having a car ride.

B．Taking the train twice.

C．Buying more than one toy.

D．Touring the historic district.

2. According to the writer, what was the greatest benefit of her Transportation Days?

A．Building confidence in herself.

B．Reducing her use of private cars.

C．Developing her sense of direction.

D．Giving her knowledge about vehicles.

3. The underlined word “paralyzed” (in Para. 5) is closest in meaning to “_______”.

A．displayed

B．justified

C．ignored

D．ruined

4. Which means of transportation does the writer probably disapprove of?

A．Airplane.

B．Subway.

C．Tram.

D．Car.

3 . Three Boys and a Dad

Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park.” he’d told his wife. “I’ll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”

Things started well, but just after eight o'clock, his three little “good kids”---Mike, Randy, and Alex --- came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” When food had not appeared on within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat(节拍) . Mike chanted “Where’s my toast, where’s my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.

Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their eyes. Someone named “Not me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.

By ten o'clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the fish bowl refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating kitchen wall with his color pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the sitting room, but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realized that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.

At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare center(日托所).“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife is away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.

1. When his wife left home, Brad expected___________.

A．go out for a walk in the park

B．watch TV talk show with his children

C．enjoy his first day off the work.

D．read the newspaper to his children

2. Which of the following did Randy do?

A．Drawing on the wall	B．Eating apple jam
C．Feeding the fish	D．Reading in a room

3. Why did Brad ask the daycare center for help?

A．Because he wanted to clean his house.

B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office

C．Because he found it hard to manage his boys

D．Because he had to take his wife back home.

4. The text is developed ____________.

A．by space	B．by comparison
C．by process	D．by time

4 . Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.

Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my _______ was more manageable, I _______ ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. _______ that was years ago and times have changed. _______ I live with my mother on a country farm.

Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to _______ my disability pension (残疾抚恤金). _______ I needed to sleep in afternoons, I was limited in my _______. I decided that I would consider _______ to singing in restaurants.

My family are all musicians, so I was _______ when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of ________ to get started. And ________ you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can ________ use.

When I told the owner of the shop about my ________, he gave me a long, thoughtful ________. “This means a lot to you, doesn’t it?” he said. “Come with me.”

He led me ________ the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand ________ on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your ________ and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started. ”

I ________. Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose ________ that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.

His ________ still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.

1.

A．loneliness

B．sadness

C．tiredness

D．sickness

2.

A．set

B．enjoyed

C．kept

D．shared

3.

A．Gladly

B．Eventually

C．Unfortunately

D．Surprisingly

4.

A．Now

B．Then

C．Sometime

D．Meanwhile

5.

A．add up to

B．make up for

C．get rid of

D．take advantage of

6.

A．If

B．As

C．Though

D．Before

7.

A．movement

B．condition

C．choices

D．positions

8.

A．reaching out

B．living up

C．getting on

D．going back

9.

A．recognized

B．interviewed

C．found

D．invited

10.

A．money

B．time

C．energy

D．knowledge

11.

A．thus

B．once

C．seldom

D．often

12.

A．actually

B．hardly

C．nearly

D．formerly

13.

A．job

B．family

C．idea

D．offer

14.

A．face

B．view

C．look

D．sight

15.

A．over

B．along

C．towards

D．through

16.

A．unhappily

B．lovingly

C．pitifully

D．gratefully

17.

A．pick

B．turn

C．role

D．step

18.

A．had to cry

B．ought to cry

C．should have cried

D．could have cried

19.

A．more

B．the ones

C．few

D．the rest

20.

A．courage

B．devotion

C．kindness

D．trust

5 . 请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One afternoon, my son Adam asked me, “Are all people the same even if they are different in color?”
I thought for a minute, and then I said, “I’ll explain, ____ you can just wait until we make a quick ____ at the grocery store. I have something ____ to show you. ”
At grocery store, we____ some apples --- red, green and yellow ones. Back home, I told Adam, “It’s time to ____ your question.” I put one apple of each ____on the table. Then I looked at Adam, who had a ____ look on his face.
“People are like apples. They come in all ____colors, shapes and sizes. On the ____, some of the apples may not ____ look as delicious as the others. ” As I was talking, Adam was ____ each one carefully.
Then, I took each of the apples and peeled（削皮）them, ____ them back on the table, but ____ a different place.
“Okay, Adam, tell me which is which.”
He said, “I ____ tell. They all look the same now. ” “Take a bite of ____ See if that helps you ____ which one is which. ”
He took ____, and then a huge smile came cross his face.”People are ____ like apples! They are all different, but once you ____ the outside, they’re pretty much the same on the inside. ”
He totally ____ it. I didn’t need to say or do anything else.1.

A．although

B．so

C．because

D．if

2.

A．stop

B．start

C．turn

D．stay

3.

A．expressive

B．encouraging

C．informative

D．interesting

4.

A．bought

B．counted

C．saw

D．collected

5.

A．check

B．mention

C．answer

D．improve

6.

A．size

B．type

C．shape

D．class

7.

A．worried

B．satisfied

C．proud

D．curious

8.

A．ordinary

B．normal

C．different

D．regular

9.

A．outside

B．whole

C．table

D．inside

10.

A．still

B．even

C．only

D．ever

11.

A．examining

B．measuring

C．drawing

D．packing

12.

A．keeping

B．placing

C．pulling

D．giving

13.

A．on

B．toward

C．for

D．in

14.

A．mustn’t

B．can’t

C．shouldn’t

D．needn’t

15.

A．each one

B．each other

C．the other

D．one another

16.

A．admit

B．consider

C．decide

D．believe

17.

A．big bites

B．deep breaths

C．a firm hold

D．close look

18.

A．just

B．always

C．merely

D．seldom

19.

A．put away

B．get down

C．hand out

D．take off

20.

A．made

B．took

C．got

D．did

6 . A Love Note to My Mom

When I was a little girl, I would often accompany you as you modeled for fashion photographers. It was years later that I finally understood what role modeling   _______ in your life. Little did I know you were _______every penny you earned to go to _______ school.

I cannot thank you enough for   _______   you told me one autumn afternoon when I was nine. After finishing my homework, I wandered into the dining room where you were buried   _______   piles of law books. I was   _______ . Why were you doing what I do—memorizing textbooks and studying for   _______ ? When you said you were in law school, I was more puzzled. I didn’t know Moms   _______ be lawyers too. You smiled and said, “In life, you can do anything you want to do.”

As young as I was, that statement kept _______ in my ears. I watched as you faced the __________ of completing your studies, starting companies with Dad, while still being a   __________   and a Mom of five kids. I was exhausted just watching you   __________. With your words of wisdom in my   __________ mind, I suddenly felt unlimited freedom to dream. My whole world   __________. I set out to live my life filled with   __________ seeing endless possibilities for personal and professional achievements.

Your words became my motto. I __________ found myself in the unique position of being either the first (woman doctor in Maryland Rotary) __________ one of the few women (chief medical reporters) in my field. I gained strength every time I said, “Yes, I’ll try that.”

Encouraged by your   __________ , I have forged ahead (毅然前行) with my life’s journey, less afraid to make mistakes, and   __________   meeting each challenge. You did it, and now I’m   __________   it. Sorry, got to run. So much to do, so many dreams to live.

1.

A．found

B．played

C．kept

D．provided

2.

A．saving

B．making

C．donating

D．receiving

3.

A．business

B．fashion

C．law

D．medical

4.

A．what

B．that

C．which

D．where

5.

A．at

B．to

C．upon

D．under

6.

A．amused

B．worried

C．puzzled

D．disappointed

7.

A．roles

B．tests

C．positions

D．shows

8.

A．must

B．ought to

C．need

D．could

9.

A．ringing

B．blowing

C．falling

D．beating

10.

A．choices

B．chances

C．challenges

D．changes

11.

A．professor

B．doctor

C．reporter

D．model

12.

A．in danger

B．in action

C．in trouble

D．in charge

13.

A．weak

B．powerful

C．youthful

D．empty

14.

A．came back

B．closed down

C．went by

D．opened up

15.

A．hope

B．hardship

C．harmony

D．sadness

16.

A．constantly

B．shortly

C．hardly

D．nearly

17.

A．and

B．but

C．or

D．for

18.

A．description

B．statement

C．praise

D．introduction

19.

A．secretly

B．curiously

C．carelessly

D．eagerly

20.

A．doing

B．considering

C．correcting

D．reading

7 . Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. “Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over,” says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. “They know what he's going through, so he doesn’t feel alone.”
Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas’s main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can’t afford a diabetic’s huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. “Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure,” says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar’s original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now."
1. Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?

A．He needs to go to the doctor every day.

B．He studies the leading cause of diabetes

C．He has a positive attitude to this disease.

D．He encourages diabetics by writing articles.

2. Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.

A．diabetics to communicate	B．volunteers to find jobs
C．children to amuse themselves	D．rock stars to share resources.

3. According to the text, Kody ______.

A．feel lonely because of his illness	B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com
C．helps create the online kid’s forums	D．writes children’s stories online

4. What can we learn about Fight It?

A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties.

B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year.

C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics.

D．It owns a well-known medical website.

5. The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.

A．works full-time in a diabetes charity	B．employs 22 people for his website
C．helps diabetics in his own way	D．ties to find a cure for diabetes

8 . This year I decided to do something to regain my good name as a kindly uncle. My_______Tony, had never forgiven me for the dictionary I had bought him as a birthday present last year. His _______ had no reason to be thankful to me either, because the year before, I had _______ their dear son with a pot of paste (浆糊) and some funny pictures. Instead of _______ them into a book, Tony had naturally covered every wall in the house with them. This year, _______, I decided to let him_______ for himself.

We went into a big shop, but Tony was very particular about _______ . Although I tried to show him toy after toy, he was not to be_______. Then I saw he suddenly became_______; he had discovered something he really liked: a large tin drum. I was quite happy too________ I thought what Tony’s mother would say when she saw it. Nobody would get any ________ for weeks! I led Tony away________, saying that the drum was too expensive.

Tony asked for permission to go off________ and I made the most of my chance to sit down and________ my aching feet. Fifteen minutes passed but there was still no sign of Tony. I began to get________ and got up to look for him. I asked a young lady if she had seen a little boy in a grey suit. She looked________ her helplessly and pointed out that there were so many________in grey suits. I was just going to call the police for help, when I saw a strange________ dressed in strange orange clothes. He was wearing a false beard and had a caveman’s axe (斧子) in one hand, and a space gun in the other. It was, of course, Tony, who informed me________ that he was the first________to fly into space.

1.

A．cousin

B．daughter

C．grandson

D．nephew

2.

A．friends

B．parents

C．classmates

D．brothers

3.

A．presented

B．annoyed

C．confused

D．occupied

4.

A．entering

B．dividing

C．sticking

D．drawing

5.

A．anyhow

B．though

C．again

D．therefore

6.

A．guess

B．choose

C．pay

D．see

7.

A．sweets

B．toys

C．clothes

D．books

8.

A．pleased

B．disturbed

C．accepted

D．disappointed

9.

A．surprised

B．hopeful

C．patient

D．excited

10.

A．after

B．until

C．unless

D．since

11.

A．shock

B．trouble

C．peace

D．time

12.

A．happily

B．eagerly

C．cautiously

D．quickly

13.

A．on his own

B．in his way

C．now and then

D．more or less

14.

A．drag

B．rest

C．lay

D．step

15.

A．ashamed

B．angry

C．worried

D．doubtful

16.

A．about

B．to

C．at

D．across

17.

A．young ladies

B．new customers

C．loving parents

D．small boys

18.

A．figure

B．actor

C．man

D．doll

19.

A．on time

B．at once

C．just now

D．once again

20.

A．policeman

B．spaceman

C．caveman

D．postman

9 . Open Letter to an Editor
I had an interesting conversation with a reporter recently --- one who works for you. In fact, he’s one of your best reporters. He wants to leave.
Your reporter gave me a copy of his resume(简历) and photocopies of six stories that he wrote for you. The headlines showed you played them proudly. With great enthusiasm, he talked about how he finds issues(问题), approaches them, and writes about them, which tells me he is one of your best. I’m sure you would hate to lose him. Surprisingly, your reporter is not unhappy. In fact, he told me he really likes his job. He has a great assignment (分工), and said you run a great paper. It would be easy for you to keep him, he said. He knows that the paper values him. He appreciates the responsibility you’ve given him, takes ownership of his profession, and enjoys his freedom.
So why is he looking for a way out?
He talked to me because he wants his editors to demand so much more of him. He wants to be pushed, challenged, coached to new heights.
The reporter believes that good stories spring from good questions, but his editors usually ask how long the story will be, when it will be in, where it can play, and what the budget is.
He longs for conversations with an editor who will help him turn his good ideas into great ones. He wants someone to get excited about what he’s doing and to help him turn his story idea upside down and inside out, exploring the best ways to report it. He wants to be more valuable for your paper. That’s what you want for him, too, isn’t it?
So your reporter has set me thinking.
Our best hope in keeping our best reporters, copy editors, photographers, artists --- everyone --- is to work harder to make sure they get the help they are demanding to reach their potential. If we can’t do it, they’ll find someone who can.
1. What does the writer think of the reporter?

A．Optimistic.

B．Imaginative.

C．Ambitious.

D．Proud.

2. What does the reporter want most from his editors in their talks?

A．Finding the news value of his stories.	B．Giving him financial support.
C．Helping him to find issues.	D．Improving his good ideas.

3. Who probably wrote the letter?

A．An editor.

B．An artist.

C．A reporter.

D．A reader.

4. The letter aims to remind editors that they should ______.

A．keep their best reporters at all costs

B．give more freedom to their reporters

C．be aware of their reporters’ professional development

D．appreciate their reporters’ working styles and attitudes

10 . 第三部分：阅读理解
第一节(共15小题；
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并
在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Goldie's Secret
She turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way, not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before. "We're moving house.'; "No space for her any more with the baby coming." "We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present." People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.
I called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given
her a more creative name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner's. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down. Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.
That's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn't hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could.
By the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking (舔) the four puppies (幼犬) I started to feel sympathy towards them. "We didn't know what had happened to her," said the woman at the door. "I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared." "She must have tried to come back to them and got lost," added a boy from behind her. '
I must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I've learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.
1. How did the author feel about Goldie when Goldie came to the house?

A．Shocked.

B．Sympathetic.

C．Annoyed.

D．Upset.

2. In her first few days at the author's house, Goldie____________.
AI felt worried

A．was angry	B．ate a little
C．sat by the fire

3. Goldie rushed off to a farmhouse one day because she            .

A．saw her puppies	B．heard familiar barkings
C．wanted to leave the author	D．found her way to her old home

4. The psage is organized in order of____________.

A．time

B．effectiveness

C．importance

D．complexity