4. Although originally a German innovation, kindergarten got its real start in the United States as a movement to provide an improved learning environment for children.
Tornadoes (龙卷风) and heavy thunderstorms moved across the Great Lakes and into Trumbull County on Saturday evening. The storms were dramatic and dangerous. George Snyder was driving the fire truck down Route 88 when he first noticed that a funnel (漏斗状的) cloud was behind him. "I stopped the truck and watched the funnel cloud. It was about 100 feet off the ground and I saw it go up and down for a while. It was moving toward Bradley Road and then suddenly it disappeared," Snyder said. Snyder only saw one of the funnel clouds that passed through northeastern Ohio on Saturday. In Trumbull County, a tornado turned trees onto their sides. Some trees fell onto houses and cars. Other trees fell into telephone and electrical wires as they went down. Amanda Psychic was having a party when the storm began. "I knew something was wrong," she said. "I saw the sky go green and pink (粉红色). Then it sounded like a train rushing toward the house. I started crying and told everyone to go to the basement for protection." The tornado caused a lot of damage to cars and houses in the area. It will take a long time and much money to repair everything. There was also serious water damage from the thunderstorms. The heavy rains and high wind caused the power to go out in many homes. The storms caused serious flooding in areas near the river. More than four inches of rain fell in parts of Trumbull County. The river was so high that the water ran into streets and houses. Many streets had to be closed to cars and trucks because of the high water. This made it difficult for fire trucks, police cars, and other rescue vehicles to help people who were in trouble. Many people who live near the river had to leave their homes for their own safety. Some people reported five feet of water in their homes. Local and state officials opened emergency shelters for the people who were evacuated (搬走). The Red Cross served meals to them. "This was a really intense storm," said Snyder, "People were afraid. Mother Nature can be fierce. We were lucky this time. No one was killed."
1. The weather was nice in Trumbull County on Saturday evening.
1. With thousands of soldiers and war veterans parading across Moscow's Red Square and fighter jets screaming overhead, Russia celebrated the 60th anniversary of defeating Nazi Germany. More than 50 world leaders, including China's President Hu Jintao, attended the ceremony. 2. Speaking at the start of the parade, Russia's President Vladimir Putin praised all those who fought for freedom and independence. "The war shows that resorting to force to solve problems will result in tragedy for the world, so a peaceful order should be safeguarded (护卫) based on security, justice and cultural exchange," Putin said. "Faced with the real threat of terrorism today, we must remain faithful to the memory of our fathers. It is our duty to defend a world order based on security and justice and on a new culture of relations among nations that will not allow a repeat of any war, neither 'cold' nor 'hot'," he continued. 3. The Second World War is perhaps the most catastrophic (灾难性的) event that mankind has ever suffered. The war affected 80 per cent of the world's people at that time, from 61 countries, and claimed 55 million lives. 4. After the celebration, President Hu said that peace, development and cooperation were the future. "China will unswervingly (坚定地), follow the road of peace and development and will make a joint effort with all nations to contribute to safeguarding world peace and promoting development," he said. 5. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder asked Russia for forgiveness for the suffering Germany inflicted (造成) during the Second World War in an article in Sunday's Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper. "Today we ask forgiveness for the suffering inflicted upon the Russian people and other peoples at the hands of Germans and in the name of Germans," Schroeder said. 6. President Hu and the other leaders also joined a wreath (花圈) laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers on Monday.
1. Paragraph 2 ______ A. Gloomy world B. Putin's commemorating speech C. China's determination D. Schroeder's plea for forgiveness E. World's worst disaster F. Pacific war
5. Russia celebrated ______. A. 61 countries B. a wreath laying ceremony C. the 60th anniversary of its victory over Nazi Germany D. the road of peace and development E. 55 million people of their lives F. an opening ceremony
C
[解析] 根据题干关键词Russia celebrated可定位至第一段。 根据第一段“Russia celebrated the 60th anniversary of defeating Nazi Germany”可知，俄罗斯庆祝战胜德国纳粹60周年。故选C。
6. World War Two deprived ______.
E
[解析] 根据题干信息可定位至第三段。 根据第三段最后一句“The war...claimed 55 million lives.”可知二战夺走了5.5亿人的生命。故选E。
7. China pledges herself to follow ______.
D
[解析] 根据题干信息可定位至第四段。 根据第四段“China will...follow the road of peace and development...”可知，中国将坚定不移地走和平和发展道路。故选D。
8. The world leaders finally attended ______.
B
[解析] 根据题干信息可定位至第六段。根据第六段“President Hu and the other leaders also jointed a wreath laying ceremony ...on Monday”可知各国领导人参加了奠基仪式。故选B。
第4部分：阅读理解 下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定1个最佳选项。
第一篇
Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as "Ecosystem Engineers"
Research by the University of Exeter has revealed that ants(蚂蚁) have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity "asecosystem engineers" and predators. The study, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, found that ants have two distinct effects on their local environment. Firstly, through moving of soil by nest building activity and by collecting food they affect the level of nutrients in the soil. This can indirectly impact the local populations of many animal groups, from decomposers to species much higher up the food chain. Secondly, they prey on a wide range of other animals, including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers. Dirk Sanders, an author of the study from the university's Centre for Ecology and Conservation, said: "Ants are very effective predators which thrive in huge numbers. They're also very territorial and very aggressive, defending their resources and territory against other predators. All of this means they have a strong influence on their surrounding area." "In this research, we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties of it. What we found is that despite being predators, their presence can also lead to an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups. They genuinely play a key role in the local enviromnent, having a big influence on the grassland food web." Sanders said. The study, carried out in Germany, studied the impact of the presence of different combinations and densities of black garden ants and common red ants, both species which can be found across Europe, including in the UK. It found that a low density of ants in an area increased the diversity and density of other animals in the local area, particularly the density of herbivores and decomposers. At higher densities ants had no or the opposite effect, showing that predation is counteracting the positive influence. Dr. Frank van Veen, another author on the study, said: "What we find is that the impact of ants on soil nutrient levels has a positive effect on animal groups at low levels, but as the number of ants increases, their predatory impacts have the bigger effect—thereby counteracting the positive influence via ecosystem engineering." Ants are important components of ecosystems not only because they constitute a great part of the animal biomass but also because they act as ecosystem engineers. Ant biodiversity is incredibly high and these organisms are highly responsive to human impact, which obviously reduces its richness. However, it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of any services to the ecosystem. Ants are important in below ground processes through the alteration of the physical and chemical environment and through their effects on plants, microorganisms, and other soil organisms.
[解析] 本题问的是蚂蚁的捕食范围。原文第三段明确说到，“Secondly, they prey on a wide range of other animals, including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers.”蚂蚁的掠食范围很广，甚至包括比它们体积更大的动物。prey意为“捕猎，捕食”，与介词on或upon连用。由此可知，本题的正确答案为A。
3. Dirk Sanders' study centered on how ants ______.
A.can manage to thrive in huge numbers
B.defend their resources and territory against other predators
C.attack those invading animals for survival
D.produce such a big impact on the environment
A B C D
D
[解析] 本题问的是Dirk Sanders的研究焦点。原文第五段的第一句话说到，“In this research, we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties of it.”这是Dirk Sanders说的话，由此可知，他主要研究的是蚂蚁是如何对环境产生如此大的影响的。因此，本题的正确答案为D。
4. What does Paragraph 6 tell us?
A.Ants bring about a negative influence to an area when their population is small.
B.Ants bring about a positive influence to an area when their population is small.
C.Ants' predation counteracts the positive influence they may have on an area.
D.At higher density, ants produce a positive influence on an area.
5. What still remains unclear about ants, according to the last paragraph?
A.What roles do ants play in the ecosystem in which they live?
B.How do ants affect the animal diversity in a given ecosystem?
C.How do human activities affect ants' influence on a given ecosystem?
D.How do ants alter the physical and chemical environment?
A B C D
C
[解析] 本题问的是最后一段中提到关于蚂蚁还有什么是未知的。根据题干定位至原文的最后一段。根据该段的的第二、三句话可知，蚂蚁极易受人类的影响，但是，科学家还不清楚人类对蚂蚁这种干扰如何破坏蚂蚁对生态系统的维护作用(“it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem.”)。由此可知，本题的正确答案为C。
第二篇
Who Want to Live Forever?
If your doctor could give you a drug that would let you live a healthy life for twice as long, would you take it? The good news is that we may be drawing near to that date. Scientists have already extended the lives of flies, worms and mice in laboratories. Many now think that using genetic treatments we will soon be able to extend human life to at least 140 years. This seems a great idea. Think of how much more time we could spend chasing our dreams, spending time with our loved ones, watching our families grow and have families of their own. "Longer life would give us a chance to recover from our mistakes and promote long term thinking," says Dr. Gregory Stock of the University of California School of Public Health. "It would also raise productivity by adding to the year we can work." Longer lives don't just affect the people who live them. They also affect society as a whole. "We have war, poverty, all sorts of issues around, and I don't think any of them would be at all helped by having people live longer," says US bioethicist Daniel Callahan. "The question is 'What will we get as a society?' I suspect it won't be a better society." It would certainly be a very different society. People are already finding it more difficult to stay married. Divorce rates are rising. What would happen to marriage in a society where people lived for 140 years? And what would happen to family life if 9 or 10 generations of the same family were all alive at the same time? Research into ageing may enable women to remain fertile for longer. And that raises the prospect of having 100-year-old parents, or brothers and sisters born 50 years apart. We think of an elder sibling as someone who can protect us and offer help and advice. That would be hard to do if that sibling came from a completely different generation. Working life would also be affected, especially if the retirement age was lifted. More people would stay in work for longer. That would give us the benefits of age-skill, wisdom and good judgment. On the other hand, more people working for longer would create greater competition for jobs. It would make it more difficult for younger people to find a job. Top posts would be dominated by the same few individuals, making career progress more difficult. And how easily would a 25-year-old employee be able to communicate with a 125-year-old boss? Young people would be a smaller part of a society in which people lived to 140. It may be that such a society would place less importance on guiding and educating young people, and more on making life comfortable for the old. And society would feel very different if more of its members were older. There would be more wisdom, but less energy. Young people like to move about. Old people like to sit still. Young people tend to act without thinking. Old people tend to think without acting. Young people are curious and like to experience different things. Old people are less enthusiastic about change. In fact, they are less enthusiastic about everything. The effect of anti-ageing technology is deeper than we might think. But as the science advances, we need to think about these changes now. "If this could ever happen, then we'd better ask what kind of society we want to get," says Daniel Callahan. "We had better not go anywhere near it until we have figure those problems out."
1. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as one of the things that living longer might enable an individual to do?
2. Which of the following is implied in the sixth paragraph?
A.Marriages in the US today are quite unstable.
B.More and more people in the US today want to get married.
C.Living longer would make it easier for people to maintain their marital ties.
D.If people live longer, they would stay in marriage longer.
A B C D
A
[解析] 本题问的是第六段暗示了什么内容。根据题干定位至原文的第六段。该段的第二、三句话说到，“People are already finding it more difficult to stay married. Divorce rates are rising.”这两句话暗示着美国人目前的婚姻关系已经十分脆弱。因此，本题的正确答案为A。
3. All of the following are possible effects living longer might have on working life except ______.
A.Communication between employers and employees would be more difficult
B.More money would be used by employees in payment of their employees
C.The job market would be more competitive
D.It would be more difficult for young people to be promoted to top positions
5. Which of the following best describes Callahan's attitude to anti-ageing technology?
A.Optimistic.
B.Pessimistic.
C.Reserved.
D.Negative.
A B C D
C
[解析] 本题问的是哪项最好地描述了Callahan对抗衰老的技术的态度。原文的最后一段介绍的是Callahan的观点，其中，最后一句话说到，“We had better not go anywhere near it until we have figure those problems out.”他认为在搞清楚长寿社会会给我们带来哪些问题之前，最好不要急着搞抗衰老的技术。可见，他对抗衰老技术发展的态度是有保留的(reserved)。因此，本题的正确答案为C。
第三篇
Humor
If you intend using humor in your talk to make people smile, you must know how to identify shared experiences and problems. Your humor must be relevant to the audience and should help to show them that you are one of them or that you understand their situation and are in sympathy with their point of view. Depending on whom you are addressing, the problems will be different. If you are talking to a group of managers, you may refer to the disorganized methods of their secretaries; alternatively if you are addressing secretaries, you may want to comment on their disorganized bosses. Here is an example, which I heard at a nurses' convention, of a story which works well because the audience all shared the same view of doctors. A man arrives in heaven and is being shown around by St.Peter. He sees wonderful accommodations, beautiful gardens, sunny weather, and so on. Everyone is very peaceful, polite and friendly until waiting in a line for lunch, the new arrival is suddenly pushed aside by a man in a white coat, who rushes to the head of the line, grabs his food and stomps over to a table by himself. "Who is that?" the new arrival asked St.Peter. "Oh, that's God" came the reply, "but sometimes he thinks he's a doctor." If you are a part of the group which you are addressing, you will be in a position to know the experiences and problems which are common to all of you and it'll be appropriate for you to make a passing remark about the inedible canteen food or the chairman's notorious bad taste in ties. With other audiences you mustn't attempt to cut in with humor as they will resent an outsider making disparaging remarks about their canteen or their chairman. You will be on safer ground if you stick to scapegoats like the Post Office or the telephone system. If you feel awkward being humorous, you must practice so that it becomes more natural. Include a few casual and apparently off-the-cuff remarks which you can deliver in a relaxed and unforced manner. Often it's the delivery which causes the audience to smile, so speak slowly and remember that a raised eyebrow or an unbelieving look may help to show that you are making a light-hearted remark. Look for the humor. It often comes from the unexpected. A twist on a familiar quote "If at first you don't succeed, give up" or a play on words or on a situation. Search for exaggeration and understatement. Look at your talk and pick out a few words or sentences which you can turn about and inject with humor.
1. To make your humor work, you should ______.
A.take advantage of different kinds of audience
B.make fun of the disorganized people
C.address different problems to different people
D.show sympathy for your listeners
A B C D
C
[解析] 本题问的是如何使你的幽默产生效果。原文第一段的第一句话，“...you must know how to identify shared experiences and problems.”指出，如果你想在谈话中用幽默使人发笑，就必须知道如何辨别共同的经历和共同的问题。该段的第三句“Depending on whom you are addressing, the problems will be different.”表明，应该针对不同的听众，谈及不同的问题。可见，C选项“对不同的人谈不同的问题”与该段内容相符。因此，本题的正确答案为C。
2. The joke about doctors implies that, in the eyes of nurses, they are ______.
A.impolite to new arrivals
B.very conscious of their godlike role
C.entitled to some privileges
D.very busy even during lunch hours
A B C D
B
[解析] 本题问的是关于医生的笑话表明了护士对医生的什么态度。原文的第二段讲述的是嘲笑医生的笑话。其中提到的上帝的动作rush to grab和stomp over都表明了上帝傲慢和目中无人的态度，而最后一句话“但是有时他(上帝)认为自己是一名医生”表明，医生与上帝有同样的特点：傲慢、无礼、自以为像上帝一样。可见，B选项符合原文意思。因此，本题的正确答案为B。
3. It can be inferred from the text that public services ______.
A.have benefited many people
B.are the focus of public attention
C.are an inappropriate subject for humor
D.have often been the laughing stock
A B C D
D
[解析] 本题问的是根据第三段的内容可推测出有关公共服务的什么信息。根据题干定位至原文的第三段。该段的第一句话说到，“If you are a part of the group which you are addressing, you will be in a position to know the experiences and problems which are common to all of you...”如果谈话者是听话者中的一分子，就可以用双方共同的经历作为幽默的素材，否则，这样做就不合适。最后一句话又指出，“You will be on safer ground if you stick to scapegoats like the Post Office or the telephone system.”如果拿邮局或者电话系统这样的公共服务行业作为替罪羊去评论，就比较安全。这说明，即使对不同的听众也可以以公共服务行业为笑料，由此可知，D选项“他们是大家经常谈论的笑料”符合原文意思。因此，本题的正确答案为D。
4. To achieve the desired result, humorous stories should be delivered ______.
A.in well-worded language
B.as awkwardly as possible
C.in exaggerated statement
D.as casually as possible
A B C D
D
[解析] 本题问的是为了达到理想的效果，应该如何讲幽默笑话。原文第四段的第三句话说到，“Often it's the delivery which causes the audience to smile, ...”让听众发笑的通常是讲述幽默的过程。而第一句话说到，如果在讲述幽默笑话时感到有些不自然，就必须加以练习，使之变得更自然。并且根据该段的一些关键词natural，relaxed，unforced和light-hearted等都可看出，幽默故事应该以最自然的方式来讲述。D选项与原文内容相符。因此，本题的正确答案为D。
Rhythm controls everything in Nature. 1 The sun provides a basic time rhythm for all living creatures including humans. Nearly all animals are influenced by sun cycles and have developed a biological clock in their bodies following these cycles. The moon also exerts its force and influence on the sea. Its gravitational attraction causes the rising of the tide. 2 When the moon is behind the Earth, centrifugal force causes the second tide of the day. Animals living in tidal areas must have the instinct of predicting these changes, to avoid being stranded and dying of dehydration. Since the time of the dinosaurs, the king crab has been laying eggs at the seaside in a set way. To avoid predator fish the eggs are always far from seawater and protected by sand. In the following two months, the eggs undergo dramatic changes related to the cycles of the moon. When the second spring tide comes, the young king crabs have matured. 3 Most of the mammals, either the giant elephant or the small shrew, have the same average total number of heartbeats in their lifetime. Shrews live only for two and a half years, and spend their life at a high speed and high tempo. Animals like shrews with a pulse rate of 600 per minute have an average total of eight hundred million heartbeats throughout their life. The African elephant has a pulse rate of 25 beats per minute, and a life span of 60 years. The size of the body determines the speed of life. 4 As we get older, our sense of time is being influenced by the physiological changes of our body. The elderly spend more time resting, and do few sports. 5 For a child, a week is seen as a long time. A. For an adult, time goes fast year by year. B. It controls, for example, the flapping of birds' wings, the beating of the heart and the rising and setting of the sun. C. The larger the animal is, the longer its life span is and the slower its life tempo is. D. The tide goes out when the mood moves away and its attraction is weaker. E. We always tend to think all the animals have the same sense of time as human beings. F. The second spring tide takes them back to the sea.
1.
B
[解析] 空格前面的句子说到，“Rhythm controls everything in Nature.”节奏控制着自然界中的万物。这是本段的主题句。根据逻辑分析，接下来的句子应该是对主题句细节的陈述。B选项说“例如，它控制着鸟翼的摆动，心脏的跳动和日升日落”，这是对前面句子的具体举例说明，且本句话中control与前面的control相呼应。可见，B选项填在此处可使上下文语意连贯。因此，本题的正确答案为B。
[解析] 本段的第一句话说到，生长在潮汐地区的动物具有预测潮汐的本能。然后就举了king crab(鲎)的例子。空格前面的句子说到，鲎远离海岸产卵，并将之埋在沙下，防止食肉鱼吞食。到第二次春潮来临时，小鲎已破壳而出。F选项说“第二次春潮将它们带回到海里”，本句话中的second spring tide与前文相呼应，且语意连贯。因此，本题的正确答案为F。
A hundred years ago, life expectancy in developed countries was about 47; in the early 21st century, men in the United States and the United Kingdom can expect to live to about 74. Women to about 80, and these 1 are rising all the time. What has brought 2 these changes? When we look at the life 3 of people 100 years ago, we need to look at the greatest 4 of the time. In the early 20th century, these were the acute and often 5 infectious diseases such as smallpox. Many children died very young from these diseases and others, and the weak and elderly were always at risk. In the 6 world these diseases are far 7 today, and in some cases have almost disappeared. A number of 8 have led to this: improvements in sanitation and hygiene, the discovery and use of antibiotics, which 9 bacterial diseases much less dangerous, and vaccinations 10 common diseases. 11 , people's general health has improved with improvements in our general environment: cleaner air, better means of preserving food, better and warmer housing, and better understanding of nutrition. Genetically, we should all be able to live to about 85 but 12 people do live longer today, there are still some big killers around that are preventing us from consistently reaching that age. The problems that affect people today are the more chronic illnesses, such as heart disease and strokes, and those 13 by viruses, such as influenza and AIDS. Of course, cancer is a huge killer as well. In most cases these diseases affect 14 people, but there are worrying trends in the developed world with problems such as obesity 15 more heart disease and illnesses such as diabetes at younger ages. The killers today can be classed as "lifestyle diseases", which means that it may be possible to halt their progress.
深色：已答题 浅色：未答题