（2011·安徽卷）A

Passage 1

The Information Highway is the road that links computer users to a large number of on-line services: the Web, e-mail, and software, to mention just a few. Not long ago, the Information Highway was a new road, with not many users. Now, everyone seems to want to take a drive, with over 30 million families connected worldwide. Not surprisingly, this well-traveled highway is starting to look like a well-traveled highway. Traffic jams can cause many serious problems, forcing the system to close down for repair. Naturally, accidents will happen on such a crowed road, and usually victims are some files, gone forever. Then, of course, there’s Mr. Cool, with his new broad-band connection, who speeds down the highway faster than most of us can go. But don’t trick yourself; he pays for that speeding.

Passage 2

Want to know more about global warming and how you can help prevent it? Doctor Herman Friedman, who is considered a leading expert on the subject, will speak at Grayson Hall next Friday. Friedman studied environmental science at three well-known universities around the world before becoming a professor in the subject. He has also traveled around the world observing environmental concerns. The gradual bleaching (變白) of the Great Barrier Reef, which came into the public eye in 2002, is his latest interest. Signed copies of his colorful book, which was published just last month, will be on sale after his talk.

【文章大意】本文分兩部分，第一篇介紹信息高速公路的情況；第二篇介紹Doctor Herman Friedman的情況。

56. The Information Highway                .

A. is free from traffic accidents

B. is crowded with car drivers

C. offers just a few on-line services

D. appeals to a large number of users

57. How does MR. Cool manage to travel the Information Highway so fast?

A. By storing fewer files.

B. By repair the system.

C. By buying a better computer.

D. By using a broad-band connection.

58. What can be learned from Passenger 2?

A. There will be a book show at Grayson Hall.

B. Friedman is now studying the Great Barrier Reef.

C. There will be a talk on global warming this week.

D. Friedman is a leading expert on computer science.

59. Passage 2 is most probably              .

A. a poster about a lecture

B. an ad for a new book

C. a note to a doctor in a university

D. an introduction to a professor

PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION（30分）

Directions: Read the following three passages．Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements．For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D．Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage．

Short reader – submitted stories – for the woman you should think of today!

——Compiled by Amy Zerello

Great Minds Reminded of Mom

After a long, exhausting day, a friend of mine, Allen, headed home. On the road, he passed an elderly woman who was standing by a car with a flat tire. If that were his mother, he thought, he would want someone to help her. With a tired sigh, he turned around and drove back.

Just as he reached the stranded woman, a truck pulled up and a burly farmer got out. "Kindof reminds you of your mom, too?" the man asked as the two of them pitched in together to change the tire for the woman.

-- Contributed by Katherine L. Houge

Your Biggest Fan

While waiting in a bookstore for a guest author to sign her latest book, I leafed through some of the Civil War novels she had written. The woman in line behind me commented, "Those are the best books I've ever read. I couldn't put them down." Before I could reply, the author frowning, looked over and said, "Oh, come on, Mom!"

-- Contributed by Marilyn Kopp

Head of the Household

My husband, Jeff, and I came across several problems while assembling our new computer system, so we called the help desk. The man on the phone started to talk to Jeff in computer jargon(行業(yè)術(shù)語), which confused us even more.

"Sir," my husband politely said, "please explain what I should do as if I were a four-year-old."

"Okay," the computer technician replied. "Sweetie, could you please put your mommy on the phone?"

-- Contributed by Lena Worth

How does it feel to tickle your mom’s funny bone?

Now send your own funny story to us! You could earn up to $ 300!

56．Who would the burly man be in the first joke?

A．Another kind helper.       B．The old lady’s son.

C．Allen’s friend.         D．A policeman.

57．What was the guest author’s mom trying to do in the second story?

A．Push hard to get her daughter’s signature.

B．Promote her daughter’s books by pretending to be a fan.

C．Show her pride in her daughter’s achievement.

D．Persuade Marilyn Kopp to buy her daughter’s book.

58．The computer technician on the phone in the third story________.

A．a(chǎn)ctually could find no way to solve Jeff’s problems

B．teased Jeff about his poor knowledge of computer jargon

C．wanted to talk to Lena instead

D．believed that Jeff’s mom would know more computer jargon

59．What is the main purpose of the jokes?

A．To make fun of moms.    B．To honor moms.

C．To educate moms.           D．To amuse moms.

60．The passage is most possibly found________.

A．in a storybook         B．in a commercial ad

C．in a magazine          D．in a student’s textbook

 

“Have a nice day” may be a pleasant gesture or a meaningless expression. When my friend Maxie says “Have a nice day” with a smile, I know she sincerely cares about what happens to me. I feel loved and secure since another person cares about me and wishes me well. 

“Have a nice day. Next!” The version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words came out in the same tone ( 腔調(diào) ) with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me. Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.

The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day”.

The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.

Although the use of the expression is insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.

1.How does the author understand Maxie’s words?  

A．Maxie shows her anxiety to the author.

B．Maxie really wishes the author a good day.

C．Maxie encourages the author to stay happy.

D．Maxie really worries about the author’s security.

2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．The salesgirl is rude.

B．The salesgirl is bored.

C．The salesgirl cares about me.

D．The salesgirl says the words as nothing special.

3.According to the last paragraph, people say“Have a nice day”_______.

A．sincerely

B．a(chǎn)s thanks

C．a(chǎn)s a habit

D．encouragingly

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A．Have a Nice Day—a Social Custom

B．Have a Nice Day—a Pleasant Gesture

C．Have a Nice Day—a Heart-warming Greeting

D．Have a Nice Day—a Polite Ending of a Conversation

 

How hard we have all prayed(祈禱) to grow up quickly, and looked forward to the happy days of being a grown-up and enjoying the many interests that a youth should have.

At last, you have grown up. At least you are no longer a child. They call you “young lady”. You then enjoy the pleasure of being a young lady. You are proud of being a grown-up teenager. People welcome you-this young lady-heartily. You are glad that your prayer has been answered.

But there is always something that troubles you a lot. You say; “Papa and Mama, give me some money please. My pocket money is all gone already.”

“No”, they say, “your age is a dangerous age. If you have too much money to spend, it won’t do you any good.” Then you have to stay at home because you dare not go out with an empty pocket.

Another time you tell your grandma, “Grandma, see, I am a grown-up now.

“Good, now, you can sit here and knit (編織) this for me while I go and have a rest.” To show that you are no more a child, you have to sit there the whole afternoon doing the work, which only a grown-up can do. After an hour, you find it hard to do, and give the knitting basket back to your grandma. Your grandma criticizes your work. You hear what she says, “Such a big girl can’t do such easy work.” You wish then you were a child again.

But the fact is, you are growing up, and you can’t help it. That’s the way it goes!

1.The passage is told about _______ problems.

A．a(chǎn) growing-up boy’s	B．a(chǎn) teenage girl’s
C．a(chǎn)n old woman’s	D．a(chǎn) grown-up’s

2.It is clear that the writer, as a teenager, ________.

A．is pleased with the present life

B．is unhappy about growing up

C．doesn’t think her present life happy enough

D．knows happy life will come to her soon

3.How does she know her prayer has been answered?

A．People treat her as a young lady.

B．She is no longer a kid.

C．People begin to call her teenager.

D．She can join women in all kinds of activities.

4.From what her parents say, we know _________.

A．they don’t believe she is already a teenager

B．it’s dangerous for a girl to spend money

C．they love her more than before

D．they still regard her as a child

5.Having heard her grandma’s criticism, _________.

A．she has to lie in bed, doing nothing

B．she knows she has already worked the whole afternoon

C．she wishes she were not growing up

D．she finds it isn’t her turn to do knitting

 

1 

London has become a cycle friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme．It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London．

So how does it work？First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key．The key will unlock one of the bikes，which are kept at docking stations in and around central London．You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go，for the length of time you use the bike．

Transport for London, which runs the scheme，are hoping to have 6，000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year．The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion in London and is expected to generate up to 40，000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been “filled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as common place on our roads as black cabs and red buses”.

However，there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday．On the first day some people found they couldn’t dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered．Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few “teething problems” and have said they wouldn’t charge for the first day as a“gesture of goodwill”．Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles．

Despite the comments，the green-thinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things，saying，“My campaign for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a gigantic pedal-powered push forwards．”

1.Which is the correct order of a bike hire？

 a．pay a usage charge according to the time    b．pay for the key

 c．cycle in and around central London  d．sign up as a member to get a key

 A．b-d-c-a  B．b-c-a-d   C．d-c-b-a   D．d-b-c-a

2.．Which of the following is NOT the “teething problems” of the scheme？

 A．People were unable to lock properly．

 B．People could not dock the bikes properly．

 C．People had no enthusiasm about the scheme．

 D．It’s too expensive for some people to hire a bike．

3.．From the passage we know __________．

 A．the ‘cycling revolution’ failed once started

 B．the scheme will be put off due to the problems

 C．a(chǎn)ll the citizens in London are in favor of the scheme

 D．the London Mayor has great confidence in the scheme