41. A. laugh at 42. A. harmful 43. A. hidden
B. puzzle over B. appropriate B. reserved
C. be curious about C. unusual C. saved C. as usual C. service C. offering C. even
D. be upset about D. widespread D. included D. above all D. supply D. trying D. nearly D. making D. fans D. enjoy
44. A. on average 45. A. share
B. in general B. sale
46. A. improving 47. A. still
B. gaining B. ever B. starting
48. A. developing 49. A. friends
C. beginning C. teens C. share
B. publishers B. sell
50. A. exchange
第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分, 满分30分）
阅读下面4篇短文，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。
A
What is the number one favourite pet in the UK? If you think the answer is ―dog‖ – you are wrong. There are 8.6 million cats and 8.3 million dogs in Britain according to recent figures. But experts predict (预测) that there will be more dogs than cats next year as dogs become more and more popular.
Dogs as accessories (配饰)
We like to spend time with our pets. The Queen is famous for her corgis (威尔士矮脚狗) and is often photographed with them. Nowadays some dog owners are more extreme – a few TV celebrities even take their dogs shopping or to restaurants. Chihuahuas (吉娃娃犬) are especially popular as ―handbag dogs‖ because they are so small. Dog holidays
People are also giving their pets holidays. Many UK hotels and holiday parks now welcome dogs as guests. What about owners who go abroad? They can leave their pets at a dog hotel or dog spa while they are away. Some even provide their canine (犬) guests with a TV. Dogs are for life
The British charity, Dogs Trust, finds homes for thousands of lost and homeless dogs every year. Their famous slogan ―A dog is for life and not just for Christmas‖ was created in the 1970s to
teach people about the responsibility of owning a dog. Dogs Trust told British people not to give dogs as gifts or treat them like toys. Dogs on TV
Victoria Sitwell is the host of the popular TV programme called ―It‘s me or the dog‖. In the show Victoria helps dog owners with their pets‘ bad behavior. She tries to find solutions to problems such as a Dalmatian who thinks he owns the house and won‘t let the family sit on the sofa, dogs that will only eat ice cream and biscuits and even a bulldog who uses the owner‘s bed as a toilet. Yuck! Fashion for dogs
You can shop online or on the high street for the latest in dog clothes and accessories. Specialist shops sell items such as dog boots, dog fancy dress costumes, dog coats, dog dresses and dog pants.
51. What does the article mainly talk about? A. Cats as number one favorite pet in the UK. B. A culture of dogs as a pet in the UK.
C. Small dogs like Chihuahuas becoming more and more popular. D. Dogs equally treated as human beings.
52. Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4? A. Dog owners should show respect for dogs‘ lives. B. Dog owners should not use dogs as Christmas gifts.
C. Dog owners should care for the dogs more than anything else. D. Dog owners should devote all their lives to treating their dogs well. 53. From the text we can know that _____.
A. dogs will become the number one pet in the UK in the years to come B. some dogs are treated as human beings
C. Victoria Sitwell host a programme to help dog owners to treat sick dogs D. fashion for dogs causes the economy of the UK to develop quickly
B
Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl.
One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery store, Jenny saw a plastic
pearl necklace priced at $2.50. How she wanted that necklace! When she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, ―Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an awful lot of money. I'll tell you what. I'll buy you the necklace, and when we get home we can make up a list of housework that you can do to pay for the necklace. And don't forget that for your birthday, Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too. Okay?‖ Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.
Jenny worked on her housework very hard every day, and sure enough, her grandma gave her a brand-new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls. How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere to kindergarten, bed and when she went out with her mother to run errands（跑腿）. The only time she didn't wear them was in the shower. Her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green!
Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story.
One night when he finished the story, he said, ―Jenny, do you love me?‖ ―Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you,‖ the little girl said. ―Well, then, give me your pearls.‖
―Oh! Daddy, not my pearls!‖ Jenny said. ―But you can have Rosy, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?‖
―Oh no, darling, that's okay. ― Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. ―Good night, little one.‖
A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, ―Do you love me?‖ ―Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you.‖ ―Well, then, give me your pearls.‖
―Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She's my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy,‖ the little girl said to her father.
―No, that's okay,‖ her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss. ―God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams.‖
Several days later, when Jenny's father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her
bed and her lip was trembling. ―Here, Daddy,‖ she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father's hand.
With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls. He had had them all along. He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so that he could give her the real thing. 54. Why did the mother tell Jenny the plastic pearl necklace ―cost an awful lot of money‖? A. She was discouraging Jenny from buying it. B. She was telling Jenny to ask her grandma for help. C. She was reminding Jenny of its true value.
D. She was encouraging Jenny to get it by her hard work.
55. Which of the following was NOT related to the fact that Jenny could get the plastic pearl necklace?
A. She promised to work on the housework hard. B. She was lucky to have her birthday coming near. C. She went out with her mother to run errands. D. She got supported from her grandma with a dollar bill.
56. The last time the father came in to read Jenny a story, why was her lip trembling? A. She was disappointed that her father always asked for her necklace. B. She was pleased to give the necklace to her father. C. She was struggling in her mind about the decision to make. D. She was unwilling to exchange her necklace for the real one. 57. What caused Jenny to make the final decision to give up her necklace? A. Her father‘s request.
B. Her father‘s tolerance. D. Her father‘s love.
C. Her father‘s real necklace.
58. Which of the following is the most suitable for the title of the story? A. The Real Pearl Necklace C. The Decision of Honesty
C
Six months before she died, my grandmother moved into an old people‘s home and I visited her there when I was in Britain. She was sitting in the living room with about 15 other residents
B. The Parental Hidden Love D. The Choice of Luck
(居住客), mostly women, half of them asleep. The room was clean and warm, with flowers and pictures, and the care assistants were kind and cheerful. All was silent except when the residents needed to be helped to the bathroom. It was depressing (压抑). Gran talked a lot about how much she missed seeing her grandchildren, but I knew from my sister that they hated going to visit her there, and to be frank, I couldn‘t wait to get away myself.
So I was interested to read a newspaper article about a new concept in old people‘s homes in France. The idea is simple, but revolutionary -- combining a residential home for the elderly with a nursery school in the same building. The children and the residents eat lunch together and share activities such as music, painting, gardening, and caring for the pets, which the residents are encouraged to keep. In the afternoons, the residents enjoy reading or telling stories to the children, and if a child is feeling sad or tired, they can always find someone for comfort.
The advantages are great for everyone concerned. The children are happy because they get a lot more of free afternoon, and enjoy themselves because someone has time for them. They also learn that old people are not ?different‘ or frightening in any way. And of course, they see illness and death and learn to accept them. The residents are happy because they feel useful and needed. They are more active and more interested in life when the children are around and they take more interest in their appearance too. And the staff (员工) are happy because they see an improvement in the physical and psychological health of the residents and have an army of assistants to help with the children. Nowadays there is less and less contact (接触) between the old and the young. ―There are many reasons for this, including the breakdown of the extended family, working parents with no time to care for ageing relations, families that have moved away, and smaller flats with no room for grandparents. But the result is the same – increasing numbers of children without grandparents and old people who have no contact with children. And more and more old people are lonely and feel useless, along with more and more families with young children who badly need more support. It‘s a major problem in many societies.
That‘s why intergenerational programmes, designed to bring the old and the young together, are growing in popularity all over the world, supported by UNESCO and other local and international organisations. There are successful examples all over the world, using young people to teach IT skills to older people and using old people as volunteer assistants in schools, perhaps reading with children who need extra attention. One successful scheme (方案) in London pairs