(C)
Most American students said goodbye to expensive fruits these days. In school canteens across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges heave replaced them. “People are afraid to spend now” said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store. “They basically don’t know what the future will bring and keep waiting till after the Presidential Election.”
The current financial crisis(金融危机)， during which several of the country’s biggest banks have been forced to sell or close, has made lots of Americans unwilling to buy expensive goods.
Samira Martino, a restaurant owner in Miami, found everyone is ordering water instead of juice and more people are sharing meals. In more than two dozen interviews with the Associated Press across the country last month, American talked about their concerns, from worries about small businesses to doubts about simply making ends meet.
The crisis began last year. Experts blame it on U.S. banks lending money too easily. A lot of people and companies, who borrowed money, have found themselves unable to pay it back. This left the banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money. Since the banks borrowed money between themselves and even across borders, the whole world’s financial markets were involved.
This month the U.S. government agreed on a $ 700 billion plan to try to save the financial market. But a turn-around(转机) is not sure. President George W. Bush has warned it will take some time for the full effects of the plan to take hold in an economy that has had a world of trouble.
Last week top finance officials from 20 major economies promised to work together to find a way out of the money trouble. They believe the current crisis is the worst since the Great Depression in 1929. And they all think international cooperation is the key to solve it.
51. From the first paragraph, we can infer that______
A. apples and oranges become more expensive
B. people are worrying about the Election
C. people are expecting a turn-around after the Election
D. expensive fruits are in short supply in American markets
52. Samira Martino’s restaurant is mentioned in the passage in order to ______
A. show that people cut down their expenses.
B. attract more people to come to his restaurant
C. show how hard he is trying to run his business
D. encourage people to start businesses like him
53. What is the cause of the current financial crisis of America?
A. The Presidential Election
B. U.S. banks lending money too easily.
C. The decreasing economy.
D. America’s rapid development.
54. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Many students can not eat expensive fruits in school canteens.
B. Americans are very worried about their lives.
C. The international cooperation is most needed.
D. The current financial crisis is the worst in American history.
55. This passage mainly talks about______
A. the terrible life of Americans
B. the situation of the financial crisis
C. the way to go through the crisis
D. the world financial market
(B)
Last week, while visiting my dad with my daughter, we went to a restaurant for dinner. When we were seated, my dad asked the waitress if there were any soldiers eating at the restaurant. Then waitress said there was a soldier having dinner with his friend. My dad told the waitress to tell the soldier and his friend that their dinner was paid for! He also said that he did not want to be known as the benefactor(施主).
Then waitress later commented on my dad’s thoughtful behavior saying that she had never seen anything like this before. At a local college, she had studied opera and so she used this to thank my dad by performing a piece from The Pearl Fisherman. Her voice brought me to tears because it sounded perfect!
After a while, the soldier appeared at our table (I don’t know how he knew my dad paid the bill for him.) and said that he would be sent to the front the next morning and that he could not leave this country without saying “thanks” to my dad. My dad replied that it was he who wanted to say “thanks”. They shook hands as the soldier left.
Before we left, the waitress came by again. She did a magic show as another way to show her “thanks” to my dad. Her show was really great. My dad left her a note with email address asking for her next performance time in addition to a $ 50 tip.
Everyone witnessed something exemplary in the human spirit that night. I can only hope to see more of this in the future.
46. My dad offered help to the soldier and his friend in the restaurant probably because________.
A. he wanted to thank them for all they had done
B. he wanted to know more about then
C. he wanted the waitress to thank him
D. he wanted the soldiers to know his kindness
47. The waitress performed The Pearl Fisherman in the restaurant because____.
A. she was asked to perform to the guests
B. she wanted to show off her wonderful skills
C. she wanted to show her respect and thanks to the author’s dad
D. she wanted to attract more and more guests
48. What did the soldier do in response to the author’s father’s kindness?
A. He gave something to author’s dad.
B. He gave a big tip to the waitress.
C. He said thanks to the author’s dad in person.
D. He did a magic show for the author and her father.
49. The author considered her father’s action to be ____.
A. funny B. understandable C. worthless D. honorable
50. The passage mainly tells us that we should ____.
A. learn to be grateful to others B. find ways to thank others
C. try to learn from each other D. respect soldiers and waitresses
第三部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
（A）
In 2008, the main candidates（候选人）for President each used this expression: “You can put lipstick（口红）on a pig, but it is still a pig.” This means that it is a waste of time to change something from ugly or unpleasant–looking to beautiful.
There are other expressions about improving a pig’s appearance, like this one: “A hog in a silk waistcoat is still a hog.” Hogs are similar to pigs, only bigger. Americans use many other expressions about pigs, hogs and female hogs called sows, like this one, “You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” This means you cannot create something valuable from something that has no value. Then there is the expression “Cast pearls before swine（猪）.” That means wasting something valuable on someone who will not be thankful or care about it.
Hogs, which are very large animals, take up a lot of space but people should not take up more than their share. If one of your children is taking up too much space sitting in front of the television, other children might say: “Do not hog the couch.” And a road hog is a driver who uses more than his share of the road. Such a driver increases dangers for other drivers.
Pig terms are also used in American politics. Farmers mark their pig’s ears to identify them. In politics, earmarks are money set aside for projects in a congressman’s home state.
In many areas, pigs provide ham, bacon and other pork products to eat. All Americans want to be able to bring home the bacon because they want to earn enough money to provide the necessities of life. Experts say this term was first used in the 1920s. But it is believed to come from the much older game of catching a greased（涂了油的）pig. This was a popular event at country fairs in which the winner was awarded the pig.
41. The author writes this passage mainly to _________.
A. express his support for the Presidential Election
B. introduce some expressions used in Americans’ daily life
C. criticize the bad influence caused by expressions about pigs
D. discuss some problems caused by expressions about pigs
42. If you give a good book to a person who can’t read, which of the following is the most suitable to describe it?
A. Cast pearls before swine.
B. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.
C. A hog in a silk waistcoat is still a hog.
D. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
43. A driver who takes up too much space on the road is often referred to as _________.
A. a greased pig B. a couch hog
C. a road hog D. a road earmark
44. How many words which refer to the same animal are mentioned in this passage?
A. Three B. Four C. Five D. Six
45. Which of the following expressions are similar to “You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”?
A. When pigs fly! B. To eat like a pig
C. To sell a pig in a pork. D. To sweat like a pig.
第二节 语法填空(共10题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题纸标号为31－40的相应位置上。
As a blind boy, I now had the key to all languages, __31__ I was eager to use it. Children __32__ can hear learn languages without any particular effort. __33__ hear other people speak, and enjoy trying to make the same sounds. The __34__ child must learn languages in a slow and often painful way. __35__ even though the learning may be slow and painful, the result is wonderful. We advance gradually from merely __36__ (name) objects to understanding the thought in a line of Shakespeare.
At first, when my teacher told me about a new thing, I asked very __37__ questions. My ideas were not clear, and I didn’t know many. But as my knowledge of things __38__ (grow) and I learned more and more words, I could ask more questions, and I would return again and again __39__ the same subject, eager for more information. Sometimes a new word make me remember an experience I had had __40__ (early) and I finally come to understand that the most effective way to learn a language well is to use it as much as possible.
第二部分：语言知识与应用（共两节，满分25分）
第一节：完型填空（共10小题，每小题1分，共10分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从21 - 30各题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Small moments sometimes last a very long time. And a few words---though they mean ___21___ at the time to the people who say them --- can have great power.
I recently heard a story from Malcolm Dalkoff, who has been a professional ___22___ for the last twenty-four years, mostly in advertising.
As a boy, Dalkoff was terribly shy and ___23___. He had few friends and no self-confidence. Then one day, his high school English teacher, Ruth Brauch, asked the class to write their own chapter that would ___24___ the last chapter of the novel since they had been reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Dalkoff wrote his chapter and turned it in. Today he cannot recall anything special about the chapter he wrote, or what ___25___ Mrs. Brauch gave him. ___26___, what he does remember is the four words in the paper: “This is good writing.” Thanks to the four words, his life has been ___27___ greatly.
“ Until I read those words, I had no idea of who I was or what I was or what I was going to be,” he said, “ After reading her ___28___, I went home and wrote a short story, ___29___ I had always dreamed of doing but never believed I could do.”
Over the rest of that year in school, he wrote many short stories, and always brought them to Mrs. Brauch for instruction. “She was ___30___, helpful and honest. She was just what I needed,” Dalkoff said.
21. A. much B. little C. well D. ill
22. A. report B. designer C. writer D. teacher
23. A. weak B. independent C. troublesome D. helpless
24. A. follow B. change C. connect D. explain
25. A. help B. encouragement C. grade D. words
26. A. Therefore B. However C. Meanwhile D. Besides
27. A. improved B. developed C. changed D. enriched
28. A. chapter B. novel C. note D. explanation
29. A. everything B. something C. nothing D. anything
30. A. encouraging B. careful C. strict D. effective
读写任务（共1小题，满分25分）
在全国“两会”上，“农村留守儿童” 问题成为人大代表和政协委员普遍关注的热门话题之一。请阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
In China, with one or two parents going out to earn money, many children are left in their hometown in the countryside. These children are called “leftover children”. A large number of leftover children have emerged since 1978, and the statistics showed in 2004, the total is 22 million.
Usually their grandparents or their parents’ friends or relatives look after these leftover children. Sometimes they are brought up by one of their parents at home. In most cases, their guardians are not quite educated. To them, making sure that the children are healthy and fed well is the most important task, and that the children are safe and sound is considered to have done a good job. But they seldom care about children’s study, their psychological needs, or mental demands. Neither do they spend some time teaching kids how to develop good habits.
Therefore, for most of the time, the leftover children can’t get emotional support from their parents, which can result in so many problems.
[写作内容]
1. 以大约30个词概括短文的内容。
2. 然后以约120个词就“如何关心农村留守儿童（leftover children）的成长？”的主题发表看法，并包括如下要点：
1）农村留守孩子存在的原因是什么。
2）你认为他们面临的最大困难是什么。
3）解决留守孩子问题的关键是什么, 提出解决问题的措施。
[写作要求]
1. 你可以使用实例或其他论述方法支持你的论点，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不能直接引用阅读材料的句子。
2. 题目自定。
[评分标准]
概括准确、语言规范、内容合适、篇章连贯。
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