Anthony Horowitz suffered a lot as a child. He was, as he puts it, “not very bright” and couldn’t win the attention of his very wealthy parents, who preferred his “clever” older brother. At age 8, Horowitz was sent away to an abusive (虐待的) boarding school in his native England, even though he screamed and begged his parents year after year not to send him. “The thought was, ‘It’ll be good for him’,” Horowitz recalls.
It was not. Horowitz did badly in his studies, had few friends and was bullied (欺负) for five years. “My teachers couldn’t have had a lower opinion of me,” he said. “I wasn’t even smart enough to rebel (反抗). The one thing I remember from the very earliest age was this desire to write. When I was 10 years old, I remember asking my parents to get me a typewriter for my birthday because I wanted to be a writer.”
Now, at 55, Horowitz is one of the world’s most successful children’s book authors. His Alex Rider series has sold more than 5 million copies, and the eighth book featuring the young spy, Crocodile Tears, came out this month.
The Alex Rider books tell the adventures of 14-year-old Alex Rider, an agent for the British intelligence agency MI6.
Horowitz said he doesn’t try to write for kids; it just comes out that way. “I have a feeling it’s to do with purity and simplicity. I give as little information as is necessary to describe the room, the character in the room, and get on with the action,” he said.
That style has also made Horowitz a successful writer of television shows for adults in Britain because, he says, writing books for kids is a lot like writing television for grown-ups: In both cases, it’s all about entertaining people with a good story.
Now, Horowitz couldn’t be happier with his life. He sums up his success, “…you can be anything you want to be if you just believe in yourself. I do believe it completely.”
1. In his childhood, Anthony Horowitz _______.
A. was more intelligent than his brother
B. was paid more attention to by his parents
C. hated to be sent to the boarding school
D. led a miserable life because of poverty
2. In the boarding school, Horowitz’s teachers _______.
A. showed great concern for him B. often abused and bullied him
C. taught him how to write stories D. thought little of his ability
3. Which of the following is true of Anthony Horowitz?
A. He was the beloved child of his family.
B. Although he is successful, he isn’t very happy.
C. He emphasizes the plot rather than character in stories.
D. He developed his writing ability in the boarding school.
4. What advice does Horowitz give to readers?
A. Confidence is the key to success. B. Hardship teaches valuable lessons.
C. Interest is the best teacher. D. Diligence is the parent of success.
第三部分 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。
It seems like every little girl dreams of becoming a model. They want to be thin and pretty like the models they see on television and in magazines. Often the desire becomes an obsession (无法摆脱的思想) and young girls see “thinness” as being a needed characteristic. The obsession of many young girls over their appearance or weight has led to a growing number of people developing an eating disorder.
Eating disorders are a serious health problem. Three of the most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating or compulsive eating disorder. According to Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, a person with anorexia “refuses to maintain normal body weight for age and height” and “weighs 85 percent or less than what is expected for age and height.” A person diagnosed with bulimia has several ways of getting rid of the calories such as binge eating, vomiting, laxative misuse, exercising, or fasting. The person might have a normal weight for their age and height unless anorexia is present. The signs of a compulsive eater include eating meals frequently, rapidly, and secretly. This person might also snack and nibble all day long.
There are many reasons that can contribute to the cause of eating disorders. One of the main reasons seems to be the obsession over every little pound a person is wearing.
There are other possible causes to this widely known health problem. Everyone has the desire to look like the actors and actresses they watch on TV or in magazines but, in reality, it just will not happen for most of us.
An unfavorable relationship a person has with others is also a contributing factor to disordered eating habits. The world is so competitive that any mention from parents, peers, significant others, or co-workers about a person’s weight or appearance can lead to the start of an eating disorder.
There really is no single reason why a person acquires an eating disorder. Many factors are considered when making a diagnosis for a person with this problem. Causes like the ones mentioned above play such an important role in eating disorders. Is it really so important that in order to look like the super models people are willing to give up food and starve themselves to death for a little satisfaction on the outside? The look of a person on the inside is what really matters.
1. This text is mainly about _______.
A. how girls lose weight quickly B. why girls dream to be models
C. how teenagers control their weight D. why a person acquires eating disorder
2. If a person doesn’t have a normal weight, she might have developed _______.
A. binge eating B. bulimia nervosa
C. anorexia nervosa D. compulsive eating disorder
3. The underlined word “unfavorable” most probably means _______.
A. harmonious B. poor C. healthy D. special
4. What is author’s attitude towards the phenomenon?
A. Inner beauty is really important.
B. All girls should dream to be models.
C. People needn’t take eating disorder seriously.
D. It is worth to starve for satisfaction on the outside.
第二节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
We often talk about ourselves as if we have genetic defects (基因缺陷) that can never be changed. “I’m impatient.” “I’m always behind.” “I always put things 36 !” You’ve surely heard them. Maybe you’ve used them to describe 37 .
These comments may come from stories about us that have been 38 for years. These stories may have no 39 in fact. But they can set 40 expectations for us. As a child, my mother said to me, “Marshall, you have no mechanical (操作机械的) skills, and you will never have any mechanical skills for the rest of your life.” How did these expectations 41 my development? I was never 42 to work on cars or be around tools. When I was 18, I took the US Army’s Mechanical Aptitude Test. My scores were in the 43 for the whole nation!
Six years later, 44 , I was working on my doctor’s degree. My professor, Dr. Bob Tannbaum, asked me to write down things I did 45 and things I couldn’t do. On the 46 side, I took down, “research, writing, analysis, and speaking.” On the other side, I wrote, “I have no mechanical skills.”
Bob asked me 47 I knew I had no mechanical skills. I explained my life 48 and told him about my 49 performance on the Army test. Bob then asked, “Why is it that you can solve 50 mathematical problems, but you can’t solve simple mechanical problems?”
Suddenly I realized that I didn’t 51 from some sort of genetic defect. I was just living out expectations that I had chosen to 52 . At that point, it wasn’t just my family and friends who had been 53 my belief that I was mechanically hopeless. And it wasn’t just the Army test, either. I was the one who kept telling myself, “You can’t do this!” I realized that 54 we don’t treat ourselves as if we have incurable genetic defects, we can 55 in almost anything we choose.
36. A. away B. off C. up D. down
37. A. them B. myself C. yourself D. others
38. A. said B. spoken C. spread D. repeated
39. A. basis B. plot C. cause D. ending
40. A. high B. low C. general D. realistic
41. A. lead B. improve C. affect D. quicken
42. A. encouraged B. forced C. forbidden D. ordered
43. A. middle B. bottom C. front D. beginning
44. A. therefore B. moreover C. instead D. however
45. A. well B. badly C. carefully D. honestly
46. A. passive B. positive C. negative D. subjective
47. A. when B. where C. how D. whether
48. A. values B. styles C. experiences D. goals
49. A. unexpected B. poor C. excellent D. average
50. A. complex B. special C. common D. primary
51. A. arise B. separate C. come D. suffer
52. A. believe B. suspect C. drop D. resist
53. A. weakening B. abandoning C. strengthening D. accepting
54. A. as B. though C. unless D. if
55. A. compete B. cooperate C. fight D. succeed
—Have you heard that Jay Chou is to perform in the Capital Stadium next month?
—Of course. All his fans are _______ at the exciting news.
A. green with envy B. over the moon
C. feeling blue D. hot under the collar
. —I’d rather you _______ my party in Shangri-la Hotel.
—Sorry, it was my wife who stopped me, otherwise …
A. had attended B. attended C. would attended D. could attend
—It’s amazing that an Australian girl sailed round the world alone in about 200 days.
—That’s an inspiring story. Her courage is really _______.
A. unbearable B. independent C. admirable D. enthusiastic
