I learned how to accept life as it is from my father. 11 , he did not teach me acceptance when he was strong and healthy, but rather when he was 12  and ill.

My father was   13 a strong man who loved being active, but a terrible illness 14 all that away. Now he can no longer walk, and he must sit quietly in a chair all day. Even talking is 15 . One night, I went to visit him with my sisters. We started   16 about life, and I told them about one of my 17 . I said that we must very often give things up 18 we grow—our youth, our beauty, our friends—but it always 19 that after we give something up, we gain something new in its place. Then suddenly my father __20 up. He said, “But, Peter, I gave up _21 ! What did I gain?” I thought and thought, but I couldn’t think of anything to say. 22 , he answered his own question: “I 23 the love of my family,” I looked at my sisters and saw tears in their eyes, along with hope and thankfulness.

I was also _24 by his words. After that, when I began to feel irritated (愤怒的) at someone, I  25 remember his words and become _ 26 . If he could replace his great pain with a feeling of love for others, then I should be 27 to give up my small irritations. In this 28 , I learned the power of acceptance from my father.

Sometimes I   29  what other things I could have learned from him if I had listened more carefully when I was a boy. For now, though, I am grateful for this one 30 .

11. A. Afterwards B. Therefore C. However D. Meanwhile

12. A. tired B. weak C. poor D. slow

13. A. already B. still C. only D. once

14. A. took B. threw C. sent D. put

15. A. impossible B. difficult C. stressful D. hopeless

16. A. worrying B. caring C. talking D. asking

17. A. decisions B. experiences C. ambitions D. beliefs

18. A. as B. since C. before D. till

19. A. suggests B. promises C. seems D. requires

20. A. spoke B. turned C. summed D. opened

21. A. something B. anything C. nothing D. everything

22. A. Surprisingly B. Immediately C. Naturally D. Certainly

23. A. had B. accepted C. gained D. enjoyed

24. A. touched B. astonished C. attracted D. warned

25. A. should B. could C. would D. might

26. A. quiet B. calm C. relaxed D. happy

27. A. ready B. likely C. free D. able

28. A. case B. form C. method D. way

29. A. doubt B. wonder C. know D. guess

30. A. award B. gift C. lesson D. word

第二部分 阅读理解 （共两节，满分50分）

第一节阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

A

If you were to walk up to Arthur Bonner and say, “Hey, Butterfly Man,” his face would break into a smile. The title suits him. And he loves it.

Arthur Bonner works with the Palos Verdes blue butterfly, once thought to have died out. Today the butterfly is coming back — thanks to him. But years ago if you’d told him this was what he’d be doing someday, he would have laughed, “You’re crazy.” As a boy, he used to be “a little tough guy on the streets”. At age thirteen, he was caught by police stealing. At eighteen, he landed in prison for shooting a man.

“I knew it had worried my mom,” Bonner said after he got out of prison. “So I told myself I would not put my mom through that pain again.”

One day he met Professor Mattoni, who was working to rebuild the habitat(栖息地) for an endangered butterfly called El Segundo blue.

“I saw the sign ‘Butterfly Habitat’ and asked, ‘How can you have a habitat when the butterflies can just fly away?’” Bonner recalls. “Dr. Mattoni laughed and handed me a magnifying glass(放大镜), ‘Look at the leaves.’ I could see all these caterpillars(蝴蝶的幼虫) on the plant. Dr Mattoni explained, ‘Without the plant, there are no butterflies.’”

Weeks later, Bonner received a call from Dr. Mattoni, who told him there was a butterfly that needed help. That was how he met the Palos Verdes blue. Since then he’s been working for four years to help bring the butterfly back. He grows astragalus, the only plant the butterfly eats. He collects butterflies and brings them into a lab to lay eggs. Then he puts new butterflies into the habitat.

The butterfly’s population, once almost zero, is now up to 900. For their work, Bonner and Dr. Mattoni received lots of awards. But for Bonner, he earned something more: he turned his life around.

For six years now Bonner has kept his promise to stay out of prison. While he’s bringing back the Palos Verdes blue, the butterfly has helped bring him back, too.

31. When he was young, Arthur Bonner _______.

A. broke the law and ended up in prison

B. was fond of shooting and hurt his mom

C. often laughed at people on the streets

D. often caught butterflies and took them home

32. Bonner came to know the Palos Verdes blue after he _______.

A. found the butterfly had died out

B. won many prizes from his professor

C. met Dr. Mattoni, a professor of biology

D. collected butterflies and put them into a lab

33. From the last sentence of the text, we learn that raising butterflies has _______.

A. made Bonner famous B. changed Bonner’s life

C. brought Bonner wealth D. enriched Bonner’s knowledge

34. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A Promise to Mom B. A Man Saved by Butterflies

C. A Story of Butterflies D. A Job Offered by Dr. Mattoni

B

When something goes wrong，it can be very satisfying to say, “Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late, but it’s not my fault；the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault，but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.

Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on the person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.

This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stones for success.

35. According to the passage, winners .

A. deal with problems rather than blame others

B. meet with fewer difficulties in their lives

C. have responsible and able colleagues

D. blame themselves rather than others

36. The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .

A. avoid B. accept C. improve D. consider

37. When your colleague brings about a problem, you should .

A. find a better way to handle the problem

B. blame him for his lack of responsibility

C. tell him to find the cause of the problem

D. ask a more able colleague for help

38. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. A Winner’s Secret. B. A Winner’s Problem.

C. A Winner’s Opportunity. D. A Winner’s Achievement.

C

The term “multitasking” originally referred to a computer’s ability to carry out several tasks at one time. For many people, multitasking has become a way of life and even a key to success. In fact, some excellent mental aerobic exercises (大脑训练) involve engaging the brain in two or more challenging activities at a time. Although checking e-mail while talking on a phone and reading the newspaper may be second nature for some people, many times multitasking can make us less productive, rather than more. And studies show that too much multitasking can lead to increased stress, anxiety and memory loss.

In order to multitask, the brain uses an area known as the prefrontal cortex (前额叶脑皮层). Brain scans of volunteers performing multiple tasks together show that as they shift from task to task, this front part of the brain actually takes a moment of rest between tasks. You may have experienced a prefrontal cortex “moment of rest” yourself if you’ve ever dialed (拨电话) a phone number and suddenly forgotten who you dialed when the line is answered. What probably occurred is that between the dialing and the answering, your mind shifted to anther thought or task, and then took that “moment” to come back. Research has also shown that for many volunteers, job efficiency (效率) declines while multitasking, as compared to when they perform only one task at a time.

Multitasking is easiest when at least one of the tasks is habitual, or requires little thought. Most people don’t find it difficult to eat and read the newspaper at the same time. However, when two or more attention-requiring tasks are attempted at one time, people sometimes make mistakes.

We often don’t remember things as well when we’re trying to manage several details at the same time. Without mental focus, we may not pay enough attention to new information coming in, so it never makes it into our memory stores. That is one of the main reasons we forget people’s names—even sometimes right after they have introduced themselves. Multitasking can also affect our relationships. If someone checks their e-mail while on the phone with a friend, they may come off as absent-minded or disinterested. It can also cause that person to miss or overlook key information being passed on to them.

39. Why are some mental aerobic exercises designed to engage people in multitasking?

A. To make them more productive.

B. To reduce their stress and anxiety.

C. To develop their communication skills.

D. To help them perform daily tasks more easily.

40. According to Paragraph 2, why may a person suddenly forget who he has called?

A. He may leave his prefrontal cortex temporarily damaged.

B. He is probably interrupted by another task.

C. He is probably not very familiar with the person he has called.

D. He may need a rest between dialing and speaking.

41. People tend to make mistakes when _______.

A. they perform several challenging tasks at a time

B. new messages are processed one after another

C. their relationships with others are affected

D. the tasks require little thought

42. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Multitasking has become a way of life.

B. Multitasking often leads to efficiency decline.

C. Multitasking exercises need to be improved.

D. Multitasking enables people to remember things better.

D

Sitting on the peaceful coast of Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, watching the sun move quietly into the sea, you shouldn’t forget that Charles Darwin (1809—1882) arrived here in 1835. He stayed on the islands for five weeks, observing various animals. This finally inspired (启发) his famous work, On the Origin of Species. You can certainly follow Darwin’s footsteps and enjoy a trip from four to seven days to the islands.

The islands are certainly a paradise (天堂) for wildlife, as there are no natural killers on the islands and the number of boats and visitors is under government control. Though you cannot walk freely as Darwin did about 200 years ago, each day is as impressive as it could be.

The most well-known animals of the Galapagos is the giant tortoise(巨型海龟), which can be seen moving slowly around the highlands of Santa Cruz, the second largest island in the archipelago(群岛). Some of these creatures are so old that they might have been seen in their youth by Darwin himself.

Despite strict control over activities and timing, your stay on the Galapagos will be remembered as a chain of incomparable pictures: diving with sea lions that swim and play within inches of you; feeling small sharks touch your feet as you swim; and, most magically, seeing a whale and her baby surface with a great breath of air.

Travelling between the islands and observing the wildlife that so inspired Darwin, you will feel as though you are getting a special view of an untouched world. At night you will sleep on board the ship, leaving the wildlife in complete occupation of the islands, which are as undisturbed now as they have been since the beginning of time.

43. What do we know about Darwin’s visit to the islands?

A. He studied different creatures on the islands.

B. He completed his famous book on the islands.

C. He was touched by the geography of the islands.

D. He was attracted by well-known animals of the islands.

44. Which of the following plays a role in making the islands “a paradise for wildlife”?

A. Animals on the islands feed on grass.

B. Local government forbids killing wildlife.

C. People cannot visit the islands as they wish.

D. Tourists are not allowed to touch the animals.

45. Your stay on the islands will be most impressive mainly because of .

A. the beautiful sea views B. Darwin’s inspiring trip

C. a closer view of animals D. various daring activities

46. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. A Unique Attraction for Wildlife Lovers

B. Calapagos as a Paradise for Adventures

C. Charles Darwin as a Symbol of Galapagos

D. A successful Example of Wildlife Protection

E

Plants can’t communicate by moving or making sounds, as most animals do. Instead, plants produce volatile compounds, chemicals that easily change from a liquid to a gas. A flower’s sweet smell, for example, comes from volatile compounds that the plant produces to attract insects such as bugs and bees.

Plants can also detect volatile compounds produced by other plants. A tree under attack by hungry insects, for instance, may give off volatile compounds that let other trees know about the attack. In response, the other trees may send off chemicals to keep the bugs away—or even chemicals that attract the bugs’ natural enemies.

Now scientists have created a quick way to understand what plants are saying: a chemical sensor（传感器）called an electronic nose. The “e-nose” can tell compounds that crop plants make when they’re attacked. Scientists say the e-nose could help quickly detect whether plants are being eaten by insects. But today the only way to detect such insects is to visually inspect individual plants. This is a challenging task for managers of greenhouses, enclosed gardens that can house thousands of plants.

The research team worked with an e-nose that recognizes volatile compounds. Inside the device, 13 sensors chemically react with volatile compounds. Based on these interactions, the e-nose gives off electronic signals that the scientists analyze using computer software.

To test the nose, the team presented it with healthy leaves from cucumber, pepper and tomato plants, all common greenhouse crops. Then scientists collected samples of air around damaged leaves from each type of crop. These plants had been damaged by insects, or by scientists who made holes in the leaves with a hole punch(打孔器).

The e-nose, it turns out, could identify healthy cucumber, pepper and tomato plants based on the volatile compounds they produce. It could also identify tomato leaves that had been damaged. But even more impressive, the device could tell which type of damage—by insects or with a hole punch—had been done to the tomato leaves.

With some fine-tuning, a device like the e-nose could one day be used in greenhouses to quickly spot harmful bugs, the researchers say. A device like this could also be used to identify fruits that are perfectly ripe and ready to pick and eat, says Natalia Dudareva, a biochemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. who studies smells of flowers and plants. Hopefully, scientists believe, the device could bring large benefits to greenhouse managers in the near future.

47. We learn from the text that plants communicate with each other by _______.

A. making some sounds B. waving their leaves

C. producing some chemicals D. sending out electronic signals

48. What did the scientists do to find out if the e-nose worked?

A. They presented it with all common crops.

B. They fixed 13 sensors inside the device.

C. They collected different damaged leaves.

D. They made tests on damaged and healthy leaves.

49. According to the writer, the most amazing thing about the e-nose is that it can _______.

A. pick out ripe fruits

B. spot the insects quickly

C. distinguish different damages to the leaves

D. recognize unhealthy tomato leaves

50. We can infer from the last paragraph that the e-nose _______.

A. is unable to tell the smell of flowers

B. is not yet used in greenhouses

C. is designed by scientists at Purdue

D. is helpful in killing harmful insects