Unlike the widely attended Summer Olympics, the Winter Games are almost a collection of wealthy athletes and nations. In fact, I’d suggest that the name of the Winter Games be changed. They could be more accurately branded the “The European and North American Expensive Sports Festival.”

Until as recently as 1994, fewer than a third of the planet’s countries took part. This year, in Turin, Italy, only 43 percent of the world’s total countries. Ethiopia, a nation of 73 million, will send its first “team” to a Winter Olympics this year – a single skier.

As always, the biggest teams, and the big winners, will come from a familiar pool. In the history of the winter competition, dating from its beginning in 1924, competitors from only six countries—including Norway, the United States, Austria and Finland, have won almost two-thirds of all the medals awarded. By contrast, the all-time list of summer winners is long and deep, extending to athletes from 143 countries.

It’s not just the presence or absence of snow and ice that determines Winter Olympics success, or even participation(參與). If it were, some of America’s best ice skaters and speedskaters wouldn’t live and train in Southern California or Florida. If it were, athletes from countries like Peru, Chile, Nepal, Morocco, Afghanistan and Ethiopia – all with snow-covered mountains—would be fighting for the medals.

Instead, the more telling factors are economic. Would-be Winter Olympians need years of training, coaching and competition. Most nations, even those with plenty of snow and cold, simply can’t afford the equipment.

Unlike the Winter Games, the Summer Olympics level many of the advantages of national wealth, as well as favorable geography and climate. Athletes from the poorest African and Caribbean nations have developed into some of the world’s greatest athletes with little cost.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the fonder of the modern Olympics, recognized some of the global sporting unfairness more than a century ago. De Coubertin objected to the creation of a separate Winter Olympics for many years, dismissing winter sports in 1921 as “the play of the rich.”

66．We can infer that athletes in the Winter Olympics mainly come from ____________.

A．South America and North Europe           B．Norway and America

C．Norway, Finland and Australia             D．Europe and North America

67．The underlined word “extending” is close in meaning to _________.

A．to spread        B．to conclude     C．to offer            D．to award

68．Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?

A．The participation rate of the Winter Olympics is far less than 50%.

B．The host country of the recent Winter Olympic Games is Turin.

C．The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924.

D．Winners of the Summer Olympics come from almost everywhere.

69．We can infer that____________

A．Some athletes of the Winter Olympics from USA are trained in warm states.

B．It doesn’t snow in Peru, Chile, Nepal, Morocco, Afghanistan or Ethiopia.

C．Games in the Summer Olympics cost the participants a lot of money.

D．Baron Pierre de Coubertin was the founder of the Winter Olympics.

70．The best title for the passage would be _________.

A．The Unfair Winter Olympic Games       

B．Where Have the Gold Medals Gone?

C．The Winter Olympics -- the Rich Meet to Compete   

D．Do We Need So Many Olympics?

It was a late Wednesday night when the dreading phone call reached our home. I sat up, so I could hear the phone call better. To my surprise, I heard my mom burst into tears. “Get the car Dean! Andrea has been in a car accident.”

We ran every stop sign on the way to the hospital and our tires screeched around every corner. We got to the hospital, but were not allowed to see Andrea. The next morning, after wearing masks, we were allowed to go to the ICU to see Andrea. Well, the least I could say was that everything was injured in her body and she lost all of her memories. It was a fatal accident.

Over the next two months, I lived more at the hospital than I did at my house. I watched as Andrea worked so hard to gain back everyday motor skills. She never once complained or pitied herself, her determined spirit was shining through. After two weeks in the ICU and two months of the regular hospital treatment, Andrea was able to come home. She missed several months of school, so it was hard for her to catch up. Andrea had tasks to accomplish, and no matter how hard it was, she stuck with them until the job was done. Though busy with dealing with pain and therapy, she always found time to love and play with me.

I’ll never forget the impact that this incident made on my life. I admire her strong-willed personality and her determined spirit. Today she is perfectly normal, despite the scars and the pins holding her leg in place. I couldn’t ask for a better sister, hero, or best friend.

61．The writer sat up to hear the call because he _______

A．sensed that something terrible had happened.

B．might be very concerned about who phoned so late.

C．wanted to scold the people who phoned so late.

D．was not sure whether the telephone concerned him.

62．From the underlined sentence in the second paragraph, we can infer that _______

A．the family did not obey the traffic rules.

B．the writer’s father was not good at driving.

C．the whole family were too anxious to see Andrea.

D．their house was very far from the hospital.

63．__________ mainly made the writer’s sister recover from the car accident.

A．The family’s encouragement               B．Andrea’s strong will

C．The treatment                                      D．The eagerness for study

64．During the treatment, Andrea _______

A．had to give up all her studies          B．stopped playing with the writer.

C．refused to be accompanied.          D．showed unbelievable strength.

65．What would be the best title for the passage?__________

A．A Miracle Happening to my sister

B．My Sister---- the Hero in My Life

C．An Accident Which Changed My Sister

D．An Incident Which Influenced Me Much.

How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments---mostly for entertainment purposes --- is fair and respectful?

Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely and far from their natural homes.

Zoo claims to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leaves zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behaviour, intelligence, or beauty. Zoo keeps animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range. The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.

The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.

Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered. Captive breeding (圈養(yǎng)繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and another species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?

Actually, we still save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.

56．How would the author describe the animals’ life in Zoos?

A．Dangerous　　 B．Unhappy　　 C．Natural　　 D．Easy

57．In the state of zoochosis, animals _______________.

A．remain in cages　　　 B．behave strangely

C．a(chǎn)ttack other animals　 D．enjoy moving around

58．According to the passage what point of view does the author hold?

A．Zoos are not worth the public support.

B．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals.

C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings.

D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment.

59．The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by________.

A．pointing out the faults in what zoos do

B．using evidence he has collected at zoos

C．exploring the way animals are protected

D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats

60．Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that___________.

A．zoos have to keep animals in small spaces

B．most animals in zoos are endangered species

C．some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos

D．it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats

閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從41—55各題所給的A、B、C和D項中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

In the year I was about twelve years old, my mother told us that we would not be __41_____ Christmas gifts for short of money. I felt sad and thought, “What would I say when the other kids asked what I’d __42_______?” Then three women ___43_____ at our house with gifts for all of us. For me they brought a doll. I would no longer have to feel___44____ when I returned to school.

Years later, when I stood in the kitchen of my new house, thinking how I wanted to make my __45___ Christmas there special and memorable, I ___46_______ remembered the women’s visit. I decided that I wanted to create that same feeling of __47_____ for as many children as I could possibly ___48_____.

So I ___49____ a plan and gathered forty people from my company to help. We gathered about 125 orphans (孤兒) at the Christmas party. For every child, we wrapped colorful packages filled with toys, clothes, and school supplies, each with a child’s name. We wanted all of them to know they were ___50______. Before I called out their names and handed them their gifts, I ___51____ them that they couldn’t open their presents until every child had come forward. Finally the __52___ they had been waiting for came as I called out, “One, two, three. Open your presents!” As the children opened their packages, their faces beamed and their bright smiles __53____ up the room. The ___54___ in the room was obvious, and it wasn’t just about toys. It was a feeling – the feeling I knew from the Christmas so long ago when the women came to visit. I haven’t forgotten. Somebody thought of me.  I ___55_____.

41．A．sending                 B．receiving               C．making                 D．exchanging

42．A．got                       B．prepared              C．found                  D．expected

43．A．broke in                B．settled down         C．showed off         D．turned up

44．A．embarrassed          B．puzzled                  C．frightened              D．relieved

45．A．present                 B．first                      C．resent                  D．past

46．A．hardly                  B．regularly                C．immediately         D．truly

47．A．strength                       B．independence        C．importance            D．safety

48．A．know                   B．mention                C．remember          D．reach

49．A．kept up with         B．caught up with      C．came up with       D．put up with

50．A．fine                      B．special                  C．Helpful                 D．normal

51．A．reminded             B．guaranteed            C．convinced          D．promised

52．A．chance                        B．gift                      C．moment             D．reward

53．A．lit                       B．took                    C．burned                 D．cheered

54．A．warmth                B．a(chǎn)ppreciation          C．calmness            D．joy

55．A．matter                   B．wonder                 C．doubt                  D．suppose

  閱讀下面短文，按照句子結構的語法性和上下文連貫的要求，在空格處填入一個適當?shù)脑~或使用括號中詞語的正確形式填空，并將答案填寫在答題卷標號為31～40的相應位置上。

Long ago the Emperor decided to hold a swimming race between 13 different animals. The order in which they finished would decide the order of their   31   (appear) in the Chinese calendar. All the animals lined up on the river bank and   32   (give) the task of getting to the opposite shore. The cat wondered how he would get across   33   he was afraid of water. The ox worried how he would cross   34   his poor eyesight. The calculating rat suggested that he and the cat   35   (jump) onto the ox's back and guide him across. The ox, steady and hard-working, did not notice the two animals on his back. In the meanwhile, the rat ran behind the unsuspecting cat and pushed   36   into the water. As the ox came ashore, the rat jumped off and finished the race first.   37   the rat got the first year   38   (name) after him and the ox got the second year.   39   the lazy pig reached the finish line in 12^th place the race was over and he was awarded the final place on the calendar. From that day the cat,   40   never finished and lost his place on the calendar, became the enemy of the rat. 

We could have been here in time. But our car ______ halfway, so it is not our intention to keep you waiting here for so long.

A．broke up          B．broke into    C．broke down              D．broke out

China has been developing rapidly since its foundation, but as is known to us, she is still a country _______________ the Third World.

A．belongs to    B．belonged to    C．belonging to    D．to belong to

These two pairs of shoes are the same ________ size, and they are _______ the same quality. In addition, you can pay either _____ cash or ______ cheque.（支票）

A．in; of; in; by   B．in; on; in; with       C．of; of; by; in   D．on; in; with; through 

Never before ________ such a difficult time, and nor ________.

A．we have experienced; they have   B．have we experienced; have they  

C．did we experience; they did           D．we had experienced; had they

I feel so grateful for your selfless help, ______ I would not have become _______ I am today.

A．with which; which                      B．without which; who  

C．without which; what                 D．with which; that