A
Something roared like thunder. The earth shook a little and we heard the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire. ‘‘Father! ” Hassan cried. We sprung to our feet and raced out of the living room.
“Father！ What's that sound?”Hassan screamed, his hands outstretched toward Ali. Ali wrapped his arms around us. A white light flashed and lit the sky in silver. It flashed again and was followed by rapid sharp sounds of gunfire.
”They're hunting ducks,” Ali said in a hoarse voice. “They hunt ducks at night, you know. Don't be afraid.”
A siren(汽笛）went off in the distance. Somewhere glass broke and someone shouted. I heard people on the street, awakened from sleep. Hassan was crying. Ali pulled him close and held him with tenderness.
We stayed huddled (蜷缩）that way until the early hours of the morning. The shootings and explosions had lasted less than an hour, but they had frightened us badly, because none of us had ever heard gunshots in the streets. They were foreign sounds to us then. The generations of Afghan children whose ears would know nothing but the sounds of the bombs and gunfire were not yet born. Huddled together in the dining room and waiting for the sun to rise，none of us had any idea that a way of life had ended. The end came when Russian tanks were rolling into the very same streets where Hassan and I played，bringing the death of the Afghanistan I knew and marking the start of a still ongoing era of bloodletting.
Just before thesunrise, Baba's car pulled into the driveway. His door slammed shut and his running footsteps pounded the stairs. Then he appeared in the doorway and I saw something on his face. Something I didn't recognize right away because I'd never seen it before: fear. “Amir! Hassan ! ” He cried as he ran to us, opening his arms wide. “They blocked all the roads and the telephone didn't work. I was so worried! ”
We let him wrap us in his arms and, for a brief moment, I was glad about whatever had happened that night.
51. Who is the author of this passage?
A. Hassan. B. Ali. C. Baba. D. Amir.
52. By saying “ They're hunting ducks", Ali _______.
A. told the children the truth B. tried to calm the children
C. played a joke on the children D. cheered the children up
53. We can infer from the passage that _______.
A. there were thunderstorms that night
B. Afghan children were used to the war
C. that night was the end of people's peaceful life
D. people on the street shouted and broke the windows
54. From the last sentence of the passage, we know _______.
A. the author was glad to see his father come home safe
B. there was a chance that a world in peace was to come
C. what happened that night seemed nothing to the author
D. Baba's arms gave the author temporary comfort and joy
B
The speaker, a teacher from a community college, addressed a sympathetic audience. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, “High school English teachers are not doing their jobs.” He described the inadequacies of his students, all high school graduates who can use language only at a grade 9 level. I was unable to determine from his answers to my questions how this grade 9 level had been established.
My topic is not standards nor its decline. What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like a mature adult.
My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following it is inevitable. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies (缺陷). But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack.
The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years, they assume the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of sensitive adults the language of the young always seems inadequate.
Since this concern about the decline and fall of the English language is not perceived as a generational phenomenon but rather as something new and peculiar to today’s young people, it naturally follows that today’s English teachers cannot be doing their jobs. Otherwise, young people would not commit offenses against the language.
55. The speaker the author mentioned in the passage believed that ________.
A. the language of the younger generation is usually inferior to that of the older generation
B. the students had a poor command of English because they didn’t work hard enough
C. he was an excellent language teacher because he had been teaching English for sixteen years
D. English teachers should be held responsible for the students’ poor command of English
56. In the author’s opinion, the speaker ________.
A. gave a correct judgment of the English level of the students
B. had exaggerated the language problems of the students
C. was right in saying that English teachers were not doing their jobs
D. could think and speak intelligently
57. The author’s attitude towards the speaker’s remarks is ________.
A. neutral B. positive C. critical D. compromising
58. In the passage the author argues that ________.
A. it is unfair to blame the English teachers for the language deficiencies of the students
B. young people would not commit offences against the language if the teachers did their jobs properly
C. to eliminate language deficiencies one must have sensitive eyes and ears
D. to improve the standard of English requires the effort of several generations
C
For millions of Facebook users, choosing which photo to use for an online profile is an important decision. According to a study by researchers at the UT Dallas Center, the photos we select may reflect individual preferences, but they also appear to reflect more deeply rooted, unconscious cultural differences. Previous research has shown that culture can affect not only language and custom, but also how we experience the world and process information. Western cultures，for example，condition people to think of themselves as highly independent entities (实 体)，whereas East Asian cultures stress collectivism and interdependence.
Dr. Denise Park, co-director of the Center at UT Dallas, and former graduate student Dr. ChihMao Huang of the University of Illinois, were curious about whether these patterns of cultural influence extend to cyberspace. In a paper published in the International Journal of Psychology, they examined the profile photographs of more than 500 active Facebook users from the United States and East Asia. Overall, they found that profile photos of Americans are more likely to focus on the individual's face，while the profiles of East Asians tend to less emphasize the face and include more background features. Americans also show greater smile intensity compared to East Asian Facebook users.
The findings show marked cultural differences in the focus of attention among East Asian and American Facebook users. Moreover, they echo previous research on cultural influences on visual perception(感知），attention, and reasoning in the offline world.
“We believe these findings relate to a cultural bias to be more individualistic and independent in the US and more communal and interdependent in Asia，，，said Park.
The research also found that cultural influences over our self-presentation online can shift over time and from place to place. In one of the study samples, Americans studying in Japan and Japanese studying in the US both showed a tendency to adjust their profile photos to the general preferences of their host country.
“ Facebook constitutes an extended social context in which personal profiles mirror various individual characteristics，private thoughts，and social behaviors，” noted Huang. “ As such，the study presents a new approach to investigate cognition and behaviors across cultures by using Facebook as a data collection platform. ”
59. The underlined word ‘‘condition” in the first paragraph probably means _______.
A. advise B. instruct C. shape D. forbid
60. We can know from the passage that Mongolians probably emphasize .
A. cultural influences B. social behaviors
C. independent existence D. collective power
61. It can be inferred that a Korean studying in the US is likely to _______.
A. use a picture of his face on Facebook. B. adjust to American preferences quickly
C. change his profile photos from time to timeD. put up a photo of his apartment on Facebook
62. According to Dr. Huang, Facebook can help to _______.
A. make up a more extended social context.
B. study the diversity of worldwide cultures
C. promote communication between east and west.
D. combine different cultures from different aspects
D
Do you want to love what you do for a living? Follow your passion. This piece of advice provides the foundation for modern thinking on career satisfaction. But this can be a problem.
I've spent the past several years researching and writing about the different strategies we use to seek happiness in our work. It became clear early in the process that the suggestion to “follow your passion" was flawed, for it lacks scientific evidence. However, it doesn't mean you should abandon the goal of feeling passionate about your work. The reality emphasizes that things are quite complicated.
Passion is earned. Different people are looking for different things in their work, but generally, people with satisfying careers enjoy some combination of the following features: autonomy, respect, competence, creativity, and a sense of impact. In other words, if you want to feel passionate about your livelihood，don't seek the perfect job，but seek to get more of these features in the job you already have.
Passion is elusive (难捉摸的）.Many people develop the rare and valuable skills leading to passion , but still end up unhappy in their work. The problem is that the features leading you to love your work are more likely to be useful to you than your organization. As you become increasingly ‘‘valuable”, for example, your boss might push you toward traditional promotions that come with more pay and more responsibility, as this is what is most useful to your company. However, you might find more passion by applying your value to gain autonomy in your schedule or project selection.
Passion is dangerous. I've watched too many of my peers fall into anxiety and chronic job- hopping due to the ‘‘follow your passion” advice. The issue is expectations. If you believe we all have a pre-existing passion，and that matching it to a job will lead to instant workplace happiness， reality will always pale in comparison.
Work is hard. Not every day is fun. If you're seeking a dream job, you'll end up frustrated, again and again. Don't set out to discover passion. Instead, set out to develop it. This path might be longer and more complicated than what most cheerful career guides might advocate，but it's a path much more likely to lead you somewhere worth going.
63. People satisfied with their careers are _______.
A. autonomous and passionate B. creative and competent
C. respectable and sensitive D. creative and passionate
64. What is the author's advice on achieving career satisfaction?
A. Developing passion for what one is doing.
B. Matching the pre-existing passion to one's work.
C. Figuring out early what one will do in the future.
D. Discovering skills that lead to interesting careers.
65. The underlined sentence in Para. 5 probably means that _______.
A. it is not easy to match our passion with our jobs
B. we shouldn't think everyone has a pre-existing passion
C. high expectations of passion in jobs bring disappointment
D. workplace happiness does not require a pre-existing passion
66. What's the author's attitude towards the advice of ”following your passion”？
A. Ambiguous. B. Supportive. C. Cautious. D. Disapproving.
E
Ridgewood is a small, quiet town 20 miles from Manhattan. It is a typical suburban town, perfect for raising children away from the fast pace of the city. However, some Ridgewood kids feel as upset as if they were on the city’s busy streets. In addition to hours of homework, Ridgewood’s children are occupied with afterschool activities-- from swimming to piano to religious classes.
Out of desperation one day, the town decided to schedule another activity. This one was called “Ridgewood Family Night -- Ready, Set, Relax!” Instead of schedules filled with sports, music, or overtime at the office, some of the town’s 25,000 residents decided to take the night off and stay home. For a few months before Family Night, a committee of volunteers worked hard to spread the word. Younger students took “Save the Date for Me” leaflets home to their parents. The mayor issued a statement, and schools and clubs agreed to cancel homework and meetings so families could relax and be together.
The tension between a hope for a more relaxed lifestyle and the knowledge that the benchmark for success has been raised in recent years weighs heavily on the minds of the townspeople. Some parents like to recall a different kind of childhood, one without so many scheduled afterschool activities. However, these same parents feel obliged to make sure their children are prepared to survive in today’s high-pressure work environment. They are afraid that any gap in their children’s physical or intellectual development might mean they won’t be admitted to the “right” universities and won’t succeed in a more and more competitive world.
Nevertheless, it seems that Family Night worked, at least to a point. Cars moved easily around Ridgewood’s normally busy downtown streets, and stores and restaurants saw a drop in business. Some families ate supper together for the first time in months.
Initially, there was great hope of taking back their lives. But sadly, few families believe that one night will change their lives. Many are sure that they will fall back into the habit of over-scheduling their children to be overachieving adults.
67.???The writer describes Ridgewood as a town where ________.
A. residents take little notice of education???
B. children are stressful and over expected
C. parents are concerned about children’s safety
D. children lead a life of relaxed, ordinary rhythms
68.???According to the passage, which of the following is?NOT?true about the Family Night?
???????A. Schools assigned no homework.??????B. Fewer people ate in the restaurants.
???????C. The streets were less crowded.?????????D. People enjoyed meeting each other.
69.???According to the passage, the parents in Ridgewood ________.
A. have conflicting desires about what experiences to offer their children
B. are happy with the lifestyle they have chosen for themselves and the children
C. believe that it is their duty to make a change for the stressful life style
D. are worried about their children’s lacking of big ambition
70.???We may get the conclusion from the passage that ________.
???????A. the concept of Family Night will become a regular part of life in Ridgewood
???????B. Ridgewood people believe the Family Night will change their way of living
???????C. Family Night is not as popular as people have originally thought
???????D. schools are worried about students being given too much free time
2013年高考英语冲刺综合练习2
第二部分：词汇知识运用（共两节，满分30分）
第一节：多项选择（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
从A、B、C、D四 个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
21. He lacked the ______ to pursue the difficult task to the very end, so he didn’t succeed.
A. priority B. commitment C. engagement D. distinction
22. There are times when a play became highly successful, even though most of the critics panned（抨击）it without ______.
A．mercy B．assumption C．reflection D．hesitation
23. The Double Ninth Festival ______ on October 26 this year, and it is the day for the young to show respect for the old.
A. crowds B. flashes C. falls D. reckons
24. Having tried all the possible means but in vain, the doctor in charge had to ______ the patient to a specialist.
A. refer B. attend C. conduct D. recommend
25. Facing the serious situation caused by H7N9 Flu, the government doesn’t ______ and takes effective measures to fight against it.
A. step down B. let off C. get around D. hold back
26. At the beginning of this term, our history professor ______ a list of books for us to read.
A. made out B. figured out C. cut out D. sorted out
27. As with holding sand in the hand, the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too ______, and the best way to keep it is to give it wings.
A. casually B. deliberately C. tightly D. fiercely
28. Excuse me, Mr. Smith, but this matter needs ______ treatment, and it’s hoped that you’ll see to it immediately.
A. cautious B. universal C. potential D. urgent
29. He is satisfied with the schedule and facilities in the private school, but what attracts him most is the ______ fees.
A. slight B. modest C. awesome D. diverse
30. Hearing the fire alarm, she escaped ______ from the office, leaving everything behind, including those important documents.
A. in private B. in panic C. in case D. in advance
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，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When you ask someone what is the opposite of love, most people will say hate．Both of these words suggest a deep 31 , so it makes sense that most people would believe this to be 32 . But the opposite of love is indifference．
Loving and hating both 33 a lot of energy. The difference is that when you love someone, your heart is 34 to loving more, and ignoring more of the flaws of others．But when you hate someone, you will think 35 of him．
When you are 36 a terrible experience, you may hate the person who does this terrible thing to you． 37 the incident is over, a person is usually able to 38 the feeling that has been leading to his thoughts and emotions.
Most people can 39 being hated by someone more easily than being 40 by that person. If you want to get someone's 41 , try ignoring him．It often produces such anger and frustration that he will behave 42 and unkindly.
It is always amazing to see the 43 of someone who has been ignoring the letters for a debt. He is usually 44 when his account is turned over and he is taken to court for money owed. He is even angrier 45 he discovers that his bill case has been reported．If you are in that 46 , I think it's better to let others know that you haven't forgotten what you 47 but you are trying to get the money to pay it.
I have had many occasions to 48 that theory in action. I discovered that it takes a lot of energy to love or hate, but it takes almost no energy to be 49 . On the other hand, indifference can 50 fierce emotions in others even though they are not offended．
31．A． emotion B．thought C．impression D．belief
32．A． false B．important C．true D．genuine
33．A． waste B．take C．receive D．cost
34．A． parallel B．equal C．close D．open
35．A． everything B．nothing C．anything D．something
36．A． taking down B．getting over C．going through D．living through
37．A． Before B．Once C．After D．Unless
38．A． spread B．hide C．share D．release
39．A． handle B．enjoy C．forbid D．stop
40．A． blocked B．loved C．ignored D．fooled
41．A． mind B．attention C．sight D．help
42．A． hatefully B．helpfully C．harmfully D．usefully
43．A． expression B．change C．behavior D．reaction
44．A． satisfied B．shocked C．interested D．excited
45．A． how B．that C．when D．what
46．A． situation B．state C．condition D．matter
47．A． gain B．doubt C．owe D．pay
48．A． observe B．explore C．check D．test
49．A． safe B．indifferent C．peaceful D．inactive
50．A． control B．overcome C．reduce D．produce
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从没篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
When I was an education official in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our school board，wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly’s son，Jim，had great difficulty in school．He was classified as the educationally disabled and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room．His parents knew his academic difficulties, but always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride．Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother sent this letter to the newspaper．
Today we buried our 20-year-old son．He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time．If I had only known, I would have said, “Jim, I love you and I’m very proud of you．”
I would have taken time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of the many who loved him．I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile，the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people.
When you put all the good qualities on the scale and try to balance all the irritating phenomena such as the radio which was always too loud, the haircut that wasn't to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc，your angry feelings won’t amount to much.
I won’t get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, you do have a chance．Tell your young people what you would want them to hear if you knew it would be your last conversation．The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died．He called me to say, “Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work，Bye.” He gave me something to treasure. forever．
If there is any purpose at all for Jim's death, maybe it is to make others appreciate more of life and to have people, especially members, take the time to let each other know just how much we care.
You may never have another chance.
51. According to the passage, we know that ______.
A. Jim was always ashamed of himself B. Jim did very well in his studies
C. Jim’s parents were patient with him D. Jim failed to finish his high school
52. The underlined word “irritating” in paragraph 4 most probably means ______.
A. annoying B. aggressive C. impatient D. surprising
53. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A. Love Your Family B. Do It Today
C. Walk with Pride D. Appreciate Smiles
54. By writing the letter printed in the Palo Alto Times, the author intends to ______.
A. mourn her son’s sudden death in a traffic accident
B. remind people to be cautious of motorcycles
C. tell parents to take better care of their children
D. suggest people taking the chance to express their love in time
B
There is no doubt that Apple is well aware of the increased competition in the market and could be in a hurry to put another device out there, said Ramon Llamas, senior research analyst at IDC Mobile Devices Technology and Trends. Given its history with product launches and business policy, though, Apple probably isn’t going to rush an iPhone release simply to put it on shelves, he said.
“If you’re Tim Cook (CEO of Apple), you’re thinking if you want to pay more attention to how to keep growing that bottom line and keep investors happy, or continue with the same approach from Apple, which is do what we can do and manage products and releases in the best way they can work for us. Apple usually does things in their own time, and I’m having a hard time buying this May or June timeline.” Llamas told Mac News World.
While it’s probable that Apple is definitely in a testing stage for its next smartphone, consumers likely have a standard wait for the finished product, said Colin Gibbs, analyst at GigaOm Pro.
“It typically takes a year or longer to create a state-of-the-art smartphone, so no one should be surprised Apple is in the testing stages with the next iPhone. And while it’s possible that Apple could launch the next iPhone this spring or summer, I’m not expecting to see it until a little later in the year,” he told Mac News World.
When it does launch, though, it could be in a variety of colors, said Gibbs. “Apple has already tested the waters with releasing colored devices when it revamped (更新，翻新）its iPod line last fall, so it’s not too much of a stretch to believe it would want the new twist with its smartphone, as well”.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the new iPhone becomes available in some new colors,’’ he said. “That could be done pretty cheaply, and it would give Apple a new marketing angle.”
55. According to Ramon Llamas, Apple always ______.
A. tries to please its investors B. does things as planned
C. ignores the fierce market competition D. rushes to put new products to market
56. As for the next iPhone, Colin Gibbs didn’t mention ______.
A. the stage of its being tested B. the rough time of its being released
C. the wide variety of its color D. the function to be improved
57. What’s Colin Gibbs’ attitude towards the next iPhone?
A. Disapproving. B. Casual. C. Objective. D. Doubtful.
58. This passage is presented in the form of ______.
A. stories B. comments C. advertisements D. debates
C
How do you know if your home is an easy aim for thefts? Around the holidays, many families don’t consider taking proper measures to prevent their homes from suffering holiday thefts． With just a few simple steps, you can better make sure of the safety of your home during all of the holiday celebrations．Here are a few tips for making it difficult to tell you are away from home．
●Either have a trusted neighbor pick up your mail and newspapers, or tell your mailperson to hold your mail until you return．Nothing says “Hey, we are not home!” like when your postbox is filled with all kinds of mails and you have many different newspapers in your driveway．
● Set several different lights in your house on random timers．Don’t leave your outdoor lights on all the time．Instead， put your outside light on timers to be on during the nights． If an outdoor light remains on for days at a time, it means that nobody is home to turn it off．
● If you have pets that you are not taking with you on vacation, leave them with friend, rather than having someone come into your house every day to take care of them, When thefts see a neighbor or friend entering your house every day, they will know you are not home．
● Close all your curtains when you leave town．This is effective to deter possible thefts, as no one can see what is in your house．If they don't know what there is to take, then the risk is even greater for them to break in．
●This article just has suggested a few tips to help you keep your house safe on holiday．Nothing can truly protect your home unless you have it monitored by a professional home security system．
59. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. To let the outdoor lights on all the time．
B. To tell us how to prevent the thefts around the holidays．
C. To tell us many families suffering from the thefts while they are on holiday．
D. To tell us to have our neighbor go to our house to take care of our pets．
60. If you are on holiday in other places, the lights in your house should ______.
A. be turned on only once a day B. be kept on all the night
C. be replaced by random timers D. be lit in an irregular way
61. To make your home well protected, what does the writer advise you to do?
A. Equip your home with security system．
B. Stop your mail service at once．
C. Turn to your close neighbors or friends．
D. Have all the curtains closed．
62. Most of the tips mentioned in the text seem to ______．
A. be very popular with families
B. have no effect on preventing thefts
C. be a little hard to be brought into effect
D. give a false impression on thefts
D
FDA proposed the most sweeping food safety rules in decades, requiring farmers and food companies to be more cautious in the wake of deadly outbreaks in peanuts, cantaloupe，and leafy greens.
The long-overdue regulations are aimed at reducing the estimated 3,000 deaths a year from food illness. Just since last summer, outbreaks of listeria (李氏杆菌)in cheese and salmonella (沙门氏菌)in peanut butter, cantaloupe and mangoes have been linked to more than 400 illnesses and as many as seven deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The actual number of those sickened is likely much higher.
The FDA’s proposed rules would require farmers to take new precautions against contamination (污染), to include making sure workers’ hands are washed, irrigation water is clean, and that animals stay out of fields. Food manufacturers will have to submit food safety plans to the government to show they are keeping their operations clean.
Many responsible food companies and farmers are already following the steps that the FDA would now require them to take. But officials say the requirements could have saved lives and prevented illnesses in some of the large-scale outbreaks that have hit the country in recent years.
In a 2011 outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe that claimed 33 lives, for example, FDA inspectors found pools of dirty water on the floor and old, dirty processing equipment at the Colorado farm where the cantaloupes were grown. In a peanut butter outbreak this year linked to 42 salmonella illnesses, inspectors found samples of salmonella throughout a New Mexico peanut processing plant and multiple obvious safety problems，such as birds flying over uncovered trucks of peanuts and employees not washing their hands.
Under the new rules, companies would have to lay out plans for preventing those sorts of problems and how they would correct them.
“The rules go very directly to preventing the types of outbreaks we have seen”，said Michael Taylor, FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods.
63. The main task of FDA is probably ______.
A. to protect and promote the public health B. to help those sickened recover
C. to research on food safety measures D. to deal with water pollution
64. According to the passage, the new rules focus on ______.
A. inspecting the whole process of food production
B. improving food processing equipment on farms
C. preventing water pollution in food production
D. urging food companies to lay out plans
65. What does the word “they” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Inspectors. B. Farmers. C. Manufacturers. D. Workers.
66. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The new regulations should have come into practice earlier.
B. The 2011 outbreak of listeria is the most serious ever.
C. Farmers and food companies are strongly against the new rules.
D. Colorado and New Mexico are worst hit by food pollution.
E
In 2010, as food prices were peaking for the second time in three years; governments, international agencies and non-government organizations blared out a new and powerful fact: there were a billion hungry people in the world and this, they said, in a period of plenty, was a disgrace. The United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which had estimated the figure in an annual report, even had the words“one billion hungry”hung in letters 50 feet high outside its headquarters building in Rome. The number of hungry people in the world is indeed a disgrace. But there was one problem with the precise figure：it was completely bogus（假的）．This week, in its 2012 report on the state of food insecurity in the world, the FAO quietly revised it down to 868 million and got rid of the peak in the numbers that had supposedly occurred in 2008-10.
The charts above show the new estimates (left hand panel) compared with those for 2010 (right hand panel). Detailed comparisons are complicated by the fact that many of the plots are for slightly different periods. But the big change is clear: instead of a sharp rise and fall in 2008-10, tracking the world food-price spike, the number of hungry people in 2012 chart stayed stable throughout the 2000s.
The estimates have significant implications. The world is not doing quite such a bad job of feeding itself as many people fear. At the moment, food prices are rising again for the third time in five years, leading to renewed worries about a food crisis and to demands for strong intervention（干预）in world food markets. The new figures suggest the worries may be overdone and so are the demands that accompany them. Social protection measures seem to work. A simple measure of how well the world is doing is the first millennium (千年）development goal, which calls for halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger between 1990 and 2015, i.e. from 23% in 1990 to 11.5% in 2015. The proportion now is 14.9%, only slightly above target.
67. What does the word “disgrace” most probably mean in the passage?
A. Something extremely sad but not man-made.
B. Something unexpected or unnatural.
C. Something lucky, but not normally possible.
D. Something dishonorable or shameful.
68. What can we learn from the chart of the 2012 report?
A. An increasing number of people suffered from hunger throughout the 2000s.
B. In 2009, more than one billion people were going hungry globally.
C. In 2011, 868 million people suffered from hunger in the world.
D. There was a sharp rise and fall in the number of hungry people in recent years.
69. By mentioning the first millennium development goal, the author indicates that ______.
A. world food markets need strong intervention to avoid food crisis
B. the world is doing a relatively good job in feeding itself
C. half of the people in the world won’t suffer from hunger by 2015
D. the goal itself will end up with a more serious situation
70. What is the main purpose of this passage?
A. To warn the world of the seriousness of global hunger.
B. To clarify whether world hunger is so serious as to be out of control.
C. To compare FAO’s 2010 and 2012 world hunger reports.
D. To analyze the situation of world hunger in different periods.
第四部分：书面表达（共两节，满分50分）
第一节：完成句子（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
阅读下列各小题，根据括号内的汉语提示，用句末括号内的英语单词完成句子，并将答案写在答题卡上的相应题号后。
71. You ____________________ alcohol again, I will permit you to learn to drive and buy a car for you later. (promise)
如果你保证不再饮酒，我将允许你学习驾驶，并且晚些时候给你买一辆车。
72. I think it is unfair ____________________ the driver, whose car went out of order somehow at the moment. (blame)
我认为把事故归咎于那个司机是不公平的，他的车当时莫名其妙地出了故障。
73. Shortly after new models are released, many consumers ____________________ upgrade their electronic devices. (urge)
新品刚发布不久，很多顾客便迫不及待地要更新他们的电子设备。
74. It’s not difficult to improve your reading skill. ____________________ is plenty of practice using the right technique. (take)
提高阅读能力并不难，所需的只是运用恰当的技巧进行大量练习。
75. The boy is always chatting with other students around him. I’d rather he ____________________ my lecture. (attend)
那个男孩老是和周围的同学聊天。我宁愿他没有来听我的讲座。
76. ____________________ Gangnam Style that many people all over the world are fascinated by it. (popular)
《江南Style》如此受欢迎，以至于全世界的人都被它迷住了。
77. Always ____________________ the job in hand, and you’ll finish it soon. (apply)
专心做手头的工作，你就能很快完成它。
78. I could have come to attend your wedding ceremony, but your invitation ____________________ in time. (reach)
我本来能参加你的婚礼的，但是你的请柬没有及时送给我。
79. With no better way ____________________ and love, it’s easy to see why everyone turns to flower shops on Mother’s Day. (appreciation)
由于没有更好的方法来表达感激和爱，不难理解为什么大家在母亲节这天会去花店。
80. The deaf dancers think that dancing is an activity ____________________ more than hearing. (matter)
耳聋的舞者认为，舞蹈这个活动，视觉比听觉更重要。
第二节：书面表达 (满分30分）
目前有部分髙中生与父母、老师缺乏必要的沟通，不能相互理解。请你针对这一现象， 以“Mutual (相互的）Understanding”为题，写一篇120 词的英语短文。短文应包含以下内容：
1. 说明相互理解的重要性；
2. 分析不能相互理解的原因；
3. 提出解决这一问题的方法。
Mutual Understanding
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