2014年高考阅读理解题选读

薛晓星+罗丽雯+朱咏梅+董秋芳+刘会平+舒清海

（全国卷A篇） Arriving in Sydney on his own from India，my husband，Rashid，stayed in a hotel for a short time while looking for a house for me and our children.

During the first week of stay，he went out one day to do some shopping. He came back in the late afternoon to discover that his suitcase was gone. He was extremely worried as the suitcase had all his important papers，including his passport.

He reported the case to the police and then sat there，lost and lonely in a strange city，thinking of the terrible troubles of getting all the paperwork organized again from a distant country while trying to settle down in a new one.

Late in the evening，the phone rang. It was a stranger. He was trying to pronounce my husbands name and was asking him a lot of questions. Then he said they had found a pile of papers in their trash can（垃圾桶） that had been left out on the footpath.

My husband rushed to their home to find a kind family holding all his papers and documents. Their young daughter had gone to the trash can and found a pile of unfamiliar papers. Her parents had carefully sorted them out，although they had found mainly foreign addresses on most of the documents. At last they had seen a half-written letter in the pile in which my husband had given his new telephone number to a friend.

That family not only restored the important documents to us that day but also restored our faith and trust in people. We still remember their kindness and often send a warm with their way.

1. What did Rashid plan to do after his arrival in Sydney？

A. Go shopping. B. Find a house.

C. Join his family. D. Take his family.

2. The girls parents got Rashids phone number from __________.

A. a friend of his family B. a Sydney policeman

C. a letter in his papers D. a stranger in Sydney

3. What does the underlined word “restored” in the last paragraph mean？

A. showed B. sent out C. delivered D. gave back

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text？

A. From India to Australia B. Living in a New Country

C. Turning Trash to Treasure D. In Search of New Friends

5. We can infer from the passage that__________.

A. Rashid arrived in Sydney with his wife and daughter.

B. Rashid lost his suitcase when he was looking for a house.

C. It was the policemen who helped Rashid find the suitcase finally.

D. It is not easy for the strangers family to find Rashids phone numberendprint

（陕西卷B篇） When I told my father that I was moving to Des Moines，Iowa，he told me about the only time he had been there. It was in the 1930s，when he was an editor of the literary magazine of Southern Methodist University（SMU）in Dallas，Texas. He also worked as a professor at SMU，and there was a girl student in his class who suffered from a serious back disease. She couldnt afford the operation because her family was poor.

Her mother ran a boardinghouse in Galveston，a seaside town near Houston，Texas. She was cleaning out the attic（阁楼）one day when she came across an old dusty manuscript（手稿）. On its top page were the words，“By O. Henry”. It was a nice story，and she sent it to her daughter at SMU，who showed it to my father. My father had never read the story before，but it sounded like O. Henry，and he knew that O. Henry had once lived in Houston. So it was possible that the famous author had gone to the beach and stayed in the Gainestown boardinghouse，and had written the story there and left the manuscript behind by accident. My father visited an O. Henry expert at Columbia University in New York，who authenticated the story as O. Henrys.

My father then set out to sell it. Eventfully，he found himself in Des Moines，meeting with Gardner Cowles，a top editor at the Des Moines Register. Cowles loves the story and bought it on the spot. My father took the money to the girl. It was just enough for her to have the operation she so desperately needed.

My father never told me what the O. Henry story was about. But I doubt that it could have been better than his own story.

1. Who found the O. Henrys manuscript？

A. The girls mother. B. The authors father.

C. The girl. D. The author.

2. Which of the following might explain the fact that the manuscript was found in the attic？

A. O. Henry once worked in Houston.

B. O. Henry once stayed in Galveston.

C. O. Henry once moved to Des Moines.

D. O. Henry once taught at SMU.

3. The underlined word“authenticated”in Paragraph 2 probably means __________

A. named B. treated

C. proved D. described

4. According to the text，why did the authors father go to Des Moines？

A. To sell the O. Henry story.

B. To meet the author himself.

C. To talk with the O. Henry expert.

D. To give money to the girl.

5. According to the text，the authors father can be described as _________.

A. determined B. patientendprint

C. optimistic D. warm-hearted

（四川卷C篇） A schoolgirl saved her fathers life by kicking him in the chest after he suffered a serious allergic（过敏的） reaction which stopped his heart.

Izzy，nine，restarted father Colms heart by stamping（踩）on his chest after he fell down at home and stopped breathing.

Izzys mother，Debbie，immediately called 999 but Izzy knew doctors would never arrive in time to save her father，so decided to use CPR.

However，she quickly discovered her arms werent strong enough，so she stamped on her fathers chest instead.

Debbie then took over with some more conventional chest compressions（按压） until the ambulance arrived.

Izzy，who has been given a bravery award by her school，said：“I just kicked him really hard. My mum taught me CPR but I knew I wasnt strong enough to use hands. I was quite scared. The doctor said I might as well be a doctor or a nurse. My mum said that Dad was going to hospital with a big footprint on his chest.”

“Shes a little star，”said Debbie.“I was really upset but Izzy just took over. I just cant believe what she did. I really think all children should be taught first aid. Izzy did CPR then the doctor turned up. Colm had to have more treatment on the way to the hospital and weve got to see an expert.”

Truck driver Colm，35，suffered a mystery allergic reaction on Saturday and was taken to hospital，but was sent home only for it to happen again the next day. The second attack was so serious that his airway swelled，preventing him from breathing，his blood pressure dropped suddenly，and his heart stopped for a moment.

He has now made a full recovery from his suffering.

1. Izzy kicked her father in the chest ________.

A. to express her helplessness

B. to practise CPR on him

C. to keep him awake

D. to restart his heart

2. Whats the right order of the events？

①Izzy kicked Colm. ②Debbie called 999.

③Izzy learned CPR. ④Colms heart stopped.

A. ③①②④ B. ④②③①

C. ③④②① D. ④③①②

3. What does Paragraph 8 mainly talk about？

A. What Colm suffered.

B. Colms present condition.

C. What caused Colms allergy.

D. Symptoms of Colms allergic reaction.

4. Why does the author write the news？

A. To describe a serious accident.

B. To prove the importance of CPR.

C. To report a 9-year-old girls brave act.

D. To call peoples attention to allergic reaction.endprint

（天津卷C篇） “Dad，” I say one day.“Lets take a trip. Why dont you fly out and meet me？”

My father had just retired after 27 years as a manager for IBM. His job filled his day，his thoughts，his life. While he woke up and took a warm shower，I screamed under a freezing waterfall in Peru. While he tied a tie and put on the same Swiss watch，I rowed a boat across Lake of the Ozarks.

My father sees me drifting aimlessly，nothing to show for my 33 years but a passport full of funny stamps. He wants me to settle down，but now I want him to find an adventure.

He agrees to travel with me through the national parks. We meet four weeks later in Rapid City.

“Whats our first stop？”asks my father.

“What time is it？”

“Still dont have a watch？”

Less than an hour away is Mount Rushmore. As he stares up at the four Presidents carved in granite（花岗岩），his mouth and eyes open slowly，like those of little boy.

“Unbelievable，” he says，“How was this done？”

A film in the information center shows sculptor Gutzon Borglum devoted 14 years to the sculpture and then left the final touches to his son.

We stare up and I ask myself，Would I ever devote my life to anything？

No directions，no goals. I always used to hear those words in my fathers voice. Now I hear them in my own.

The next day were at Yellowstone National Park，where we have a picnic.

“Did you ever travel with your dad？ I ask.

“Only once，”he says. “ I never spoke much with my father. We loved each other--but never said it. Whatever he could give me，he gave.”

The last sentence--its probably the same thing Id say about my father. And what Id want my child to say about me.

In Glacier National Park，my father says，“Ive never seen water so blue.”I have，in several places of the world，I can keep traveling，I realize-- and maybe a regular job wont be as dull as I feared.

Weeks after our trip，I call my father.

“The photos from the trip are wonderful，”he says.“We have got to take another trip like that sometime. ”

I tell him Ive decided to settle down，and Im wearing a watch.

1. We can learn from Paragraphs 1 and 2 that the father _________.

A. followed the fashion

B. got bored with his job

C. was unhappy with the authors life style

D. liked the authors collection of stamps

2. What does the author realize at Mount Rushmore？

A. His father is interested in sculpture.endprint

B. His father is as innocent as a little boy.

C. He should learn sculpture in the future.

D. He should pursue a specific aim in life.

3. From the underlined paragraph，we can see that the author________.

A. wants his children to learn from their grandfather

B. comes to understand what parental love means

C. learns how to communicate with his father

D. hopes to give whatever he can to his father

4. What could be inferred about the author and his father from the end of the story？

A. The call solves their disagreements.

B. The Swiss watch has drawn them closer.

C. They decide to learn photography together.

D. They begin to change their attitudes to life.

5. What could be the best title for the passage？

A. Love Nature，Love Life

B. A Son Lost in Adventure

C. A Journey with Dad

D. The Art of Travel

（江西卷A篇）Larry was on another of his underwater expeditions（探险）but this time，it was different. He decided to take his daughter along with him. She was only ten years old. This would be her first trip with her father on what he had always been famous for.

Larry first began diving when he was his daughters age. Similarly，his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then，he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then，there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children of his age were not even allowed to dive.

After the first expedition，Larrys later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back，Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes，he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least，he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.

Larrys first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him，a man offered to take him around the different spots for free. Larry didnt even know what the time was，how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.endprint

Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already，she looked like she was much braver than Larry had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.

1. In what way was this expedition different for Larry？

A. His daughter had grown up.

B. He had become a famous diver.

C. His father would dive with him.

D. His daughter would dive with him.

2. What can be inferred from Paragraph2？

A. Larry had some privileges.

B. Larry liked the rented diving suits.

C. Divers had to buy diving equipment.

D. Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive.

3. Why did Larry have to stay in a cage underwater sometimes？

A. To protect himself from danger.

B. To dive into the deep water.

C. To admire the underwater view.

D. To take photo more conveniently.

4. What can be learned from the underlined sentence？

A. Larry didnt wear a watch.

B. Larry was not good at math.

C. Larry had a poor memory.

D. Larry enjoyed the adventure.

5. What did Larry expect his daughter to do？

A. Become a successful diver.

B. Make a good diving guide.

C. Take a lot of photos underwater.

D. Have longer hourss of training.

（重庆卷A篇） I was never very neat，while my roommate Kate was extremely organized. Each of her objects had its place，but mine always hid somewhere. She even labeled （贴标签） everything. I always looked for everything. Over time，Kate got neater and I got messier. She would push my dirty clothing over，and I would lay my books on her tidy desk. We both got tired of each other.

War broke out one evening. Kate came into the room. Soon，I heard her screaming，“Take your shoes away！ Why under my bed！” Deafened，I saw my shoes flying at me. I jumped to my feet and started yelling. She yelled back louder.

The room was filled with anger. We could not have stayed together for a single minute but for a phone call. Kate answered it. From her end of the conversation，I could tell right away her grandma was seriously ill. When she hung up，she quickly crawled（爬）under her covers，sobbing. Obviously，that was something she should not go through alone. All of a sudden，a warm feeling of sympathy rose up in my heart.

Slowly，I collected the pencils，took back the books，made my bed，cleaned the socks and swept the floor，even on her side. I got so into my work that I even didnt notice Kate had sat up. She was watching，her tears dried and her expression one of disbelief. Then，she reached out her hands to grasp mine. I looked up into her eyes. She smiled at me，“Thanks.”endprint

Kate and I stayed roommates for the rest of the year. We didnt always agree，but we learned the key to living together：giving in，cleaning up and holding on.

1. What made Kate so angry one evening？

A. She couldnt find her books.

B. She heard the author shouting loud.

C. She got the news that her grandma was ill.

D. She saw the authors shoes beneath her bed.

2. The author tidied up the room most probably because ________.

A. she was scared by Kates anger

B. she hated herself for being so messy

C. she wanted to show her care

D. she was asked by Kate to do so

3. How is Paragraph 1 mainly developed？

A. By analyzing causes.

B. By showing differences.

C. By describing a process.

D. By following time order.

4. What might be the best title for the story？

A. My Friend Kate

B. Hard Work Pays Off

C. How to Be Organized

D. Learning to Be Roommates

（福建卷A篇）It was Mothers Day morning last year and I was doing shopping at our local supermarket with my five-year-old son，Tenyson. As we were leaving，we found that only minutes earlier an elderly woman had fallen over at the entrance and had hit her head on the concrete. Her husband was with her，but there was blood everywhere and the woman was embarrassed and clearly in shock.

Walking towards the scene，Tenyson became very upset about what had happened to the couple. He said to me，“Mum，its not much fun falling over in front of everyone.”

At the front of the supermarket，a charity （慈善） group had set up a stand selling cooked sausages and flowers to raise funds. Tenyson suggested that we should buy the lady a flower. “It will make her feel better，”he said. I was amazed that hed come up with this sweet idea. So we went over to the flower seller and asked her if we could buy a flower for the lady to cheer her up. “Just take it，”she replied. “I cant take your money for such a wonderful gesture.”

By now paramedics （急救人员） had arrived， and were attending to the injured woman. As we walked up to her， my son became intimidated by all the blood and medical equipment. He said he was just too scared to go up to her.

Instead I gave the flower to the womans husband and told him， “My son was very upset for your wife and wanted to give her this flower to make her feel better.”

At that， the old man started crying and said， “Thank you so much， you have a wonderful son. Happy Mothers Day to you.”endprint

The man then bent down and gave his wife the flower， telling her who it was from. Though badly hurt and shaken， the old lady looked up at Tenyson with love in her eyes and gave him a little smile.

1. What does the author intend to tell us？

A. One can never be too careful.

B. Actions speak louder than words.

C. Love begins with a little smile.

D. A small act of kindness brings a great joy.

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？

A. The elderly woman was knocked down by Tenyson.

B. Tenysons idea of buying a flower gained his mothers support.

C. Tenysons care for the elderly woman puzzled the flower seller.

D. The elderly woman was moved to tears by Tenysons gesture.

3. The underlined word “intimidated” in the fourth paragraph probably means “________”.

A. astonished B. struck

C. frightened D. excited

4. What would be the best title for the passage？

A. Flower Power B. Mothers Day

C. An Accidental Injury D. An Embarrassing Moment

（山东卷B篇） It was one of those terribly hot days in Baltimore. Needless to say， it was too hot to do anything outside. But it was also scorching（灼热的） in our apartment. This was 1962， and I would not live in a place with an air conditioner for another ten years. So my brother and I decided to leave the apartment to find someplace indoors. He suggested we could see a movie. It was a brilliant plan.

Movie theaters were one of the few places you could sit all day and—most important —sit in air conditioning. In those days， you could buy one ticket and sit through two movies. Then， the theater would show the same two movies again. If you wanted to， you could sit through them twice. Most people did not do that， but the manager at our theater， Mr. Bellow did not mind if you did.

That particular day， my brother and I sat through both movies twice， trying to escape the heat. We bought three bags of popcorn and three sodas each. Then， we sat and watched The Music Man followed by The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Wed already seen the second movie once before. It had been at the theater since January， because Mr. Bellow loved anything with John Wayne in it.

We left the theater around 8， just before the evening shows began. But we returned the next day and saw the same two movies again， twice more. And we did it the next day too. Finally， on the fourth day， the heat wave broke.endprint

Still， to this day I can sing half the songs in The Music Man and recite half of John Wayne and Jimmy Stewarts dialogue from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance！ Those memories are some of the few I have of the heat wave of 1962. Theyre really memories of the screen， not memories of my life.

1. In which year did the author first live in a place with an air conditioner？

A. 1952. B. 1962. C. 1972. D. 1982.

2. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 3 refer to？

A. The heat B. The theater

C. The Music Man D. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

3. What do we know about Mr. Bellow？

A. He loved children very much.

B. He was a fan of John Wayne.

C. He sold air conditioners.

D. He was a movie star.

4. Why did the author and his brother see the same movies several times？

A. The two movies were really wonderful.

B. They wanted to avoid the heat outside.

C. The manager of the theater was friendly.

D. They liked the popcorn at the theater.

5. What can we learn from the last paragraph？

A. The author and his brother enjoyed the heat wave of 1962.

B. The author turned out to be a great singer when he grew up.

C. The authors life has been changed by the two movies they saw.

D. The author considers the experience at the theater unforgettable.

（北京卷B篇） My wife Laura and I were on the beach， with three of our children， taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small， moving aimlessly.

Just a few minutes later， I heard my daughter shouting， “Dad！The bear is right behind us！”An aggressive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back--the sign （迹象） of an animal that is going in for the kill. And it was a cold April day. The bear behaved abnormally， probably because of hunger.

I held my camera tripod （三脚架） in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders， and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.

Even so， this was a fight I had to win： I was all that stood between the bear and my family， who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.

The bear hit at the camera， cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face； the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move， and I sensed that my bones were going to break.endprint

Drawing back my free hand， I struck the bear as hard as I could for five to six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur， trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling （扭打） with the bear at this point. Then， as suddenly as it had begun， the fight ended. The bear moved back toward the forest， before returning for another attack---The first time I felt panic.

Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat， the bear moved off， destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured， but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. Im proud that my family reminded clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome.

1. The brown bear approached the family in order to ______.

A. catch shore birds？ B. start an attack

C. protect the children？ D. set up a barrier for itself

2. The bear finally went away after _______.

A. it felt safe B. it got injured

C. it found some food D. it took away the camera

3. The writer and his family survived mainly due to their ______.

A. pride B. patience

C. calmness D. cautiousness

4. We can infer from the passage that the author ________.

A. managed to protect his beloved family

B. felt surprised to frighten the bear away

C. planned to escape when the bear attacked him

D. felt angry with the bear for destroying his camera

5. The purpose of the passage is to ________.

A. advise us to be far way from a bear

B. show us how to fight with a bear

C. warn us of the danger on the beach

D. tell us about an outdoor adventure

（湖北卷A篇） Before I had my son， I spent two years working with children with disabilities. I learned that shouting and threats of punishment would result in a disaster. Coming up against their behaviour could only make the job harder and their behaviour more extreme. I found something that worked， though.

There was a very naughty boy in the nursery and a teacher who was generally very confident with the children was asked to take charge of him. One day the boy joined a session in the room next to mine. His appearance created an atmosphere of tension. He spent the entire session running around， hitting and kicking， and destroying property.

I was in the craft room working with some other children when my co-worker told me that this boys teacher was in tears， and could not get control of the situation. As we were talking， the boy ran in. I told my co-worker that I would take care of him.endprint

I closed the door. He was full of energy， throwing things around and making a huge mess. But I could see that he was doing all these to annoy me. He needed connection， and this was the only way he knew how to ask for it. So I sat back down and kept quiet. Then he slowed down and began making a rocket. I talked to him about it. We continued like this for a few minutes before I slipped into the conversation：

“So what happened today？”

It was purely a question， no blame or anger in my tone. I believe that if I had criticized him， the gate that was slowly opening would have shut firmly closed. He told me that the teacher didnt let him do what he knew well due to safety but asked him to do what he disliked. He also admitted that he had enjoyed making her run around and saw it as a game. I explained that his teacher had not seen it as a game and was very upset. This again was stated simply as a fact. I suggested that next time he had a session， he talk about what he hoped to do at the start， which might be easier for everyone. He agreed and was quiet for a moment. Then he looked at me with tears in his eyes before quietly asking if he could go to find his teacher to apologize.

1. The boy made trouble for his teacher because ______.

A. he was accused of destroying property

B. he was told not to yell at other children

C. he was made to do things against his will

D. he was blamed for creating an air of tension

2. Why didnt the author do anything about the boys bad behavior at first？

A. She didnt want to make it worse.

B. She didnt mind the huge mess at all.

C. She was tired of shouting and threats.

D. She hadnt thought of a coping strategy.

3. The author managed to get the boy to talk to her by ______.

A. playing games with him

B. giving him a good suggestion

C. describing his teachers feelings

D. avoiding making critical remarks

4. Why did the boy have tears in his eyes in the end？

A. He was sorry about his reputation.

B. He was regretful about his behavior.

C. He was fearful of the authors warning.

D. He was sad for the authors misunderstanding.

5. Which would be the best title of the passage？

A. A teacher and a naughty boy

B. How to be a good teacher

C. A good tip to be an effective teacher

D. Something that worked with naughty childrenendprint

（湖南卷B篇）In the mid-1950s， I was a somewhat bored early-adolescent male student who believed that doing any more than necessary was wasted effort. One day， this approach threw me into embarrassment.

In Mrs. Tottens eighth-grade math class at Central Avenue School in Anderson， Indiana， we were learning to add and subtract decimals （小数）.

Our teacher typically assigned daily homework， which would be recited in class the following day. On most days， our grades were based on our oral answer to homework questions.

Mrs. Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks requesting answers from student after student in the order the questions had appeared on our homework sheets. She would start either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.

Since I was seated near the middle of about 35 students， it was easy to figure out which questions I might have to answer. This particular time， I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my calculations.

What I failed to expect was that several students were absent， which threw off my estimate. As Mrs. Totten made her way from the beginning of the class，I desperately tried to determine which math problem I would get. I tried to work it out before she got to me， but I had brain freeze and couldnt function.

When Mrs. Totten reached my desk，she asked what answer Id got for problem No. 14. “I...I didnt get anything，” I answered，and my face felt warm.

“Correct，” she said.

It turned out that the correct answer was zero.

What did I learn that day？First， always do all your homework. Second， in real life it isnt always what you say but how you say it that matters. Third， I would never make it as a mathematician.

If I could choose one school day that taught me the most， it would be that one.

1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 indicate？

A. It is wise to value ones time.

B. It is important to make an effort.

C. It is right to stick to ones belief.

D. It is enough to do the necessary.

2. Usually， Mrs. Totten asked her students to _______.

A. recite their homework together

B. grade their homework themselves

C. answer their homework questions orally

D. check the answers to their homework questions

3. The author could work out which questions to answer since the teacher always _______.

A. asked questions in a regular wayendprint

B. walked up and down when asking questions

C. chose two or three questions for the students

D. requested her students to finish their usual questions

4. The author failed to get the questions he had expected because _______.

A. the class didnt begin as usual

B. several students didnt come to school

C. he didnt try hard to make his estimate

D. Mrs. Totten didnt start from the back of the class

5. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage？

A. An Unforgettable Teacher

B. A Future Mathematician

C. An Effective Approach

D. A Valuable Lesson

（全国I卷B篇） Passenger pigeons（旅鸽） once flew over much of the United States in unbelievable numbers. Written accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries described flocks（群） so large that they darkened the sky for hours.

It was calculated that when its population reached its highest point， there were more than 3 billion passenger pigeons--a number equal to 24 to 40 percent of the total bird population in the United States， making it perhaps the most abundant bird in the world. Even as late as 1870 when their numbers had already become smaller， a flock believed to be 1 mile wide and 320 miles （about 515 kilometers） long was seen near Cincinnati.

Sadly， the abundance of passenger pigeons may have been their undoing. Where the birds were most abundant， people believed there was an ever-lasting supply and killed them by the thousands. Commercial hunters attracted them to small clearings with grain， waited until pigeons had settled to feed， then threw large nets over them， taking hundreds at a time. The birds were shipped to large cities and sold in restaurants.

By the closing decades of the 19th century， the hardwood forests where passenger pigeons nested had been damaged by Americans need for wood， which scattered （驱散） the flocks and forced the birds to go farther north， where cold temperatures and spring storms contributed to their decline. Soon the great flocks were gone， never to be seen again.

In 1897， the state of Michigan passed a law prohibiting the killing of passenger pigeons， but by then， no sizable flocks had been seen in the state for 10 years. The last confirmed wild pigeon in the United States was shot by a boy in Pike County， Ohio， in 1900. For a time， a few birds survived under human care. The last of them， known affectionately as Martha， died at the Cincinnati Zoological Garden on September 1， 1914， which indicated the extinction of passenger pigeons.endprint

1. In the 18th and early 19th centuries， passenger pigeons _______.

A. were the biggest bird in the world

B. lived mainly in the south of America

C. did great harm to the natural environment

D. were the largest bird population in the US

2. The underlined word “undoing” probably refers to the pigeons ______.

A. escape B. ruin

C. liberation D. evolution

3. What was the main reason for people to kill passenger pigeons？

A. To seek pleasure. B. To save other birds.

C. To make money. D. To protect crops.

4. What can we infer about the law passed in Michigan？

A. It was ignored by the public. B. It was unfair.

C. It was declared too late. D. It was strict.

5. What is the main idea of the passage？

A. It tries to persuade us to make efforts to protect passenger pigeons.

B. People hunted passenger pigeons for commercial purposes.

C. Michigan once stopped passenger pigeons from being killed.

D. It describes the process of the extinction of passenger pigeons.

（山东卷A篇）One morning， Anns neighbor Tracy found a lost dog wandering around the local elementary school. She asked Ann if she could keep an eye on the dog. Ann said that she could watch it only for the day.

Tracy took photos of the dog and printed off 400 FOUND fliers （传单）， and put them in mailboxes. Meanwhile， Ann went to the dollar store and bought some pet supplies， warning her two sons not to fall in love with the dog. At the time， Anns son Thomas was 10 years old， and Jack， who was recovering from a heart operation， was 21 years old.

Four days later Ann was still looking after the dog， whom they had started to call Riley. When she arrived home from work， the dog threw itself against the screen door and barked madly at her. As soon as she opened the door， Riley dashed into the boys room where Ann found Jack suffering a heart attack. Riley ran over to Jack， but as soon as Ann bent over to help him the dog went silent.

“If it hadnt come to get me， the doctor said Jack would have died，” Ann reported to a local newspaper. At this point， no one had called to claim the dog， so Ann decided to keep it.

The next morning Tracy got a call. A man named Peter recognized his lost dog and called the number on the flier. Tracy started crying， and told him， “That dog saved my friends son.”

Peter drove to Anns house to pick up his dog， and saw Thomas and Jack crying in the window. After a few moments Peter said， “Maybe Odie was supposed to find you， maybe you should keep it.”endprint

1. What did Tracy do after finding the dog？

A. She looked for its owner.

B. She gave it to Ann as a gift.

C. She sold it to the dollar store.

D. She bought some food for it.

2. How did the dog help save Jack？

A. By breaking the door for Ann.

B. By leading Ann to Jacks room.

C. By dragging Jack out of the room.

D. By attending Jack when Ann was out.

3. What was Anns attitude to the dog according to Paragraph 4？

A. Sympathetic. B. Doubtful.

C. Tolerant. D. Grateful.

4. For what purpose did Peter call Tracy？

A. To help her friends son. B. To interview Tracy.

C. To take back his dog. D. To return the flier to her.

5. What can we infer about the dog from the last paragraph？

A. It would be given to Odie.

B. It would be kept by Anns family.

C. It would be returned to Peter.

D. It would be taken away by Tracy.

（山东卷C篇）Elizabeth Freeman was born about 1742 to African American parents who were slaves. At the age of six months she was acquired， along with her sister， by John Ashley， a wealthy Massachusetts slaveholder. She became known as “Mumbet” or “Mum Bett.”

For nearly 30 years Mumbet served the Ashley family. One day， Ashleys wife tried to strike Mumbets sister with a spade. Mumbet protected her sister and took the blow instead. Furious， she left the house and refused to come back. When the Ashleys tried to make her return， Mumbet consulted a lawyer， Theodore Sedgewick. With his help， Mumbet sued （起诉） for her freedom.

While serving the Ashleys， Mumbet had listened to many discussions of the new Massachusetts constitution. If the constitution said that all people were free and equal， then she thought it should apply to her. Eventually， Mumbet won her freedom—the first slave in Massachusetts to do so under the new constitution.

Strangely enough， after the trial， the Ashleys asked Mumbet to come back and work for them as a paid employee. She declined and instead went to work for Sedgewick. Mumbet died in 1829， but her legacy lived on in her many descendants （后裔）. One of her great-grandchildren was W. E. B. Du Bois， one of the founders of the NAACP， and an important writer and spokesperson for African American civil rights.

Mumbets tombstone still stands in the Massachusetts cemetery where she was buried. It reads， in part： “She was born a slave and remained a slave for nearly thirty years. She could neither read nor write， yet in her own sphere she had no superior or equal.”endprint

1. What do we know about Mumbet according to Paragraph 1？

A. She was born a slave.

B. She was a slaveholder.

C. She had a famous sister.

D. She was born into a rich family.

2. Why did Mumbet run away from the Ashleys？

A. She found an employer.

B. She wanted to be a lawyer.

C. She was hit and got angry.

D. She had to take care of her sister.

3. What did Mumbet learn from discussions about the new constitution？

A. She should always obey her ownersorders.

B. She should be as free and equal as whites.

C. How to be a good servant.

D. How to apply for a job.

4. What did Mumbet do after the trial？

A. She chose to work for a lawyer.

B. She founded the NAACP.

C. She continued to serve the Ashleys.

D. She went to live with her grandchildren.

5. What is the text mainly about？

A. A story of a famous writer and spokesperson.

B. The friendship between a lawyer and a slave.

C. The life of a brave African American woman.

D. A trial that shocked the whole world.

（四川卷B篇） In 1943， when I was 4， my parents moved from Coeur dAlene， Idaho， to Fairbanks， Alaska， where adventure was never very far away.

We arrived in the summer， just in time to enjoy the midnight sun. All that sunlight was fantastic for Moms vegetable garden. Working in the garden at midnight tended to throw her timing off， so she didnt care much about my bedtime.

Dad was a Railway Express agent and Mom was his clerk. That left me in a mess. I usually managed to find some trouble to get into. Once I had a little fire going in the dirt basement of a hotel. I had tried to light a barrel （桶） of paint but couldnt really get a good fire going. The smoke got pretty bad， though， and when I made my exit， a crowd and the police were there to greet me. The policemen took my matches and drove me home.

Mom and Dad were occupied in the garden and Dad told the police to keep me， and they did！ I had a tour of the prison before Mom rescued me. I hadnt turned 5 yet.

As I entered kindergarten， the serious cold began to set in. Would it surprise you to know that I soon left part of my tongue on a metal handrail at school？

As for Leonhard Seppala， famous as a dog sledder（驾雪橇者）， I think I knew him well because I was taken for a ride with his white dog team one Sunday. At the time I didnt realize what a superstar he was， but I do remember the ride well. I was wrapped（包裹） heavily and well sheltered from the freezing and blowing weather.endprint