（考试时间：100分钟试卷满分：120分）第一部分（略）第二部分阅读理解(共两节，满分40分)第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
AThe National GalleryDescription:The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entranceLayout:The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th- to 15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.The East Wing houses 18th- to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.Opening Hours:The Gallery is open every day from 10am to 6pm (Fridays 10am to 9pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.Getting There:Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).1. In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?A. The 13th.B. The 17th.C. The 18th.D. The 20th.2. Where are Leonardo da Vinci’s works shown?A. In the East Wing.B. In the main West Wing.C. In the Sainsbury Wing.D. In the North Wing.3. Which underground station is closest to the National Gallery?A. Piccadilly Circus.B. Charing Cross.C. Embankment.D. Leicester Square.BIn this new show, Evan Ruggiero plays guitar, sings pop standards and shows everybody his fine footwork. What makes all of these especially unusual is that Ruggiero, 24, has only one leg.When he was a 19-year-old musical theater student at New Jersey’s Montclair State University, Ruggiero had a rare bone cancer in his right leg. Finally his leg would have to be amputated(截)below the knee.Such a setback could have easily ended the career of a less tough person, but Ruggiero, who has been dancing since he was five, now puts the experience into his performance. His show, “The One-Legged Song and Dance Man: Volume 3”, explains howhe returned to dance just 18 months after the amputation. His dance now relies on the use of a peg leg (假肢), he explains.The secret to his surprising success, he says, was being a “stubborn” patient who refused to give up on his dance and performing studies, despite the advice of his doctor.“It was a real setback, but after it was all over, I said, ‘You know what? I need to pick up right where I left off and continue my career,” Ruggiero said. Ruggiero has come to view his peg leg as an instrument. “Tap dancers---they’re always calling themselves musicians, and their feet are their instrument,”he said. Nothing that many audience members will never have seen a one-legged dancer before coming to his show, Ruggiero says he won’t shy away from the physical “weakness”his performance shows because of his condition.“A lot of people have come up to me, and they always say, ‘You’re such a role model and an inspiration,” he said. “I’m honored when people say that, of course, but I’m just trying to get on with my life.”4. What makes Ruggiero’s new show unusual?A. His own artworksB. One-legged danceC. The use of instrumentD. Song of pop standard5. According to the passage, it is true that __________.A. his doctor agreed he kept on dancing and studyingB. the setback has ended Ruggiero’s dance careerC. Ruggiero is dancing relying on others’ supportD. Ruggiero is a tough person with a strong will6. When audience attend his performance, they may notice _________.A. Ruggiero plays piano, sings and dancesB. Ruggiero is a dancer with the help of a peg legC. there are many tap dancers in the performanceD. Ruggiero pretends to be a physically normal person7. What’s the author’s attitude to Evan?A. EncouragementB. SympathyC. WorryD. PityCLast week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson. Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I was eager to see his new place and meet his friends.My earliest memories of my father are of a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and family but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him; as a school girl and young adult I feared him and felt bitter about him. He seemed unhappy with me unless I got straight A’s and unhappy with my boy friends if their fathers were not as “successful”as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to struggle to think up things to say, feeling on guard.On t he first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends fo r lunch at an outdoor cafe. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical(挑剔的)air and strict rules. Who was this person I knew as my father, who seemed so friendly and interesting to be around? What had held him back before?The next day my dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And in so doing, I’m delighted with my new friend. My dad in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.8. Why did the author feel bitter about her father when she was a young adult?A. He was silent most of the timeB. He was too proud of himselfC. He expected too much of herD. He did not love his children9. When the author went out with her father on weekends, she would feel ________.A. safeB. sorryC. tiredD. nervous10. What does the author think of her father after her visit to Tucson?A. Gentle and friendlyB. More talkativeC. More criticalD. Strict and hard-working11. The underlined words “my new friend”in the last paragraph refer to ___________.A. the author’s sonB. the friend of the author’s fatherC. the author’s fatherD. the café ownerDA recent study led by researchers from the National University of Singapore(NUS)has found a clear link between the color of a taxi and its accident rate. An analysis of 36 months of detailed taxi, driver and accident data from two fleets of yellow and blue taxis in Singapore suggested that yellow taxis have fewer accidents than blue taxis. The higher visibility (能见度)of yellow makes it easier for drivers to avoid getting into accidents with yellow taxis, leading to a lower accident rate. The study was led by Prof Ho. To test whether there was a causal relationship between the color of a taxi and the number of accidents the taxi had, the research team analysed data collected by the largest taxi company in Singapore. The researchers found that yellow taxis have about 6.1 fewer accidents per 1,000 taxis per month.The researchers also studied the economic effect of changing the color of the entire fleet of taxis to yellow. The Singapore taxi company involved in the study owns about 16,700 taxis in a ratio(比例) of one yellow to three blue taxis. If a commercial decision is made to switch from blue to yellow taxis, 76.6 fewer accidents would occur per month or 917 fewer accidents per year. Assuming an average repair cost of S$1,000 per car and a downtime of six days, switching the color of all taxis to yellow could produce an annual savings of S$2 million.“We are eager to continue to validate(证实) the findings of our study by looking at the use of yellow in other types of public transport, such as school buses. For instance, we hope to compare the accident rates of yellow school buses against other colors to find out if yellow is indeed a safer color for school buses. Besides, we are also interested to look at private-hire vehicles and do a comparison of the accident rates of vehicles that are of different colors,” explained Prof Ho.12. Why do yellow taxis result in fewer accidents?A. Because yellow can be seen more easilyB. Because yellow signals a warning of dangerC. Because drivers tend to be more careful in yellow taxisD. Because people act more quickly in yellow surroundings13. What’s Prof Ho’s study based on?A. Physical risks taxi passengers experienceB. The economic effect of changing taxi colorC. Data from Singapore’s largest taxi companyD. Personal reports from taxi drivers worldwide14. What do Prof Ho’s words in the last paragraph suggest?A. School buses should be painted yellowB. Their findings are worth popularizingC. Yellow should be widely used in public transportD. Their study will be furthered15. What can be the best taxis for the text?A. Caution: yellow taxis aheadB. Safer to ride in yellow taxisC. Why are yellow taxis preferred?D. How can colors help prevent accidents?第二节（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。
