第4部分：阅读理解

　　下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定1个最佳选项。

　　第一篇

More Than a Ride to School

　　The National Education Association claims, "The school bus is a mirror of the community." They further add that, unfortunately, what appears on the exterior does not always reflect the reality of a chosen community. They are right —— sometimes it reflects more! Just ask Liesl Denson. Riding the school bus has been more than a ride to school for Liesl.

　　Bruce Hardy, school bus driver for Althouse Bus Company has been Liesl's bus driver, since kindergarten. Last year when Liesl's family moved to Parkesburg, knowing her bus went by her new residence, she requested to ride the same bus.

　　This year Liesl is a senior and will enjoy her last year riding the bus. She says, "It's been a great ride so far! My bus driver is so cool and has always been a good friend and a good listener. Sometimes when you're a child adults do not think that what you have to say is important. Mr. Hardy always listens to what you have to say and makes you feel important." Her friends Ashley Batista and Amanda Wolfe agree.

　　Bruce Hardy has been making Octorara students feel special since 1975. This year he will celebrate 30 years working for Althouse Bus Company. Larry AIthouse, president of the company, acknowledges Bruce Hardy's outstanding record: "You do not come by employees like Bruce these days. He has never missed a day of work and has a perfect driving record. He was recognized in 2000 by the Pennsylvania School Bus Association for driving 350,000 accident free miles. Hardy's reputation is made further evident through the relationships he has made with the students that ride his bus."

　　Althouse further adds, "Althouse Bus Company was established 70 years ago and has been providing quality transportation ever since. My grandfather started the business with one bus. Althouse Bus Company is delighted to have the opportunity to bring distinctive and safe service to our local school and community and looks forward to continuing to provide quality service for many more years to come."

　　Three generations of business is not all the company has enjoyed. Thanks to drivers like Bruce Hardy, they have been building relationships through generations. Liesl's mother Carol also enjoys fond memories of riding Bruce Hardy's bus to the Octorara School District.

　　1 The word "mirror" in the first line could be best replaced by

　　A "vehicle".

　　B "device".

　　C "need".

　　D "reflection".

　　2 Bruce Hardy has been working with Althouse Bus Company

　　A for 30 years.

　　B for 70 years.

　　C since last year.

　　D since 2000.

　　3 Which of the following statements is NOT true of Bruce Hardy?

　　A He is popular with his passengers.

　　B He has never missed a day of work.

　　C He is an impatient person.

　　D He has driven 350.000 accident free miles.

　　4 Althouse Bus Company was founded by

　　A Larry Althouse.

　　B Althouse's grandfather.

　　C Liesl's mother.

　　D Ashley Batista.

　　5 Althouse Bus Company pays much attention to

　　A employing young drivers.

　　B running quality schools.

　　C providing free driving lessons.

　　D building sound relationships.

　　第二篇

Diabetes （糖尿病） and Eye Damage

　　Over 2 million Canadians have diabetes. It is the leading cause of blindness in North Americans under 65 years of age. Diabetes is a condition where the body either cannot produce enough insulin （胰岛素） or cannot respond properly to insulin. Insulin is important because it moves glucose （葡萄糖）, a simple sugar, into the body's cells from the blood. The food people eat provides the body with glucose, which is used by the cells as a source of energy. If insulin isn't available or doesn't work correctly to move glucose from the blood into the cells, glucose will stay in the blood, leading to high blood sugar levels.

　　High blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels, including the tiny blood vessels in the eye. This leads to an eye disease known as diabetic retinopathy （糖尿病型视网膜病）. The retina （视网膜） is an area at the back of the eye that changes light into nerve signals. With diabetic retinopathy, some blood vessels in the retina are lost, and some of the other blood vessels begin to "leak" blood. This causes the retina to swell, and gradually cuts off its supply of oxygen and nutrients （滋养物）. Eventually, the retina starts to grow new blood vessels to replace the damaged ones. Unfortunately, these new vessels are not as strong as the old ones. They are more likely to break, causing bleeding in the eye.

　　At first, people with diabetic retinopathy will not notice any symptoms. As the disease gets worse, they may notice blurred （模糊的） vision, black spots or flashing lights. As time goes on, it can progress to blindness. Everyone with diabetes is at risk for diabetic retinopathy, and the risk increases the longer you've had diabetes.

　　Fortunately, you can reduce your risk. If you do not have diabetes, but think you may be at risk for this condition, visit your doctor to be screened for diabetes. If you do have diabetes:

　　● Have frequent eye check-ups.

　　● Make sure that you monitor your blood sugar frequently and use your medications as recommended by your doctor. There is evidence to show that keeping your blood sugar under tight control can slow down eye damage.

　　● If you have high blood pressure, follow your recommended diet and medications to keep it under control. If you are not sure whether you have high blood pressure, or whether your blood pressure is under control, discuss this with your doctor.

　　6 Glucose cannot be turned into energy in the body

　　A without diabetes.

　　B without sugar.

　　C without insulin.

　　D without food.

　　7 The word "its" in the second paragraph refers to

　　A "the nerve's".

　　B "the blood's".

　　C "the eye's".

　　D "the retina's".

　　8 With diabetic retinopathy, the damaged blood vessels in the retina

　　A are stronger than what they used to be.

　　B cannot be properly replaced.

　　C are more likely to break than the new ones.

　　D may return to normal again.

　　9 The worst eye damage induced by diabetes is

　　A blurred vision.

　　B black spots.

　　C blindness.

　　D flashing lights.

　　10 To slow down eye damage, people with diabetes should try to

　　A use as many medications as they can.

　　B eat as little as possible.

　　C wear glasses as often as possible.

　　D keep their blood sugar under tight control

　　第三篇

Milk That Paid a Medical Bill

　　One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school found he had only one thin dime （10分钱） left, and he was hungry.

　　He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart."

　　As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

　　Years later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled （感到困惑）. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won.

　　Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it; then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words: "Paid in full with one glass of milk." Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands."

　　11 The boy sold goods from door to door because

　　A he wanted to help support his family.

　　B he needed money for school.

　　C he had to pay back a student loan.

　　D he did not have enough pocket money.

　　12 But for the young woman's kind deed, the boy could

　　A have given up and quit.

　　B have sold more goods.

　　C have owed a big debt.

　　D have become a salesman.

　　13 When the boy and the young woman met again years later

　　A they had both changed beyond recognition.

　　B neither remembered their previous meeting.

　　C the boy had become a medical specialist.

　　D the woman had come to stay in the big city.

　　14 Dr. Kelly gave special attention to the case mainly because

　　A it was a rare disease.

　　B he fell in love with the woman.

　　C he was eager to distinguish himself.

　　D he wanted to repay the woman for her great kindness.

　　15 Among other things, the story shows that

　　A good will be rewarded with good.

　　B it is okay to accept pay for a kindness

　　C it is wise neither to borrow nor to lend

　　D where there's a will there's a way.

　　【参考答案】

　　1. D 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. D

　　6. C 7. D 8. B 9. C 10. D

　　11. B 12. A 13. C 14. D 15. A