She had big brown eyes, a bright smile, and huge amounts of energy. When a doctor advised her adoptive parents to carry her around in a kind of bucket, they refused.
Jennifer soon learned to walk — and run — on her hands and bottom, and grew up fearlessly climbing trees and bouncing on the trampoline（蹦床） with her three older brothers. “My parents didn’t treat me differently so I didn’t grasp the concept that I was different. I knew I didn’t have legs but that wasn’t stopping me from doing the things I wanted to do.”
At the age of three she was fitted with artificial legs, but she never really took to them — she moved more freely without.
In 1996 the Olympic Games took place in Atlanta. Jennifer loved to watch the women’s gymnastics team, and especially adored the 14-year-old Dominique Moceanu who competed for the US. When Moceanu and the women’s team won gold, Jennifer decided she was going to be a gymnast, too. She took up power tumbling(翻筋斗), which involves performing floor exercises down a runway. But Jennifer did not want any allowances to be made for her disability.
At the age of 10 she took part in the Junior Olympics and by age 11 she was tumbling champion for the state of Illinois.
Jennifer now travels the world as an inspirational speaker and acts as an aerial performer.
24. Why did Jennifer determine to be a gymnast?
A. She knew that she was different from others. B. She wanted to make allowances for her disability. C. She was eager to participate in the Junior Olympics. D. She was greatly influenced by Dominique Moceanu. 25. What do we know about Jennifer Bricker?
A. She felt embarrassed without legs. B. She was carried in a bucket as a baby. C. She was brought up as a normal child. D. She lost her legs when she was adopted.
26. Which of the following can best describe Jennifer Bricker?
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A. Self-respected. B. Cautious. C. Sensitive. D. Clever.
D
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicted that 42% of Americans could be overweight by 2030. Our expanding waistlines（腰围） lead to not only a medical problem, but according to a recent article in The New York Times, it could also endanger personal safety in some situations—in an airplane crash, for example.
The New York Times’ Christen Negroni reports that engineers and scientists are questioning whether airplane seats are adequately constructed to protect overweight travelers. Government standards for airplane seat strength— first set more than 60 years ago — require that the seats be made for a passenger weighing 170 pounds (77kg). Today, the average American man weighs nearly 194 pounds (88kg) and the average woman 165 pounds (75kg).
“If a heavier person completely fills seat, the seat is not likely to behave as intended during a crash,” said Robert Salazar, the leading scientist at the Center for Applied Biomechanics at the University of Virginia. “The energy absorption(吸收) that is built into the aircraft seat is likely to be overpowered and the passengers will not be protected properly.”
“Nor would the injury be limited to that passenger only,” Dr. Salzar said. “If a seat or a seat belt fails,” he said, “those people who are seated nearby could be endangered from ‘the uncontrolled movements of the passenger’.”
Most complaints about airplane seats focus on their lack of comfort and high ticket price, and whether overweight passengers should be made to buy two seats. But The New York Times’ article brings up another reason to feel anxious about flying. Investigators of the issue got in touch with the airplane seat and seat belt makers, but they refused to comment on the problem. Experts agreed that crash testing should be done with overweight dummies （人体模型）. Both airplane seats and seat belts should be tested, they said.
Fortunately, however, according to Nora Marshall, a senior adviser at the National Transportation Safety Board, the board’s investigators have never seen an accident
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involving a commercial plane in which the weight of a passenger was a problem. 27. What is the article in The New York Times mainly concerned with?
A. The size of airplane seats and seat belts. B. Safety of overweight airplane passengers. C. Airplane crashes involving commercial planes. D. A medical problem caused by being overweight. 28. Robert Salzar would probably agree that .
A. overweight passengers should buy two seats B. the government should help produce safer planes C. standards for airplane seat strength should be raised D. passengers should know how to protect themselves 29. We can learn from the text that .
A. airplane seat makers have taken action now B. there are few complaints about airplane seats C. those sitting near the overweight may suffer, too
D. only a small number of airplane accidents involve the overweight 30. What is the best title for the text?
A. Why Do Passengers Feel Anxious about Flying? B. Will 42% of Americans Be OVERWEIGHT BY 2030? C. When Will the Overweight Enjoy Their Flight? D. Are Airplane Seats Safe Enough for the Overweight? 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，选项中有两项为多余选项。
Scientists often see the first ten years of a child’s life as the “window of opportunity”. 31 . And studies show that the following activities can benefit their brain greatly.
32 .
Free playtime has always been an important part of “being a kid”, but it is also important to a child’s development. “Free play” not only helps kids develop
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different skills, it also helps them develop into happy healthy adults in the future. Read with kids
Reading has long been known to improve children’s intelligence. 33 . For parents who don’t have much time, just surrounding your kids with books goes a long way, too.
Put kids to bed early
34 . Preschool children should get at least eleven hours of sleep and kids up to age 12 should try to get at least ten hours of sleep.
Learn a second language
Early studies in this field have shown that bilingual （双语的）kids can perform better under pressure. Young children can learn new languages with nearly perfect fluency and pronunciation.
Praise good effort not intelligence
Your kids may be smart but you should mainly praise the effort they put into tasks. Kids, who are praised on intelligence, often feel it is a fixed quality, and mistakes or failures badly hurt their self-confidence. Kids who are praised on effort often focus more on learning. 35 . A. Play some helpful games B. Give them enough playtime
C. And they are not afraid to fail and try again D. Kids still need time away from the TV to do homework
E. Kids who read often develop earlier writing and number skills as well F. Everything at this time is very important to the development of a person’s brain G. Studies show that kids with regular bedtimes are better at languages, math and reading
第三部分 完形填空（共20小题;每小题1.5分, 满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A,B,C和D)中，选出可以填人空白 处的最佳选项.并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When I was in school, I took part in an internship(实习). This was largely made up of my visiting with special hospital patients.
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On one particular visit, I cautiously entered a darkened room to find an 36 man lying in bed. I had thought he was 37 . When I moved closer, I 38 he was very much awake, but also very puzzled and anxious. He _39 wanted to communicate something, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. He seemed quite weak, 40 I couldn’t tell if he was __41 , or just frightened. I knew nothing about him, and I felt totally 42 . He obviously didn’t want me to leave, but I felt so lost and uncomfortable that I had to leave the room after only a couple of minutes.
The next time I was at the hospital and saw him again, I was certain he didn’t remember me at all. But he 43 said, “I remember you. You were the 44 that gave me hope in my darkest hour!” I was so amazed that, 45 , I didn’t know how to 46 . In the 47 moment of my visit, I did obviously 48 . But somehow he found in me something he needed, just 49 I was there.
I have 50 this encounter(遭遇) often over the past years. It has 51 the way I see life, the way I see myself, and the way I see 52 . It makes me want to offer whatever kindness I can to others, and I try to recognize and 53 the kindness that others share with me.
So a stranger in the 54 of a weak, old man changed the rest of my life with a single comment. Who was the angel to 55 ? 36. A. lonely 37. A. sleeping
B. poorly
C. elderly
D. friendly
D. thinking
B. settling C. reading
38. A. expressed B. admitted 39. A. happily 40. A. so
B. frequently B. and
C. thought C. eagerly C. or
D. realized D. impatiently D. yet D. in trouble D. helpless
D. fluently D. coach D. day and night
41. A. in pain 42. A. concerned 43. A. carefully 44. A. person
B. in danger B. hopeless
C. in need C. relieved
B. immediately
C. finally
B. angel C. passer-by
45. A. again and again B. right away 46. A. chat 47. A. real
C. once again
B. respond C. confirm D. answer D. brief
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B. basic C. unforgettable
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