his only son. And then later his joys of raising this son on his own, and travelling the world, to finally ending in true love where he married a childhood sweetheart. This story is all our stories. We all suffer. We all cry. We all love. And we all want to know that it mattered. At the end of our conversation this elderly man looked me in the eye and thanked me. So sincerely. So heartfelt. He thanked me for listening. And then he turned around and walked away. Forever.

I needed to sit down after this. This dear man had just gifted me with a gift so precious— him, his wife, and his story. As he walked away a feeling so strong washed over me. And I heard a voice. A voice that told me he was at peace now. Strangers are never strangers if you open your heart to them. Often they are angels waiting to bless you or to be blessed. Open your heart. Connect with others. Listen. Share. It’s what we are all here for! 25. Why did the author search for the elderly man?

A. To ask him for a chat. B. To return his lost walking stick. C. To get to know him as a friend. D. To give him a walking stick as a gift. 26. What did the author know about the elderly man?

A. His name. B. His exact age.

C. How he lost his first wife. D. Why he left his walking stick. 27. At last, the elderly man was grateful to the author for _______.

A. returning the walking stick B. the help with the shopping cart C. the talk about their similar experiences D. listening to his share of his own past life

C

Chinese miners have managed to extract (提取) combustible (可燃的) ice from the seafloor of the South China Sea, according to the Ministry of Land and Resources. The major breakthrough may lead to a global energy revolution.

Combustible ice is a kind of natural gas hydrate (天然气水合物). It can exist only in conditions of very low temperatures and high pressure. One cubic meter of combustible ice is equal to 164 cubic meters of regular natural gas.

It looks like ice crystals but if you zoom into a molecular level, you will see that the methane (甲烷) molecules are caged in by the water molecules(分子), according to Associate Professor

Praveen Linga from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore, as quoted by BBC. In spite of the low temperature, the hydrates are easily flammable as the gas trapped in the ice will catch fire if you hold a lighter to it.

The discovery is China’s first success in the mining of combustible ice after almost twenty years of research and exploration, according to the ministry. The mining site is reportedly located in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea, 320 kilometers away from Zhuhai. The miners managed to extract an average of 16,000 cubic meters of gas with high purity per day from the site.

The natural gas hydrate is believed to be the best replacement for natural gas and oil. Moreover, it is more environmentally friendly and has large reserves, according to the head of the China Geological Survey Bureau, Zhong Ziran.

Many countries along the Maritime Silk Road have a demand for combustible ice. With the advanced technology China can help solve the energy resource problem and boost (促进) economic growth and promote exchanges with these countries. 28. Combustible ice only exists in conditions where ______.

A. the water can be frozen B. the natural gas or oil is produced

C. the temperatures are low and the pressure is high D. there is a warm climate like that in the South China Sea 29. What can be concluded from Paragraph 4?

A. China has made great efforts to discover and extract combustible ice. B. The mining site is located between the Shenhu area and Zhuhai. C. 16,000 cubic meters of gas can be extracted at most every day. D. It is easy for China to mine combustible ice successfully.

30. What is the significance of the Chinese major breakthrough in combustible ice?

A. It is the most important mining discovery in history. B. It is believed to be the best natural gas.

C. Many countries along the Maritime Silk Road support it.

D. As a kind of alternative fuel, it may lead to a global energy revolution. 31. This passage is most likely to be taken from _______.

A. a daily newspaper B. a fashion magazine

C. a science fiction D. a research paper

D

Chinese paper cutting or “jianzhi” is the art of cutting paper designs, and the cut-outs are also used to decorate doors and windows, so they are sometimes called “chuang hua”. Paper cutting has long been a symbol of Eastern charm.

There are symmetrical(对称的) designs that are usually created by some folding and cutting. When unfolded, it forms a symmetrical design. Chinese cut-outs are normally symmetrical and are usually in an even number series of 2, 4, 24, etc.

The oldest surviving paper cut-out is a symmetrical circle from the early 6th century found in Xinjiang, China. From the 7th to 13th century, paper cutting became popular especially during Chinese festivals. The art spread to the rest of the world in the 14th century. Throughout the Qing Dynasty many paper cutting skills were developed including drafting and the use of smoked paper. By the end of the Qing ruling, however, paper cutting was once on the decline because new art forms were being introduced. The People’s Republic of China later tried to revive the art in the 1980s.

Today, paper cut-outs are chiefly decorative. They decorate walls, windows, doors, columns, mirrors, lamps and lanterns in homes and are also used on presents or are given as gifts themselves. Entrances decorated with paper cut-outs are supposed to bring good luck. Paper cut-outs used to be used as patterns, especially for embroidery (刺绣).

There are two methods of manufacture(加工): one uses scissors, the other uses knives. In the scissor method, several pieces of paper—up to eight—are fastened together. The image is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors. Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of oil and ashes. Skilled crafters can even cut out different drawings freely without stopping.

32. When can the existing oldest paper cutting date back to? A. About 1 500 years ago. B. About 1 600 years ago. C. About 1 400 years ago. D. About 600 years ago.

33. The underlined word “revive” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by “______”. A. survive B. restore C. copy D. fix 34. Which of the following words can best summarize the last paragraph?

A. History B. Origin C. Uses D. Process 35. What may be the best title of the text? A. Paper Cutting— the Eastern Charm B. The History of Paper Cutting C. A Brief Introduction to Paper Cutting

D. Paper Cutting — Unbelievable Skilled Crafters 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。(E涂AB F涂AC G涂AD)

Listening to English is one of the most important things you can do to improve your English. How can you hear a lot of English when you’re not in an English-speaking country? 36 . 1. Pick up radio

You can receive English language radio in most countries. Two of the best international networks are the BBC and VOA. 37 . You can find information about times and frequencies for your country on their web sites. 2. Watch TV

TV is an excellent resource for hearing and listening to English. 38 . If you don’t have access to English-language TV, you may be able to watch TV on the Internet. 3. 39

It is now a lot easier to hear English by Internet. To be able to listen to radio on the Internet, you’ll need to have special software called a “player” installed in your computer. Most sites work with two players—the RealPlayer from Real Networks and the Windows Media Player from Microsoft. Don’t worry. Both these players are free. And you may have them installed on your computer. 4. Enjoy songs

Songs in English are everywhere, even on foreign-language radio and TV stations. Listen to them often. Buy some cassettes or CDs and try to write the words for an entire song. 40 . That means it should be reasonably slow, and with real words sung clearly. A. B. C.

Surf the Internet

But choose one that is not too difficult

The pictures help you understand what is being said