第二部分：閱讀理解（共兩節(jié)，滿分40分）
第一節(jié)（共15小題，每小題2分，滿分30分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項（A，B，C，D）中，選出最佳選項。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　A
　　　　
　　　Wild elephants live in herds of 10 to about 50. The leader is usually a female. A herd can go through a forest quietly. It travels in a single line. It goes about 6 miles an hour. When frightened, it may run at about 25 miles an hour. When they reach water, elephants swim across. They are great swimmers.
    Elephants eat grass, leaves, small branches, and bark. They particularly like the tender leaves on the top of trees. How do they get these leaves? They use their heads to knock trees down. They can easily knock down a 30-foot tree. Elephants also eat berries, mangoes, coconuts, corn, and sugar cane. They love salt. A wild male adult eats 500 to 600 pounds of food a day.
    Many people want to find the graveyards (墓地) of elephants. There is a strong belief that such graveyards exist. Here is why. Bones and tusks of dead elephants have almost never been found. Searches have been made in forests. Grassy plains have been searched too. But neither bones nor tusks are found. Elephants don’t live forever. Where are their bones? They don’t just bury themselves. Here is one belief. When an elephant gets sick or old, it instinctively knows death is near. It leaves the herd. It goes off to a secret graveyard. The place is known only to elephants, and perhaps other animals, but not to humans. Obviously, such a graveyard would be filled with tusks. These were once very valuable. The objective of explorers was to find this “gold” mine. This graveyard belief may be a truth or a myth. But it is romantic. It would be nice if it were true.
21. An elephant usually travels at a speed of ________ per hour.
A. around 6 miles    B. around 25 miles
C. no more than 6 miles   D. more than 25 miles
22. According to the passage, elephants’ favorite foods are _________.
A. grass, leaves, small branches and bark
B. tender leaves on the top of trees
C. berries, mangoes, coconuts, corn, and sugar cane
D. none of the above
23. From the passage we can learn that _________.
A. other animals know where elephants’ graveyards are
B. elephants bury themselves when their deaths are near
C. people have found bones and tusks of dead elephants
D. whether there are graveyards of elephants is still not known

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　B 
　　　Although she died more than twenty-five years ago, many Americans still argue about Ayn Rand. People also continue to talk about her ideas and her interesting life.
　　　As a young child, Alisa loved books. She began to write her own stories when she was only seven. She took classes in politics, history, law and writing .In 1926, she traveled to the United States and decided she would never leave. She also decided to change her name to “Ayn Rand.”  Newly named, Rand moved to Hollywood, California to work in the movie business. Throughout the 1930s, she published two books, but did not earn much critical or popular recognition.

      Then, in1943, Rand's famous book “The Fountainhead” was published. It took her seven years to write the novel. Twelve publishers rejected the book. However, a man named Archibald Ogden loved the story and convinced the Bobbs-Merrill company to publish it. “The Fountainhead” became a huge success around the world. It has sold more than six million copies. It continues to sell about one hundred thousand copies each year.
　　　“The Fountainhead” tells the story of a young building designer named Howard Roark. Roark wants to build interesting, modern-looking buildings. However, most people only want to see traditional designs. Roark loves designing and building more than anything in the world. But he refuses to compromise and make buildings he hates. Several people work against Roark and his goals. But in the end, Roark succeeds.
　　“The Fountainhead”is an unusual novel for many reasons. It is more than 700 pages long, far longer than most books people read for entertainment. More importantly, it also includes discussions of philosophy, which are not usually found in popular books. Most critics did not like “The Fountainhead”. But readers loved it. In 1949,it was made into a popular movie.
    She lived quietly in New York City until she died in 1982. She is still one of the most loved, and hated, American thinkers and writers.
24. When did Alisa decide to change her name to Ayn Rand?
A. When she began to write her own stories.
B. When she took classes in politics and writing.
C. When she decided to settle in the US.
D. When she moved to Hollywood, California.
25. Which of the following is true of Rand's famous book The Fountainhead?
A. It cost the author eight years to complete.
B. It was loved by all the twelve publishers.
C. It was finally published by Archibald Ogden.
D. It was a great success around the world.
26. What can we learn about Howard Roark?
A. He wants to build interesting, traditional buildings.
B. He loves designing and building anything in the world.
C. He has to give in and make buildings he hates.
D. He achieves his goals and eventually gains success.
27.“The Fountainhead” is an unusual novel mainly because _______.
A. it is far longer than most books for entertainment
B. it also includes discussions of philosophy
C. it was well-received by most critics and readers
D. it was made into a popular TV play in 1949
28. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The life and writing of Ayn Rand.
B. The interesting life of Ayn Rand.
C. Rand's famous book“The Fountainhead”.
D. Different attitudes towards Rand's book.
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