[1]Some people's ears produce wax like busy little bees. This can be a problem even though earwax appears to serve an important purpose. Experts say it protects and cleans the ear. It traps dirt and other matter and keeps insects out. Doctors think it might also help protect against infections. And the waxy oil keeps ears from getting too dry.

[2]So earwax is good. It even has a medical name: cerumen. And there are two kinds. Most people of European or African ancestry have the "wet" kind: thick and sticky. East Asians commonly have ___________.But you can have too much of a good thing.

[3]The glands(腺体) in the ear canal that produce the wax make too much in some people. Earwax normally falls out of the ear or gets washed away. But extra wax can harden and form a blockage that interferes with sound waves and reduces hearing. People can also cause a blockage when they try to clean out their ears，but only push the wax deeper inside. Earwax removal is sometimes necessary. But you have to use a safe method or you could do a lot of damage.

[4]Experts at N.I.H., the National Institutes of Health, suggest some ways to treat excessive earwax yourself. One way to remove wax is known as irrigation. With the head upright, take hold of the outer part of the ear. Gently pull upward to straighten the ear canal. Use an injector device to gently direct water against the wall of the ear canal. Then turn the head to the side to let the water out.

[5]The experts at N.I.H. say you may have to repeat this process a few times. Use water that is body temperature. If the water is cooler or warmer, it could make you feel dizzy. Never try irrigation if the eardrum is broken. It could lead to infection and other problems.

[6]After the earwax is gone, gently dry the ear. But if irrigation fails, the best thing to do is to go to a

 health care provider for professional assistance.

1.What’s the purpose of the passage? (No more than 10 words)

___________________________________________________________________.

2.What’s the bad effect of too much earwax on our hearing? (No more than 15 words)

____________________________________________________________________.

3.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. （No more than 3 words）

____________________________________________________________________.

4.What does the underlined word “this process” (Line 1, Paragraph 5) probably refer to?

(No more than 2 words）

____________________________________________________________________.

5.Will you use freezing water when trying to remove earwax? Why or why not?

(No more than 10 words)

____________________________________________________________________.

阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到题后的横线上（请注意题后的词数要求）。

[1]Some people's ears produce wax like busy little bees. This can be a problem even though earwax appears to serve an important purpose. Experts say it protects and cleans the ear. It traps dirt and other matter and keeps insects out. Doctors think it might also help protect against infections. And the waxy oil keeps ears from getting too dry.

[2]So earwax is good. It even has a medical name: cerumen. And there are two kinds. Most people of European or African ancestry have the "wet" kind: thick and sticky. East Asians commonly have ___________.But you can have too much of a good thing.

[3]The glands(腺体) in the ear canal that produce the wax make too much in some people. Earwax normally falls out of the ear or gets washed away. But extra wax can harden and form a blockage that interferes with sound waves and reduces hearing. People can also cause a blockage when they try to clean out their ears，but only push the wax deeper inside. Earwax removal is sometimes necessary. But you have to use a safe method or you could do a lot of damage.

[4]Experts at N.I.H., the National Institutes of Health, suggest some ways to treat excessive earwax yourself. One way to remove wax is known as irrigation. With the head upright, take hold of the outer part of the ear. Gently pull upward to straighten the ear canal. Use an injector device to gently direct water against the wall of the ear canal. Then turn the head to the side to let the water out.

[5]The experts at N.I.H. say you may have to repeat this process a few times. Use water that is body temperature. If the water is cooler or warmer, it could make you feel dizzy. Never try irrigation if the eardrum is broken. It could lead to infection and other problems.

[6]After the earwax is gone, gently dry the ear. But if irrigation fails, the best thing to do is to go to a health care provider for professional assistance.

1.What’s the purpose of the passage? (No more than 10 words)

___________________________________________________________________.

2.What’s the bad effect of too much earwax on our hearing? (No more than 15 words)

____________________________________________________________________.

3.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. （No more than 3 words）

____________________________________________________________________.

4.What does the underlined word “this process” (Line 1, Paragraph 5) probably refer to?

(No more than 2 words）

____________________________________________________________________.

5.Will you use freezing water when trying to remove earwax? Why or why not? 

(No more than 10 words)

____________________________________________________________________.

三．阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
When Han Duan started her professional career at 16, China’s national women’s football team was defeated in the final of the World Cup by the US. While she was asked to play in her first World Cup in 2003, she largely remained on the bench after the first match.
But things have changed. Now, Han is one of the most important players in China’s team. “I can’t wait to play. Life is short. You must make the most out of it,” Han always says like that. 
Han wants every possible honor that a football player can get — an Asian Cup, a World Cup and an Olympic medal. She has always been good at sports, especially swimming and horizontal bars. At school, she was the fastest in the 60m and 100m.
But the reason she picked football was that she wanted to get more compliments (称赞). “Football is for boys. But I feel more fulfilled when I can do better than them and win more compliments,” she said. Later, when she entered a football school, the coach always asked Han to show others what to do.
However, nobody can be good at everything. Han described her singing as “howling” and the only school subject she was good at was Chinese. “I was very happy every time my essay was posted on the wall for my schoolmates to read.” But Han still has some regrets about her school years. Her handwriting was terrible at school. She ever wanted to improve her handwriting but didn’t achieve much.
“My fans ask for my signature (签名), so I’d better practice and practice. It’s not too late,” she says.
56. In the World Cup in 2003, Han Duan was a(n) ______.
A. member of the audience     
B. unimportant player
C. team captain          
D. fan of a sports star
57. What does the underlined part in the second paragraph imply?
A. Han Duan siezes every chance to learn more to fulfill herself.
B. Han Duan never wastes any of her practicing time.
C. Han Duan seizes every chance to take part in matches.
D. Han Duan has become ill and she will die quite soon.
58. According to the passage, we know that Han Duan ________.
A. has won an Asian Cup, a World Cup and an Olympic medal
B. was good at sports when she was at school
C. did very well in singing and Chinese when she was at school
D. often gets compliments because of her beautiful handwriting
59. From the fourth paragraph, it can be inferred that Han Duan most probably ________.
A. felt sad as the boys laughed at her
B. felt proud as she got compliments from others
C. felt sad as she was too strong as a girl
D. hated herself as she couldn’t do anything else well
60. What’s the best title of this passage?
A. Growth of a sports star.           B. The World Cup.
C. Honor of a football player.        D. Star of tomorrow.

三、完形填空。（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36-55各题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
My friend Jessie and I have known each other since we were very young. After we both got married we seldom had time to get together    36    I always promised myself that I would meet her whenever I was free.
Friendships get more    37    as we get older. When we reached our forties, we    38    to do something to keep our    39    strong, healthy and growing. We picked out one Saturday a month and    40    to do something together that day. Sometimes we had a long lunch out, and other times we went to see a movie or went shopping. We also promised to have a(n)    41    every few days.
In some adventures we drove to our favorite places and    42    a night there. Other times we just    43  , stopping wherever we wanted. One of our adventures    44    us to a very small town in south Georgia. The people there were    45    a special festival. We were    46    to buy the handmade gifts and eating the   47    food. There was also a parade. Everyone in the parade    48    and waved to us! It was so great! We    49      had a great time that day!
Fun is always on the menu, whether it’s a weekend trip or a couple of hours    50    lunch. We are so happy and have a great    51    on each other’s lives. We share our sorrow and    52    and we ask for and receive advice. We always laugh, too!
Don’t keep promising yourself that “someday” you’ll    53    your friends. Do it now. Pick up your phone and make a    54    for THIS weekend. You’ll be a happier,    55    person for it! You need it and your friends need it, too.
36. A. as                   B. unless                         C. though                        D. since
37. A. precious              B. difficult                          C. boring                  D. interesting
38. A. refused           B. decided                           C. remembered             D. regretted
39. A. friendship           B. connection                   C. marriage                  D. life
40. A. forgot                 B. promised                         C. learned                     D. pretended
41. A. racing                 B. adventure                        C. hiking                  D. appointment
42. A. offered           B. took                                C. cost                         D. spent
43. A. looked            B. left                                 C. drove                       D. ran
44. A. gave                   B. took                                C. pushed                     D. forced
45. A. obtaining            B. enjoying                          C. preparing                 D. representing
46. A. unwilling            B. eager                              C. delighted                  D. neat
47. A. delicious             B. terrible                            C. awful                       D. valuable
48. A. wiped                 B. appealed                          C. smiled                  D. announced
49. A. hardly                B. nearly                         C. really                       D. probably
50. A. over                   B. on                                  C. at                               D. with
51. A. regret                 B. influence                         C. discussion             D. impression
52. A. weakness            B. benefits                           C. problems                  D. happiness
53. A. meet                   B. advise                         C. support                    D. grasp
54. A. design            B. plan                                C. speech                  D. record
55. A. busier                 B. prettier                            C. healthier                   D. cleaner

Once there was a very brilliant, creative and learned man. He gained much ____36_____while traveling throughout the world. Unfortunately he lost his legs and left arm in a traffic accident, leaving only a finger and thumb on his right hand. He became so ____37_____ that he was afraid he would spend his life _____38_____ and would no longer be able to use his life in a(n) ____39_____way.
One day, he remembered how he had always loved getting ____40_____. He realized that he still had partial ____41_____ of his right hand and could write with  ____42_____. Then, he had an idea. “Why not write to other people who need encouragement?”
He ___43___ where he could find those who could be encouraged if they read his letters. He thought of people in ____44___. Many of them had hope of regaining their ____45___ . Others would keep feeling depressed and remain put away for the rest of their lives. He decided that he must try to __46____ them. So he wrote to a prison ministry about sending letters to the prisoners. The prison minister replied that writing to the prisoners would be  ____47____. However, it would be against prison rules for the prisoners to write back.
____48_____with the intention, the man began sending   49   messages of God’s love, hope, strength, and encouragement. He wrote twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the ___50____. He poured his heart and soul into his words,  ___51_____ his experience, sense of humor, optimism, and faith.
It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of any ___52___. Frequently, he felt discouraged, wondering if anyone  ___53____read his letters. However, this was his ___54____chance，so he determined to continue.
At last, he received a letter from the prison officer, which said, “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from cell (牢房) to cell until they almost fall to ____55___!”
We all have unique experiences, abilities and talents. We can discover ways to reach others in need of encouragement and strength.