For a long time, a boy wondered why his next-desk-pal was always the first in the class, whereas he could only rank the 21st. At home, he asked his mom, “Am I more stupid than other kids? How come I always lag behind? I just can’t come up with an answer.” Mom was aware that her son’s self-respect had been damaged by the ranking system, but she didn’t know what to say to help.
She was tempted (想要) to say that intelligence differs and that yes, her son’s friend really was the smarter boy. But that would have so upset her son. Thank goodness she resisted the temptation to say it.
Her son and his friend went on to high school that year, but despite trying as hard as he could, her son’s friend still outdid him. But she was proud of her boy for his hard work, sincerely proud. It was around this time she decided to take him on a trip to the seaside. On the trip, she at last found an answer for him.
Today her son no longer cares about rankings. He doesn’t have to, for he himself is now the top of the class – at the top national university he attends. Invited to speak to his old high school, he mentioned a valuable childhood experience: “Once, on a trip to the sea, my mother and I were lying on the beach. She pointed to the sea and said to me: ‘Do you see the seabirds fighting for food out there? When a wave comes near, the little birds rise quickly. The “clumsy” seagulls (海鸥) are far less agile (灵活的) and have to struggle to get away from the wave. But these “clumsy” birds prove to have the biggest, strongest wings, which open the widest and allow the bird to travel the furthest. When the season changes, they leave for foreign shores, leaving the little birds behind. Son, I have a feeling that you are one of those seagulls.”
【小题1】From the first paragraph, we could conclude the mother ______.

The boss praised the young man for his hard work, though he ___ experience.

A. was lack of B. was lacking in C. lacks of D. was lacking of

单词拼写（共10小题，每小题1分，满分10分）

1.What ________ (素质) does a great person have?

2.It is unfair that he gets very little in ________ (报酬) for his hard work.

3.I knew it would help us achieve our dream of making black and white people _____. (平等)

4.The police had the criminal trapped in a narrow street where he could not ________(逃跑).

5.It was on September11, 2001 that the terrorists ___ (袭击) New York’s World Trade Center.

6.The front passengers were lucky to ________(幸存) the accident.  

7.We stayed in a ___________ (豪华的) hotel near the Tian'anmen Square. 

8.Lions and tigers __________(属于) to the cat family. 

9.The ship ________(下沉) to the bottom of the sea last year.

10.He _________ (搬走) the table to the kitchen yesterday.

第三节阅读理解(共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分)
A
A marketing director for a famous computer manufacturer was designing a new advertisement for his company. While researching consumers’ response to his product, he asked, “Ships are commonly referred to as ‘she’ or ‘her’. What gender (性别) would you give to your computer? Give four reasons to support your answer.
A large group of women reported that the computers should be referred to as “he” or “him” because:
1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
2. They have a lot of data, but are still hard to understand.
3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they are problems.
4. As soon as you buy one, you realize that, if you had waited a little longer you could have had a better model.
The men, on the other hand, said that computers should be referred to as “she” or “her” because:
1. The language they use to communicate with other computers is impossible to understand for most men.
2. Even your smallest mistakes are stored in the long-term memory and will be remembered forever.
3. As soon as you get one, you find yourself spending half your money on accessories (附件) for it.
21. In fact, computers really _______.
A. should be referred to as “she”        B. should be talked about as “he”
C. are neither “she” nor “he”                 D. are either “he” or “she”
22. Why did the man ask people such a strange question? 
A. Because he was a marketing director of a computer company.
B. Because he was not sure whether to use “she” or “he” for his computer.
C. Because he wanted to make special computers for men and women.
D. Because he was planning an advertisement for his computer.
23. From the women’s answers, we can see _______.
A. they generally don’t know as much about computer as men do
B. they want to use a computer without turning it on
C. they can’t make up their minds when to buy a new computer
D. they love computers as much as they love their husbands

For a long time, a boy wondered why his next-desk-pal was always the first in the class, whereas he could only rank the 21st. At home, he asked his mom, “Am I more stupid than other kids? How come I always lag behind? I just can’t come up with an answer.” Mom was aware that her son’s self-respect had been damaged by the ranking system, but she didn’t know what to say to help.

    She was tempted (想要) to say that intelligence differs and that yes, her son’s friend really was the smarter boy. But that would have so upset her son. Thank goodness she resisted the temptation to say it.

Her son and his friend went on to high school that year, but despite trying as hard as he could, her son’s friend still outdid him. But she was proud of her boy for his hard work, sincerely proud. It was around this time she decided to take him on a trip to the seaside. On the trip, she at last found an answer for him.

    Today her son no longer cares about rankings. He doesn’t have to, for he himself is now the top of the class – at the top national university he attends. Invited to speak to his old high school, he mentioned a valuable childhood experience: “Once, on a trip to the sea, my mother and I were lying on the beach. She pointed to the sea and said to me: ‘Do you see the seabirds fighting for food out there? When a wave comes near, the little birds rise quickly. The “clumsy” seagulls (海鸥) are far less agile (灵活的) and have to struggle to get away from the wave. But these “clumsy” birds prove to have the biggest, strongest wings, which open the widest and allow the bird to travel the furthest. When the season changes, they leave for foreign shores, leaving the little birds behind. Son, I have a feeling that you are one of those seagulls.”

1. From the first paragraph, we could conclude the mother ______.

   A. knew her son was not bright enough

   B. saw the negative effects of the ranking system

   C. decided to help with her son’s school work

D. was troubled by her son’s low rankings

2.The mom was glad she didn’t give an answer at first because ______.

   A. she knew her son would forget his rankings soon

   B. she felt intelligence doesn’t mean everything

   C. she knew he was not strong enough for the truth

   D. she wanted to avoid another blow to her son’s self-respect

3.The story conveys the message that ______.

   a. only rankings show intelligence

   b. hard work and confidence can lead to a change in rankings

   c. parents should see children’s strengths and encourage them

   d. competition between students is good for society

   A. bc                B. cd               C. abc              D. bcd

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the story?

   A. How important are rankings?

   B. Little birds and seagulls

   C. The answer Mom gave

   D. Hard work pays off!