第二部分：阅读理解(共25小题;每小题2分，满分50分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
When I was an education official in Palo Alto, California. Polly Tyner, the president of our school board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly's son, Jim, had great difficulty in school. He was classified as educationally disabled and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents acknowledged his academic difficulties, but always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother submitted(提交)this letter to the newspaper.
Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time. If I had only known I would have said, “Jim, I love you and I’m very proud of you.”
I would have taken the time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of the many who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile, the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people.
When you put all the good qualities on the scale and try to balance all the irritating phenomena such as the radio which was always too loud, the haircut that wasn’t to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc., your angry feelings won’t amount to much.
I won’t get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, you do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear if you knew it would be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died. He called me to say, “Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work. Bye.” He gave me something to treasure forever.
If there is any purpose at all for Jim’s death, maybe it is to make others appreciate more of life and to have people, especially family members, take the time to let each other know just how much we care.
41. According to the passage, we know that _______.
A. Jim kept to himself B. Jim’s parents were patient with him
C. Jim did very well in his studies D. Jim failed to finish his high school
42. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Many people in the school loved him.
B. Jim’s smile cheered up his family.
C. Jim wanted to be a motorcyclist after his graduation.
D. Jim was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 20.
43. The underlined word “irritating” in Paragraph 4 means _______.
A. thrilling B. aggressive C. impatient D. annoying
44. By writing the letter printed in the Palo Alto Times, the author intends to _______.
A. mourn her son’s sudden death in a traffic accident
B. remind people to be cautious of motorcycles
C. appreciate more of life than ever before
D. advise people to take the chance to express their love in time
45. What can be the best title of the passage?
A. Do it Today. B. Love your Family.
C. Walk with Pride. D. Appreciate Smiles.
B
If cars had wings，they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2015.The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its car-plane, the Transition, to customersby the end of 2015.
“It’s the next ‘wow’ vehicle” said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh. “Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don’t fly.”
The car plane has wings that unfold for flying—a process the company says takes one minute—and fold back up for driving. A runway is still required to take off and land.
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both. The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly. They say it saves you the trouble from trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you’re good to go. When you land, you fold up the wings and hit the road. There are no expensive parking fees because you don’t have to store it at an airport—you park it in the garage at home.
The car-plane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers. Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal(临界) conditions.
The Transition’s price tag: $194,000, But there may be additional charges for options like a radio, transponder or GPS. Another option is a full-plane parachute.
“If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option,” Gersh said.
So far, the company has more than 70 orders with deposits.” We’ re working very closely with them, but there are still some remaining steps,” Brown said.
46. We can learn from the first paragraph that _________.
A. car-planes will be popular in 2015
B. people might drive a car-plane in 2015
C. both Transition and Ferrari can take off and land
D. Richard Gersh is the vice president of Massachusetts
47. It takes the car-plane one minute to ________ .
A. fold and unfold its wings B. unfold wings for flying
C. land in the airport D. meet flying safety regulations
48. The underlined word “it” in the last but one paragraph refers to ________ .
A. the radio B. the transponder C. the GPS D. the full-plane parachute
49. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. The car-plane needs a runway to take off and land.
B. To meet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FAA.
C. The car-plane may fly as high as normal planes.
D. People can park the car-plane in the garage at their home.
50. What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Cars With Wings May Be Just Around The Corner.
B. Which to Choose: A Ferrari or a Car Plane?
C. A more Convenient and Cheaper Way to Fly.
D. Cars With Wings Can Fly as Fast as Planes.
