内容发布更新时间 : 2024/12/23 10:39:15星期一 下面是文章的全部内容请认真阅读。

本试卷共9页，满分120分，考试用时120分钟。

第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分） 第一节(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

The Five Best Countries TO Move To For Retirement

Retiring in a different country is gaming popularity. Below are five of the best countries to seek retirement Costa Rica

Mild climate, breathtaking landscapes and beaches draw retirees(退休人员）to Costa Rica. The country readily welcomes immigrants and offers a simple residency process. With a monthly income of at least $ 1,000 per month from Social Security or a similar source, people enjoy a high standard of living at a much lower cost than the U. S.

Malaysia

Retirees who choose to make Malaysia home will appreciate its rich culture and attractive scenery. Moreover, the country offers modern facilities at modest prices. Immigrants enjoy convenience and comfort in their daily life. You will find low-cost rental units, delicious street food, and various shopping malls.

Mexico

Because it’s close to the U.S., Mexico draws more than a million American retirees to its borders. Increasing immigrant communities enjoy seaside living and conversations with friendly. English speaking locals. Plus, legal residents over the age of 60 receive airline, grocery, and restaurant discounts.

Panama

Gentle ocean wind takes the heat out of hot year-round temperatures, which has been the chief attraction to foreign retirees. Beautiful beaches and a booming economy also attract retirees to Panama. An income of $2,000 per month covers modest living costs. Furthermore, the country offers discounts to retirees with a special visa.

Ecuador

Lazy coastal towns, sun-shining hot spots, and nature-filled views wait for immigrants seeking a carefree lifestyle. Public transportation costs in Ecuador make owning a vehicle unnecessary. A bus ride only costs 25 cents and taxi rides will run about $3.

21. What do Costa Rica and Malaysia have in common? A. Convenient shopping. B. Relatively low living cost. C. Various cultural activities. D. Simple immigration procedures.

22. Which country’s location specially attracts retirees from the U.S.? A. Malaysia’s.

B. Mexico’s.

C. Panama’s.

D. Ecuador’s.

23. What is the main reason for retirees to choose Panama’? A. Beautiful beaches. C. A pleasant climate.

B. A booming economy. D. Discounts for retirees. B

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has welcomed home two paintings by the Dutch master, more than 14 years after they were ripped (抢) off the museum’s wall in a nighttime theft. Museum director Axel Rueger called their return “one of the most special days in the history of the museum.”

The paintings were discovered last year by Italian police while they were searching suspected Italian criminals’ farmhouse near Naples for evidence of drug dealing. The two paintings were wrapped in cotton sheets. They were stuffed in a box and hidden behind a wall in a toilet when they were found.

The paintings were considered among the artworks most searched for in the world. After years in darkness, they can now shine again. They are back on display at the museum before being taken to the conservation studio for repair. Fortunately, they suffered remarkably little damage as thieves who had climbed up a ladder and broken a window to get into the museum in 2004 rip them out of their frames.

“It is not only a surprise that the works have been recovered but it’s even more surprising they are in relatively unharmed condition,” Rueger said.

The museum director was on vacation when the call came last year from Italian authorities who believed they had recovered the paintings. He didn’t celebrate right away. He’d had calls li this before.

“I was hopeful but also a little hesitant. Over these years, we had so many occasions when people phoned us, contacted us, claiming that they knew something about the whereabouts (下落) of the works and each time it was false, the trace went cold,” he said. “So...the way has been till of disappointment.” But museum experts sent to Italy to check the authenticity(真实性) of the works quickly turned Rueger’s doubts into delight.

Rueger said the paintings are now back permanently at the museum, which is home to dozens of works by Van

Gogh. “I’m very confident that everything is safe in the museum from now on,” he said. 24. How were the stolen paintings found? A. The police found them by accident. B. The arrested thieves gave information. C. Some drug dealers offered clues. D. The police knew the hidden place.

25. What surprised Rueger most about the lost paintings? A. They were stolen at night.

B. They were found at last. D. The search took 14 years.

C. They suffered little damage.

26. When Rueger got the call from Italian authorities, he . A. didn’t believe them C. planned to celebrate

B. felt quite relieved D. doubted the news

27. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 6 probably mean? A. Reuger gradually lost interest in the search. B. The number of false calls was greatly reduced. C. Rueger felt cold because of too many false calls. D. The chance to find the paintings became slim.

C

Imagine that you’re the creator and show runner of the newest comedy show on television. Only it isn’t so popular yet, and your live Studio audience isn’t giving you the big laughs the show deserves. Do you film the show all over again, hoping that this time the audience will laugh? Or is there another option for making a joke sound funnier than it was received?

Sweeten(改善) the sound by adding a laugh track! “Sweetening,” or the addition of sound effects such as laughs, screams, and other audience-produced noises to the audio track of a TV show, has been used since the 1940s to produce the appearance, or rather the sound, of an engaged and entertained response to a show’s comedy. Laugh tracks came into existence as not only a solution, and sometimes replacement, for an unengaged live audience but also as a way to engage an at-home audience into a more-traditional, public, and theaterlike experience. Adding a laugh track to a television show makes the viewers at home feel much less like they’re sitting on a couch staring at the television screen and much more like they’re in a room full of laughing happy people to varying degrees of success.