四、阅读理解：共l5小题;每题3分。共45分。阅读下列短文，然后根据短文的内容从每小题的四个选择项中选出最佳的一项。
A
My wife and I moved into our home nine years ago. We have a yard and a "rock garden". Therethe rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry, to finish. Very oftenwhen we have more flowers, Denise or I would plant them between the rocks,just to add some colorto the area.
Last summer I found, in the rock garden, a tiny little plant that I could not immediatelyrecognize. I knew I didn' t plant it and Denise said she didn' t either. We decided to let it continuegrowing until we could find out what it was.
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the strange plant, it appeared to'be a sunflower. Itlooked thin and tall with only one head on it. I decided to baby it along and weed(除草) around it.As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something unusual. The sunflower hadnot started where I saw it begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun.
If a tiny little sunflower didn' t let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have theability to do the same thing. If we believe in ourselves like that little sunflower, we can reach wherewe aim to go and get what we need for growth.
We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the ability to achieve our goals. Like thesunflower, it knew it had the ability to get over the rocks because it had faith in itself that it wouldsucceed. Stand tall like the sunflower and be proud of who and what we are,then other things will beginto support us. We will find a way to go under or around any "rocks" in order to realize our goals.
36. Why did the family plant flowers in the "rock garden"?
A. To attract visitors.
B. To remove the rocks.
C. To please their neighbors.
D. To make the area colorful.
【答案】D
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第一段最后一句话中。Denise or l would plant them between therocks，ilist to add some color to the area”可知，D项为正确答案。
37. The author let the tiny plant continue growing
A. to see how long it could live
B. to see how big it could grow
C. to find out what it actually was
D. to know if his wife had planted it
【答案】C
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第二段最后一句话“We decided to let it continue growing until wecould find out what it was.”可知。C项为正确答案。
38. Why did the author think the sunflower was unusual?
A. It was very thin and tall.
B. It had only one head on it.
C. It grew on top of a big rock.
D. It began to grow under a rock.
【答案】D
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第三段最后一句话“It actually had begun under a big rock andgrown under and around it to reach the sun.”可知，D项为正确答案。
39. What does the author want to say through the story?
A. Rocks cannot prevent us from success.
B. Sunflowers are able to grow everywhere.
C. We should take good care of the rock gardens.
D. We can get over difficulties if we trust ourselves.
【答案】D
【应试指导】主旨大意题。由文章最后一段的内容可知，作者认为，我们要相信自己拥有实现我们的目标的能力，这样我们就能找到一种实现目标的方法。这与选项D的内容相符。
B
It is not easy to become a doctor in the United States. The first step is getting into medical schools. More than 120 American schools offer study programs for people wanting to be doctors.
Advice about medical schools can be got from books and magazines like The,Princeton Review,which provide information about medical schools, study programs and jobs. Competition ( 竞争 ) toenter medical schools is strong. American medical schools have only about 16,000 openings forstudents each year. However, more than two times this many want to enter medical schools.
An important part of their application (申请) is the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).The Association of American Medical Colleges provides the test by computer." It is offered in theUnited States and in other countries. Applicants need to do well on MCAT. They also need a goodrecord in their college studies.
An interview(面试) is also required for entrance to medical schools. The interviewer wants toknow if the applicant understands the demands of life as a medical student and doctor in training. Healso wants to know about the applicant' s goals for a life in medicine.
People who want to become doctors often study a lot of biology,, chemistry or other science. Somestudents work for a year or two in a medical or research job before they attempt to enter medical schools.A medical education can cost a lot,from 15,000 dollars to 40,000 dollars a year or more. Moststudents need to borrow money to pay for the education.
40. How many people hope to go to medical school in the U. S. each,year?
A. More than 32,000.
B. About 24,000.
C. Less than 16,000.
D. About 20,000.
【答案】A
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第二段最后两句可知，每年想进入医学院的学生多于32 000人。
41. Who prepares MCAT for medical school applicants?
A. The Princeton Review.
B. The Medical College Admissions Office.
C. The medical schools in the United States.
D. The Association of American Medical Colleges.
【答案】D
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第三段第二句话“The Association of American Medical Collegesprovides the test by computer.”可知，D项为正确答案。
42. Which of the following do interviewers want to know about the applicants?
A. What courses they want to learn in medical schools.
B. How much money they hope to earn in future.
C. When they plan to start their medical training.
D. Whether they understand a doctor' s duties.
【答案】D
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第四段第二句话" The interviewer wants to know if the applicantunderstands the demands of life as a medical student and doctor in training
”可知，D项为正确答案。
43. What can be inferred about the applicants from the text?
A. They must be hard-working.
B. They have to do well in medicine.
C. They should have work experience.
D. They must earn 15,000 dollars a year.
【答案】A
A
My wife and I moved into our home nine years ago. We have a yard and a "rock garden". Therethe rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry, to finish. Very oftenwhen we have more flowers, Denise or I would plant them between the rocks,just to add some colorto the area.
Last summer I found, in the rock garden, a tiny little plant that I could not immediatelyrecognize. I knew I didn' t plant it and Denise said she didn' t either. We decided to let it continuegrowing until we could find out what it was.
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the strange plant, it appeared to'be a sunflower. Itlooked thin and tall with only one head on it. I decided to baby it along and weed(除草) around it.As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something unusual. The sunflower hadnot started where I saw it begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun.
If a tiny little sunflower didn' t let a big rock stand in its way of developing, we too have theability to do the same thing. If we believe in ourselves like that little sunflower, we can reach wherewe aim to go and get what we need for growth.
We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the ability to achieve our goals. Like thesunflower, it knew it had the ability to get over the rocks because it had faith in itself that it wouldsucceed. Stand tall like the sunflower and be proud of who and what we are,then other things will beginto support us. We will find a way to go under or around any "rocks" in order to realize our goals.
36. Why did the family plant flowers in the "rock garden"?
A. To attract visitors.
B. To remove the rocks.
C. To please their neighbors.
D. To make the area colorful.
【答案】D
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第一段最后一句话中。Denise or l would plant them between therocks，ilist to add some color to the area”可知，D项为正确答案。
37. The author let the tiny plant continue growing
A. to see how long it could live
B. to see how big it could grow
C. to find out what it actually was
D. to know if his wife had planted it
【答案】C
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第二段最后一句话“We decided to let it continue growing until wecould find out what it was.”可知。C项为正确答案。
38. Why did the author think the sunflower was unusual?
A. It was very thin and tall.
B. It had only one head on it.
C. It grew on top of a big rock.
D. It began to grow under a rock.
【答案】D
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第三段最后一句话“It actually had begun under a big rock andgrown under and around it to reach the sun.”可知，D项为正确答案。
39. What does the author want to say through the story?
A. Rocks cannot prevent us from success.
B. Sunflowers are able to grow everywhere.
C. We should take good care of the rock gardens.
D. We can get over difficulties if we trust ourselves.
【答案】D
【应试指导】主旨大意题。由文章最后一段的内容可知，作者认为，我们要相信自己拥有实现我们的目标的能力，这样我们就能找到一种实现目标的方法。这与选项D的内容相符。
B
It is not easy to become a doctor in the United States. The first step is getting into medical schools. More than 120 American schools offer study programs for people wanting to be doctors.
Advice about medical schools can be got from books and magazines like The,Princeton Review,which provide information about medical schools, study programs and jobs. Competition ( 竞争 ) toenter medical schools is strong. American medical schools have only about 16,000 openings forstudents each year. However, more than two times this many want to enter medical schools.
An important part of their application (申请) is the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).The Association of American Medical Colleges provides the test by computer." It is offered in theUnited States and in other countries. Applicants need to do well on MCAT. They also need a goodrecord in their college studies.
An interview(面试) is also required for entrance to medical schools. The interviewer wants toknow if the applicant understands the demands of life as a medical student and doctor in training. Healso wants to know about the applicant' s goals for a life in medicine.
People who want to become doctors often study a lot of biology,, chemistry or other science. Somestudents work for a year or two in a medical or research job before they attempt to enter medical schools.A medical education can cost a lot,from 15,000 dollars to 40,000 dollars a year or more. Moststudents need to borrow money to pay for the education.
40. How many people hope to go to medical school in the U. S. each,year?
A. More than 32,000.
B. About 24,000.
C. Less than 16,000.
D. About 20,000.
【答案】A
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第二段最后两句可知，每年想进入医学院的学生多于32 000人。
41. Who prepares MCAT for medical school applicants?
A. The Princeton Review.
B. The Medical College Admissions Office.
C. The medical schools in the United States.
D. The Association of American Medical Colleges.
【答案】D
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第三段第二句话“The Association of American Medical Collegesprovides the test by computer.”可知，D项为正确答案。
42. Which of the following do interviewers want to know about the applicants?
A. What courses they want to learn in medical schools.
B. How much money they hope to earn in future.
C. When they plan to start their medical training.
D. Whether they understand a doctor' s duties.
【答案】D
【应试指导】事实细节题。由文章第四段第二句话" The interviewer wants to know if the applicantunderstands the demands of life as a medical student and doctor in training
”可知，D项为正确答案。
43. What can be inferred about the applicants from the text?
A. They must be hard-working.
B. They have to do well in medicine.
C. They should have work experience.
D. They must earn 15,000 dollars a year.
【答案】A
