第二部分 閱讀理解（共兩節(jié)，滿分40分）

第一節(jié) （共15小題；每小題2分，滿分30分）

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中，選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。

A

MOOCs, short for “massive open online courses,” mark an important, possibly revolutionary, development in education. These courses are on line, free of charge, and open to anyone in the world who has a laptop and an Internet connection. Moreover, they are mainly offered by great universities like Stanford, Berkeley, Harvard and Columbia.

The courses are arranged according to how difficult they are, enabling students to progress from beginners to the advanced. The courses cover not only a broad range of science subjects such as math and computer science, but also courses in social sciences and humanities. Though MOOCs are not offered for credit and degree, many students enroll(加入) in the courses for real skills or knowledge which they can put to some practical use. 

The format(形式) seems better than the traditional school class. The average quality of the lecturers is much higher. Besides, students can learn back and forward－that is, they can go at their own learning speed, which they can’t do in a live lecture. And, more importantly, they don’t have to travel anywhere to attend an online lecture. There is a problem of asking questions of the lecturer in a class of ten thousand students, but some MOOCs have solved it by allowing students to post questions on line for a vote, and only the most popular questions are put to the lecturer.

In a knowledge age, lifelong learning is not confined to a traditional classroom. Students taking MOOCS are usually very clever, have work experience, and in many cases, have already developed a set of practical skills. Moreover, they also offer unique international perspectives(遠(yuǎn)景) that would be the envy of any school classroom.

21. Which of the following statements is NOT true about MOOCs?

A. The word “MOOCs” is short for “ massive open online campuses”.

B. Anyone who has a computer and an Internet connection can take MOOCs.

C. MOOCs are usually offered by first-class universities in the world.

D. MOOCs may be a breakthrough in the development of education.

22. MOOCs seem to have an advantage over traditional school classes in that ________.

A. there is a problem of asking questions in traditional classes

B. students enrolling in MOOCs can get credit and degree easily

C. students can learn at their own study pace

D. students can travel to many places when taking MOOCs

23. The meaning of the underlined word “confined” means ________.

A. extended       B. developed      C. limited       D. advanced

                               B

A fierce earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, causing a crowded hospital to fall down and countless houses and buildings were destroyed.

The earthquake, the worst in the region in more than 200 years, with a magnitude estimated at 7.0, struck just before 5 p.m. about 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, leaving the region nearly in ruins. As night fell in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, fires burned near the shoreline downtown, but otherwise the city fell into darkness. The electricity was out, telephones were not working and relief workers struggled to make their way through blocked streets.

In this earthquake, it was not possible for officials to determine how many people had been killed and injured. It was reported that the headquarters of the United Nations mission was seriously damaged and many employees were missing. Part of the national palace had fallen to the ground. A hospital was totally ruined in Pétionville, which is home to many diplomats（外交官） and wealthy Haitians. A New York reporter said that a wall at the front of the Hotel Oloffson had fallen, killing a passer-by. A number of nearby buildings was badly damaged, trapping people. People were screaming, calling for help from every corner. 

Haiti sits on a large fault between the much larger North American plate to the north and the Caribbean plate to the south. The earthquake on Tuesday happened when what appears to be part of the southern fault zone broke. With many poor people living in tin-roof shacks(窩棚) and with many of the buildings in Port-au-Prince and elsewhere in the country of questionable quality, it was expected that the quake caused major damage to buildings and great loss of life.

24. What was the damage of the earthquake?

   A. The headquarters of the UN mission was totally destroyed.   

B. Some of the national palace had fallen to the ground. 

C. A hospital was partly ruined in Pétionville.

D. All the walls of the Hotel Oloffson had fallen.

25. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

   A. All the hospitals in Haiti were destroyed in the earthquake.

   B. The earthquake was the worst in Haiti in less than two centuries.

   C. After dark the city fell into darkness because of the earthquake.

   D. Communication, electricity and transportation were all affected.

26. It can be learned from the text that ________.

   A. fires broke out in the capital city due to the earthquake

   B. Haiti covers the entire geographic plates of the earth

   C. the earthquake caused the southern fault zone to break

   D. a grand hotel was completely ruined in Pétionville 

27. In Haiti, one way to reduce losses in earthquakes is probably to ________.

   A. repair the Southern fault zone   B. move to the seaside

   C. improve the quality of the buildings  D. live in tin-roof buildings
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