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

When you're on the go, your best friend and resource can be your phone. In the age of smart phones, apps are like guiding stars: They can point you in the right direction for a hotel, list expenses, send postcards, and much more. When used together, these apps can be the basic travel tool, placing a wealth of information at your fingertips no matter where you are on the planet. U.S. News Travel has picked the essential travel apps, known for their utility and reliability. Best of all, they cost absolutely nothing.

Trip It

Your Personal Travel Agent

Be your own travel agent and plan every detail of your trip—from car rental to accommodating restaurants—with Trip It. You can make travel schedule by hand, or simply forward the email confirmations of your flight, rental car, train tickets, and hotels to plans.

Weather Free

Your Go-To Meteorologist(气象学者)

Stop trying to explain the weather forecast on the evening news (particularly when it's in a foreign language). The Weather Free app informs you (in English) of the climate in various locations. It features the local weather, and other key factors that will inform your decision about what to wear before stepping outside.

Goby

Your Event Guru

When you're in a foreign city, you sometimes look around and ask: Where are all the people? Goby has the answer. This app pinpoints(定位) the neighborhood hot spots (including museums, hotels, eateries, and more) in your neighborhood. But its true value comes in finding nearby events. You'll discover concerts, plays, and more right around the corner.

21. What is the advantage of using travel apps picked by the U.S. News Travel?

   A. They can solve any problem you come across. B. They reduce your travel budget.

   C. They exercise your fingertips.   D. They are reliable and free of charge.

22. With the help of the travel apps used together, travelers can do the following things EXCEPT__________.

   A. rent a car                   B. decide what to wear    

C. look for a friend while traveling   D. find the nearby museums 

23. Where are the readers likely to read the passage above?

   A. In a geography textbook           B. In a science and technology magazine      

   C. On a popular website           D. In a business report

                                B

Each time I see a balloon, my mind flies back to a memory of when I was a six-year-old girl. It was a rainy Sunday and my father had recently died. I asked my mom if Dad had gone to heaven. “Yes, honey. Of course.” she said.

    “Can we write him a letter?”

    She paused, the longest pause of my short life, and answered, “Yes.”

    My heart jumped. “How? Does the mailman go there?” I asked.

    “No, but I have an idea.” Mom drove to a party store and returned with a red balloon. I asked her what it was for.

    “Just wait, honey. You’ll see.” Mom told me to write my letter. Eagerly, I got my favorite pen, and poured out my six-year-old heart in the form of blue ink. I wrote about my day, what I learned at school, how Mom was doing, and even about what happened in a story I had read. For a few minutes it was as if Dad were still alive. I gave the letter to Mom. She read it over, and a smile crossed her face.

    She made a hole in the corner of the letter where she looped the balloon string. We went outside and she gave me the balloon. It was still raining.

    “Okay, on the count of three, let go. One, two, three.”

The balloon, carrying my letter, darted upward against the rain. We watched until it was swallowed by the mass of clouds.

Later I realized, like the balloon, that Dad had never let his sickness get him down. He was strong. No matter what he suffered, he’d persevere, hang on, and finally transcend(超越) this cold world and his sick body. He rose into sky and became something beautiful. I watched until the balloon disappeared into the gray and white and I prayed that his strength was hereditary. I prayed to be a balloon.

 

 

24. When the girl asked her mother if they could write to her father, her mother ______.

A. found it easy to lie   B. thought her a creative girl

C. believed it easy to do so D. felt it hard to answer 

25. When the girl was told that she could send a letter to her father, she ______.

A. became excited           B. jumped with joy

C. started writing immediately D. was worried that it couldn’t be delivered

26. In the eyes of the author, what was the rain like?

A. An incurable disease.         B. An unforgettable memory.

C. The failures her father experienced. D. The hard time her father had.

27. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. An unforgettable experience   B. Fly to paradise

C. The strong red balloon       D. A great father