A．four times the speed as B．the speed four times of

C．four times as the speed of D．four times the speed of

答案　D　[A is four times the speed of B意为"A的速度是B的四倍"。]

13．________many failures，I have the courage to meet all challenges.

A．Having experienced B．To experience

C．Experienced D．Experience

答案　A　[考查非谓语动词。句意：经历了很多次失败后，我有勇气面对所有的挑战。I和experience是主谓关系，故应用现在分词形式作状语。又因experience这一动作发生在have the courage之前，故用现在分词的完成式，选A。]

14．After playing in the park for a few hours，the pupils gathered under trees

________shade and ________down to eat their picnic.

A．provided；sit B．providing；sitting

C．providing；sat D．provided；sat

答案　C　[考查非谓语动词和谓语动词的用法。句意：在公园玩了几个小时后，那些小学生们聚集在树荫下，坐下来吃野餐。第一空处表"提供阴凉的树"，逻辑主语trees与provide为主谓关系，应该用现在分词短语作定语；第二空处"坐下来吃野餐"与"聚集在树荫下"是并列的谓语。]

15．It seems that living green is ________easy and affordable.A small step makes a

big difference.

A．exactly B．fortunately C．surprisingly D．hardly

答案　C　[句意：绿色生活似乎是出乎意料地简单可行，迈出一小步，产生大不同。exactly准确地；fortunately幸运地；surprisingly惊讶地，出乎意料地；hardly几乎不。]

Ⅱ.阅读理解

"Tiger Mother"parenting raises media storm.A new book written by a self­described Chinese descent(血统)on her super­strict parenting-BattleHymnoftheTigerMother has raised media storm and fierce debates in the U．S.

Amy Chua is a Yale Law School professor and the mother of two teenage girls.She is the daughter of immigrants of Chinese descent.In the Chinese culture，the tiger symbolizes strength and power.In her book Ms.Chua writes about how she demanded excellence from her daughters.For example，her daughters，Sophia and Louisa，were never allowed to attend a sleep­over，be in a school play，watch TV or play computer games.They couldn't choose their own after­class activities or get any grade less than an A．They had to play piano or violin-and no other musical instruments.She writes that if a Chinese child gets a B-which she says"wouldnever happen"-there would be"a screaming，hairtearing explosion"．She describes making her 7­year­old daughter play a piano piece perfectly-yelling and not letting her leave the bench even