Many boys love reading about the legends of old pirates (海盜) and dreaming of their own wild adventures. But modern pirates are not a thing of the past. Last month Somali pirates did their boldest hijacking (劫持) to date. They seized the Saudi supertanker (超大型油輪) Sirius Star carrying crude oil worth about $100 million. They demanded $15 million to free the ship and its crew.
The pirates have kept hitting the headlines this year: 92 attacks have been attempted, with 36 successful hijackings and 268 crew members taken hostage (人質(zhì)). The Chinese fishing ship Tianyu 8, with 17 Chinese and 8 foreigners on board, has been in their hands since November 14.
Of course piracy (海盜行為) is nothing new. Even since there has been water and ships there have been pirates. The earliest documented history of pirates dates back to the 13th century in the Mediterranean Sea. Even the famous Roman emperor Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates.
Piracy reached its peak in the mid-1700s. It was during this time in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa that men like “Blackbeard the Pirate” made this profession attractive. But with the creation of stronger national Navies piracy became less popular around the world.
In the mid-20th century, most pirates were petty (小規(guī)模的) thieves. They used hooks to sneak (偷偷摸摸) on board ships at anchor, and grabbed all that they could find. These pirates were more likely to flee than fight if faced by the crew.
However, nowadays piracy has become a multi-million-dollar business at tracting many in poor countries. Pirates are treated like heroes among local fishermen.
They use satellite phones and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Once they spot their target, they swarm the ship with fast boats and shoot it by firing AK-47s or even rocket-propelled grenades (火箭榴彈炮). Then they hold the ship and its crews for money.
“The world should take forceful actions together to fight piracy,” said leaders at the Asian and Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru.
“However, putting in anti-piracy army can only be half of the solution. We have to protect the fair chance of Somali fishermen to get a good living and keep them from the lure of easy money,” said Peter Lehr, a lecturer in terrorism studies.
小題1: When did piracy reach its peak?
A.In the 13th century. B.In the mid-1700s.
C.In the mid-20th century. D.November 14, 2008.
小題2:What does the underlined sentence probably mean?
A.Pirates were very bold at first.B.Pirates were very popular then.
C.Pirates were very attractive then.D.Pirates were not so bold at that time.
小題3:According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.The pirates have committed 92 crimes successfully this year.
B.Piracy became more and more popular as the national Navies became powerful.
C.Nowadays, pirates are learning to use modern weapons to commit crimes at sea.
D.On November 18, a Chinese ship was attacked by a suspected pirate ship.

小題1:B
小題2:D
小題3:C
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第三部分   閱讀理解(共20小題;每小題2分,滿分40分)
閱讀下列段文,從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C和D)中,選出最佳選項,并在答題卡上將項涂黑。
Boston ― thieves dressed as police entered a museum early Sunday and stole 11 paintings, including major works by Rembrandt, Dagas, Manet, and Vermerr, FBI and the museum officials said.
The first judgement placed value of at least $100 million on the works stolen from the Isabella Teward Gardener Museum, said Boston police spokesman Jim Tordan.
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New York Times---( DINITIA SMITH )Tomorrow is the 433d anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. A recent survey shows that more people are watching him, reading him and studying him than ever before.
Consider the recent yearly conference of the Shakespeare Association of America in Washington, where more than 600 people who study or admire Shakespeare from 18 countries took in topics like ‘‘Whither Attribution Studies,’’ ‘‘Unpopular Shakespeare’’ and ‘‘Sex Me Here,’’ a talk on breast-feeding and Lady Macbeth.
‘‘The national media is saying that fewer students’ taking Shakespeare,’’ Barbara Mowat, the editor of The Shakespeare Quarterly, observed in a speech at the conference. ‘‘But Shakespeare is thriving.’’ The association’s membership has increased by a third since 1990.
The Shakespeare business is so good these days that W. W. Norton is introducing a huge new collections of the plays into the already crowded field just in time for tomorrow’s birthday anniversary. Priced at $44.95, ‘‘The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition’’ runs for 3,420 pages, offering introductions, illustrations and notes and three versions(版本) of ‘‘King Lear.’’
Today, movies and videos have made the plays even more accessible. Last year, ‘‘William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’’ was No. 1 at the box office when it opened, and it grossed nearly $50 million. In New York in January, crowds lined up in the freezing cold to see Kenneth Branagh’s four-hour ‘‘Hamlet.’’ The students select a scene and then have a violent discussion about it.’’ Influenced by films, professors are increasingly teaching students by having them perform the plays.
小題1:Why people from 18 countries came to Washington this year?
A.To celebrate Shakespeare’s 433d birth day only.
B.To watch some plays by Shakespeare as planned.
C.To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday and study his works.
D.To discuss how to teach students using Shakespeare’s plays.
小題2:What does the underlined word “ field” in the fourth paragraph refer to?
A. Washington D.C.                             B. Shakespeare Association.
C. The birthday anniversary.                 D. The Shakespeare business.
小題3:Which of the many plays by Shakespeare was most popular the year before?
A.King Lear.B.Hamlet.
C.Macbeth.D.Romeo and Juliet.
小題4:What does the author want to prove by using so many examples about Shakespeare?
A. More and more people are becoming interested in Shakespeare.
B. Shakespeare business is being run well in America nowadays.
C. Plays by Shakespeare can be used at school for more studies.
D. Shakespeare belongs not only to Britain but also to the USA.

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