【正文】 解析：固定的搭配”直到才”是not…until 。30. （2012年荊州市中考）— Do you know sound travels very fast? — Yes. But light travels sound. A. as fast as B. a little faster than C. much faster than D. slower than30. C解析：在賓語從句中客觀真理（光速比聲速快得多）都用一般現(xiàn)在時。IV. 完形填空（共10分，每小題1分）先閱讀短文，然后從文中每小題的四個選項中選出一個可以填入短文中相應空白處的最佳答案。（2012年荊州市中考）I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was useless and when I was 14, he said, “You’re never going to be (31) but a failure(失敗者).After five years of poor jobs, I fell (32) with a very nice girl. But her mother said to me, “You’ve (33) in everything you’ve ever done. You can’t give any happiness to my daughter!” It was the frustrating thing that could have changed me later. I decided to do something (34) about my life, because I wanted to show her that what people said about me was (35) .So I tried hard with my writing and went to college. My first book came out while I was at college. After college I (36) during the day in high schools and went to evening classes at college. Later, I gave up that job to write full time. At the same time, I was offered a parttime job as a (37) at Leeds University. I began to feel (38) of myself –here was once a poor boy who’d left school early, now teaching at the university. My writing career(生涯) (39 when I discovered my own style.Now I’m rich and (40) , have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. But what does that mean? I just wish all the people who have put me down had said: “I believe in you. You’ll succeed.”31. A. anything B. something C. everything D. nothing32. A. work B. love C. help D. study33. A. failed B. won C. beaten D. succeeded34. A. difficult B. easy C. negative D. positive35. A. terrible B. excellent C. wrong D. right36. A. stayed B. laught C. lived D. studied37. A. boss B. scientist C. teacher D. student38. A. proud B. sad C. tired D. happy39. A. set off B. went off C. broke off D. took off40. A. cool B. famous C. clever D. helpful31. A 解析：否定詞never 之后用anything。32. B解析：固定詞組“愛上”fall in love with 。33. A解析：根據(jù)上下文提示可推斷出“失敗”。34. D解析：根據(jù)上文知此處表示“積極的”詞義的詞。35. C解析：根據(jù)上下文可知“讓人們知道他們“錯了””。36. D解析：根據(jù)下文提示可知“學習”。37. C解析：根據(jù)下文的at Leeds University提示可知。38. A 解析：習慣用法“感到自豪”feel proud of。 39. D解析：根據(jù)上下文提示可知“我的寫作生涯開始起飛了”。40. B解析：根據(jù)上下文可推斷“富有、知名”。V. 閱讀理解（共30分，每小題2分）先閱讀短文，然后根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容從文后每小題的四個選項中，選出一個能完成所能句子或回答所提問題的正確答案。（A）（2012年荊州市中考）Shopping Guide in Central MallFloorsArticles6Restaurant /Coffee shop/ Tea house5Children’s pleasure ground/ Game center4Electrical equipment, clocks and watches/ Writing materials and office supplies3Men’s clothing /Bedding2Women’s clothing/ Children’s clothing1Fruit, vegetables, meat, eggs, drinks, cooked food, etc. /Kitchen wareBushiness hoursWeekdays:8:30am—6:30pmWeekends:9:00am—9:00pm41. If you want to have a cup of coffee, you should go to the floor. A. first B. fourth C. fifth D. sixth42. If you want to buy some apples and beef, you should go to the floor. A. first B. second C. third D. fourth43. If Mr. Green wants to buy a shirt, he should go to the floor. A. second B. fourth C. third D. fifth44. If Mrs. Green’s children want to play, they should go to the floor. A. first B. fourth C. fifth D. sixth45. If you want to do some shopping in Central Mall in the evening, you may go there on . A. Wednesday B. Friday C. Saturday D. Monday41. D 解析：根據(jù)廣告可知咖啡廳在六樓。42. A 解析：根據(jù)廣告可知水果類在一樓。43. C 解析：根據(jù)廣告可知男士服裝在三樓。44. C 解析：根據(jù)廣告可知孩子們玩耍的地方在五樓。45. C解析：根據(jù)廣告可知晚上購物想購物必須在周末。(B)（2012年荊州市中考）The designer of the Apple Computer, Steve Jobs, was not quite successful in his early years. He was not among the best students at school, and from time to time he got into trouble with either his schoolmates or his teachers. But he was full of new ideas, which few people saw the value of. Things remained the same when he went up to college and he dropped out halfway.Steve Jobs worked first as a v