Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
Tina Leverton was 62 when she bought her first pair of ballet shoes.She said putting her feet into the soft leather was very emotional.She said，“I’ve waited a long time for it.”
A few days later，Leverton took her first ballet class after seeing an advertisement in a newspaper.It showed older women dancing in a class near Leverton’s house.“As I came in the door，I found a big smile on my face.From the minute I started，I felt like coming home.”
Leverton had longed to dance as a child.Sadly，her parents couldn’t afford ballet classes，for they were firstgeneration Indian immigrants，struggling to make a living in the UK.Her father was a train driver on the underground in London and her mother held two cleaning jobs.Nonetheless，she harboured her dream of being a ballerina(芭蕾舞女演员)．
At her present age，a grand plie—lowering to the floor with bent knees—seemed to be out of the question.It took her three months to master the move: leaping and landing on one foot.“I love the struggle and the challenge of learning something new.People in their 60s have a lot of selflimiting beliefs：‘I can’t do it，’‘I’m not good enough.’ And maybe they’re not good enough.But it doesn’t matter，”she said.
Ballet has been transformative.At a medical appointment a few months after Leverton’s first class，a nurse measured her at 163cm，half an inch taller than she had thought.She attributes(归因) the difference to improved posture.Her muscle tone has improved and her lower back pain has stopped.Dancing has also brought new friends.She met a group of older，more independent women and worked together towards a team award with the Royal Academy of Dance.And then，of course，there is the joyful feeling.“Ballet is all the therapy(治疗) I’ll ever need，”said Leverton.
语篇解读 本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了蒂娜•莱弗顿因为年少时家里比较贫穷，所以无法实现她的舞蹈梦。62岁时她开始学习芭蕾舞，虽然遇到了一些困难，但是她坚持了下来，而且芭蕾舞给她带来了很多的变化。
1．How did Leverton feel after taking her first dance lesson?
A．Tired. B．Confused.
C．Shocked. D．Thrilled.
答案 D
解析 推理判断题。根据第二段中的“As I came in the door，I found a big smile on my face.From the minute I started，I felt like coming home.”可推知，莱弗顿上第一节芭蕾舞课时感觉很兴奋。故选D。
2．Why didn’t Leverton learn to dance when she was young?
A．Her family was badly off.
B．She wasn’t able to leap high.
C．Her family laughed at her dream.
D．She had to focus on classes.
答案 A
解析 细节理解题。根据第三段中的“Sadly，her parents couldn’t afford ballet classes...her mother held two cleaning jobs.”可知，莱弗顿小时候家境贫寒，父母的收入也不高，所以导致她小时候不能学跳舞。故选A。
3．What did dancing bring to Leverton?
A．A team award.
B．Money and fame.
C．Friendship and joy.
D．A medical treatment.
答案 C
解析 细节理解题。根据最后一段中的“Dancing has also brought new friends.”以及“And then，of course，there is the joyful feeling.”可知，芭蕾舞给莱弗顿带来了很多的朋友和乐趣。故选C。
4．What can we learn from Leverton’s story?
A．Hard work pays off.
B．Never too old to pursue dreams.
C．Interest is the key to success.
D．Money isn’t everything.
答案 B
解析 推理判断题。根据全文可知，62岁的莱弗顿开始学习跳芭蕾舞，虽然遇到了一些困难，但是她坚持了下来，而且芭蕾舞给她带来了很多的变化。她交了很多新朋友，而且从中获得了很多乐趣。由此可推知，我们可以从莱弗顿的故事中学到“追求梦想永远不嫌老”的道理。故选B。
