9．One sixth of undergraduates （本科生） in  Beijing this year have registered at a driving school．The students，mostly from majors such as business management or international trade，will finish there driving courses within 20 days or so．
Training costs have dropped to，2，600yuan for students，according to the Haidian Driving School in Beijing．The price is not really low，but students will accept it，seeing it as an investment （投资） in their future．Familiarity with the operation of computers and fluent English are the basic skills graduating students need to find a job．But a driver's permit has become another factor．
"In the job market，owning a driver's permit sometimes strengthens a graduating student's competitiveness for a good position，"says Zhou Yang，an undergraduate at the China University of Political Science and Law．
Cars will become a necessary part of many people's lives in the coming years，and it's difficult to get a permit out of campus because of the pressures on working people's time．"Having a full-time job after graduation offers limited time to learn to drive．We senior students have plenty of spare time，plenty of opportunities to learn．"
Xu Jian，an official at the driving school，said undergraduates were very able and serious，and could grasp in an hour what it took ordinary people four hours to learn．In this driving school，middle-aged people，young women and college students are the main customers．
To get a driver's permit，a beginner is now required to have at least 86 hours'practice before the final road test．
21．The undergraduates are learning to drive because．B
A．they like to drive cars
B．they need this skill to find a good job．
C．most of them will be able to buy cars in the future
D．they want to become full-time drivers after graduation
22．Which of the following is Xu Jian's opinion of students learning to drive？D
A．He decided it was a waste of money and time．
B．He thought they must learn it at school．
C．He thought they would spend three times more time．
D．He agreed that young people had an advantage in learning to drive．
23．Which of the following would be the best title of this passage？A
A．Students Learn to Drive 　  
B．Welcome to Driving School
C．It's Better to Learn to Drive at College
D．Students Pay Less to Learn to Drive Now．

8．Most people，when they travel to space，would like to stay in orbit for a few days or more．And this stands to reason，if you're paying﹩20，000for your trip to orbit（轨道）!So in order for tourism to reach its full potential there's going to be a need for orbital accommodation---or space hotels．What would a space hotel actually be like to visit？Hotels in orbit will offer the services you expect from a hotel---private rooms，meals，bars．But they'll also offer two unique experiences：impressive views---of Earth and space---and the endless entertainment of living in zero gravity---including sports and other activities that make use of this．
The hotels themselves will vary greatly---from being quite simple in the early days to huge luxury structure at a later date．It's actually surprising that as later as 1997，very few designs for space hotels were published．This is mainly because those who might be expected to design them haven't expected launch（发射） costs to come down far enough to make them possible．
Lots of people who've been to space have described vividly what it's like to live in zero gravity．There are obviously all sorts of possibilities for dancing，gymnastics，and zero-G sports．Luckily，you don't need to sleep much living in zero gravity，so you'll have plenty of time for relaxing by hanging out in a bar with a window looking down at the turning Earth below．
Of course all good things have come to an end，unfortunately．And so after a few days you'll find yourself heading back though you'll be much more expert at exercising in zero gravity than you were when you arrive．You'll be thinking how soon you can save up enough to get back up again---or maybe you should change jobs to get to work in an orbiting hotel．

24．When traveling in space，most people would like to stay in orbit for a few days becauseA．
A．It is expensive to travel in space
B．they would find the possible life in other star systems
C．they could enjoy the luxury of space hotels
D．they want to realize the full potential of tourism
25．Which of the following is a unique experience that space hotels will offer？B
A．The gravitational pull   B．The special views．
C．The relaxation in a bar．D．The space walk．
26．This passage is mainly aboutD．
A．traveling in space
B．the ways of living in space hotels
C．zero gravity and space hotels
D．the description of space hotels．

7．Thinking
Some scientists claim that we humans are the only living things that are conscious-we alone are aware that we are thinking．
No one knows how consciousness works-it is one of science's last great mysteries．
All your thoughts take place in the cerebrum（大脑皮质），which is at the top of your brain，and different kinds of thought are linked to different areas，called association areas．
Each half of the cerebrum has four rounded ends called lobes（脑叶）-two at the front（frontal and temporal lobes） and two at the back（occipital and parietal lobes）．The frontal lobe is linked to your personality an it is where you have your bright ideas．The temporal lobe is where you hear and understand what people say to you．The occipital lobe is where you record touch，heat and cold，and pain．The left half of the brain controls the right side of the body．The right half controls the left side．One half of the brain is always dominant in charge）．Usually，the left side brain is dominant，which is why 90% of people are right-handed．
33．Which part of your cerebrum is most active when you are thinking a telephone call？B
A．The frontal lobe．
B．The temporal lobe．
C．The occipital lobe．
D．The parietal lobe．
34．Which of the following statements is True？A
A．One's personality has something to do with the frontal lobe．
B．Bright ideas come from the parietal lobe．
C．The occipital and temporal lobes are at the back of the cerebrum．
D．The occipital lobe is in charge of sound．
35．From the passage，we know the reason why around 10% of people are left-handed is thatC．
A．their fontal lobe is usually dominant
B．their temporal lobe is usually dominant
C．their right brain is usually dominant
D．their left brain is usually dominant．

6．Martin is riding his yellow motorcycle，which he calls Kindness One．He is trying to （21）C around the world on nothing but the kindness of（22）B．No money，no food and nowhere to stay．Martin（23）Aon the generosity of the human spirit to keep him going．
"It's all about （24）B other people，"Martin said．So far，he's met with （25）D．In Las Vegas，a family gave him food and a place to sleep．In Nebraska，cowboys let him stay  （26）C them．"The American people have been （27）A，"Martin said．
And in Pittsburgh，after a dozen people（28）B him down，Martin met Tony，a （29）C man who gave him his food and offered to let Martin sleep with him in a garage．"It was so inspiring for me，"Martin said．"The people in Pittsburgh hadn't （30）A helped but he offered me a place to stay and shared his food．"
So just how far can（31）D get you？Martin is determined to （32）C．"I used to be a manager in London，sitting behind a desk，（33）D 12hours a day，and it wasn't for me，"he explained．"Then I went and traveled the world and （34）B with people．And that's what it's all about．That's where the （35）Cis：connection，heart to heart．"
On his blog，Martin said he'll （36）Aa ship from New York to Europe，adding he'll do so"as a non-paying （37）B，Kindness Rocks!"
He also lists a trip that would （38）D him traveling to France，Italy，Greece，India，Cambodia and Vietnam，among other countries．His（39）C will be shown on TV．The trip also serves to  （40）A money for Make a Wish International．

21．A．look	B．sit	C．travel	D．lie
22．A．drivers	B．strangers	C．reporters	D．scientists
23．A．counts	B．waits	C．feeds	D．writes
24．A．changing	B．inspiring	C．borrowing	D．hoping
25．A．need	B．danger	C．peace	D．success
26．A．in	B．at	C．with	D．over
27．A．wonderful	B．careful	C．rich	D．strong
28．A．took	B．turned	C．beat	D．put
29．A．happy	B．careless	C．homeless	D．selfish
30．A．really	B．clearly	C．quickly	D．gradually
31．A．experience	B．patience	C．happiness	D．kindness
32．A．take over	B．get on	C．find out	D．put up
33．A．sleeping	B．shouting	C．singing	D．working
34．A．married	B．connected	C．loved	D．united
35．A．power	B．energy	C．magic	D．confidence
36．A．board	B．repair	C．play	D．hire
37．A．journalist	B．passenger	C．performer	D．researcher
38．A．guess	B．choose	C．pay	D．see
39．A．competence	B．game	C．journey	D．concern
40．A．raise	B．copy	C．build	D．save

5．Forty years ago，Finland was a small country with mediocre（普通）public schools．Today，Finland is still small but no one calls Finland's public schools mediocre any more．
In 2000，the Finns surprised the world when their 15-year-olds scored at the top of a closely watched international exam called the PISA．Finland has stayed near the top ever since，while the U．S．scores around the middle．
Pasi Sahlber g，an official with Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture，is in Seattle this week to share the story of Finland's success，and what states like Washington can learn from it．
Sahlberg's message，although he is too polite to put it so bluntly（坦率）：Stop testing so much，trust teachers more； give less homework； shorten the school day．
On Tuesday，in a room filled with teachers，principals，professors，school-board members and policy makers，Sahlberg joked about the Finns'reputation（名声） for being a quiet，humble people．"When Finland hit the top of the PISA，"he said，"the biggest disbelievers were Finns．"
More seriously，Finland never set out to create the world's top school system．Instead，he said，the country deci ded in the 1970s that it wanted to ensure that a student's success didn't depend on family background．
"Finland relied on cooperation among teachers and schools，rather than on competition．Rather than judging teachers and schools based on test scores，"he said，"Finland puts trust in its teachers and principals．Teachers develop the curriculum in Finland，and design their own tests．There are no nat ional tests，except one at the end of high school．"
That's just the start．Along with a shorter school day，Finnish students don't even start school until they are 7 years old．Many primary schools have a policy against giving homework．
"But Finland，"he said，"succeeded in part by adopting ideas from the U．S．and other countries．And those countries，"he said，"can learn from Finland，too．"

32．What might be the author's purpose of writing the passage？C
A．To introduce a Finnish official．
B．To compare the education systems of Finland and the US．
C．To share the story of Finland's success in education．
D．To ask the US to improve its education．
33．People first learned Finland's success in education fromA．
A．its students'performance in an international exam．
B．its international exchange programs．
C．lectures given by Pasi Sahlberg．
D．its small-sized public schools．
34．Which of the following can contribute to Finland's  success in education？C
a．Giving students fewer tests．
b．Giving teachers more trust．
c．Evaluating students'family backgrounds．
d．Creating the world's top school system．
e．Starting school late．
A．a，b，c              B．c，d，e          C．a，b，e           D．b，c，d
35．What Pasi Sahlerg said in Paragraph 7 suggested thatB
A．children should start school as early as possible．
B．competition among teachers might be harmful to education．
C．the US education system is still the most advanced．
D．it is necessary to set up a national curriculum．

4．The earth is the only planet that scientists think has life．Why does the earth have life while the other planets don't？For one thing，the earth is just the right temperature．As the third planetfrom the sun，the earth seems to be just the right distance away．The planets which are closer to the sun are hot that their surfaces bake in the sun．The farthest planets are cold balls．
When the earth developed-which scientists believe may have happened about 4 billion years ago-many gases covered the earth．The gases caused the earth to be hot．But something wonderful happened．The temperature was just right for thick clouds to form．It rained very hard for a very long time．This gave the earth its oceans．Water made it possible for plants to grow．The plants created oxygen in the atmosphere．Oxygen is the gas that humans and animals breathe．
Only one other planet in the solar system seems to be something like the ear th．That planet is Mars．Mars is smaller than the earth，and it is quite a bit cooler．But it is not too cold for humans．On some days，the temperatures are as low as a winter day in the northern United States．If you wore a special space suit，you could walk around on Mars．You would have to bring your own air to breathe，the air on Mars is too thin to breathe．
Mars has the largest volcano （火山） in the solar system．It is sixteen miles high．The highest volcano on the earth is five miles high．The most unexpected sight on Mars is dried up river beds．Scientists believe that Mars was once much better than it is now．Does this mean there could have been living things on Mars？Scientists are not sure，but there has been no si gn so far．

29．Which of the following is NOT the reason that the earth has life？B
A．The earth is j ust the right temperature．
B．The volcanos on earth are lower than those on Mars．
C．There is oxygen in the atmosphere of the earth．
D．The earth seems to be just the right distance away from the sun．
30．The underlined phrase"the third planet"in the first paragraph refers toC．
A．the Sun       B．the Moon         C．the Earth            D．the Mars
31．Which of the following about the Mars is NOT true？A
A．There could have been living things on Mars．
B．Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system．
C．There is almost no oxygen in the air on Mars．
D．Mars is smaller than the earth，and it is quite a bit cooler．

3． （CNN）-An ultra-marathoner trying to"run"from Florida to   Bermuda in a human-powered inflatable （充气的） bubble was rescued Saturday morning，after he signaled for help，the Coast Guard said．
Reza Baluchi，according to his website，has set a goal of running across more than 190 recognized nations to encourage world peace．
The Coast Guard first encountered Baluchi on Wednesday after receiving a report about a man in a bubble off the coast of Miami，disoriented and asking for directions to Bermuda，a Coast Guard press release said．It was not clear when he started his adventure．
A Coast Guard ship found Baluchi．Officials described the craft as a"hydro pod bubble"and a man in a 2013YouTube video called a Baluchi bubble"a big hamster wheel．"It moved along the ground as Baluchi ran inside．
In the press release，the Coast Guard said Baluchi had protein bars，bottled water，a GPS and a satellite phone．The Coast Guard conveyed the voyage's dangers and asked Baluchi to quit his journey because he didn't have enough supplies．But he wouldn't leave his bubble，officials said．
The Coast Guard monitored his progress and on Saturday morning exhausted Baluchi activated（激活） his personal locating beacon（灯塔），the Coast Guard said．
A Coast Guard airplane and a helicopter，along with the boat Maersk Montana，were sent to rescue Baluchi 70nautical miles east of St．Augustine，the Coast Guard said．
He was exhausted and taken to the Coast Guard air station，where his medical condition was evaluated．There were no reported injuries，the Coast Guard said．
"Part of his effort was to make world peace but he got caught up in the Gulf Stream，"said Coast Guard public affairs specialist Mark Barney．"The chances of muscling out of the Gulf Stream were pretty low．"
Baluchi could not be reached for comment，but a video posted on Baluchi's Facebook page described his plans to travel in the bubble across the Caribbean，as well as his other athletic exploits．
The CNN．com story quoted Baluchi saying he'd run across the United States twice and around its border once．He said he fled Iran to escape persecution （迫害）．Now he is an American citizen．

21．What happened to Baluchi when he first encountered the Coast Guard？A
A．He was confused about which direction he should go．
B．His bubble was broken．
C．He was exhausted by the adventure．
D．He activated his locating beacon．
22．From the passage，we can know thatD．
A．The Coast Guard advised Baluchi to quit the journey because the weather was terrible．
B．Baluchi ended his journey since he hadn't enough supplies．
C．In the press release，Baluchi described his plan to cross the Caribbean in the bubble．
D．Although Baluchi was exhausted，there were no reported injuries after his being rescued．
23．Which of the following words can best describe Reza Baluchi's personality？B
A．Optimistic    B．Adventurous  
C．Hardworking   D．Devoted．

2．Retirement （退休） should be time of joy and freedom．However，for some people retirement comes with feelings of depression （沮丧），which makes life difficult for them．
Retirement is a major life change．Even good changes usually involve some kinds of loss．When you retire，you find yourself lacking whatever working used to provide．That could include，for example，1．knowing you're working for society，2．getting admiration from your skills，3．having"aha"moments when you solve problems，4．having people to socialize with，and=5．simply having a place to go and a reason to get out of bed every day．For most people，there's a financial loss，too．Also，retirement age is a time when a lot of people have to deal with losing their parents or having serious health problems of their own．
Because of all these，retirees are more likely to get depressed．
Depression is very harmful．First，depression can make physical health problems worse．Second，it takes a toll on relationships，because it can make people angry．Third，it's hard to getmuch done when you're depressed．
What can we do to overcome （克服） the feelings of depression？First，do all the things that help depression in general：drink enough water，exercise，talk to friends，have a hobby，laugh，and spend time in nature．If you feel depressed more often than not，it's probably time to talk to a doctor about your feelings．Second，it's important to keep busy and get out of the house when you can．Make specific plans with friends．Take a class Volunteer．Or just make sure you start each day with some kind of goal．Third，try to focus on what you've gained by retiring．Think about what you may have now that you wished you had before you were able to retire．For example，days that are less stressful，a chance to rest and take better care of your body，more time for your family and yourself．To write，to start a hobby and to learn something new are all new possibilities．Finally，tell your story．You've lived a long time and you become an oral historian each time you talk with someone about your experiences．You can also write in a journal or make a video recording of your memories．Telling your stories can help you look back on your life and career with a sense of wholeness and achievements．

32．People may find life very hard after they retire because ofC．
A．freedom　　　　　　　　　　　　　
B．nervousness
C．discouragement （losing heart）　　
D．hard work
33．All the following can cause the retirees'unpleasant feelings EXCEPTB．
A．they will suffer from financial loss
B．they have to support their parents
C．they may lose the reason to get up early
D．they may have fewer people to socialize with
34．The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4meansC．
A．it makes people's relationships unusual
B．it makes people's relationships in peace
C．it makes people's relationships in danger
D．it makes people stay in touch with each other．
35．What would be the best title for the passage？D
A．Depression and Retirement
B．Depression During Retirement Is Harmful
C．Reasons for Depression During Retirement
D．How to Overcome Depression During Retirement．

1．Is the world really going mad？（36）Aday I was sitting in a restaurant （37）C a quick drink and a talk with a few friends when it suddenly （38）D to me that almost everyone in the restaurant was smoking．It wasn't long （39）C the whole room was （40）B with smoke．I asked with an apology for permission（允许）  to （41）D a window to stop myself （42）D!
Nowadays air pollution is something that hardly question any more．However，I still can't walk down the street in any of the big cities without thinking that people are （43）A from the （44）B pollution．It is time for the government departments of the world to introduce emission（废气排放） controls on all cars and （45）C the public transport system（公共交通体系） to encourage people to （46）D their cars at home．A friend of mine takes flying lesson each morning and it really makes him （47）A when he climbs above the smog layer（烟雾） and looks down （48）B it and thinks："I'm breathing that!"This kind of （49）C results from the bad management of resources．Waste things can （50）D should，be treated properly．House building，road （51）B，and industrial development are all earthmoving（or earth-reducing） operations and can change the balances of （52）A created over millions of years．I would like to （53）Aserious studies done on all these main works before they are built．Also，there should be （54）C national parks set up to keep the most beautiful parts of countries in their natural （55）B．

36．A．The other	B．Another	C．Every	D．Each
37．A．reserving	B．drinking	C．having	D．buying
38．A．seemed	B．appeared	C．showed	D．occurred
39．A．ago	B．after	C．before	D．now
40．A．full	B．filled	C．arranged	D．surrounded
41．A．break	B．recover	C．shut	D．open
42．A．standing	B．sitting	C．talking	D．dying
43．A．suffering	B．existing	C．resulting	D．surviving
44．A．water	B．air	C．solid	D．dust
45．A．increase	B．reduce	C．improve	D．raise
46．A．put	B．stop	C．drive	D．leave
47．A．sick	B．tired	C．foolish	D．excited
48．A．on	B．at	C．from	D．for
49．A．thought	B．question	C．pollution	D．operation
50．A．but	B．yet	C．or	D．and
51．A．work	B．construction	C．achievement	D．setting
52．A．life	B．mind	C．humans	D．plants
53．A．see	B．look	C．observe	D．watch
54．A．fewer	B．less	C．more	D．no
55．A．situation	B．states	C．soils	D．places

20．Perhaps you think you could easily add to your happiness with more money．Strange as it may seem，if you're unsatisfied，the issue is not a lack of means to meet your desires but a lack of desires-not that you cannot satisfy your tastes but that you don't have enough tastes．
Real riches consist of well-developed and hearty capacities（能力）to enjoy life．Most people are already swamped（淹没）with things．They eat，wear，go and talk too much．They live in too big a house with too many rooms，yet their house of life is a hut．
Your house of life ought to be a mansion（豪宅），a royal palace．Every new taste，every additional interest，every fresh enthusiasm adds a room．Here are several rooms your house of life should have．
Art should be a desire for you to develop simply because the world is full of beautiful things．If you only understood how to enjoy them and feed your spirit on them，they would make you as happy as to find plenty of ham and eggs when you're hungry．
Literature，classic literature，is a beautiful，richly furnished room where you might find many an hour of rest and refreshment．To gain that love would go toward making you a rich person，for a rich person is not someone who has a library but who likes a library．
Music like Mozart's and Bach's shouldn't be absent．Real riches are of the spirit．And when you've brought that spirit up to where classical music feeds it and makes you a little drunk，you have increased your thrills and bettered them．And life is a matter of thrills．
Sports，without which you remain poor，mean a lot in life．No matter who you are，you would be more human，and your house of life would be better supported against the bad days，if you could，and did，play a bit．Whatever rooms you might add to your house of life，he secret of enjoying life is to keep adding．

59．The author intends to tell us thatD．
A．true happiness lies in achieving wealth by fair means
B．big houses are people's most valued possessions
C．big houses can in a sense bring richness of life
D．true happiness comes from spiritual riches
60．The underlined sentence in the second paragraph probably implies thatB．
A．however materially rich，they never seem to be satisfied
B．however materially rich，they remain spiritually poor
C．though their house is big，they prefer a simple life
D．though their house is big，it seems to be a cage
61．It can be learned from the passage thatC．
A．more money brings more happiness    
B．art is needed to make your house beautiful
C．literature can enrich your spiritual life  
D．sports contribute mainly to your physical fitness
62．What would be the best title for the passage？A
A．House of Life  
B．Secret of Wealth  
C．Rest and Refreshment  
D．Interest and Enthusiasm．