(   ) 2. These children are        this year than they were last year.

A. more tall    B. more taller

C. very taller    D. much taller

It is six o’clock in the morning. You are asleep in my left arm and I am learning the art of one-handed typing. Your mother, more tired yet more happy than I’ve ever known her, is sound asleep in the room next door.
When you’re older we’ll tell you that you were born in Hong Kong in the lunar year of the pig. “It's a boy, so lucky,” our neighbours told us. They said you were the first baby to be born in the block this year. This, they told us, was good Feng Shui, in other words, a positive sign. Naturally your mother and I were only too happy to believe that.
Your coming has turned me upside down and inside out. I am pained by the memory of each suffering child I have come across on my journeys as a journalist. To tell you the truth, it’s nearly too much for me to even think of the children being hurt and abused and killed.
Last October, in Afghanistan, when you were growing inside your mother, I met Sharja, aged twelve, motherless, fatherless, guiding me through the grey ruins of her home. Everything was gone, she told me.
There is another memory of Rwanda, and the churchyard where I found a mother and her three young children huddled(蜷缩) together where they’d been beaten to death. The children had died holding on to their mother.
Daniel, these memories explain some of the protectiveness I feel for you, and the occasional moments of blind terror when I imagine anything bad happening to you.
【小题1】We can see that this text is written to ________.

It is six o’clock in the morning. You are asleep in my left arm and I am learning the art of one-handed typing. Your mother, more tired yet more happy than I’ve ever known her, is sound asleep in the room next door.

    When you’re older we’ll tell you that you were born in Hong Kong in the lunar year of the pig. “It's a boy, so lucky,” our neighbours told us. They said you were the first baby to be born in the block this year. This, they told us, was good Feng Shui, in other words, a positive sign. Naturally your mother and I were only too happy to believe that.

    Your coming has turned me upside down and inside out. I am pained by the memory of each suffering child I have come across on my journeys as a journalist. To tell you the truth, it’s nearly too much for me to even think of the children being hurt and abused and killed.

    Last October, in Afghanistan, when you were growing inside your mother, I met Sharja, aged twelve, motherless, fatherless, guiding me through the grey ruins of her home. Everything was gone, she told me.

    There is another memory of Rwanda, and the churchyard where I found a mother and her three young children huddled(蜷缩) together where they’d been beaten to death. The children had died holding on to their mother.

    Daniel, these memories explain some of the protectiveness I feel for you, and the occasional moments of blind terror when I imagine anything bad happening to you.

1.We can see that this text is written to ________.

    A．the author’s wife        B．the author’s neighbour

    C．Daniel           D．a suffering child

2.The author mentions some of his painful memories because ________.

    A．he wants his son to care for others

    B．he feels more pain thinking about them as a father

    C．he hopes to forget the tragedies he witnessed

    D．his experience has affected his mental health

3.The underlined word “blind” in the last paragraph means ________.

    A．unable to see             B．meaningful

    C．not clear                 D．not based on reason

4.Which of the following words best describes the author’s feeling when typing this text?

    A．Relieved.     B．Regretful.  C．Loving.      D．Calm.

It is six o’clock in the morning. You are asleep in my left arm and I am learning the art of one-handed typing. Your mother, more tired yet more happy than I’ve ever known her, is sound asleep in the room next door.
When you’re older we’ll tell you that you were born in Hong Kong in the lunar year of the pig. “It's a boy, so lucky,” our neighbours told us. They said you were the first baby to be born in the block this year. This, they told us, was good Feng Shui, in other words, a positive sign. Naturally your mother and I were only too happy to believe that.
Your coming has turned me upside down and inside out. I am pained by the memory of each suffering child I have come across on my journeys as a journalist. To tell you the truth, it’s nearly too much for me to even think of the children being hurt and abused and killed.
Last October, in Afghanistan, when you were growing inside your mother, I met Sharja, aged twelve, motherless, fatherless, guiding me through the grey ruins of her home. Everything was gone, she told me.
There is another memory of Rwanda, and the churchyard where I found a mother and her three young children huddled(蜷缩) together where they’d been beaten to death. The children had died holding on to their mother.
Daniel, these memories explain some of the protectiveness I feel for you, and the occasional moments of blind terror when I imagine anything bad happening to you.

1. 1.

   We can see that this text is written to ________.

   1. A.
      the author’s wife
   2. B.
      the author’s neighbour
   3. C.
      Daniel
   4. D.
      a suffering child
2. 2.

   The author mentions some of his painful memories because ________.

   1. A.
      he wants his son to care for others
   2. B.
      he feels more pain thinking about them as a father
   3. C.
      he hopes to forget the tragedies he witnessed
   4. D.
      his experience has affected his mental health
3. 3.

   The underlined word “blind” in the last paragraph means ________.

   1. A.
      unable to see
   2. B.
      meaningful
   3. C.
      not clear
   4. D.
      not based on reason
4. 4.

   Which of the following words best describes the author’s feeling when typing this text?

   1. A.
      Relieved.
   2. B.
      Regretful.
   3. C.
      Loving.
   4. D.
      Calm.

last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. But according to a recent report, there is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever.__1__

These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier. __2__ On the other hand, deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time. Students may not like being put on waiting lists. Also, common colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them. Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts. __3__

For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is show them the money, especially this year; the weak economy makes parents nervous. __4__ The recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected student‘s loans. So lately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students. __5__ The Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down. This will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finish high school. The number is not expected to start rising again until 2015.

Earlier this month, blogger Lisa Henderson announced that she and her husband John had decided not to have Christmas. The family, who lives in Utah, will still put up decorations, but presents from Santa are a no-go this year.

“John and I feel like we are fighting a very hard uphill battle with our kids when it comes to their rights,” Henderson wrote on her blog. “It is one of the biggest struggles as a parent these days in middle class America. Our kids have been acting so ungrateful lately. ... John said, “We shouldn’t just celebrate Christmas. And, so that’s what we did.”

Instead, the Hendersons are putting the money they would have spent on gifts toward service projects in order to teach their three sons the “pleasure of giving.” The children will still receive gifts from grandparents and other family members, but this year, she said, their letters to Santa will be asking him to find someone who needs presents more than they do.

In an interview with ABC News, 11-year-old Caleb Henderson admitted that he and his brothers had been behaving badly. “We would hit each other. We were fighting and crying,” he admitted, and Lisa said that when she broke the news to her sons, they cried pretty hard.

But so far, Henderson told Fox News last week, the family is having a sudden turning this into a different kind of gift. They have already held a clothing drive and sent boxes of clothes and candy to a village in the Philippines that was hit hard last year by Typhoon Haiyan.

“The children were excited and kept wanting to give more and more,” she reported on her blog.

Many readers responded positively to Henderson’s post. Some sharing their own stories of limiting Christmas in order to teach their children to be charitable(仁慈的) or grateful. “As parents you’re giving your kids something so much more special than a bunch of gifts on Christmas,” one wrote.

But Henderson received negative follow-ups as well on her blog. Responding to critics, she updated her blog with a statement that reads, in part:

I just wanted to explain a couple of things. First, my kids are in no way hurt for things.... They have reacted by making gifts for each other and packing them into each other’s stockings stealthily(偷偷地). They are learning exactly what we wanted them to learn, because they are not moving around feeling sorry for themselves. They are thinking of others.

The second thing I wanted to explain is why I wrote this post. Some people seem to think I wrote this for attention. Ummm, the attention you get from posts like this is not good and actually extremely difficult to deal with.... The reason I wrote this post is I want to empower parents to feel like it’s okay to take a stand. ... I wanted to share what we are doing, so any parents that feel they are struggling with the same issues in their home can see what others are doing and get ideas for their family. My intention is to help support other parents and to raise amazing kids.

1.The Hendersons decided not to spend Christmas because_______.

A. they wanted to make their kids understand the pleasure of giving

B. their kids could receive presents from their other family members

C. the struggling couple tried to save some money to buy kids gifts

D. the whole family would go to the disaster areas in the Philippines

2.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by_______.

A. when Lisa told the kids they didn’t spend Christmas, they felt extremely sad

B.all the kids let out an excited cry when Santa sent them Christmas presents

C. the moment Lisa said the Philippines was hit by typhoon, they burst into tears

D. when their grandparents didn’t send them gifts, the kids couldn’t help crying .

3.From the last two paragraphs we can conclude that_______.

A. the writer wants to share his experiences of raising amazing kids

B. educating kids needs regular communication and great patience

C. the writer strongly called on people to care for the unfortunate

D. parents should praise children for their kindness to other people

4.Which of the following can be the best title?

A. Why These Parents Decided Not To Celebrate Christmas.

B. How Americans usually Spend A Traditional Christmas.

C. A Hard Battle between Kids And Parents At Christmas.

D. What American People Do To Have A Nice Christmas.

Earlier this month, blogger Lisa Henderson announced that she and her husband John had decided not to have Christmas. The family, who lives in Utah, will still put up decorations, but presents from Santa are a no-go this year.

“John and I feel like we are fighting a very hard uphill battle with our kids when it comes to their rights,” Henderson wrote on her blog. “It is one of the biggest struggles as a parent these days in middle class America. Our kids have been acting so ungrateful lately. ... John said, “We shouldn’t just celebrate Christmas. And, so that’s what we did.”

Instead, the Hendersons are putting the money they would have spent on gifts toward service projects in order to teach their three sons the “pleasure of giving.” The children will still receive gifts from grandparents and other family members, but this year, she said, their letters to Santa will be asking him to find someone who needs presents more than they do.

In an interview with ABC News, 11-year-old Caleb Henderson admitted that he and his brothers had been behaving badly. “We would hit each other. We were fighting and crying,” he admitted, and Lisa said that when she broke the news to her sons, they cried pretty hard.

But so far, Henderson told Fox News last week, the family is having a sudden turning this into a different kind of gift. They have already held a clothing drive and sent boxes of clothes and candy to a village in the Philippines that was hit hard last year by Typhoon Haiyan.

“The children were excited and kept wanting to give more and more,” she reported on her blog.

Many readers responded positively to Henderson’s post. Some sharing their own stories of limiting Christmas in order to teach their children to be charitable(仁慈的) or grateful. “As parents you’re giving your kids something so much more special than a bunch of gifts on Christmas,” one wrote.

But Henderson received negative follow-ups as well on her blog. Responding to critics, she updated her blog with a statement that reads, in part:

I just wanted to explain a couple of things. First, my kids are in no way hurt for things.... They have reacted by making gifts for each other and packing them into each other’s stockings stealthily(偷偷地). They are learning exactly what we wanted them to learn, because they are not moving around feeling sorry for themselves. They are thinking of others.

The second thing I wanted to explain is why I wrote this post. Some people seem to think I wrote this for attention. Ummm, the attention you get from posts like this is not good and actually extremely difficult to deal with.... The reason I wrote this post is I want to empower parents to feel like it’s okay to take a stand. ... I wanted to share what we are doing, so any parents that feel they are struggling with the same issues in their home can see what others are doing and get ideas for their family. My intention is to help support other parents and to raise amazing kids.

1.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 can be replaced by_______.

A. when Lisa told the kids they didn’t spend Christmas, they felt extremely sad

B. all the kids let out an excited cry when Santa sent them Christmas presents

C. the moment Lisa said the Philippines was hit by typhoon, they burst into tears

D. when their grandparents didn’t send them gifts, the kids couldn’t help crying.

2.From the last two paragraphs we can conclude that_______.

A. the writer strongly called on people to care for the unfortunate

B. educating kids needs regular communication and great patience

C. the writer wants to share his experiences of raising amazing kids

D. parents should praise children for their kindness to other people

3.Which of the following can be the best title?

A. Why These Parents Decided Not To Celebrate Christmas.

B. How Americans usually Spend A Traditional Christmas.

C. A Hard Battle between Kids And Parents At Christmas.

D. What American People Do To Have A Nice Christmas

Public bookshelves are appearing across Germany on street corners，city squares and in suburban supermarkets. In these free­for­all libraries，people can grab whatever they want to read，and leave behind anything they want for others. There’s no need to register，no due date，and you can take or give as many as you want.“This project is aimed at everyone who likes to read .It is open for everybody，” Michael Aubermann，one of the organizers of the free book exchange said.

The western city’ s latest public shelf was put up next to Bayenturm. It is the fourth free shelf that Aubermann’ s group，the Cologne Citizen’s Foundation，has placed outside.“We set up our other outdoor shelves last year and it’s been working really well，” said Aubermann. The public bookshelves，which are usually financed by donations and cared for by local volunteer groups，have appeared independently of each other in many cities，suburbs and villages. Each shelf holds around 200 books and it takes about six weeks for a complete turnover，with all the old titles replaced by new ones.

Even commercial book stores and online book sellers seem to support the idea of free book exchanges.“We see this project rather as a sales promotion than as competition，”said Elmar Muether.“If books are present everywhere，it helps our business，too.”

So far，the Cologne book group has had few problems with damage or other problems. Aubermann said，“Propaganda (宣传) is the only kind of literature we do not allow here.”

At another bookshelf in the Bayenthal neighborhood，the lower shelves are reserved for children’s literature only.“It is important that we make it easy for everyone to participate in this ‘reading culture on the street’—from old readers to kids to immigrants，”Aubermann said.

While most of the shelves have so far been put up in upscale neighborhoods，Aubermann and the 20 volunteers who help look after the project are planning to put up future shelves in poor neighborhoods，where citizens often don’t have as much access to literature.

1.Which of the following is TRUE about the public bookshelves?

A. People can take the books and leave their books at will.

B. People can’ t borrow books unless they donate books.

C. People can borrow whatever they like after registering.

D. People have to return the books according to the required time.

2.According to Aubermann，the public bookshelves ________.

A. are financed by local volunteers

B. have been going well since their birth

C. were managed by the local government

D. will hold more books and take a shorter turnover

3.The underlined phrase “upscale neighborhoods” refers to ________.

A. communities that have many people

B. communities that have many tall buildings

C. communities that are free to live in

D. communities that are of high grade

4.Which might be the best title for the passage?

A. Public Reading Becomes Popular Worldwide

B. New Trends of Bookshelves in Germany

C. Public Bookshelves Spread Across Germany

D. Reading Culture on the Street in Europe

Public bookshelves are appearing across Germany on street corners，city squares and in suburban supermarkets. In these free-for-all libraries，people can grab whatever they want to read，and leave behind anything they want for others. There’s no need to register，no due date，and you can take or give as many as you want. “This project is aimed at everyone who likes to read .It is open for everybody，” Michael Aubermann，one of the organizers of the free book exchange said.

The western city’ s latest public shelf was put up next to Bayenturm. It is the fourth free shelf that Aubermann’ s group，the Cologne Citizen’s Foundation，has placed outside.“We set up our other outdoor shelves last year and it’s been working really well，” said Aubermann. The public bookshelves，which are usually financed by donations and cared for by local volunteer groups，have appeared independently of each other in many cities，suburbs and villages. Each shelf holds around 200 books and it takes about six weeks for a complete turnover，with all the old titles replaced by new ones.

Even commercial book stores and online book sellers seem to support the idea of free book exchanges.“We see this project rather as a sales promotion than as competition，”said Elmar Muether.“If books are present everywhere，it helps our business，too.”

So far，the Cologne book group has had few problems with damage or other problems. Aubermann said，“Propaganda (宣传) is the only kind of literature we do not allow here.”

At another bookshelf in the Bayenthal neighborhood，the lower shelves are reserved for children’s literature only.“It is important that we make it easy for everyone to participate in this ‘reading culture on the street’—from old readers to kids to immigrants，”Aubermann said.

While most of the shelves have so far been put up in upscale neighborhoods，Aubermann and the 20 volunteers who help look after the project are planning to put up future shelves in poor neighborhoods，where citizens often don’t have as much access to literature.

1.Which of the following is TRUE about the public bookshelves?

A. People can take the books and leave their books at will.

B. People can’ t borrow books unless they donate books.

C. People can borrow whatever they like after registering.

D. People have to return the books according to the required time.

2.According to Aubermann，the public bookshelves ________.

A. are financed by local volunteers

B. have been going well since their birth

C. were managed by the local government

D. will hold more books and take a shorter turnover

3.The underlined phrase “upscale neighborhoods” refers to ________.

A. communities that have many people

B. communities that have many tall buildings

C. communities that are free to live in

D. communities that are of high grade

4.Which might be the best title for the passage?

A. Public Reading Becomes Popular Worldwide

B. New Trends of Bookshelves in Germany

C. Public Bookshelves Spread Across Germany

D. Reading Culture on the Street in Europe

Nowadays more and more people are talking about genetically modified foods ( GM foods). GM foods develop from genetically modified organisms (有机体), which have had specific changes introduced into their DNA by genetic engineering techniques. These techniques are much more precise where an organism is exposed to chemicals to create a non­specific but stable change. For many people, the high­tech production raises all kinds of environmental, ethical, health and safety problems. Particularly in countries with long farming traditions, the idea seems against nature.

In fact, GM foods are already very much a part of our lives. They were first put on the market in 1996. A third of the corn and more than half the cotton grown in the U. S. last year was the product of biotechnology, according to the Department of Agriculture. More than 65 million acres of genetically modified crops will be planted in the US this year. The genetic genie is out of the bottle.

However, like any new product entering the food chain, GM foods must be subjected to careful testing. In wealthy countries, the debate about biotech is not so fierce by the fact that they have a large number of foods to choose from, and a supply that goes beyond the needs. In developing countries desperate to feed fast­growing and underfed populations, the matter is simpler and much more urgent: do the benefits of biotech outweigh the risks?

The statistics on population growth and hunger are disturbing. Last year the world's population reached 6 billion. The UN states that nearly 800 million people around the world are unhealthy. About 400 million women of childbearing age don' t have enough iron, which means their babies are exposed to various birth defeats.As many as 100 million children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, a leading cause of blindness.

How can biotech help? Genetic engineering is widely used to produce plants and animals with better nutritional values. Biotechnologists have developed genetically modified rice and they are working on other kinds of nutritionally improved crops. Biotech can also improve farming productivity in places where food shortages are caused by crop damage attributable to drought, poor soil and crop viruses.

1.The passage mainly talks about________.

A. the world's food problem

B. the development in biotech

C. the genetically modified foods

D. the way to solve food shortages

2.According to the passage, GM foods________.

A. will replace naturally grown foods

B. are far better than naturally grown foods

C. may help to solve the problem of poor nutrition

D. can cause serious trouble in developing countries

3.The underlined sentence “The genetic genie is out of the bottle.” in Paragraph 2 probably means that________.

A. GM foods are available everywhere

B. the technology in producing GM foods is advanced

C. genetic technology may have uncontrollable powers

D. genetic technology has come out of laboratories into markets

4.What's the writer's attitude towards GM foods?

A. Enthusiastic. B. Cautious.

C. Disapproving. D. Unbelievable.

Teddy Bears have been a very popular children’s toy for many years. Most adults can remember their first stuffed（填充玩具）bear, and over the decades these toys have become nearly a symbol of their childhood. However, children are not the only ones with whom these toys have become popular, as many adults make it a habit to collect these toys as well.
The Teddy Bear first became popular during the early 20th century and was associated with then President Theodore Roosevelt. The story can date back to a hunting trip that President Roosevelt had taken where he was invited to be the one to shoot a black bear that had been tied to a tree. Being a crazy outdoors lover and hunter, Roosevelt refused to kill the animal because he believed that shooting the helpless bear was unsportsmanlike and wrong. This story quickly spread through newspapers across the country, and in the end inspired the introduction of a stuffed toy called “Teddy’s bear”.
These toys became popular soon after first introduced, and within ten years, they were being produced by dozens of companies around the world. Within a generation, these stuffed bears were “the” toy to have, and have always been within children’s toy boxes ever since.
They are most often mass-produced in factories in order to keep up with the high demand.  However, there are still companies that take great pride in their handmade designs; and while handmade teddy bears are often preferred, they are also generally more expensive than their mass-produced ones.
Today, these bears and other similar toys generate well over a billion dollars a year in profits for the companies that make them. Walk through just about any toy store in America and you will find dozens of different teddy bears lining the shelves.
【小题1】According to the passage, we can know President Roosevelt ______.

Teddy Bears have been a very popular children’s toy for many years. Most adults can remember their first stuffed（填充玩具）bear, and over the decades these toys have become nearly a symbol of their childhood. However, children are not the only ones with whom these toys have become popular, as many adults make it a habit to collect these toys as well.

The Teddy Bear first became popular during the early 20th century and was associated with then President Theodore Roosevelt. The story can date back to a hunting trip that President Roosevelt had taken where he was invited to be the one to shoot a black bear that had been tied to a tree. Being a crazy outdoors lover and hunter, Roosevelt refused to kill the animal because he believed that shooting the helpless bear was unsportsmanlike and wrong. This story quickly spread through newspapers across the country, and in the end inspired the introduction of a stuffed toy called “Teddy’s bear”.

These toys became popular soon after first introduced, and within ten years, they were being produced by dozens of companies around the world. Within a generation, these stuffed bears were “the” toy to have, and have always been within children’s toy boxes ever since.

They are most often mass-produced in factories in order to keep up with the high demand.  However, there are still companies that take great pride in their handmade designs; and while handmade teddy bears are often preferred, they are also generally more expensive than their mass-produced ones.

Today, these bears and other similar toys generate well over a billion dollars a year in profits for the companies that make them. Walk through just about any toy store in America and you will find dozens of different teddy bears lining the shelves.

1.According to the passage, we can know President Roosevelt ______.

A. didn’t like hunting                    

B. enjoy being special

C. was not brave enough               

D. was fair and respectable

2.Compared with mass-produced teddy bears, the handmade ones ______.

A. don’t sell well                        

B. are of high quality

C. are more expensive                 

D. are preferred by adults

3.From the last paragraph, the writer intends to show ______.

A. teddy bears are very popular       

B. toys are loved by many companies

C. producing toys can earn more money      

D. teddy bears are also enjoyed by adults

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. History of the Teddy Bear.         

B. A popular toy — Teddy Bear.

C. Who made the first toy bear?            

D. Profits Teddy Bear have made.

Teddy Bears have been a very popular children’s toy for many years. Most adults can remember their first stuffed（填充玩具）bear, and over the decades these toys have become nearly a symbol of their childhood. However, children are not the only ones with whom these toys have become popular, as many adults make it a habit to collect these toys as well.
The Teddy Bear first became popular during the early 20th century and was associated with then President Theodore Roosevelt. The story can date back to a hunting trip that President Roosevelt had taken where he was invited to be the one to shoot a black bear that had been tied to a tree. Being a crazy outdoors lover and hunter, Roosevelt refused to kill the animal because he believed that shooting the helpless bear was unsportsmanlike and wrong. This story quickly spread through newspapers across the country, and in the end inspired the introduction of a stuffed toy called “Teddy’s bear”.
These toys became popular soon after first introduced, and within ten years, they were being produced by dozens of companies around the world. Within a generation, these stuffed bears were “the” toy to have, and have always been within children’s toy boxes ever since.
They are most often mass-produced in factories in order to keep up with the high demand.  However, there are still companies that take great pride in their handmade designs; and while handmade teddy bears are often preferred, they are also generally more expensive than their mass-produced ones.
Today, these bears and other similar toys generate well over a billion dollars a year in profits for the companies that make them. Walk through just about any toy store in America and you will find dozens of different teddy bears lining the shelves.

1. 1.

   According to the passage, we can know President Roosevelt ______.

   1. A.
      didn’t like hunting
   2. B.
      enjoy being special
   3. C.
      was not brave enough
   4. D.
      was fair and respectable
2. 2.

   Compared with mass-produced teddy bears, the handmade ones ______.

   1. A.
      don’t sell well
   2. B.
      are of high quality
   3. C.
      are more expensive
   4. D.
      are preferred by adults
3. 3.

   From the last paragraph, the writer intends to show ______.

   1. A.
      teddy bears are very popular
   2. B.
      toys are loved by many companies
   3. C.
      producing toys can earn more money
   4. D.
      teddy bears are also enjoyed by adults
4. 4.

   What is the passage mainly about?

   1. A.
      History of the Teddy Bear.
   2. B.
      A popular toy — Teddy Bear.
   3. C.
      Who made the first toy bear?
   4. D.
      Profits Teddy Bear have made.

阅读理解

A

    Suppose you are reading a book. Suppose, too, you suddenly close your eyes. Can you still see the book? “Of course not,” you will say. But can you tell why? You would probably say, “When I close my eyes, my eyesight cannot get out of my eyes to get to the book.” But this explanation is wrong.

　　You cannot see any object unless light from that object gets into your eyes. Some of the things you see give off light of their own. The sun, the stars, a lighted lamp are examlpes that can be seen by their own light. Such things are luminous. Most of the things you see are not giving off light of their own. They are simply reflecting（反射的）light that falls on them from the sun or some other luminous body. The moon, for example, does not give off any light of its own. It is nonluminous. You see it because sunlight falls on it and some of it reflects in your direction. So moonlight is only secondhand sunlight.

　　When you look at a book, it sends to your eyes some of the light which falls on it, and you see the book. If light could be kept out from where you are so that there would be no light for the book to reflect, then you could not see the book even with your eyes wide open.

　　Light travels so fast that the time in which it travels from the book you are reading to your eyes is so short as if there were no time at all. Light reaches us from the moon, which is about 380, 000 kilometres away, in only a little more than a second.

　　56．You can not see the book when you close your eyes, because________.

　　A. your eyes are too close to it

　　B. closed eyes are out of sight

　　C. your eyesight cannot get to it

　　D. the light from it cannot get into your eyes

　　57．The word “luminous” means________ .

　　A. visible                      B. lighted

　　C. giving off light                D. sunlight

　58．Light travels about ________ kilometres per second.

　　A. 380,000     B. 300,000     C. 400,000     D. 190,000

　　59．Which of the following is TRUE? ________.

　　A. All the things you can see give off light.

　　B. Light from the book is much shorter than that from the moon.

　　C. The moment you open your eyes the light from the book travels to your eyes.

D. Light travels so fast that there is no time for you to read.

B

   I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice.

   “Mom，come here！There's a lady of my size！”

   The mother rushed to her son；then she turned to me to apologize.

   I smiled and told her，“It's okay.”Then I talked to the boy，“Hi，I'm Darry Kramer.How are you？”

   He studied me from head to toe，and asked，“Are you a little mommy？”

   “Yes，I have a son，”I answered.

   “Why are you so little？”he asked.

   “It's the way I was born，”I said.“Some people are little.Some are tall.I'm just not going to grow any bigger.”After I answered his other questions，I shook the boy's hand and left.

   My life as a little person is filled with stories like that.I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.

   It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness.I stand three feet nine inches tall.I was born an achondroplasia dwarf(侏儒)．Despite this，I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.

   I didn't realize how short I was until I started school.Some kids picked on me，calling me names.Then I knew.I began to hate the first day of school each year.New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.

   But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life.I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage.What I lacked in height，I made up for in personality.

   I'm 47 now，and the stares have not diminished as I've grown older.People are amazed when they see me driving.I try to keep a good attitude.When people are rude，I remind myself，“Look what else I have－a great family，nice friends.”

   It's the children's questions that make my life special.I enjoy answering their questions.My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers(a person of the same age，class，position，etc.)，whatever size and shape they come in，and treat them with respect.

       60．Why did the mother apologize to the author?

       A．Because the boy ran into the author.

       B．Because the boy laughed at the author.

       C．Because the boy said the author was fatter than him.

       D．Because the mother thought the boy's words had hurt the author.

       61．When did the author realize that she was too short?

       A．When she grew up.

       B．When she was 47 years old.

       C．When she began to go to school.

       D．When she met the boy in the supermarket.

62．Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word“diminished”？

       A．Dismissed.       B．Increased.        C．Decreased.       D．Discriminated.

       63．How does the author feel about people's stares?

       A．Angry.            B．Calm.              C．Painful.           D．Discouraged.

C

Canada is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages：English and French.There are 10 provinces in the country but only one of these—Quebec is known as“French Canada”.This is because it was founded by French explorers while British adventures discovered the rest.

Canada left the British empire(帝国） in 1867 to become an independent country,and English and French have been recognized as the official languages ever since.

Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country.Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast,French television is very rare.

The same goes for traffic signs and menus,for example.Outside of Quebec,there are only a few places where you’ll see traffic signs in French.In restaurants,it’s almost impossible to find French on the menu unless you are in the heartland(中心地带）of French Canada.However,all products sold in Canada must,by law,have labels(标签）and instructions in both languages.

In Canada’s English speaking provinces,official bilingualism(双语）means that students can choose to complete a special French language course.Under this programme,they are taught most of their subjects in French.

If a student begins the course in kindergarten(幼儿园）or Grade One,it is likely that all their lessons will be in French.However,if they start at junior high school,25 per cent of the teaching will continue to be in English.

64.How many provinces are there in Canada?

A.Ten.                   B.Nine.                 C.Eleven.                     D.Two.

65.Which country controlled Canada before its independence?

A.France.              B. Britain.             C.America.            D.Germany.

66.Which of the following sentences is right?

A.English is the only official language,though French is also spoken there.

B.The two national television networks broadcast both in English and French.

C.All products sold in Canada must,by law,have labels and instructions in both English and French.

D.The lessons in kindergarten or Grade One are likely to be only in English.

D

    English is fast becoming the language of science around the world, but what is its future among everyday speakers? One expert points out that the percentage(比率) of native English speakers is declining(降低) globally while the languages of other rapidly growing regions are being spoken by increasing numbers of people. But English will continue to remain widespread and important.  

   However, British language scholar David Graddol says English will probably drop in dominance(主导) by the middle of this century to rank, after Chinese, about equally with Arabic, Hindi, and Urdu. “The number of people speaking English as a first language continues to rise, but it isn’t rising nearly as fast as the numbers of many other languages around the world, simply because the main population group has been largely in the less developed countries where languages other than English have been spoken,” he says. 

   In a recent article in the journal Science, Mr. Graddol noted that three languages that are not near the top of the list of the most widely spoken now might be there soon. These are Bengali, Tamil, and Malay, spoken in south and southeast Asia.  

   David Crystal, the author of the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, says about 1.5 billion of the world’s six billion people speak it as a second tongue compared to the 400 million native speakers. But another expert on the English language says Mr. Graddol underestimates (低估) the future of its dominance. “Nobody quite knows what’s going to happen because no language has been in this position before. But all the evidence (证据) suggests that the English language snowball is rolling down a hill and is getting faster,” he said.  

67. In David Graddol’ s opinion, English will _______. 

     A. remain widespread and important     

B. be more important than any other language 

     C. lose its dominant position            

D. die away in the near future 

68. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that ______. 

     A. snowballs will roll down faster than language balls 

     B. the English language snowball is rolling down faster than any time in the past 

     C. English language will soon drop in dominance 

     D. more and more language users will choose English 

69. How many experts does the passage mention who express their ideas about the future of English? 

     A. 2.           B. 3.       C. 4.          D. 5.   

70. What should be the best title for the passage? 

     A. English Remaining the Dominant Position    

B. The Future of English? Who Knows? 

     C. Opinions from Different Experts        

D. The English Language Snowball Rolling Down 

E 

   In many parts of the world, cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them. So the idea that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by government but also by car manufacturers.

   The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2020 all cars will be computerized, which will mean much saving, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 21st century will drive itself, and it will not be owned by one individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.

   According to Dr. David Davis , who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air , and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.

   Davis says, cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. The car will automatically speed up, or slow down, to match the speed of the car in front. Computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people.

By 2010, Dr. David Davis believes, car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road, whatever the weather conditions, by projecting an image of the road ahead on to the car’s windscreen. And by 2020, cars will travel in convoy, linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow bar to the car in front to form “road –trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount.” says Davis. “But all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount, and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.”

71.We know from the passage that governments and car manufacturers _______

A. do not believe the prediction that no one will own cars by 2020

B. are devoted to the technological revolution in car industry

C. consider the predictions seriously

D. have put the super-intelligent car into mass production

72. Which of the following will be the characteristic of the cars of 2020?

The car will speed up out of control

We will own as many cars as we want

All cars will be driven by computers

Cars will produce more pollution than present ones

73. The leader of the research team believes that the present car culture will change because_________

cars play a very important role in daily life

many societies would stop functioning without cars

cars should not be owned by one individual

it causes many deaths to human society

74.The expression closest in meaning to the phrase “in convoy” in the last paragraph is________

A. in line        B. sidelong     C. side by side      D. shoulder to shoulder

75. What will happen if cars are joined to each other electronically in 2020?

Motorists will get a clear view of the road

The weather condition will not have effect on motorists

There will be less pollution caused by car

All trains will burn less fuel than present