阅读理解

　　At one time in history has there been such a mass movement of people from the country side to the city as is happening now. By the year 2030, it's estimated that more than two thirds of the world's population will be living in cities, twice as many as today. This means that the problems faced by cities today —overcrowding, poor housing, unemployment, poverty and lack of food and water — will be twice bad, unless we find solutions soon.

　　Another serious issue is how to provide good transportation for the citizens. Many of the world's major cities are already struggling with out-of-date transport infrastructure(基本设施). How can they deal with the additional demands?

　　London is a good example. Its enlargement was made possible by the invention of the steam engine, which powered the world's first underground railway. But its transport systems are now hopelessly out-of-date and need urgent modernization. London's future success depends very much on developing better public transport.

　　Over a million people travel into central London every day from outside the city. They, and the people who live in London, want a public transport system that is efficient, safe and environmentally friendly. What they often get, however, falls far short of that ideal. Commuters complain about cost and pollution, while businesses worry about the problems their staff have in getting to work on time. Yet, the proportion of London households that own a car grew from just over 10 percent in the early 1950s to over 60 percent today.

　　As the city has become increasingly crowded and polluted, there has been a growing realization that action must be taken soon.

1．It is believed that ________.

[　　]

A．overpopulation causes the problems in cities

B．two thirds of the world's population are living in cities today

C．it isn't difficult to solve the problems faced by cities today

D．with fewer people, we would be free from problems

2．The pronoun “They ”(Line 2 Para 4) refers to ________.

[　　]

A．the London citizens

B．those who commute to London from other places

C．managers who are anxious about their staff getting to work

D．Passengers who make complaints

3．“Environmentally friendly ”( Line 2, Para 4) is closest in meaning to ________.

[　　]

A．cheap and convenient

B．fair to all passengers

C．like a friendly neighbor

D．pleasant and nonpolluting

4．________ of the households in London owned a car in the early 1950s.

[　　]

第四节：写作（共两节，满分35分）

第一节：对话填空（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

Lin Hai：I can't wait to get my driving license！Then I can buy my own car. There are so many cars (76) a______ now that prices have really fallen. It's great！

Wang Jun：Are you serious？ The increase in new cars has (77) b______ our roads and has made pollution even worse here.

Lin Hai：More cars mean lower prices. I like that！

Wang Jun：What about the environment？(78) W______ more cars on the road， traffic problems, accidents and pollution will get much worse.

Lin Hai：Hmmm, you (79) e______ don't like cars or you don't know much about them.

Wang Jun：Yes，I do. I know cars can be useful, but they can cause a lot of (80)d　　.

Lin Hai：People need cars, and if cars do so much damage, they wouldn't be (81) a______ on the roads.

Wang Jun：Hmmm，I don't think you have read much about this problem.

Lin Hai：No，and I don't need to，(82) b______ I don't think there is a problem.

Wang Jun：Yes， there is. It's reported in the newspaper that there are more cars on our roads now (83) t______ at any time in history. There are millions of possible car buyers，and car makers are busy making cars for them.

Lin Hai：So what？

Wang Jun： By 2020， there will be seven times the(84) n______of cars on our roads, and the effect of these cars will be pollution,(85) e______  in big cities.

第二节：语法填空（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分）

阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31—40的相应位置上。

For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting worse. They have developed a list of our main fears: natural resources are running out; the population  31  (grow), leaving less and less to eat; species are becoming  32  (extinction) in vast numbers, and the planet’s air and water are becoming dirty,  33  are ever more polluted.

34  a quick look at the facts shows a different picture. First, energy and other natural resources have become more abundant not less so. Second,  35  food is now at any time in history. Third, although species are indeed becoming extinct, only about 0.7% of them are expected   36  (disappear) in the next 50 years, not 25~50%, as has so often been predicted. And finally, most forms of environmental pollution   37  appear to have been predicted, or are too short– associated  38  the early stages of industrialization.   39  bigger problem may well turn out to be an inappropriate response to it. yet opinion polls suggest that many people develop the   40  (believer) that environmental standards are declining and some factors seem to cause this disjunction.

You might say that one reason why Barack Obama is president of the US is that he knows how to give a good speech.

Since 2004, Obama has written and delivered thousands of speeches. These are usually praised for two reasons: he treats the audiences like intelligent（有智慧的） adults, and he is able to express complicated ideas in an easy, natural way.

Before becoming president, Obama was a lawyer, a college professor, and a successful writer---his two memories have become best-sellers.

What’s more, he has some secret weapons.

Teleprompter: Obama doesn’t go anywhere without his Teleprompter. The textbook-sized panes of glass holding the president’s prepared remarks follow him wherever he goes to speak.

Writing team: Obama has a team of people who write his speeches. The writers chat with Obama for hours about what he wants to say. They listen to recordings of past presidential speeches and seek advice from advisers. Obama usually edits(编辑)and rewrites the drafts(草稿)several times.

Tricks for lighthearted speeches:

Make fun of the guests: Obama starts his speech by gently teasing his guests. His opening lines draw the audience’s attention while giving them an opportunity to relax and laugh at themselves and each other.

Make fun of yourself: A good rule for speechmakers: If you’re going to make a joke about someone else, be sure to make one about yourself, too. Obama mocks(嘲弄) his own poor choices for filling the position of Commerce Secretary, saying, “No president in history has ever named three Commerce Secretaries this quickly.” In fact, his first two nominees（被提名人）for the position withdrew(撤出) their names for different reasons. In a process that had otherwise gone smoothly, the Obama Administration found it hard to deal with the problem of filling the Commerce seat.

1.Obama made the poetic and inspiring speech in 2004 as________.

A. president                     B. a nominee for the presidency

C. a senator                     D. a secretary

2.What’s the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 2?

A. Difficult to understand.           B. Easy to understand.

C. Different from others.             D. Interesting to say.

3.From the passage, we know that Obama’s secret weapons are all these EXCEPT ____.

A. a writing team                 B. a teleprompter             C. humor                   D. motivation

4.What’s the best title of the passage？

A. Secrets of Obama’s successful speeches.  

B. Obama’s successful speeches.

C. Obama’s way of making speeches. 

D. Problems of Obama’s speeches.

第二节：语法填空（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分）

阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31—40的相应位置上。

For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting worse. They have developed a it-list of our main fears: natural resources are running out; the population  31  (grow), leaving less and less to eat?? species are becoming  32  (extinction) in vast numbers, and the planet’s air and water are becoming dirty,  33  are ever more polluted.

34  a quick look at the facts shows a different picture. First, energy and other natural resources have become more abundant not less so. Second,  35  food is now at any time in history. Third, although species are indeed becoming extinct, only about 0.7% of them are expected   36  (disappear) in the next 50 years, not 25~50%, as has so often been predicted. And finally, most forms of environmental pollution   37  appear to have been predicted, or are too short– associated  38  the early stages of industrialization.   39  bigger problem may well turn out to be an inappropriate response to it. yet opinion polls suggest that many people develop the   40  (believer)that environmental standards are declining and some factors seem to cause this disjunction.

第二节：语法填空（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分）

阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31—40的相应位置上。

For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting worse. They have developed a list of our main fears: natural resources are running out; the population  31  (grow), leaving less and less to eat?? species are becoming  32  (extinction) in vast numbers, and the planet’s air and water are becoming dirty,  33  are ever more polluted.

34  a quick look at the facts shows a different picture. First, energy and other natural resources have become more abundant not less so. Second,  35  food is now at any time in history. Third, although species are indeed becoming extinct, only about 0.7% of them are expected   36  (disappear) in the next 50 years, not 25~50%, as has so often been predicted. And finally, most forms of environmental pollution   37  appear to have been predicted, or are too short– associated  38  the early stages of industrialization.   39  bigger problem may well turn out to be an inappropriate response to it. yet opinion polls suggest that many people develop the   40  (believer) that environmental standards are declining and some factors seem to cause this disjunction.

阅读理解

　　The trend towards globalization began in earnest in the early 1970s when the system of fixed exchange rates, set up after World War Ⅱ, was dismantled, This meant that the value of currencies would now be determined by the markets instead of individual governments. Over the next two decades, countries slowly began to remove their exchange controls. By 1990, nearly all world’s major economies had got rid of restrictions on how much money could be moved in and out of their countries.

　　Other factors contributing to the rise of globalization are new communications technologies, and better transportation systems. These have enabled companies to grow into multinationals (跨国公司) producing goods on one side of the planet and selling them on the other. Lower costs have also helped the price of telephone calls, for instance, is cheaper now than at any time in history.

　　But adjusting to this new“economic order”is proving difficult. In the developed world, and in particular the European Union, globalization is facing widespread public resistance. Critics complain that, without the protection of trade barriers, jobs are being lost to workers in poorer countries, and wages for employees in rich countries are falling. Opponents in the European Union point to the effects that globalization has had in the US and Britain. In those countries, wages are stagnant (停滞不前) except for a privileged few and taxes and welfare benefits have been reduced to help companies compete with industries in the developing world.

　　Opponents of globalization also point to its effects on workers in poorer countries. They agree that multinationals may be helping to reduce unemployment in the developing world but they argue that the jobs are hardly worth having since they are low-paid and exploitative. Those in favor of globalization accuse their critics of being short-sighted protectionists. They claim a more intergrated global economy will ultimate benefit everyone because it will enable countries to specialize in those areas where they perform best.

1．What does the passage mainly talk about?

[　　]

A．The system of fixed exchanged rates.

B．Globalization.

C．The European Union.

D．Computer.

2．According to the passage, what enabled many companies to grow into multinationals?

[　　]

A．Globalization.

B．Better transportation systems.

C．New communications technologies.

D．Both B and C.

3．What does the new“economic order”in paragraph 3 refer to?

[　　]

A．Producing goods on one side of the earth and selling them on the other.

B．Earning less money in the developed countries.

C．Unemployment in the developing countries.

D．Globalization.

4．In which of the following countries is globalization facing widespread public resistance?

[　　]

5．Why are some people in the developed countries against globalization?

[　　]

A．The workers in their countries lose their jobs and their wages are lower.

B．They don’t like the people form the developing countries.

C．This makes their countries poorer.

D．The society is not safe.

You might say that one reason why Barack Obama is president of the US is that he knows how to give a good speech.
Since 2004, Obama has written and delivered thousands of speeches. These are usually praised for two reasons: he treats the audiences like intelligent（有智慧的） adults, and he is able to express complicated ideas in an easy, natural way.
Before becoming president, Obama was a lawyer, a college professor, and a successful writer---his two memories have become best-sellers.
What’s more, he has some secret weapons.
Teleprompter: Obama doesn’t go anywhere without his Teleprompter. The textbook-sized panes of glass holding the president’s prepared remarks follow him wherever he goes to speak.
Writing team: Obama has a team of people who write his speeches. The writers chat with Obama for hours about what he wants to say. They listen to recordings of past presidential speeches and seek advice from advisers. Obama usually edits(编辑)and rewrites the drafts(草稿)several times.
Tricks for lighthearted speeches:
Make fun of the guests: Obama starts his speech by gently teasing his guests. His opening lines draw the audience’s attention while giving them an opportunity to relax and laugh at themselves and each other.
Make fun of yourself: A good rule for speechmakers: If you’re going to make a joke about someone else, be sure to make one about yourself, too. Obama mocks(嘲弄) his own poor choices for filling the position of Commerce Secretary, saying, “No president in history has ever named three Commerce Secretaries this quickly.” In fact, his first two nominees（被提名人）for the position withdrew(撤出) their names for different reasons. In a process that had otherwise gone smoothly, the Obama Administration found it hard to deal with the problem of filling the Commerce seat

1. 1.

   Obama made the poetic and inspiring speech in 2004 as______.
   

   1. A.
      president
   2. B.
      a nominee for the presidency
   3. C.
      a senator
   4. D.
      a secretary
2. 2.

   What’s the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 2?

   1. A.
      Difficult to understand
   2. B.
      Easy to understand
   3. C.
      Different from others
   4. D.
      Interesting to say
3. 3.

   From the passage, we know that Obama’s secret weapons are all these EXCEPT______.
   

   1. A.
      a writing team
   2. B.
      a teleprompter
   3. C.
      humor
   4. D.
      motivation
4. 4.

   What’s the best title of the passage？

   1. A.
      Secrets of Obama’s successful speeches
   2. B.
      Obama’s successful speeches
   3. C.
      Obama’s way of making speeches
   4. D.
      Problems of Obama’s speeches

    Advertising actually has a dual(双重的)function：to sell，as well as to inform．If you stop to think of it，advertisements(ads)provide information of almost everything in our household and immediate environment，from shampoo to fuel for cars．An obvious purpose is to inform consumers of new products and services as well as to remind them of established ones．Performance，price，value for money，quality and reliability are some of the main features mentioned in ads．

    Yet there is another important side of advertising that should not be forgotten：choice．A number of ads for different brands of the same product，e．g．toothpaste，shampoo or washing powder allow the consumer to choose．Choice is an important part of buying．

    In this busy day and age，there is little time for comparison shopping．To determine which product is the best to buy，and at the most competitive price，consumers these days rely on advertising in its various forms．This saves time and energy and makes shopping easier．

    Few can deny that ads benefit the consumer since they encourage healthy competition．When companies compete for the consumer’s dollar，this is good for the purchaser of the product or service．Advertising tends to increase competition since it informs consumers of what is available．One company’s offer will be either matched or bettered by another company in its advertising．

    It was unheard of ten years ago to buy products directly using a personal computer，but it has become a matter of course for some people to browse(浏览)the Internet，surf  until they find an e commerce site and then select the product．Marketing products has been almost turned upside down by new ways of selling and buying．More than at any time in history，the choice of goods is unlimited．The whole world is a customer’s marketplace．For busy people like you and me，advertisements actually do us a favor．

41．What the writer of this passage wants to tell us most is that―――――――――．

    A．advertisements benefit busy people in many ways

    B  advertisements encourage more business competitions

    C  advertisements provide main features of new products

    D  selling and informing are two functions of advertising

 42．Which is least discussed in the passage as, one of the important sides of advertising?

   A．To inform consumers of new products and services．

    B  To provide consumers with chances to choose．

    C  To increase healthy competition of companies．

    D  To change the way of selling and buying．

 43．The “comparison shopping” refers to the behavior of        ．

    A．comparing and buying a product at the lowest price

    B．comparing and deciding which is the best to buy

    C．relying on advertising and simplifying shopping

    D．buying a product at the least competitive price

 44．Healthy competition benefits consumers because―――――――――．

    A  it helps companies to compete for the market

    B．it gets companies to improve their services

    C．it provides them with the best products and services

    D．it gives them many chances to choose their products

【2011·辽宁锦州市质检二】 B

LOS ANGELES—The last of the “Star Wars” movies has done what no movie in history has ever done—sold $50 million worth of tickets in a single day.

 “Star Wars: Episode III—Revenge of the Sith” made 50,013,859 from showings at 3,661 theaters and more than 9,000 screens around the country on Thursday, including special midnight shows. That beat the one-day record set by “Shrek 2”, which sold $44.8 million on a single Saturday—its fourth day in theaters.

 “It’s surprising.” said Bruce Snyder, president of domestic distribution at Twentieth Century Fox. “It’s probably 20 percent more than I thought we could do.”

 The George Lucas film, which features the changing of Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker into the evil Darth Vader, also beat the opening day record held by “Spider-Man 2”, which made $40.4 million when it opened on a Wednesday last June.

 “Fifty million is a good opening weekend, especially a single day,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Exhibitor Relations. “This is the movie world’s 100-year flood.”

 The news comes as a relief to Hollywood, which has seen a box office slump for 12 straight weeks. Theater owners, studios and marketing partners had their hopes on “Star Wars” to start the summer movie season and they weren’t disappointed.

 The film was shown on 2,900 screens at midnight Thursday. What they made from that one showing alone was $16.5 million, which beat the previous record of $8 million set by “The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King”. It is almost certain “Star Wars” will push past the $100 million mark for its opening weekend. The record for a three-day weekend is held by the first “Spider-Man”, which made $114.8 million.

60. How many films are mentioned in the passage?

A. Three.       B. Four.        C. Five       D. Six.

61. Which is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. “Shrek 2” sold $44.8 million on a single Saturday.

B. “Star Wars” made $50,013,859 on Thursday as expected.

C. “Star Wars” was not disappointing to the theater owners.

D. “Star Wars” may push past the $100 million mark for its opening weekend.

62. We can infer from the passage that ________.

A. the film was shown on 2000 screens at midnight Thursday

   B. the first “Spider-Man” held the record for a three-day weekend

   C. “Star Wars” was shown all over the world

   D. many good films have their follow-ups

24. —Why can't I smoke here?

—At no time__________ in the meeting-room

A. is smoking permitted                       B. smoking is permitted

C. smoking is it permitted                  D. does smoking permit

Today our lives are changing faster than at any time in history. Here we report on three important changes that will have a big impact on our everyday lives in the future．
The cashless society 
Cash and bank-notes will disappear almost completely. They will be replaced by smart cards, namely plastic cards: microchip（微芯片）processors（处理器）loaded with some money. When we pay for goods，the shop assistant will put our smart card into a payment terminal（终端）and money will come into his card from our card. When all the money is used up，we will be able to reloadit by putting it into a telephone，dialing our bank account and money will be put into the card from the account.
Interactive telephones 
Talking computers will play an important part. They will recognize speech, ask us what information we need, look through a database，and put the information into speech．If we want to book a flight or pay a bill by phone, we will interact with a talking computer to do so. Human telephone operators will be used only for more complex operations such as dealing with complaints or solving special problems.
Traffic jams in cities will be reduced because drivers will use electronic route maps to find the quickest route to their destination. Electronic systems will start changing motorists for driving in cities．As soon as motorists have to pay to drive in cities, they will stop using their cars and use public transport instead. Speed control systems will be built into cars. These systems will automatically（自动地）regulate the speed of the car to take account of traffic and weather conditions and prevent accidents. It will be many years before these changes bring results but when they do，there will be a titanic improvement in road safety.
With the development of science and technology, more and more advanced things will be invented or created. Life in the future is undoubtedly different from that at the present.
【小题1】Cash and bank-note will disappear because         .