Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be. Places of business that used to keep daytime “business hours” are now open late into the night. And on the Internet, the hour of the day and the day of the week have become irrelevant （不相关的）. A half century ago in the United States, most people experienced strong and precise dividing lines between days of rest and days of work, school time and summer time. Today the boundaries still exist, but they seem not clear.

The law in almost all states used to require stores to close on Sunday; in most, it no longer does. It used to keep the schools open in all seasons except summer; in most, it still does. And whether the work week should strengthen its legal limits, or whether it should become more “flexible,” is often debated. How should we, as a society, organize our time? Should we go even further in relaxing the boundaries of  time until we live in a world in which every minute is much like every other?

These are not easy questions even to ask. Part of the difficulty is that we rarely recognize the “law of time” even when we meet it face to face. We know as children that we have to attend school a certain number of hours, a certain number of days, a certain number of years — but unless we meet the truant officer （学监）, we may well think that we should go to school due to social custom and parents’ demand rather than to the law. As adults we are familiar with “extra pay for overtime working,” but less familiar with the fact that what constitutes （构成） “overtime” is a matter of legal definition. When we turn the clock forward to start daylight-saving time, have we ever thought to ourselves: “Here is the law in action”? As we shall see, there is a lot of law that has great influence on how we organize and use time: compulsory education law, overtime law, and daylight-saving law — as well as law about Sunday closing, holidays, being late to work, time zones, and so on. Once we begin to look for it, we will have no trouble finding a law of time to examine and assess.

1.By saying “Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be”, the writer means that      .

A. work time is equal to rest time

B. many people have a day off on Monday

C. it is hard for people to decide when to rest

D. the line between work time and rest time is unclear

2.The author raises the questions in Paragraph 2 to introduce the fact that people

A. fail to make full use of their time          B. enjoy working overtime for extra pay

C. are unaware of the law of time               D. welcome flexible working hours

3.According to the passage, most children tend to believe that they go to school because they ______.

A. need to acquire knowledge                B. have to obey their parents

C. need to find companions                  D. have to observe .the law

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Our life is governed by the law of time.

B. How to organize time is not worth debating.

C. New ways of using time change our society.

D. Our time schedule is decided by social customs.

 

Why should mankind explore space?  Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth?  These are questions that,  understandably,  are very often asked.

Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup(基因构成) as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains,  and on into all possible areas and environments?  The wider the spread of a species,  the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.

Nearly every successful civilization has explored,  because by doing so,  any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge,  we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge,  we can lessen its effects.

Exploration also allows minerals and other potential(潜在的）resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them,  they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction,  in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products(副产品）of technological developments in the space industry!

While many resources are spent on what seems a small return,  the exploration of space allows creative,  brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works,  it also holds dangers. The danger exists,  but knowledge can help human beings to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space,  the chance to save ourselves might not exist.

While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different,  but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future.

56. Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph 1?

A. To express his doubts.

B. To compare different ideas.

C. To introduce points for discussion.

D. To describe the conditions on Earth.

57. What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph 2?

A. Humans are nature-born to do so.

B. Humans have the tendency to fight.

C. Humans may find new sources of food.

D. Humans don’t like to stay in the same place.

58. The underlined word “spin-offs” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to­­_______ .

A. survival chances

B. potential resources

C. unexpected benefits

D. physical possessions

59. What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?

A. Our genetic make up.

B. Resources on the earth.

C. The adaptive ability of humans.

D. By-products in space exploration.

60. Which of the statements can best sum up the passage? 

A. Space exploration has created many wonders.

B. Space exploration provides the best value for money.

C. Space exploration can benefit science and technology.

D. Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth.

 

第三部分 阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)

    阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项, 并在答题卡将该项涂黑。

    Tears are nature’s way of making us feel more comfortable. When our eyes is made uncomfortable by some small pieces of pollution, or when we are cutting onions, or when we are worn out and “red-eyes” from over work and late hours, tears form in our eyes to clean and refresh them.

   Tears are also a sign of strong emotion. We cry when we are sad and we cry when we are happy.

   And tears seem to be uniquely human. We know that animals also experience emotion fear, pleasure, loneliness, but they do not shed (流) tears.

   Biologically speaking, tears are actually drops of saline fluid, which is a little bit salty, produced by a gland (腺) in the body. Because salt is an important part, tears may actually constitute（构成）the most conclusive evidence that the human animal is the end product of a long evolutionary process that began in the sea.

   And it is clear that, in addition to the emotional benefits, the shedding of tears has a specific biological function as well. Through tears, from our body we can get rid of certain chemicals which build up in response to stress and create a chemical imbalance in the body. Crying actually makes us feel better by correcting that imbalance and making us feel good again. And thus the emotional and the biological functions of tears merge (合并) into one and make us even more “human” than we would otherwise be.

56. According to the passage, human beings may have originated（起源）in __________.

   A. the sea           B. the salt          C. chemicals          D. animals

57. Which of the following is NOT a function of tears?

   A. Biological.        B. Emotional.       C. Political.          D. Chemical.

58. According to the article, which of the following is unique to humans?

   A. The feeling of loneliness.              B. The state of feeling good.

   C. The ability to shed tears.               D. The feeling of fear.

59. Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

   A. Tears are a sign of strong emotion.

   B. Tears are always making us feel more comfortable.

   C. Tears are uniquely human.

   D. Tears have certain biological function.

 

Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup(基因构成) as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can lessen its effects.
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products (副产品) of technological developments in the space industry!
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger exists, but knowledge can help human beings to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future.
【小题1】Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph1?

A．To express his doubts.	B．To compare different ideas.
C．To introduce points for discussion.	D．To describe the conditions on Earth.

【小题2】What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph2?

A．Humans are nature-born to do so.	B．Humans have the tendency to fight.
C．Humans may find new sources of food.	D．Humans don’t like to stay in the same place.

【小题3】The underlined word “spin-offs” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to______.

A．survival chances	B．potential resources
C．unexpected benefits	D．physical possessions

【小题4】What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?

A．O ur genetic makeup.	B．Resources on the earth..
C．The adaptive ability of humans.	D．By-products in space exploration.

【小题5】Which of the statements can best sum up the passage?

A．Space exploration has created many wonders.

B．Space exploration provides the best value for money.

C．Space exploration can benefit science and technology

D．Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项

When you are waiting in front of a theater or at the train terminals, you will realize how important punctuality is. Punctuality is really a virtue, especially in a busy city.      1.      .

Punctuality is the main constituent(构成部分)of good character.  2.   On the other hand, a person who is always late shows his selfishness and thoughtlessness and he is not worthy to be friends with.

Some people often say that they cannot always be punctual since traffic is so heavy these days.   3.     As everybody knows, we might meet an unexpected jam on the roads, so we should leave a bit earlier for the appointment to ensure that we would not be late.

   4.   . When they finally arrive, they keep on saying sorry to their friends and then explain. The excuse is not always traffic jam. Sometimes they complain that they have met a friend on the road or have helped a blind man to cross the road. Some also like to blame their watches, the clocks at home or in the office. To such people, we cannot help but say sorry that we have come too early.

Yet after all, such smart fellows will soon find that gradually their friends become fewer and fewer. Perhaps at that time, they would realize how important punctuality is.

   5.   . So when we are young, we should try to be punctual every time and never be late, for it is much more easily acquired in youth than when we are older.

A. To be or not to be punctual is a habit.

B. It is polite to be punctual when you are invited to a party.

C. Some people always have a lot of excuses for coming late.

D. I think traffic jam cannot be an excuse for being late.

E. In western countries, punctuality is very important in social life.

F. Perhaps if everybody were punctual, there would be less suffering and sorrow.

G. A person who is always on time for his appointment shows real consideration for others.