(09·重慶E篇)

A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be “running out of control”, This idea is dangerous.

　　Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast and is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing.

　　Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections(反對(duì)), whatever is scientifically possible will be done-somewhere , sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it fuels a sense of hopelessness and discourages then from making efforts to build a safer world.

　　In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and out of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of “controlling” science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact(影響) on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict.

　　Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the untied efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future.

　　72. What can we conclude from the recent study?

　　A. People think highly of science.

　　B. People hold mixed opinions about science.

　　C. Science is getting dangerously out of control.

　　D. Science is used for both good and bad purposes.

　　73. According to the passage , what will happen if we hold that science is getting beyond control?

　　A. The development of science will hopelessly slow down.

　　B. Businesses will have even greater influence on science.

　　C. The public will lose faith in bringing about a bright future.

　　D. People will work more actively to put science under control.

　　74. The discussion should reach beyond scientific societies because_______

　　A. scientists have failed to predict the outcomes

　　B. the ties between different areas need strengthening

　　C. united efforts are necessary for the development of science

　　D. people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science

　　75. What is the main idea of the passage?

　　A. Science and its applications bring us many dangers.

　　B. The development of science mostly lies in people's attitudes.

　　C. Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts.

D. The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas.

 (09·重慶C篇)

Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature .However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.

Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses（球場(chǎng)） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.

There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.

Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.

　64. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?

　　A. Cycling around a lake.

　　B. Motor racing in the desert.

　　C. Playing basketball in a gym.

　　D. Swimming in a sports center.

　65. What do we know about golf from the passage?

　　A. It is popular in Portugal and Spain.

　　B. It causes water shortages around the world.

　　C. It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes.

　　D. It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.

　66. The author uses power walking as an example mainly because______.

　　A. it is an outdoor sport

　　B. it improves our health

　　C. it uses fewer resources

　　D. it is recommended by experts

　67. The author writes the passage to_______.

　　A. show us the function of major sports

　　B. encourage us to go in for green sports

　　C. discuss the major influence of popular sports

　　D. introduce different types of environment-friendly sports

 (09·浙江C篇)

Plants can’t communicate by moving or making sounds, as most animals do. Instead, plants

Produce volatile compounds, chemicals that easily change from a liquid to a gas. A flower’s sweet

smell, for example, comes from volatile compounds that the plant produces to attract insects such as

Bugs and bees.

Plants can also detect volatile compounds produced by other plants. A tree under attack by

Hungry insets, for instance, may give off volatile compounds that let other trees know about the

Attack. In response, the other trees may send off chemicals to keep the bugs away ---- or even

Chemicals that attract the bugs’ natural enemies.

     Now scientists have created a quick way to understand what plants are saying: a chemical

Sensor（傳感器）called an electronic nose. The “e-nose” can tell compounds that crop plants make

When they’re attacked Scientists say the e-nose could help quickly detect whether plants are being

Eaten by insects. But today the only way to detect such insects is to visually inspect individual

Plants. This is a challenging task for managers of greenhouses, enclosed gardens than can house

Thousands of plants.

     The research team worked with an e-nose than recognizes volatile compounds. Inside the

device, 13 sensors chemically react with volatile compounds Based on these interactions, the

e-nose gives off electronic signals that the scientists analyze using computer software.

    To test the nose, the team presented it with healthy leaves from cucumber, pepper and tomato

plants, all common greenhouse crops. Then scientists collected samples of air around damaged

leaves from each type of crop, These plants had been damaged by insects, or by scientists who made

holes in the leaves with a hole punch（打孔器）.

The e-nose, it turns out, could identify healthy cucumber, pepper and tomato plants based on

The volatile compounds they produce, It could also identify tomato leaves that had been damaged.

But even more impressive, the device could tell which type of damage ---- by insects or with a hole

Punch ---- had been done to the tomato leaves.

With some fine-tuning, a device like the e-nose could one day be used in greenhouses to quickly spot harmful bugs, the researchers say. A device like this could also be used to identify fruits that are perfectly ripe and ready to pick and eat, says Natalia Dudareva, a biochemist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. who studies smells of flowers and plants. Hopefully, scientists believe, the device could bring large benefits to greenhouse managers in the near future.

49. We learn from the text that plants communicate with each other by____.

A. making some sounds                     B. waving their leaves

C. producing some chemicals                 D. sending out electronic signals

50. What did the scientists do to find out if the e-nose worked?

A. They presented it with all common crops.

B. They fixed 13 sensors inside the device.

C. They collected different damaged leaves.

D. They made tests on damaged and healthy leaves.

51. According to the writer, the most amazing thing about the e-nose is that it can___.

A. pick out ripe fruits

B. spot the insects quickly

C. distinguish different damages to the leaves

D. recognize unhealthy tomato leaves

52 We can infer from the last paragraph that the e-nose_____.

A. is unable to tell the smell of flowers

B. is not yet used in greenhouses

C. is designed by scientists at Purdue

D. is helpful in killing harmful insects

 (09·天津D篇)

Next time a customer comes to your office, offer him a cup of coffee. And when you’re doing your holiday shopping online, make sure you’re holding a large glass of iced tea. The physical sensation（感覺） of warmth encourages emotional warmth, while a cold drink in hand prevents you from making unwise decisions—those are the practical lesson being drawn from recent research by psychologist John A. Bargh.

Psychologists have known that one person’s perception（感知） of another’s “warmth” is a powerful determiner in social relationships. Judging someone to be either “warm” or “cold” is a primary consideration, even trumping evidence that a “cold” person may be more capable. Much of this is rooted in very early childhood experiences, Bargh argues, when babies’ conceptual sense of the world around them is shaped by physical sensations, particularly warmth and coldness. Classic studies by Harry Harlow, published in 1958, showed monkeys preferred to stay close to a cloth “mother” rather than one made of wire, even when the wire “mother” carried a food bottle. Harlow’s work and later studies have led psychologists to stress the need for warm physical contact from caregivers to help young children grow into healthy adults with normal social skills.

Feelings of “warmth” and “coldness” in social judgments appear to be universal. Although no worldwide study has been done, Bargh says that describing people as “warm” or “cold” is common to many cultures, and studies have found those perceptions influence judgment in dozens of countries.

To test the relationship between physical and psychological warmth, Bargh conducted an experiment which involved 41 college students. A research assistant who was unaware of the study’s hypotheses（假設(shè)）, handed the students either a hot cup of coffee, or a cold drink, to hold while the researcher filled out a short information form: The drink was then handed back. After that, the students were asked to rate the personality of “Person A” based on a particular description. Those who had briefly held the warm drink regarded Person A as warmer than those who had held the iced drink.

“We are grounded in our physical experiences even when we think abstractly,” says Bargh.

51. According to Paragraph 1, a person’s emotion may be affected by ______.

A. the visitors to his office

B. the psychology lessons he has

C. his physical feeling of coldness

D. the things he has bought online

52. The author mentions Harlow’s experiment to show that ______.

A. adults should develop social skills

B. babies need warm physical contact

C. caregivers should be healthy adults

D. monkeys have social relationships

53. In Bargh’s experiment, the students were asked to ______.

A. evaluate someone’s personality

B. write down their hypotheses

C. fill out a personal information form

D. hold coffee and cold drink alternatively

54. We can infer from the passage that ______.

A. abstract thinking does not come from physical experiences

B. feelings of warmth and coldness are studied worldwide

C. physical temperature affects how we see others

D. capable persons are often cold to others

55. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Drinking for Better Social Relationships.

B. Experiments of Personality Evaluation.

C. Developing Better Drinking Habits.

D. Physical Sensations and Emotions.

 (09·四川E篇)

All too often, a choice that seems sustainable(可持續(xù)的)turns out on closer examination to be problematic. Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol(乙醇) for fuel from corn. Corn is a renewable resource —you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like a great idea.

   One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol more sustainable than gas generally, but that’s not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the fallow land –including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil—into farmland, which in turn gives off lots of carbon dioxide (CO) into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not help.

   You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete life-cycle analysis of its environmental(環(huán)境的) costs. Even then, technology and public keep developing, and that development can lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living       sustainably requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.

57. What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?

A. The growing demand for energy to make ethanol

B. The increasing carbon dioxide in the air

C. The greater need for farmland

D. The big change in weather.

58. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “           ”

A. the energy benefit                       B. the forest loss

C. climate change                         D. burning ethanol

59. The author thinks that replacing gas with corn ethanol is           .

A. impractical         B. acceptable        C. admirable          D. useless

60. What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

A. Technology                            B. Sustainability  

C. Ethanol energy                         D. Environmental protection

 (09·湖北B篇)

Three years ago, five parrots were set free in a wild place of Arizona, thousands of miles from the Channel Islands in Jersey sher they had been looked after by zookeepers. No evolutionary strategies informed them how to behave in this new Landscape of mountainous pine forest unoccupied by their king for 50 years. To the researchers’ surprise, they failed to make contact with a group of wild parrots imported from Mexico and set free at the same time. Within 24 hours the reintroducing ended in failure, and the poor birds were back in cages, on their way to the safety of the Arizona reintroduction programme.

Ever since then, the programme has enjoyed great success, mainly because the birds now being set free are Mexican birds illegally caught in the wild, confiscated （沒收） on arrival north of the border, and raised by their parents in the safety of the programme. The experience shows how little we know about the behaviour and psychology（心理） of parrots, as Peter Bennett, a bird researcher, points out:” Reintroducing species of high intelligence like parrots is a lot more difficult. People like parrots, always treating them as nothing more than pers or valuable ‘collectables’. ”

Now that many species of parrot are in immediate danger of dying out, biologists are working together to study the natural history and the behaviour of this family of birds. Last year was an important turning point: conservationists founded the World Parrot Trust, based at Hayle in Cornwall, to support research into both wild and caged birds.

Research on parrots is vital for two reasons. Forest, as the Arizona programme showed, when reintroducing parrots to the wild, we need to be aware of what the birds must know if they are to survive in their natural home. We also need to learn more about the needs of parrots keot as pets, particularly as the Trust’s campaign does not attempt to discourage the practice, but rather urges people who buy parrots as pets to choose birds raised by humans.

55. What do we know about the area where the five parrots were reintroduced?

A. Its landscape is new to parrots of their king.

B. It used to be home to parrots of their kind.

C. It is close to where they had been kept.

D. Pine trees were planted to attract birds.

56. The reintroducing experience three years ago shows that man-raised parrots ______.

A. can find their way back home in Jersey

B. are unable to recognize their parents

C. are unable to adapt to the wild

D. can produce a new species

57. Why are researches on parrots important according to the passage?

A. The Trust shows great concern for the programme.

B. We need to knows more about how to preserve parrots

C. Many people are interested in collecting parrots.

D. Parrots’ intelligence may someday benefit people.

58. According to the passage, people are advised_______.

A. to treat wild and caged parrots equally

B to set up comfortable homes for parrots

C. not to keep wild parrots as pets

D. not to let more parrots go to the wild

 (09·北京C篇)

How Room Designs Affect Our Work and Feelings

Architects have long had the feeling that the places we live in can affect our thoughts, feelings and behaviors, But now scientists are giving this feelings an empirical（經(jīng)驗(yàn)的, 實(shí)證的）basis. They are discovering how to design spaces that promote creativity, keep people focused, and lead to relaxation.

Researches show that aspects of the physical environment can influence creativity. In 2007, Joan Meyers-Levy at the University of Minnesota, reported that the height of a room’s ceiling affects how people to think. Her research indicates that the higher callings encourage people to think more freely, which may lead them to make more abstract connections. Low ceilings, on the other hand, may inspire a more detailed outlook.

In addition to ceiling height, the view afforded by a building may influence an occupant^’s ability to concentrate. Nancy Wells and her colleagues at Cornell University found in their study that kids who experienced the greatest increase in greenness as a result of a family move made the most gains on a standard test of attention.

Using nature to improve focus of attention ought to pay off academically, and it seems to, according to a study led by C. Kenneth Tanner, head of the School Design ＆Planning Laboratory at    University of Georgia. Tanner and his team found that students in classrooms with unblocked views of at least 50 feet outside the window had higher scores on tests of vocabulary, language arts and maths than did students whose classrooms primarily overlooked roads and parking lots.

Recent study on room lighting design suggests that dim（暗淡的）light helps people to loosen up. If that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner or at parties could increase relaxation. Researchers of Harvard Medical School also discovered that furniture with rounded edges could help visitors relax.

So far scientists have focused mainly on public buildings. “We have a very limited number of studies, so we^’re almost looking at the problem through a straw（吸管）, ”architect David Allison says. “How do you take answers to very specific questions and make broad, generalized use of them? Tha^t’s what we're all struggling with. ”

64. What does Joan Meyers-Levy focus on in her research?

A. Light

B. Ceilings

C. Windows

D. Furniture.

65. The passage tells us that____.

A. the shape of furniture may affect people^, s feelings

B. lower ceilings may help improve students’ creativity

C. children in a dim classroom may improve their grades

D. Students in rooms with unblocked views may feel relaxed

66. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph probably means that _______.

A. the problem is not approached step by step

B. the researches so far have faults in themselves

C. the problem is too difficult for researchers to detect

D. research in this area is not enough to make generalized pattens

67. Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?

CP: Central Point   P: point  Sp: Sub—point（次要點(diǎn)）C: Conclusion

 (09·安徽E篇)

A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below l6℃. Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover，these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere，warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns，potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.

In the past hundred years，humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources（資源）：land for crops，wood for paper and other products，land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example，a lot of carbon dioxide（二氧化碳）in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.

There are two main reasons for this. Firstly，when people cut down trees，generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly，cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now，but in the long run it actually reduces the world’s wood supply.

Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25％ of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However，fewer than l％of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world’s shrinking rainforests.

72. Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they                .

A. reflect more heat into the atmosphere

B. bring about high rainfall throughout the world

C. rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than l6℃

D. reduce the effect of heat from the sun on the earth

73. What does the word “this” underlined in the third paragraph refer to?

A. We will lose much more than we can gain.

B. Humans have begun destroying rainforests.

C. People have a strong desire for resources.

D. Much carbon dioxide comes from burning rainforests.

74. It can be inferred from the text that

A. we can get enough resources without rainforests

B. there is great medicine potential in rainforests

C. we will grow fewer kinds of crops in the gained land

D. the level of annual rainfall affects wind patterns

75. What might be the best title for the text?

A. How to Save Rainforests

B. How to Protect Nature

C. Rainforests and the Environment

D. Rainforests and Medical Development

 (09·安徽C篇)

Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best. For example, to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you need large, flat, black surfaces. One way to do that is to build those surfaces specially, on the roofs of buildings. But why go to all that trouble when cities are rub of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt （柏油） roads?

Ten years ago, this thought came into the mind of Arian de Bondt, a Dutch engineer. He finally persuaded his boss to follow it up. The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a system that relies on the surface of the road outside.

The heat-collector is a system of connected water pipes. Most of them ran from one side of the street to the other, just under the asphalt road. Some, however, dive deep into the ground.

When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes it underground through one of the diving pipes. At a depth of 100 metres lies a natural aquifer （蓄水層） into which several heat exchangers （交換器） have been built. The hot water from the street runs through these exchangers, warning the ground-water, before returning to the surface through another pipe. The aquifer is thus used as a heat store.

In winter, the working system is changed slightly. Water is pumped through the heat exchangers to pick up the heat stored during summer. This water goes into the building and is used to warm the place up. After performing that task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and ice.

64. Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs?

A. Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss.

B. Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities.

C. The Dutch engineer's system has been widely used.

D. Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads.

65. For what purpose are the diving pipes used?

A. To absorb heat from the sun.

B. To store heat for future use.

C. To turn solar energy into heat energy.

D. To carry heat down below the surface.

66. From the last paragraph we can learn that __

A. some pipes have to be re-arranged in winter

B. the system can do more than warming up the building

C. the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surface

 (09·上海C篇)

“Get your hands off me, I have been stolen,” the laptop, a portable computer, shouted. That is a new solution to laptop computer theft: a program that lets owners give their property a voice when it has been taken.

The program allows users to display alerts on the missing computer’s screen and even to set a spoken message. Tracking software for stolen laptops has been on the market for some time, but this is thought to be the first that allows owners to give the thief a piece of their mind.

Owners must report their laptop missing by visiting a website, which sends a message to the model: a red and yellow “l(fā)ost or stolen” sign appears on its screen when it is started. Under the latest version（版本）of the software, users can also send a spoken message.

The message can be set to reappear every 30 seconds, no matter how many times the thief closes it.” One customer sent a message saying,’ You are being tracked. I am right at your door’,” said Carrie Hafeman, chief executive of the company which produces the program, Retriever.

In the latest version, people can add a spoken message. For example, the laptop’s speakers will say: “Help, this laptop is reported lost or stolen. If you are not my owner, report me now.”

The Retriever software package, which costs $29.95 but has a free trial period, has the functions of many security software programs .Owners can remotely switch to an alternative password if they fear that the thief has also got hold of the access details.

If a thief accesses the internet with the stolen laptop, Retriever will collect information on the internet service provider in use, so that the police can be alerted to its location.

Thousands of laptops are stolen every year form homes and offices, but with the use of laptops increasing, the number stolen while their owners are out and about has been rising sharply.

Other security software allows users to erase data remotely or lock down the computer.

72. The expression “to give the thief a piece of their mind “can be understood as “_______”

A. to give the thief an alert mind       

B. to express the owners’ anger to the thief

C. to remind the thief of this conscience  

D. to make the thief give up his mind

73. Different from other security software, Retriever can         .

A. record the stealing process          B. help recognize the lost laptop

C. lock down the computer remotely     D. send a spoken message

74. One function of the program is that it allows the owner to           at a distance.

A. change some access details for switching on the laptop

B. turn on the laptop by using the original password

C. operate the laptop by means of and alternative password

D. erase the information kept in the stolen laptop

75. Which of the following can best summarize the main idea of the passage?

A. With no Retriever, thousands of laptops are stolen every year.

B. A new soft ware provides a means to reduce laptop theft.

C. Retriever has helped to find thieves and lost computers.

D. A new program offers a communication platform with the thief.