Toyoda said those changes were being made nearly around the clock，but during three hours of often tense questions and answers he repeated that there was no link to the vehicle’s electronic systems．
Many drivers making complaints against Toyota and the government say their acceleration problems had nothing to do with floor mat interference(油門踏板故障)or sticky gas pedals(剎車)．Outside experts have suggested electronic problems.
House lawmakers expressed serious criticism on Toyoda，the grandson of the company’s founder．
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA)is seeking records on Toyota’s recalls and is conducting its own review on whether electronics were behind the car faults．NHTSA also continues to look into steering complaints from drivers of the popular Corolla model．
Toyota has recalled 8.5 million cars，more than 6 million of them in the United States．
It may be a while before car buyers believe that Toyota really makes safe cars．
Toyota’s January sales already fell 16 percent even as most other automakers jumped back from last year’s bad results．Analyst Koji Endo of Advanced Research Japan in Tokyo said he expects February sales，due out next week，to be down 30 percent to 40. Toyota’s sales problem could continue beyond that． 
It will take some time to feel the full effect of this，he said．
小題1:The best title for this passage is           ．

A．Toyota is in trouble	B．Toyota is under hearing
C．Toyota is finished	D．Toyota is still running

小題2:What is the purpose of the hearing?

A．America hopes that Toyota apologizes to the US customers．

B．America wants to get Toyota out of the US market．

C．America wants to help Toyota out of difficulty．

D．America hopes that Toyota admits their cars have electronic system problem．

小題3:What can we infer from the passage?

A．Toyota provides very good post sale service．

B．Toyota’s biggest market is in the United States．

C．Toyota will be closed soon．

D．Toyota’s dealership in the US will all be closed．

小題4:The last sentence of this passage indicates            .

A．Analyst Koji Endo is fully confident about Toyota

B．Toyota could meet a worse situation

C．Toyota would get out of trouble sooner or later

D．Toyota would build up a better reputation among its customers

The World Trade Organization (WTO) founded on January 1, 1994, aims to encourage international trade to flow as freely as possible, making sure that trade agreements are respected and that any disputes (爭端) can be settled.
In the five years since its founding, the WTO has become well-known as one of the world’s most powerful economic organizations, taking its place alongside the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The system of global rules for international trade, however, dates back half a century to 1948 when the General Agreement on Tariffs (關(guān)稅) and Trade (GATT) was formed after World War II.
As time went by it became clear that the GATT had two major drawbacks—the limited areas of trade it covered, and the lack of an effective system to settle disputes.
After seven years of trade talks ending in 1994. the so-called Uruguay Round finally gave birth to the WTO, complete with an effective system to settle disputes and new rules covering trade in services and intellectual property (知識產(chǎn)權(quán)).
Even after seven years of talks and 22500 pages of agreements there were still problems, especially the difficult-to-deal-with areas of agriculture and services.
The WTO. with its head office in Geneva, has 135 members with 30 more waiting to join.
小題1:Compared with the GATT, the WTO _____.

A．can do better to settle disputes in more areas of international trade

B．got its members to sign the agreements more easily

C．has got too many areas of international trade to deal with to work effectively

D．didn’t pay enough attention to services and intellectual property

小題2:In the new century the WTO will _____.

A．take the place of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund

B．have new rules covering trade in services and intellectual property

C．make complete new rules in every area of international trade

D．have more members and do much more to settle more problems

小題3:The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means _____.

A．weak points

B．changes

C．strong points

D．improvements

小題4:The best title for the passage is _____.

A．WTO—Another Name for GATT

B．WTO—an International Service Organization

C．WTO—One of the World’s Strongest Economic Organizations

D．WTO—the World’s Most Powerful Economic Organization

The Donkey Mobile Library

It is a bright morning in the Ethiopian countryside. Yohannes walks beside a pair of donkeys that are pulling a two-wheeled cart. They arrive at the agricultural town of Awassa where Yohannes opens the sides of the cart to display, not the usual vegetables or tools, but children’s books. This is the Donkey Mobile Library, the first of its kind in Ethiopia and one of only a few in the world.
Yohannes was born in Ethiopia, North Africa, but trained to be a librarian in the USA and returned to Ethiopia years ago. The cart is full of picture books donated by American libraries, teachers and school children.
Yohannes arranges small painted benches in the shade of the trees, and suddenly Ethiopian children come shouting and racing down every road and path. It’s mobile library day! They circle the bookshelves with great excitement. Until the Donkey Mobile Library began its regular two-monthly visits, many of these children had never seen a book.
“Without books, education is very dull, like food without salt. You can survive but you can’t really come alive,” says Yohannes. “The ability to read is the basis for greater productivity, better health and longer life. Even though the children lack material goods, with books they can imagine a world of possibilities.”
Yohannes first worked in the children’s section of the main library in America. Surrounded by books he had never seen before, he realized how joyful and imaginative children’s literature is. He says, “I always thought of Ethiopia. But how could I bring children’s books to my home country when it had almost no libraries to keep the books in?”
He contacted Jane Kurtz, a writer born in America but brought up in Ethiopia, and together they created the Donkey Mobile Library. The children say that the Library has given them ideas about what they might do in the future. A child called Dareje wants to be a scientist and find a cure for life-threatening diseases. An eleven year-old girl, Fikerte, wants to do research about the moon and discover new facts about outer space. Tamrat, aged 10, comes every time.
“What brings you back here time and time again?” the librarian asks him.
“The stories,” Tamrat replies instantly. 
小題1:How do the children feel when they see the Donkey Mobile Library?

A．Excited.

B．Surprised.

C．Interested.

D．Curious

小題2:We can conclude from the passage that      .

A．Ethiopian children have no idea about their future

B．Yohannes and Kurtz share similar life experiences

C．most books in the Donkey Mobile Library were bought in America

D．donkey carts in Awassa usually carry vegetables and tools

小題3:According to the passage, the Donkey Mobile Library      .

A．visits the countryside every day	B．was created by Yohannes himself
C．benefits Ethiopian children a lot	D．was the first of its kind in the world

小題4:Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?

A．A book review..

B．A news report

C．A historical story.

D．An advertisement.

For many businessmen online education has been a dream. Now it has come true. The investment (投資) in higher education, whether financial or in terms of time, has long been impossible for many of them. But well-known educational institutions have chosen to deliver an internet-based program, and these barriers have been lifted.
That is good news for people eager to improve themselves and is more attractive to employers. It is also a benefit to industry with better qualified candidates applying for jobs at every level.
Having the benefits of a higher qualification without going to the university campus is attractive to many students. Campus study means greater cost, while online programs are flexible and save time, whether at home or at work. Students can achieve their degrees without causing too much disruption to their career or home life.
In addition to affordable, flexible classes and greater convenience, students also have access to the online learning resources of many of the world’s top educational institutions. They can also communicate with their tutors no matter what time it is or whether either party is away for any reason.
This has opened up the possibility of getting a qualification from a university or college that many students could only have dreamed of in the past. It also allows specialists to get the precise qualifications and focus on their studies. As well as seeing the increase of applicants from lower-incomes and housewives, studying online in the US is even becoming popular with younger people of college age.
Employers have become increasingly welcome and positive to online qualifications as more candidates earn them, especially if they’re properly approved by the US Department of Education.
US institutions have led the way in online education provision. Many top US colleges and universities offer a range of online programs that are highly respected and in every way perfectly fit for adults who need to combine their studies with a working life.
小題1:According to Paragraph 1, many US colleges and universities      .

A．have begun to lift the barriers to financial investment

B．have had a dream of offering online education

C．have begun to run an internet-based program

D．have gained financial investment

小題2:Why do people choose online education?

A．They can find jobs more easily than on-campus graduates.

B．They can get qualifications from US Department of Education.

C．They can invest money in different courses provided online.

D．They can save money and arrange their time and courses freely.

小題3:The underlined word “disruption’’ in the third paragraph probably mean     .

A．interruption

B．a(chǎn)ttention

C．a(chǎn)ttraction

D．dissatisfaction

小題4:Which would be a good title for the passage?

A．Adult Education Online

B．Top US Universities Offering Online Education

C．The Best of USA’s Online Education

D．Online Education Taking the Place of Campus Education

Counterfeit ( 假的) medicines are a widespread problem in developing countries. Like other counterfeits, they look like real products. But counterfeit drugs may contain too little or none of the active ingredients of the real thing.
People do not get the medicine they need. And in some cases counterfeits cause death. Twenty children in Bangladesh died last year after being given acetaminophen(醋氨酚). The medications contained ingredients that looked, smelled and tasted like the real thing. The medicine was produced by a local drug company that used a dangerous substitute to save money.
The problem of counterfeit medicines is especially serious in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The W.H.O. estimates that up to thirty percent of medicines on sale in many of those countries are counterfeit. The problem is less widespread among industrialized countries. The W.H.O. says counterfeits make up less than one percent of the illegal drug market in countries like the United States, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand.
But the agency also says as much as fifty percent of the medicine sold on the Internet is counterfeit.
Much is being done to fight counterfeit drugs. Several companies are developing ways to make counterfeits easier to identify. And there are existing methods, like a machine that can quickly identify chemicals in pills to confirm if the pills are real. Other ideas include things like special tracking codes for drug packages. People could send a text message with the code and get a message back, which proves that what they bought is listed in a database. Some drug makers and other companies put three-dimensional images called holograms (全息圖)on their products as a security device.
小題1:Last year twenty children in Bangladesh died because of _____.

A．online medicines	B．unreal drugs
C．a(chǎn)cetaminophen	D．unclean water

小題2:We can draw a conclusion from the passage that______.

A．it is very cheap and convenient to buy medicines online.

B．medicine companies don’t pay much attention to counterfeit drugs.

C．more and more people will buy products online.

D．we had better not buy medicines online.

小題3:What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．It reveals the reasons why counterfeit drugs are widespread.

B．Some measures are being taken to fight counterfeit drugs.

C．Special tracking codes for drug packages are used to identify counterfeits.

D．It shows the danger of counterfeit drugs.

小題4:Which of the following country may have serious problems of counterfeit medicines?

A．Canada.

B．Japan.

C．New Zealand.

D．India.

Washington, November 1, 2012  (CNN) -- After years of planning and months of campaigning（競選）, the most expensive presidential race in history comes down to a final five-day whirlwind of speeches and television ads in the eight states still up for grabs.
President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney plan to hold virtually nonstop events between now and the Tuesday election considered too close to call.
The focus is on battleground states worth 95 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Both sides are trying to close the deal with a decreasing number of uncommitted(未表態(tài)的) voters, while making sure supporters actually cast ballots.
That means a game of campaign chess that started Thursday, with appearances by the candidates (候選人)and their assistants as well as advertising dollars allocated to the places considered most vital to success.
Concluding a race expected to cost more than $6 billion overall, Obama and Romney and their running mates will hit all the battleground states -- Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin. The campaigns also are unloading a blast of television ads and mailings that threaten to overwhelm voters already saturated with politicking. Perhaps no one said it better than 4-year-old Abigael Evans of Fort Collins, Colorado, who -- according to NPR -- cried after listening to more election coverage on the radio and told her mother, ‘I'm tired of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.’
小題1:The underlined phrase “too close to call” probably means               .

A．a(chǎn) game that one side is clearly winning.

B．a(chǎn) tie in which neither side seems likely to win

C．so close that you need not use a telephone

D．a(chǎn) visit close to one’s home state

小題2:What is the focus of the last-5 -day campaigns for both presidential candidates?

A．To make sure that their supporters understand their policies.

B．To collect enough money for campaign ads.

C．To paint their rival as black as possible.

D．To win over the voters who have not decide which candidate to vote for.

小題3:The public generally feel ________ about these last-days election efforts.

A．excited

B．disappointed

C．a(chǎn)nnoyed

D．relieved

Four out of ten women who diet end up heavier than when they started watching their waistline, a study revealed today. The research also showed that a large percentage of women start noticing the pounds creeping back on just 21 days after reaching their ideal weight.
Yesterday, Dr Ian Campbell of the Jenny Craig weight management program said, ‘In the UK 61.4 percent of adults are overweight or obese. Successful weight management requires a long-term commitment in order to lose weight successfully and for good. Dieting can be a real challenge so setting realistic goals and remaining focused on them is important. Otherwise as this research shows, women could end up heavier than when they started.’
The “Food, Body, Mind” report was publicized by Jenny Craig who quizzed 2000 women aged between 18 and 65 who diet regularly on their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors around weight loss. Six in ten said they were currently on a diet and one in five women said they were on a continuous diet.
It found the most common triggers to start dieting was seeing their reflection in the mirror,  preparing for a summer holiday or unflattering photos posted on social networking sites. Other popular reasons include comments by friends or relatives or their other half.
However, the study showed that one in ten give up within one day, while almost a fifth manage to make it to a week or more. The average is ten days. Many blamed pressure they put on themselves to lose weight too quickly for the weight gain, which leaves them with a bigger appetite than normal. Others blamed colleagues, who tuck into fatty lunches and snacks unaware of the effect it has on the dieter, while mothers’ polishing off（吃光）their children's leftovers was another common cause of weight gain.
小題1:Which of the following might be the best title for this article?

A．Diet: a tricky path to weight loss

B．Important things for successful diet

C．Four in ten women gain weight on diets

D．Obesity: problem for 61.4% adults in UK

小題2:In the UK, women who go on a diet ________. 

A．a(chǎn)re all overweight or obese

B．a(chǎn)ll fail because they are not persistent enough

C．a(chǎn)re likely to gain weight again after reaching their ideal weight

D．end up heavier than when they start to diet

小題3:The underlined word “triggers” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.

A．effects

B．causes

C．examples

D．imagination

小題4:Which of the following is NOT the reason why many people stop dieting very soon?

A．The pressure they put on themselves to lose weight quickly.

B．Colleagues who give them fatty lunches and snacks.

C．Leftovers of children’s taken by their mothers.

D．Reflections they see in the mirror.

There are many famous museums throughout the world where people can enjoy art. Washington, D.C. has the National Gallery of Art; Paris has the Luvre; London, the British Museum. Florida International University (FIU) in Miami also shows art for people to see. And it does so without building, or even a wall for its drawing and paintings. FIU has opened what it says is the first computer art museum in the United States. You don’t have to visit the University to see the art. You just need a computer linked to a telephone. You can call the telephone number of a university computer and connect your own computer to it. All of the art is stored in the school computer. It is computer art, produced electronically by artists on their own computers. In only a few minutes, your computer can receive and copy all the pictures and drawings. Robert Shostak is direction of the new computer museum. He says he starts the museum because computer artists had no place to show their works.
A computer artist can only record his pictures electronically and send the records to others to see on their computers. He can also put his pictures on paper. But to print good pictures on paper, the computer artist needs an expensive laser printer (激光印刷) . Robert Shostak says the electronic（電子的） museum is mostly for art or computer students at school and universities. Many of the pictures in the museum are made by students. Mr Shostake said the FIU museum will take computer art more fun for computer artists because more people can see it. He says artists enjoy their work much more if they have an audience. And the great number of home computers in America could mean a huge audience for the electronic museum.
小題1:The main purpose of this text is to give information about_______.
A. museums throughout the world
B. an electronic art museum in Miami, U.S.A.
C. art exhibitions（展覽會） in Florida International University
D. latest development of computer art
小題2:To see the art in FIU museum, you need______.

A．floppy discs（軟盤）

B．a(chǎn) computer and a printer

C．pictures and drawings on paper

D．a(chǎn) computer connect to the museum by telephone line

小題3:The museum was started when______.
A Robert Shostak wanted to do something for computer scientists
B. Robert Shostak wanted to help computer artists
C. art students needed a place to show their works
D. computer scientists wanted to do something about art
小題4:The words “an audience” in the last paragraph refer to ________.

A．a(chǎn)rt students	B．computer owners
C．exhibits in the museum	D．those who will enjoy art.

It seems that there is no middle ground when it comes to cats. People either love them or hate them. These feelings are not new either. All through history, cats have been worshiped or hated. A study of ancient writings and evidence found in tombs indicates that for the past 5,000 years, cats have been kept as pets in China, Arabia, Egypt, and India. However, this isn’t very long compared to dogs, which have been domesticated for 50,000 years. Still, while the period in which cats have been domesticated may be quite short, it has definitely had its high and low points.
Cats were at their highest position of domesticated life in ancient Egypt. There were more cats living in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs than in any other place in the world since that time. This high number of cats was probably due to the laws protecting them. Cats were associated with the moon goddess, Bast, so the Egyptians worshiped them as holy animals. If anyone was caught killing a cat, the person could be put to death. Families in Egypt also mourned the death of a cat and had the body of the dead cat wrapped in cloth before it was finally laid to rest. This respect for cats carried over to the Roman Empire where cats were the only animals allowed into temples. This fact was probably due to the ability of cats to keep the temples free of mice and rats. With the coming of the Dark Ages in Europe, the place of cats in society took a turn for the Empire, Christians began to associate cats with pegan (異教徒) beliefs. Cats had a reputation as helpers of witches. When a person was accused of being a witch, a cat would often be put on trial with the person. The cat would be tortured（拷打） to try and make the person tell the truth, and usually the cat and the person would end up being burned in a bonfire or drowned. Bonfires of collected cats were not uncommon during this time.
The days of hunting witches have ended, but other myths about cats still hold out. For a while, people in some places used to bury live cats under new buildings for good luck. As well, many people today continue to believe that black cats bring bad luck. If a black cat walks in front of a person, that person must take extra care in the near future to watch out for dangerous situations. Regardless of superstition(迷信), cats remain a popular pet today. Some cat experts believe that a cat never truly be domesticated because it may turn wild and run away at any time. However, this claim has not put people off keeping cats in their homes. A third of homes in the United States have cats, and one out of every three of these homes keeps both a dog and a cat. Especially in large cities, many people in small apartments have found that cats make much better pets than dogs.
Cats may not be worshiped as gods any more, but there are people who seem to think of their cat as their children. These cat owners will do almost anything to keep their pets healthy and happy. For those cat owners who have always wondered what their pets are trying to tell them, a Japanese company may have come up with the perfect invention. In 2003, the Takara Company announced the Meowlingual, a cat translation device. The Meowlingual uses a microphone, display, and cat voice analyzer to analyze a cat’s meows to determine which of 200 phrases a cat is trying to say.
According to a company spokesperson, “… cat owners all over the world have been telling Takara, ‘ We want a cat translator!’” Now, the company “is making their dream come true by bringing in a new era of communication between cat lovers and their pets.”
小題1:Which of these is NOT discussed in the passage?

A．the status of cats throughout history

B．the evolution of different species of cats

C．the popularity of the cats today

D．communication between cats and their owners

小題2:The second paragraph mainly describes_______.

A．how Bast became a goddess.

B．the low point in the history of cats

C．the high point in the history of cats

D．the reason why cats are such good hunters

小題3:How were cats treated in Europe during the Dark Ages?

A．a(chǎn)s farm animals

B．a(chǎn)s food

C．a(chǎn)s magical creatures

D．a(chǎn)s honored guests

小題4:According to the passage, what percentage of people in the United States keep both a cat and a dog?

A．a(chǎn)bout 10 percent

B．nearly 25 percent

C．a(chǎn)bout 33 percent

D．close to 50 percent