D
The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet (彗星) is heading towards the Earth . Most of it will miss our planet , but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth .
On 17 July , a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere (大氣層) with a massive explosion . About half of the piece is destroyed , but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound . The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed . Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole . The wall of water , a kilometer high , rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour . Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people re drowned .
Before the waves reach South America , the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina . Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains . The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean . The cities of Los Angeles , San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes . Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won’t escape for long . Because of the explosions , the sun is hidden by clouds of dust , temperatures around the world fall to almost zero .Crops are ruined . The sun won’t be seen again for many years . Wars break out as countries fight for food . A year later , no more than 10 million people remain alive .
Could it really happen ? In fact , it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth . The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years . Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared . Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space . The dinosaurs couldn’t live through the cold climate that followed and they died out . Will we meet the same end ?
小題1:What is mainly described in the passage ?

A．A historic discovery .	B．An event of imagination
C．A research on space .	D．A scientific adventure .

小題2:When the first piece hits the South Atlantic , it causes           .

A．a(chǎn)n earthquake	B．damages to cities
C．a(chǎn)n Earth explosion	D．huge waves

小題3:Why can’t the northern half of the earth escape for long ?

A．Because the land is covered with water

B．Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the earth .

C．Because people there can not live at the temperature of zero .

D．Because wars break out among countries .

This morning, a Virgin Atantin 747 Jumbo Jet became the first commercial airplane to fly on biofuel. The short flight from London to Amsterdam used a blend of 20% babassu(棕櫚) oil mixed with 80% conventional jet fuel.
What was really exciting about the flight was the fact that the engine did not have to be altered in any way for the biofuel to work While this is a great initial step in trying to reduce CO₂(carbon-dioxide)emissions(排放)from airplanes. there are a lot of hurdles (障礙)that still need to be overcome.
First and foremost, unlike the normal fuel used to run airplanes (known as Jet A),biofuel freezes at high altitudes. Also, Jet‘A’fuel burns consistently (at the same pace),which means it provides a safe and reliable fuel for long flights--engineers are not sure if biofuel will be able to do the same.
The biggest hurdle to a full biofuel switch is our ability to be able to grow enough crops that can be converted to biofuel. There are two concerns that scientists have in this matter – the first is that the land to grow the extra crops will come from clearing more of our forests and the second is that since it competes with what we eat, the price of food will go up.
However, Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines, envisions that if biofuel starts to replace oil on a greater basis, it will be manufactured from algae（藻類）produced in sewage treatment plants, not from food sources.
Birgin Airlines is not the only one trying to look for alternative fuel sources. Earlier this year, an Airbus A380 used another alternative fuel－a man-made mix of gas-to-liquid, in one of its four engines. The flight was tested by Rolls Royce (manufacturer of jet engines), in partnership with Shell (an oil company). Rolls Royce is also working with Air New Zealand on a similar project.
While a complete switch to alternative fuel may take years, it is very encouraging to see airlines, oil companies and airplane manufacturers all coming together to try to make it happen!
小題1:．Why does Virgin Airlines try to replace normal fuel with biofuel?

A．To cut down the flight cost of the company.

B．To remove some hurdles for the biofuel to work.

C．To reduce CO2 emissions from airplanes.

D．To test plane engines on biofuel.

小題2:．Which is NOT true for a full biofuel switch of airplanes?
A Biofuel cannot run for long flights.                  
B．Biofuel cannot work at high altitudes.
C．Man has not enough land to grow extra crops for biofuel. 
D．It’s not easy for sewage treatment plants to manufacture biofuel.
小題3:．One of the hurdles to be overcome for a full biofuel switch is to          .

A．a(chǎn)lter the engine for airplanes

B．make biofuel burn consistently

C．open more land to grow more crops

D．develop sewage treatment plants

小題4:．We can infer from the last paragraph that          .

A．there is a long way to go for a complete switch to alternative fuel

B．it won’t be long before alternative fuel comes into use

C．a(chǎn)irlines, oil companies and airplane manufacturers are reliable

D．a(chǎn)lternative fuel has a bright future

小題5:．Which of the following can best serves as the title of this passage?

A．Biofuel-Alternative Fuel Sources.

B．The First Commercial Flight Powered by Biofuel.

C．How to Reduce CO2 Emissions from Airplanes.

D．Vigin Airlines Trying to Alter Fuel Sources.

Let children learn to judge their own work. A child who learns to talk does not learn by being corrected all the time. If corrected too much., he will stop talking. He notices a thousand times a day the differences between the language he uses and the language those around him. Little by little, he makes the necessary changes to make his language like other people’s. In the same way, children learn to do all the other things without being taught-to walk, run, climb, whistle, ride a bicycle-compare their performances with those of more skilled people, and slowly make the needed changes.
But in school we never give a child a chance to find out his mistakes and correct them himself. We do it all for his act as if we thought that he would never notice a mistake unless it was pointed out to him, or correct it unless he was made to. Let him work out, with the help of other children if he wants it, what this word says , what the answer is to that problem, whether this is a good way of saying or doing this or not.
If it is a matter of right answers, as it may be in mathematics or science, give him the answer book. Let him correct his own papers. Why should we teachers waste time on such routine(daily) work? Our job should be to help the children when they tell us that they can’t find the way to get to measure their own understanding, how to know what they know or do not know.
小題1: According to the passage, the best way for children to learn things is by ______.

A．listening to the advice of grown-ups.

B．a(chǎn)sking adults many questions.

C．making mistakes and having them corrected.

D．doing as other people do by themselves.

小題2: Which of the following does the writer think teachers should NOT do?

A．Give children correct answers.

B．Allow children to make mistakes.

C．Tell the children what is wrong with their work as often as possible.

D．Let children judge their own work.

小題3: According to the writer, teachers in school should ______.

A．encourage children to learn from each other.

B．point out children’s mistakes whenever they are found.

C．correct children’s mistakes as much as possible.

D．teach children more knowledge from book.

小題4:The passage suggests that learning to speak and learning to ride a bicycle are ______.

A．different from learning other skills.	B．the same as learning other skills.
C．more important than other skills.	D．unnecessary skills.

小題5:. Which of the following may serve as the best title of this passage?

A．Let Us Teachers Stop Working.	B．Let Children Alone.
C．Let Children Correct Their Exercises.	D．Let Children Learn by Themselves.

Separate lives, similar dreams
As we know, some children live in the countryside, and some live in the city. Their lives are a little different, but they also have many of the same dreams.

	In the countryside	In the city
Travel to school	On foot	By bus or car
Classroom facilities（設(shè)施）	Recorders and radios.	Multimedia classrooms, VCD, DVD, TVs, recorders, radios, loud-speakers.
Ways of learning	Classes only, without many reference books.	Many extra classes, tutor, lots of reference books.
Eyesight	Less than 45% are near-sighted.	About 75% are near-sighted.
After-class activities	Playing with balls.	English corners and other school clubs.
Homework	Homework can usually be finished at school.	Homework never ends.
Chores to do	Washing, cleaning, farming, looking after younger sisters or brothers, cooking.	Usually no chores.
Family members	Big families with three generations.	Small families with three members.
Ideal jobs	Teachers, drivers, scientists, nurses, secretaries.	Scientists, professors, doctors, computer programmers, managers, university presidents, the UN chief.

小題1: The survey was done among the ______ between in the countryside and the city.

A．teachers.

B．students.

C．parents.

D．a(chǎn)dults.

小題2:. About ______ of children in the countryside have good eyesight, but only ______ of children in the city have good eyesight.

A．45%,75%.

B．55%,75%.

C．55%,25%.

D．45%,25%.

小題3: Which of the following is not included in the survey?

A．Ideal jobs.	B．After-class activities.
C．Ways of learning.	D．Results of tests.

小題4:. A classroom in the countryside often has ______ according to the survey.
A. records.            B. DVD.               C. TVs.                 D. loud-speakers.
小題5: Which of the following is WRONG according to the survey?

A．Children in the countryside often go to school on foot.

B．Children in the city often have too much homework to do.

C．Children in the countryside often have lots of chores to do.

D．Children in the city are difficult to find ideal jobs.

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)為多余項(xiàng)。
What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, and red?  71  Do you prefer grays and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be a pessimist（悲觀者）. At least, this is what psychologists（心理專家） tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of colors preference, as well as the effect that colors have on human beings.   72 If you happen to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.
 73  A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day.  74  A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides than any other bridge in the area ---until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply; perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.
  75 It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.

A．On the other hand, black is depressing.

B．They tells us that we do not choose our favorite color as we grow up——we are born with our preference.

C．The rooms are painted in different colors as you like.

D．If you do, you must be an optimist（樂觀者）, a leader, an active person who enjoys

life, people and excitement.
E. Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active.
F. Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colors.
G. Colors do influence our moods——there is no doubt about it .

We live in a technological society where most goods are mass-produced by unskilled labor. Because of this, most people think that craft no longer exists.
One of the ways these people wrongly support their view is by pointing to 100-year-old homes which are still solid, and arguing that it is the craftsmanship that is responsible for their durability. “Homes in those days were well-built,” they say. No doubt these homes were well-built, but what these people have done is mix up the quality of material used in the house with the quality of the craftsmanship.
Homes today could be built to last just as long as those old homes if people were willing or able to pay the price. For example, most people can no longer afford solid oak stairways, although they were once fairly common in older homes. Nor can they afford the high labor cost of employing a carpenter to build the stairway. Yet if someone can pay the high cost, there are still plenty of carpenters around able to make those stairways. And not only would these carpenters know how to build them, they would probably do a better job than carpenters of old.
One thing the modern carpenter has which enables him to do a better job is much more advanced tools. Such tools as laser beams and powerplanes help them lay out a house better and make more precision cuts on the wood. Also, it is not uncommon say more to find carpenters with college degrees and carpenters with a solid knowledge of mathematics, which would enable them to deal with more difficult house designs.
The problem of modern quality, then, really boils down to the problem of material, for the modern carpenter is just as able to produce craftsmanship as the carpenter of fifty years ago, but only if given proper material.
小題1: Compared to the carpenters in the past, modern carpenters are           .

A．more successful	B．more learned
C．more imaginative	D．more hardworking

小題2: What does the underlined work “they” (paragraph 2) refer to?

A．Carpenters who are fond of oak stairways.

B．Carpenters who have college degrees.

C．People who think highly of carpenters of old.

D．People who think that modern material is of low quality.

小題3:What does the third paragraph mainly discuss?

A．People in the past preferred to use oak to build stairways.

B．It is now expensive to employ a carpenter.

C．Modern houses last as long as the old ones.

D．Good carpenters still exist in modern times.

小題4: What would be the best title for the text?

A．Is Craft Dead?	B．Craft, Back to Life?
C．History of Craftsmanship	D．Carpenters Today and Yesterday

Don’t shoot butterflies with guns.
Can you    36    someone running after a butterfly with a gun in his hands? Won’t such stupidity make you burst out laughing? But wait. Stop and consider how often you might have done something    37   .
A hen, Henny-Penny, lived in a forest with many other animals and birds. One fine, sunny morning, she was busy looking for    38    in the ground. Suddenly she let out a frightened cackle (咯咯叫) with wings flapping    39   . A dry leaf had fallen down on her, and she went  40   at whoever she met, “Run, run for your lives; the sky is falling.” The other creatures stopped whatever they were doing. Some ran behind Henny-Penny, screaming warnings with her, while others    41    the unfounded story that the sky was falling.
We all have    42    people like this hen. The rest of us are like the other foolish creatures who didn’t stop to verify (證實(shí)) the    43    for themselves. They shoot butterflies with guns. They just will not think for themselves. Why don’t people think for themselves? Often because of laziness, or because they don’t want to be    44    for their way of thinking.
Walking through life    45    is more dangerous than crossing a busy road with eyes closed. Our thoughts should lead us towards the light of wisdom and sense. Our thinking should be high,  46    us to the ranks of the sensible. We have been blessed with reasoning, sensitive minds. Let us make use of them and be    47    of our own minds. Don’t let your mind be enslaved by someone else. Stop, think and then go ahead.
小題1:.

A．suggest

B．imagine

C．recall

D．prevent

小題2:.

A．different

B．extraordinary

C．unusual

D．similar

小題3:	A．trees B．worms C．nests D．leaves

小題4:.

A．in delight

B．in cheer

C．in fear

D．in amazement

小題5:.

A．screaming

B．staring

C．praising

D．criticizing

小題6:.

A．recite

B．edit

C．spread

D．print

小題7:.

A．come across

B．searched for

C．looked after

D．cared about

小題8:.

A．impact

B．process

C．a(chǎn)dvantage

D．truth

小題9:	A．desperate B．good C．regretful D．responsible

小題10:.

A．speechlessly

B．hopelessly

C．mindlessly

D．homelessly

小題11:

A．declining B．raising C．wiping D．smoothing

小題12:.

A．masters

B．slaves

C．a(chǎn)uthors

D．employees

Clothes can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal’s number, keep you warm during cold weather and operate your computer?
This is not a fantasy. A British company, called Electrotextiles, has created a wide range of clothes — clothes that have minds of their own! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a kind of fabric that can be blended(混合) with flexible electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The result are electronic garments.
If you think the wearer has to be wired to different devices, think again. These designer clothes are wire-free, soft to touch and washable!! Like any electronic device, these high-tech clothes have to be powered. Currently, a tiny nine-volt battery serves the purpose. But the researchers hope that in the near future the clothes will generate electricity by using body heat. These clothes are 100 percent shock proof, they say.
The Electrotextiles team has also created the world’s first cloth keyboard. This keyboard can be sewn into your trousers or skirt. To use this device, you will have to sit down and tap on your lap! These ‘lap- tap’ gadgets(器具) are all set to take over laptop computers!
Another useful garment is the shirt-cum-mobile phone. This handy invention enables drivers to chat comfortably with others at the wheel! Other popular electronic wear include the denim(牛仔布) jacket with flexible earphones sewn into the hood(風(fēng)帽) and the electronic ski jacket with a built-in heater. The ski jacket is also programmed to send signals to a satellite. This technology is known as global positioning system and can be used to track lost skiers and wandering kids.
Having completed the cloth keyboard, scientists have already started to work on a new project—a necktie that can be used as a computer mouse. What is the next? Do you have any idea?
小題1:. The electronic garments are similar to other electronic devices in that ______.

A．they feel smooth and soft

B．they use electricity as power

C．they can be washed in water

D．they are made from flexible materials

小題2:. How will researchers improve these high-tech clothes?

A．Body heat will be used as power.

B．The wearer will not get shocked.

C．A tiny nine-volt battery will work.

D．They will get charged automatically.

小題3: What does the underlined phrase “This handy invention” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．The laptop computer.	B．The electronic ski jacket.
C．The shirt-cum-mobile phone.	D．The world’s first cloth keyboard.

小題4:. If you are going on a ski adventure, which device do you need?

A．The cloth keyboard.	B．The electronic ski jacket.
C．The necktie to be used as a mouse.	D．The denim jacket with earphones.

小題5:. The main purpose of the text is ______.

A．to advertise for an English company	B．to predict the future trend of science
C．to show how rapidly science develops	D．to introduce some intelligent clothing

Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.
The report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster, population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising the global death rates from illnesses including malnutrition (營養(yǎng)不良) and heat-related health problems.
But even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions.
Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poor countries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number would double by 2030.
Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studies disaster trends, said the Forum’s report was “a methodological embarrassment” because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid the much larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development in vulnerable (易受傷害的) regions. Dr. Pielke said that “climate change is an important problem requiring our utmost (極度的) attention.” But the report, he said, “will harm the cause for action on both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed (有瑕疵的).”
However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners who supervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers were rough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a new international climate treaty.
In a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations to focus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerability(弱點(diǎn)) to climate hazards(危害)while still curbing (限制) the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% of the human and economic losses from climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report.
小題1:What is the finding of the Global Humanitarian Forum?

A．Global temperatures affect the rate of economic development.

B．Rates of death from illnesses have risen due to global warming.

C．Malnutrition has caused serious health problems in poor countries.

D．Economic trends have to do with population and natural disasters.

小題2:  What do we learn about the Forum’s report from the passage?

A．It was challenged by some climate and risk experts.

B．It aroused a lot of interest in the scientific circles.

C．It was warmly received by environmentalists.

D．It caused a big stir in developing countries.

小題3: What does Dr. Pielke say about the Forum’s report?

A．Its statistics look embarrassing.

B．It is invalid in terms of methodology.

C．It deserves our closest attention.

D．Its conclusion is purposely exaggerated.

小題4:  What is Soren Andreasen’s view of the report?

A．Its conclusions are based on carefully collected data.

B．It is vulnerable to criticism if the statistics are closely examined.

C．It will give rise to heated discussions at the Copenhagen conference.

D．Its rough estimates are meant to draw the attention of world leaders.

小題5:  What does Kofi Annan say should be the focus of the Copenhagen conference?

A．How rich and poor regions can share responsibility in curbing global warming.

B．How human and economic losses from climate change can be reduced.

C．How emissions of heat-trapping gases can be reduced on a global scale.

D．How rich countries can better help poor regions reduce climate hazards.

London has become a cycle friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme．It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London．
So how does it work？First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key．The key will unlock one of the bikes，which are kept at docking stations in and around central London．You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go，for the length of time you use the bike．
Transport for London, which runs the scheme，are hoping to have 6，000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year．The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion in London and is expected to generate up to 40，000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been “filled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as common place on our roads as black cabs and red buses”.
However，there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday．On the first day some people found they couldn’t dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered．Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few “teething problems” and have said they wouldn’t charge for the first day as a“gesture of goodwill”．Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles．
Despite the comments，the green-thinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things，saying，“My campaign for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a gigantic pedal-powered push forwards．”
小題1:Which is the correct order of a bike hire？
a．pay a usage charge according to the time    b．pay for the key
c．cycle in and around central London  d．sign up as a member to get a key

A．b-d-c-a

B．b-c-a-d

C．d-c-b-a

D．d-b-c-a

小題2:．Which of the following is NOT the “teething problems” of the scheme？

A．People were unable to lock properly．

B．People could not dock the bikes properly．

C．People had no enthusiasm about the scheme．

D．It’s too expensive for some people to hire a bike．

小題3:．From the passage we know __________．

A．the ‘cycling revolution’ failed once started

B．the scheme will be put off due to the problems

C．a(chǎn)ll the citizens in London are in favor of the scheme

D．the London Mayor has great confidence in the scheme