A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.

On one side stand those who see clothes dryers(干衣機(jī)) as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the “what-I can do environmentalism(環(huán)境保護(hù)主義).”

On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) access the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This had led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people’s right to use clotheslines.

So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be move.

Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious(有生態(tài)意識(shí)的) person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighlzir had telephoned them about him clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warming and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. “Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters in their own hands,” says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.

North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.

Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful”. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.”

57. One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ham clothesline drying is that

____.

A. clothes dryers are more efficient     B. clothesline drying reduces home value

C. clothes dryers are energy-saving     D. clothesline drying is not allowed in most U.S. states

58. Which of the following best describes Matt Reck?

   A. He is a kind-hearted man.          B. He is an impolite man.

   C. He is and experienced gardener.     D. He is a man of social responsibility.

59. Who are in favor of clothesline drying?

   A. housing businesses.               B. Environmentalists.

   C. Homeowners Associations.         D. Reck’s dissatisfied neighbors.

60. What is mainly discussed in the text?

   A. Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money.

   B. Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered.

   C. Opposite opinions on clothesline drying.

   D. Different varieties of clotheslines.

For a while, my neighborhood was taken ever by an army of joggers(慢跑者). They were there all the time: early morning, noon, and evening. There were little old ladies in gray sweats, young couples in Adidas shoes, middle-aged men with red faces. “Come on!” My friend Alex encouraged me to join him as he jogged by my house every evening. “You’ll feel great.”

    Well, I had nothing against feeling great and if Alex could jog every day, anyone could. So I took up jogging seriously and gave it a good two months of my life, and not a day more. Based on my experience, jogging is the most overvalued form of exercise around, and judging from the number of the people who left our neighborhood jogging army. I’m not alone in my opinion.

   First of all, jogging is very hard on the body. Your legs and feet a real pounding（追擊）ruining down a road for two or three miles. I developed foot, leg, and back problems. Then I read about a nationally famous jogger who died of a heart attack while jogging, and I had something else to worry about. Jogging doesn’t kill hundreds of people, but if you have any physical weaknesses, jogging will surely bring them out, as they did with me.

   Secondly, I got no enjoyment out of jogging. Putting one foot in front of the other for forty-five minutes isn’t my idea of fun. Jogging is also a lonely pastime. Some joggers say, “I love being out there with just my thoughts”Well, my thoughts began to bore me, and most of them were on how much my legs hurt.

    And how could I enjoy something that brought me pain? And that wasn’t just the first week: it was practically every day for two months. I never got past the pain level, and pain isn’t fun. What a cruel way to do it! So many other exercises, including walking, lead to almost the same results painlessly, so why jog?

   I don’t jog any more, and I don’t think I ever will. I’m walking two miles three times a week at a fast pace, and that feels good. I bicycle to work when the weather is good. I’m getting exercise, and I’m enjoying it at the same time. I could never say the same for jogging, and I’ve found a lot of better ways to stay in shape.

52. From the first paragraph, we learn that in the writer’s neighborhood ______.

A. jogging became very popular    B. people jogged only during the daytime

C. Alex organized an army of joggers

D. jogging provided a chance to get together

53. The underlined word “them”(Paragraph 3) most probably refers to _____.

A. heart attacks   B. Back problems   C. famous joggers   D. physical weaknesses

54. What was the writer’s attitude towards jogging in the beginning?

A. He felt it was worth a try.   B. He was very fond of it.

C. He was strongly against it.   D. He thought it must be painful.

55. Why did the writer give up jogging two months later?

A. He disliked doing exercise outside.  

B. He found it neither healthy nor interesting.

C. He was afraid of having a heart attack.

D. He was worried about being left alone.

56. From the writer’s experience, we can conclude that______.

A. not everyone enjoys jogging

B. he is the only person who hates jogging

C. nothing other than jogging can help people keep fit

D. jogging makes people feel greater than any other sport.

A Brown University sleep researcher has some advice for people who run high schools: Don’t start classes so early in the morning. It may not be that the students who nod off at their desks are lazy. And it may not be that their parents have failed to enforce (確保) bedtime. Instead, it may be that biologically these sleepyhead students aren’t used to the early hour.

“Maybe these kids me being asked to rise at the wrong time for their bodies,” says Mary Carskadon, a professor looking at problem of adolescent  (青春期的) sleep at Brown’s School of Medicine.

Carskadon is trying to understand more about the effects of early school time in adolescents. And, at a more basic level. she and her team are trying to learn more about how the biological changes of adolescence affect sleep needs and patterns.

Carskadon says her work suggests that adolescents may need more sleep than they did at childhood, no less, as commonly thought.

Sleep patters change during adolescence, as any parent of an adolescent can prove. Most adolescents prefer to stay up later at nigh and sleep later in the morning. But it’s not just a matter of choice their bodies are going through a change of sleep patters.

All of this makes the transfer from middle school to high school―which may start one hour earlier in the morning  ---- all the more difficult , Carskadon says. With their increased need for sleep and their biological clocks set on the “sleep late, rise late” pattern, adolescent are up against difficulties when it conics to trying to be up by 5 or 6 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m. first hell. A short sleep on a desktop may be their body’s way of saying. “I need a timeout.”

48. Carskadon suggests that high schools should not start classes so early in the morning because ________.

A. it is really tough for parents to enforce bedtime

B. it is biologically difficult for students to rise early

C. students work so late at night that they can’t get up early

D. students are so lazy that they don’t like to go to school early

49. The underlined phrase “nod off” most probably means “ _______”.

A. turn around    B. agree with others  C. full asleep

D. refuse to work

50. What might be a reason for the hard transfer middle school to high school?

A. Adolescents depend more on their parents.

B. Adolescents have to choose their sleep patterns.

C. Adolescents sleep better than they did at childhood.

D. Adolescents need more sleep than they used to.

51. What is the test mainly about?

A. Adolescent heath care.      B. Problems in adolescent learning.

C. Adolescent sleep difficulties.   D. Changes in adolescent sleep needs and patterns.

Below is a discussion on a website.

45. Who would miss his or her family most?

A. Jaime       B. Jayne      C. Miko          D. Paola.

46. Which of the following people would feel most uncomfortable without the news media?

A. Steve.    B. Jaime     C. Roger.      D. Tomas

47. How many of them mentioned that they would miss food or drink?

A. One      B. Two      C. Three       D. Four

    Adrian’s “Amazing Race” started early when his parents realized that he, as a baby, couldn’t hear a thing, not even loud noises. In a special school for the hearing-impaired (聽(tīng)覺(jué)受損的)，he learned sign language and got to mix with other disabled children. However, the sight of all the disabled children communicating with one another upset his mother. She wanted him to lead a normal life. So after speaking to an advisor, she sent him to private classes where he learned to read lips and pronounce words.

     Later on, Adrian’s parents decided to send him to a regular school. But the headmaster tried to prevent them from doing so, saying regular school couldn’t take care of a special needs students. His parents were determined to take the risk and push him hard to go through his work everyday because they wanted to prove that, given the opportunity, he could do anything. Adrian made the grade and got accepted. It was a big challenge. The pace （節(jié)奏）was faster so he had to sit at the front of the class and really pay attention to the teacher, which wasn’t always easy. But he stuck to it and did a lot of extra work after school.

    The efforts made by Adrian and his parents paid off. Adrian graduated with good grades and got into a top high school. He also achieved a lot in life outside school. He developed a love for the outdoors and went to Nepal to climb mountains. He even entered the World Yacht Race 05/06--- being the first hearing-impaired Asian to do so.

    But none of these achievements would have been possible without one of the most important lessons from his mother.” “If you believe in yourself and work hard, you can achieve great results.” She often said.

41. How did Adrian communicate with other children in the special school?

A. By speaking.            B. By using sign language

C. By reading lips           D. By making loud noises

42. Adrian’s parents decided to send him to a regular school because          .

A. they wanted him to live a normal life

B. they wanted to prove the headmaster wrong

C. he wouldn’t mix with other disabled children

D. he wasn’t taken good care of in the special school

43. How did Adrian finally succeed in his study?

A. He did a lot of outdoor activities.

B. He was pushed hard to study every day.

C. He attended private classes after school.

D. He worked very hard both in and after class

44. Why is Adrian’s life described as an “Amazing Race”?

A. He did very well in his study

B. He succeeded in entering a regular school

C. He reached his goals in spite of his disability

D. He took part in the World Yacht Race 05/06

   At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible sites(地點(diǎn)) for a house. I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices.

   The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place. But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him. However, I let him keep the additional dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it.

   The real attractions of the Hollowell farm to me were its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded(相鄰) on one side by the river, and separated from the highway by a wide field. The poor condition of the house and fences showed that it hadn’t been used for some time. I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apples trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields. I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements. But it turned out as I have said.

   I was not really troubled by the loss. I had always had a garden, but I don’t think I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted (無(wú)牽掛的). It makes but little difference whether you own a farm or not.

51. What do we know about the author?

   A. He wanted to buy the oldest farm near where he lived.

   B. He made a study of many farms before buying.

   C. He made money by buying and selling farms.

   D. He had the money to buy the best farm in the country.

52. Why did the author decide to buy the Hollowell place?

   A. It was of good market value.

   B. It was next to the highway.

   C. It was in a good position.

   D. It was behind a nice garden.

53. Why did the author want to buy the farm in a hurry?

   A. He was afraid the owner might changes his mind.

   B. He hoped to enlarge the forest on the farm.

   C. He wanted to keep the farm as it was.

   D. He was eager to become a farm owner.

54. The underlined words “the loss” in the last paragraph refer to ___.

A. the money the author lost in buying the farm

B. the sale of the garden in the Hollowell place

C. the removal of the trees around the house

D. the failure to possess the Hollowell place

55. What does the author believe as important in life?

A. To own a farm

B. To satisfy his needs

C. To be free from worries

D. To live in the countryside

   Five million people visit Grand Canyon in the US every year. For the purpose of helping project Grand Canyon for your fellow visitors and future generations, please follow the guidelines below.

Camping

To project the park, camping is allowed only within permitted campgrounds. Permits are required for overnight camping at the North Rim. Advance booking can be received by mail. Please write: Information Center, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, AZ 86023

Fires

Because of the extreme fire danger, campfires are not allowed except at Mather and Desert View campgrounds. Collection of firewood is not allowed either.

Hiking(遠(yuǎn)足)

Please stay on permitted paths. Otherwise you may destroy desert plants. Pack out what you pack in, so you leave no signs of your visit. It is important to keep in mind that you are in a national park where wildlife exists.

Weather

The weather at Gramd Canyon can change very quickly. With so much rock, lightning(閃電) causes a particular danger during sudden summer storms. These storms also frequently bring floods inside valleys, a danger to hikers. Watch the skies and check daily weather reports.

Wildlife

Do not feed park wildlife. There have been a few cases at Gramd Canyon National Park where deer(鹿) were purposely shot because they ate plastic bags that left them sick and weak. Hungry deer can be danger and have kicked and bitten visitors at Grand Canyon. Some other animals will also beg and bite. For your own safety and the well-being of the animals, please do not feed wildlife, no matter how gentle they may appear.

47. What can you do first if you want to go camping?

   A. Know the permitted                   B. Book campgrounds in advance

   C. Make sure not to make a fire           D. Stop at Mather and Desert View

48. What do the underlined words “pack out what you pack in” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

   A. keep every out of campgrounds

   B. take away everything you bring in

   C. carry all the necessary food

   D. look after your personal belongings

49. Why were some deer killed on purpose at Grand Canyon?

   A. They ate wrong things and became very ill.

   B. They were a danger to other gentle animals.

   C. They begged food from visitors.

   D. They kicked and bit visitors.

50. What is the main purpose of the text?

   A. To provide travel information            B. To report some recent news.

   C. To teach tourists hiking skills             D. To introduce the wild life

Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time about eight hours after you wake up your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.

In many parts of the world, people take naps(小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates(氣候), where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional (傳統(tǒng)的), people often suffer less from problem such as heart disease.

Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can slao happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.

44. Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?

   A. They eat too much for lunch.

   B. They sleep too little at night.

   C. Their body temperature becomes lower.

   D. The weather becomes a lot warmer.

45. If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nap?

   A. About 12:30 pm.                         B. About 1:30 pm.

   C. About 2:30 pm                           D. About 3:30 pm

46. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. Just for a Rest

   B. All for a Nap

   C. A Special Sleep Pattern.

   D. Taking Naps in Warmer Climate.

   As nanny(保姆), cook, cleaner, shopper, driver, and gardener, she has one of the most demanding jobs in Britain today. And paying someone else to do the chores(家務(wù)活) which take the average housewife 71 hours a week would cost 49.

   At over 8,000 a year that’s more than the earnings of 70 percent of the population, including train drivers, firemen, prison officers, and social worker. Looking after a baby less than a year old takes a housewife into a even higher pay league. According to a study, she earns 57 a week at nearly 4,000 a year, the same as teachers, engineers, and chemists.

   Researchers put a price on each chore, then tried to find out how long the average person takes doing them. They found housewives spend an average 70.7 hours a week on housework with looking after the children (17.9hours) and cooking and cleaning (12.9 hours each) the most time-consuming(費(fèi)時(shí)).

   A wife with a part-time job still works and average of 59 hours a week at home. Those in full-time employment put in longer hours at home than in the workplace. The good news is that these hours sharply as children get older. While the average mother with child under one puts in 90 hours weekly, the figure drops to 80 hours from one to four and to 66 hours from five to ten.

   Mother-of-four Karen Williams from London said, “Paying the housewives may not be practical, but the government should recognize the value of housework, perhaps through the tax. Running a house takes a lot of time and most husbands don’t understand this. For example, my husband only puts a shelf up now and again. He never cleans the kitchen that’s the real test.”

40. Who earns most according to the text?

   A. A social worker.                    B. A fireman.

   C. A gardener.                        D. A teacher.

41. We learn from the text that looking after children ______.

   A. takes more time than doing any other housework

   B. means more duties than being a teacher

   C. requires the mother to be well-educated

   D. prevents the mother from working outside

42. According to the text, a housewife with a baby less than one year old may work _____.

   A. 66 hours a week               B. 71 hours a week

   C. 80 hours a week               D. 90 hours a week

43. By mentioning her husband, Karen Williams wants to show that ______.

   A. housework is no easy job

   B. her husband has no time to clean the kitchen

   C. a housewife needs to be paid for cleaning

   D. the kitchen is hard to clean

     The meaning of the word “volunteer” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services.” There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working on homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage (垃圾) from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay.

  At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a new idea of what being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta. The following is her story.

   “I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school, we watched a video(錄像) about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks.”

   “I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer the up. I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much. It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture(文化) that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world.”

36. According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who ______.

   A. is willing to help those in need without pay

   B. can afford to travel to different places

   C. has a strong wish to be successful

   D. has made a big fortune in life

37. Tracy started her work as a volunteer _______.

   A. after she met Mother Teresa

   B. after she finished high school

   C. when she was touring Calcutta

   D. when she was working in a hospital

38. Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?

   A. She liked to work with Mother Teresa.

   B. She had already had some experience.

   C. She was asked by Mother Teresa’s example.

   D. She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example.

39. What is Tracy’s “new idea” (Paragraph 2) of being a volunteer?

   A. Going abroad to help the sick.

   B. Working in Mother Teresa’s home.

   C. Doing simple things to help the poor.

   D. Improving oneself through helping others.