America’s greatest technological achievement, the Hoover Dam, now has a companion piece, a bridge held up by the longest arch in the Western Hemisphere（半球）. The Mike O’Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which opened this month and connects the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada, crosses the vast chasm（峽谷）890 feet above the Colorado River that is controlled by the dam.

The striking 1,900-foot-long structure will improve traffic in the region and help protect the dam from being destroyed. It is the seventh highest bridge in the world, behind four in China, one in Papua New Guinea and one in the US state of Colorado.

“The Hoover Dam is the greatest civil engineering achievement in America’s history,” said the bridge project manager Dave Zanatell. “Our goal was not to outdo or outshine it. Our goal was to, in a respectful way, do something that would be great for our generation and that would stand besides Hoover Dam in a respectful and quality way that would become a part of Hoover’s legacy（遺產(chǎn)）.”

Just as the Hoover Dam was built in the heart of the Great Depression（大蕭條）and was seen as an example of the nation’s can-do spirit, some hope this project can also provide some uplift.

The bridge is surprising: at 1,050 feet, its support arch holds up a roadway that lies on 300-foot-long concrete pillars（柱子）, some of the tallest in the world. It contains 16 million pounds of steel.

　　The idea of the bridge came into being in the 1960s because the top of the Hoover Dam has been a narrow two-lane road that is the fastest route from Arizona to Las Vegas and then the Pacific Northwest and Canada.

  　Access to the dam from each direction is a dangerously winding route, but massive trucks and passenger vehicles shared it for decades. During the day, when thousands of tourists travel to the dam from Las Vegas three times as many accidents as on a normal road will happen.

  　The bridge has a sidewalk on the side facing the dam. The wall on both sides is 54 inches high, so walkers can take photos there.

1．Which of the following is true of the Hoover Dam?

   A. It was completed recently.

   B. It was built during the hard times.

   C. It has the longest arch.

   D. It’s the seventh highest dam in the world.

2．What is one of the purposes of building the bridge?

   A. To protect the dam.                                 B. To save the cultures.

   C. To outdo the dam.                                       D. To develop the tourism.

3．The underlined word “uplift” in Paragraph 4 means _____.

   A. lift of the heavy object                      B. support in money

   C. spiritual encouragement                           D. instruction in technology

4．Which of the followings shows the right position of the bridge and dam?

5．The text is mainly about ______.

   A. the Hoover Dam                                    

   B. American western development

   C. a tour along the Colorado River               

   D. a recently built bridge

       Sharon called about four times today. At least it shows she’s trying to explain (解釋) something to me. I feel a little better. 

December 3  

       This morning Sharon said she had only told one person and had no idea why everyone seemed to know. Yes, I am an adopted daughter (養(yǎng)女) and my name was changed. But she had promised to keep it secret for ever!

December 5  

       I wish I had a friend I could really trust (信任) all of the time. I thought I found that friend, but I haven’t and it’s making me unhappy! It’s wrong to tell her all about it. She won my trust, then lost it.

December 7  

       I have a nice room and a big pool in my backyard and everything I’ve ever wanted. My adoptive parents will give me all the material things I’ve ever dreamed of. Yet all the money in the world can’t buy what I want now. I want Sharon to be my best friend again. 

December 10  

       Sharon just called. She said she thought it might help if we spent more time together. She worried that I would go to another school. She is the best friend I’ve ever had. When I’m with Sharon, I can be myself. I need Sharon’s friendship. I need it more than I’ve ever known.

December 16 

       I just had the most fantastic two days of my life! This was the best time I’ve had for a long, long time. Yesterday, we walked five times around the park and today we ran slowly along the river for twenty minutes. I can’t describe how much fun I had. We talked so much. Sharon, Sharon, no brick wall between us now.

1. What does the author mainly care about?

A. Why she was adopted.                      B. Why she went to another school.

C. Her family life.                            D. Her friendship with Sharon.  

2. Sharon lost the author’s trust because she ______. 

A. didn’t keep the author’s secret                B. didn’t like the author any more

C. often played a joke on the author              D. often refused to help the author 

3. The underlined word “fantastic” in the last paragraph probably means “______”.

A. funny       B. wonderful             C. sad            D. lucky

4. What can we know about the author and Sharon from the passage?

A. They were not friends any more.

B. They became good friends again.

C. They would go to another school together.

D. They could hardly understand each other.

Complaints(投訴) should be made to a responsible person. Go back to the shop where you bought the goods, taking with you any receipt(收據(jù)) you may have. Ask to see the seller in a large store. In a small store the assistant may also be the owner so you can complain directly. In a chain store, ask to see the manager. If you telephone, ask the name of the person who handles your enquiry, otherwise you may never find out who deals with the complaint later.

Even the bravest person finds it difficult to stand up in a group of people to complain, so if you do not want to do it in person, write a letter. Stick to the facts and keep a copy of what you write. At this stage, you should give any receipt number, but you should not need to give receipts or other papers to prove you bought the article. If you are not satisfied with the answer you get, or if you do not get a reply, write to the managing director of the firm, store, or organization. Be sure to keep copies of your own letter and any you receive.

If your complaint is a just one, the shopkeeper may offer to replace or repair the faulty article. You may find it an attractive solution. In certain cases you may have the right to refuse the goods and ask for the money back, but this is when you have hardly used the goods and have acted at once. Even when you cannot refuse the goods you may be able to get some money back as well. And you have suffered some special loss, if, for example, a new washing machine tears your clothes, you might receive money to repair them.

1 The shoppers may make a complaint because ____.

A.they dislike causing a fuss(大驚小怪)

B.it doesn’t do what is claimed(要求) for it

C.the article is not up to standard

D.they are at fault in buying the article

2. If you write a letter to complain, _____.

A.it is important to keep a record of what you say

B.it is necessary to send receipts

C.say how you feel about the matter

D.ask what receipt numbers you should give

3. You can demand your money back only if ____.

A.the article cannot be replaced or repaired

B.you have gone back immediately

C.the article has not gone up in price since you bought it

D.the article has defects(缺陷)

4. You may be able to claim extra money when ____.

A.you have been hurt

B.you can’t find something special

C.damage has been caused by the faulty article

D.your clothes have been torn or lost

Here's a new warning from health experts: Sitting is deadly. Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods — even if you also exercise regularly — could be　 1 for your health. And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place — at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV — just the overall number of hours it 　2　 .

Research is preliminary, but several studies　 3 people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die.

In an editorial　 4 this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Elin Ekblom-Bak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences suggested that authorities rethink how they define　 5 activity to highlight the dangers of sitting.

While health officials have issued guidelines　 6 minimum amounts of physical activity, they haven't suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated 　7 .

"After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send　 8 signals," Ekblom-Bak said. She explained that genes regulating the amount of glucoseand fat in the 　9 start to shut down.

Even for people who 　10　 , spending long stretches of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day — 　11 still spend a lot of time sitting — might get more benefit if that exercise were spread across the day,　 12 in a single bout.

That wasn't 　13 news for Aytekin Can, 31, who works at a London financial company, and spends most of his days sitting 　 14　 a computer. Several evenings a week, Can also teaches jiu jitsu, a Japanese martial art 15 wrestling, and also does Thai boxing.

"I'm sure there are some detrimental　 16 of staying still for too long, but I hope that being 　17 when I can helps," he said. "I wouldn't want to think the sitting could be　 18 dangerous."

Still, in a study published last year that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat　 19 had a higher death risk, independently of whether or not they exercised.

Figures from a US survey in 2003-2004 found Americans spend more than half their time sitting, from working at their desks to sitting in cars.

Experts said more research is needed to　 20 just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible to offset those effects.

(　 ) 1. A. bad 　　　　　　　　　 B. good 　　　　　　　 C. mean 　　　　　　　　　　 D. dead

(　 ) 2. A. does 　　　　　　　　 B. occurs 　　　　　　 C. matches 　　　　　　　　 D. dies

(　 ) 3. A. advise 　　　　　　　 B. talk 　　　　　　　　 C. suggest 　　　　　　　　 D. say

(　 ) 4. A. thrown 　　　　　　　　　　 B. caught 　　　　　　 C. seen 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. published

(　 ) 5. A. biological 　　　　　 B. physical 　　　　　 C. psychological 　　　　 D. logical

(　 ) 6. A. commending 　　 B. mending 　　　　 C. recommending 　　　 D. communicating

(　 ) 7. A. stand 　　　　　　　 B. state 　　　　　　　 C. post 　　　　　　　 D. position

(　 ) 8. A. harmful 　　　　　　 B. careful 　　　　　　 C. wonderful 　　　 D. skillful

(　 ) 9. A. head 　　　　　　　　 B. arm 　　　　　　　　 C. body 　　　　　　　 D. foot

(　 ) 10. A. sleep 　　　　　　　 B. rest 　　　　　　　　 C. walk 　　　　　　　 D. exercise

(　 ) 11. A. and 　　　　　　　　 B. so 　　　　　　　　　 C. but 　　　　　　　　 D. then

(　 ) 12. A. rather than 　　　　　　 B. other than 　　　 C. more than 　　　 D. less than

(　 ) 13. A. bad 　　　　　　　　 B. harmful 　　　　　 C. disadvantage 　 D. welcome

(　 ) 14. A. behind 　　　　　　 B. back 　　　　　　　 C. in front of 　　　 D. forward

(　 ) 15. A. referring 　　　　 B. involving 　　　　 C. taking 　　　　　　 D. bringing

(　 ) 16. A. effects 　　　　　 B. prefects 　　　　　 C. affects 　　　　　 D. offers

(　 ) 17. A. inactive 　　　　　 B. active 　　　　　　 C. interactive 　　　 D. positive

(　 ) 18. A. such 　　　　　　　 B. little 　　　　　　　　 C. lot 　　　　　　　　　 D. that

(　 ) 19. A. less 　　　　　　　　 B. fewer 　　　　　　　　　　 C. more 　　　　　　　 D. further

(　 ) 20. A. leave out 　　　　 B. bring out 　　　　 C. hold out 　　　　　 D. figure out

When you are done with the book, just give it to Lucy or Helen or __________.

A. whoever                   B. wherever

C. whatever                 D. however

It is always those ________ forgive first ________ achieve more happiness.

A. 不填; that                B. who; and          C. who; that          D. that; but

It is an abundance of cheap goods and quick delivery service ______ account for the fact that the number of Internet shopping on this website is four times ______ it was last year.

       A. that; that    B. which; what             C. what; that                 D. that; what

I______ thank you too much for all your help to my son while we were away from home.

   A. won’t     B. can’t     C. can       D. will 

An earthquake of 9 magnitude struck off the coast of Japan on Friday,______ thousands of people dead and more missing．

       A．caused              B．causing      C．having caused        D．to cause

—Did you enjoy the drama last night?

—Yes. I’ve never seen         one before.

       A．the more inspiring    B．a(chǎn) more inspiring

       C．the most inspiring    D．a(chǎn) most inspiring