The Erie Canal was the first important national waterway built in the US. It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie Troy to Albany on the Hudson River. It joined the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The canal served as a route over which industrial goods could flow into the west, and materials could pour into the east. The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation’s largest city.

The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York. It cost $ 7 143 789, but it soon gained its price many times over. Between 1825, when the canal was opened, and 1882, when toll charges(過運河費) were stopped, the state collected $121 461 891.

For a hundred years before the Erie was built, people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried the plan through was De Witt Clinton. Those who were against the canal laughingly called it “Clinton’s Ditch(溝)”. Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it. He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal, but they were unsuccessful.

Clinton became governor of New York in 1817, and shortly afterwards, on July 4, 1817, broke ground for the canal in Rome, N.Y. The first part of the canal was completed in 1820. As the canal grew, towns along its course developed fast. The length of the canal is 363 miles.

1. We can see that the Erie Canal ________.

A. joined the Great Lakes together

B. crossed New York from north to south

C. played an important part in developing New York City

D. was the first waterway built in the US

2. It can be inferred that ________ into the Atlantic Ocean.

A. the Great Lakes flow　　　　　　　　B. the Hudson River flows

C. Lake Erie flows　　　　　　　　　　D. the Erie Canal flows

3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. The Erie Canal brought profits of over $114, 000, 000.

B. It’s 363 miles from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

C. The West was more advanced than the East when the canal was built.

D. Many other states helped New York built the canal.

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. Clinton broke ground for the canal at both ends.

B. Clinton started building the canal before he became governor.

C. All parts of the canal were completed at the same time.

D. Construction of the canal took eight years.

TOKYO -- The number of domestic infections cases of influenza A/H1N1 in Japan hits 42 on Sunday after a total of 34 people in Osaka and Hyogo counties were confirmed to have been infected, local media reported.

The total number of the infection in the country now stands at 46, including the first four cases contracted abroad.

The country is now facing the risk of grass-root outbreak which could lead the WHO to raise its new flu pandemic alert（傳染病預警）to the highest level of 6 from the current 5, experts has warned.

The 34 newly confirmed domestic cases, 11 in Osaka and 23 in Hyogo, included high school students, college students and teachers, the health ministry and local governments said Sunday.

Japan on Saturday confirmed the first eight cases of domestic infection on students of a Kobe high school. The later confirmed cases in Osaka are said to have contacted the Kobe students in a volleyball match. Osaka and Hyogo are neighboring in the Kansai region.

All of the 42 people had no record of overseas travel.

Meanwhile, a total of 143 students at the Kansai Okura Senior High School where many infections in Osaka were found, have shown symptoms of influenza since around Monday, according to local media reports.

The privately run school said it will be closed from Monday through Saturday.

More than 1,000 educational facilities -- kindergartens, and elementary, junior and senior high schools -- in Osaka and Hyogo counties have decided to suspend classes for certain periods following the confirmation of new flu infections in the counties, Kyodo News reported.

The two counties have requested private schools to follow suit.

Osaka Governor Toru Hashimoto held a meeting of a new flu task force on Sunday and decided to ask facilities such as movie theaters to suspend operations to prevent the spread of the flu.

TV clips showed people in Kansai region started to wear masks in public spaces and rushed to drug stores for buying medicines.

The Japanese government on Saturday shifted the stage of its new-flu action program from “a period of overseas outbreak” to “a period of domestic outbreak” and called for companies and schools in the areas concerned to allow individuals to avoid commuting（出行） during rush hours.

The Kyodo News quoted Masato Tashiro, a member of the World Health Organization's emergency committee, as saying that several hundred people in Japan already may have been infected with the new flu.

According to the passage, the total number of the A/H1N1 infection in Japan now is __________.

A. 42                   B. 34                     C. 46                         D. 143

The reasons for the happening of the later confirmed cases in Osaka are the following Except __________.

A. 143 students at the Kansai Okura Senior High School have shown symptoms of influenza.

B. Some students in a Kobe High school got infected.

C. Osaka and Hyogo are next to each other in the Kansai region.

D. The later infected people contacted the Kobe students in a volleyball match.

What is the implied meaning of what Masato Tashiro said in the last paragraph?

A. The real situation about the new flu in Japan may be worse than it has been reported.

B. Several hundred people have been infected but they don’t know it.

C. The WHO has to raise its new flu pandemic alert to the highest level.

D. The WHO’s emergency committee are trying to confirm the number of infection in Japan.

Which of the following is one of the measures already taken by the Japanese government?

A. Raising the new flu pandemic alert to the highest level.

B. Holding a meeting to ask some facilities in the country to stop their operations.

C. Calling for individuals in the whole country to avoid commuting during rush hours.

D. Changing its stage of its new-flu action program to a more serious level.

The purpose of the passage is __________.

A. to introduce the domestic infection cases in Japan.

B. to draw people’s attention to the worsening situation.

C. to give some advice on preventing the spread of the flu.

D. to call for educational facilities in Japan to suspend classes for some time. 

A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.

Gerner manages school facilities （設施） for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes （樣品）; they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.

Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation （朝向）,”Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”

Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.

How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?

A. They lost balance in excitement.                B. They showed strong disbelief.

C. They expressed little interest.                     D. They burst into cheers.

Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?

A. Assessment — Prototype — Design — Construction.

B. Assessment — Design — Prototype — Construction.

C. Design — Assessment — Prototype — Construction.

D. Design — Prototype — Assessment — Construction.

What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?

A. The large size.                                          B. Limited facilities.

C. The desert climate.                                    D. Poor natural resources.

What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?

A. They are questionable.                               B. They are out of date.

C. They are advanced.                                    D. They are practical.

__51__It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie Troy to Albany on the Hudson River.__52__The canal served as a route over which industrial goods could flow into the west，and materials could pour into the east.The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation’s largest city.

The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York.__53__Between 1825，when the canal was opened，and 1882，when toll charges (過運河費) were stopped，the state collected $121,461,891.

For a hundred years before the Erie was built，people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried the plan through was De Witt Clinton.Those who were against the canal laughingly called it “Clinton’s Ditch(溝)”．__54__ He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal，but they were unsuccessful.

Clinton became governor of New York in 1817，and shortly afterwards，on July 4,1817，broke ground for the canal in Rome，N.Y.The first part of the canal was completed in 1820.__55__The length of the canal is 363 miles.

A．As the canal grew，towns along its course developed fast.

B．It cost $ 7,143,789，but it soon gained its price many times over.

C．The Erie Canal was the first important national waterway built in the US.

D．More workers were needed to build the canal.

E．Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it.

F．To dig the canal benefited Americans.

G．It joined the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.

 

A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities （設施） for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes （樣品）; they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation （朝向）,”Mark McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of the most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.
【小題1】How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?

A．They lost balance in excitement.	B．They showed strong disbelief.
C．They expressed little interest.	D．They burst into cheers.

【小題2】Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?

A．Assessment — Prototype — Design — Construction.

B．Assessment — Design — Prototype — Construction.

C．Design — Assessment — Prototype — Construction.

D．Design — Prototype — Assessment — Construction.

【小題3】What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?

A．The large size.	B．Limited facilities.
C．The desert climate.	D．Poor natural resources.

【小題4】What does Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?

A．They are questionable.	B．They are out of date.
C．They are advanced.	D．They are practical.