Each year, road accidents kill a million people and injure millions more . The economic costs are greatest for developing countries . Earlier this year , the United Nations called for a campaign to improve road safety .

One way to avoid accidents is better driving . Another is better roads and bridges . Engineers in the Unites States have designed ten new concrete mixtures that they think could make bridges last longer .

Professor Paul Tikalsky leads the experiments by a team at Pennsylvania State University . He says bridges made of concrete now last about twenty-five to thirty-five years . But he says the new mixtures might extend that to seventy –five or even one-hundred years .

Concrete is made of stone , sand , water and cement(水泥). The materials in the cement hold the concrete together . Ancient Romans built with concrete . Yet strengthened concrete bridges did not appear until the late 1800s . People keep looking for new ways to improve concrete . Professor Tikalsky says it is one of the most complex of all chemical systems .

The new mixtures designed by his team contain industrial waste products . He says these make the concrete better able to resist damage from water and salt over time . One of the products is fly ash . This is released into the air as pollution when coal is burned .

Professor Tikalsky says particles (顆粒)of fly ash are almost exactly the same size and chemical structure as Portland cement . This is the most costly material in concrete . So using fly ash to replace some of it would save money .

The federal government is paying for part of the research . Engineers anywhere can use the technology . Professor Tikalsky says some of the ideas have already been put to use in China , the Philippines and other countries .

1.Why did the United Nations launch the campaign ?

A．Because the United Nations wanted to reduce road accidents and economic costs

B．Because two million people were killed in the accidents .

C．Because engineers wanted to design ten new concrete mixtures .

D．Because the United Nations made bridges of the new mixtures which could last for about 20 to 35

years .

2.What does the underlined word “ this ” in the sixth paragraph refer to ?

A．Fly ash

B．Portland cement

C．Sand

D．Chemical

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE ?

A．Ten new concrete bridges have already been built in the United States .

B．A new concrete bridge could last 50 more years than an ordinary concrete one .

C．People didn’t know how to build with cement until the late 1800s .

D．Water and salt won’t do any damage to bridges over time .

4.What does the passage mainly tell us ?

A．The causes of road accidents .	B．The advantages of fly ash
C．The measures of avoiding road accidents	D．Latest information about long-life concrete bridges

 

I was shopping in the supermarket when I heard a young voice. “Mom, come here! There’s this lady near my size!” The mother rushed to her son; then she turned to me to apologize. I smiled and told her, “It’s okay.” Then talked to the boy, “Hi, I’m Darry Kramer. How are you?” He studied me from head to toe, and asked, “Are you a little mommy?” “Yes, I have a son,” I answered. “Why are you so little?” he asked. “It’s the way I was born,” I said. “Some people are little. Some are tall. I’m just not going to grow any bigger.” After I answered his other questions, I shook the boy’s hand and left.

My life as a little person is filled with stories like that. I enjoy talking to children and explaining why I look different from their parents.

It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness. I stand three feet nine inches tall. I was born an achondroplasia dwarf (侏儒). Despite this, I did all the things other kids did when I was growing up.

I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. Some kids joked on me, calling me names. Then I knew. I began to hate the first day of school each year. New students would always stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs.

But I learned to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I decided to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality.

I’m 47 now, and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older. People are amazed when they see me driving. I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have – a great family, nice friends.”

It’s the children’s questions that make my life special. I enjoy answering their questions. My hope is that I will encourage them to accept their peers (a person of the same age, class, position, etc.), whatever size and shape they come in, and treat them with respect.

1.

Why did the mother apologize to the author?

A. Because the boy ran into the author.

B. Because the boy laughed at the author.

C. Because they boy said the author was fatter than him.

D. Because the mother thought the boy’s words had hurt the author.

2.

When did the author realize that she was too short?

A. When she grew up.

B. When she was 47 years old.  

C. When she began to go to school.

D. When she met the boy in the supermarket.

3.

Which of the following word can best replace the underlined word “diminished”?

A. doubted        B. increased        C. decreased        D. improved

4.

.How does the author feel about people’s stares now?

A. Angry       B. Calm      C. Painful     D. Discouraged

 

"Hey, little boy, will you support me when I'm getting old?" Wang Wenshan, 35, asked his newborn baby as he picked him up at home．

The Chinese tradition of raising sons to support parents in their old age has been weakened by the rapidly growing economy and improving standard of living．As is the case with more and more developed countries, China faces an aging society．People are living longer and having fewer children．Therefore, many Chinese families are falling into a 4-2-1 family pattern: a couple raises one child and supports four elderly parents．But few realize that a problem is likely to happen ahead．

The aging of the population is a trend that now affects a growing number of countries．Not long ago, the Information Office of the State Council, China's cabinet, issued a white paper on measures China is taking to help its elderly population．The paper said China s population entered the aging period at the end of the 20th century as the proportion rote） of people aged 60 and above accounted for over 10 percent of the entire population, By the end of 2005, China had nearly 144 million people over 60, accounting for 11 percent of the population, according to the white paper．

An expanding aged population inevitably means that many issues must be settled, as the problem concerns every aspect of society．It puts more pressure on each family, causing disturbing economic consequences and serious social problems．It also challenges the labor force supply and the pension system．

"I used to think that it's not an issue for me to provide, for the aged," said Wang, whose parents and parents-in-law all enjoy pensions and medical insurance．But last year Wang s father suffered a serious illness and afterward Wang began to feel the pressure on his shoulders．

After his father recovered, Wang opened bank accounts for each parent and deposited some money into the account every month to prepare for future uncertainties．In addition, he has to save money every month to provide for his son s future education．"I m now breaking my back working to support my family: saving pensions for the parents, my son s education funds, and living costs．"

Wang also bought some commercial old-age insurance for himself．"We have to take precautions before it is too late, and many of my colleagues share the same view," he said．

1.Which of the following is not caused by an aging society?

A．Social problem．	B．The problem of the pension system．
C．More pressure on the family．	D．Unemployment．

2.From the passage, we can infer___．

A．the aging people problem is one of the concerns for the Chinese government

B．China will encourage young couples to have more than one child

C．many people have realized the problem of aging society

D．children will not support their parents in an aging society

3.Which of the following can be used to replace the underlined word inevitably?

A．Surprisingly．	B．Certainly．
C．Hopefully．	D．Unluckily

4.From the text we can see that           .

A．China is the only country to face an aging society

B．most of the developing countries face an aging society

C．countries with a large population face an aging society

D．more and more developed countries face an aging society

 

Children at a school in Italy have today begun an experiment to replace all their books with personal computers. The pupils involved will each be given a special laptop that contains their entire courses.

Until today, the Don Milani di Rivoli elementary school in central Turin was like any other. Children turned up, got out their books and pens and began the process of learning. But now, in what's being described as a unique experiment, 60 fifth-grade pupils and a number of third-graders, will start using computers only.

The mini-laptops, which run Windows software, all have a full curriculum programmed into them. The pupils will use the computers to do all their reading and writing. Security systems within the laptops mean the children's access to the Internet is strictly controlled. The machines weigh less than a kilogram, can be dropped from a height of 1.5 metres and are waterproof.

Instead of spending 700 dollars a year on books, the laptops, built by the Italian company Olidata, cost less than 400 dollars. One of the teachers involved in the scheme says that, for the first time, schools will be able to verify in a scientific way how a computer alone can improve the learning process. The experiment, which has the backing of parents, is due to last a year.

In other countries, such a programme is also being carried out. Venezuela is ordering one million low cost laptops for its school children. The machines will be based on the Intel Classmate laptop that has been designed for school children. Many see the deal as a blow for the One Laptop Per Child organization that has also been introducing its child- friendly machine to developing nations.

1. Which of the following is TRUE about the mini-laptop?

A. It is heavy for pupils to carry.         B. It can't be damaged by water.

C. It is one and a half meters high.              D. It is easily broken or damaged.

2. The pupils use the laptop to ____ in class.

A. learn their lessons as an aid

B. have a course named computer studies

C. surf the Internet mainly to find information

D. do what they used to do with books and pens

3. How much money can a pupil save by using the mini-laptop to replace all the books in a year?

A. Less than 400 dollars.                            B. More than 400 dollars.

C. More than 300 dollars.                   D. Less than 300 dollars.

4.Which of the following about the experiment is TRUE?

A. It has been carried out for over one year.

B. It has already turned out to be a success.

C. The pupils' parents are against it in fact.

D. The pupils' parents are supportive to it.

 

The rise of oil prices made scientists search for new energy resources ______ oil．

A．replace                              B．replacing               C．to replace            D．replaced