第二章 阅读理解真题

Group 1

Passage 1

课标卷I A

Monthly Talks at London Canal Museum

Our monthly talks start at 19:30 on the first Thursday of each month except August. Admission is at normal charges and you don’t need to book. They end around 21:00.

November 7th

The Canal Pioneers, by Chris Lewis. James Brindley is recognized as one of the leading early canal engineers. He was also a major player in training others in the art of canal planning and building. Chris Lewis will explain how Brindley made such a positive contribution to the education of that group of early “civil engineers.”

December 5th

Ice for the Metropolis, by Malcolm Tucker. Well before the arrival of freezers, there was a demand for ice for food preservation and catering. Malcolm will explain the history of importing natural ice and the technology of building ice wells, and how London’s ice trade grew.

February 6th

An Update on the Cotswold Canals, by Liz Payne. The Stroudwater Canal is moving towards reopening. The Thames and Severn Canal will take a little longer. We will have a report on the present state of play.

March 6th

Eyots and Aits—Thames Islands, by Miranda Vickers. The Thames has many islands. Miranda has undertaken a review of all of them. She will tell us about those of greatest interest.

Online bookings: www.canalmuseum.org.uk/book

More info: www.canalmuseum.org.uk/whatson

London Canal Museum

12-13 New Wharf Road, London NI 9RT

www.canalmuseum.org.uk www.canalmuseum.mobi

Tel: 020 7713 0836

1. When is the talk on James Brindley?

A. November 7th.

B. March 6th.

C. February 6th.

D. December 5th.

2. What is the topic of the talk in February?

A. The Canal Pioneers.

B. Ice for the Metropolis.

C. Eyots and Aits—Thames Islands.

D. An Update on the Cotswold Canals.

3. Who will give the talk on the islands in the Thames?

A. Chris Lewis.

B. Malcolm Tucker.

C. Miranda Vickers.

D. Liz Payne.

Passage 2

课标卷I B

The freezing Northeast hasn’t been a terribly fun place to spend time this winter, so when the chance came for a weekend to Sarasota, Florida, my bags were packed before you could say “sunshine.” I left for the land of warmth and vitamin C （维生素C） , thinking of beaches and orange trees. When we touched down to blue skies and warm air, I sent up a small prayer of gratefulness. Swimming pools, wine tasting, and pink sunsets (at normal evening hours, not 4 in the afternoon) filled the weekend, but the best part—particularly to my taste, dulled by months of cold-weather root vegetables—was a 7 a.m. adventure to the Sarasota farmers’ markets that proved to be more than worth the early wake-up call.

The market, which was founded in 1979, sets up its tents every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, along North Lemon and State streets. Baskets of perfect red strawberries; the red-painted sides of the Java Dawg coffee truck; and most of all, the tomatoes: amazing, large, soft and round red tomatoes.

Disappointed by many a broken, vine-ripened （蔓上成熟的） promise, I’ve refused to buy winter tomatoes for years. No matter how attractive they look in the store, once I get them home they’re unfailingly dry, hard, and tasteless. But I horned in, with uncertainty, on one particular table at the Brown’s Grove Farm’s stand, full of fresh and soft tomatoes the size of my fist. These were the real deal—and at that moment, I realized that the best part of Sarasota in winter was going to be eating things that back home in New York I wouldn’t be experiencing again for months.

Delighted as I was by the tomatoes in sight, my happiness deepened when I learned that Brown’s Grove Farm is one of the suppliers for Jack Dusty, a newly opened restaurant at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton, where—luckily for me—I was planning to have dinner that very night. Without even seeing the menu, I knew I’d be ordering every tomato on it.

1. What did the author think of her winter life in New York?

A. Exciting.

B. Boring.

C. Relaxing.

D. Annoying.

2. What made the author’s getting up early worthwhile?

A. Having a swim.

B. Breathing in fresh air.

C. Walking in the morning sun.

D. Visiting a local farmers’ market.

3. What can we learn about tomatoes sold in New York in winter?

A. They are soft.

B. They look nice.

C. They taste great.

D. They are juicy.

4. What was the author going to do that evening?

A. Eat in a restaurant.

B. Check into a hotel.

C. Go to a farm.

D. Buy fresh vegetables.

Passage 3

课标卷I C

Salvador Dali (1904-1989) was one of the most popular modern artists. The Pompidou Centre in Paris is showing its respect and admiration for the artist and his powerful personality with an exhibition bringing together over 200 paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Among the works and masterworks on exhibition the visitor will find the best pieces, most importantly The Persistence of Memory. There is also L’Enigme sans Fin from 1938, works on paper, objects, and projects for stage and screen and selected parts from television programmes reflecting the artist’s showman qualities.

The visitor will enter the World of Dali through an egg and is met with the beginning, the world of birth. The exhibition follows a path of time and subject with the visitor exciting through the brain.

The exhibition shows how Dali draws the viewer between two infinities （无限） . “From the infinity small to the infinity large, contraction and expansion coming in and out of focus: amazing Flemish accuracy and the showy Baroque of old painting that he used in his museum-theatre in Figureas,” explains the Pompidou Centre.

The fine selection of the major works was done in close collaboration （合作） with the Museo Nacional Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, and with contributions from other institutions like the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

1. Which of the following best describes Dali according to Paragraph 1?

A. Optimistic.

B. Productive.

C. Generous.

D. Traditional.

2. What is Dali’s The Persistence of Memory considered to be?

A. One of his masterworks.

B. A successful screen adaptation.

C. An artistic creation for the stage.

D. One of the best TV programmes.

3. How are the exhibits arranged at the World of Dali?

A. By popularity.

B. By importance.

C. By size and shape.

D. By time and subject.

4. What does the word “contributions” in the last paragraph refer to?

A. Artworks.

B. Projects.

C. Donations.

D. Documents.

Passage 4

课标卷I D

Conflict is on the menu tonight at the cafe La Chope. This evening, as on every Thursday night, psychologist Maud Lehanne is leading two of France’s favorite pastimes, coffee drinking and the “talking cure.” Here they are learning to get in touch with their true feelings. It isn’t always easy. The customers—some thirty Parisians who pay just under $2 (plus drinks) per session—are quick to intellectualize （高谈阔论） , slow to open up and connect. “You are forbidden to say ‘one feels,’ or ‘people think,’” Lehane told them. “Say ‘I think,’ ‘Think me.’”

A cafe society where no intellectualizing is allowed? It couldn’t seem more un-French. But Lehanne’s psychology cafe is about more than knowing oneself: It’s trying to help the city’s troubled neighborhood cafes. Over the years, Parisian cafes have fallen victim to changes in the French lifestyle—longer working hours, a fast food boom and a younger generation’s desire to spend more time at home. Dozens of new theme cafes appear to change the situation. Cafes focused around psychology, history, and engineering are catching on, filling tables well into the evening.

The city’s “psychology cafes,” which offer great comfort, are among the most popular places. Middle-aged homemakers, retirees, and the unemployed come to such cafes to talk about love, anger, and dreams with a psychologist. And they come to Lehanne’s group just to learn to say what they feel. “There’s a strong need in Paris for communication,” says Maurice Frisch, a cafe La Chope regular who works as a religious instructor in a nearby church. “People have few real friends. And they need to open up.” Lehanne says she’d like to see psychology cafes all over France. “If people had normal lives, these cafes wouldn’t exist,” she says. “If life weren’t a battle, people wouldn’t need a special place just to speak.” But then, it wouldn’t be France.

1. What are people encouraged to do at the cafe La Chope?

A. Learn a new subject

B. Keep in touch with friends.

C. Show off their knowledge.

D. Express their true feelings.

2. How are cafes affected by French lifestyle changes?

A. They have bigger night crowds.

B. They stay open for longer hours.

C. They are less frequently visited.

D. They start to serve fast food.

3. What are theme cafes expected to do?

A. Save the cafe business.

B. Supply better drinks.

C. Create more jobs.

D. Serve the neighborhood.

4. Why are psychology cafes becoming popular in Paris?

A. They bring people true friendship.

B. They give people spiritual support.

C. They help people realize their dreams.

D. They offer a platform for business links.

Passage 5

课标卷II A

My color television has given me nothing but a headache. I was able to buy it a little over a year ago because I had my relatives give me money for my birthday instead of a lot of clothes that wouldn’t fit. I let a salesclerk fool me into buying a discontinued model. I realized this a day later, when I saw newspaper advertisements for the set at seventy-five dollars less than I had paid. The set worked so beautifully when I first got it home that I would keep it on until stations signed off for the night. Fortunately, I didn’t get any channels showing all-night movies or I would never have gotten to bed.

Then I started developing a problem with the set that involved static （静电） noise. For some reason, when certain shows switched into a commercial, a loud noise would sound for a few seconds. Gradually, this noise began to appear during a show, and to get rid of it, I had to change to another channel and then change it back. Sometimes this technique would not work, and I had to pick up the set and shake it to remove the sound. I actually began to build up my arm muscles （肌肉） shaking my set.

When neither of these methods removed the static noise, I would sit helplessly and wait for the noise to go away. At last I ended up hitting the set with my fist, and it stopped working altogether. My trip to the repair shop cost me $62, and the set is working well now, but I keep expecting more trouble.

1. Why did the author say he was fooled into buying the TV set?

A. He got an older model than he had expected.

B. He couldn’t return it when it was broken.

C. He could have bought it at a lower price.

D. He failed to find any movie shows on it.

2. Which of the following can best replace the phrase “signed off ” in Paragraph 1?

A. ended all their programs

B. provided fewer channels

C. changed to commercials

D. showed all-night movies

3. How did the author finally get his TV set working again?

A. By shaking and hitting it.

B. By turning it on and off.

C. By switching channels.

D. By having it repaired.

4. How does the author sound when telling the story?

A. Curious.

B. Anxious.

C. Cautious.

D. Humorous.

Passage 6

新课标卷II B

Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.

Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less self-conscious （难为情） when they’re in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.

Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it’s time to repaint, go blue.

Don’t forget the clock—or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories （卡路里） per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.

Downsize the dishes, big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12-inch plate instead of a 10-inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake （摄入） jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide

glass than a tall, skinny glass.

1. The text is especially helpful for those who care about______.

A. their home comforts

B. their body shape

C. house buying

D. healthy diets

2. A home environment in blue can help people______.

A. digest food better

B. reduce food intake

C. burn more calories

D. regain their appetites

3. What are people advised to do at mealtimes?

A. Eat quickly.

B. Play fast music.

C. Use smaller spoons.

D. Turn down the lights.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Is Your House Making You Fat?

B. Ways of Serving Dinner

C. Effects of Self-Consciousness

D. Is Your Home Environment Relaxing?

Passage 7

课标卷II C

More students than ever before are taking a gap-year （间隔年） before going to university. It used to be called the “ year off ” between school and university. The gap-year phenomenon originated （起源） with the months left over to Oxbridge applicants between entrance exams in November and the start of the next academic year.

This year, 25,310 students who have accepted places in higher education institutions have put off their entry until next year, according to statistics on university entrance provided by University and College Admissions Serbice (UCAS).

That is a record 14.7% increase in the number of students taking a gap year. Tony Higgins from UCAS said that the statistics are good news for everyone in higher education. “Students who take a well-planned year out are more likely to be satisfied with, and complete, their chosen course. Students who take a gap year are often more mature and responsible,” he said.

But not everyone is happy. Owain James, the president of the National Union of Students (NUS), argued that the increase is evidence of student hardship—young people are being forced into earning money before finishing their education. “New students are now aware that they are likely to leave university up to £ 15,000 in debt. It is not surprising that more and more students are taking a gap year to earn money to support their study for the degree. NUS statistics show that over 40% of students are forced to work during term time and the figure increases to 90% during vacation periods,” he said.

1. What do we learn about the gap year from the text?

A. It is flexible in length.

B. It is a time for relaxation.

C. It is increasingly popular.

D. It is required by universities.

2. According to Tony Higgins, students taking a gap year______.

A. are better prepared for college studies

B. know a lot more about their future jobs

C. are more likely to leave university in debt

D. have a better chance to enter top universities

3. How does Owain James feel about the gap-year phenomenon?

A. He’s puzzled.

B. He’s worried.

C. He’s surprised.

D. He’s annoyed.

4. What would most students do on their vacation according to NUS statistics?

A. Attend additional courses.

B. Make plans for the new term.

C. Earn money for their education.

D. Prepare for their graduate studies.

Passage 8

课标卷II D

Choose Your One-Day Tours!

Tour A—Bath & Stonehenge including entrance fees to the ancient Roman bathrooms and Stonehenge—£37 until 26 March and £39 thereafter.

Visit the city with over 2,000 years of history and Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and the Costume Museum. Stonehenge is one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments dating back over 5,000 years.

Tour B—Oxford & Stratford including entrance fees to the University St Mary’s Church Tower and Anne Hathaway’s house—£32 until 12 March and £36 thereafter.

Oxford: Includes a guided tour of England’s oldest university city and colleges. Look over the “city of dreaming spires （尖顶） ” from St Mary’s Church Tower. Stratford: Includes a guided tour exploring much of the Shakespeare wonder.

Tour C—Windsor Castle & Hampton Court including entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace—£34 until 11 March and £37 thereafter.

Includes a guided tour of Windsor and Hampton Court, Henry Mill’s favourite palace. Free time to visit Windsor Castle (entrance fees not included) . With 500 years of history, Hampton Court was once the home of four Kings and one Queen. Now this former royal palace is open to the public as a major tourist attraction. Visit the palace and its various historic gardens, which include the famous maze （迷宫） where it is easy to get lost!

Tour D—Cambridge including entrance fees to the Tower of Saint Mary the Great—£33 until 18 March and £37 thereafter.

Includes a guided tour of Cambridge, the famous university town, and the gardens of the 18th century.

1. Which tour will you choose if you want to see England’s oldest university city?

A. Tour A.

B. Tour B.

C. Tour C.

D. Tour D.

2. Which of the following tours charges the lowest fee on 17 March?

A. Windsor Castle & Hampton Court.

B. Oxford & Stratford.

C. Bath & Stonehenge.

D. Cambridge.

3. Why is Hampton Court a major tourist attraction?

A. It used to be the home of royal families.

B. It used to be a well-known maze.

C. It is the oldest palace in Britain

D. It is a world-famous castle.

Passage 9

北京卷 A

The Boy Made It!

On Sunday, Nicholas, a teenager, went skiing at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine. In the early afternoon, when he was planning to go home, a fierce snowstorm swept into the area. Unable to see far, he accidentally turned off the path. Before he knew it, Nicholas was lost, all alone! He didn’t have food, water, a phone, or other supplies. He was getting colder by the minute.

Nicholas had no idea where he was. He tried not to panic. He thought about all of the survival shows he had watched on TV. It was time to put the tips he had learned to use.

He decided to stop skiing. There was a better chance of someone finding him if he stayed put. The first thing he did was to find shelter from the freezing wind and snow. If he didn’t, his body temperature would get very low, which could quickly kill him.

Using his skis, Nicholas built a snow cave. He gathered a huge mass of snow and dug out a hole in the middle. Then he piled branches on top of himself, like a blanket, to stay as warm as he could.

By that evening, Nicholas was really hungry. He ate snow and drank water from a nearby stream so that his body wouldn’t lose too much water. Not knowing how much longer he could last, Nicholas did the only thing he could—he huddled （蜷缩） in his cave and slept.

The next day, Nicholas went out to look for help, but he couldn’t find anyone. He followed his tracks and returned to the snow cave, because without shelter, he could die that night. On Tuesday, Nicholas went out again to find help. He had walked for about a mile when a volunteer searcher found him. After two days stuck in the snow, Nicholas was saved.

Nicholas might not have survived this snowstorm had it not been for TV. He had often watched Grylls’ survival show Man vs. Wild. That’s where he learned the tips that saved his life. In each episode （一期节目） of Man vs. Wild, Grylls is abandoned in a wild area and has to find his way out.

When Grylls heard about Nicholas’ amazing deeds, he was super impressed that Nicholas had made it since he knew better than anyone how hard Nicholas had to work to stay alive.

1. What happened to Nicholas one Sunday afternoon?

A. He got lost.

B. He broke his skis.

C. He hurt his eyes.

D. He caught a cold.

2. How did Nicholas keep himself warm?

A. He found a shelter.

B. He lighted some branches.

C. He kept on skiing.

D. He built a snow cave.

3. On Tuesday, Nicholas______.

A. returned to his shelter safely

B. was saved by a searcher

C. got stuck in the snow

D. stayed where he was

4. Nicholas left Grylls a very deep impression because he______.

A. did the right things in the dangerous situation

B. watched Grylls’ TV program regularly

C. created some tips for survival

D. was very hard-working

Passage 10

北京卷 B

Revolutionary TV Ears

TV Ears has helped thousands of people with various degrees of hearing loss hear the television clearly without turning up the volume （音量） and now it’s better and more affordable than ever! With TV Ears wireless technology, you set your own headset volume, while other TV listeners hear the television at a volume level that’s comfortable for them. You can even listen through the headset only and put the TV on mute （静音） if the situation calls for a quiet environment—maybe the baby is sleeping. Or perhaps you are the only one who is interested in listening to the ballgame.

TV Ears patented technology includes a revolutionary noise reduction ear tip, not used in any other commercially available headset. This tip reduces outside noise so that television dialogue is clear and understandable. Get the technology that has proven to help the most demanding customers. That’s why TV Ears has earned the trust and confidence of audiologists （听觉学家） nationwide as well as world-famous doctors.

Doctor Recommended TV Ears!

“My wife and I have used TV Ears almost daily for the past two years and find them a great help in our enjoyment of television. As a retired ear doctor, I heartily recommend TV Ears to people with normal hearing as well as those with hearing loss.”

—Robert Forbes, M.D., CA

Customer Recommended TV Ears!

“Now my husband can have the volume as loud as he needs and I can have the TV at my hearing level. TV Ears is so comfortable that Jack forgets he has them on! He can once again hear and understand the dialogue.”

—Darlene & Jack B., CA

Risk Free Trial! TV Ears comes with a 30-day risk free trial.

Special Offer—Now $59.95.

If you’re not satisfied, return it.

Money-back guarantee!

Call now! 800-123-7832

1. TV Ears helps you______.

A. improve your sleeping quality

B. listen to TV without disturbing others

C. change TV channels without difficulty

D. become interested in ballgame programs

2. What makes TV Ears different from other headsets?

A. It can easily set TV on mute.

B. Its headset volume is adjustable.

C. It has a new noise reduction ear tip.

D. It applies special wireless technology.

3. This advertisement is made more believable by______.

A. using recommendations

B. offering reasons for this invention

C. providing statistics

D. showing the results of experiments

Group 2

Passage 11

北京卷 C

Life in the Clear

Transparent animals let light pass through their bodies the same way light passes through a window. These animals typically live between the surface of the ocean and a depth of about 3,300 feet—as far as most light can reach. Most of them are extremely delicate and can be damaged by a simple touch. Sonke Johnson, a scientist in biology, says, “These animals live through their life alone. They never touch anything unless they’re eating it, or unless something is eating them.”

And they are as clear as glass. How does an animal become see-through? It’s trickier than you might think.

The objects around you are visible because they interact with light. Light typically travels in a straight line. But some materials slow and scatter （散射） light, bouncing it away from its original path. Others absorb light, stopping it dead in its tracks. Both scattering and absorption make an object look different from other objects around it, so you can see it easily.

But a transparent object doesn’t absorb or scatter light, at least not very much. Light can pass through it without bending or stopping. That means a transparent object doesn’t look very different from the surrounding air or water. You don’t see it—you see the things behind it.

To become transparent, an animal needs to keep its body from absorbing or scattering light. Living materials can stop light because they contain pigments （色素） that absorb specific colors of light. But a transparent animal doesn’t have pigments, so its tissues won’t absorb light. According to Johnson, avoiding absorption is actually easy. The real challenge is preventing light from scattering.

Animals are built of many different materials—skin, fat, and more—and light moves through each at a different speed. Every time light moves into a material with a new speed, it bends and scatters. Transparent animals use different tricks to fight scattering. Some animals are simply very small or extremely flat. Without much tissue to scatter light, it is easier to be see-through. Others build a large, clear mass of non-living jelly-like （果冻状的） material and spread themselves over it.

Larger transparent animals have the biggest challenge, because they have to make all the different tissues in their bodies slow down light exactly as much as water does. They need to look uniform. But how they’re doing it is still unknown. One thing is clear: for these larger animals, staying transparent is an active process. When they die, they turn a non-transparent milky white.

1. According to Paragraph 1, transparent animals______.

A. stay in groups

B. can be easily damaged

C. appear only in deep ocean

D. are beautiful creatures

2. The underlined word “dead” in Paragraph 3 means______.

A. silently

B. gradually

C. regularly

D. completely

3. One way for an animal to become transparent is to______.

A. change the direction of light travel

B. gather materials to scatter light

C. avoid the absorption of light

D. grow bigger to stop light

4. The last paragraph tells us that larger transparent animals______.

A. move more slowly in deep water

B. stay see-through even after death

C. produce more tissues for their survival

D. take effective action to reduce light spreading

Passage 12

北京卷 D

Technological change is everywhere and affects every aspect of life, mostly for the better. However, social changes that are brought about by new technology are often mistaken for a change in attitudes.

An example at hand is the involvement of parents in the lives of their children who are attending college. Surveys （调查） on this topic suggests that parents today continue to be “very” or “somewhat” overly-protective even after their children move into college dormitories. The same surveys also indicate that the rate of parental involvement is greater today than it was a generation ago. This is usually interpreted as a sign that today’s parents are trying to manage their children’s lives past the point where this behavior is appropriate.

However, greater parental involvement does not necessarily indicate that parents are failing to let go of their “adult” children.

In the context （背景） of this discussion, it seems valuable to first find out the cause of change in the case of parents’ involvement with their grown children. If parents of earlier generations had wanted to be in touch with their college-age children frequently, would this have been possible? Probably not. On the other hand, does the possibility of frequent communication today mean that the urge to do so wasn’t present a generation ago? Many studies show that older parents—today’s grandparents—would have called their children more often if the means and cost of doing so had not been a barrier.

Furthermore, studies show that finances are the most frequent subject of communication between parents and their college children. The fact that college students are financially dependent on their parents is nothing new; nor are requests for more money to be sent from home. This phenomenon is neither good nor bad; it is a fact of college life, today and in the past.

Thanks to the advanced technology, we live in an age of bettered communication. This has many implications well beyond the role that parents seem to play in the lives of their children who have left for college. But it is useful to bear in mind that all such changes come from the technology and not some imagined desire by parents to keep their children under their wings.

1. The surveys inform us of______.

A. the development of technology

B. the changes of adult children’s behavior

C. the parents’ over-protection of their college children

D. the means and expenses of students’ communication

2. The writer believes that______.

A. parents today are more protective than those in the past

B. the disadvantages of new technology outweigh its advantages

C. technology explains greater parental involvement with their children

D. parents’ changed attitudes lead to college children’s delayed independence

3. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Technology or Attitude

B. Dependence or Independence

C. Family Influence or Social Changes

D. College Management or Communication Advancement

4. Which of the following shows the development of ideas in this passage?

Passage 13

四川卷 D

Their cheery song brightens many a winter’s day. But robins are in danger of wearing themselves out by singing too much. Robins are singing all night—as well as during the day, British-based researchers say.

David Dominoni, of Glasgow University, said that light from street lamps, takeaway signs and homes is affecting the birds’ biological clock, leading to them being wide awake when they should be asleep.

Dr Dominoni, who is putting cameras inside nesting boxes to track sleeping patterns, said lack of sleep could put the birds’ health at risk. His study shows that when robins are exposed to light at night in the lab, it leads to some genes being active at the wrong time of day. And the more birds are exposed to light, the more active they are at night.

He told people at a conference, “There have been a couple of studies suggesting they are increasing their song output at night and during the day they are still singing. Singing is a costly behavior and it takes energy. So by increasing their song output, there might be some costs of energy.”

And it is not just robins that are being kept awake by artificial light. Blackbirds and seagulls are also being more nocturnal. Dr Dominoni said, “In Glasgow where I live, gulls are a serious problem. I have people coming to me saying ‘You are the bird expert. Can you help us kill these gulls?’ During the breeding （繁殖） season, between April and June, they are very active at night and very noisy and people can’t sleep.”

Although Dr Dominoni has only studied light pollution, other research concluded that robins living in noisy cities have started to sing at night to make themselves heard over loud noise.

However, some birds thrive （兴旺） in noisy environments. A study from California Polytechnic University found more hummingbirds in areas with heavy industrial machinery. It is thought that they are capitalising on their predators （天敌） fleeing to quieter areas.

1. According to Dr Dominoni’s study, what causes robins to sing so much?

A. The breeding season.

B. The light in modern life.

C. The dangerous environment.

D. The noise from heavy machinery.

2. What is the researchers’ concern over the increase of birds’ song output?

A. The environment might be polluted.

B. The birds’ health might be damaged.

C. The industry cost might be increased.

D. The people’s hearing might be affected.

3. What does the underlined word “nocturnal” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A. Active at night.

B. Inactive at night.

C. Active during the day.

D. Inactive during the day.

4. Why do some birds thrive in noisy environments?

A. Because there are fewer dangers.

B. Because there is more food to eat.

C. Because there is less light pollution.

D. Because there are more places to take shelter.

Passage 14

课标卷I A

You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860-1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community （社区） by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964)

If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator （参议员） and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks (1913-2005)

On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.

1. What is Jane Addams noted for in history?

A. Her social work.

B. Her teaching skills.

C. Her efforts to win a prize.

D. Her community background.

2. What was the reason for O’Connor’s being rejected by the law firm?

A. Her lack of proper training in law.

B. Her little work experience in court.

C. The discrimination against women.

D. The poor financial conditions.

3. Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the U.S.?

A. Jane Addams.

B. Rachel Carson.

C. Sandra Day O’Connor.

D. Rosa Parks.

4. What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?

A. They are highly educated.

B. They are truly creative.

C. They are pioneers.

D. They are peace-lovers.

Passage 15

课标卷I B

Grandparents Answer a Call

As a third-generation native of Brownsville, Texas, Mildred Garza never planned to move away. Even when her daughter and son asked her to move to San Antonio to help with their children, she politely refused. Only after a year of friendly discussion did Ms. Garza finally say yes. That was four years ago. Today all three generations regard the move as a success, giving them a closer relationship than they would have had in separate cities.

No statistics show the number of grandparents like Garza who are moving closer to adult children and grandchildren. Yet there is evidence suggesting that the trend is growing. Even President Obama’s mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, has agreed to leave Chicago and move into the White House to help care for her granddaughters. According to a study by grandparents.com, 83 percent of the people said Mrs. Robinson’s decision will influence grandparents in the American family. Two-thirds believe more families will follow the example of Obama’s family.

“In the 1960s we were all a little wild and couldn’t get away from home far enough or fast enough to prove we could do it on our own,” says Christine Crosby, publisher of Grand, a magazine for grandparents. “We now realize how important family is and how important it is to be near them, especially when you’re raising children.”

Moving is not for everyone. Almost every grandparent wants to be with his or her grandchildren and is willing to make sacrifices, but sometimes it is wiser to say no and visit frequently instead. Having your grandchildren far away is hard, especially knowing your adult child is struggling, but giving up the life you know may be harder.

1. Why was Garza’s move a success?

A. It strengthened her family ties.

B. It improved her living conditions.

C. It enabled her to make more friends.

D. It helped her know more new places.

2. What was the reaction of the public to Mrs. Robinson’s decision?

A. 17% expressed their support for it.

B. Few people responded sympathetically.

C. 83% believed it had a bad influence.

D. The majority thought it was a trend.

3. What did Crosby say about people in the 1960s?

A. They were unsure of themselves.

B. They were eager to raise more children.

C. They wanted to live away from their parents.

D. They had little respect for their grandparents.

4. What does the author suggest the grandparents do in the last paragraph?

A. Make decisions in the best interests of their own.

B. Ask their children to pay more visits to them.

C. Sacrifice for their struggling children.

D. Get to know themselves better.

Passage 16

课标I卷 C

I am Peter Hodes, a volunteer stem cell courier. Since March 2012, I’ve done 89 trips—of those, 51 have been abroad. I have 42 hours to carry stem cells （干细胞） in my little box because I’ve got two ice packs and that’s how long they last. In all, from the time the stem cells are harvested from a donor （捐献者） to the time they can be implanted in the patient, we’ve got 72 hours at most. So I am always conscious of time.

I had one trip last year where I was caught by a hurricane in America. I picked up the stem cells in Providence, Rhode Island, and was meant to fly to Washington then back to London. But when I arrived at the check-in desk at Providence, the lady on the desk said: “Well, I’m really sorry. I’ve got some bad news for you—there are no flights from Washington.” So I took my box and put it on the desk and I said: “In this box are some stem cells that are urgently needed for a patient—please, please, you’ve got to get me back to the United Kingdom.” She just dropped everything. She arranged for a flight on a small plane to be held for me, re-routed （改道） me through Newark and got me back to the UK even earlier than originally scheduled.

For this courier job, you’re consciously aware that in that box you’ve got something that is potentially going to save somebody’s life.

1. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “courier” in Paragraph 1?

A. provider

B. delivery man

C. collector

D. medical doctor

2. Why does Peter have to complete his trip within 42 hours?

A. He cannot stay away from his job too long.

B. The donor can only wait for that long.

C. The operation needs that much time.

D. The ice won’t last any longer.

3. Which flight did the woman put Peter on first?

A. To London.

B. To Newark.

C. To Providence.

D. To Washington.

Passage 17

课标I卷 D

The meaning of silence varies among cultural groups. Silences may be thoughtful, or they may be empty when a person has nothing to say. A silence in a conversation may also show stubbornness, uneasiness, or worry. Silence may be viewed by some cultural groups as extremely uncomfortable; therefore attempts may be made to fill every gap （间隙） with conversation. Persons in other cultural groups value silence and view it as necessary for understanding a person’s needs.

Many Native Americans value silence and feel it is a basic part of communicating among people, just as some traditional Chinese and Thai persons do. Therefore, when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops, what may be implied （暗示） is that the person wants the listener to consider what has been said before continuing. In these cultures, silence is a call for reflection.

Other cultures may use silence in other ways, particularly when dealing with conflicts among people or in relationships of people with different amounts of power. For example, Russian, French, and Spanish persons may use silence to show agreement between parties about the topic under discussion. However, Mexicans may use silence when instructions are given by a person in authority rather than be rude to that person by arguing with him or her. In still another use, persons in Asian cultures may view silence as a sign of respect, particularly to an elder or a person in authority.

Nurses and other care-givers need to be aware of the possible meanings of silence when they come across the personal anxiety their patients may be experiencing. Nurses should recognize their own personal and cultural construction of silence so that a patient’s silence is not interrupted too early or allowed to go on unnecessarily. A nurse who understands the healing （治愈） value of silence can use this understanding to assist in the care of patients from their own and from other cultures.

1. What does the author say about silence in conversations?

A. It implies anger.

B. It promotes friendship.

C. It is culture-specific.

D. It is content-based.

2. Which of the following people might regard silence as a call for careful thought?

A. The Chinese.

B. The French.

C. The Mexicans.

D. The Russians.

3. What does the author advise nurses to do about silence?

A. Let it continue as the patient pleases.

B. Break it while treating patients.

C. Evaluate its harm to patients.

D. Make use of its healing effects.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A. Sound and Silence

B. What It Means to Be Silent

C. Silence to Native Americans

D. Speech Is Silver; Silence Is Gold

Passage 18

课标卷II A

What’s On?

Electric Underground

7:30pm-1:00am Free at the Cyclops Theatre

Do you know who’s playing in your area? We’re bringing you an exciting evening of live rock and pop music from the best local bands. Are you interested in becoming a musician and getting a recording contract （合同） ? If so, come early to the talk at 7:30pm by Jules Skye, a successful record producer. He’s going to talk about how you can find the right person to produce your music.

Gee Whizz

8:30pm-10:30pm Comedy at Kaleidoscope

Come and see Gee Whizz perform. He’s the funniest stand-up comedian on the comedy scene. This joyful show will please everyone, from the youngest to the oldest. Gee Whizz really knows how to make you laugh! Our bar is open from 7:00pm for drinks and snacks （快餐） .

Simon’s Workshop

5:00pm-7:30pm Wednesdays at Victoria Stage

This is a good chance for anyone who wants to learn how to do comedy. The workshop looks at every kind of comedy, and practices many different ways of making people laugh. Simon is a comedian and actor who has 10 years’ experience of teaching comedy. His workshops are exciting and fun. An evening with Simon will give you the confidence to be funny.

Charlotte Stone

8:00pm-11:00pm Pizza World

Fine food with beautiful jazz music; this is a great evening out. Charlotte Stone will perform songs from her new best-selling CD, with James Pickering on the piano. The menu is Italian, with excellent meat and fresh fish, pizzas and pasta （面食） . Book early to get a table. Our bar is open all day, and serves cocktails, coffee, beer, and white wine.

1. Who can help you if you want to have your music produced?

A. Jules Skye.

B. Gee Whizz.

C. Charlotte Stone.

D. James Pickering.

2. At which place can people of different ages enjoy a good laugh?

A. The Cyclops Theatre.

B. Kaleidoscope.

C. Victoria Stage.

D. Pizza World.

3. What do we know about Simon’s Workshop?

A. It requires membership status.

B. It lasts three hours each time.

C. It is run by a comedy club.

D. It is held every Wednesday.

4. When will Charlotte Stone perform her songs?

A. 5:00pm-7:30pm.

B. 7:30pm-1:00am.

C. 8:00pm-11:00pm.

D. 8:30pm-10:30pm.

Passage 19

课标卷II B

Five years ago, when I taught art at a school in Seattle, I used Tinkertoys as a test at the beginning of a term to find out something about my students. I put a small set of Tinkertoys in front of each student, and said: “Make something out of the Tinkertoys. You have 45 minutes today—and 45 minutes each day for the rest of the week.”

A few students hesitated to start. They waited to see what the rest of the class would do. Several others checked the instructions and made something according to one of the model plans provided. Another group built something out of their own imaginations.

Once I had a boy who worked experimentally with Tinkertoys in his free time. His constructions filled a shelf in the art classroom and a good part of his bedroom at home. I was delighted at the presence of such a student. Here was an exceptionally creative mind at work. His presence meant that I had an unexpected teaching assistant in class whose creativity would infect （感染） other students.

Encouraging this kind of thinking has a downside. I ran the risk of losing those students who had a different style of thinking. Without fail one would declare, “But I’m just not creative.”

“Do you dream at night when you’re asleep?”

“Oh, sure.”

“So tell me one of your most interesting dreams.” The student would tell something wildly imaginative. Flying in the sky or in a time machine or growing three heads. “That’s pretty creative. Who does that for you?”

“Nobody. I do it.”

“Really—at night, when you’re asleep?”

“Sure.”

“Try doing it in the daytime, in class, okay?”

1. The teacher used Tinkertoys in class in order to______.

A. know more about the students

B. make the lessons more exciting

C. raise the students’ interest in art

D. teach the students about toy design

2. What do we know about the boy mentioned in Paragraph 3?

A. He liked to help his teacher.

B. He preferred to study alone.

C. He was active in class.

D. He was imaginative.

3. What does the underlined word “downside” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A. Mistake.

B. Drawback.

C. Difficulty.

D. Burden.

4. Why did the teacher ask the students to talk about their dreams?

A. To help them to see their creativity.

B. To find out about their sleeping habits.

C. To help them to improve their memory.

D. To find out about their ways of thinking.

Passage 20

课标卷II C

Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website BookCrossing.com turns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.

Members go on the site and register the books they own and would like to share. BookCrossing provides an identification number to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.

Bruce Pederson, the managing director of BookCrossing, says, “The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. BookCrossing combines both.”

Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.

People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. E-mails are then sent to the BookCrossers to keep them updated about where their books have been found. Bruce Peterson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.

BookCrossing is part of a trend among people who want to get back to the “real” and not the virtual （虚拟） . The site now has more than one million members in more than one hundred thirty-five countries.

1. Why does the author mention book groups in the first paragraph?

A. To explain what they are.

B. To introduce BookCrossing.

C. To stress the importance of reading.

D. To encourage readers to share their ideas.

2. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. The book.

B. An adventure.

C. A public place.

D. The identification number.

3. What will a BookCrosser do with a book after reading it?

A. Meet other readers to discuss it.

B. Keep it safe in his bookcase.

C. Pass it on to another reader.

D. Mail it back to its owner.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A. Online Reading: A Virtual Tour

B. Electronic Books: A New Trend

C. A Book Group Brings Tradition Back

D. A Website Links People through Books

Group 3

Passage 21

课标卷II D

A new collection of photos brings an unsuccessful Antarctic voyage back to life.

Frank Hurley’s pictures would be outstanding—undoubtedly first-rate photo-journalism—if they had been made last week. In fact, they were shot from 1914 through 1916, most of them after a disastrous shipwreck （海难） , by a cameraman who had no reasonable expectation of survival. Many of the images were stored in an ice chest, under freezing water, in the damaged wooden ship.

The ship was the Endurance, a small, tight, Norwegian-built three-master that was intended to take Sir Ernest Shackleton and a small crew of seamen and scientists, 27 men in all, to the southernmost shore of Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. From that point Shackleton wanted to force a passage by dog sled （雪橇） across the continent. The journey was intended to achieve more than what Captain Robert Falcon Scott had done. Captain Scott had reached the South Pole early in 1912 but had died with his four companions on the march back.

As writer Caroline Alexander makes clear in her forceful and well-researched story, The Endurance, adventuring was even then a thoroughly commercial effort. Scott’s last journey, completed as he lay in a tent dying of cold and hunger, caught the world’s imagination, and a film made in his honor drew crowds. Shackleton, a onetime British merchant-navy officer who had got to within 100 miles of the South Pole in 1908, started a business before his 1914 voyage to make money from movie and still photography. Frank Hurley, a confident and gifted Australian photographer who knew the Antarctic, was hired to make the images, most of which have never before been published.

1. What do we know about the photos taken by Hurley?

A. They were made last week.

B. They showed undersea sceneries.

C. They were found by a cameraman.

D. They recorded a disastrous adventure.

2. Who reached the South Pole first according to the text?

A. Frank Hurley.

B. Ernest Shackleton.

C. Robert Falcon Scott.

D. Caroline Alexander.

3. What does Alexander think was the purpose of the 1914 voyage?

A. Artistic creation.

B. Scientific research.

C. Money making.

D. Treasure hunting.

Passage 22

课标卷III A

Music

Opera at Music Hall: 1243 Elm Street. The season runs June through August, with additional performances in March and September. The Opera honors Enjoy the Arts membership discounts. Phone: 241-2742. http://www.cityopera.com.

Chamber Orchestra: The Orchestra plays at Memorial Hall at 1406 Elm Street, which offers several concerts from March through June. Call 723-1182 for more information. http://www.chamberoch.com.

Symphony Orchestra: At Music Hall and Riverbend. For ticket sales, call 381-3300. Regular season runs September through May at Music Hall and in summer at Riverbend. http://www.symphony.org/home.asp.

College Conservatory of Music (CCM): Performances are on the main campus （校园） of the university, usually at Patricia Cobbett Theater. CCM organizes a variety of events, including performances by the well-known LaSalle Quartet, CCM’s Philharmonic Orchestra, and various groups of musicians presenting Baroque through modern music. Students with I.D. cards can attend the events for free. A free schedule of events for each term is available by calling the box office at 556-4183. http://www.ccm.uc.edu/events/calendar.

Riverbend Music Theater: 6295 Kellogg Ave. Large outdoor theater with the closest seats under cover (price difference). Big name shows all summer long! Phone: 232-6220. http://www.riverbendmusic.com.

1. Which number should you call if you want to see an opera?

A. 241-2742.

B. 723-1182.

C. 381-3300.

D. 232-6220.

2. When can you go to a concert by Chamber Orchestra?

A. February.

B. May.

C. August.

D. November.

3. Where can students go for free performances with their I.D. cards?

A. Music Hall.

B. Memorial Hall.

C. Patricia Cobbett Theater.

D. Riverbend Music Theater.

4. How is Riverbend Music Theater different from the other places?

A. It has seats in the open air.

B. It gives shows all year round.

C. It offers membership discounts.

D. It presents famous musical works.

Passage 23

课标卷III B

On one of her trips to New York several years ago, Eudora Welty decided to take a couple of New York friends out to dinner. They settled in at a comfortable East Slide cafe and within minutes, another customer was approaching their table.

“Hey, aren’t you from Mississippi?” the elegant, white-haired writer remembered being asked by the stranger. “I’m from Mississippi too.”

Without a second thought, the woman joined the Welty party. When her dinner partner showed up, she also pulled up a chair.

“They began telling me all the news of Mississippi,” Welty said. “I didn’t know what my New York friends were thinking.”

Taxis on a rainy New York night are rarer than sunshine. By the time the group got up to leave, it was pouring outside. Welty’s new friends immediately sent a waiter to find a cab. Heading back downtown toward her hotel, her big-city friends were amazed at the turn of events that had changed their Big Apple dinner into a Mississippi state reunion （团聚） .

“My friends said: ‘Now we believe your stories,’” Welty added. “And I said: ‘Now you know. These are the people that make me write them.’”

Sitting on a sofa in her room, Welty, a slim figure in a simple gray dress, looked pleased with this explanation.

“I don’t make them up,” she said of the characters in her fiction these last 50 or so years. “I don’t have to.”

Beauticians, bartenders, piano players and people with purple hats, Welty’s people come from afternoons spent visiting with old friends, from walks through the streets of her native Jackson, Miss., from conversations overheard on a bus. It annoys Welty that, at 78, her left ear has now given out. Sometimes, sitting on a bus or a train, she hears only a fragment （片段） of a particularly interesting story.

1. What happened when Welty was with her friends at the cafe?

A. Two strangers joined her.

B. Her childhood friends came in.

C. A heavy rain ruined the dinner.

D. Some people held a party there.

2.The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 6 refers to Welty’s______.

A. readers

B. parties

C. friends

D. stories

3. What can we learn about the characters in Welty’s fiction?

A. They live in big cities.

B. They are mostly women.

C. They come from real life.

D. They are pleasure seekers.

Passage 24

课标卷III C

If you are a fruit grower—or would like to become one—take advantage of Apple Day to see what’s around. It’s called Apple Day but in practice it’s more like Apple Month. The day itself is on October 21, but since it has caught on, events now spread out over most of October around Britain.

Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste, a wide variety of apples. To people who are used to the limited choice of apples such as Golden Delicious and Royal Gala in supermarkets, it can be quite an eye opener to see the range of classical apples still in existence, such as Decio which was grown by the Romans. Although it doesn’t taste of anything special, it’s still worth a try, as is the knobbly （多疙瘩的） Cat’s Head which is more of a curiosity than anything else.

There are also varieties developed to suit specific local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you’ll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so it’s a pipe dream for most apple lovers who fall for it.

At the events, you can meet expert growers and discuss which ones will best suit your conditions, and because these are family affairs, children are well catered for with apple-themed fun and games.

Apple Days are being held at all sorts of places with an interest in fruit, including stately gardens and commercial orchards （果园） . If you want to have a real orchard experience, try visiting the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent.

1. What can people do at the apple events?

A. Attend experts’ lectures.

B. Visit fruit-loving families.

C. Plant fruit trees in an orchard.

D. Taste many kinds of apples.

2. What can we learn about Decio?

A. It is a new variety.

B. It has a strange look.

C. It is rarely seen now.

D. It has a special taste.

3. What does the underlined phrase “a pipe dream” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A. A practical idea.

B. A vain hope.

C. A brilliant plan.

D. A selfish desire.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To show how to grow apples.

B. To introduce an apple festival.

C. To help people select apples.

D. To promote apple research.

Passage 25

课标卷III D

Bad news sells. If it bleeds, it leads. No news is good news, and good news is no news. Those are the classic rules for the evening broadcasts and the morning papers. But now that information is being spread and monitored （监控） in different ways, researchers are discovering new rules. By tracking people’s e-mails and online posts, scientists have found that good news can spread faster and farther than disasters and sob stories.

“The ‘if it bleeds’ rule works for mass media,” says Jonah Berger, a scholar at the University of Pennsylvania. “They want your eyeballs and don’t care how you’re feeling. But when you share a story with your friends, you care a lot more how they react. You don’t want them to think of you as a Debbie Downer.”

Researchers analyzing word-of-mouth communication—e-mails, Web posts and reviews, face-to-face conversations—found that it tended to be more positive than negative （消极的） , but that didn’t necessarily mean people preferred positive news. Was positive news shared more often simply because people experienced more good things than bad things? To test for that possibility, Dr. Berger looked at how people spread a particular set of news stories: thousands of articles on The New York Times’ website. He and a Penn colleague analyzed the “most e-mailed” list for six months. One of his first findings was that articles in the science section were much more likely to make the list than non-science articles. He found that science amazed Times’ readers and made them want to share this positive feeling with others.

Readers also tended to share articles that were exciting or funny, or that inspired negative feelings like anger or anxiety, but not articles that left them merely sad. They needed to be aroused （激发） one way or the other, and they preferred good news to bad. The more positive an article, the more likely it was to be shared, as Dr. Berger explains in his new book, “Contagious: Why Things Catch On.”

1. What do the classic rules mentioned in the text apply to?

A. News reports.

B. Research papers.

C. Private e-mails.

D. Daily conversations.

2. What can we infer about people like Debbie Downer?

A. They’re socially inactive.

B. They’re good at telling stories.

C. They’re inconsiderate of others.

D. They’re careful with their words.

3. Which tended to be the most e-mailed according to Dr. Berger’s research?

A. Sports news.

B. Science articles.

C. Personal accounts.

D. Financial reviews.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Sad Stories Travel Far and Wide

B. Online News Attracts More People

C. Reading Habits Change with the Times

D. Good News Beats Bad on Social Networks

Passage 26

四川卷B

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Dreaming about whether you would want to read minds, see through walls, or have superhuman strength may sound silly, but it actually gets to the heart of what really matters in your life.

Every day in our work, we are inspired by the people we meet doing extraordinary things to improve the world.

They have a different kind of superpower that all of us possess: the power to make a difference in the lives of others.

We’re not saying that everyone needs to contribute their lives to the poor. Your lives are busy enough doing homework, playing sports, making friends, seeking after your dreams. But we do think that you can live a more powerful life when you devote some of your time and energy to something much larger than yourself. Find an issue you are interested in and learn more. Volunteer or, if you can, contribute a little money to a cause. Whatever you do, don’t be a bystander. Get involved. You may have the opportunity to make your biggest difference when you’re older. But why not start now?

Our own experience working together on health, development, and energy the last twenty years has been one of the most rewarding parts of our lives. It has changed who we are and continues to fuel our optimism about how much the lives of the poorest people will improve in the years ahead.

1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. Your life style.

B. Your life value.

C. Your trouble in life.

D. Your life experience.

2. Why does the author say they are inspired every day?

A. They possess different kinds of superpowers.

B. They have got the power to change the world.

C. Some people around them are making the world better.

D. There are many powerful people in their life and work.

3. What does the author stress in Paragraph 5?

A. Learning more and contributing more to a cause.

B. Rising above self and acting to help others.

C. Working hard to get a bigger opportunity.

D. Trying your best to help the poor.

4. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. The author believes the lives of the poorest will get better.

B. Much more progress will be made in the near future.

C. The work on health is the most valuable experience.

D. People’s efforts have been materially rewarded.

Passage 27

北京卷 B

Surviving Hurricane Sandy （飓风桑迪）

Natalie Doan, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the waves from her house. “It’s the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,” she says.

On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie’s family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city’s bridges closed.

When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie’s friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie’s school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.

In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.

“My mom tells me that I can’t control what happens to me,” Natalie says, “but I can always choose how I deal with it.”

Natalie’s choice was to help.

She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted information about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collection when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick’s collection was replaced.

In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-needed supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.

Today, the scars （创痕） of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. “I can’t imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,” Natalie declares. “My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before.”

1. When Natalie returned to Rockaway after the hurricane, she found______.

A. some friends had lost their lives

B. her neighborhood was destroyed

C. her school had moved to Brooklyn

D. the elderly were free from suffering

2. According to Paragraph 4, who inspired Natalie most?

A. The people helping Rockaway rebuild.

B. The people trapped in high-rise buildings.

C. The volunteers donating money to survivors.

D. Local teenagers bringing clothing to elderly people.

3. How did Natalie help the survivors?

A. She gave her toys to other kids.

B. She took care of younger children.

C. She called on the White House to help.

D. She built an information sharing platform.

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A. Little people can make a big difference.

B. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C. East or west, home is best.

D. Technology is power.

Passage 28

北京卷 D

Why College Is Not Home

The college years are supposed to be a time for important growth in autonomy （自主性） and the development of adult identity. However, now they are becoming an extended period of adolescence, during which many of today’s students are not shouldered with adult responsibilities.

For previous generations, college was a decisive break from parental control; guidance and support needed to come from people of the same age and from within. In the past two decades, however, continued connection with and dependence on family, thanks to cell phones, email and social media, have increased significantly. Some parents go so far as to help with coursework. Instead of promoting the idea of college as a passage from the shelter of the family to autonomy and adult responsibility, universities have given in to the idea that they should provide the same environment as that of the home.

To prepare for increased autonomy and responsibility, college needs to be a time of exploration and experimentation. This process involves “trying on” new ways of thinking about oneself both intellectually （在思维方面） and personally. While we should provide “safe spaces” within colleges, we must also make it safe to express opinions and challenge majority views. Intellectual growth and flexibility are fostered by strict debate and questioning.

Learning to deal with the social world is equally important. Because a college community （群体） differs from the family, many students will struggle to find a sense of belonging. If students rely on administrators to regulate their social behavior and thinking pattern, they are not facing the challenge of finding an identity within a larger and complex community.

Moreover, the tendency for universities to monitor and shape student behavior runs up against another characteristic of young adults: the response to being controlled by their elders. If acceptable social behavior is too strictly defined （规定） and controlled, the insensitive or aggressive behavior that administrators are seeking to minimize may actually be encouraged.

It is not surprising that young people are likely to burst out, particularly when there are reasons to do so. Our generation once joined hands and stood firm at times of national emergency. What is lacking today is the conflict between adolescents’ desire for autonomy and their understanding of an unsafe world. Therefore, there is the desire for their dorms to be replacement homes and not places to experience intellectual growth.

Every college discussion about community values, social climate and behavior should include recognition of the developmental importance of student autonomy and self-regulation, of the necessary tension between safety and self-discovery.

1. What’s the author’s attitude toward continued parental guidance to college students?

A. Sympathetic.

B. Disapproving.

C. Supportive.

D. Neutral.

2. The underlined word “passage” in Paragraph 2 means______.

A. change

B. choice

C. text

D. extension

3. According to the author, what role should college play?

A. To develop a shared identity among students.

B. To define and regulate students’ social behavior.

C. To provide a safe world without tension for students.

D. To foster students’ intellectual and personal development.

4. Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?

Passage 29

课标卷I A

Pacific Science Center Guide

◆Visit Pacific Science Center’s Store

Don’t forget to stop by Pacific Science Center’s Store while you are here to pick up a wonderful science activity or souvenir to remember your visit. The store is located （位于） upstairs in Building 3 right next to the Laser Dome.

◆Hungry

Our exhibits will feed your mind but what about your body? Our café offers a complete menu of lunch and snack options, in addition to seasonal specials. The café is located upstairs in Building 1 and is open daily until one hour Pacific Science Center closes.

◆Rental Information

Lockers are available to store any belongings during your visit. The lockers are located in Building 1 near the Information Desk and in Building 3. Pushchairs and wheelchairs are available to rent at the Information Desk and Denny Way entrance. ID required.

◆Support Pacific Science Center

Since 1962, Pacific Science Center has been inspiring a passion （热情） for discovery and lifelong learning in science, math and technology. Today Pacific Science Center serves more than 1.3 million people a year and brings inquiry-based science education to classrooms and company events all over Washington State. It’s an amazing accomplishment and one we cannot achieve without generous support from individuals, corporations, and other social organizations. Visit pacificsciencecenter.org to find various ways you can support Pacific Science Center.

1. Where can you buy a souvenir at Pacific Science Center?

A. In Building 1.

B. In Building 3.

C. At the Laser Dome.

D. At the Denny Way entrance.

2. What does Pacific Science Center do for schools?

A. Train Science teachers.

B. Distribute science books.

C. Inspire scientific research.

D. Take science to the classroom.

3. What is the purpose of the last part of the text?

A. To encourage donations.

B. To advertise coming events.

C. To introduce special exhibits.

D. To tell about the Center’s history.

Passage 30

课标卷I B

I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.

I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl （猫头鹰） on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2- to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.

I examined the chick （雏鸟） and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.

The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.

Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.

A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all—LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.

1. What is unavoidable in the author’s rescue work according to Paragraph 1?

A. Efforts made in vain.

B. Getting injured in his work.

C. Feeling uncertain about his future.

D. Creatures forced out of their homes.

2. Why was the author called to Muttontown?

A. To rescue a woman.

B. To take care of a woman.

C. To look at a baby owl.

D. To cure a young owl.

3. What made the chick calm down?

A. A new nest.

B. Some food.

C. A recording.

D. Its parents.

4. How would the author feel about the outcome of the event?

A. It’s unexpected.

B. It’s beautiful.

C. It’s humorous.

D. It’s discouraging.

Group 4

Passage 31

课标卷I C

Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying （联合） voice across cultures.

Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.

It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.

“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite,” Moran tells National Public Radio’s reporter Neal Conan. “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and white anymore. It’s actually color, and it’s actually digital.”

Moran says one of the problems whth jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same,” says Moran.

Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party, “Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music,” says Moran.“For me, it’s the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion （情感） lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight（感悟） on how to talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran. “So I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.”

1. Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?

A. To remember the birth of jazz.

B. To protect cultural diversity.

C. To encourage people to study music.

D. To recognize the value of jazz.

2. What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A. Jazz becoming more accessible.

B. The production of jazz growing faster.

C. Jazz being less popular with the young.

D. The jazz audience becoming larger.

3. What can we infer about Moran’s opinion on jazz?

A. It will disappear gradually.

B. It remains black and white.

C. It should keep up with the times.

D. It changes every 50 years.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A. Exploring the Future of Jazz.

B. The Rise and Fall of Jazz.

C. The Story of a Jazz Musician.

D. Celebrating the Jazz Day.

Passage 32

课标卷I D

A build-it-yourself solar still （蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it’s an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it’s all but impossible to find natural substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5’×5’ sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container—perhaps just a drinking cup—to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.

To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher’s productivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up—and out—the side of the hole.

Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet’s center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone （圆锥体） with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup.

The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water evaporates （蒸发） and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material, and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won’t have to break down the still every time you need a drink.

1. What do we know about the solar still equipment from the first paragraph?

A. It’s delicate.

B. It’s expensive.

C. It’s complex.

D. It’s portable.

2. What does the underlined phrase “the water catcher” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. The tube.

B. The still.

C. The hole.

D. The cup.

3. What’s the last step of constructing a working solar still?

A. Dig a hole of a certain size.

B. Put the cup in place.

C. Weight the sheet’s center down.

D. Cover the hole with the plastic sheet.

4. When a solar still works, drops of water come into the cup from______.

A. the plastic tube

B. outside the hole

C. the open air

D. beneath the sheet

Passage 33

课标卷II A

In the coming months, we are bringing together artists from all over the globe, to enjoy speaking Shakespeare’s plays in their own language, in our Globe, within the architecture Shakespeare wrote for. Please come and join us.

National Theatre of China　Beijing | Chinese

This great occasion （盛会） will be the National Theatre of China’s first visit to the UK. The company’s productions show the new face of 21st century Chinese theatre. This production of Shakespeare’s Richard III will be directed by the National’s Associate Director, Wang Xiaoying.

Date & Time: Saturday 28 April, 2:30pm & Sunday 29 April, 1:30pm & 6:30pm

Marjanishvili Theatre　Tbilisi | Georgian

One of the most famous theatres in Georgia, the Marjanishvili, founded in 1928, appears regularly at theatre festivals all over the world. This new production of As You Like It is helmed （指导） by the company’s Artistic Director Levan Tsuladze.

Date & Time: Friday 18 May, 2:30pm & Sunday 19 May, 7:30pm

Deafinitely Theatre　London | British Sign Language （BSL）

By translating the rich and humorous text of Love’s Labour’s Lost into the physical language of BSL, Deafinitely Theatre creates a new interpretation of Shakespeare’s comedy and aims to build a bridge between deaf and hearing worlds by performing to both groups as one audience.

Date & Time: Tuesday 22 May, 2:30 pm & Wednesday 23 May, 7:30pm

Habima National Theatre　Tel Aviv | Hebrew

The Habima is the centre of Hebrew-language theatre worldwide. Founded in Moscow after the 1905 revolution, the company eventually settled in Tel Aviv in the late 1920s. Since 1958, they have been recognised as the national theatre of Israel. This production of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice marks their first visit to the UK.

Date & Time: Monday 28 May,7:30pm & Tuesday 29 May, 7:30pm

1. Which play will be performed by the National Theatre of China?

A. Richard III.

B. Love’s Labour’s Lost.

C. As You Like It.

D. The Merchant of Venice.

2. What is special about Deafinitely Theatre?

A. It has two groups of actors.

B. It is the leading theatre in London.

C. It performs plays in BSL.

D. It is good at producing comedies.

3. When can you see a play in Hebrew?

A. On Saturday 28 Apil.

B. On Sunday 29 April.

C. On Tuesday 22 May.

D. On Tuesday 29 May.

Passage 34

课标卷II B

I first met Paul Newman in 1968, when George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, introduced us in New York City. When the studio didn’t want me for the film—it wanted somebody as well known as Paul—he stood up for me. I don’t know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.

The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft （技艺） and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues that are typical of American actors: humorous, aggressive, and making fun of each other—but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core （核心） of our relationship off the screen.

We shared the belief that if you’re fortunate enough to have success, you should put something back—he with his Newman’s Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill, and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didn’t see each other all that regularly, but sharing that brought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.

I last saw him a few months ago. He’d been in and out of the hospital. He and I both knew what the deal was, and we didn’t talk about it. Ours was a relationship that didn’t need a lot of words.

1. Why was the studio unwilling to give the role to the author at first?

A. Paul Newman wanted it.

B. The studio powers didn’t like his agent.

C. He wasn’t famous enough.

D. The director recommended someone else.

2. Why did Paul and the author have a lasting friendship?

A. They were of the same age.

B. They worked in the same theater.

C. They were both good actors.

D. They had similar characteristics.

3. What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A. Their belief.

B. Their care for children.

C. Their success.

D. Their support for each other.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the test?

A. To show his love of films.

B. To remember a friend.

C. To introduce a new movie.

D. To share his acting experience.

Passage 35

课标卷II C

Terrafugia Inc. said Monday that its new flying car has completed its first flight, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The vehicle—named the Transition—has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. The Transition, which flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes last month, can reach around 70 miles per hour on the road and 115 in the air. It flies using a 23-gallon tank of gas and burns 5 gallons per hour in the air. On the ground, it gets 35 miles per gallon.

Around 100 people have already put down a $10,000 deposit to get a Transition when they go on sale, and those numbers will likely rise after Terrafugia introduces the Transition to the public later this week at the New York Auto Show. But don’t expect it to show up in too many driveways. It’s expected to cost $279,000. And it won’t help if you’re stuck in traffic. The car needs a runway.

Inventors have been trying to make flying cars since the 1930s, according to Robert Mann, an airline industry expert. But Mann thinks Terrafugia has come closer than anyone to making the flying car a reality. The government has already permitted the company to use special materials to make it easier for the vehicle to fly. The Transition is now going through crash tests to make sure it meets federal safety standards.

Mann said Terrafugia was helped by the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision five years ago to create a separate set of standards for light sport aircraft, which are lower than those for pilots of larger planes. Terrafugia says an owner would need to pass a test and complete 20 hours of flying time to be able to fly the Transition, a requirement pilots would find relatively easy to meet.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A. The basic data of the Transition.

B. The advantages of flying cars.

C. The potential market for flying cars.

C. The designers of the Transition.

2. Why is the Transition unlikely to show up in too many driveways?

A. It causes traffic jams.

B. It is difficult to operate.

C. It is very expensive.

D. It burns too much fuel.

3. What is the government’s attitude to the development of the flying car?

A. Cautious

B. Favorable.

C. Ambiguous.

D. Disapproving.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A. Flying Car at Auto Show

B. The Transition’s First Flight

C. Pilots’ Dream Coming True

D. Flying Car Closer to Reality

Passage 36

课标卷II D

When a leafy plant is under attack, it doesn’t sit quietly. Back in 1983, two scientists, Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin, reported that young maple trees getting bitten by insects send out a particular smell that neighboring plants can get. These chemicals come from the injured parts of the plant and seem to be an alarm. What the plants pump through the air is a mixture of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, VOCs for short.

Scientists have found that all kinds of plants give out VOCs when being attacked. It’s a plant’s way of crying out. But is anyone listening? Apparently. Because we can watch the neighbors react.

Some plants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away. But others do double duty. They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies to the attackers. Once they arrive, the tables are turned. The attacker who was lunching now becomes lunch.

In study after study, it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors. The damage is usually more serious on the first plant, but the neighbors, relatively speaking, stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do.

Does this mean that plants talk to each other? Scientists don’t know. Maybe the first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own branches, and so, in effect, was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just happened to “overhear” the cry. So information was exchanged, but it wasn’t a true, intentional back and forth.

Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, imagined a world far busier, noisier and more intimate （亲密的） than the world we can see and hear. Our senses are weak. There’s a whole lot going on.

1. What does a plant do when it is under attack?

A. It makes noises.

B. It gets help from other plants.

C. It stands quietly.

D. It sends out certain chemicals.

2. What does the author mean by “the tables are turned” in Paragraph 3?

A. The attackers get attacked.

B. The insects gather under the table.

C. The plants get ready to fight back.

D. The perfumes attract natural enemies.

3. Scientists find from their studies that plants can______.

A. predict natural disasters

B. protect themselves against insects

C. talk to one another intentionally

D. help their neighbors when necessary

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A. The world is changing faster than ever.

B. People have stronger senses than before.

C. The world is more complex than it seems.

D. People in Darwin’s time were imaginative.

Passage 37

课标卷III A

San Francisco Fire Engine Tours

San Francisco Winery Tour

Running: February 1st through April 30th

This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer. (Included in tickets price)

Departing from the Cannery: Tour times upon request.

Duration （时长）：2 hours

Price: $90

Back to the Fifties Tour

Running: August 16th through August 31st

This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco’s most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.

Departing from the Cannery: 5:00pm and 7:00pm

Duration: 2 hours

Price: $90

Spooky Halloween Tour

Running: October 10th through October 31st

Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district. Authentic fire gear （服装） is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco.

Departing from the Cannery: 6:30pm and 8:30pm

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Price: Available upon request

Holiday Lights Tour

Running: December 6th through December 23rd

This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco’s most colorful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.

Departing from the Cannery: 7:00pm and 9:00pm.

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Price: available upon request.

Advance reservations required.

1. Which of the tours is available in March?

A. San Francisco Winery Tour.

B. Back to the Fifties Tour.

C. Spooky Halloween Tour.

D. Holiday Lights Tour.

2. What can tourists do on Back to the Fifties Tours?

A. Go to Treasure Island.

B. Enjoy the holiday scenes.

C. Have free ice cream.

D. Visit the Presidio district.

3. What are tourists required to do to go on Holiday Lights Tour?

A. Take some drinks.

B. Set off early in the morning.

C. Wear warm clothes.

D. Make reservations in advance.

Passage 38

课标卷III B

Minutes after the last movie ended yesterday at the Plaza Theater, employees were busy sweeping up popcorns and gathering coke cups. It was a scene that had been repeated many times in the theater’s 75-year history. This time, however, the cleanup was a little different. As one group of workers carried out the rubbish, another group began removing seats and other theater equipment in preparation for the building’s end.

The film classic The Last Picture Show was the last movie shown in the old theater. Though the movie is 30 years old, most of the 250 seats were filled with teary-eyed audience wanting to say good-bye to the old building. Theater owner Ed Bradford said he chose the movie because it seemed appropriate. The movie is set in a small town where the only movie theater is preparing to close down.

Bradford said that large modern theaters in the city made it impossible for the Plaza to compete. He added that the theater’s location （位置） was also a reason. “This used to be the center of town,” he said. “Now the area is mostly office buildings and warehouses.”

Last weekend some city officials suggested the city might be interested in turning the old theater into a museum and public meeting place. However, these plans were abandoned because of financial problems. Bradford sold the building and land to a local development firm, which plans to build a shopping complex on the land where the theater is located.

The theater audience said good-bye as Bradford locked the doors for the last time. After 75 years the Plaza Theater had shown its last movie. The theater will be missed.

1. In what way was yesterday’s cleanup at the Plaza special?

A. It made room for new equipment.

B. It signaled the closedown of the theater.

C. It was done with the help of the audience.

D. It marked the 75th anniversary of the theater.

2. Why was The Last Picture Show put on?

A. It was an all-time classic.

B. It was about the history of the town.

C. The audience requested it.

D. The theater owner found it suitable.

3. What will probably happen to the building?

A. It will be repaired.

B. It will be turned into a museum.

C. It will be knocked down.

D. It will be sold to the city government.

4. What can we infer about the audience?

A. They are disappointed with Bradford.

B. They are sad to part with the old theater.

C. They are supportive of the city officials.

D. They are eager to have a shopping center.

Passage 39

课标卷III C

After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.

Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.

The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations—major food sources （来源） for the wolf—grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation （植被） , which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes, and completely drove away the park’s beavers.

As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.

The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolves. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A. Wildlife research in the United States.

B. Plant diversity in the Yellowstone area.

C. The conflict between farmers and gray wolves.

D. The reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone Park.

2. What does the underlined word “displaced” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. Tested.

B. Separated.

C. Forced out.

D. Tracked down.

3. What did the disappearance of gray wolves bring about?

A. Damage to local ecology.

B. A decline in the park’s income.

C. Preservation of vegetation.

D. An increase in the variety of animals.

4. What is the author’s attitude towards the Yellowstone wolf project?

A. Doubtful.

B. Positive.

C. Disapproving.

D. Uncaring.

Passage 40

课标卷III D

The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named “DriveLAB” in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are.

Research shows that giving up driving is one of the key reasons for a fall in health and well-being among older people, leading to them becoming more isolated （隔绝） and inactive.

Led by Professor Phil Blythe, the Newcastle team are developing in-vehicle technologies for older drivers which they hope could help them to continue driving into later life.

These include custom-made navigation （导航） tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adapta-tions. Phil Blythe explains: “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in the country, driving is important for preserving their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.”

“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they really need to.”

Dr Amy Guo, the leading researcher on the older driver study, explains: “The DriveLAB is helping us to understand what the key stress points and difficulties are for older drivers and how we might use technology to address these problems.”

“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined. We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control their speed as a way of preventing that.”

“We hope that our work will help with technological solutions （解决方案） to ensure that older drivers stay safer behind the wheel.”

1. What is the purpose of the DriveLAB?

A. To explore new means of transport.

B. To design new types of cars.

C. To find out older drivers’ problems.

D. To teach people traffic rules.

2. Why is driving important for older people according to Phil Blythe?

A. It keeps them independent.

B. It helps them save time.

C. It builds up their strength.

D. It cures their mental illnesses.

3. What do researchers hope to do for older drivers?

A. Improve their driving skills.

B. Develop driver-assist technologies.

C. Provide tips on repairing their cars.

D. Organize regular physical checkups.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A. A New Model Electric Car

B. A Solution to Traffic Problems

C. Driving Services for Elders

D. Keeping Older Drivers on the Road