1、“Everybody in this city wants a car, and I’m no exception. A car brings with it the freedom to travel”, said a friend of mine while reading a car magazine. I might not agree with him, but no doubt he was speaking for a rapidly growing number of middle-class Chinese. While it is true that all the waiting, walking, being part of a crowd, and sweating, are somewhat unpleasant, there are many problems which can arise when our lives rely too much on this invention.

First of all, in terms of polluting the environment, driving a car is the worst act an average person can commit. Beijing now finds itself at the top of the list of the most polluted capital cities in the world with Mexico City in the second place. Research also shows that by 2010 around 90% of total pollutants in Shanghai have come from cars. These pollutions are extremely dangerous to our health. They can damage the lungs, cause cancer, and damage the brain.

Apart from environmental problems, relying too much on cars also creates social problems such as traffic jams, road accidents, and noise pollution. The jeeps that proudly drive through the Hutongs in Beijing as if they are in a race often annoy me, and to make it worse, these drivers seldom respect cyclists.

Of course, we cannot forget the convenience that cars bring us when we need to travel far, but I often find it faster to cycle from one place to another within the city of Beijing, especially with the growing traffic jams.

Since people travel further and more frequently than before, cars will certainly be important in the future. At the same time, however, let us work hard to make sure that this invention brings us a more convenient lifestyle rather than trouble and disease. Let us make good use of cars.

【1】What is this passage mainly about?

A．Environmental problems.

B．Traffic jams in Beijing.

C．Problems brought about by cars.

D．Benefits of using cars.

【2】 The underlined word commit in Paragraph 2 has the close meaning as ____ .

A．do something right or legal

B．do something wrong or illegal

C．do something good and meaningful

D．do something bad and meaningless

【3】What do we know about the author?

A．The author doesn’t want a car.

B．The author agrees that a car offers freedom to travel.

C．The author suggests that we should rely on bicycles.

D．The author thinks that the invention of cars leads to many problems.

【4】In Paragraph 3, what does the author mean by saying “The jeeps… often annoy me”?

A．The author is troubled by the way jeeps are driven in the Hutongs of Beijing.

B．The author thinks that Hutongs are too narrow for jeeps to drive through.

C．The author thinks that the jeeps are too noisy.

D．The author is worried that more accidents are caused by jeeps than any other cars.

【5】What is the author’s idea in Paragraphs 4 and 5 ?

A．Cars are only convenient for people traveling far.

B．We should all give up cars and ride bicycles.

C．Cars have brought us more convenience than troubles.

D．We should choose between the car and the bicycle according to the situation.

答案

【1】C

【2】B

【3】D

【4】A

【5】D

2、During the twentieth century, cars, electric lights, space travel and amazing advances in medicine changed people’s lives. So what might this new century bring? There are hundreds of predictions flying around — let’s have a light-hearted look at some of them.

In a recent UK survey, teenagers were asked to make predictions about the year 2020. One of the most common predictions was that school uniforms won’t be around. They also predicted that both girls and boys will wear make-up more often, andmore than 75% of men will wear skirts regularly. My dad is 65 next Saturday — I think I’ll buy him a skirt as a birthday present and tell him he’ll soon be in fashion!

Other predictions involve changing roles of men and women. By 2017, some people say that single men of working age will form more than 10% of all families. It is also predicted that washing powder advertisements will include more men because more of them will do housework. I’ll tell that to my husband when he gets home and see how keen he is to wash the dishes!

Many predictions are about crime and safety problems. Some people think that crime will improve and the world will become a more peaceful place. Others believe that crime is going to worsen and that people will stay at home becoming completely dependent on the Internet for shopping and work. It is also predicted that you will need an electronic card to get into parks as parents demand safe play areas for their children. This is old news for me --- our local government is going to introduce one this summer.

Technology is predicted to play an even more important role in our lives in the future. Some parents might have cameras at home so they can keep an eye on their children while they are out. Quick, kids, turn off the TV and do your homework!

Here’s another prediction. Researchers have concluded that cultural activity may add years to your life. The cinema, theatre and concerts may give us a longer life because they encourage strong feelings. Well, we’re watching Bridget Jones’ Diary this Friday night. Will that help us live longer?

Let’s finish up with my favourite prediction. In the future, elderly people are going to make up a larger proportion of the world’s population than ever before. In Britain, an estimated 100,000 people now in their thirties may live to be 100. And that includes me! I’ll have a big, big party, I promise!

【1】 The writer’s father ________ .

A．has just turned sixty-five

B．wears skirts

C．is very fashionable

D．is about to turn sixty-five

【2】Why might more men do housework in the future?

A．Washing powder advertisements suggest it.

B．Men won’t want to work in offices any more.

C．Traditional roles of men and women will change.

D．Women will refuse to wash the dishes.

【3】According to the passage, people might ________ , if crime worsens.

A．need electronic cards to get into their homes

B．stay at home and depend on the Internet

C．help to make the world a more peaceful place

D．work harder and make more money

【4】Which of the following is NOT true？

A．It’s likely that the writer is to live to be 100.

B．The writer promises that she is going to hold a big, big party soon.

C．Without an electronic card, you can’t get into a park freely in the future.

D．The writer holds a positive attitude towards the changes in the new century.

【5】From the passage, we may infer that the writer is probably ____ .

A．a professional news reporter.

B．a young and attractive sales girl.

C．a middle-aged British housewife.

D．a responsible government official.

答案：

【1】D

【2】C

【3】B

【4】B

【5】C

3、One of the most famous buildings in the United States is Carnegie Hall, the home of classical and popular music concerts in New York. Carnegie Hall is known not just for its beauty and history, but also for its amazing sound. It has been said that the hall itself is an instrument. It takes the music and makes it larger than life.

Carnegie Hall is named after Andrew Carnegie, who paid for its construction. He was a wealthy man who also gave a lot of money to schools and public libraries. Construction on Carnegie Hall began in 1890 and the official opening night was on May 5, 1891.

The hall was owned by the Carnegie family until 1924 when it was sold to Robert E. Simon. The building became very old and in 1960, the new owner made plans to destroy it and build an office block. Isaac Stem led a group of people who fought to save Carnegie Hall and finally, the city of New York bought it for $5 million. It was then fixed up between 1983 and 1995.

In 1986, people realized that Carnegie Hall had never kept proper records of its history. Advertisements and stories in newspapers about how Carnegie Hall needed help to recover its history led people to send in old concert programmes and information from all over the world. Over 12,000 concert programmes were received and with these it was possible to make a proper record of Carnegie Hall’s concert history.

Carnegie Hall is actually made up of several different halls, but the Main Hall, now called the Isaac Stern Hall, is the most famous. Most of the greatest performers of classical music since the time the hall was built have performed in the Main Hall, and its reception areas are decorated with signed photographs of these musicians. The hall itself can hold an audience of 2,804 in five levels of seating. Visitors to the top level have to climb up 105 steps to get there!

Because the best and most famous musicians of all time have played at Carnegie Hall, it is the dream of most musicians who want to be great to play there. This has led to a very old joke which is now part of Carnegie Hall’s history. Question: “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” Answer: “Practise, practise, practise.”

【1】What do music lovers expect in Carnegie Hall?

A．Musical concerts presented by first class performers.

B．Exhibits and photographs of historical events.

C．Musicians practicing for opportunities to play.

D．People dancing merrily at parties.

【2】What is the correct order of the following events?

a. Robert E. Simon bought it in 1924.

b. Carnegie Hall got its name.

c. Carnegie Hall recovered its history.

d. New York City paid $5,000,000 for it.

e. Construction on Carnegie Hall began in 1890.

A．a; c; b; d; e;     B．e; d; c; a; b       C．e; b; a; d; c      D．a; e; c; d; b

【3】How long did it take Carnegie Hall to be fixed up?

A．9 years.    B．10 years.  C．11 years.  D．12 years.

【4】 How did Carnegie Hall recover its concert history?

A．Through newspaper reports.

B．Through old concert programmes.

C．Through old photographs.

D．Through old jokes.

【5】Why do you think the Main Hall is now called the Isaac Stern Hall?

A．Because Isaac Stern is a famous musician.

B．Because Isaac Stern built the Main Hall.

C．Because Isaac Stern saved Carnegie Hall.

D．Because Isaac Stern made up the Carnegie Hall joke.

答案

【1】A

【2】C

【3】D

【4】B

【5】C

4、Against the supposition（假设）that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.

This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.

This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.

Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.

“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.

【1】According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.

A．result in a warming climate

B．cause the forest fires to occur more frequently

C．lead to a longer fire season

D．protect the forests and the environment there

【2】 The following are all the immediate effects after a forest fire EXCEPT _________.

A．large amounts of greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere

B．the levels of ozone which is a type of oxygen increase

C．snow on the ground mirrors more sunlight back into space

D．ashes from the fire fall on the ice surface and take in more radiation from the sun

【3】Earlier studies about northern forest fires _________.

A．analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate

B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere

C．suggest that people should take measures to protect environment

D．suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming

【4】The underlined part “soaked up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.

A．released   B．absorbed C．created    D．distributed

【5】From the passage we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may __________.

A．warm the climate as the supposition goes

B．allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate

C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice

D．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy

答案：

【1】A

【2】C

【3】D

【4】B

【5】B