AN upper class British lady once declared: “Anyone seen on a bus after the age of 30 has been a failure in life.”
I guess she meant that if you’re middle aged and don’t have a car then you are a loser. How arrogant (傲慢) and ignorant！
Unfortunately, there are still people who think that way: that somehow public transport is only for the poor. And the rest have a right to their cars. Some wealthy folk in the West look down on buses and boast (吹嘘) about how many years it has been since they last traveled by one.
How sad is that? Our roads are packed with cars and the air is full of the pollution they emit (排放). But still, many car users are u
nwillingly to get on a bus or a bike or a train to take themselves to work.
It’s convenient to drive, they’ll say. Buses are so unreliable, they’ll claim. And trains are expensive ---- at least in the UK.
It’s an attitude which may have to change. It doesn’t make sense to drive a car in a city where there’s a public transport system. Also, these rush hour commuters (往返上班者) usually travel alone.
As a result, transport authorities in the UK are looking at solutions to city center congestion (拥堵).
One is to increase the number of parking spaces at out-of-town railway stations. More motorists (乘汽车的人) can then leave their cars and travel into the city by train.
Light rail or tramways are another environmentally friendly solution. Many cities across Europe have installed light rail or tramway systems.
The subway in London is used by everyone, rich and poor. It’s the quickest way of getting around the city, whatever your bank balance.
And then there are the cycle hire schemes you find in many modern cities. In London and Paris, you can hire a bike by the hour to get you where you need to go.
While commuters in Beijing abandon their bicycles for cars, cycling to work grows in popularity in the West.
Many cyclists are willing to pay more than 10,000 yuan for their bicycles. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is often pictured cycling to work. David Cameron, the British prime minister, cycled to the House of Commons before he became leader. These days he takes the prime ministerial limousine (豪华轿车).. According to the article, some British people, like the upper class woman, think that .
| A．buses are inconvenient | B．bus services are unnecessary |
| C．having a car is a sign of success | D．only the upper class should have cars |
Which of the following measures is taken by transport authorities in the UK to solve city center congestion?
| A．The development of cycle hire schemes. |
| B．Increasing the number of parking spaces in the city center. |
| C．Installing light rail or tramway systems in out-of-town areas. |
| D．Banning commuters from traveling alone during rush hour. |
The author mentions the example of Boris Johnson in the last paragraph to .
| A．express his respect for the mayor of London |
| B．point to the growing popularity of cycling to work in the West |
| C．criticize Beijing commuters for abandoning their bicycles for cars |
| D．show that cars are still the most common means of transportation for famous people in Britain |
Which of the following might the writer agree with?
A. The British prime minister should give up his limousine.
B. Beijing commuters should learn from British commuters.
C. British solutions to public transport problems are inadequate.
In today’s throwaway society，dealing with the city’s growing mountain of waste is an increasing challenge for the city council (市议会)．
Recently，Edinburgh is faced with the problem of disposing of (处理) about 250,000 million tons of waste a year.Despite different ways to dispose of much of it in a green manner—largely through encouraging recycling—its aging facilities such as the Powderhall landfill do not have the ability to deal with it.
The European Union (EU) has issued a new policy，regulating how such mountains of waste are to be disposed of.The five councils (Edinburgh，East Lothian，West Lothian，Midlothian and Borders) face fines around ￡18 million a year from 2013 if they don’t increase recycling levels and rely less on landfill.With this in mind，the councils got together with the idea of building a large incinerator plant (垃圾焚烧厂) to burn half of the waste produced in their districts.But this plan fell apart after the change of target levels by a new UK government waste policy which required that no more than 25% of the city’s waste should be disposed of in this way by 2025.
After the plan was abandoned，a private company which already transported millions of tons of the city’s waste by train to a landfill site near Dunbar，offered an
alternative solution when it suggested opening a huge waste site near Portobello.
Since Powderhall is supposed to close in 2015，it seemed necessary for the members of the Edinburgh Council to accept the suggestion.But soon they turned it down—after 700 local objections reached them—because it would have meant hundreds of lorries a day making loud noise through heavily populated areas.
That still leaves the council with a problem.By 2013，only 50% of 1995 levels of waste will be allowed to be sent to landfill.Even if recycling targets are met，there will still be a large amount of rubbish to be burnt up.Due to this，Edinburgh and Midlothian councils have now decided to work together to build an incinerator plant as time to find a solution is fast running out.(2011·湖北，C)The main way of handling waste in a green manner in Edinburgh is ________.
| A．recycling | B．restoring |
| C．burying | D．burning |
The five councils worked out a plan to build an incinerator plant to ________.
| A．reduce the cost of burying waste |
| B．meet the EU requirements |
| C．speed up waste recycling |
| D．replace landfill sites |
The city council of Edinburgh rejected the suggestion to open a huge landfill site near Portobello because ________.
| A．it came from a private company |
| B．the council was not interested in it |
| C．it was not supported by EU |
| D．the local people were against it |
What is the final decision of Edinburgh and Midlothian councils?
| A．To open a new landfill nearby. |
| B．To close the Powderhall landfill in 2015. |
| C．To set up a plant for burning waste. |
| D．To persuade people to reduce their waste. |
As a nation we are becoming more aware of the food we and our children are eating.The recent campaign to improve school dinners by celebrity(名人) chef Jamie Oliver has helped raise awareness of our fast food lifestyles.While we may be trying to eat more healthily，it seems we still have some bad habits.
•Healthy eaters or just trendy?
Are there certain things that you do and don’t eat and why？With so many food programmes and books telling you what you should and shouldn’t eat to be healthy，it’s hard to make choices.
Some people are vegetarians for moral reasons，some don’t like the taste of meat and there are one or two people who do it because it’s trendy.Likewise，it can be trendy to follow the latest celebrity’s diet because it’s what the famous are doing.
•Eating out
People are eating out more often now，not just on special occasions as in the past.The choice of restaurants has also diversified.Italian，Chinese and Indian restaurants have been around for years but have now been joined by Mongolian，Japanese，Mexican and so on.Bars and pubs are still popular for food and often promote English cuisine made with local produce.
“We enjoy eating out a couple of times every month whether with friends or just as a couple.We like trying new things so we go to different restaurants.” said Craig,25，County Durham.
•Eating on the go
From chocolate bars to sandwiches more people are eating on the go—on the street，in cars or on buses and trains.While our parents and grandparents may frown at this behaviour，considering it to be bad manners，people eat on the go because they are rushing from one place to another.And in the home the number of people sitting down at a dining table for their evening meal is on the decrease as meal times become more informal.
“If I’m running late for work I don’t think twice about eating toast in the car or on the bus but I know my mum wouldn’t approve，” said Stacey,24.What can we infer from the text?
| A．Our parents think highly of the eating habits mentioned in the text. |
| B．We should get rid of the bad habits and try to be healthier. |
| C．Japanese restaurants have been around for years. |
| D．It’s good for people to eat out more frequently. |
People find it difficult to decide what to eat to keep healthy because ________.
| A．different programmes and books have different ideas about healthy eating |
| B．there are many celebrities having different diet styles |
| C．what the famous are doing is different from ours |
| D．they have some bad eating habits |
The underlined word “diversified” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
| A．made a great change |
| B．made a big difference |
| C．had a rapid increase |
| D．had a wide variety |
Craig often goes to different restaurants because ________.
| A．he likes trying new things |
| B．he follows the latest celebrity diet |
| C．he enjoys the meal with his friends |
| D．he has more special occasions to celebrate |
President Abraham Lincoln’s first call for volunteers to fight in the Civil War was for whites only.The Civil War was a white man’s war，northern whites insisted.Its purpose was to preserve the Union.It was not being fought to end slavery.But by September of 1862，the sentiment toward black volunteers had changed.Lincoln had hoped that the war would be short，but it had already lasted for a year and a half.Union manpower had fallen dangerously.
Lincoln had a plan.He issued the Emancipation Proclamation.It stated that as of January 1,1863，all slaves living in the rebellious southern states would be forever free.And starting immediately，Union armies would accept black volunteers.
The southern rebels’response to Lincoln’s call for black troops was a deadly one.Captives (俘虏) of any Union regiment (团) with black troops were to be given “no quarter”．They were to be put to death immediately.
AfricanAmerican troops throughout the war distinguished themselves (表现突出) in battle at places like Milliken’s Bend，Fort Wagner，and the Crater at St.Petersburg.As to their conduct on the battlefield，Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson wrote，“Nobody knows anything about these men who has not seen them in battle.No officer in this regiment now doubts that the successful process of the war lies in the unlimited employment of black troops.” By the war’s end,186,000 black men had participated.They made up nearly 10 percent of Union forces.These black soldiers saw action in more than 250 battles.Black soldiers also gave their lives.By the war’s end，about 38,000 black soldiers had died.They died from disease，in battle，and after capture by rebel troops.This passage is mainly about________.
| A．cause of the Civil War |
| B．the Emancipation Proclamation |
| C．black soldiers in the Civil War |
| D．why Lincoln was a good president |
What does the underlined word “sentiment” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．Whites. |
| B．People who keep watch. |
| C．Rebels. |
| D．Thought and feeling. |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．Lincoln acted too late to free the slaves. |
| B．Blacks fought well for the Union cause. |
| C．The Civil War changed American history. |
| D．The southern rebels nearly won the Civil War. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The Civil War’s purpose was to drive the black away. |
| B．The Civil War ended just in one year with the help of the blacks. |
| C．All slaves were set free by September of 1862. |
| D．Black captives of any Union regiment were killed after Lincoln’s call. |
Why do human beings still risk their lives under ground and doing one of the dirtiest and most dangerous jobs in the world？It’s an increasingly urgent question，given the recent highprofile(引人注目的) mining accidents in Sago，W.Va.and Huntington，Utah.A small group of engineers and robotics experts look forward to a day in the nottoodistant future when robots and other technology do most of the dangerous mining work.
Robotic technology，in particular，holds much promise，McAteer says，especially when it comes to mapping mines and rescuing trapped miners—the special operations of the mining industry.
One of the first mining robots was developed five years ago at CarnegieMellon University’s Robotics Institute.It was called Groundhog and it looked like a golf cart.It used lasers(激光器) to “see” in dark tunnels and map abandoned mines—some of the most dangerous work in the business.
The latest design is called Cave Crawler.It’s a bit smaller than Groundhog，and even more advanced.It can take photos and video and has sensors mounted(增加) that can detect the presence of dangerous gases.Incredibly，the robot has a real sense of logic.If it comes across an obstacle it gets confused.It has to think through the process and where to go next，and sometimes it throws_a_fit just like a real person.
The biggest obstacle，though，is cost.The original research project was federally funded，but that money has dried up，and it’s not clear where future funding will come from. Partly for that reason，and partly because of advances in safety，mining is not nearly as dangerous as it was in the past.Since 1990，fatalities(致命性) have declined by 67 percent and injuries by 51 percent，according to the National Mining Association.
Some experts predict that robots in mines will serve much of the same function that they do in the automotive industry.The robots do the most repetitive and dangerous jobs，but don’t eliminate(消除) the need for human workers.The underlined phrase “throws a fit” in Paragraph 4 probably means “________”．
| A．gets angry | B．gets sick |
| C．becomes hungry | D．becomes cheerful |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.
| A．robots in mines will serve much in the automotive industry |
| B．there will be no need for human workers in mines |
| C．the mine robots will have a very bright future |
| D．robots in mines have a long way to go |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Mining robots do most of the mining work at present. |
| B．Groundhog can discover the presence of dangerous gases. |
| C．Experts are trying to make robots save miners in danger. |
| D．Robots cannot do dangerous work in dark areas. |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Mining Accidents in America |
| B．Could Robots Replace Humans in Mines? |
| C．Cave Crawler，the Latest Robot |
| D．The Development of Robots |
One day in 1965，when I worked at View Ridge School in Seattle，a fourthgrade teacher approached me.She had a student who finished his work before all the others and needed a challenge.“Could he help in the library？” she asked.I said, “Send him along.”
Soon a slight，sandyhaired boy in jeans and a Tshirt appeared.“Do you have a job for me？” he asked.
I told him about the Dewey Decimal System(杜威十进分类法) for shelving books.He picked up the idea immediately.Then I showed him a stack(摞) of cards for longoverdue books that I was beginning to think had actually been returned but were misshelved with the wrong cards in them.He said，“Is it kind of a detective job？” I answered yes，and he became working.
He had found three books with wrong cards by the time his teacher opened the door and announced，“Time for break！”He argued for finishing the finding job；she made the case for fresh air.She won.
The next morning，he arrived early.“I want to finish these books，”he said.At the end of the day，when he asked to be a librarian on a regular basis，it was easy to say yes.He worked untiringly.
After a few weeks I found a note on my desk，inviting me to dinner at the boy’s home.At the end of a pleasant evening，his mother announced that the family would be moving to a neighbouring school district.Her son’s first concern，she said，was leaving the View Ridge library.“Who will find the lost books？” he asked.
When the time came，I said an unwilling goodbye.I missed him，but not for long.A few days later he came back and joyfully announced，“The librarian over there doesn’t let boys work in the library.My mother got me transferred back to View Ridge.My dad will drop me off on his way to work.And if he can’t，I’ll walk！”
I should have had an idea such focused determination would take that young man wherever he wanted to go.What I could not have guessed，however，was that he would become a genius of the Information Age：Bill Gates，tycoon(企业巨头) of Microsoft and America’s richest man.What was the author when the story happened?
| A．A teacher. | B．A librarian. |
| C．A detective. | D．A student. |
Why was the boy sent to the library by the fourthgrade teacher?
| A．He failed to finish his work on time. |
| B．He challenged the teacher in the class. |
| C．He disturbed all the other students in the class. |
| D．He needed something to do to challenge himself. |
What was the boy told to do on his first day in the library?
| A．To rearrange the books according to the new system. |
| B．To put those overdue books back to the shelves. |
| C．To find out the books with wrong cards in them. |
| D．To put the cards back in the longoverdue books. |
The boy got transferred back to View Ridge because ________.
| A．he didn’t get along well with the librarian in the new school |
| B．he was not allowed to work in the new school’s library |
| C．he missed his old schoolmates and teachers |
| D．he had to walk a long way to go to school |
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