Drunken driving—sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder—has become a national epidemic（流行病）. Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years. A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with 0.10-blood alcohol content or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were lenient in most courts, but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially concerning young children, that public opinion is no longer so tolerant（忍受）.
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, reversing a trend（逆转潮流）in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18—20-year-old drivers more than doubled, so the state recently upped it back to 21.
Reformers, however, fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink.
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests in many areas already, to a marked drop in accidents, some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was “obviously drunk” and later drove off the road, killing a nine-year-old boy.
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state, some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition（禁令）of alcohol that began in 1919, which President Hoover called the “noble experiment”. They forgot that legal prohibition didn’t stop drinking, but encouraged political corruption（腐败）and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally, there is no easy solution.What can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?
| A．Young drivers were usually bad. |
| B．The legal drinking age should be raised. |
| C．Some drivers didn’t surprise the legal drinking age. |
| D．Drivers should not be allowed to drink. |
The underlined word “lenient” in the first paragraph means .
| A．merciful | B．cruel | C．serious | D．determined |
As regards drunken driving, public opinion has changed because .
| A．judges are no longer lenient |
| B．new laws are introduced in some states |
| C．drivers do not appreciate their manly image |
| D．the problem has attracted public attention |
Which of the following statements best shows the writer’s opinion of drunken driving?
| A．It is difficult to solve this problem. |
| B．It may lead to organized crime. |
| C．The new laws can stop heavy drinking |
| D．There should be no bars to serve drinks. |
A World of Color
No matter where you go, colors are everywhere! And while the colors may be the same, their meanings change depending on the country.
| Colors |
Different Meanings |
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| Green |
Green means “hope” in Ecuador. In the U.S., it’s a symbol of money and concern for the environment. |
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| Purple |
Purple is worn by kings and queens in Europe, while in Thailand, it’s worn by women whose husbands have died. |
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Black |
Black is the traditional color of mourning(哀悼) in the West. But on the Pacific islands of Melanesia, it’s a symbol of beauty and speed. |
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White |
White is considered a pure color and is worn at weddings in America. In parts of Asia, however, white is worn to funerals(葬礼) as a sign of winter, when everything is dead. |
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Red |
Red means “beautiful” in Russia, but in South Africa, it’s the color of mourning. In the United States, a bride would be criticized(批评) for wearing a red gown. In India or China, though, brides often wear red as a symbol of good fortune. |
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Colors mean different things in different countries. No matter what the meaning is, color adds interest to our lives and makes them brighter.In the US if you prefer the color_____, it will probably show that you are concerned about the environment.
| A．green | B．purple | C．black | D．white |
How many colors mentioned in the passage can be used as a sign of mourning?
| A．Five. | B．Four. | C．Three. | D．Two. |
If a bride is wearing a red gown in the wedding, she must come from_____.
| A．Thailand | B．America | C．India | D．South Africa |
Which is true according to the passage?
| A．White stands for purity in China. |
| B．An American bride will wear a red gown on the wedding. |
| C．Black is a symbol of beauty and speed in the west. |
| D．Purple is worn by kings and queens in Europe |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．All the colors have different meanings in different countries. |
| B．From country to country, people view colors differently. |
| C．All the brides from China prefer to wear white gowns. |
| D．White is considered a pure color and often worn to funerals. |
Thousands of puffins(海鹦) live in Maine and on islands in the Gulf of Maine. But the puffins may be in danger. Last summer, the percentage of laid eggs that successfully produced baby puffins took a dive. Scientists also found a decline in the average body weight of the adult and baby puffins on Machias Seal Island, home to the area’s largest colony. Over the winter, dozens of the seabirds from the region were found dead, likely from starvation.
What’s causing the puffin trouble? Scientists think it may be a shortage of food. With ocean temperatures rising, fish populations have moved around. Normally, puffins’ primary food source is herring, a type of fish. A lack of herring in the area could be causing the problem.
Butterfish from the south have become more abundant in the Gulf of Maine and could be a new food source for birds. But Steve Kress says butterfish may be too big and round for baby puffins to swallow.
Puffins spend most of their lives at sea. They come ashore to breed each spring and return to the ocean in August. The chicks swim to sea about 40 days after hatching. Puffin populations stretch across the North Atlantic, from Maine to northern Russia.
Maine’s puffin population has been at risk in the past. In the 1800s, they were hunted for their food, eggs and feathers. By 1901, only one pair of puffins remained in the state. Thanks to the help of local lighthouse keepers and seabird restoration programs, the state’s puffin population has been restored to more than 2,000 birds.
Scientists aren’t sure what will happen to the Gulf of Maine’s puffins. The birds may move further north. Kress says he hopes the Gulf population will sustain itself and then he continued. “You never know what climate change will bring,” Kress said. “Historically fish could move out and more southerly fish could move in, and puffins may adapt to the new fish. Only they will know how the story will unfold.”The underlined phrase “took a dive” means _______.
| A．increased | B．arose | C．reduced | D．changed |
In the scientists’ opinion, ________ is contributing to the puffin trouble.
| A．a lack of herring | B．environmental pollution |
| C．the increase of birds | D．the huge size of butterfish |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．Maine’s puffin once nearly became extinct |
| B．Maine’s puffins’ eggs were of high prices |
| C．baby puffins grew up quickly |
| D．the number of Maine’s puffins is worrying |
Judging from Kress’s words in the last paragraph, we know ________.
| A．climate change matters little |
| B．there is cause for concern |
| C．the new fish won’t harm puffins |
| D．puffins may move to the south |
How is the second paragraph mainly developed?
| A．By giving examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following time order. | D．By asking questions |
Many cities have subways and underground public transportation to take locals and tourists alike rapidly around the city．However, there’s something different about riding a London subway．It may not look different, but the historical value of one of England’s most popular forms of transportation is enough to make riding the subway a must when visiting London．With a little under 100 different stations, the subway can take you almost anywhere you need to go．
Riding a London subway, a person from other countries will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other．In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times．That’s not rudeness―people are just too busy to bother looking．
Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet thinking．Nor are they reading a book．New technology has replaced quiet habits．Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book．
Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters（使用月票上下班者）．Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40,000―yes, that’s 40,000 “apps” have been designed．
Commuters love them because they are the perfect time-fillers．One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks．Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination．iSteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone．You can then write in the “steam” on your phone screen．
For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be the distraction（消遣）of choice．It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music－iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages．
And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film? The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV shows or films on the way to work．With all these distractions, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train．People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because ______．
| A．they are going to work and have no time to communicate with each other |
| B．they love reading books and do not want to be disturbed |
| C．they feel sleepy because of getting up early |
| D．they are busy playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films |
The underlined word “apps” in the fourth paragraph means ______．
| A．computers | B．programs downloaded for the iPhone |
| C．computer companies | D．fortune from London commuters |
Those who want to save time to reach where they go can download ______ to their iPhones．
| A．iShoot | B．Tube Exits | C．iSteam | D．iPod |
The main idea of the passage is that ______．
| A．London commuters are unfriendly to strangers |
| B．Apple has earned a lot of money from selling 40,000 apps |
| C．technology is changing how London commuters spend their traveling time |
| D．riding a London subway is a must when visiting London |
The aim to write the passage is to ______.
| A．praise | B．doubt | C．blame | D．state |
It is a wonderful morning，as I write this：hot，but without being too hot. Outside my window，I can see the sunniest sky of the year reflected in a huge natural expand of water. It is the kind of sun that makes you well aware of summer’s temporary nature —a reminder that if I am ever to go around to book this year's holiday，time is running out .
It is now close to four years since I last took a holiday. This is because I have come to the conclusion, over the course of my adult life, that I am not very good at it. You might say this sounds like saying you are not very good at drinking tea or listening to music. What could possibly be difficult about the natural act of putting your working life on hold for a couple of weeks and going somewhere to do nothing?
So what is my problem? On the surface, I'm probably a bit of homebody. And I just find the pressure of being on holidy too severe: it always feels like having a gun held to my head and being forced to have fun. Somehow, packing a carefully itemized list of possessions and meeting a scheduled flight has none of the excitement of suddenly deciding to take a day off and driving somewhere for the fun of it.
Thankfully, I am not alone. This summer, most of my friends have decided not to have a break. And a recent survey highlighted the downside(负面）of holidays, with the results shoeing that nearly two thirds of people found that the calming effects of a holiday wore off within 24 hours, as stress levels returned to normal. And this year's the Idler magazine published its book of awful holidays .Here you will find a list of the five most ecologically--damaging vacations it's possible to take, along with 50 horrible holidays experiences voted for on the idler website. Over the last decade, The Idler has become well known for promoting the idea of an easy, lazy life. The leisure(休闲）industry might seem an unlikely target of its criticism, but Dan Kienan, the book's editor, says that he was flooded with entries from readers for his list of awful holidays.According to the first paragraph We can know that the writer .
| A． has a strong desire to book a holiday |
| B． wishes that the weather would change |
| C． finds it is too late to enjoy the sunshine |
| D． realizes it’s time to decide whether to go on a holiday |
What can be inferred from the sentence underlined in the passage?
| A． people may find the man unbelievable |
| B． People think traveling is not so easy an act as drinking tea |
| C．The writer often regrets not taking a holiday． |
| D． The writer doesn't like drinking tea or listening to music |
The reason why the writer dislikes going on holidays is that .
| A． it usually takes too much time |
| B． he is tired of making preparations too much for holidays |
| C． it is far less enjoyable than breaks planned in advance |
| D． he feels embarrassed when other people are having fun but he isn't |
We can learn from the survey that a lot of people .
| A． pretend to enjoy their holiday |
| B． fail to relax while they are on holiday |
| C． feel that the benefits of going on holidays are limited |
| D． have made the some decision as the writer and most of his friends |
The writer takes the book of Awful Holidays as an example to .
| A． damage the reputation of the magazine |
| B．prove his idea to be more popular than expected |
| C． indicate that his dislike of holidays is widely shared |
| D． foucs entirely on bad personal experiences of holidays |
It was only a few weeks after my surgery, and I went to Dr. Belt's office for a checkup. It was just after my first chemotherapy（化学疗法） treatment.
My scar was still very tender. My arm was numb underneath. As usual, I was taken to an examination room to have my blood drawn, again —a terrifying process for me, since I'm so frightened of needles.
I lay down on the examining table. Ramona entered the room. Her warm smile was familiar, and stood out in contrast to my fears. She knew about my fear of needles, and she kindly hid the equipment under a magazine. As we opened the blouse, the fresh scar on my chest could be seen.
She said, “How is your scar healing?”
I said, “I think pretty well. I wash around it gently each day.” The memory of the shower water hitting my numb chest flashed across my face.
She gently reached over and ran her hand across the scar, examining the smoothness of the healing skin and looking for any irregularities. I began to cry gently and quietly. She brought her warm eyes to mine and said, “You haven't touched it yet, have you?” And I said, “No.”
So this wonderful, warm woman laid the hand on my chest and she gently held it there. For a long time, I continued to cry quietly. In soft tones she said, “This is part of your body. This is you. It's okay to touch it.” But I couldn't. So she touched it for me. The scar. The healing wound. And beneath it, she touched my heart. Then Ramona said, “I'll hold your hand while you touch it.” So she placed her hand next to mine, and we both were quiet. That was the gift that Ramona gave me.After I got my first chemotherapy treatment, _________.
| A．I began to feel better | B．my scar was still painful |
| C．I could hardly stretch my arm | D．I got tired of operation |
Ramona hid the equipment under a magazine to _________.
| A．cheer me up | B．rid my fear |
| C．make me amused | D．tease me |
When Ramona examined my healing skin, __________.
| A．she was careless | B．she hurt me |
| C．I started to cry | D．she was in tears |
I began to have the courage to touch the scar _________.
| A．because of Ramona’s encouragement |
| B．because I could face the fact |
| C．because of Ramona’s gentleness |
| D．because Ramona and I became friends |
What is the author’s attitude towards Ramona?
| A．Objective | B．Grateful | C．Doubtful | D．Helpless |
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