One thing the tour books don’t tell you about London is that 2,000 of its residents are foxes. They ran away from the city about centuries ago after developers and pollution moved in. But now that the environment is cleaner, the foxes have come home, one of the many wild animals that have moved into urban areas around the world.
“The number and variety of wild animals in urban areas is increasing,” says Gomer Jones, president of the National Institute for Urban Wildlife, in Columbia, Maryland. A survey of the wildlife in New York’s Central Park last year tallied the species of mammals, including muskrats, shrews and flying squirrels. A similar survey conducted in the 1890s counted only five species. One of the country’s largest populations of raccoons (浣熊) now lives in Washington D.C., and moose (驼鹿) are regularly seen wandering into Maine towns. Peregrine falcons(游隼) dive from the window ledges of buildings in the largest U.S. cities to prey on (捕食) pigeons.
Several changes have brought wild animals to the cities. Foremost is that air and water quality in many cities has improved as a result of the 1970s pollution-control efforts. Meanwhile, rural areas have been built up, leaving many animals on the edges of suburbs. In addition, urban wildlife refuges (避难处)have been created. The Greater London Council last year spent￡750,000 to buy land and build 10 permanent wildlife refuges in the city. Over 1,000 volunteers have donated money and cleared rubble from derelict lots. One evening last year a fox was seen on Westminster Bridge looking up at Big Ben.
For peregrine falcons, cities are actually safer than rural cliff dwellings (悬崖栖息地). By 1970 the birds had died out east of the Mississippi because the DDT had made their eggs too thin to support life. That year, scientist Tom Cade of Cornell University began raising the birds for release in cities, for cities afforded abundant food.
Cities can attract wild animals without turning them harmful. The trick is to create habitats where they can be self-sufficient but still be seen and appreciated. Such habitats can even be functional. In San Francisco, the local government is testing different kinds of rainwater control basins to see not only which ones retain (保持) the cleanest water but which will attract the most birds.The first paragraph suggests that ________.
| A．environment is crucial for wildlife |
| B．tour books are not always a reliable source of information |
| C．London is a city of fox |
| D．foxes are highly adaptable to environment |
Which of the following is NOT a reason that wildlife is returning to the cities?
| A．Food is plentiful in the cities. |
| B．Wildlife is appreciated in the cities. |
| C．Wildlife refuges have been built in the cities |
| D．Air and water quality has improved in the cities |
The underlined word “tallied” in Para. 2 means __________.
| A．distinguished | B．described | C．counted | D．excluded |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．Londoners are putting more and more wild animals into their zoos. |
| B．Londoners are happy to see wild animals return to their city |
| C．Londoners are trying to move wild animals back to the countryside |
| D．Londoners have welcomed the wild birds, but found foxes a problem |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Wildlife returning to large cities |
| B．Foxes returning to London |
| C．Wild animals living in zoos |
| D．A survey of wildlife in New York |
Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids (小行星) now, one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it, say some scientists.
Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids (流星) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don’t threaten us. But there are also thousands whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.
Buy $50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $100 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one, the scientists say, we’ll have a way to change its course.
Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn’t be cheap.
Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500,000 years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall, it would be the end of the world. If we don’t take care of these big asteroids, they’ll take care of us,” says one scientist. “It’s that simple.”
The cure, though, might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “ The world has less to fear from doomsday (毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them,” said a New York Times article.
66. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?
A.They are heavenly bodies different in composition.
B. They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.
C. There are more asteroids than meteoroids.
D. Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.
67. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?
A. It is very unlikely but the danger exists.
B. Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.
C. Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.
D. It’s still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.
68. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?
A. It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.
B. It may create more problems than it might solve.
C. It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.
D. Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.
69. We can conclude from the passage that ________
A. while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world.
B. asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future.
C. the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime
D. workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth.
70. Which of the following best describes the author’s tone in this passage?
A. Optimistic B. Critical C. Objective D. Arbitrary
Three surfers rushed to save a man’s life after he was left drifting on a notorious stretch of water.
The men stayed with Greg Popple for 30 minutes and had to be rescued themselves by helicopter as the drama unfolded.
The 45-year-old had floated out on a body board near Hutchwns Point at 8:30 am. He found himself in trouble about half-a-mile from the shore and dangerously close to rocks. Surfers Graig Evans, 31, Robert Miles, 19, and Owain Daviees, 23, were risking their own safety to keep him floating for 30 minute
s. Luckily a passer-by noticed what was going on and raised the alarm. Porthcawl Coastguard, Porthcaw Lifeboat and an RAF helicopter all took part in the rescue.
“The man who got into trouble was a body boarder-there was a big tide where he was,” said Joe Missen. “Three other surfers spotted he was in difficulty and he 
was going down. They kept him afloat because he was in a state of shock and out of energy. If Mr. Popple was closer to the rocks, it could have been a lot worse, but they managed to keep him from harm”.
Mr. Missen’s mum Alison, also part of the rescue team, s
aid, “That part of the water is notorious for taking people out to nowhere”.
The three men had clocked off a night shift at Ford Motor Company shortly before the incident.
“I headed straight down to the beach for a surf, when I saw him flailing(挥动). We just swam straight out to him and kept him calm while the help came”.
The four men were taken to the life boat house to recover, without injuries.
61. What would be the best title for the text?
A.Three Men to Be Praised B Notorious Place for Surfers
C.Surfers Rescue Man Caught in Tide D.Greg Popple-a Lucky Dog
62. The helicopter came up at the request of ________.
A.Greg Popple B. Craig Evans C. Robert Miles D. a passer-by
63. About the incident, we know that ______.
A.Mr. Popple moved difficulty for loss of energy
B.The three men were badly injured
C.Mr. Popple’mum was also in the rescue team
D.Mr. Davies was going to work that morning
64. According to the text, what was the most important thing to do for the three men?
A.Keeping him farther away from the rocks. B.Keeping Mr Popple swimming in the sea.
C.Asking him to have a good rest. D.Keeping him floating everywhere.
65. What may the style of this passage be?
A.A story. B. A news report. C. A poster. D. An advertisement.
One dark and stormy night, an elderly man and his wife entered the hall of a small hotel in Philadelphia, hoping to get shelter for the night.
The clerk, a friendly man
with a beautiful smile, explained that there were three conferences in town. “All of our rooms are taken,” the clerk said, “but I can't send a nice couple like you into the rain at one o’clock in the morning. Would you perhaps be willing to sleep in my room? It’s not a suite, but it will be good enough to make you comfortable for the night.” The couple agreed.
As the elderly man paid the bill the next morning, he told the clerk, “You are the kind of person who should be the boss of the best hotel in the United States. Maybe someday I’Il build one for you.” The clerk looked at them and smiled. The three of them had a good laugh.
Two years passed. The clerk had almost forgotten the incident when he received a letter from the elderly man, asking the clerk to pay him a visit. The elderly man met him in New York, and led him to the corner of the Fifth Avenue and 34th Street. He then pointed to a great new building there, a reddish stone one with watchtowers thrusting up to the sky, and told the clerk that it was the hotel he ha
d just built for him to manage.
That wonderful building was the original Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. And this young clerk whose names was George C. Boldt never foresaw the return of events that would lead him into the manager of one of the world's most attractive hotels.
56 .When the elderly couple left the hotel, they ________. .
A .took what they said as a joke
B .wanted to build the same hotel in the future
C .hoped that the clerk would replace the boss of the hotel
D. thought the clerk was talented in managing hotels
57. Why did the elderly man build a hotel for the clerk?
A .He was grateful to the clerk. B.They had a bet at first.
C.He wanted to please the clerk. D. He wanted to sell the hotel.
58. According to the text, the clerk
A. helped the couple because he thought they were poor
B. hoped that the old couple could give him a large amount of money
C. didn't expect to receive things in return from the old couple.
D. became rich, thanks to his own efforts
59. From the text, we can infer that .
A. anybody can be a successful manager B. old people are always very rich
C. good luck is always waiting for lucky people D. kindness can bring a good return
60.What do you think of the clerk?
A. He was willing to help. B. He was very attractive.
C. He tried to make money for his hotel． D. He liked making friends.
Why do we need friends? Well, having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are lonely. But never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage, friendship needs care and patience（耐心）.Here is something to remember to maintain（维持）a friendship:
Make friendship the most important thing. Find the time to be with your friends even if it means letting the grass go unmoved or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
Open up to close friends. Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems, but offer advice only when it’s wanted.
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies, singing in a choir, or taking part in a bowling league.
Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu, offer to go to the store to buy some pills or drive his / her children to their after-school activities.
How to make new friends?
You can start a group, such as a discussion group on gardening or books. Place an ad in a com
munity newspaper to find people.
Talk to strangers to find new friends. You should be c
autious（谨慎的）and use your common sense, of course. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores can lead to firm friendships.
Enroll in an adult-education course. A classroom is a good place to meet others with similar interests.
48. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. How to make new friends. B. Why do we need friends.
C. How to keep a friendship. D. How to gain friends’ trust.
49. We can learn from the passage that .
A. We should not give advice to our friends anytime we want to
B. We should offer to help our friends even if they don’t need help at all
C. It’s impolite to have different activities with different groups of friends
D. People with friends can live longer than those who don’t have friends
50. According to the author, _______ are good places to find people sharing your interests.
A. libraries B. markets
C. laundry rooms D. classrooms
Two thieves came to a house to steal something.They dug a hole in the wall of the house.There lived many mice in the house.The woman in the moonlight saw a mouse crawl（爬行）int
o the house.“Look！In comes one，”she said to the man in the house.The thief was so frightened that he hurriedly crawled out of the house and said to the one waiting outside，“She found me when I was just in.” But the thief outside didn’t believe him，so he said，“Let us two try to crawl into the house together.”At that time two mice happened to crawl into the house，too.The woman saw the mice and shouted，“In come two，catch them！” The two thieves were terribly frightened.The man in the house said，“You saw them come in but where are they？ I will catch them tonight.”The two thieves started running away at once.
The two thieves wanted to make it clear whether they had been found or not the night before.The next day they acted as men selling sweet potatoes and came before the house.The man and the woman were ploughing in their fields.The rein（缰绳）broke and the woman came home for a rope.She saw two men selling sweet potatoes and wanted to buy some.She picked out two which looked like mice.At the time the man couldn’t wait for her any longer in the fields and he ran back from the fields to hurry her up.The woman showed the sweet potatoes to the man and said，“How they look like the two of last night.”The man said，“I asked you to fetch a rope，why don’t you hurry for it？”The two thieves ran away quickly without their sweet potatoes.
44.The two thieves failed to steal anything from the house because______.
A.they were found out
B.they were frightened by what they had heard in the house
C.they didn’t work toge
ther well with each other
D.mice stopped them from doing so
45.From the last paragraph，we know that ______.
A.the two thieves were famous selling sweet potatoes
B.the woman recognized the two thieves
C.the woman pretended to know nothing about the two thieves and made fun of them
D.the two thieves didn’t know that they were not found at all
46.“______”is the best title for this passage.
A.Two Clever Thieves B.Terrible Mice
C.Hit the Mark by a Fluke（歪打正着） D.A Clever Couple
47.Which of the following statements is WRONG？
A.The man let the woman go home for a rope，which would be used for catching the thieves.
B.Whenever they found mice，the people in the house would try to catch them.
C.The two thieves ran away at once，because they thought the woman had seen them.
D.The two thieves not only failed to steal things but also lost their sweet potatoes.
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