All too often, a choice that seems sustainable(可持续的)turns out on closer examination to be problematic. Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol(乙醇) for fuel from corn. Corn is a renewable resource —you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like a great idea.
One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol more sustainable than gas generally, but that’s not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the fallow land –including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil—into farmland, which in turn gives off lots of carbon dioxide (CO) into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not help.
You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete life-cycle analysis of its environmental(环境的) costs. Even then, technology and public keep developing, and that development can lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living sustainably requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?
| A．The growing demand for energy to make ethanol |
| B．The increasing carbon dioxide in the air |
| C．The greater need for farmland |
| D．The big change in weather. |
The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “ ”
| A．the energy benefit | B．the forest loss |
| C．climate change | D．burning ethanol |
The author thinks that replacing gas with corn ethanol is .
| A．impractical | B．acceptable | C．admirable | D．useless |
What does the author mainly discuss in the text?
| A．Technology | B．Sustainability |
| C．Ethanol energy | D．Environmental protection |
Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
Margie Bland remembers the phone call from Iraq sometime before Christmas. Her son, Army specialist Joseph Darby , a military police officer in the reserves(not full – time soldiers), was on the phone and she could tell something was wrong.
Darby , 24 , would later come out as the soldier who first alerted the world to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US guards at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad on January 13. “I could tell in his voice he was not sleeping.” Blank , 45, recalls. “He said ‘I don’t fell good.’” Darby was feeling bad about something he thought was very wrong. “It was really hard on him”, his mother said. “He didn’t want to go against his troops, but he said he could not stand the cruelty he had discovered . He said he kept thinking , ‘What if that was my mum, my brother or my brother or my wife?’” Darby slipped an anonymous note under a military investigator’s door in January, about the mistreatment of prisoners. He later turned in a CD-ROM with 1,000 photos documenting the cruelty, according to a recently disclosed internal Army report. “I told him, ‘Your picture is in the paper, ’” Blank said. “I said, ‘Honey , you did a good thing and good always triumphs over evil ’ And he said, ‘You’re right, mum.’”
Darby grew up in western Pennsylvania, US To help his family, he worked at a fast food restaurant as a teenager and as a mechanic after graduating from high school. He thought the Army might lead to a better life—even a college education. So, like many others, he ended up in Iraq.
65．How did Darby feel when he found the abuse of Iraqi prisoners?
A．Excited B．Terrible C．Pleased D．Angry
66．Darby joined the army to________
A．travel around the world for free B．support his family
C．improve his life D．occupy Iraq
67．The purpose of writing the passage is to_______.
A．criticize the US troops for their wrong doings in Iraq
B．discuss whether Darby should disclose the abuse of Iraqi prisoners
C．tell the life about Iraqi prisoners
D．show how Darby behaved in face of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners
E
Camping wild is a wonderful way to experience the natural world and, at its best, it makes little environmental influence. But with increasing numbers of people wanting to escape into the wilderness, it is becoming more and more important to ca
mp unobtrusively（不引人注意地）and leave no mark.
Wild camping is not permitted in many places, particularly in crowded lowland Britain. Wherever you are, find out about organizations responsible for managing wild spaces, and contact them to find out their policy on camping and shelter building. For example, it is fine to camp wild in remote parts of Scotland, but in England you must ask the landowner’s permission, except in national parks.
Camping is about having relaxation, sleeping out door, experiencing bad weather, and making do without modern conveniences. A busy, fully-equipped campsite（野营地）seems to go against this, so seek out smaller, more remote places with easy access to open spaces and perhaps beaches. Better still, find a campsite with no road access: walking in makes a real adventure.
Finding the right spot to camp is the first step to guaranteeing a good night’s sleep. Choose a campsite with privacy and minimum influence on others and the environment. Try to use an area where people have obviously camped before rather than creating a new spot. When camping in woodland, avoid standing dead trees, which may fall on a windy night. Avoid animal runs and caves, and possible homes of biting insects. Make sure you have most protection on the windward side. If you make a fire, do so downwind of your shelter. Always consider what influence you might have on the natural world. Avoid damaging plants. A good campsite is found, not made—changing it should be unnecessary.
57. You needn’t ask for permission when camping in ________.
A. most parts of Scotland B. national parks in England
C. crowded lowland Britain D. most parts of England
58. The author thinks that a good campsite is one ________.
A. used previously B. with easy access
C, with modem conveniences D. far away from beaches
59. The last paragraph mainly deals with ________.
A. protecting animals B. building a campfire
C. camping in woodland D. finding a campsite with privacy
60. The passage is mainly about ________.
A. the protection of campsites B. the human influence on campsites
C. the importance of wild camping D. the dos and don’ts of wild camping
D
These days, if you still think the cell phone is just for talking, you’ll get laughed at. Yes, it’s true, voice-only handsets have become out of date. Today’s do-it-all mobiles have a lot in common with the computer. The only difference may be that they fit in your pocket and you pay by the minute to use th
em. Some of the things a cell phone can do for you will be available this year:
Surf at speed
Cell phones that let you use the Web have been around for years. So, what’s new? Well, faster third-generation（3G）networks that let you surf at anywhere. This then allows a carrier to send video, music, and games to your phone. Possible choices are from LG Electronics VX 8000 and Motorola V1150.
Listen as you go
The problem with most cell phone MP3 players is that they hold only a handful of songs. But, that’s about to change. Sony Ericsson’s new W800i can hold around 150 songs in its 500 MB memory. And Samsung’s SPH-V5400 even comes with a 1.5 GB hard drive. Mobile phones may eventually replace mini-MP3 players, especially for teens.
Say cheese
Camera cell phones are not new either. But, most of them have limitations: around 1-megapixel（百万像素）. But new technology has made 2-megapixel units more common, and 3-megapixel units are showing up soon. Some 2-megapixel models, like Sony Ericsson’s K750i, offer limited zoom and focus controls. Others, like LG’s recent A7110, can even capture 30 minutes of full-motion video.
Portable TV
You say you like “watching TV”? That’s what Samsung 
MM-A700 wants to give you. The new model lets users watch popular TV programmes— for a fee. Other choices are Nokia’s 6620, Sanyo’s MM7400 and NEC’s N940. The NEC model lets you watch public TV— no fee.
The above are just a handful of what you’ll see in the coming months. Further down the road, your mobile phone may play a host of other roles, such as mobile credit card, position locator... So what is there that a cell phone can’t do?
53. Which of the following models should you choose to listen to the music?
A. Samsung’s SPH-V5400 and Nokia’s 6620.
B. Sanyo’s MM7400 and NEC’s N940.
C. Sony Ericsson’s W800i and NEC’s N940.
D. Sony Ericsson’s W800i and Samsung’s SPH-V5400.
54. What’s the difference between NEC’s N940 and other models?
A. It allows you to surf the Internet at a high speed.
B. It lets you watch public TV for free.
C. It can hold as many as 150 songs.
D. It can capture 30 minutes of full-motion video.
55. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Camera cellphones of 3-megapixel units will appear soon.
B. It is certain that a cellphone can do anything in the near future.
C. Today’s do-it-all mobiles have nothing in common with the computer.
D. All the functions of the models mentioned in the passage are completely new.
56. This passage may be ________.
A. a survey to find the development of cellphones
B. an introduction to some new models of cellphones
C. a science fiction trying to attract readers’ attention
D. an advertisement trying to persuade you to buy new cellphones
C
Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they take effect. But in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax more than doubled—to $1. 01 per pack—smokers have jammed telephone “quit lines” across the country seeking to kick the habit.
This is not a surprise to public health advocates（拥护者） They’ve studied the effect of state tax increases for years, finding that smokers, especially teens, are price sensitive. Nor is it a shock to the industry, which fiercely fights every tax increase.
The only wonder is that so many states insist on closing their ears to the message. Tobacco taxes improve public health, they raise money and most particularly, they deter people from taking up the habit as teens, which is when nearly all smokers are addicted. Yet the rate of taxation varies widely.
In Manhattan, for instance, which has the highest tax in the nation, a pack of Marlboro Light Kings cost ＄10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday. In Charleston, S. C., where the 7-cent-a-pack tax is the lowest in the nation, the price was $4. 78.
The influence is obvious.
In New York, high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys—13.8%, far below the national average. By comparison, 26% of high school students smoke in Kentucky, other low-tax states have similarly depressing teen-smoking records.
Hal Rogers, Representative from Kentucky, like those who are against high tobacco taxes, argues that the burden of the tax falls on low-income Americans “who choose to smoke.”
That’s true. But there is more reason in keeping future generations of low-income workers from getting hooked in the first place. As for today’s adults, if the new tax drives them to quit, they will have more to spend on their families, cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better.
49. The text is mainly about ________.
A. the price of cigarettes B. the rate of teen smoking
C. the effect of tobacco tax increase D.
the differences in tobacco tax rate
50. The underlined word "deter” in Paragraph 3 most probably means ________.
A. discourage B. remove C. benefit D. free
51. Rogers’ attitude towards the low-income smokers might be that of ________.
A. tolerance B. unconcern C. doubt D. sympathy
52. What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. The new tax will be beneficial in the long run.
B. Low-income Americans are more likely to fall ill.
C. Future generations will be hooked on smoking.
D. Adults will depend more on their families.
B
In a recent class I was asked “What is a short story?” My first answer was that it was something that could be read in one sitting and brought an illumination (启示) to the reader, sudden and golden like sunlight cracking through heavy cloud. I went on to say that in my opinion a “real” short story was closer to poetry than to the novel.
Here are some definitions of the short story. My favorite is Benet’s: “something that can be read in an hour and remembered for a lifetime”. One writer said: “the theme of a novel won’t fit into the framework of a short story; it’s like trying to squeeze (压缩) a large painting done on a wall into a miniature. And as in a miniature painting, the details need to be sharp.”
The short story is an example of one aspect of human nature. Short stories usually “say something”, often a character undergoes some event, often a small thing, but something similar to a life experience, even a life-moment for some readers. A short story is an account, rarely over 10,000 words or below 500 words— more commonly 1,500-5,000 words— a single-sitting read, but with enough time and weight to move the reader.
Writer Isabelle Allende once wrote: “Novels are, for me, adding up details, just work, work, work, then you’re done. Short stories are more difficult— they have to be perfect, complete in themselves.”
45. The underlined word “undergoes” in the third paragraph probably means ________.
A. discovers B. experiences C. discusses D. appreciates
46. Which statement of the following is true?
A. The ideal short story should be at most 10,000 words in length.
B. The ideal short story should be below 500 words in length
C. The ideal short story should be around 1,500 words in length
D. The ideal short story should be over 5,000words in length
47. What’s the difference between novels and short stories?
A. Novels are too long for us to read.
B. Short stories are too short for us to read.
C. Novels are more details than short stories.
D. Short stories are more perfect and difficult than novels.
48. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. How Do You Write a Short Story? B. Is a Short Story Similar to Poetry?
C. What Exactly Is a Short Story? D. Are Short Stories Perfect and Complete?
粤公网安备 44130202000953号