Many people think a telephone is essential. But I think it is a pest and a time waster. Very often you find it impossible to escape from some idle or curious chatter-box, or from somebody who wants something for nothing. If you have a telephone in your own house, you will admit that it tends to ring when you are asleep, or in the middle of a meal or a conversation, or when you are just going out, or when you are taking your bath. Are you strong minded enough to ignore it, to say to yourself,“Ah, well, it will all be the same in a hundred years’ time” You are not. You think there may be some important news or messages for you. I can assure you that if a message is really important it will reach you sooner or later. Have you never rushed dripping from the bath, or chewing from the table, or dazed from the bed, only to be told that you are a wrong number?
But you will say, you need not have your name printed in the telephone directory, and you can have a telephone which is only usable for outgoing calls. Besides, you will say, isn’t it important to have a telephone in case of emergency—illness, an accident, or fire? Of course, you are right, but here in a thickly populated country like England one is seldom far from a telephone in case of dreadful necessity.
I think perhaps I had better try to justify myself by trying to prove that what I like is good. I admit that in different circumstances—if I were a tycoon(business VIP),for instance, or bed ridden I might find a telephone essential. But then if I were a taxi-driver I should find a car essential.
Let me put it another way: there are two things for which the English seem to show particular talent; one is mechanical invention, the other is literature. My own business happens to be with the use of words but I see I must now stop using them. For I have just been handed a slip of paper to say that somebody is waiting to speak to me on the telephone. I think I had better answer it. After all, one never knows, it may be something important.The passage is mainly discussing _______.
| A．that we should be strong enough to ignore a phone call |
| B．that important message will reach you sooner or later |
| C．whether it’s necessary to answer all phone calls |
| D．whether it is necessary to have a telephone |
Judging from the passage, who is strong-minded enough to ignore a phone call?
| A．The author. | B．A tycoon. |
| C．A taxi-driver. | D．Hardly anyone. |
According to the passage, the author________.
| A．thinks the telephone should go out of our life |
| B．likes to be different from other people |
| C．thinks the telephone is annoying |
| D．speaks favourably of a telephone |
In the author’s opinion, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Nearly everyone has been told a wrong number. |
| B．It’s necessary for everyone to have a telephone. |
| C．He himself can not decide whether to answer a call. |
| D．A telephone directory may bring in unexpected calls. |
In many parts of the world cars play an essential role in daily life and many societies would stop to function without them. So the claim that in 20 years’ time no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously not only by governments but also by car manufacturers.
The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2020 all cars will be computerized, which will mean extremely large fuel savings, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 21st century will drive itself and it will not be owned by on individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.
According to Dr. David Davis, who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture ,which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.
Davis says cars will be fitted with intelligent cruise control devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. Brakes and accelerators (加速器) will become redundant（多余的） because the car will automatically speed up or slow down to match the speed of the car in front. Computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people.
By 2010 Dr. David Davis believes car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road whatever the weather conditions by projecting an image of the road ahead onto the car’s windscreen. And by 2020 cars will travel in convoy linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow(牵引) bar to the car in front to form “road-trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the ordinary fuel” says Davis. “But all the 
others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.We know from the passage that governments and car manufactures ________.
| A．don’t believe the prediction that no one will own cars by 2020. |
| B．are devoted to the technological innovation (创新) in car industry. |
| C．consider the predictions made by the researchers seriously. |
D．have put the super-intelligent car into mass production. |
Which of the following will NOT be the characteristics of the cars of 2020 ?
| A．There will be no brake and accelerator in cars. |
| B．We will own as many cars as we want . |
| C．All cars will be driven by computers. |
| D．Car accident will no longer happen. |
The expression closest in meaning to the underlined phrase “ in convoy”(Para 5) is ______.
| A．in line | B．sidelong | C．side by side | D．next to one another |
What will happen if cars are linked to each other electronically in 2020 ?
| A．Motorists will get a clear view of the road. |
| B．The weather conditions won’t have effect on motorists. |
| C．There will be a decrease in the pollution caused by car . |
| D．All trains will burn less fuel than present. |
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 avera
ge 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.
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, reversing a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18-20 years 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 decline 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 9-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 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．many drivers were not of legal age. |
| B．young drivers were often bad drivers. |
| C．Drivers should not be allowed to drink. |
| D．the legal drinking age should be raised. |
The underlined word “lenient” in the first paragraph mea
ns “_________”.
| A．serious | B．cruel | C．merciful | D．determined |
In America, public opinion about drunken driving has changed because __________.
| A．judges are giving more severe sentences |
| B．new laws are introduced in some states |
| C．the news media have highlighted the problem |
| D．drivers are more conscious of their image |
Why is the problem of drinking and driving difficult to solve？
| A．Because alcohol is easily obtained. |
| B．Because drinking is linked to organized crime. |
| C．Because legal prohibition has already failed. |
| D．Because making laws alone is not sufficient. |
A long weekend is a great opportunity to do something a little different. Many people use a long weekend for a getaway, a short trip to leave the stress of their everyday lives behind and explore, learn, or relax.
Hotel Romance
Many hotels and resorts feature something special to start the getaway, such as champagne, flowers, or a fruit basket in the room on arrival. Getaway packages usually include a room with something special, a heart shaped bed, for example. Additional benefits could be room service meals or other private dining, plus tickets or discounts for local attractions.
Visit a Spa
Spa getaways can take place at a location that focuses only on spa services or at a hotel that offers a spa as one of its features. Some spas emphasize treatments fit for their geographic area or a local attraction. A spa in a grape growing region might provide grape juice masks, or a hotel near a hot spring could offer mineral baths. Most spas offer a range of ma
ssage, health and beauty treatments, so a spa getaway can be relaxing with other benefits.
Learn a Skill
A long weekend may not be enough time to become an expert at something new, but it provides a way for people to begin their explorations. Some organizations offer intensive courses that last two or three days. People with special interests can get away from their routines while learning such things as how to make beer, speak a new language, or take better photos.
Help Others
Some organizations cooperate with businesses to have accommodations (住宿) and activities for short-term volunteers. Most volunteer vacations involve ecology friendly or charity activities. A volunteer getaway is a way to relieve stress and help others at the same time.
Stay in a National Park
For those who want to relax in a rural environment, a national park fits the bill. Most national parks provide camping areas for tents and trailers. Several have cabins (小屋) within the parks available to rent. A getaway to a national park provides privacy, stress relief, and the time to get to know some important natural resources.The underlined word getaway in this passage most probably means .
| A．exploration | B．location | C．vacation | D．activity |
It can be learned from the text that .
| A．spas are offered in the tourist attractions all over the country |
| B．intensive courses of some organizations help people get away from home |
| C．helping others at weekend makes people feel free and relaxed |
| D．people may get close to nature in a national park |
Which of the following can be rented in a national park?
| A．Cabins. | B．Trailers. | C．Camping area. | D．Privacy. |
The best title of the passage can be .
| A．Away from Our Busy Work | B．Good Ways to Relieve Stress |
| C．Enjoy Life and Help Others | D．Long Weekend Getaway Ideas |
When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than most of the adults in our community.
When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.
The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them so that each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things rough for them and weed out(淘汰) the weaker trees early on.
He talked abo
ut how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.
So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he’d beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.
Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in
my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.
It seems that adversity(逆境) and suffering benefit these trees in ways comfort and ease never could. I stood there deep in thought.
Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I stand over them and watch their little bodies, the rising and falling of life within. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think it’s time to change my prayer(祷词) because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship..According to Dr. Gibbs’ theories, trees will become weaker if they______
| A．are lack of care | B．are watered | C．are weeded out | D．are beaten |
.According to Para.3 and Pare.4, we can infer that Dr. Gibbs’moto（座右铭）may be_____
| A．“seeing is believing” | B．“Put everything in proper use” |
| C．”Practice makes perfect” | D．“No pains, no gains” |
.The underlined word robust in Para.5 most probably means______
| A．strong | B．strange | C．deep | D．old |
Which of the following may be the author’s best prayer for his two sons now ?
| A．I wish them strong wings, with which they can fly higher and touch the sky. |
| B．I wish them nice fortune so that they can meet people like Dr. Gibbs in the future. |
| C．I wish them deep roots into the earth since the rains fall and the winds blow often. |
| D．I wish them great shades under the tree since the sunlight is always sharp and bitter. |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．A Nice Doctor | B．The Deep Roots |
| C．Adversity and Suffering | D．My Childhood Memory |
A man was on the side of the road hitchhiking（搭便车）on a very dark night in the middle of a terrible rainstorm, with no cars on the road．The storm was so strong that the man could hardly see a few feet ahead of him．Suddenly, he saw a car come towards him and stop．The man, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door and only then did he realize that there was nobody behind the steering wheel（方向盘）!
The car started to move very slowly．The man looked at the road and saw a curve （拐弯处）coming his way．Terrified, he started to pray, begging for his life．He had not come out of shock when, just before the car hit the curve, a hand suddenly appeared through the window and moved the wheel．The man, paralyzed with fear, watched how the hand appeared every time the car was drawing near a curve．Finally, although terrified, the man managed to open the door and jump out of the spooky car．Without looking back, the man ran through the storm all the way to the nearest town．In a state of complete horror, the man walked into a nearby bar and asked for two glasses of Scotch whisky．
Then, still shaking with fright, he started telling everybody in the bar about the horrible experience he just went through in the spooky car．Everyone in the bar listened in silence and became frightened, with hair standing on end, when they realized the man was telling the truth because he was crying and he was certainly not drunk!
About half an hour later, two other young men walked into the same bar and one said to the other, “Hey, there’s a stupid man who jumped into the car while we were pushing it!”When the car was first drawing near a curve, the man ________．
| A．felt very curious | B．was extremely frightened |
| C．cried for help | D．remained as calm as possible |
According to the passage, what made the man’s experience believable?
| A．His reasonable behavior． | B．His vivid description． |
| C．His plain appearance． | D．His honest attitude． |
We can infer from the passage that ________．
| A．it is unsafe for people to take a free ride |
| B．the man was telling a lie to his listeners |
| C．the car probably broke down on the way |
| D．the two young men were familiar with the man |
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