People in several American states may be surprised to see cars on city streets without a driver. Experimental driverless vehicles now are legal in Florida, Nevada and California. They are pointing the way to a future that is not far down the road. The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August. Volvo is among the companies doing road tests and says it plans to sell driverless cars by 2020.
In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. “Today we're looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow's reality-the driverless car.”The technology for these cars includes cameras, radar and motion sensors. The systems have been improved through competitions sponsored by the U. S. government agency DARPA. Engineer Richard Mason of the Rand Corporation helped design driverless vehicles for DARPA challenge races.
Cars have become much more fuel-efficient, and new electronic features are making Hondas safer, said Angie Nucci of Honda America. “A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes.” Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. The systems help drivers, but don't replace them. Curator Leslie Kendall of the Petersen Automotive Museum said autonomous cars will make the high ways safer.
“By taking out drivers, you also remove most risks of an accident,” Kendall said. He said consumers, however, may be unwilling to lose control. “It may take them time to come to realize that the technology is indeed reliable, but it will have to prove itself first.”
Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable. He said this will happen as the technology is improved.What can we learn from Paragraph 1?
A. Driverless vehicles are now legal in the whole USA.
B. Volvo will be the first to sell driverless cars.
C. Google’s self-driving cars have covered a long distance.
D. Driverless cars are pointing us a faraway future.We learn that Governor of California Jerry Brown_________.
| A．helped design self-driving cars. |
| B．supports self-driving cars on roads. |
| C．considers self-driving cars science fiction. |
| D．improved the self-driving car systems. |
According to Richard Mason, what is the biggest challenge for driverless cars?
| A．They are now too expensive for consumers. |
| B．Their technical problems remain to be solved. |
| C．They are not allowed to run on the road. |
| D．They are more dangerous for people on the street. |
What's the best title of the passage?
| A．The benefits of the self-driving cars. |
| B．The biggest challenge of the self-driving cars. |
| C．Self-driving cars-science fiction future is near. |
| D．Safer or more dangerous-self-driving cars. |
（1）American schools are looking for ways to save money on bustransportation because of high fuel prices. （2）Some schools, especially in rural areas, are changing to a four-day week. （3）That meanslonger days instead of the traditional Monday through Friday schedule.
Beginning in the fall of 2008，students in the Maccray schooldistrict in Minnesota will be in school Tuesday through Friday. Eachschool day will be sixty-five minutes longer. The district expects to " save about 65，000 dollars a year in transportation costs. The districthas about 700 students living in an area of 900 square kilometers.
In Custer, South Dakota, students have been going to schoolMonday through Thursday since 1995. The change has saved an estimated one million dollars over just the past eight years.
But he sees other benefits, too. Students get more instructionaltime. And activities that used to interfere with classes are now heldon non-school days.
In the future, the growth of online classes could make it possible to require even fewer days in school. High fuel prices are driving college students to take more online classes. And in somestates, high school students can take them, too.
In New Mexico, the first school district changed to a four-dayweek in 1974 because of the Arab oil boycott. Now, 17 out of 89districts use it.
A four-day school week sounds like a great idea for studentsand teachers because they are too tired. But working parents mayhave to pay for child care for that fifth day. The Lake Arthur SchoolDistrict has just 160 students. Lake Arthur used a four-day schedulefor twelve years. But a few years ago it went back to five days. The following sentences can be added in Paragraph 1 _________. More children may have to walk, ride their bikes or find otherways to get to school. But, as another effect of the high prices, they may not have to go to school as often.
| A．at the beginning of （1） | B．between （1） and （2） |
| C．between（2） and （3） | D．at the end of （3） |
We can infer from Paragraph 2 that _________.
| A．students in the district will go to school four days a week be-sides Monday |
| B．the district will spend 65，000 dollars every year on transportation costs |
| C．students in the district will stay at school 260 minutes longerthan before |
| D．students in the district live near the school |
A four-day school week is a good idea because _________.
| A．the price of fuel is higher than before |
| B．there are so many students that the city streets are full of traffic |
| C．students and teachers are tired and students can get more instructional time |
| D．both A and C |
_________is carrying out a four-day schedule these days.
| A．The Lake Arthur School District |
| B．The Maccray school district in Minnesota |
| C．The school district in Custer, South Dakota |
| D．All the school districts in New Mexico |
Some farmers of irrigated rice in Asia, Africa and the Americasare using a production method called S. R. I. ，which is short for theSystem of Rice Intensification. It does not require new seeds. It onlyrequires changes in the ways that rice farmers manage plants, soil, water and nutrients.
With S. R. I, farmers use fewer seeds and transplant themearlier than usual. Leaving more room between plants lets the rootsand leaves spread more. Farmers also use less water. They keep thefieldsmoistbut do not continuously flood them. The use of chemicalfertilizer is also reduced.
Norman Uphoff is a big supporter of S. R. I, who was a professor in New York. He retired but still works from an office there tobring attention to the system.
A French priest developed S. R. I. in Madagascar(马达加斯岛)in the 1980s. Norman Uphoff learned about it fifteen yearsago while working there. He led field trials for the system for threeyears.
He says it usually doubles productivity. But during that time inMadagascar, it produced an average of eight tons per hectare. Thatwas four times the usual average. In the late 1990s, Professor Uphoffbegan trying to spread the word about S. R. I.
Supporters say there have been reports from many areas oflarge increases in productivity and profits. But not everyone is persuaded.
Kenneth Cassman is an agricultural expert. In his words, "There is no strong evidence that the S. R. I. is more effective thanthe best of conventional rice-growing methods. " But Norman Uphofflooks forward to more field trials in 2009 which he believes willconfirm the effectiveness of S. R. I. The following belong to the System of Rice Intensification EX-CEPT _________
| A．using fewer seeds | B．requiring new seed |
| C．replanting earlier than usual | D．leaving more room between plants |
The underlined word "moist " in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by _________
| A．damp | B．thirsty |
| C．deserted | D．fertile |
All of the following statements are true according to the text EX-CEPT _________.
| A．the founder of S. R. I. is a French priest |
| B．at present Norman Uphoff works in a university in the US |
| C．Norman Uphoff learned about S. R. I. in 1993 while workingin Madagascar |
| D．Norman Uphoff is trying to spread the word about S. R. I. |
The author's attitude to S. R. I. is _________.
| A．impersonal | B．negative |
| C．subjective | D．opposite |
Is cultural heritage a burden on or a contributor to economic growth? The statistics in a report indicate that the contribution fromcultural heritage to economic growth is eight times as many as theinvestment in its protection and management.
The profit from cultural heritage is realized mainly throughtourism and auction of cultural relics, according to the report. Thefact that over 50% of the profit is from tourism sends a message thatsome cultural heritages can be a stable source of income for a localeconomy. What's more, the industry based on it is environment-friendly.
However, not all cultural heritages make money. And they doso only when they are protected and managed well. They must bepresented to visitors as they are, and should never be used only as asource of profit.
There are examples that some local governments unnecessarilybuild fake (假的）cultural heritages with the intention of adding tothe cultural connotation (内涵）of the real heritage. The result ismostly a strange mix in which the value of the real one is lost in theglitter of the fake.
The more a cultural heritage is treated as it is, the more profitable it is. This is becoming increasingly true. This is becausepeople's aesthetic judgment has been improving with their rising living standards. They want to see the real things, well-preserved realobjects of cultural interest, and they want to learn something throughvisiting a cultural heritage site. According to the passage, cultural heritage _________.
| A．is a burden on economic growth |
| B．is a contributor to economic growth |
| C．must make money |
| D．must be a stable source of income for a local economy |
The profit from cultural heritage is _________.
| A．less than the investment in its protection and management |
| B．only by tourism |
| C．by building fake cultural heritages |
| D．through tourism and auction of cultural relics |
From the last Paragraph, we can learn _________.
| A．the more a cultural heritage is treated as it is, the more profitable it is |
| B．people's aesthetic judgment depends on the glitter of the fake |
| C．well-preserved real objects of cultural interest is worthless |
| D．preserving a real cultural heritage site well means a stable in-vestment |
The author tries to tell us _________.
| A．the importance of protecting and managing cultural heritages |
| B．the requirement of people's aesthetic judgment |
| C．cultural heritages make more money than industry |
| D．fake cultural heritages can add the cultural connotation toreal ones |
The morning had been a disaster. My tooth was aching, and hadbeen in an argument with a friend. Her words still hurt： "The trouble with you is that you won't put yourself in my place. Can't yousee things from my point of view?" I shook my head stubbornly—and felt the ache in my tooth. I'd thought I could hold out till mydentist came back from holiday, but the pain was really unbearable. I started calling the dentists in the phone book, but no one couldsee me immediately. Finally, at about lunchtime, I got lucky.
"If you come by right now, " the receptionist said, " the dentistwill fit you in. "
I took my purse and keys and rushed to my car. But suddenly Ibegan to doubt about the dentist. What kind of dentist would be soeager to treat someone at such short notice? Why wasn't he as busyas the others?
In the dentist's office, I sat down and looked around. I sawnothing but the bare walls and I became even more worried. The assistant noticed my nervousness and placed her warm hand over myice-cold one.
When I told her my fears, she laughed and said, "Don't worry. The dentist is very good. "
"How long do I have to wait for him?" I asked impatiently. "Come on, he is coming. Just lie down and relax. And enjoythe artwork, "the assistant said.
"The artwork?" I was puzzled.
The chair went back. Suddenly I smiled. There was a beautifulpicture, right where I could enjoy it ： on the ceiling. How consideratethe dentist was ！ At that moment, I began to understand what myfriend meant by her words. What a relief!Which of the following best describes the author's feeling thatmorning?
| A．Cheerful. | B．Nervous. |
| C．Satisfied. | D．Upset. |
What made the author begin to doubt about the dentist?
| A．The dentist's agreeing to treat her at very short notice. |
| B．The dentist's being as busy as the other dentists. |
| C．The surroundings of the dentist's office. |
| D．The laughing assistant of the dentist. |
Why did the author suddenly smile?
| A．Because the dentist came at last. |
| B．Because she saw a picture on the ceiling. |
| C．Because she could relax in the chair. |
| D．Because the assistant kept comforting her. |
What did the author learn from her experience most probably?
| A．Strike while the iron is hot. |
| B．Have a good word for one's friend. |
| C．Put oneself in others' shoes. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
She's rarely seen without an elegant handbag on her arm, butthe question of what the Queen keeps inside it has long remained amystery. Now a new book claims to cast light on the contents of theroyal Matriarch's main possession.
What's in the Queens Handbag-And Other Royal Secrets revealsthat though the 81-year-old British monarch(君主）does, t carry cash, keys or passport, since she doesn't own one—her bag is far fromempty. Inside are a collection of little presents from her children, amake-up case, some family photos, and a camera sometimes. There'salso an s-shaped metal hook that she places on the dinner table'sedge to hang her bag from so that it doesn't touch the floor.
Should you ever meet the Queen, it's not what's in her bag butwhat she does with it that should concern you. She uses her bags, ofwhich she has about 200 made by London-based firm Lanier, to sendsignals to her staff.
Before dining with the Queen, a point is made to inform gueststhat dinner will end in about five minutes after she places her bagon the table top.
On walkabouts, she holds the bag to one side to show she intendsto move on, at which point a lady-in-waiting joins the conversation, al-lowing her to slip away without causing offence.
When at a banquet, if the Queen's bag is placed on the floorthen it's a sign that she's not finding the conversation interesting, and wants nothing more than to escape. However, if the royal bag isdangling happily from the crook of her left arm, she is happy and relaxed. What does the article tell us about the Queen's handbag?
| A．She seldom has it with her. |
| B．She always carries the same handbag. |
| C．It used to be thought empty. |
| D．Its contents are not the same as ours. |
When is it necessary for the Queen to convey her intention withher bag?
| A．When she is with guests. | B．When she eats outside. |
| C．When she has her staff around. | D．When she is tired of speaking. |
The Queen gives no signal when she _________.
| A．hangs her bag on the metal hook | B．hangs her bag from her left arm |
| C．places her bag on the floor | D．puts her bag on the table top |
By holding her bag to one side, the Queen shows she wants to _________
| A．talk to her lady-in-waiting | B．start a conversation |
| C．stop to continue her walk | D．go on with the talk |
" What's in the Queen's Handbag ： And Other Royal Secrets " is italicized(用斜体写）because that's _________.
| A．the very title of the article |
| B．the name of a book |
| C．the main information given in the article |
| D．what the writer wants to stress |
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