Commuters (上下班往返的人) who drive to work will face a parking charge of up to ￡350 a year.Ministers are backing a workplace parking charge which will come into force in Nottingham in 2013 and is likely to be adopted across the country.The scheme will see firms with more than ten parking places for staff charged ￡350 a year for each space in two years.
Employers would be free to pass on the charge to their staff—meaning it would effectively be a tax on driving to work.The scheme aims to reduce traffic by preventing unnecessary car journeys and raise funds to improve public transport，but critics say it is just an excuse for councils to fill their coffers (金库)．
Some ten million Britons drive to work each day，and the British Chambers of Commerce says the new charge could total ￡3.4 billion a year if rolled out nationwide.
Already some firms in Nottingham have threatened to leave the city，where 40,000 commuters use their cars to get to work.A spokesman said the scheme was nothing more than a tax on jobs.“It is very unfair to discriminate against those employers who have parking spaces，which get vehicles off the streets，” he said.“And these charges apply around the clock，which is especially unfair on shift workers who rely on their cars because public transport is not available.This is more about increasing the government’s income than reducing traffic.”
However，Transport Minister Sadiq Khan gave the plan an official approval during a visit to Nottingham. The council says the tax will raise as much as ￡100 million over ten years—one fifth of the cost of a new transport system for the city.
Another transport spokesman Theresa Villiers said the tax would have a devastating impact on businesses struggling to cope with the economic decline.
But Richard Hebditch of the Campaign for Better Transport said the tax would raise money to invest in better transport.“We put forward the idea of workplace parking taxes as a fairer way to raise money to invest in the future local transport services.We are pleased that the people of Nottingham will be the first to benefit.”Supporters argue that the scheme________.
| A．can help improve the parking conditions for the staff |
| B．should be applied to ail commuters driving to work |
| C．is certain to be carried out despite the objections |
| D．will relieve traffic pressure and improve public transport |
According to the objectors，the scheme is unfair for________.
| A．the firms with parking lots |
| B．the workforce without cars |
| C．the employees parking their cars on the streets |
| D．the staff driving to work in the daytime |
Which word can best describe Theresa Villiers’s attitude towards the scheme?
| A．Neutral. | B．Negative. |
| C．Understanding. | D．Positive. |
It can be inferred from the passage that________.
| A．many firms are willing to pay the charges for their staff |
| B．the public transport in Nottingham is in great need of improvement |
| C．the author believes Britons will benefit from the scheme |
| D．those firms with more commuters will leave Nottingham |
Americans: Restless? Illiterate（没文化的）?
Americans are queer people: they can’t rest．They have more time, more leisure, shorter work hours, more holidays, and more vacations than any other people in the world．But they can’t rest．They rush up and down across their continent as tourists; they move about in great herds to conferences; they search the wilderness; they flood the mountains; they keep the hotels full．But they can’t rest．The scenery rushes past them．They learn it．Battles and monuments are announced to them on a tour bus．They hear them, but they don’t get them．They never stop moving; they rush up and down as Shriners, Masons, Old Graduates, Bankers—they are a new thing each day, always rushing to a reunion or something．So they go on rushing about till eventually the undertaker （殡葬工） gather them to a last conference．
Americans are queer people: they can’t read．They have more schools, and better schools and spend more money on schools and colleges than all Europe．But they can’t read．They print more books in a year than the French print．But they can’t read．They cover their country with one hundred thousand tons of Sunday newspapers every week．But they don’t read them．They’re too busy．They use them for fires and to make more paper with．They buy eagerly thousands of new novels at two dollars each．But they read only page one．Their streets are full of huge signs．They won’t look at them．Their streetcars are filled with advertising; they turn their eyes away．Transparent colors, cart wheels, and mechanical flares whirl and flicker in the crowded streets at night．No one sees them．Tons of letters pour into the mail boxes, through the houses, and down the garbage cans．No one reads them．
68．The underlined word “queer ” means ___________．
A．strange B．difficult C．forgetful D．friendly
69．According to the text, when do the Americans stop rushing about ?
A．When they are to allowed to．B．When they feel tired and sleepy
C．When they stop breathing eventually D．When they are seriously ill in bed
70．The Americans know the places of battles and monuments ___________．
A．by driving there in person B．when they are on the tour bus
C．from books and magazines D．by visiting them
71．Why does the writer write this passage?
A．To tell people the Americans are illiterate
B．To prove the Americans to be a queer nation
C．To make fun of the American way of life
D．To give the readers information about USA
Woman’s Day
Published by ACP Magazines Ltd, 54 Park St, Sydney
● Manuscripts （稿件） should be type-written and double-spaced （双倍行距）, using only one side of the page．
● Your name and address must be included．
● The manuscripts must be accompanied by a self- addressed envelope with stamps of the proper value （including registered mail if required）．
● Please keep copies of your text, pictures or photos．
● Allow several weeks for acceptance/return．
● ACP Magazines Ltd does not accept responsibility for damage to, or loss of, material sent to the editor．
● Material content in Woman's Day is protected under the Commonwealth Copyright Act （英联邦版权法案） 1968．
● No material may be reproduced in part or in whole without written agreement from the copyright holders．
Subscription （订阅） rate: Australia for one year （52 issues） $150．00 or six months （26 issues） $ 75．00．
Tel．（02） 9213 6116 Fax: （02） 9267 4363
E-mail: womansday@aepmagazines．com．au
Website: www．magshop．com．au
P．O．Box: 5252, Sydney, NSW 2001 （Postage free within Australia）
64．Which of the following is included in the requirements for the manuscripts?
A．They should be handwritten．
B．They should have no empty lines between lines．
C．They should be on the front of the page only．
D．They should include contributor’s（投稿人） age．
65．Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．The contributors must keep copies of their manuscripts．
B．Woman’s Day is most probably a monthly magazine．
C．The editor will pay for the damage or loss of the manuscripts．
D．It takes several weeks before the manuscripts are published．
66．The underlined part “be reproduced” probably means “__________”．
A．be produced again B．be made a copy of
C．be rewritten D．be printed again
67．How many ways can people gain information from the magazine?
A．Three． B．Four． C．Five． D．Six．
We convince ourselves that life will be better once we are married, have a baby, then another．Then we get frustrated because our children are not old enough and that all will be well when they are older．Then we are frustrated because they reach teenage years and we must deal with them．Surely we'll be happier when they grow out of the teen years．
We tell ourselves our life will be better when our spouse （配偶） gets his/her act together, when we have a nicer car, when we can take a vacation, when we finally retire．The truth is that there is no better time to be happy than right now．If not, then when? Your life will always be full of challenges．It is better to admit as much and to decide to be happy in spite of it all．
For the longest time, it seemed that life was about to start—real life．
But there was always some obstacles （挫折） along the way, an ordeal （苦难） to get through, some work to be finished, some time to be given, a bill to be paid．Then life would start．It finally dawned on me that those obstacles were part of life．Little by little, that point of view also helped me see that there isn't any road to happiness．
Happiness is the road．So, enjoy every moment．And bear in mind that__________．So stop waiting for school to end, for a return to school, to lose ten pounds, to gain ten pounds, for work to begin, to get married, for Friday evening, for Sunday morning, waiting for a new car, for your mortgage（借款） to be paid off, for spring, for summer, for fall, for winter, for the first or the fifteenth of the month, for your song to be played on the radio, to die, to be reborn… before deciding to be happy．
Happiness is a voyage, not a destination．There is no better time to be happy than… NOW! Live and enjoy the moment．
60．The most proper title for the passage should be______．
A．Happiness Is a Frustration B．Happiness Is a Destination
C．Happiness Is a Dream D．Happiness is a Process
61．The first two paragraphs mainly tell us_______．
A．life is a worthwhile but challenging voyage
B．so long as you believe you can, you can
C．people tend to think the future will be brighter than now
D．people feel at a loss about their life
62．The writer thinks _______is a real happiness
A．setting our imagination free B．enjoying our present life
C．finding our own shortcut to success D．facing obstacles and challenges bravely
63．Which of the sayings can fill in the blank in the fourth paragraph?
A．Time waits for no one B．Time is money．
C．Tomorrow is another day． D．Time can work wonders．
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
“Help! Help! Help!” a resident screamed over the phone, “I am being eaten alive by mosquitoes!”
Recent rainfalls have produced an early hit of blood-seeking mosquitoes．Once flooded, eggs laid during the drought along water banks hatch（孵化）quickly, flying off to seek hosts such as people, birds, and other animals．
The flood mosquitoes are big and aggressive．They chase you down, drill into your skin and take your blood, causing pain and itchiness．“I have lost a pint of blood to those suckers,” a Spring Hill resident claimed．“Mosquitoes are killing my kids,” a Ridge Manor woman shouted．
Residents are urged to protect themselves when going out, especially during the hours of dusk and dawn．Long-sleeve shirts, long pants, socks and hats will help keep mosquitoes at bay．
Mosquito Control has already received hundreds of service requests this month．When calling in, residents need to provide their name, address, phone number and nature of the problem．Technicians will respond by investigating the problem and making proper treatment and notification to resident．
Mosquitoes grow in almost any kind or amount of water．Controlling mosquito larvae（幼虫） is vital to mosquito control．Confined in their water habitat, larvae are treated and eliminated before they mature and “take to wing．” Field technicians check their areas searching for mosquitoes breeding in lakes, ponds, drainage ditches and they treat the water with a host of larvicides（杀幼虫剂）．
It is important to understand that mosquito control is much more than sending a spray truck （airplane or helicopter in other counties） to kill adult mosquitoes．Night-time spraying is actually the last defense after all the above procedures have been done, but there are still mosquitoes present in the area．
56．The author writes the first paragraph in order to _________．
A．make the public take action at once
B．attract readers to read the following contents
C．show that the people bothered by mosquitoes are helpless
D．criticize the government has done nothing
57．When do the eggs hatch according to the passage?
A．When the flood hits． B．During the drought．
C．After the flood leaves． D．When spring comes．
58．When are mosquitoes most dangerous?
A．At dawn and dusk． B．At noon．
C．In the late morning． D．At midnight．
59．When calling Mosquito Control, people should provide the following EXCEPT _________．
A．their name and address B．phone number
C．nature of the problem D．marriage and possessions
How Much to Tip
You’re out to dinner．The food is delicious and the service is fine．You decide to leave a big fat tip．Why? The answer may not be as simple as you think．
Tipping, psychologists have found, is not just about service．Instead, studies have shown that tipping can be affected by psychological reactions to a series of different factors from the waiter’s choice of words, to how they carry themselves while taking orders, to the bill’s total．Even how much waiters remind customers of themselves can determine how much change they pocket by the end of the night．
“Studies before have shown that mimicry （模仿） brings into positive feelings for the mimicker,” wrote Rick van Baaren, a social psychology professor．“These studies show that people who are being mimicked become more generous toward the person who mimics them．”
So Rick van Baaren divided 59 waiters into two groups．He requested that half serve with a phrase such as, “Coming up!” Those in the other half were instructed to repeat the orders and preferences back to the customers．Rick van Baaren then compared their take-home．The results were clear — it pays to mimic your customer．The copycat（模仿者） waiters earned almost double the amount of tips to the other group．
Leonard Green and Joel Myerson, psychologists at Washington University in St．Louis, found the generosity of a tipper may be limited by his bill．After research on the 1,000 tips left for waiters, cabdrivers, hair stylists, they found tip percentages in these three areas dropped as customers’ bills went up．In fact, tip percentages appear to plateau （达到稳定水平） when bills topped $100 and a bill for $200 made the worker gain no bigger percentage tip than a bill for $100．
“That’s also a point of tipping,” Green says．“You have to give a little extra to the cab driver for being there to pick you up and something to the waiter for being there to serve you．If they weren’t there, you’d never get any service．So part of the idea of a tip is for just being there．”
72．Apart from service, how many other factors affecting the customers’ tipping are mentioned in the passage?
A．1． B．2． C．3． D．4．
73．These studies show that _________．
A．tipping can be affected by physical reactions to many different waiter’s factors
B．people who are being mimicked usually tip less to the person who mimics them
C．the mimic waiters can get almost twice as much money as the other group
D．mimicry makes the mimicker feel bad
74．According to the passage, which of the following will be likely to show the right change of the tip percentages?
A B C D
75．We know from the passage that the writer seems to __________．
A．object to Mr Green’s idea about tipping
B．think part of Mr Green’s explanation is reasonable
C．give his generous tip to waiters very often
D．support the opinions of Mr Green and Rick van Baaren about tipping
粤公网安备 44130202000953号