More and more people are annoyed at the continually rising house prices. They want to know who is to blame for it. Local governments, developers and speculators share a vested interest in it. People who are really in need of homes are most likely to suffer heavy losses.
Many local governments depend on selling land to keep its normal operation. The higher land prices, the more money. Therefore, developers back the local governments by buying land at high prices. In return, the governments make favorable policies to help the developers. For example, drive all the possible home buyers to this nasty market. They even encourage large numbers of speculators to catch more people.
Rising house prices have already become the fence which divides the Chinese society. It has caused widespread dissatisfaction. The government will lose the support of the common people if leaving house prices out of control. Besides, rising house prices willstop us building the new country side as the present policy actually forbid people to flow freely from cities to the countryside.
Collecting taxes on houses can fundamentally solve this problem. On one hand, it will discourage the speculators. On the other hand, it will offer a stable tax resource apart from reducing the sales cost of the developers. Secondly, stop the developers selling the houses before completion. If so, the developers will certainly try their best to sell all their houses once completed. And this will also lower speculators' expectation of price rising, which will decrease speculations.The only victims of rising house prices are __________.
| A．governments |
| B．real home buyers |
| C．developers |
| D．speculators |
The local governments reward the developers by __________.
| A．offering enough land |
| B．allowing sales in advance |
| C．providing enough buyers |
| D．making favorable policies |
We can infer from the passage that continually rising house. prices will __________.
| A．benefit the government |
| B．draw more home buyers |
| C．help the housing industry develop soundly |
| D．affect the sound development of the Chinese society |
Collecting taxes on houses has all the following effects except __________.
| A．making the developers do their best to sell their houses |
| B．cutting down speculations |
| C．supplying a stable tax resource for the government |
| D．decreasing the sales cost |
E
“The world's oceans are slowly getting more acidic.” say scientists. The researchers from California report that the change is taking place in response to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The lowering of the waters' PH value is not great at the moment but could cause a serious threat to current ocean life if it continues, they warn. Ken Caldeira and Michael Wickett, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, report their concerns in the journal Nature. Increasing use of oil fuels means more carbon dioxide is going into the air, and most of it will eventually be absorbed by seawater. Once in the water, it reacts to form carbonic acid. Scientists believe that the oceans have already become slightly more acidic over the last century.
These researchers have tried to predict what will happen in the future by combining what we know about the history of the oceans with computer models of climate change. “This level of acidity will get much more extreme in the future if we continue releasing CO2 into the atmosphere,” said Dr Caldeira. And we predict the amount of future acidity will exceed(超过) anything we have seen over the last several hundred million years, let alone perhaps after rare disastrous events such as asteroid(小行星) impacts.
However, it is not absolutely clear what that means for ocean life. Most organisms live near the surface, where the greatest PH change would be expected to occur, but deep－ocean life forms may be more sensitive to PH changes. Coral reefs(珊瑚礁) and other organisms whose shells contain calcium carbonate(碳酸钙) may be particularly affected if the water's acidity levels keep going up, the team predict. They could find it much more difficult to build these structures in water with a lower PH.
In recent years some people have suggested storing carbon dioxide from power station in the deep ocean as a way of dealing with global warming. But Dr Caldeira said that such a strategy should now be re—considered. “Previously, most experts had looked at ocean absorption of carbon dioxide as a good thing——because in releasing CO2 into the atmosphere we warm the planet, and when CO2 is absorbed by the ocean, it reduces the amount of greenhouse warming.”
57．The ocean is becoming more acidic due to_______.
A．the lower water PH value B．the warming atmosphere
C．the higher level of CO2 in the air D．the increasing use of oil fuels
58．According to Dr Caldeira,________.
A．ocean absorption of carbon dioxide is a good thing
B．more oil fuels will be used in the near future
C．scientists may predict climate changes with computer models
D．the future situation of the amount of acidity is extremely serious
59．If the water's acidity level keeps rising,____________.
A．ocean life whose structures contain calcium carbonate may be affected
B．the water's PH value will become higher and higher
C．organisms living near the surface are more sensitive to PH changes
D．some disastrous events will occur more often than before
60．Most experts once believed storing carbon dioxide in the ocean would reduce_________
A．the CO2 absorbed by the ocean B. the amount of greenhouse warming
C．the acidity of the ocean D．the gradual release of CO2
D
The most detailed breakdown(分析) of ethnic and gender performance in national curriculum tests for 7, 11 and 14－year－olds shows that Chinese pupils do best in every subject at every age. Chinese and Indian pupils outperformed white British children in English tests for 11－year－olds. In all, 83% of Chinese students reached the required standard compared with 78% of Indian pupils and 75% of white UK pupils and only 65% of Bangladeshi children reaching level four, the standard that an 11－year－old should achieve.
While the overall results show the performance of every ethnic group at GCSE(中等教育普通证书) is improving, they do highlight a worrying trend for white British pupils. David Miliband, the minister for School Standards, said the results showed that while standards in secondary schools were rising, there was “a shocking gender gap between boys and girls”. He added: “58.2% of girls achieved five A to C grade passes at GCSE in 2003 compared with just 49.9% of boys, and white working－class boys are one of the lowest performing groups at 14.” According to researchers,” In the weeks leading up to GCSE unsupervised study leave at home in many areas has become the norm(惯例). They are left to their own devices.” Mr. Miliband is supporting a plan to persuade schools to drop study leave before GCSEs and replace it with structured revision in school.
53．What's the best title for this text?
A．Chinese－British Pupils' Education in Britain
B．British Primary Education
C．British Ethnic Minority Education
D．The GCSE In Britain
54．All UK 11－year－olds' required standard in English tests is that they should reach .
A．grade A B．grade B C．grade C D．level 4
55．What worries David Miliband according to the text?
A．Chinese－British and Indian－British pupils surpass British pupils in every subject.
B．White working class boys perform worst in schools.
C．Girls perform much better than boys.
D．Before GCSE all students are asked to do revision at school by themselves.
56．According to David Miliband, the study leave before GCSE is .
A．unacceptable B．practical C．admirable D．Understandable
C
My name is A. J. Hoge. I am the creator of the Effortless English Teaching System and I am the Founder and Director of The Effortless English Club——one of the most popular English learning systems in the world. My audio lessons are best－sellers in over 25 countries and my radio podcast (播客)has over one million listeners worldwide. I am also the publisher of the Effortless English Online Newsletter, which has over half a million subscribers(用户) (and growing every day). I am a leading expert on topics related to English speaking success and teaching mastery.
I created the Effortless English Teaching System after many years of teaching English in universities. My former students include business professionals, scientists, teachers, professors, graduate students, and many other successful adult English learners. These students were just like you. They were frustrated English learners who could not speak well. Using the Effortless English system, they learned to speak English easily and automatically.
Each of these students made incredible improvements in a very short time. You also will improve quickly when you use the entire Effortless English System. The Effortless English System is designed for you——the independent adult learner. Effortless English focuses exclusively on speaking and listening skills. The system is designed to improve your speaking power as quickly as possible——using proven and tested methods.
When you follow the entire system every day for 6 months, your speaking becomes much faster and easier. Your spoken grammar improves powerfully——yet you will never study grammar rules in this system. Your pronunciation improves powerfully——yet you will not focus on pronunciation.
49．What's the author's purpose of writing this text?
A．To introduce himself.
B．To suggest some ways of speaking English easily and automatically.
C．To show readers he is a successful English teacher.
D．To make his Effortless English System popular.
50．The text is intended for____.
A．the students whose English is poor
B．the learners whose English pronunciation and grammar are not good
C．the adults who plan to make their English speaking ability improved
D．the English teachers who want to their improve English teaching techniques
51．The author's Effortless English System doesn't deal with .
A．how to learn English grammar and pronunciation
B．advanced teaching methods
C．English speaking skills
D．English listening skills
52．What will the author discuss in the following text?
A．What he did when he was an English teacher.
B．The Effortless English System overview.
C．His radio podcast.
D．The Effortless English Club.
B
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home. His name was Kyle. He was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, “Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd(书呆子).” So I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw some kids running at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. I jogged over to him, and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I handed him his glasses. He said, “Thanks!” There Was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived, It turned out he lived near me, so I asked him why! had never seen him before. He said he had gone to a private school before coming to this school. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home. He turned a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football on Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes. Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
Graduation day arrived. Kyle was valedictorian of our class, so he had to prepare a speech for graduation. In his speech he said. “Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. I am going to tell you a story.” I stared at my friend in disbelief as he told the story of the first day We met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He gave me a little smile. “Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.” I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment.
45．What does the underlined word “valedictorian” in the second paragraph mean?
A．A graduate who delivers a farewell speech in a class.
B．A graduate who is the youngest in a class.
C．A student who is the most popular in a class.
D．A student who can not graduate on time in a class.
46．It can be concluded from the text that the author______.
A．was good at playing football in high school
B．had not liked to make friends with the students from private schools before
C．seldom helped others
D．did not study hard in high school
47．Not until the graduation day did the author know_______.
A．the real reason why Kyle carried all his books home the first day they met
B．Kyle was his best friend
C．Kyle enjoyed making speeches in front of the class
D．Kyle's many weaknesses
48．What does the author mainly want to express by telling this story?
A．A friend in need is a friend indeed.
B．Helping others is a Virtue.
C．Your action is powerful: with one small gesture you can change a person's life.
D．We should have a pity on the weak.
第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分50分）
第一节 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳答案，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
A
Liverpool, with its half a million citizens, is a big city. It's a city with variety and options.
Every year, tourists from all over the world go to Liverpool, most of whom head straight for the stadium to catch the city's two football teams in action. Liverpool and Everton are both world－famous clubs with fans from all corners of the World, as well as a good number of home grown supporters.
Another big draw to the city is the four local boys. Paul, John, George and Ringo, collectively famous as The Beatles. The pop quartet (四重唱表演小组) first put Liverpool on the world map in the 1960s. The Beatles Story, situated at the Albert Dock, is a huge draw for fans, and you'll find the Beatles shop and ever－popular Cavern Club, the “birthplace of the perfect Four”, in the Cavern Quarter of the city. Fans can also join one of the coach trips around the sights associated with the band, from the houses they grew up in, to the places including Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields.
But Liverpool is about more than music and sport. It is rich in history, with some of the most shocking architecture in the UK. The city has two great cathedrals(教堂): Anglican－the largest of its kind in Europe; and the more modern－styled Metropolitan. The famous waterfront, with the Pierhead and the Albert Docks, is also worth a visit. Many of the city's great museums are situated here, including the Walker Art Gallery, the Liverpool Maritime Museum, and the Tate Gallery, which is home to the largest modern art collection in the North. The nightlife in the city also has a lot to offer. With more than 250 bars, pubs and restaurants, there is always something for everyone to do in Liverpool. Music, museums, shopping, history, pubs and bars——it's all there. It is the world in one city, a place truly deserving of the Capital of Culture title.
41．Liverpool and Everton are___________clubs.
A．architecture B．music C．tourist D．football
42．What made Liverpool first known to the world?
A．The Beatles Story. B．Cavern Club.
C．The Beatles. D．The Beatles shop.
43．Compared with Metropolitan, the cathedral Anglican is__________.
A．more traditional B．more shocking
C．better－known D．smaller
44．Why does the author say “It is the world in one city” in the last paragraph?
A．Liverpool belongs to the world.
B．Liverpool is world famous now.
C．Liverpool owns lots of museums well－known in the world.
D．Liverpool is a lively city with various cultures.
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