From the health point of view we are living in a wonderful age. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible killing of people on the roads. Man is opposite to the motor-car! It is a never ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people are killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering-wheel(方向盘) , his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man's worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They are rude, ill-mannered and aggressive. All their hidden frustrations and disappointments seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles on the motorist and seems to forgive the behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities and towns are made ugly by huge car parks.
It is high time a world law were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are not strict and even the strictest are not strict enough. A law which was universally accepted could only have a beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some things that might be done. The driving test should be made to a fixed standard and far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21 ; all vehicles should be put through strict annual tests for safety. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be mad much stricter. Driving speed should be limited on all roads. These measures may sound extremely severe. But surely nothing should be considered difficult if it results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
The main idea of this passage is______.
| A．traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists |
| B．thousands of people in the world are killed each year |
| C．only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents |
| D．the laws of some countries about driving are too strict |
Choose the yum(美味的东西) and risk the yuk（讨厌的东西）?
Scientists have given us a lot of health warnings. The advice from cancer experts for avoiding bowel(肠) cancer is "try to avoid processed(加工过的) meats such as bacon, ham, corned beef and some sausages", and women fearing breast cancer are told "there doesn't seem to be a starting point at which alcohol consumption is safe",
But all these health warnings tend to have little influence on behavior, So who is being unreasonable —the scientists who give us health advice, or the public that just ignores it?
The curious fact is that both might be right. The reasoning behind these health warnings seems to be this: if you do more of something pleasurable (which we shall give the name “yum”) there is a higher risk of something bad (which we shall give the name “yuk”)occurring, so you should avoid yum.
But when presented with this argument you might ask two questions.
First, maybe the pleasure of yum makes the risk worth taking, especially if yuk might occur a long time in the future? Second, maybe there are other benefits of yum that could cancel out the risks of the particular yuk that has been identified (确认) ?
So suppose bacon sandwiches are your particular yum: research shows that 50g per day — that is a great greasy sandwich — increases your risk of bowel cancer by 20%.
But this means that out of every 100 people who stuffed down that big bacon sandwich every day of their lives, the number of bowel cancers would 
rise from five to six.
In addition, if a middle
-aged woman gave up alcohol, it might reduce her risk of breast cancer, but could increase risk of some other cancers as well as heart disease.
So we need to look at the whole picture before trying to get people to change what they do, since everything has benefit and harms — just think of the joggers(慢跑者) who get knocked down by cars — and people need to be able to find their own balance.
Therefore, as you reach for your yum, perhaps sometimes pause a moment and realize that you are taking a gamble(赌博) on the yuk occurring, but that it may be a risk worth taking.What is the advice given by scientists for avoiding breast cancer?
| A．Try to avoid processed meat. | B．Try to avoid alcohol. |
| C．Try to choose the yum. | D．Try to risk the yuk. |
What does “this argument” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．If you choose the yum, you will risk the yuk. |
| B．If you risk the yuk, you’ll choose the yum. |
| C．The yum is worth taking, especially if yuk might occur in the future. |
| D．Other benefits of yum could cancel out the risks of the yuk. |
Why do we need to look at the whole picture before trying to get people to change what they do?
| A．Because giving up alcohol might reduce breast cancer. |
| B．Because people are not able to find their own balance. |
| C．Because all the things have both sides. |
| D．Because the advice given by scientists is not true. |
According to the passage, which of the following is correct?
| A．People are often influenced by the health warnings. |
| B．Both the scientists and the public are not reasonable. |
| C．Alcohol consumption has both benefit and harms. |
| D．People should avoid yum to reduce the risk of yuk. |
We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.
So, you have to give a speech—and you are terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank Goodness, it’s over. I’m just not good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”
Cheep up! It doesn’t have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of your time doing your research. Then spend plenty of your time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with res
pect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.
If you follow these simple steps, you will see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to 
make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? Give it a try and see what happens.The title for this passage may be .
| A．Do Not Make a Long Speech | B．How to Give a Good Speech |
| C．How to prepare for a Speech | D．Try to Enjoy a speech |
Paragraph 2 implies that .
| A．many people are happy to give a speech |
| B．many people are afraid of giving a speech |
| C．many people don’t prepare for a speech |
| D．many people talk too long |
The phrase “talk over their heads” means .
| A．speak too loudly | B．look at the ceiling |
| C．look down upon them | D．use words and ideas that are too difficult |
All of the following statements are TRUE except .
| A．not many people know how to make good speeches |
| B．a lecturer does not need to organize his speech |
| C．research is important in preparing a speech |
D．there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability |
The custom of celebrating from the end of January until mid-February has long been popular in Quebec City, Canada. The first large Winter Carnival here, in the world’s snow capital, took place in 1894. Faced with winter’s hardships, the city’s population made this popular tradition into a winter celebration that warmed the hearts of all people.
Interrupted by two wars and then the economic crisis of 1929, the Carnival was held from time to time until the second half of the century. In 1954, a group of business people re-started the festivities. That year, Bonhomme was born and was elected the event’s representative.
The next year the first official Quebec Winter Carnival took place. The Carnival snowballed into a big event and was important for tourism and economic activity in the city.
From one winter to the next, the Carnival enriched its activity program. We have since added even more popular activities, such as winter sports, snow sculptures, and activities based on the traditional Quebec lifestyle, such as dogsled races. The Quebec Winter Carnival is the largest winter carnival in the world today, and is third on the list of Top Carnivals after the famous carnivals in Rio and New Orleans.
1960
The people living along Rue Sainte-Therese created many snow or ice sculptures, 
and this location became known as Carnival Street.
1964
The name of Bonhomme Carnival and his image became registered trademarks.
1970
A new tradition was born: closing the event with a firework display.
1975
A new activity, called The Break, was created, on Friday from noon till midnight. Many employers gave their employees time off so they could go dancing at the Quebec City Convention Centre. The event continued to be held until 1986, sometimes late into the night.
1977
Until 1991, the Carnival offered a children’s sculpture competition.
1987
The snow bath became part of the prog
ram.
1999
Because of the importance of volunteers, the human resources department was created to improve organization.The Quebec Winter Carnival .
| A．is held from mid-February to the end of March |
| B．is an encouragement for the local people in winter |
| C．is the second largest carnival in the winter |
| D．has as many activities as when it was first held |
Although many butterflies remain to be decreasing in the long run, last year three quarters of endangered species saw an increase in number, including some rare species.
Experts said the improvement in the butterflies’ fortunes was likely to be the result of effective action on protection, such as leaving open wetland in woods where flowers can grow, and better weather in 2010 after three damaging wet summers.
Dr Tom Brereton said butterflies are extremely sensitive to changes in the weather. Last ye
ar saw a warm summer for successful feeding, which helped a number of butterflies in some way.
He even said climate change could be benefiting some butterfly species but many other butterfly species suffer from it. For example, the mountain ringlet suffers as it needs cold climates. And at the same time, the change is too rapid for most to get used to.
In the long run butterfly numbers have continued to drop, with three quarters of the nearly 60 species found in Britain seeing numbers fall in recent decades and nearly half of them seriously threatened.
The Lulworth skipper, one of the UK’s rarest butterflies, had its worst year since 1976, and there are people worrying that changing the environment to benefit other species may be harming this kind of butterfly. Wild flowers have been grown in some places to help other butterflies but the Lulworth skipper needs long grass and wild areas. Meadow browns, the country’s most common species, also had the worst year on record. Some other kinds of butterflies also had a bad year.
However, in the short term many butterflies saw an increase in number in 2010 compared to 2009 levels.
…Which was a reason for the increase in the number of the butterflies last year?
| A．The protection of humans. | B．A wet summer. |
| C．Changes in the butterflies’ habits. | D．The decrease in wetland in woods. |
We can learn from Dr Tom Brereton’s words that .
| A．the mountain ringlet can quickly adapt to climate change |
| B．butterflies can help slow down climate change |
| C．climate change can be both beneficial and harmful to butterflies |
| D．other kinds of animals also suffer from climate change |
What is most likely to be discussed in the following paragraph?
| A．Why some butterflies decreased in number in 2010. |
| B．How to protect butterflies in the coming winter. |
| C．Effects of climate change on butterflies. |
| D．Examples of butterflies that have increased in number. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Some butterflies in Britain have had a good year. |
| B．Butterflies in Britain have different habits. |
| C．Butterflies are well protected in Britain. |
| D．Butterflies are disappearing from Britain. |
For about a decade, I knew that I needed to improve my handwriting, but I always put it off. “My typing skills are good, my communication skills are good, and all my other abilities are adequate for the job I do and the life I live. Why would I need to improve my handwriting in such a modern world?” I thought.
I was sort of hit by the fact that my handwriting needed improving quite suddenly in the form of a note from my boss. Obviously one of the notes I had posted on the office message board had been misunderstood because of my handwriting. My boss demanded that I learn to write in a neat way, something I couldn’t ignore any longer.
I tried a lot of different methods to improve my handwriting. Nowadays, there are more resources than before. You don’t even have to go to the store and can buy handwriting training materials online. I tried out a lot of these, and my handwriting did improve somewhat. Now I make sure I form every letter correctly. This is inconvenient and time-consuming, but it is better than having my comments misread.
People come up to me and tell me how nice my handwriting is. I have never thought of that, but this is exactly what has happened. It really is a pleasure, but it isn’t enough. In the long run, I actually have to go to a handwriting coach to improve my handwriting. It seems like I have years and years of bad habits that I have to break, and this isn’t something I could handle on my own. I need someone to teach me how to write clearly from the ground up.The underlined word “adequate” in the first paragraph probably means “ ”.
Aclear enough B. common enough C. good enough D. special enoughThe writer made the decision to improve his handwriting because .
| A．he had planned for that for a long time |
| B．he was shocked by his boss’ good handwriting |
| C．he was often misunderstood because of his handwriting |
| D．his boss asked him to work on his handwriting |
How did the writer try to improve his handwriting?
| A．He practiced writing mainly on his own. |
| B．He practiced writing and typing at the same time. |
| C．He joined a handwriting training class. |
| D．He employed a coach to teach him online. |
What does the writer think of his handwriting at present?
| A．Unacceptable. | B．Perfect. | C．Worse. | D．Better. |
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