Until last spring, Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood went to school on Bus 59.But as fuel prices rose, the school district needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs.So the school’s busing company redrew its route map, canceling Nia’s bus.Now Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a “walking school bus”—a group of kids, supervised (监护) by an adult or two, who make the walk together.
Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school, partly because many did so themselves.According to a 1979 survey, nearly half of school kids walked or biked to school, compared with only 16 percent in 2011.Modern parents have been unwilling to let kids walk to school for fear of traffic, crime or simple bullying, but with organized adult supervision, those concerns have reduced.
Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save.In rural areas where busing is a must, some schools have even chosen four-day school weeks.Busing companies instruct drivers to cancel extra stops from routes and to turn off the engine while idling(挂空挡).They are also using computer software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes, which aren’t always the shortest ones.
There could be disadvantages, however, to the busing cutbacks（削减）.If every formerly bused student begins walking to school, it’s an environmental win—but if too many of their parents decide to drive them instead, the carbon footprint can grow.Replacing buses with many more parent-driven cars can also increase safety risks.A 2011 report concluded students are 13 times safer on a school bus than in a passenger car, since buses have fewer accidents and with stand them better due to their size.And some students complain about the long morning hikes, particularly when the route contains a really big hill. In regards to walking to school, modern parents seem much concerned with the _____.
| A．safety of their kids |
| B．kids’ physical strength |
| C．time spent on the way |
| D．changes in the route |
To save money, some schools choose to _____.
| A．shorten the school week |
| B．take the shortest routes |
| C．stop using school buses |
| D．use fuel-efficient buses |
Busing cutbacks may lead to _____.
| A．fewer complaints about long morning hikes |
| B．more students taking public transportation |
| C．an increase in carbon dioxide emissions |
| D．a decrease in the safety of school buses |
III 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Concern with money, and then more money, in order to buy the conveniences and luxuries of modern life, has brought great changes to the lives of most Frenchmen. More people are working harder than ever before in France. In the cities the traditional leisurely midday meal is disappearing. Offices, shops, and factories are discovering the great efficiency of a short lunch hour in company lunch rooms. In almost all lines of work emphasis now falls on ever increasing output. Thus the “typical” Frenchman produces more, earns more, and buys more consumer goods than his counterpart of only a generation ago. He gains in creature comfort and ease of life. What he loses to some extent is his sense of personal uniqueness, or individuality.
Some say that France has been Americanized. This is because the United States is a world symbol of the technological society and its consumer products. The so called Americanization of France has its critics. They fear that “assembly line life” will lead to the disappearance of the pleasures of the more graceful and leisurely (but less productive) old French style. What will happen, they ask, to taste, elegance, and the cultivation of the good things in life to joy in the smell of a freshly picked apple, a stroll by the river, or just happy hours of conversation in a local café?
Since the late 1950s life in France has indeed taken on qualities of rush, tension, and the pursuit of material gain. Some of the strongest critics of the new way of life are the young, especially university students. They are concerned with the future, and they fear that France is threatened by the triumph of this competitive, goods-oriented culture. Occasionally, they have reacted against the trend with considerable violence.
In spite of the critics, however, countless Frenchmen are committed to keeping France in the forefront of the modern economic world. They find that the present life brings more rewards, conveniences, and pleasures than that of the past. They believe that a modern, industrial France is preferable to the old.
41.Which of the following is a feature of the old French way of life?
Leisure, elegance, and efficiency
Elegance, efficiency, and taste
Leisure, elegance, and taste
Elegance, efficiency, and leisure
42.Which of the following is NOT true about Frenchmen?
Many of them prefer the modern life style.
They actually enjoy working at the assembly line.
They are more concerned with money than before.
They are more competitive than the old generation.
43.The passage suggests that _________.
A. in pursuing material gains the French are suffering losses elsewhere
B. it’s now unlikely to see a Frenchman enjoying a stroll by the river
C. the French are fed up with the smell of freshly picked apples
D. great changes have occurred in the life style of all Frenchmen
44.Which of the following is true about the critics?
A. Critics are greater in number than people enjoying the new way of life.
B. Students critics are greater in number than critics in other fields.
C. Students critics have, on occasion, resorted to violent means against the trend.
D. Critics are concerned solely with the present and not the future.
45.Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?
A. Changes in the French Way of Life
B. Criticism of the New Life Style
C. The Americanization of France
D. Features of the New Way of Life
Ⅲ 阅读(共两节。满分40分)
第一节 阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Started in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest of all the many colleges and universities in the United States. Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were opened soon after Harvard.
In the early years, these school were much alike(similar).Only young men went to college. All the students studied the same subjects, and everyone learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Little was known about science then, and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world. When the students graduated, most of them became ministers or teachers.
In 1782, Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors. Later, lawyers could receive their training(训练)in Harvard's law school. In 1825, besides Latin and Greek, Harvard began teaching modern languages, such as French and German. Soon it began teaching American history.
As knowledge increased, Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects. Students were allowed to choose the subjects that interested them.
Today, there are many different kinds of colleges and universities. Most of them are made up of smaller schools that deal with(涉及)special fields of learning. There's so much to learn that one kind of school can't offer it all.
41. The oldest university in the US is _________.
A. Yale B. Harvard C. Princeton D. Columbia
42. From the second paragraph, we can see that in the early years,______.
A. those colleges and universities were the same
B. people, young or old, might study in the colleges
C. students studied only some languages and science
D. when the students finished their school, they became lawyers or teachers
43. Modern languages the Harvard taught in 1825 were ________.
A. Latin and Greek B. Latin, Green, French and German
C. American history and German D. French and German
44. As knowledge increased, colleges began to teach_______.
A. everything that was known
B. law and something about medicine
C. many new subjects
D. the subjects that interested students
45. On the whole, the passage is about___________.
A. how to start a university
B. the world-famous colleges in America
C. how colleges have changed
D. what kind of lesson each college teaches
Ⅲ 阅读(共两节。满分40分)
第一节 阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The Chinese word “Shanzhai” means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes (假货) after “Shenzhen Cellphones” produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years.
Besides “Shanzhai” has electronic products, there are “Shanzhai” movies, “Shanzhai” stars and even a “Shanzhai” Spring Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve.
“Shanzhai” has become a culture of its own, symbolizing anything that imitates something famous.
The phenomenon has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat.
In southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality, a “Shanzhai” version “Bird’s Nest” woven by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention and the “Shanzhai” version “Water Cube” is popular with tourists too. Both are copies of the famous Olympics buildings in Beijing.
Xie Xizhang, a literature critic, said that taking the “Shanzhai” Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the “Shanzhai” version appears naturally to attract people.
“In spite of its poor techniques and operation, ‘Shanzhai’culture meets the psychological demands of common people and could be a comfort to their minds,” Xie said.
Tian Huiqun, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said that “Shanzhai” culture never copies classic things, only trendy products. In that sense, it’s like a computer virus, multiplying without meaning.
Though controversial, “Shanzhai” culture is becoming a widely accepted phenomenon.
To the mainstream culture, the rise of “Shanzhai” culture is a challenge as well as a motivation, said Xie.
Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together is an ideal situation and it is for the public to choose.
41. The Chinese Word“Shanzhai”may have its origin in _________.
A. fake cellphones B. electronic products
C. Spring Festival Gala D. Olympics buildings
42. A. The underlined word “imitates” is closest in meaning to _______.
A. steals B. copies C. advertises D. cheats
43. A. According to the passage, “Shanzhai” culture refers to ________.
A. The action that a person imitates famous people
B. anything that imitates something famous
C. those similar names to famous brand
D. products with poor techniques and quality
44. A. We can infer that the mainstream culture ________.
A. Will be held back by “Shanzhai” culture
B. will sooner or later be replaced by “Shanzhai”culture
C. may develop faster because of the challenging of “Shanzhai”culture
D. thinks nothing of the challenge of “Shanzhai”culture
45. Which of the following might be the best title of passage?
A.“Shanzhai”culture will definitely fade out
B.“Shanzhai”culture –the mountain village culture
C.“Shanzhai”culture – the mainstream culture
D.“Shanzhai”culture takes on life of its own
III 阅读(共两节，满分40分)
第—节阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I stood outside New York's Madison Square Garden and just stared, almost speechless. I was a farm boy from County Kilkenny, a child who some thought would never walk, let alone go as far as I had in the world.
From the day I was born, there was a problem. The doctors at the Dublin hospital told my parents I had phocomelia, a deformity that affected both legs below the knee, which were outward and shorter than normal and each foot had just three toes.
Life was tough. I couldn't stand, much less walk. I rarely left the farmhouse—and then only in someone's arms. Mam bundled me up whenever she took me to town, no matter the season.
"The world will see him when he can walk," she told Dad. "And he will walk."
Mam devoted herself to helping me. She tried everything to get me on my feet. When I was three, she and Dad took me to a clinic in Dublin.
A few weeks later we returned to Dublin with my artificial limbs (肢). Back home I practiced walking with my new limbs.
"There's nothing anyone can do but you can't," Mam said. "You and I are going to walk through town."
The next day Mam dressed me in my finest clothes. She wore a summer dress and fixed her hair and makeup. Dad drove us to the church. We stepped out of the car. Mam took my hand. "Hold your head up high, now, Ronan," she said.
We walked 300 meters to the post office. It was the farthest I'd walked, and I was sweating from the effort. Then we left the post office and continued down the street, Mam's eyes shining with a mother's pride.
That night, back on our farm, I lay exhausted on my bed. It meant nothing, though, compared to what I'd done on my walk.
Then I began to pursue my dream of singing. And at every step Mam's words came back to me—Ronan, you can do anything anyone else can do—and the faith she had in God, who would help me do it.
I've sung from the grandest stages in Europe, to music played by the world's finest musicians. That night, I stood at the Madison Square Garden, with Mam's words chiming in my ears. Then I began singing. I couldn't feel the pulse of the music in my feet, but I felt it deep in my heart, the same place where Mam's promise lived.
41. What was the problem with the author as a baby?
A. He was expected unable to walk.
B. He was born outward in character.
C. He had a problem with listening.
D. He was shorter than a normal baby.
42. The underlined word “deformity” in the second paragraph most probably means ______.
A. shortcoming B. disadvantage C. disability D. delay
43. Why did Mam dress him and herself in finest clothes?
A. To hide their depressed feeling. B. To indicate it an unusual day.
C. To show off their clothes. D. To celebrate his successful operation.
44. From the story we may conclude that his mother was ______.
A. determined B. stubborn C. generous D. distinguished
45. According to the writer, what mattered most in his success?
A. His consistent effort. B. His talent for music.
C. His countless failures. D. His mother’s promise.
People should be warned against using mobile phones outdoors in stormy weather because they may “be struck by lightning”, according to doctors.
Three experts have described how a teenage girl was struck by lightning while using her phone in a large London park. The girl, aged 15, recovered, but a year later was still wheelchair-bound and found to be suffering complex physical and emotional problems.
The girl also had a perforate eardrum（打孔耳膜）on the side where she had been holding the mobile phone. She was having general recovery in Northwick Park Hospital, Middlesex.
Swinda Esprit, a senior house officer, said that while the brain and muscle damage was similar to that of many lightning victims—who can experience heart attacks on being struck— the ear problems were not.
She said that the damages were particularly relevant for people who might be involved in less serious lightning incidents, who might otherwise recover, but would never get their full hearing back if struck while on the phone.
“We were shocked by the damage, which is why we wanted to draw attention to it,” Dr Esprit said. “A year on and she still was suffering these difficult hearing.”
They added that three other cases had been reported in newspapers in China, South Korea, and Malaysia. In the Malaysian case, a sales executive was killed by lightning while talking on his phone during a thunderstorm near Kuala Lumpur.
“All these events resulted in death,” the doctors wrote. “This rare phenomenon is a public health issue, and education is necessary to stress the risk.”
The Australian Lightning Protection Standard recommends that metallic objects, including cordless or mobile phones, should not be carried outdoors during thunderstorms. However, “the United States National Weather Service says on its website that both are safe to use “because there is no direct path between you and the lightening”.
Paul Taylor, of “the Met Office”, said the ear injuries were a consequence of mobile phones being metal, and not related to radio waves.
Mr. Taylor said that mobile phones should be treated as another piece of metal, similar to carrying coins or wearing rings, and people need to be warned against the possible danger.
51. What do we know about the teenage girl?
A. She was struck by lightning at school.
B. She completely recovered from being struck.
C. She still suffered from mental problems.
D. She had to press her ear all day.
52. It can be inferred that damage done by lightening while using mobile phones ______.
A. is more serious than that when one is not using a mobile phone
B. can be healed quickly except for heart attacks
C. is less serious because the victims can usually recover
D. is mainly in the brain and muscle of the victims
53. Why did doctors stress the risk about using phones outside in lightening?
A. Because more people are faced with it. B. Because some deaths have been caused.
C. Because lightning is harmful for the brain. D. Because a teenage girl got killed.
54. We can infer from the last three paragraphs that ______.
A. both cordless and mobile phones are safe to use outside in lightning
B. there is no direct connection between lightning and ear injuries at all
C. opinions differ as to whether it is safe to use mobiles phones in lightning
D. ear injuries are the result of carrying coins or wearing rings in lightning
55. The purpose in writing this passage is ______.
A. to draw attention to the risk of using mobile phones in lightening
B. to focus on various damages done to lightning victims
C. to tell us the news that a teenage girl was struck by lightning
D. to stress the danger of making phone calls in lightning
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