In many ways, our society doesn’t simply prepare for the kinds of lives that the elderly must lead. We have made medical advances that allow people to live longer than ever before, but we do not seem to know what to do with them after we have saved their lives. Too little allowance (津贴) is made for the person who is no longer earning a living, who can not walk long distances or drive a car, or who may have physical or mental disabilities that keep him from communicating with others. The institutional (慈善机构的) care we give our older people is a good reflection of the overall attitude of our society toward the aged.
In the past few years, nursing homes have received wide attention as boring, meaningless places where old people often have little else to do but wait for the end of their lives. Elderly wards in mental hospitals are even worse. One of the most shocking things abort nursing homes has been the unwillingness of people on the outside to show real concern for what happens in these institutions. Even people who are entrusting (委托) a parent to the care of a home rarely ask about the nurse-parent ratio (比率), about the kinds of creative facilities or physical treatment equipment available, or about the frequency of doctors’ visits.
And the government has provided federal money without enforcing high standards of care. In fact federal standards were lowered in 1974. Therefore, in some sense our concern for the aged seems to be moving backwards, not forwards. This picture is in striking contrast to the treatment of respectable patriarchs (男长者) and matriarchs (女长者) in many societies.
1. What would be the most suitable title for this passage?
A. Failure of Care for the Elderly B. The Elderly
C. Institutional Care D. A National Shame
2. We can conclude from this passage that the writer feels ____.
A. nursing homes should be got rid of
B. a country that can help people live longer should also be able to care for them better
C. people have no thanks toward their parents
D. our society’s institutions need to be reformed
3. The writer believes that people who place a parent in a nursing home should ____.
A. demand higher federal standards
B. consider the example set in other countries
C. be ashamed of not keeping the parents in their own homes
D. investigate it first
4. The writer complains ____.
A. about the indifference of some people towards nursing homes
B. about the shortage of equipment in nursing home
C. that nursing homes keep the aged from communicating with others
D. both A and B
Although considered an excellent exercise, jumping rope has never received widespread acceptance because of two reasons. First, most people recognize jumping rope as an excellent form of cardiovascular(心血管的)exercise, but they also believe that it is simply too difficult. In other words, they don’t think they’ll be able to continue jumping for the near 20 minutes in order to achieve a beneficial physical effect. Second, many regard it as somewhat boring and overly repetitive(重复乏味的)—not as something fun or enjoyable.
As a matter of fact, jumping rope can be great fun as long as you find a proper way to practise it. Instead of doing the usual two-foot bounce(跳)over and over again, players good at rope-jumping often change their pattern every 10 or 20 jumps: a single bounce, a double-bounce, a skip, a knee-up, side swings, as well as a variety of other easy-to-learn free-style rope-jumping.
Nowadays researchers are discovering that jumping rope also prepares the brain for learning. It is an exercise allowing both brain hemispheres(半球)to perform equally to each other.
In short, jumping rope can be a life-long activity requiring little equipment, time and space, yet leading to a much healthier life. One reason that can explain why rope-jumping has not spread widely is that
.
| A．it benefits the cardiovascular system |
| B．it is too difficult for people to learn to jump |
| C．it is believed to be boring and repetitive |
| D．it requires little equipment, time and space |
The first sentence in Paragraph 2 means that in rope-jumping.
| A．there is only one proper way to follow |
| B．the usual way should not be used again |
| C．the easiest way is always the best one |
| D．there are different kinds of ways to follow |
According to the researchers, jumping rope .
| A．only prepares the brain for learning |
| B．is suitable for students only |
| C．helps both brain hemispheres work together |
| D．can be dangerous for old people |
What does the writer think of rope-jumping?
| A．He is strongly against it. |
| B．He is for it. |
| C．The passage doesn’t mention it. |
| D．He knows little about it. |
Has been a dream for 30 years but now the world’s first flying car is set to hit the roads this year. 
Ever since the “Back to the Future” movies lit up our screens in the 1980s, designers have dreamt of cars that could take to the sky at the push of a button(按钮). And now pilots can order their own “roadable” plane for just￡127, 000.
The plane, which has fold-out wings that span 17. 5 feet, can be up to 115 mph. Back on the land, it can also travel at “highway speeds” in car mode(模式).
Fuelling(加燃料)the 19 feet long plane couldn’t be simpler—you just drive it into a petrol station and fill it up.
A spokeswoman said, “You can keep your ‘light-sport airplane’ in your garage. But because it needs a short runway to take to the air, you will have to drive to your local airport, fly up to 460 miles, land and drive directly to your destination(目的地). You will always be ready to drive or fly. ”
The spokeswoman added, “Never let bad weather change your trip. You can simply divert(使转向)and continue on the ground until the weather clears. ”
There’s no risk to you—this is only the chance for you to be the first at your home field to unfold(展开)your wings and fly into the future. According to the text, the “roadable” plane .
| A．can fly in the sky at “highway speeds” in car mode |
| B．is a kind of car with fold-out wings |
| C．is a little difficult to fuel |
| D．can only travel on the highway |
We can infer that in the “Back to the Future” movies .
| A．there are some skillful pilots |
| B．pilots have no cars to drive |
| C．pilots can’t afford a “roadable” plane |
| D．cars can fly in the sky |
What does the underlined word “it” in the 5th paragraph refer to?
| A．Light-sport airplane. |
| B．Your garage. |
| C．The local airport. |
| D．A petrol station. |
The last sentence of the text aims to .
| A．call for people to buy the “roadable” plane |
| B．show people the use of the “roadable” plane |
| C．tell people only the “roadable” plane can fly in the future |
| D．ask people to unfold their wings and fly into the future |
If you meet with a thunderstorm in your “roadable” plane in the skies, you can .
| A．land in a nearby airport until it clears |
| B．turn back home until it clears |
| C．land and drive on the ground |
| D．fly high up to 460 miles |
I still clearly remember that day. I was on the side of the road for almost four hours with my big Jeep. I put signs in the windows that said, “NEED A JACK(千斤顶). ”
Right as I was about to give up, a truck stopped and a man got off. He sized up(对……做出判断)the situation and went back to take a jack. After about two hours, we finished the job with sweats. We were both dirty. His wife produced a large water jug for us to wash our hands in.
I tried to put $20 in the man’s hand, but he wouldn’t take it, so instead I went up and gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I thanked them up one side and down the other. I asked the little girl, their daughter, where they lived, thinking maybe I’d send them a gift. She said they lived in Mexico. They were in Oregon now so Mommy and Daddy could pick cherries for the next few weeks. After that, they were going to pick peaches, and then go back home.
After I said my goodbyes and started walking back to the Jeep, the girl called out and asked if I’d had lunch. When I told her no, she ran up and handed me a tamale(玉米粽子). I thanked them again and walked back to my car. When I opened the tamale, what did I find inside? My $20 bill! I ran to the truck and the guy rolled down his window. He saw the $20 in my hand, started shaking his head smiling, and with what looked like great concentration said in English: “Today you, tomorrow me. ”Then he rolled up his window and drove away, with his daughter waving to me from the back.
This family, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took a couple of hours to help a stranger while others passed by quietly.
Since then I’ve helped many people like the Mexican family. I didn’t accept money. But every time I was able to help, I felt as if I was putting something in the bank. From the passage we know that .
| A．the Mexican man couldn’t speak English |
| B．the author’s car broke down on the road |
| C．the Mexican family came to Oregon for a visit |
| D．$20 was a small amount for the Mexican family |
Why did the author give the money quietly to the man’s wife?
| A．Because the man had refused to accept it. |
| B．Because the man’s wife needn’t wash her hands. |
| C．Because the author thought the Mexican family was poor. |
| D．Because the author thought the man’s wife would take it. |
The Mexican man helped the author because he tended to think that .
| A．it was completely wrong for others to pass by quietly |
| B．it was quite easy to help the author mend the Jeep |
| C．it was possible that everyone might get into trouble |
| D．the author was a polite stranger and needed the help |
Which of the following is TRUE about the author?
| A．He hated those who didn’t offer help. |
| B．He would send a present to the family soon. |
| C．He wondered why they didn’t take the money. |
| D．He considered helping others as saving money in the bank. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The Mexican family lived a richer life than the author. |
| B．The Mexican family did seasonal work in Oregon each year. |
| C．The author was inspired to help others by the Mexican family. |
| D．What made the writer moved was the tamale given by the girl. |
For as long as humans have lived on the earth, they have made use of various forms of communication. Generally, this expression of thoughts and feelings has been in the form of oral speech. When there is a spoken language problem, communication can be carried out through sign language, in which gestures stand for letters, words, and ideas. Tourists and people unable to hear or speak have often had to turn to this form of expression. When gestures describe words or ideas, they can often be used internationally(各国之间地). When used for spelling words however, where each gesture stands for a single letter, people must share the same written language. 
Body language sends ideas or thoughts by certain actions, either meaningfully or not. A wink(眨眼, 使眼色)can be a way of showing that the person is only joking. A nod means agreement, while shaking the head indicates disagreement.
Other forms of language can be found in Braille(a reading system of raised dots read with the fingertips used by the blind), signal flags, Morse code, and smoke signals. Road maps and picture signs also guide and warn people. While language is the most common form of communication, other systems and techniques also express human thoughts and feelings. What does the author mainly want to say?
| A．People can communicate in many different ways. |
| B．Everybody uses only one form of communication. |
| C．Language is invaluable to foreigners. |
| D．Non-spoken communication is of little value. |
According to the text, which part of the body can be used to show you are joking?
| A．Fingers. | B．Eyes. | C．Head. | D．Feet. |
What can’t be effectively communicated by sign language when people belong to different language groups?
| A．Spelling. | B．Ideas. |
| C．Whole words. | D．Expressions. |
How many different forms of communication are mentioned in the text?
| A．Three. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Nine. |
Scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London and Queen Mary, University of London have discovered that bees learn to fly the shortest possible route between flowers even if they discover the flowers in a different order. Bees are effectively solving the “traveling salesman problem”, and they are the first creatures found to do this. 
The traveling salesman must find the shortest route that allows him to visit all locations on his route. Computers solve it by comparing the length of all possible routes and choosing the shortest, and it can keep computers busy for days. However, bees solve it without computer assistance using a brain the size of grass seed. Dr. Nigel Raine, from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway explains, “Bees solve traveling salesman problems every day. They visit flowers at multiple locations and because bees use lots of energy to fly, they find a route which keeps flying to a minimum. ”
The team used the computer to control artificial flowers to test whether bees would follow a route defined by the order in which they discovered the flowers or if they would find the shortest route. After exploring the location of the flowers, bees quickly learned to fly the shortest route.
As well as improving our understanding of how bees move around the landscape pollinating(授粉)crops and wild flowers, this research, which is due to be published in The American Naturalist, has other applications. Our lifestyle relies on networks such as traffic on the roads, information flow on the Web and business supply chains. By understanding how bees can solve their problems with such a tiny brain, we can improve our management of these everyday networks without needing lots of computer time. Dr. Raine adds, “Despite their tiny brains, bees are capable of extraordinary feats of behavior. We need to understand how they can solve the traveling salesman problem without a computer. ” What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Bees help salesmen travel |
| B．Tiny-brained bees solve a complex mathematical problem |
| C．How bees discover the flowers |
| D．How to solve the “traveling salesman problem” |
We may infer from the second paragraph that the “traveling salesman problem” .
| A．can be solved by a computer easily |
| B．can’t even be solved by a computer |
| C．can puzzle both people and computers |
| D．remains to be solved by scientists |
The main purpose of the last paragraph is to .
| A．provide further proof for the research |
| B．tell us how bees can fly the shortest route between flowers |
| C．tell us how the research about bees’ flying route was conducted |
| D．explain the importance of the research |
It can be concluded from the passage that .
| A．all creatures are smarter than computers |
| B．the research about bees’ flying route can be applied to many fields |
| C．our networks are more complex than bees’ ones |
| D．with the help of the computer we can find out how bees can solve the “traveling salesman problem” |