An Earthship is a home that is built of materials such as old tires and aluminum cans. It is the idea of a man named Michael Reynolds. Many Earthships are more or less self-sufficient because they provide their own heat, air and water. They often have gardens watered and fed by waste water. They are comfortable and ecologically friendly.
The main material used in building Earthships is tires. Tires are plentiful and
can't be recycled like paper, plastic, and metal. While building supplies for most houses can be very expensive, old used tires are free.
First, the tires are packed tightly with dirt. Each full tire weighs as much as
400 pounds. The tires are then stacked like bricks. The walls are extremely strong. They also help keep an even temperature in the house (between 60 and 70 degrees) without heating and cooling systems.
The walls inside the Earthship are made of aluminum cans that are held together by cement. Then they are coated with adobe or stucco.
The roofs of Earthships are sloped so that rain and snow run into large tanks. These tanks hold all the water for the house, and pumps push the water through the pipes. Sometimes, water flows in certain areas of the house as waterfalls! Water that has been used is pumped out into the gardens where owners grow much of their own food.
In most of these houses, the southern side has huge windows that take in winter sunlight as a source of heat. Summer sun does not come in through the south windows, so it doesn't get too hot in the summer. The house also has solar panels that gather energy for lights and hot water and cooking. The Earthships have all the comforts of a regular house without the high cost of electric bills!
In a time when we are running out of energy resources, pollution is bad, and waste is piling up, Earthships are the best places to live in. For people who truly care about the environment,Earthships provide a great alternative to traditional houses. You won't be giving up any comforts, and the styles are attractive. We all hope that more and more people will build Earthships and take a huge step toward helping the environment and saving our planet.What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Earthships are a good way to live and protect the environment. |
| B．Tanks hold water collected from rain and snow. |
| C．It's important to grow your own food in a vegetable garden. |
| D．People who live in Earthships usually live in the desert. |
Which of the following is NOT explained in the passage?
| A．How an Earthship is built. |
| B．What an Earthship is mainly made of. |
| C．Why the Earthship is so called. |
| D．How an Earthship is heated in winter. |
Which evidence best supports the idea that Earthships are environmentally friendly?
| A．They were invented by Michael Reynolds. |
| B．Water that has been used is pumped out into the garden. |
| C．They are comfortable and ecologically friendly. |
| D．The tires are packed tightly with dirt. |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．a large population are already living in Earthships |
| B．the idea of Earthships will attract the attention of governments |
| C．the materials for the Earthships will be harmful to the dwellers(居住者) |
| D．the northern side of the Earthship has no window |
Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer(癌症).
Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time. Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person's health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain gives out the same hormones (荷尔蒙).They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc．In general, the person feels excited and ready to act.
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger violently can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently (猛烈地)may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep their anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger. They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “Do not express your anger while angry. Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. They said that laughter is much healthier than anger.
64. “Damaging emotion” means that _________.
A. the emotion is harmless B. the emotion is harmful
C. the feeling is very strong D. the feeling is hard
65. Which statement is right?
A. When you are angry, you would be cancered (得癌症).
B. Once you are angry, you must be cancered.
C. Though you are often angry, you can't be cancered.
D. Anger may cause you a cancer.
66. Expressing anger violently _________ repressing it according to some scientists.
A. is just as harmless as B. is more harmful than
C. is just no better thanD. is much better than
67. According to the author, you'd better _________.
A. never be angryB. cool it down before you express it
C. laugh and laugh when you get angry D. admit you are wrong when you are angry
Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll be the best lawyer in town!”
George never did become a lawyer and Richard never made any money. Instead both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street. It was hard to make money from books, which made the competition between them worse.
Then Richard married a mysterious girl. The couple spent their honeymoon on the coast—but Richard never came back. The police found his wallet on a deserted beach but the body was never found. He must have drowned.
Now with only one bookshop in town, business was better for George. But from time to time, he sat in his narrow, old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his former rival(竞争对手). Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries. He’d recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped(包裹) in. He was astonished—the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading.
“Bookends have bought ten bookstores from their rivals（对手）Dylans. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in Australia.”
60. George and Richard were ________ at school.
A. roommates B. good friends C. competitors D. booksellers
61. How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance?
A. He envied Richard’s marriage. B. He thought of Richard from time to time.
C. He felt lucky with no rival in town. D. He was guilty of Richard’s death.
62. George got information about Richard from ________.
A. a dictionary collector in Australia B. the latter’s rivals Dylans
C. a rare first edition of a dictionary D. the wrapping paper of a book
63.What happened to George and Richard in the end?
A. Both George and Richard became millionaires.
B. Both of them realized their original dreams.
C. George established a successful business while Richard was miss
ing.
D. Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success.
第三部分：阅读理解（共12小题；每小题2分, 满分24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。
Every Christmas, we visit my parents who live nearly 400 miles away from us. It is always 9 to 10-hour drive, but we always try to make it because that’s the only time my parents get to see their grandchildren.
One year, I was the driver, my wife Adriana was in the passenger seat, my three kids----Jacob, Ethan and Caleb----sat in the back seat, and our 
dog Susie was placed by the kids’ feet.
That year, we traveled at night to avoid the heavy holiday traffic. We
left the house at about 9:00 in the evening, so we could get to my parents’ house by about 6:00 the next morning.
The first three hours was fine. My wife and kids were all fast asleep, including Susie who was lying on Jacob’s lap. But by around 1 am, I was very sleepy. So I stopped at a small convenience store and tried to wake myself up with a cup of coffee. The coffee helped for several miles. But soon I was drifting in and out of sleep. I closed my eyes for what felt like a very short moment. What I didn’t know was that I was slowly driving towards the other lane and that a truck was coming quickly towards us.
I had fallen asleep at the wheel when Susie roughly woke me up by jumping onto my lap. When I opened my eyes, I saw the glaring headlights of the truck heading towards our car. I quickly drove the car back to our lane. I had narrowly missed hitting the truck and getting my family into what could have been a very serious accident.
I checked everyone to see if they were OK, and they were still fast asleep. I drove the rest of the distance very alert and awake. As soon as we got there, I told my wife, my kids and my parents what Susie had done and we could not have been more proud of our dog.
56. Why does the author visit his parents with his family every Christmas?
A. Because Christmas is the only time he can relax every year.
B. Because his parents don’t like the 400-mile travel.
C. Because he missed his parents very much.
D. Because his parents can only see their grandchildren at that time.
57. What did the author do to wake himself up during the journey?
A. He got off the car to breathe the fresh air.
B. He stopped to have a cup of coffee.
C. He talked with his wife and children.
D. He stopped every few miles.
58. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A. the author’s wife and kids had no idea about the narrow escape during the journey
B. the author was so frightened by the truck that he could hardly drive for the rest of the
journey
C. no one but Susie kept awake for the whole journey
D. the author had never experienced a car accident before
59. The passage tells us a story about ______.
A. a poor driver’s first driving experience
B. how the author’s family spent their Christmas
C. how a dog saved a whole family
D. the disadvantages of driving at night
"Friendship is one of the basic bonds between human beings. While the characteristics of friendship might vary from one country to another, people from all cultures not only enjoy friends but need them.
Many studies have shown that teenagers who have no friends often suffer from psychological disorders. It has been shown that teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, need companionship and a sense of belonging. The negative consequences of loneliness have also been observed among the elderly. The death of a spouse often leaves a widow or a widower totally bereft. If, however, they are surrounded by friends and relatives and if they are able to express their feelings, they are more likely to recover from their grief。
“No man is an island.” In other words, we are all parts of society. We all need the love, admiration, respect and moral support of other people. If we are fortunate, our friends will provide us with all of these necessary aspects of life.
As most people observe, there are many levels of friendship. The degree or intensity of friendship varies depending on the personality of the individuals involved and the context of the relationships. Outgoing persons enjoy being surrounded by many people whereas shy persons are perhaps content with fewer but more intense friendships。
Everyone is not equally open with all their friends. The degree of closeness is determined by many factors. Close friends can be formed at any stage in one’s life but they are usually very rare. Not very many people have more than a few really close friends. Irrespective of the level of closeness, all friendships are based on reciprocity（互惠）, honesty and a certain amount of love and affection。
72 “No man is an island”(Line 1, Para. 3) implies that ______________。
A. everyone is a part of an island B. man cannot be an island
C. everyone is just a part of society D. society is an island
73. The degree of closeness of friendship mainly depends on_____________。
A. age B. belonging C. personality D. culture
74. The author thinks that close friends_____________________。
A. can be easily formed when one is young B. cannot be long-lasting
C. are not rare for everyone D. are rare for most people
75 .The word “irrespective”(Last sentence, Para. 5) means______________________。
A.not respecting B. dishonoring C. regardless. D. considering
CONGRATULATIONS
We’ve organized the following information to help you prepare for your arrival at Boston College. Please feel free to contact our Admissions Office at any time over the coming months with any questions.
Your First Steps…
Please return the Acknowledgment Form sent with your acceptance letter to Dean Robert Howe, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, McGuinn Hall 221,140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467.
■For Ph. D. Acceptances and Master’s Acceptances with funding, we ask you to reply by April 25, 2008.
■For Master’s Acceptances without funding and Non-degree Acceptances, we ask you to reply by May 31, 2008.
■You should also contact your department to receive any department information.
Over the Coming Months…
Get informed about services around campus. We have provided links for you to the following offices.
■Student Services
After you return your Acknowledgment Form, you should receive a letter containing your BC Username and Eagle ID number. With this information you can reach email and Agora. In Agora, BC’s online community, you can update your student information, check your student account, and register (登记) for classes.
The Office of Student Services issues (发行) your BC Eagle One Card. This ID card acts as your campus library card and meal card.
Student Services’ website offers a complete listing of courses for the school year, as well as student forms and other important student information. The Office of Student Services also handles billing.
■Housing
…
CLICK HERE for more information.
If we can be of any more help to you, just contact us. Congratulations again! We look forward to you joining our University!
68. The above page can most probably be read _________.
A. on the Boston College website B. in the Boston College newspaper
C. on BC Eagle One Card D. at Student Services
69. The information above is particularly useful for those ________.
A. who want to apply for Boston College
B. who want to know about Boston College
C. who’ve been admitted to Boston College
D. who’ve decided to pay a visit to Boston College
70. If you want to study for your master’s degree with funding, you will have to _______.
A. return your Acknowledgment Form by May 31, 2008
B. send back your Acknowledgment Form by April 25, 2008
C. email your Acknowledgment Form to Admissions Office by May 31, 2008
D. return your Acknowledgment Form to Student Services by April 25, 2008
71. If you want to decide what courses for the school year you’d better _________.
A. call up the Office of Student Services B. get in touch with the Admissions Office
C. read your acceptance letter D. visit Student Services’ website