The meaning of the word “volunteer ” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services.” There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage(垃圾) from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay.
At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a new idea of what being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta. The following is her story.
“I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school, we watched a video(录像) about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks.”
“I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer the up. I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much. It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture(文化) that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world.”According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who ______.
| A．is willing to help those in need without pay | B．can afford to travel to different places |
| C．has a strong wish to be successful | D．has made a big fortune in life |
Tracy started her work as a volunteer _______.
| A．after she met Mother Teresa |
| B．after she finished high school |
| C．when she was touring Calcutta |
| D．when she was working in a hospital |
Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?
| A．She liked to work with Mother Teresa. |
| B．She had already had some experience. |
| C．She was asked by Mother Teresa’s example. |
| D．She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example. |
What is Tracy’s “new idea” (Paragraph 2) of being a volunteer?
| A．Going abroad to help the sick. |
| B．Working in Mother Teresa’s home. |
| C．Doing simple things to help the poor. |
| D．Improving oneself through helping others. |
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Cities of Tomorrow
Middle school students combine science and imagination as they celebrate National Engineers
Week in a Future City Competition．
In the African city of Mwinda，floating farms are quite common．The city’s residents zip around in hydrogen-powered hover（盘旋的）vehicles，and renewable energy resources provide the city’s power．That’s how Jake Bowers，12，Emily Ponti，14，and Krisha Sherburne，12，imagined their future city．
The students，who attend St．Thomas More School in Baton Rouge，Louisiana，took first place
for their design last week in the 2007 National Engineer Week Future City Competition held in
Washington，D．C．The students won a trip to the U．S Space Camp in Huntsville，Alabam．
Kids from 35 middle schools across the country made it to Washington．They had teamed up
with teachers and volunteer engineer mentors（顾问，导师）to develop cities．Each team began by
creating a fictional city on SimCity 3000，a computer game that allows players to construct towns．
The students then built a tabletop model of the city，wrote an essay and presented their creation to a
panel（专门小组） of judges．This year’s theme asked students to design fuel cell powered
communities．Fuel cell technology works by using hydrogen and oxygen to produce power．The
process is environmentally friendly．
Organizers hope the competition provides a fun and educational way to spark young people’s
interest in engineering．“As the number of graduates in engineering（decreases），it’s ever more
important to encourage students to build these skills at an early age，”says John Hofmeister，
President of Shell Oill Company．Shell is a sponsor of the annual Future City contest．Judging by
this year’s competition，plenty of kids are getting the message．Some 30，000 students from more
than 1，000 schools participated in the 2006 －2007 Future City Competition．
64．What is not imagined in the three teenagers’ mind for their future city？
A．Hydrogen-powered hover vehicles．
B．The city’s power provided by renewable energy resources．
C．Floating farms．
D．Oxygen-powered floating factories．
65．Which statement is True according to the passage？
A．St．Thomas More School in Baton Rouge is in Alabama．
B．The 2007 National Engineer Week Future City Competition was held in Lounisiana．
C．The students who took first place for their design won a trip to U．S．Space Camp in
Huntsville．
D．The U．S Space Camp lies in Washington，D，C．．
66．Kids from 35 middle schools_________．
A．could use computers to help them construct their future cities
B．created a real city on Simcity 3000
C．teamed up on their own to develop cities
D．built a tabletop model of the city and presented it to their teachers for judgment
67．It can be inferred that the 2006 －07 Future City Competition_________．
A．will spark young people’s interest in living in Space Camp
B．will decrease the number of graduates in engineering
C．will encourage college students to build engineering skills after their graduation
D．was participated in by 30 students on average in each school
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Dear Customers，
I love slipping into a comfortable chair for a long read —as I relax into the chair，I also relax
into the author’s words，stories，and ideas．The physical book is so elegant that it disappears into
the background，and what remains is the author’s world．
Today，we at Amaｚon are excited to announce Mindle，a wireless，portable reading device with instant access to more than 90，000 books，magazines，and newspapers．
We’ve been working on Mindle for more than three years．Our top design objective was for
Mindle to disappear in your hands —to get out of the way —so you can enjoy your reading．We
also wanted to go beyond the physical book．Mindle is wireless，so whether you’re lying in bed or riding a train，you can think of a book，and have it in less than 60 seconds．No computer is needed—you do your reading directly from the device．
We chose the same wireless technology used in advanced mobile phones．But unlike mobile
phones，there are no monthly wireless bills，no service or data plans，and no yearly contracts．There
is no software to install．We want you to get lost in your reading and not in the technology．
Mindle uses a new kind of display called electronic paper．Sharp and natural with no strong
light，reading on Mindle is nothing like reading from a computer screen．Mindle weighs only 10.3
ounces —less than a paperback —but can carry two hundred books．
Enjoy learning about Mindle and many thanks！
60．This passage most probably is a（n）_________．
A．advertisement B．news story C．lab report D．letter of thanks
61．From the passage we learn that Mindle is a device（设备）which．
A．has neither wires nor weight B．is operated by a computer
C．disappears while you read D．can find a book within one minute
62．With the device，the reader is able to．
A．enjoy reading when driving a car B．improve reading skills
C．gain access to free software D．get rid of heavy books made of paper
63．Different from mobile phones，Mindle_________．
A．has a much more friendly screen B．can work in the absence of electricity
C．doesn’t involve regular fees D．is wireless and can be used anywhere
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第三部分：阅读理解（共20 小题；满分40 分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D 中，选出最佳选项。
President Barack Obama had a big pat on the back for his young daughters on Tuesday，saying
they have taken swimmingly to life in the White House．
After more than a year at the US presidential mansion，Malia Obama，11，and Sasha Obama，
8，have made their dad proud with their ability to balance their private life with life in the public
eye，he told NBC television．
“The happiest thing about the past year and a half has been the girls’ adjustment．They have just been terrific．They’re doing well in school，”Obama said．
“They’re not as constrained．They can wander around．Their Secret Service protection is a lot
more low key，”he explained．“So they’ve got soccer，they’ve got basketball，they go sleep over at their friend’s houses．”
“Sometimes I’ve got 12 little girls screaming on the third floor of the White House．And they
made a great adjustment．”
The president also admitted he was concerned about how his daughters would cope with his
public life as they get a bit older．
“Now I get a little worried about them when they’re teenagers because I think that’s the time
when you’re already embarrassed about your parents，and then imagine if your dad’s in the
newspaper every day and people are calling him an idiot．I feel a little worried about that．”
““But on the other hand，Malia and Sasha have just turned out to be unbelievably well adjusted
kids，”Obama said．
“The thing that’s most important to me is that they are so respectful of everybody and haven’t put on any airs．I attribute that directly to Michelle because she wouldn’t put up with any of that stuff．”
56．Accoding to this interview，_________makes him feel happy？
A．that he has a happy family
B．that his daughters can be accustomed to their new life
C．that he has two good daughters
D．that he succeed in his career as president of the USA
57．What can we infer from the passage ？
A．It is not difficult for little girls to deal with the life in the White House well．
B．Malia and Sasha don’t have many friends because they live in the White House well．
C．Obama is too busy to teach their daughter good manners．
D．There are some bad reports of Obama on the newspaper sometimes．
58．What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean？
A．（they）don’t feel very high B．（they）don’t show off
C．（they）feel very happy D．（they）feel very angry
59．According to the passage，who is Michelle？
A．The children’s maid． B．The children’s teacher．
C．The children’s mother． D．The children’s friend．
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New York Helmsley Hotel
New York City, NY
KAYAK members are specially offered the New York Helmsmen Hotel, a world – class hotel located in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, within walking distance of Times Square, Grand Central Station and the United Nations, as well as the Theatre District and Rockefeller Center.
Gaylord Palms
Orlando, FL
Gaylord Palms Hotel and Convention Center offers excitement to KAYAK members with world – class restaurants, dynamic on – site recreation, and breathtakingly beautiful gardens under glass. The Gaylord offers great room and food service close to the world’s most trilling places – Disney, Sea World, and Universal.
Affinia Chicago
Chicago, IL
Steps from the Magnificent Mile, the Affinia Chicago is best known for its perfect location at the Windy City’s center of shopping, entertainment, culture and business. Known for its fast pace, famous museums, amazing buildings, and action – packed sporting events, Chicago offers something for every KAYAK member.
The Liaison Capitol Hill, An Af finia Hotel
Washington DC
KAYAK members seeking the typical DC experience are offered the Liaison Capitol Hill. Having a great location on Capitol Hill, The Liaison Capitol Hill is the closest hotel to the U. S. Captiol. The Smithsonian, Union Station and dozens of the country’s most visited museums and monuments are within walking distance.
68．What do these hotels have in common?
A．They are all near shopping center.
B．They are all favorably located.
C．They all have world – class restaurants.
D．They all attract people with their low prices.
69．Which might be the best place for parents with kids to spend their holiday?
A．Orlando, FL B．Chicago, IL
C．Washington DC D．New York City, NY
70．If you are interested in museums, which may be your best hotels to stay in?
A．New York Helmsely Hotel and Affinia Chicago.
B．The Liaison Capitol Hill and Gaylord Palms.
C．The Liaison Capitol Hill and Affinia Chicago
D．Gaylord Palms and New York Helmsley Hotel.
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Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived at the White House after serving as First Lady of Arkansas for twelve year. On many occasions, Hillary Clinton has spoken about the need to find the right balance in our lives. For her, the elements of that balance are family, work, and public service.
Hillary Diane Rodham was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 26, 1947. An excellent student. Hillary also enjoyed sports and was always interested in politics. Graduating from Wellesley College with high honors, she entered Yale Law School, where she developed her special concern for protecting the best interests of children and their families. It was there that she met Bill Clinton, a fellow student.
In 1973, Hillary became a lawyer for the Children’s Defense Fund. In 1975 Hillary left Washington and followed her heart to Arkansas, marrying Bill Clinton. The couple taught together in the University of Arkansas. Their daughter. Chelsea, was born in 1980.
As First Lady of Arkansas, Hillary continued to work tirelessly for the benefit of children and families. She introduced a program training parents to work with their preschool children. Because of her efforts, Hillary was named Arkansas Mother of the Year in 1984.
Hillary Rodham Clinton brings her own special talents, experience, style and interests to the role of First Lady of the US. She played a leading part in national Health Care Reform.
Hilary Clinton was elected to the US Senate (参议院) in 2000, becoming the first Lady elected to public office and the first female senator to represent New York. In 2006, Senator Clinton won re-election to the Senate, and in 2007 she began her historic campaign for President. In 2008, she campaigned for the election of Barrack Obama and Joe Biden, and in November, she was chosen by President elect Obama as Secretary of State.
64．What do we know from the first paragraph?
A．Hillary Rodham Clinton never finds it hard to balance herself in life.
B．Family, work and public service are all important to Hillary Clinton.
C．The experience as First Lady of Arkansas led her to the White House.
D．Before entering the White House, Hillary had worked for the First Lady.
65．Why did Hillary leave the Children’s Defense Fund?
A．Because she wanted to marry Bill Clinton who was in Arkansas.
B．Because she married Bill Clinton and had to move to Arkansas.
C．Because she found she fell in love with Arkansas.
D．Because she was offered a better job in the University of Arkansas.
66．Where did Bill Clinton get his high education?
A．At Wellesley College.
B．At the Children’s Defense Fund.
C．At the University of Arkansas.
D．At Yale Law School.
67．Which is the right order of the following events?
a. Hillary was elected to the United States Senate.
b. Hillary was chosen as Secretary of State.
c. Hillary served as the First Lady.
d. Hillary supported Obama in his presidential election.
e. Hillary began her campaign for President.
A．c, a, e, d, b B．c, e, d, b, a C．a, e, c, b, d D．b, e, c, d, a