For many years, no one could communicate with people who had been born without learning. These deaf people were not able to use a spoken language.
But, beginning in the 1700s, the deaf were taught a special language. Using this language, they could share thoughts and ideas with others. The language they used was a language without sound. It was a sign language.
How did this sign language work? The deaf were taught to make certain movements with their hands, faces and bodies. These movements stood for things and ideas. A man might move his finger across his lips. This meant, “You are not telling the truth.” He might tap his chin (下巴, 下颚)with three fingers. This meant “my uncle”.
The deaf were also taught to use a finger alphabet（字母表）. They used their fingers to make letters of the alphabet. In this way, they spelled out words. Some deaf people could spell out words at a speed of 130 words per minute.
Sign language and finger spelling are not used as much as they once could. Today, the deaf are taught to understand others by watching their lips. They are also taught how to speak.The passage is mainly about ___ .
| A．how the deaf communicate with others |
| B．teaching the deaf to speak with their mouths |
| C．learning how to spell words with one’s hands |
| D．how sign languages came into being |
From the passage we can infer that ___.
| A．there is still no way to communicate with the deaf |
| B．the deaf must have special teachers to teach them |
| C．in order to make a living, deaf people must make signs |
| D．it is not very difficult for the deaf to learn sign language |
How did sign languages help the deaf?
| A．It helped them learn to read |
| B．The deaf could understand sign languages even if they had not learned them |
| C．It helped them to communicate with other people |
| D．It helped them speak with their mouths |
Which of the following sentences do you think is right according to the passage?
| A．Deaf people draw signs | B．Deaf people read with their fingers |
| C．Many deaf people now can speak | D．Deaf people can hear what others say now |
B
Will you get a good job？ What will you do？ Many new graduates feel lost when they consider the endless list of career choices. They’ve invested（投资）a lot of money for their diploma（文凭）and now an important question stares them in the fact.
I’ve seen so many now graduates who do not know how to use the degree they have just earned. An example was Dave，who loved sports and had played baseball throughout his college years. He had his heart set on working for Nike. But he had never made clear in his own mind what kind of job he could do for Nike，so nothing ever happened. Another example was Allison，who was a history major. She wanted to work as an event planner，but unfortunately，no one hired her. Why？ No experience.
Failing to do some solid career exploration first，to get a clear idea of the types of jobs you can do，is a big error that many college students make. After our suggestion，Dave and Allison both found their jobs. To ensure a brighter future，follow these effective strategies：
—Make educated career choices. Identify the job you want. Conduct research. Ask parents to advise you on actual job duties. Consider what your natural talents are，and look for positions where you can use them.
—Don’t rely on the Internet. Networking is an effective tool—be sure it’s a job—hunting strategy you use. New studies from the Department of Labor state that only 4％ of job-seekers found their job on the Internet. The fact is that 63％ of all jobs are filled by contacts.
Employers are making quick decisions. Most people lose the job in the first minute of the interview. It’s deadly to let the employers focus quickly on how well you can perform the job.
—Practice your interviewing skills. Be ready for the tough questions by first writing out good answers to possible questions and having a role-playing interview with your friend.
55．What does the author seem to be most probable？
A．A job-hunter. B．A magazine editor.
C．A website owner. D．A job-seeking adviser.
56．In order to be well prepared for the interview, you’d better ____________.
A．surf the Internet for contacts
B．get along well with your workmates
C．practice the interview for several times
D．take care of your dress
57．According to the text it is suggested that Dave should ____________.
A．let others know what he can do for them
B．study further to get a higher degree
C．give up his interest in playing basketball
D．take part-time jobs first
58．For Allison, she should ____________.
A．find a job in another field
B．find some work to gain work experience
C．not tell the employer her major
D．offer more personal information
第三部分阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40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。
A
After my husband died suddenly from a heart attack，my world crashed around me.My six children were all under 10，and I was burdened with the responsibilities of earning a living，and caring for the children. I was fortunate to find a wonderful housekeeper to care for the children during the week，but from Friday nights to Monday mornings，the children and I were alone.
One Friday evening I came home from work to find a big pretty German Shepherd（牧羊犬）on our doorstep. This dog seemed to intend to enter the house. The children liked“German”immediately and begged me to let him in. I agreed to let him sleep in the basement. That night I slept peacefully for the first time in many weeks.
The following morning we made phone calls and checked lost-and-found ads for German’s owner，but with no results.
On Sunday I had planned to take the children on a picnic. Since I thought it best to leave German behind in case his owner came by，we drove off without him. When we stopped to get gas，we were amazed to see German racing to the gas station after us. No way was he going to be left behind.
Monday morning I let him out for a run. He didn’t come back and we were all disappointed. We were convinced that we would never see him again. We were wrong. The next Friday evening，German was back on our doorstep. Again he stayed until Monday morning，when our housekeeper arrived.
This pattern repeated itself every weekend for almost 10 months. We grew more and more fond of German. We took comfort in his strong，warm presence，and we felt safe with him near us. As German became part of the family，he considered it his duty to check every bedroom to be sure each child was cozy in bed.
Each week，between German’s visits，I grew a little stronger，a little braver and more able to handle; every weekend we were no longer alone and enjoyed his company. Then one Monday morning we patted him on the head and let him out for what turned out to be the last time. We never saw German again.
51．The dog first came to the family when _______________.
A．it was needed most
B．the writer became strong enough
C．the writer was away on a business trip
D．the writer was busy on the weekday
52．The family planned to go on a picnic without the German Shepherd because ____________.
A．it was too wild to control
B．it was too young to walk so far
C．the owner might come by to pick it up
D．it might spoil the trip
53．The writer was ____________ the German Shepherd.
A．afraid of B．grateful to
C．cruel to D．annoyed with
54．Which of the following can’t be used to describe the dog？
A．Loyal. B．Beautiful.
C．Lovely. D．Wild.
E
A United Nations report says the number of people in the world is expected to reach 6500 million this July. By the middle of the century, the population could reach more than 9000 million. That would be an increase of 40﹪.
These numbers are fresh estimates for a report on world population change from 1950 to 2050. Hania Zlotnik is director of the U.N. Population Division. She says the world has added nearly 500 million people in the last six years.
But, in her words, "the good news is that new estimates show that it will take a little longer" to add the next 500 million. Mizz Zlotnik says this will probably happen by 2013.
The U.N. report says most population growth by 2050 will take place in less developed countries. Their population is expected to increase from 5000 million today to almost 8000 million. The population of more developed nations is expected to stay about the same, at just over 1000 million.
The report says nine countries will be responsible for about half the world population increase by 2050. These include Bangladesh, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and India. The others are Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda and the United States.
Twelve countries are expected to have populations at least three times the size now. These include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and East Timor. The others are Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Uganda.
The report says birth rates remain low in forty-four developed countries.
Today, worldwide, there is an average of two-point-six children per woman. This number is expected to fall to just over two children per woman in 2050. But U.N. population experts note that they cannot be sure which way birth rates will go in the future.
The U.N. report also notes that AIDS has increased death rates and slowed population growth in sixty countries. The area most affected by the disease is Southern Africa.
There, how long people live has fallen from an average of sixty-two years in 1995 to forty-eight now. Researchers believe life expectancy will fall to forty-three years by 2015, then begin a slow recovery.
67. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The population growth will slow down in the next few years.
B. Most population growth will take place in developed countries.
C. There is an average of 2.6 children per woman in developed countries.
D. The area most affected by AIDS is Uganda.
68. Which one is the best title of this passage?
A. AIDS slowed population growth.
B. Most population growth will take place in less developed countries.
C. Population growth and death rate.
D. UN world population report.
69．The author believes that the population growth results from_______
A. The birth rate in developed countries is too high.
B. The birth rate in developing countries is too high.
C. AIDS hit only a few countries.
D. A decrease in death rate.
70. Which of the following best describe the author’s attitude towards the rapid population growth?
A. sympathetic B. happy C. optimistic D. critical
D
Millions of people around the world cook their food over a smoky fire every day. It is often difficult to find wood for the fire. People who do not have wood must spend large amounts of money on cooking fuel. However, there is a much easier way to cook food using energy from the sun.
Solar cookers, or ovens, have been used for centuries. A Swiss scientist made the first solar oven in 1767. Today, people are using solar cookers in many countries around the world. People use solar ovens to cook food and to heat drinking water to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms.
There are three kinds of solar ovens. The first is a box cooker. It is designed with a special wall that shines or reflects sunlight into the box. Heat gets trapped under a piece of glass or plastic covering the top of the cooker. A box oven is effective for slow cooking of large amounts of food.
The second kind of solar oven is a panel cooker. It includes several flat walls, or panels, that directly reflect the sun’s light onto the food. The food is inside a separate container of plastic or glass that traps heat energy. People can build panel cookers quickly and with very few supplies. They do not cost much. In Kenya, for example, panel cookers are being manufactured for just two dollars.
The third kind of solar oven is a parabolic cooker. It has rounded walls that aim sunlight directly into the bottom of the oven. Food cooks quickly in parabolic ovens. However, these cookers are hard to make. They must be re-aimed often to follow the sun. Parabolic cookers can also cause burns and eye injuries if they are not used correctly.
You can make solar ovens from boxes or heavy paper. They will not catch fire. Paper burns at two hundred thirty-two degrees Celsius. A solar cooker never gets that hot. Solar ovens cook food at low temperatures over long periods of time. This permits people to leave food to cook while they do other things.
63. Which kind of solar cookers is the best choice for the poor?
A. a box cooker B. a panel cooker C. parabolic D. above all
64. What does the bold word “parabolic” mean in paragraph 5?
A. a curve of rising and falling B. rhombic(菱形的) C. square D. triangular
65. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Solar cooker is a new kind of cooker.
B. If we want to cook quickly, we should choose a parabolic cooker.
C. We should be careful with solar cooker for it may cause fire.
D. Solar cooker is not a good choice for people in England.
66. We can infer that ________.
A. Solar cookers all can cause burns and eye injuries.
B. Solar cookers are environmentally friendly.
C. A solar cooker can get as hot as 232 ℃.
D. A solar cooker is a good choice for people all over the world.
C
China’s emergence has made it “hugely important” for American students to be fluent in Mandarin according to Margaret Spellings, US education secretary.
Spellings made the remark after she signed a new memorandum of understanding with China’s ministry of education late last week to expand language and academic exchanges.
“It’s in their［US students’］ interest to come and learn from and about China and the Chinese people.” she said. “You can buy in any language but you have to sell in the language of the buyer.”
Research supported by the US state department has found the number of Americans studying in China jumped 35 percent in 2004—05 over the previous university year. Spellings said her agency would work to continue the trend.
According to the Chinese ministry，10, 340 Americans studied in China last year, a smaller cohort than the 54, 080 from South Korea or 18, 870 from Japan.
The Bush administration plans to spend $114m in 2007 to fund its national security language initiative, which aims to increase drastically the number of Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Hindi and Farsi speakers in the US.
The US state department estimates that 200, 000 Americans study abroad each year, a significantly smaller group than the 550, 000 students from around the world who go to the states for an education.
Of those studying in the US, 62, 580, or roughly 11 percent of the total，came from Chinese mainland this past school year. China is second only to India, which sent 76, 500 students to the US, as a source of students for US schools．
Spellings said that the Bush administration was now working to make visa application procedures “easier and more transparent” to encourage international students.
59. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. China’s emergence B. A research from the US
C. Learning Mandarin D. US attaches importance to Mandarin speakers
60. The underlined words “her agency” in the fourth paragraph refer to ____.
A. her personal agencyB. the US Department of Education
C. the US state department D. the Bush administration
61. Which country did the largest number of students who studied in China last year come from according to the passage?
A. India. B. South Korea. C. Japan. D. The US.
62. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. It is China’s emergence that has made it important for American students to learn Chinese.
B. The US is taking measures to encourage more international students.
C. The national security language initiative in the US aims to increase the number of international students from China, Arabian countries, Russia and so on.
D. The number of American students studying abroad is much smaller than that of students from around the world studying in the States every year.