B
Kincaid looked at his watch: eight-seventeen. The truck started on the second try, and he backed out, shifted gears, and moved slowly down the alley under hazy sun. Through the streets of Bellingham he went, heading south on Washington 11, running along the coast of Puget Sound for a few miles, then following the highway as it swung east a little before meeting U.S Route 20.
Turning into the sun, he began the long, winding drive through the Cascades. He liked this country and felt unpressed stopping now and then to make notes about interesting possibilities for future expeditions or to shoot what he called “memory snapshots.” The purpose of these causal photographs was to remind him of places he might want to visit again and approach more seriously. In later afternoon he turned north at Spokane, picking up U.S Route 2, which would take him halfway across the northern United States to Duluth, Minnesota.
He wished for the thousandth time in his life that he had a dog, a golden retriever, maybe, for travels like this and to keep him company at home. But he was frequently away; overseas much of the time and it would not be fair to the animal. Still, he thought about it anyway. In a few years he would be getting too old for the hard fieldwork. “I must get a dog then.” He said to himself.
Drives like this always put him into a sentimental mood. The dog was part of it. Robert Kincaid was alone as it’s possible to be – an only child, parents both dead, distant relatives who had lost track of him and he of them, no close friends.
He thought about Marian. She had left him nine years ago after five years of marriage. He was fifty–two now, that would make her just under forty. Marian had dreams of becoming a musician, a folksinger. She knew all of the Weavers’ songs and sang them pretty well in the coffeehouse of Seattle. When he was home in the old days, he drove her to the shows and sat in the audience while she sang.
His long absences – two or three months sometimes – were hard on the marriage. He knew that. She was aware of what he did when they decided to get married, and both of them had a vague (not clear) sense that it could all be handled somehow. It couldn’t when he came from photographing a story in Iceland and, she was gone. The note read, “Robert, it didn’t work out, I left you the Harmony guitar. Stay in touch.”
He didn’t stay in touch. Neither did she. He signed the divorce papers when they arrived a year later and caught a plane for Australia the next day. She had asked for nothing except her freedom.
46. Which route is the right one taken by Kincaid?
A. Bellingham – Washington 11 – Puget Sound – U.S Route 20 – U.S Route 2 – Duluth
B. U.S. Route 2 – Bellingham – Washington 11 – Puget Sound – U.S Route 20 – Duluth
C. U.S. Route 2 – U.S Route 20 – Duluth – Bellingham – Washington 11
D. Bellingham – Washington 11 –U.S. Route 2 –U.S Route 20 –Duluth
47. Which statement is true according to the passage?
A. Kincaid’s parents were dead and he only kept in touch with some distant relatives.
B. Kincaid would have had a dog if he hadn’t been away from home too much.
C. Kincaid used to have a golden retriever.
D. Kincaid needed a dog in doing his hard fieldwork.
48. Why did Kincaid stop to take photos while driving?
A. To write “memory snapshots”.
B. To remind himself of places he might want to visit again.
C. To avoid forgetting the way back.
D. To shoot beautiful scenery along the road.
49. What can you know about Marian?
A. She died after five years of marriage.
B. She was older than Kincaid.
C. She could sing very well and earned big money.
D. She was not a professional pop singer.
50. We can draw a conclusion from the passage that _____
A. Marian knew what would happen before she married Kincaid.
B. Kincaid thought his absence would be a problem when he married Marian.
C. It turned out that Marian could not stand Kincaid’s absence and left him.
D. After Marian left him, they still kept in touch with each other.
Standardized exam in American public education are being reformed. Over the next four years, hundreds of university professors and testing experts will work together to design new assessment system.
The new tests will be computer-based and will measure higher-order skills ignored by the multiple-choice exams used in all states,including students’ ability to read complex texts, synthesize(合成)information and do research projects.
Because the new tests will be computerized and will be administered several times throughout the school year, they can provide faster feedback(反馈)to teachers.If these plans work out, It’ll turn the current testing system upside down.
One group,led by Florida,will be made up of 25 states and the District of Columbia.The group was awarded $170 million.The other group, whose membership over-laps the first,has31 states and is led by Washington.The group was given $160 million.Twelve of the 44 states are
participating in both groups but are expected eventually to choose one set of tests.
The two groups are supposed to work in a friendly competition,though their plans are very similar.Both groups will produce tests that rely heavily on technology and both groups’ tests will include so-called performance-based tasks,designed to mirror complex,real-world situations.
In performance-based tasks,students are given a problem-they could be told, for example, to suppose they are a mayor who needs to reduce a city’s pollution—and must write about how they would solve the problem.
The new tests could be useful to teachers by giving them information on what their students are learning, but it might also require some mid-course adjustments.
Over the past decade, the federal No Child Left Behind law has emphasized helping low-achieving students improve their basic reading and math by encouraging states to produce tests that measure relatively low-1evel skills. Although the Bush-era law is still on the books, two
years of Obama administration policy have been leading schools in new directions... What is the main idea of this passage?
A.Obama’s education policy takes the lead. |
B.A computer-based testing system is adopted. |
C.American education system has been changed. |
D.Experts are reinventing the student testing system. |
.Why are multiple-choice exams to be given up?
A.Because they are not computer-based. |
B.Because they can’t test students’ higher-order skills. |
C.Because they can’t provide proper feedback for teachers. |
D.Because they can’t test students’ general reading ability. |
.The underlined part in Para. 4 probably means________.
A.the two groups have some shared members |
B.the other group is more demanding than the first |
C.the groups have different tasks of their own |
D.the other group does better than the first group in the task |
.According to the passage, performance-based tasks may refer to tasks that______.
A.are related to real-world problems |
B.have to be performed in an imaginary world |
C.teach us theories through complex problems |
D.can only be completed by relying heavily on technology |
.. From the last paragraph, we can infer that_________.
A.the No child Left Behind policy is not helpful |
B.the Obama administration’s policy is highly praised |
C.the two policies both emphasize math and reading abilities |
D.the two policies both emphasize the development of practical skills |
A town in Oxfordshire has become the first in the UK to have biomethane(生物甲烷)gas from human waste piped to their homes for gas central heating and cooking.
Up to 200 families in Didcot now receive the gas via the national gas power system. Head of energy and technology at British Gas,Martin Orrill,said customers wouldn’t notice any difference as the gas is purified to the highest standard and has no smell.The gas is produced at a sewage(污物) treatment works in Didcot.
The entire process takes only less than three weeks, with the sewage being collected and sent first to settlement tanks.The solid waste material is then fed into digesters, where anaerobic bacteria(厌氧菌)digest the sewage,with the aid of enzymes(酶)to speed up the process.The digestion process produces methane,which can be burned to drive machines(甲烷)to produce electricity,or can be purified and fed into the gas network and piped to homes and businesses. British Gas says supplying the gas rather than electricity is far more efficient since around two-thirds of the energy is lost in producing electricity.
Partners in the Didcot project,British Gas,Scotia Gas Network,and Thames Water,all hope to expand the process to other towns,and other companies such as Ecotricity and United Utilities have also announced biomethane projects being planned.One of these projects in Manchester could be supplying 500 homes with biomethane by mid next year. Another British Gas project in Suffolk will provide gas from digestion of brewery(啤酒厂)waste to around 235 families.
The Didcot project cost£25 million and was influenced by promises of government aids aimed at encouraging companies to develop renewable technologies.An EU directive means the UK must ensure at least 15 percent of its energy is from renewable sources by 2020.
The UK produces about 1.73 million tons of sewage annually.If all sewage treatment works in the UK were fitted with the technology,they could supply gas for up to 350, 000 families..Which of the following is TRUE of the biomethane gas?
A.it’s mainly made from rotting plants | B.It’s an environmentally friendly gas |
C.Its production process is too long | D.It’s easily recognized by customers |
.What is the function of the enzymes?
A.To digest the solid waste material | B.To help get rid of anaerobic bacteria |
C.To help purify the biomethane. | D.To speed up the digestion process. |
.According to the passage,the biomethane gas had better be used.
A.as the power for vehicles | B.for heating and cooking |
C.to produce electricity | D.to drive a variety of machines |
.The last three paragraphs mainly show that .
A.the UK government supports the biomethane projects |
B.the biomethane projects are very costly |
C.the biomethane projects still face many barriers |
D.the biomethane project![]() |
.. What should the text belong to?
A.Computer science | B.Engineering | C.Energy | D.Business |
The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world.But to those who are new to it all, sometimes it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar.Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers.It’s a great opportunity to make new friends,join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However,having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind,you can feel nervous when meeting lots of strangers in big halls. Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join?
Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot.So just take it all in slowly.Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here are some top tips from past students on how to survive Freshers’ week:
·Learn rules.Make sure you know British social etiquette (礼节).Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
·Be kind.Sometimes cups of tea or even pieces of French fries can give you a good start in making friends.
·Be sociable.The more active you are, the more 1ikely you’ll meet new people than if you’re someone who is shy and never leaves his room.
·Bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and motivation,Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your experience to the next year’s recruits... Which of the following statements is FALSE according to the passage?
A.October is generally the busiest month for universities |
B.It’s a good idea to put a doorstop in your suitcase |
C.A bit of planning can make Freshers’ Week easier |
D.The first week of your every year at university is called Freshers’ Week |
.. The underlined word “recruits” in the last paragraph refers to.
A.courses | B.freshers |
C.neighbors | D.challenges |
.We can infer from Paragraph 4 that.
A.the newcomers usually miss the days at home |
B.most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities |
C.many freshers are worried about how to fit university 1ife |
D.all the new students will make new friends and join certain clubs |
.Why does the author suggest having wine glasses and snacks handy?
A.To pass the busy university life |
B.To help make friends with other freshers |
C.To show yourself drinker as others |
D.To pass the time in a happy way |
..The main purpose of the passage is to.
A.tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities |
B.introduce something about![]() |
C.discuss something about the Freshers’ Week in the UK |
D.advise the freshmen how to behave well in the beginning |
Donna Simpson weighs more than 600 pounds and aims to reach 1,000 pounds.The New Jersey woman is carrying a series of activities to become the world’s fattest living woman,admitting that she is as hungry for attention as she is for calorie-rich food.
Donna,who wears XXXXXXXL dresses, eats pounds of junk food and tries to move as little as possible.The 42-year-old woman is a model on a website,where admirers and the curious can pay to watch videos of her eating food or walking to the car.She appeare
d in TV interviews and
said she welcomed media coverage.
Simpson has submitted a claim to the Guinness World Records for the title of the world’s heaviest woman to give birth.Among the heaviest women ever recorded was one who reportedly weighed 1,800 pounds and another who reportedly weighed 1,200 pounds at the time of their
deaths.
You might expect her husband to advise her to lose weight,but it is the other way round.To achieve her goal,Donna says she will need to eat up to 12,000 calories a day,compared to 2000 calories that a normal woman needs.
When she came across the website which made very fat women widely known,she came to know there were many women faced with the same problems.And after she admitted her real size,e-mails from people poured in.They sent her gifts through the post,expressing their care
for her.Donna was not feeling sorry for her goal,though she might risk her own life in the process.However, some have a different voice in Donna’s behavior.They hold that it is more important to do something useful than to become popular.After all,there are so many children faced with the shortage of food throughout the world... One reason why Donna Simpson wants to be the heaviest woman is that.
A.she is fond of challenging herself |
B.she wants to advertise for food |
C.she is crazy about public attention |
D.she hopes to make fat women confident |
.. We can learn from the passage that.
A.Simpson is much fatter than any other woman |
B.Simpson’s videos can be watched on the Internet |
C.Simpson has broken the Guinness World Record |
D.Simpson’s husband is strongly against her plan |
.. What can we infer from the passage?
A.Simpson will go on a diet to keep fit |
B.There’s no way for one to reach 1000 pounds |
C.Most people take pity on Simpson |
D.Simpson will take measures to achieve her goal |
.. The author’s attitude towards Donna Simpson would be.
A.negative | B.uncertain | C.encouraging | D.annoying |
.. What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Meet with the fattest person in the world |
B.What’s the matter with Donna Simpson? |
C.A US woman decided to be the world’s heaviest |
D.The super-sized model planned to lose weight |
Trekking through the mists of the Huangshan mountains , I came upon a young man painting the scenery with traditional brush and ink on rice paper. He smiled proudly as he showed me his work. It was indeed quite beautiful for a painting , but it paled compared to the living scene before my eyes: mountaintops surrounded by light clouds, an endless dance of wind and fog that changes alternately in the dark hills beneath. How futile it must feel for a mere human being to try to capture that , I thought.
Yet for centuries ,these mountains in the heart of China have been a destination for artists and poets , who come to commune with nature in one of its more striking pose-and struggle to replicate its beauty. Along with the artists and poets come lovers ,who grasp locks symbolic of their undying love to the chain fences that protect hikers from the steep cliffs .Seventy miles of trials wind around 72peaks , the two majestic of which are Capital of Heaven and Lotus Flower.
In 1990 ,UNESCO declared Huangshan a Cultural and Natural Property , thereby ensuring that the area’s physical beauty will be preserved forever. Pheasant and deer abound. Hundreds of plants are said to heal the body and the famous hot springs are known for their healing qualities . An hour’s meditation in one of these pools is a great way to end a day of hiking .
The three staging areas for Huangshan visitors are Jade Screen, the Hot Spring area and the North Sea. The Xi Hai and Bei Hai ,located on different summits are three-star hotels serving Chinese and Western food as well as wine and liquor from East and West.
Huangshan may not be exactly off the beaten path , but it is on a road well worth taking. The writer thought the young man ‘s painting .
A not a bit beautiful B not as beautiful as the living scene
C more beautiful than the living scene D beautiful enough to caught the nature’s beauty Why would lovers like to grasp locks to the chain fences?
A because locks symbolize lovers’ forever love
B because locks can protect lovers from the cliffs
C because locks help lovers climb to the top quickly
D because locks contribute to enjoy nature easily What is the purpose of the passage?
A To introduce some hotels in Huangshan mountains
B To recommend Huangshan mountains to tourists
C To speak highly of the beauty of Huangshan mountains
D To stress the convenience to climb Huangshan mountains