C
American teens are setting an example for their parents through their volunteer work,
according to a new poll by Harris Interactive. The random national telephone survey released this week by the charity World Vision found that more teens volunteer to support a charitable cause(56 percent) than have a part-time job(39 percent).
Parents said 82 percent of the teens in their lives do something to support charitable causes, including volunteering, recruiting others to a cause, wearing a button or T-shirt or donating money. Forty-six percent of the adults surveyed said they volunteer their time, but they also take credit for inspiring their children to volunteer.
The Harris Interactive poll was conducted in the United States between Jan 29 and Feb 2 among 2,003 adults. Sara Johnson, a teacher who advises students at a private school in a Chicago suburb, says she's seen a resurgence of teen involvement in social causes since President Barack Obama was elected in November.
The Harris Interactive survey found a quarter of teens have become more involved in charitable causes or organizations as a result of the economic downturn, but the economy has also led to cuts in allowances, and has teens working more hours at a paying job.
Unlike many public high schools across the nation, Illiana Christian does not require its students to clock public service hours. Senior Melissa Martin said some kids are too busy with other commitments like sports and music, but most of her classmates do volunteer.
Alynn Woodson, director at Habitat for Humanity International, said she has noticed a new enthusiasm among teen volunteers for the organization. Habitat for Humanity celebrates the 20th anniversary of its alternative spring break program this year and is expecting more than 12,000 young people to help build homes for low-income people around the nation.
63.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.It is surveyed that more teens volunteer to support a charitable cause nowadays.
B.Illiana Christian asks its students to clock public service hours strictly.
C.American parents are setting an example for their children through their volunteer work.
D.The financial crisis led to the employment of American parents.
64.The underlined word “resurgence” in the third paragraph most probably means .
A.replacement B.recall C.review D.return
65.Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A.About 12,000 young people will help build homes for low-income people around the nation.
B.In Illiana Christian, teens are busy with sports and none of them do volunteer.
C.The majority of the teens in their lives do something to support charitable causes.
D.Forty-six percent of the adults surveyed said they volunteer their time.
66.We may infer from the passage that .
A.American teens prefer charitable causes to attending school.
B.People noticed a new enthusiasm among teen volunteers for the organization.
C.The majority of the adults are not willing to volunteer their time.
D.Habitat for Humanity celebrates the 20th anniversary this year.
(B)
My dad also taught me,by example,that a healthy lifestyle is important.He was hardly ever sick.But I don’l think my dad ever even had a cup of coffee.He barely touched alcohol.
He would say,“Boonnie,your voice is a reflection of your overall physical well-being.So if you want to sing well,take better care of yourself.” If I became hoarse(嘶哑)or caught a cold,he didn’t blame me directly:“Well,Bonnie,you know,if you’d get to sleep a little earlier,that would probably be a good idea.”When I decided to get unexcitable about 18 years ago,he told me.“See,
Bonnie,it's so great to see you in such strong voice all the time.”
He just did not complain,even when he was uncomfortable toward the end,from the pneumonia that eventually took his life.He simply made a choice to be positive and not negative.
I am so glad that we had the chance to perform together.I was touched that he tried singing my music,even though the bluesy style didn’t come naturally to him.Then,when I had so much
Grmnmy success with my album Nick of Time in 1990,I realized. Hey,I have one of the greatest singers of all time in my family.I was very nervous about doing the Boston Pops show on TV with my dad.To calm me,he said,“Bonnie,a beautiful song is a beautiful song.Just believe it.”I looked in my dad’s eyes,and there we were singing the Irving Berlia song with the lvric.Of all the duets I've done.that one wiU always be a highlight.
60.the second paragraph shows that.
A.the author’s father had a loving, in-the-moment and joyful approach
B.the author’s father had a very healthy lifestyle
C.the author’s father was very strict with his son
D.the author’s father devoted himself to his son
61.The author。father died because of.
A.coffee B.alcohol C.pneumonia D.tire
62.The underlined word “inexeitable” means
A.heated B.silent C.angry D.amused
63.From the last paragraph we may learn that.
A.the father and his son often performed together
B.playing blues is the father' s favourite
C.The author was good at orchestral music
D.the father and his son are both musicians
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A、B、c、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
(A)
China news,Beijing,July.29—Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese.To many property developers and local government officials,housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries.However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter,while in China,it is even higher than in the United States.This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫)in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States,after convened to Re Renminbi,is about 8,000 yuan per square meter,the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area,as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses.If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area,then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter.In most big Chinese cities,such as Beijing,Shanghai, and Shenzhen,houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles.Moreover,Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality,environment and supporting facilities.Furthermore,it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people.
How Can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007,Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.Now in order to reduce the high housing prices.the government Call regulate the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans and lands to property developers.At the same time,the government should allow, people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels.such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units.By applying these multiple means,it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.
56.What is the average housing price per source meter in China?
A.8,000 yuan. B.10,000yuan.
C.7,000 yuan. D.It’s not mentioned here.
57.Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States.
A.Chinese houses can not be Compared with houses in US in terms of building quality,environment and supporting families.
B.American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people.
C.The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area,as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses.
D.The population who need houses in China is larger than in the United States.
58.How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?
A.Four. B.Three. C.Two.D.One.
59.What is the main idea of this passage?
A.The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something useful to prevent it.
B.There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market.
C.The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States.
D.Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public.
D
Habits are a funny thing. We reach for them mindlessly, setting our brains on auto-pilot and relaxing into the unconscious comfort of familiar routine.“Not choice, but habit rules the unreflecting creatures,”William Wordsworth said in the 19th century. In the ever-changing 21st century, even the word“habit”carries a negative meaning.
So it seems contradictory to talk about habits in the same context as innovation (创新). But brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks.
Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try, the more creative we become.
But don’t bother trying to kill off old habits; once those ruts of procedure are worn into the brain, they’re there to stay. Instead, the new habits we deliberately press into ourselves create parallel pathways that can bypass those old roads.
“The first thing needed for innovation is attraction to wonder,”says Dawna Markova, author of The Open Mind.“But we are taught instead to‘decide’, just as our president calls himself‘the Decider’.”She adds, however, that“to decide is to kill off all possibilities but one. A good innovational thinker is always exploring the many other possibilities.”
“All of us work through problems in ways of which we’re unaware,”she says. Researchers in the late 1960s discovered that humans are born with the ability to approach challenges in four primary ways: analytically, procedurally, collaboratively (合作地) and innovatively. At the end of adolescence, however, the brain shuts down half of that ability, preserving only those ways of thought that have seemed most valuable during the first decade or so of life.
The current emphasis on standardized testing highlights analysis and procedure, meaning that few of us use our innovative and collaborative ways of thought.“This breaks the major rule in the American belief system—that anyone can do anything,”explains M. J. Ryan, author of the 2006 book This Year I Will…and Ms. Markova’s business partner.“That’s a lie that we have preserved, and it fosters commonness. Knowing what you’re good at and doing even more of it creates excellence.”This is where developing new habits comes in.
67.Brain researchers have discovered that .
A.the forming of new habits can be guided
B.the development of habits can be predicted
C.the regulation of old habits can be transformed
D.the track of new habits can be created unconsciously
68.The underlined word“ruts”in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to .
A.zones B.connections C.situations D.tracks
69.Which of the following statements most probably agrees with Dawna Markova’s view?
A.Decision makes no sense in choices.
B.Curiosity makes creative minds active.
C.Creative ideas are born of a relaxing mind.
D.Formation of innovation comes from fantastic ideas.
70.The purpose of the author writing this article is to persuade us .
A.to give up our traditional habits deliberately
B.to create and develop new habits consciously
C.to resist the application of standardized testing
D.to believe that old habits conflict with new habits
C
Apparently,we are safe neither at home nor in the business office.We use water in both places,but the research shows that chemicals added to our local water supply to kill harmful bacteria can have unwanted side effects.These chemicals can cause potential harm through drinking and in seemingly harmless activities as cleaning one’s house.They are released(set free)from water by daily actions like water running out of tap,spraying from garden pipes,or splashing in dishwashers and washing machines.As the water is moving.these chemicals are released into the air and then breathed in. Once inside our bodies, they start to affect our health.
Does this mean we should stop bathing? No, say the scientists, but we should put allpollution into perspective. Activities at home such as the burning of coal, cooking oil, or even candles release carbon monoxide and particulates such as cigarette ashes which have been proven as harmful to health as working or living near heavy traffic. New tugs, bedding, and even clothing give off that“new smell, ”which is a sure sign of chemicals. In the office, newly applied paint, newly purchased telephones and other telecommunications equipment, and computers release polluting chemicals, too. As offices and homes often have inadequate ventilation (通风), these chemicals can build up to become health problems. Their poisonous effects are only now being slowly recognized.
These facts suggest that, at a minimum, proper airing of newly purchased goods with an obvious chemical smell is a wise warning. Home and office windows should be opened during good weather. Even one’s car needs to be ventilated as well while in the garage.
We need further research to understand better other potential health dangers, too. For example, the effects of overcrowding of schools (carbon dioxide build-up ), the factory work environment ( an endless list of potentially dangerous substances ), and even home heating and cooling (the air conditioner may be our enemies, not our friends) have only recently started to come to light. Until we understand the effects of our new technological environment better, we can only hope that“there is no place like home.”
64.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A.The air we breathe in is harmful.
B.The water in everyday use is unsafe.
C.Chemicals are added to the drinking water.
D.Chemicals are released in the running water.
65.In Paragraph 2, the underlined sentence means that .
A.bathing should be done with caution
B.homes and offices should be aired often
C.any pollution should be taken into consideration
D.we should prevent any pollution from doing harm to us
66.What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To call on us to guard our water
B.To show us that no place is like home.
C.To make us aware of the pollution around us.
D.To argue that neither homes nor offices are safe.
B
Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5:30.and at 6:30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club.At last,the traffic was moving.She swung quickly racing to her house As she opened the door,she nearly tripped over Sheba.
“Hey,Sheba,”she said,“I've got no time for you now,hut I'll take you out as soon as I get
back from tennis club.”Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking Obviously,she could hardly breathe.Immediately.Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet(兽医)
When she got there,the vet was just about to close for the day Seeing the state of Sheba,Dr.Sterne brought her quickly into his office.
“Listen,doctor,I'm really in a rush to get to a meeting can I leave her with you,and go and get changed? I'll be back in ten minutes to pick her up,and then I'll take her on to the meeting with me Is that OK?”
“Sure.”said the doctor
Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes'.As she was once more
entering the hallway,the phone by the door began to ring.
“This is Dr.Sterne,”said an anxious voice.“I want you to get out of that house immediately,”said the doctor's voice.“I'm coming round fight away,and the police will be there any time now.Wait outside!”
At that moment,a police car screeched to a stop outside the house.Two policemen got out and ran into the house.Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened.Then the doctor arrived.
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?”shouted Joanne.
“She’s fine,Joanne.I took out the thing which was choking her,and she’s OK now.”
Just then,the two policemen reappeared from the house,half-carrying a white—faced man,who could hardly walk.There was blood all over him.
“My God,”said Joanne,“how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?”
“I think he must be a burglar.”said the doctor.“I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat:it turned out to be three human fingers”
60.What was Joanne supposed to do at 6:30?
A.To walk her dog.B.To see her doctor.
C.To attend a club meeting. D.To play tennis with her friends.
61.Joanne wanted to get back to her home again.
A.to dress up for the meetingB.to phone the police station
C.to catch the badly hurt burglar D.to wait for her dog to be cured
62.From the passage,we can infer that.
A.Sheba fought against the burglar
B.the police found the burglar had broken in
C.Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting
D.the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog
63.In this passage,the writer intends to tell us that the dog is.
A.clever B.friendly C.frightening D.Devoted