In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bicycles to work every day. In New York, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City. They declare that if more people rode bicycles to work, there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown part of the city and so less dirty air from car engines.For several years this group has been trying to get the city government to help bicycle riders. For example, they want the city to draw special lanes（车道） for bicycles only on some of the main streets, because when bicycle riders must use the same lanes as cars, there are accidents. Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes.But no bicycle lanes have been drawn. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea—they say it will slow traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea—they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business.The city government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park—the largest place of open ground in New York—is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bicycles only.But Bike for a Better City says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bicycle lanes downtown. 56. In New York , a group of bike riders______.A. are keeping practising for healthB. have no cars of their ownC. are complaining（埋怨） there are not enough busesD. are trying to settle the problem of air pollution57. The bike riders suggest that______.A. bicycles should be used instead of carsB. bicycle lanes should be drawnC. fewer buses or cars should be used
D. the number of special lanes should be increased
58. The advantage of the special lanes is that______.
A. they will make cars and buses run slowly
B. they will make it easier for bike riders to go to parks
C. they will make the city more beautiful
D. the lanes will prevent accidents
59. The government has not decided whether special lanes should be drawn______.
A. so that everyone is disappointed
B. because there are different opinions
C. because most people travel by train
D. because Bike for a Better City is not strong enough
Etymology, the study of words and word roots, may sound like the kind of thing done by boring librarians in small, dusty rooms． Yet etymologists actually have a uniquely interesting job． They are in many ways just like archaeologists （考古学家） digging up the physical history of people and events． The special aspect of etymology is that it digs up history, so to speak, through the words and phrases that are left behind．
The English language, in particular, is a great field to explore history through words As a language, English has an extraordinary number of words． This is partly due to its ability to adapt foreign words so readily． For example, " English" words such as kindergarten （from German）, croissant （from French）, and cheetah （from Hindi） have become part of the language with little or no change from their original sounds and spellings． So English-language etymologists have a vast world of words to explore．
Another enjoyable thing about etymology for most word experts is solving word mysteries（谜）． No, etymologists do not go around solving murders, like the great detective Sherlock Holmes． What these word experts solve are mysterious origins of some of our most common words
One of the biggest questions English language experts have pursued is how English came to have the phrase OK． Though it is one of the most commonly used expressions, its exact beginning is a puzzle even to this day． Even its spelling is not entirely consistent-unless you spell it Okay, it is hard even to call it a word．
Etymologists have been able to narrow OK’s origin down to a likely, although not certain, source（来源）． It became widely used around the time of Martin Van Buren's run for president in 1840． His nickname was Old Kinderhook． What troubles word experts about this explanation is that the phrase appeared in some newspapers before Van Buren became well known． It is likely that Van Buren could be called its primary source Etymologists will doubtlessly keep searching for the initial source． However, it is clear that OK’s popularity and reputation have topped those of the American president to whom it has been most clearly linked．The author mentions the words like "croissant" in Paragraph 2 to indicate ．
| A．words have changed a lot in the two languages |
| B．what English-language etymologists are exploring now |
| C．English has absorbed many words from other foreign languages |
| D．the English vocabulary is difficult to the non-English-speaking people |
The underlined word "pursued" in Paragraph 4 means ．
| A．looked upon | B．dug up |
| C．put in | D．set down |
We can learn from the passage that etymologists ．
| A．discover the possible origin of words |
| B．help detectives to solve mysterious murders |
| C．write interesting stories for some newspapers |
| D．explore the English language as well as the recent events |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To present the history of English words |
| B．To explain the procedure of an etymologist's job |
| C．To introduce the pleasure of the study of words and word roots． |
| D．To teach readers how to distinguish English and non-English words |
Shark on the bait （诱饵） !" shouted Andre Harman, pointing to a spot a few yards behind the outboard motors． His voice gave no indication of panic, but the crew suddenly became tense and fixed their eyes on the water． Slowly, smoothly, Andre drew in the bait．The shark followed． No one asked what kind of shark it was． Everything about it, from its color to its shape, tells that it was a great white shark．
Andre lifted the bait aboard． Placing himself between the two motors, he dropped his right hand into the water just as the great head reached the first motor． “My goodness Andre!” I said． His hand seized the big nose, moving it away from the tube of the motor, guiding the shark's head up as it rose out of the water． Andre's hand held the nose, touching it gently． No one spoke． No one breathed． The moment seemed endless． In fact, it lasted less than five seconds before Andre pulled his hand back．
Still nobody spoke． Then Andre smiled and said: "The first time was an accident． I was just trying to move the shark away from the motor． Sharks are attracted to motors by their electrical signals and have a habit of biting them to see if they are eatable． " Andre has worked with great white sharks for years． "My hand landed on its nose, and it sort of paused, so I kept it there, and when I did let go, the shark bit and bit as if it was searching for whatever it was that had attracted it．"
Nearly every encounter （遭遇） we had had with the great whites had been totally illogical． The more we learned, the more we realized how little was really known about them in the past years． Back then, it was generally accepted that great whites ate people by choice． Now we know that almost every attack on a human is an accident in which the shark mistakes a human for its normal food． Back then, we thought that once a great white smelt blood, it would lead to death． Now we know that nearly three-quarters of bite victims survive, perhaps because the shark recognizes that is has made a mistake and doesn't return for a second bite．The author said, "My goodness! Andre ! " when ．
| A．Andre was about to fall into the water |
| B．Andre was about to touch the shark |
| C．Andre was followed by the shark |
| D．Andre was bitten by the shark |
What does the author think of the encounters with great whites?
| A．Exciting． | B．Educational． |
| C．Frightening | D．Reasonable |
Most bite victims survive in shark attacks because .
| A．they are taught how to fight off sharks |
| B．sharks discover they are no threats |
| C．they manage to swim to safety |
| D．sharks stop attacking them |
The latest fashion in kitchen is the food steamer． All the stores are selling them; everyone wants one． Steaming is one of the simplest and healthiest ways of cooking food．However, that cooking time is usually longer than with other methods． In case you’re thinking of buying a steamer, I've done a survey about the steamers available on the market to help you decide which will suit you best．
●Folding Steamer
The simplest and least expensive is the folding stainless-steel （不锈钢）version．
Advantages: This is a good, basic design which sits inside a variety of different shapes of pans with the water under it; a ring in the center allows for easy lifting and it's easy to clean．
Disadvantages: It only holds small dishes． Also, if you put too much water in the pan, it will boil up through the vegetables and they will be watery． If you put too little water in and let it get dry, you will burn the pan and get strange-smelling vegetables．
●Steaming Pan
This is a three-layered black Teflon-coated version with a lid and two double-handled steamers, which sits on the oven ring． The brand I bought is called Nutritious Living．
Advantages: This is an excellent steamer, lightweight, easy to clean, and of all the steamers I've tried, this cooks the fastest． Fish and chicken can be cooked on the bottom with rice or vegetables on the top． It's easier to store．
Disadvantages: Water can boil away until the pan is dry, but if you make sure you fill the pan up to the suggested level and do not overcook the food, this should not happen．You cannot see the food cooking from the top． It doesn't supply a dish for cooking rice．
For serious users of steamers, I recommend having one of each version． If you just want to try it, get the folding stainless-steel type．Why did the author carry out the survey?
| A．To inform people of different steamers |
| B．To run an advertisement for steamers |
| C．To find out a suitable steamer to buy |
| D．To learn how to cook with steamers |
What can we learn about the folding steamer?
| A．It comes in different kinds of shapes and sizes． |
| B．It is designed for large families． |
| C．It is able to clean itself． |
| D．It is easy to take out． |
The Nutritious Liuing steamer ．
| A．is more difficult to store |
| B．provides a dish to cook rice with |
| C．cooks different foods at the same time |
| D．cooks fish and chicken faster than vegetables |
According to the author, you should ．
| A．use steamers to save cooking time |
| B．buy a steamer with dishes supplied |
| C．do a survey before choosing a steamer |
| D．buy a folding steamer if you want to try |
The Enigma（谜）of Beauty
The search for beauty spans centuries and continents．Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup．In 18th-century France，wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发) of long，white hair to make themselves attractive．Today，people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance．
There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive: beauty is power．Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money，get called on more often in class，and are regarded as friendlier．
But what exactly is beauty？ It’s difficult to describe it clearly，and yet we know it when we see it．And our awareness of it may start at a very early age．In one set of studies，six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs．The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students．In the studies，the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones．
The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers．In studies by psychologists，men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes，fuller lips，and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and a narrow waist．According to scientists，the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits―the full lips，clear skin，strong shoulders―equal health and genetic well-being．
Not everyone thinks the same way，however．“Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations—mostly cultural,” says C．Loring Brace，an anthropologist at the University of Michigan．What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another．Look at most Western fashion magazines: the women on the pages are thin．But is this “perfect” body type for women worldwide？ Scientists’ answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the world．They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures．
For better or worse，beauty plays a role in our lives．But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another．Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing，it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single，uniform standard．Beauty really is，as the saying goes，in the eye of the beholder．People’s ideas about beauty _______．
| A．have existed since ancient times |
| B．can be easily described |
| C．have little influence on a person’s success |
| D．are based upon strict criteria |
In Paragraph 3，the babies in the study _______．
| A．were rated for their appearance |
| B．were entered in a beauty contest |
| C．were shown photos of a group of college students |
| D．were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones |
The underlined word “traits” in Paragraph 4 probably means _______．
| A．qualities | B．measurements | C．judgments | D．standards |
We can learn from the passage that _______．
| A．the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up |
| B．the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence |
| C．the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches |
| D．the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds |
Culture and Cuisine
The United States is known for jazz and blue jeans．But travel to Paris and ask your average French citizen about American cuisine (烹饪) and he’s likely to answer，“ McDonalds．” Ask the same thing of any American citizen on any American street and I’m afraid you’d get the same answer，or something close to it．
Hamburgers and hotdogs and fries are all fine，but with American malls and other outlets standardizing everything from clothing to food，the sad truth is that American cuisine is becoming more homogeneous―all the same―no matter where you live．True，many Americans are eating more varied foods these days，but these are largely the cuisines of immigrant groups，and they are quite likely to be affected by homogenization of American cuisine．
So what exactly is American cuisine？ Well，to some extent it is a reflection of our melting pot culture，meaning that Europeans made huge contributions in the form of wheat，dairy products，pork，beef and poultry．But American cuisine also includes products that once were known only to the New World，including potatoes，corn，pumpkin，sweet potatoes，and peanuts．
The one region of the country where you still find all these things in daily use is the Deep South．The South lost the Civil War，but children of the southerners are winning the battle to preserve and advance their cooking traditions—and in this case one of the few cuisines can truly be called American，which is why we’re pleased to have Low Country cuisine in this issue of food creation．That’s right，grits and gravy are back in a big way in cities like Charleston and Savannah．Truth is，they never really left，but up until a decade ago Low Country cuisine was more common at home than in restaurants．
In fact，a large number of tourists now go to the lower Atlantic region in order to experience this extraordinary cuisine for themselves．Time will tell whether Low Country cuisine becomes popular in other regions of the country in the way that，say，Italian cuisine has，but it’s amazing and heartening to see one of our true cultural treasures enjoying renewed popularity in these increasingly homogeneous times．According to the passage，American cuisine impresses people as being _______．
| A．dull and changeless |
| B．rich and various |
| C．popular and delicious |
| D．disagreeable and unpleasant |
It can be seen that the writer feels regretful that _______．
| A．cuisines of other countries play a more important role in America |
| B．American cuisine has become increasingly lacking in variety |
| C．American cuisine tends to vary because of immigration |
| D．American cuisine is being changed by foreign cuisines |
From the passage，we know that grits and gravy _______．
| A．were cooked with new materials after the Civil War |
| B．are gaining popularity in the south of America |
| C．were more popular over ten years ago |
| D．are seldom served in restaurants |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards the renewal of Low Country cuisine in America？
| A．Concerned and cautious． |
| B．Hopeless and doubtful． |
| C．Positive and supportive． |
| D．Critical and disapproving． |