.
Opened on October, 27, 1907 and completed in 1908, Union Station (联盟火车站) is considered to be one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts (古典装饰的) style of architecture. Architect Daniel Buraham designed the building.
At the time it was built, Union Station covered more ground than any other buildings in the United States and was the largest train station in the world. In many ways, Union Station was a city within a city. At various times it employed a staff of over 5,000 people and provided hotel, ice house, first-class restaurant and police station.
As train travel was the means of transportation for even US Presidents in the early 1900s, a Presidential Suite (总统套间) was added to Union Station. In 1909, President Taft was the first President to use the room and over the years many famous people were officially welcomed there. The last President to use the Presidential Suite was President Eisenhower.
For half a century and through two world wars, Union Station served Washington and the US as a major center of transportation and the place for many historic events. On April 14, 1945, a train backed into Union Station carrying the casket (棺材) of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
However, the air travel led to a decline in railroad passengers, and Union Station began to fall into disuse. In 1968, the decision was made to change it into the "National Visitor Center". The project opened in July 4, 1976 but failed to draw enough crowds to sustain(="keep" up) its operation, and was closed in 1978.
While Congress debated the future of Union Station, rain damage caused parts of the roof to fall down. Following three years of repair at a cost of $160 million, Union Station reopened on September 29, 1988.
Today, Union Station continues to make history as the most visited place with over 29 million visitors a year. World-class exhibitions and international cultural events are hosted there for the public to enjoy. Private special events are celebrated in the grand halls. Even today, US Presidents still visit Union Station.
68. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Introduction to Union Station. B. Architecture in the US.
C. Train stations in the US. D. Transportation in the US.
69. Place the following events in the correct order.
a. Union Station reopened.
b. President Taft used the Presidential Suite.
c. The decision was made to change Union Station into the "National Visitor Center".
d. The construction of Union Station was completed.
A. cdba B. dacb C. dbca D. acbd
70. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 6 implies that _______.
A. Union Station was a symbol of the US
B. Union Station was of no use
C. the government was unwilling to waste money on Union Station
D. Union Station was not rebuilt immediately
71. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Union Station is still the largest train station in the world.
B. Union Station made great contributions to the United States.
C. The repair work of Union Station lasted several years.
D. Union Station is popular in the US nowadays.
The old idea that child prodigies (神童) “burn themselves” or “overtax their brains” in the early years, and therefore are prey to failure and (at worst) mental illness is just a myth. As a matter of fact, the outstanding thing that happens to bright children is that they are very likely to grow into bright adults.
To find this out, 1, 500 gifted persons were followed up to thirty or fifty year with these results:
On adult intelligence tests, they scored as high as they did as children. They were, as a group, in good health, physically and mentally. Eighty-four percent of their group were married and seemed content with their life.
About 70 percent had graduated from colleges, though only 30 percent had graduated with honors. A few had even flunked out(退学), but nearly half of these had returned to graduate.
Of the men, 80 percent were in one of the professions or in business, managers or semi-professional jobs. The women who had remained single had offices, business, or professional occupations.
The group had published 90 books and 1, 500 articles in scientific, scholarly, and literary magazines and had collected more than 100 patents.
In a material way they didn’t do badly, either. Average income was considerably higher among the gifted people, especially the men, than for the country as a whole, despite their comparative youth when last surveyed.
In fact, far from being strange, maladjusted (难以适应) people locked in an ivory tower, most of the gifted were turning their early promises into practical reality.
55. The main idea of the passage is _____.
A. how many gifted children turned successful when they grew up
B. that bright children were unlikely to be physically and mentally healthy
C. that gifted children were most likely to become bright grown-ups
D. that when the bright children grew up, they would become ordinary
56. From the passage, we can conclude that _____.
A. most of the gifted children became white collars when they grew up
B. half of the gifted followed up graduated from colleges
C. each of the talented published at least one article
D. bright men got higher income than bright women
57. Which of the following is mentioned in the passage ?
A. The gifted could not be fit for their social positions
B. Most of the bright and successful women kept single
C. The gifted men got full marks in intelligence tests
D. Most of the gifted appeared satisfied with their life .
58. The explanation of the underlined phrase “turning their early promises into practical reality” is _____.
A. earning their living and keeping promises
B. doing practical jobs and facing reality
C. doing what they have promised
D. realizing what they were expected
One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology” rather than experiencing the natural world. Fear-producing TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors, which will change the wild places of the world, its creatures and human health for the worse, unless adults get working on child’s play.
Each of us has a place in nature we go sometimes, even if it was torn down. We cannot be the last generation to have that place. At this rate, kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes. “If the decline in parks use continues across North America, who will defend parks against encroachment (蚕食)?” asks Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods.
Without having a nature experience, kids, can turn out just fine, but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives. That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health, to stress levels, creativity and cognitive (认知的) skills. Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents—and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it; research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component and that play in nature fosters (培养) leadership by the smartest, not by the toughest. Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child. The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world. A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes. We really need to value that more.
Kids are not to blame. They are over-protected and frightened. It is dangerous out there from time to time, but repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite(仪式)of passage.
Everyone, from developers, to schools and outdoorsy citizens, should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring, taking friendship in fields and woods that cement (增强) love, respect and need for landscape. As parents, we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature. This could yet be our greatest cause.
51. The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that __________.
A. kids missing the sense of wonder outdoors
B. parks are in danger of being gradually encroached
C. Richard Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods
D. children are expected to develop into protectors of nature
52. According to the passage, children without experiencing nature will _________.
A. keep a high sense of wonder
B. be over-protected by their parents
C. be less healthy both physically and mentally
D. change wild places and creatures for the better
53. According to the author, children’s breaking an arm is ___________.
A. the fault on the part of their parents
B. the natural experience in their growing up
C. the result of their own carelessness in play
D. the effect of their repetitive stress from computers
54. In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to ________.
A. blame children for getting lost in computer games
B. encourage children to protect parks from encroachment
C. show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature
D. inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around
(共5小题;每小题2分,满分10分)
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Are you suffering a lot from test anxiety? Follow these tips to help you overcome it.
71 Prepare for the test by developing good study notes.Pick out the main points of the information or follow a study sheet from the teacher.Know the who, what, when, where, why and how of any main ideas.
Pick out the key words in the main points.Write a very short description of each point next to the key words.You will now have two sets of study notes. 72 Use the second to review right before the test.
Teach yourself little memory tricks.Some people use mnemonic(助记符号)devices to remember facts.If there is a list of information, take the first letter of each word and make an interesting saying.
73 Some people read all the questions first and then begin working.Others start with the first question and don’t look at the rest.They skip any hard questions and come back to them later.
Do some relaxation exercises like deep breathing.Some anxiety is normal going into a test.
74
Review the material one last time right before bed.We often remember things that we read or think about right before going to sleep.
75 Make sure you go to bed early enough the night before the test.It is very difficult to remember anything when you are overtired.
A.Work out a plan ahead. |
B.Get a good night's sleep. |
C.Pay attention to the proper order of answering the questions. |
D.Use the first detailed set to study the material. |
E.Learn to develop a strategy for taking the test.
F.Always get as much sleep as possible.
G.Breathing deeply helps you calm yourself and concentrate on the test.
Sightseeing Tours in Germany
Germany has a variety of cities each with its own characteristics, from the busy city of Berlin, to the ancient city of Cologne, to the Bavarian capital of Munich.Thankfully, these major German cities offer sightseeing tours that offer the opportunity to better explore the surrounding regions and the country’s most historic sites.
Berlin on Bike
berlin image by Jürgen Remmer from Fotolia.com
Berlin on Bike takes visitors through the German capital via five bicycle tours, all with guides.Regular tours include the Wall Tour and Berlin’s Best, with stops at some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as the Reichstag and the Berlin Wall.Specialty tours include the East Unplugged, which explores what life was like in East Berlin under Communist rule.The cost of the tour includes
the bike and helmet rental, and tourists may choose to continue renting their bikes once the tour has ended.
berlinonbike.de/english/index.php
Munich City Sightseeing Tour
The Munich City Sightseeing Tour transports travelers throughout the city via an open-air, double-decker bus.Passengers can hop on and off at various stops throughout the day.This tour includes stops at such sites as the Munich central train station, the 1972 Olympic Stadium Park, Munich’s opera house and Karlsplatz, the gate to the historic city.The bus features a narrated tour guide and offers an English-language option.
raileurope.com/activities/munich-city-sightseeing-tour/index.html
Nice City Tours-Cologne
Nice City Tours offers three tours of Cologne, available to private or business groups in a variety of languages.The Old Town Tour runs for two hours and includes a guided tour of the Cologne Cathedral and some of the city’s old squares.The Brewery Pub Tour explores some of the city’s most beloved breweries and pubs, and details the history behind Kolsch, Cologne’s resident beer.Finally, the Old Town and Rhine Tour begins by visiting some of old town’s most historic sites and ends with a ride down the Rhine River.
nicecitytours.com/tours.htm
68.The similarity of the three tours lies in that they all include ________.
A.bus tours B.English service C.three routes D.guide’s service
69.If you take a great interest in beer, which tour might be suitable for you?
A.The Wall Tour B.The Brewery Pub Tour
C.The Old Town Tour D.The Munich City Sightseeing Tour
70.Where can you probably see this passage?
A.In a textbook B.On a website
C.In an encyclopedia D.In a journal
Dr.Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish.It’s not because fish are endangered, though wild fish stocks in many oceans are very low.It’s not because they’re bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water.It’s because they’re smart.
“Fish are sensitive, they have personalities,” says the marine biologist.For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat.“I would never eat anyone I know personally.”
There’s a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human.They can remember things and learn from experience.Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether.
The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket.“While it may seem obvious that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables,” says Dr.Lynne Sneddon.“Really, it’s kind of a moral question.Is the enjoyment you get from fishing (or eating fish) more important than the pain of the fish?”
Fishermen and (fried) fish lovers are doubtful.“I’ve never seen a smart fish,” says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant.“If they were very smart,
they wouldn’t get caught.”
“For years, everyone’s been telling us to eat fish because it’s so good for us,” says another diner.“Now I’ve got to feel guilty while I’m eating my fish? What are they going to think of next? Don’t eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?”
64.Dr.Sylvia Earle discourage people from eating fish because _____________.
A.there are not that many wild fish in the ocean
B.fish actually are sensitive and have personalities
C.some ocean fish contain poisonous substances
D.fish are like dogs or cats that people know personally
65.We can infer from the passage that _____________.
A.all people don’t agree with the idea to stop eating fish
B.people will be persuaded not to eat fish in the future
C.stopping eating fish will lead to people’s not eating vegetables
D.we shouldn’t care too much about the feeling of fish
66.By saying “There’s a lot more to fish than meets the eye,” the writer means ____________.
A.there are far more fish than other animals in the world
B.there are more fish in the world than people can see
C.people can see more fish if they pay more attention
D.fish are not that simple as they appear to people’s eyes
67.What is the writer’s attitude towards people eating fish?
A.Neutral. B.Indifferent. C.Approving. D.Opposed.