Electric cars will not be really much cleaner than autos powered by mineral fuels until they rely less on electricity produced from usual coal-fired power plants.
“For electric vehicles to become a major green alternative, the power fuel has to move away from
coal, or cleaner coal technologies have to be developed,” said Jared Cohon, the chairman of a National
Research Council report released on Monday. About half of US power is produced by
burning coal, which gives off many times more of traditional pollutants than natural gas, and about
twice as much of the main greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Nuclear and renewable power have to
generate a larger portion of US power for electric cars to become much greener compared to
gasoline-powered cars, Cohan, who is president of Carnegie Mellon University, said in an interview.
Advances in coal burning, like capturing carbon at power plants for permanent burial underground,
could also help electric cars become a cleaner alternative to vehicles powered by fossil fuels, he said.
Pollution from energy sources did $120 billion worth of damage to human health, agriculture and
recreation in 2008, and electricity was responsible for more than half of the damage, said the NRC
report.
Electric cars have their benefits such as reducing imports of foreign oil. But they also have hidden
costs. Materials in electric car batteries are hard to produce, which adds to the energy it takes to make
them. In fact, the health and environmental costs of making electric cars can be 20 percent greater
than usual cars, the report said.
The report estimated that electric cars could still co
st more than gas-powered cars to operate and
manufacture in 2030 unless US power production becomes cleaner.
1. Why are electric cars not clean enough?
A. Because they run too slowly B. Because they are too expensive
C. Because they rely on coal-fired power. D. Because they give off more carbon dioxide.
2. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. electric cars will soon take the place of gas-powered cars
B. no one holds hope for electric cars at present
C. electric cars waste more energy than before
D. some people believe that electric cars are cleaner
3. The underlined word “them” refers to “______”.
A. electric cars B. batteries C. producers D. materials
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to make electric cars cleaner?
A. Developing cleaner coal technologies. B. Making electric cars run faster.
C. Generating more unclear power. D. Making advances in coal burning.
第三部分阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项。
Social customs and ways of behaving changes. Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was considered impolite behavior for a man to smoke on the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in a room. Customs also change from country to country. Does a man walk on the left or on the right in your company? Or does it matter? Should you have one hand in your lap(衣兜) or on the table? The Americans and the British not only speak the same language but also share a large number of social customs. For example, in both countries people shake hands when they meet each other for the first time. Also most Englishmen will open a door for a woman or offer their seat to a woman and so will most Americans. Promptness is important both in England and America. That is, if a dinner is for seven o’clock, the dinner guest either arrives close to that time or calls up to explain his delay（拖延）. The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make people feel uncomfortable especially if they are your guests. There is an old story about a man who gave a very formal party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to cut his peas with a knife. The other guests were surprised or shocked, but the host calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It would have been bad manners to make his guests feel foolish and uncomfortable.
56. If a man smoked in the room where a lady stayed, he would be considered as_____.
A. a gentleman B , a boss C. a fool D. a worker
57. Which of the following is true?
A. A respected man usually behaves properly
B. social customs in some countries never change
C. English people open the door for women while Americans don’t
D. To eat peas with a knife is good manners
58. The underlined word “promptness” means _____.
A. to show respect for a lady B. to apologize when you are late
C. to invite sb to dinner D. to do things without delay
59. The writer tells us a story just to ______.
A. amuse the readers B. tell us how to avoid making others uncomfortable
C. tell us how to eat peas D. show that social customs and ways change
60. Which might be the title of the passage ?
A. American and British culture B. Table manners
C. Change old customs D. Social customs
第四部分：阅读理解（15小题，小题2分，满分30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
Do you often play with your pet dog or cat? Do you like touching wild animals such as squirrels? They are cute. But be careful. If they bite you, you may get a terrible disease——rabies.
Believe it or not, in the last five months, rabies killed more people in China than any other disease.
2,254 people got rabies in the first nine months of this year. In September, 318 people died of rabies. That is 37 per cent more than last September.
Animals like dogs, cats, squirrels and bats can have rabies. If they bite or scratch someone, rabies could infect (感染) the person’s nervous system. The person could even die. It’s important to get the right treatment as soon as possible.
Every year, more than 50,000 people around the world die of rabies. Most of them are from developing countries. India has the most deaths. China is second.
51. Rabies is the name of _____.
A. a bookB. a manC. a dogD. a disease
52. Paragraphs two and three _____.
A. teach people how to deal with rabiesB. explain the situation in China
C. order people not to keep pets D. show what rabies is really like
53. Which of the following animals might NOT have rabies?
A. Squirrels.B. Ducks. C. Cats. D. Bats.
54. The Chinese for the underlined word “treatment” probably is _____.
A. 医生B. 请客C. 治疗 D. 待遇
55. What the best title for the passage?
A. Don’t keep pets B. How to keep pets
C. Watch out for rabies D. Pets with rabies
“Soon，you’re going to have to move out!”cried my neighbor as soon as he saw the largest tomato plant known to mankind，or at least known in my neighborhood．
One tiny 9-inch plant，bought for $ 1．25 in the spring．has already taken over much of my rose bed，covering much of other plants，and is well on its way to the front door．
Roses require a good deal of care，and if it weren’t for the pleasure they give。it wouldn’t be worth the work．As it is．I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year．Bushes must be pruned (剪枝) in early spring，leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later．It was the space available (可利用的) in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant．A big mistake．
Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out be even more perfect for tomatoes．The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing (肥料) have turned the little plant into a tall bush．The cage I placed around it as the plant grew has long since disappeared under the thick leaves．
Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold．First．I have to find the red ones among the leaves，which means I almost have to stand on my head．and once found I have to reach down and under，pick the tomatoes and withdraw(缩回)my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won．I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June． But they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light．
Here I am faced with a painful small decision：To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses．Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind．I'll think about that tomorrow．
What are the requirements for the healthy growth of rose?
A．A lot of care and the right soil． B．Frequent pruning and fertilizing．
C．Tomato plants grown alongside． D．Cages placed around the roots．
The writer planted the tomato because．
A．it cost only$1．25 B．the soil was just right for it
C．there was room for it in the garden D．the roses’branches needed to be covered
This year the writer’s roses were．
A．removed from the rose bed B．picked along with the tomatoes
C．mostly damaged by too much sunlight D．1argely hidden under the tomato plant
By saying“the prize so dearly won”in paragraph 5，the writer wants to．
A．show the difficulty in picking the tomatoes
B．show the hardship of growing the roses
C．express her liking for the roses
D．express her care for the tomatoes
In the situation described in the text，one good thing is that．
A．the roses cost the writer little money
B．the writer has a daily harvest of tomatoes
C．someone will help the writer make the decision
D．the writer can now enjoy both the roses and tomatoes
Wearing ties (领带) was originally (最初) the mark of Britain’s most powerful classes, which made the tie itself a symbol of power and respect. And that led it to be adopted(采用) by a much larger group－the business group.
You cannot wear a tie if you work with machinery (机械). So wearing a tie became a sign that you were a man who used your brain to make a living, rather than your hands. It showed you were serious. It showed you were a professional (专业人员). It meant that everyone who wanted a job in business had to wear one. It was just impossible to take seriously a man who didn’t wear a piece of colored silk around his neck.
This is how millions of people came to be wearing ties across the world. They are part of the uniform (制服) of business.
“Ties offer a point of indifference,” says John Milne, head of the British Guide of Tie Makers, “They give a chance to say something about their own personality.”
So if you happen to meet a man with a very brightly colored tie, there is a good chance that he is the office jobber. There is also a good chance that he will be wearing brightly colored socks.
Is there a future for ties? The signs are not promising. Tie wearing seems to be rare among the new brands of entrepreneurs (创业者) in the Internet and new technology Industries. Many political leaders, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, now go without ties. This shows they are men of the people－but not the people wearing ties.
It was common for men across the western world to wear hats as part of their business uniform up until around 1960. That changed with the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States. Kennedy never wore a hat－in fact his nickname was “hatless Jack”. Seeing that the most powerful man in the world did not have to wear a hat, millions of other men decided that they did not have to, either. Hats simply vanished across the Western world. Perhaps “tieless Tony” (former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair) will have the same effect as “hatless Jack”.
56.In Britain, ties were first used as a sign to show a person’s .
A. personality B. social position C. wearing style D. favorite hobby
57.The underlined word “vanished” in this passage may mean .
A. sold B. washed C. appeared D. disappeared
58.The writer may hold the opinion that .
A. Blair is the best leader in the world
B. Kennedy is the best leader in the world
C. millions of people will go to work without a tie
D. people will wear hats instead of ties
59Which of the following statements is TURE according to the passage?
A. If you are a professional, you can’t wear a tie in Britain.
B. The tie will become more fashionable and popular in the future.
C. It was the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States that changed the fact that wearing hats as part of their business uniform.
D. Men across the western world didn’t wear hats as part of their business uniform until around 1960.
60..From the last paragraph we know that ___________.
Wearing ties remains very popular with powerful men in the world.
It is possible that wearing ties will not be fashionable in the future.
Wearing ties shows a man’s social identification, so it is likely that people, especially men around the world still will have to follow this fashion.
It will be inconvenient for people to wear ties and hats at work.
第三部分：阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并把答案写在答题卷上。（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
Bamboo is one of the nature’s most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist recorded one bamboo plant that grew almost 1.5 meters in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo that grow around the world on both mountains and plains(平原).
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Many Asian countries have been using bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for building new buildings. As a matter of fact, the cables (绳索) that hold up the hanging bridge across the Min River in Sichuan are made of bamboo. The bridge has been in use for more than 1,000 years, and is still holding strong.
In Africa, engineers are teaching poor farmers how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap ways to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. It seems that bamboo is one of the best things they can use. Bamboo pipes and drills (钻) can help to make the poor thirsty fields to be watered.
41.How is bamboo like grass?
A. It is thin and easy to cut. B. It grows everywhere.
C. It grows quickly after its cut short. D. It is short and green.
42.The sentence “while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across.” means “Some other bamboo plants may grow to be very _______.”
A. short B. strong C. thick D. tall
43.From the text we know ______.
A. most people call bamboo plant trees
B. a bamboo plant may grow 4.5 meters in three days
C. the bamboo plant changes its colors when it grows
D. a bridge held by bamboo cable was built thousands of years ago
44.Why did the engineers teach the poor farmers in Africa to make use of bamboo?
A. Because it is cheap. B. Because it is colorful.
C. Because it drills fast. D. Because it is used by Asians.
45.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. There are many different kinds of bamboo with different colors.
B. Cables made of bamboo can last for over a thousand years.
C. Bamboo can be used for buildings, bridges and watering projects(工程).
D. Bamboo plants are able to grow well in any part of the world.