三. 阅读理解(共15小题,每小题2分,共30分)阅读下列短文,
从每题所给的四个选项中,选出最佳答案.
Trees are useful to man in three important ways: they give him wood and other useful things, they give him cool places, and they help to stop drought and flood.Unluckily, in many parts of the world, man has not found that the third of these points is the most important. Man wants to make money from trees, so he
has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had. And also, he is usually too careless to plant and look after new trees. So the forests slowly disappear. This does not only mean that
man will have fewer trees.
The results are even worse: for where there are trees, their roots break up soil-make the rain in-and also bind the soil, thus stopping it from being washed away easily; but where there are no trees, the rain falls on hard ground and flows away, causing floods and carrying away the rich top-soil. When all the top-soil is gone, nothing is left but useless desert.
1.The most important points of trees to man is ________.
A. they help him to make money
B. they give him cool
C. they help him to stop drought and flood
D. they give him wood and other things
2.In many places forests slowly disappear because ________ .
A. many trees have been cut down by man
B. new trees are not well looked after
C. man has not paid enough attention to planting trees
D. all the above
3.Land becomes desert after all trees are cut down because ________ .
A. roots of trees break up the soil
B. there are too many rainfalls
C. strong winds bring a lot of sand
D. there are no longer trees to keep the rain and protect the top-soil.
4.Which title best fits the passage?
A. Trees and Man
B. The Function of Tree Wood
C. How do People do with Trees?
D. The Usage of Tree Roots
.
STEVE Wayne, 16, who worked this summer as a lifeguard and swim teacher in Idaho Falls, was thrilled to see an extra $20 in his paycheck when the federal minimum wage increased in July.
“When you’re getting paid minimum wage, anything helps, ” Wayne said.Wayne is one of several hundred thousand American teenagers who earn the minimum wage. The last of three recent increases that took the minimum from $5.15 an hour in 2007 to $7.25.U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis says the minimum-wage increase will pump an extra $5.5 billion into the economy over the next year, which is helpful at a time when the economy is hurting.
"You're giving people who spend money a raise," says Kai Filion of the Economic Policy Institute. "Those people will go out and spend that money, and it will circulate through the economy."
But other economists say raising the minimum wage actually hurts the very people it's designed to help. A higher hourly minimum, they say, could force businesses to cut workers' hours, or even lay people off.
"What matters for people earning minimum wage is how much money they take home, in total, in their paycheck," explains Rajeev of Georgia State University's Economic Forecasting Center. "Their hourly rate may go up, but their number of hours may come down, so it's not an overall increase."
Business owners also say that raising the minimum wage exerts(施加)upward pressure on other wages. "If the minimum wage is $7 and I have to pay $8 or $9 to hire a dishwasher, then the cooks are going to say they want more," sayd Cleveland restaurant owner Rick. "How much can I charge for that hamburger?"
Another argument is that it makes it more expensive for businesses to hire new workers. For many businesses already struggling to make ends meet in these tough times, it will be simply too expensive to keep or to hire new people.
55.Steve Wayne was excited that_____________ .
A.his hard work had paid off
B.he had received a big wage increase
C.he has more money due to an increase in minimum wage
D.the wages of American teenage workers have been increased
56.According to the text, the US federal government has increased minimum wage with the aim of__________
A.decreasing unemployment
B.promoting economic recovery
C.increasing American teenagers’ wage
D.narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor
57.What matters most to people in need of help is_____________.
A.a higher hourly minimum B.more working hours
C.a minimum-wage increase D.an increase in total income
58.Some are against the increase in minimum wage because they say_____________.
A.only very few workers will be helped
B.they have to cut down working hours
C.many business owners can’t afford to employ new workers
D.minimum wage workers will expect more pay rises in the future
.
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah,he happened to live near a copper smelter(炼铜厂),and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to he a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on,something happened inside him.
Years later Paul was back in the area,and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was“No”.
Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately,his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that,he was told. Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected,he wouldn’t get his idea accepted.
Paul later got married and had some kids. But his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. As Samuel Johnson wrote,“It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Attainable good is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges.”Under the cover of darkness,he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.
And every week,he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense. Slowly rabbits appeared. Later,as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment,the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.
Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes,and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white,but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child.
51.When Paul was a boy,______________.
A.he had decided never to leave his hometown
B.the economy of Utah depended wholly on the copper smelter
C.no laws were made to protect the environment against pollution
D.he had determined to stop the copper smelter polluting the area
52.Why did Paul go to college to study the science of plants?
A.He wanted to find out the best way to save the area himself.
B.He was interested in planting trees since he was young.
C.He wanted to get more knowledgeable people to help him.
D.He thought his knowledge would make his advice more persuasive.
53.The underlined phrase “the plain common sense” probable means that .
A.It was impossible for trees to grow on the wasteland
B.His normal work and life would be greatly affected
C.No once would like to join him in the efforts
D.He had to keep everything he did decret
54.The message of the passage is that _____________.
A.action speaks louder than words
B.perseverance will work wonders
C.God helps those who help themselves
D.many hands make light work
.
Scientists have not come close to understanding all the different kinds of life on the planet, but US researcher Craig Venter is already working on creating the first artificial(人造的)life.
Venter and his researchers made a breakthrough late last month, They successfully moved the DNA of one type of bacteria(细菌) to a yeast cell(酵母), changed it, then put it into another bacterial cell.
“Bacteria have systems that protect them from foreign DNA” Venter explained to the BBC, In the experiment, the team managed to block this system.
The experiment was performed on a simple type of bacteria celled mycoplasma mycoides. The team took the bacteria’s genes and put them into a yeast cell.
Putting a DNA in a yeast cell allowed the team to change the genes in this case, taking out a gene that was not necessary for the bacteria to live.
They then put the gene into a host bacteria cell. The cell went on to divide normally, producing new healthy bacteria.
In January, the team created artificial genes of a new type of bacteria. Their next goal is to put the artificial DNA into a host cell to create a new species, according to a report in Science magazine.
“lf we don’t make any errors, I think it should work and we should have the first artificial species by the end of the year.” Venter said in the report.
The first artificial life form is likely to be a simple man-made bacteria, to prove that the technology can work.. But that form will be followed by more complex bacteria that turn coal into cleaner natural gas, or algae that can take in carbon dioxide and change it into fuel.
Many scientists think it’s good news to have this artificial life, but others are worried that the technology to create new organisms might end up in the wrong hands, with dangerous result.
57.Which of the following is true according to the text ?
A Bacteria have systems that protect them from yeast cell.
B If we put a gene into a host bacteria cell,the cell will not go on to divide as usual.
C Venter and his researchers completely achieved all their goals.
D All the scientists didn’t agree to this artificial life.
58. What can we learn from the underlined sentences?
A. Venter and his researchers had succeeded in this project.
B. Venter predicted that they would make errors in the future,so he decided to give it up.
C. Venter would go on the study and he was full of confidence.
D. Venter was a clearer man but a little shy.
59. Which of the following shows the order of the passage ?
1.change the genes
2. put the gene into a host bacteria cell
3. moved the DNA of one type of bacteria to a yeast cell
4. The cell went on to divide normally
5. put it into another bacteria cell
A. 3-5-1-4-2 . B. 3-5-1-2-4 C. 4-2-5-1-3 D. 2-3-5-1-4
60.What will be mentioned in the next paragraph?
A. The wrong hands that created by the artificial life.
B. The advantages and disadvantages about the artificial life.
C. The future about this project.
D. The author’s attitude.
.
Fish market
The Hongqiao Shanghai Grand Mercure Hotel is inviting all seafood lovers to its Asiatique restaurant this December to enjoy a five star fish market for 178 yuan plus a 15-percent surcharge(附加费) on Wednesdays and Fridays. Guest can choose from tuna, salmon, sea bass or yellow-tail, and the chefs at the Grand Mercure will happily grill, steam or fry the 'catch' to their liking. The deal includes a complimentary glass of white wine. Children under 1.2 m can eat for free.
021-5153-3300 ext 3708
Christmas menu
Epicure on 45 is ushering in the festive season with a special Christmas menu next month. Highlights include steamed lobster and spinach salad with mango, nuts, raspberry and walnut dressing (165 yuan), and traditional roast turkey with filling, giblets and cranberry sauce with fresh vegetables (198 yuan). Epicure on 45 is a revolving restaurant located on the 45th floor of the Radisson Hotel Shanghai New World Hotel.
021-6359-9999 ext 4210
Chocolate delight
Bar 505 at the Sofitel Shanghai Hyland is offering a Sweet alternative to afternoon tea this season with its set of milk chocolate and hazelnut chips lollipop, bittersweet chocolate tartlet and jam with brioche along with creamy hot chocolate every day from 1 pm to 6 pm for 98 yuan.
021-6351-5888 ext 4281
Hot soups
The Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai's Baiyulan Chinese restaurant is serving up four nourishing winter soups this December for 98 yuan for two plus a 15-percent service charge. They include chicken soup with American ginseng and wild mushroom, and beef tendon stew with apricot and Chinese wild yam.
021-6415-1111 ext 5215
53.Where can you enjoy the hazelnut chips lollipop?
A Grand Mercure hotel. B Epicure on 45 C Bar 505 D Baiyulan Chinese restaurant
54.How much should be paid if two adults take a child under 1.2m on Friday in Fish market ?
A 178 B 356 C 386 D 409
55.If you want to taste steamed lobster,which number do you need?
A 021-5153-3300 ext 3708
B 021-6359-9999 ext 4210
C 021-6351-5888 ext 4281
D 021-6415-1111 ext 5215
56.If you are in Baiyulan restaurant,you can enjoy the following except__________.
A chicken soup B wild mushroom C beef tendon stew D salmon
.
US President Barack Obama made his first visit to China early this week, during which he sent out signals to China that the US sees China as its partner, not a rival.
During his Asian tour, Obama emphasized that the US isn't looking to contain the rise of a strong, prosperous China.
“China-US relations are very important. Maintaining such ties is the responsibility of both sides,” President Hu jintao told reporters after his meeting with Obama. Hu described the meeting as candid(坦诚的), constructive and fruitful, a “very good” talk.
The two leaders agreed that the key to China-US relations was to respect each other's interests and major concerns, but that national differences were normal.
A joint statement released after the meeting said it covered major issues, from nuclear proliferation to global warming to financial crisis and trade protectionism. “China-US relations go beyond any single issue,” said Obama.
China holds a large amount of US government debt – over $800 billion (5.5 trillion yuan) in Treasury bonds. Just before Obama's China visit, The New York Times described it as a trip to “pay his respects to his banker”.
The US is the China's biggest export market, accounting for more than 70 percent of China's exports. Total trade between the two was worth $400 billion (2.7 trillion yuan), in 2008.
In addition to the financial interdependence, there are educational exchanges to be considered. More than 11,000 Americans studied in China last year, for a 25 percent increase over the previous year, according to the Institute of International Education in the US. Meanwhile, Chinese students are the second largest group of foreign students in the US, and their numbers are on the rise. Last year, 81,000 mainland students went to the US, a 20 percent increase from 2008. According to the joint statement issued on Tuesday, for the next four years, over 100,000 American students will be sent to the China for study.
Still, people in the two countries may have a long way to go in improving their opinions.
49.What’s the text mainly about?
A The significance of Obama’s visit to China
B The effects of Obama on China –US relations.
C How the two leaders solve the political and financial problems between each other.
D The educational exchanges between the two countries.
50. What does the underlined sentence in the second paragraph mean?
A The US is looking forward to becoming as prosperous as China.
B Obama believes China is the most prosperous country in Asia.
C Obama’s government sees China as its partner,not a rival.
D Obama emphasized China would be more prosperous than the US in the future.
51.How many major issues did the meeting cover according to a joint statement?
A Three B Four C Five D Six
52. We can infer from the text_____________
A China is the largest debtor of US government in terms of treasury bonds
B Obama expressed his strong wish to visit China again
C Chinese students are the largest group of foreign students in America since 2008
D Although the two countries have made progress in cooperation ,national differences still exist.