B
Frankfurt: Renault SA Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said the future of electric cars depends on a rebound (反弹) in oil prices that may boost sales of the battery –powered vehicles he’s spending 4 billion euros ($ 5.9 billion) to develop.
“If oil is less than $ 70, we are going to have a problem,” Ghosn said in an interview at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Renault pledged to sell 100,000 electric cars by 2016 in Israel and Denmark, the first two countries to hire the Paris-based company’s US partner Better Place to roll out nationwide networks of battery-charging swapping stations.
Ghosn is pitting (绞尽脑汁)electric cars from Renault and Japanese affiliate Nissan Motor Co against a new generation of smaller, cheaper gasoline electric hybrids from rivals including Toyota Motor Corp. The French company’s Fluence sedan, on show for the first time in Frankfurt, will become the world’s first mass-market electric car if the agreement with Better Place pays off.
“The outlook for investors in electric cars is extremely dangerous, but if oil prices take off again, there may be a significant commercial opportunity and big rewards,” said Peter Schmidt, managing director of Warwick, England-based consulting firm Automotive Industry Data.
The price of oil, which stood at $70.75 a barrel（桶） by this morning in Europe, will rise to $75 tomorrow, based on the median（中间数）of 35 estimates ranging from $40 to $110. It’s likely to fluctuate （波动）between $80 and $92 through 2013, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
59. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The higher oil prices are, the better it will be for electric cars.
B. Sales of electric cars depend on the new design.
C. The agreement with Better Place pays off.
D. The quality of battery-powered autos can not be guaranteed.
60. The sentence “But if it’s at $ 200, the economic equation’s very easy, and if it’s more than $ 200, even easier.” can be put at the end of _________.
A. paragraph one B. paragraph two
C. paragraph three D. paragraph four
61. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Fluctuation of oil prices B. Bad future for electric cars
C. Oil price holds key for electric autos D. A promising CEO
62. The estimated oil price in 2013 might be between________________.
A.$35—$75 B.$40—$110 C. $70.75—$75 D.$80—$92
With 10, 600 bicycles in circulation，Paris city officials are hoping the program will provide people with more environmentally friendly transportation．
It seems both Parisians and tourists are taking advantage of the program．Since its launch a little over two weeks ago，Vélib has already seen almost half a million rentals．And，with the addition of 10，000 more bikes and 700 more stations in the next 12 months，city officials expect at least 200，000 regular users by year end．
Parisian Olivier Bioret has already gone for a spin on one of Vélib’s vehicles and plans to make use of them more often．
“It’s a real pleasure—when，like me，you don’t have space enough in your flat to have your
own bike—to be able to discover．to cross Paris and not have to take the subway，”he said．
As a socialist and longtime green activist，Mayor Bertrand Delanoe regards Vélib as just a part of his plan to reduce car traffic and，thus，lower pollution by 2020．
Apart from its environmental benefits，Vélib is also being praised as a way of collecting money for the city，for all the money from rentals goes to the city government．
Paris is not alone in its attempt to profit from the power of the bicycles．
Across the globe，cities such as Barcelona，which stated its bike-share program in March with 1,500 vehicles and 100 stations，and New York，which launched a five-day trial program last month，are using bicycles as a way to cut back on both traffic and pollution．
However，it remains to be seen whether people’s acceptance of these programs is simply a
passing fashion or whether this movement has the power to take root and transform the face of public transportation around the world．The real purpose of Vélib is________．
| A．to help people save money and space |
| B．to make some money for the city government |
| C．to provide convenience to both Parisians and tourists |
| D．to reduce traffic and pollution in the city |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．There will be 700 stations in one year’s time． |
| B．There will be over 20, 000 bikes in use in a year． |
| C．In the first two weeks there were nearly a million rentals． |
| D．There will be 200, 000 regular rentals each day by year end． |
We can know from the passage that_________．
| A．other cities also have such programs |
| B．Parisians can use the bicycles free of charge |
| C．Paris sets an example to many other cities |
| D．Paris is the first city to start such a program |
As to the future of the program，the author is_________．
| A．critical | B．optimistic | C．uncertain | D．negative |
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break from school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York，So I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing （揭露） the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC'sTodayshow for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titledTricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
| A．They took a later flight. |
| B．They had early bookings. |
| C．Their flight had been delayed. |
| D．Their flight had been cancelled. |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．She rarely misses a good deal. |
| B．She seldom makes a compromise(妥协). |
| C．She is very strict with her children. |
| D．She is interested in cheap products. |
What does the author do?
| A．She's a teacher. | B．She's a housewife. |
| C．She's a media person. | D．She's a businesswoman. |
What does the author want to tell us?
| A．How to expose bad tricks. | B．How to reserve airline seats. |
| C．How to spend money wisely. | D．How to make a business deal. |
A NATIONWIDE BESTSELLER
It’s likely that everything you learned aboutAmerica’s ancient history is wrong.
The new book,1491, completely changes our understanding of the America before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.
DID YOU KNOW?
When Columbus landed there were probably more people in the Americas than there were in Europe.
The peoples of North America had such healthy life-styles that as late as the 19th century they continued to be the tallest people on earth.
Facts have shown that the Americas were populated as long as 33,000 years ago. 4,000 years ago Mesoamerican farmers developed corn in a feat (技艺) of genetic engineering that still isn’t completely understood.
COMMENTS ON1491
“In the tradition ofJared Diamond & John MePhee, a totally new view of pre-Columbian America”.
－Richard Rhodes
“Attractively written and really absorbing, Charles C.Mann has produced a book that’s part detective story, part epic(史诗) and part tragedy(悲剧). He has taken on a vast topic: thousands of years, two huge continents, and cultures.”
－Charles Matthews,San Jese Mercary News
“Powerful and challenging”
－Alan Taylor,Washingto post
“A pleasure to read as well as a wonderful education”
－Howard ZinnOn the whole,1491is a book mainly about America’s________.
| A．life-styles | B．population | C．history | D．agriculture |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the comments on the book1491?
| A．It is interesting and instructive. |
| B．It is attractive and culturally related. |
| C．It is challenging and revolutionary. |
| D．It is humorous and persuasive |
From this passage, we can learn_________.
| A．people settled in the America a little earlier than 1492 |
| B．North Americans were the tallest in the 18th century in the world |
| C．Mesoamencan farmers knew genetic engineering 5,000 years ago |
| D．the population in the Americas was smaller than that in Europe in 1492 |
Sooner or later, most students are to take some form of English examinations. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results.
Here are some very important—and often ignored—guidelines to taking a test successfully.
Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next. This is extremely important. Remember one question may only be worth one point! You will become nervous when you fail to find out its answer, making you lose your concentration and leading to worse results. However, answering the questions you are sure you know results in your being more relaxed and feeling more confident.
Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things.
Usually(but not always) a strong first impulse(冲动) means we know the answer and we don’t really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes a mistake. This is very common, so be very careful!
If you don’t know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct!
Taking a test is as much for you as is for your teacher, so never cheat. If you cheat, you don’t help yourself in the long run.In the first paragraph, the writer stresses the importance of ______.
| A．better preparations for exams. |
| B．better understanding of English. |
| C．better skills at taking exams. |
| D．better results of taking exams. |
When taking an exam, you are advised ______.
| A．to first answer the questions which are easier to you. |
| B．to depend on your first impulse to answer the questions. |
| C．to search the test paper for all the answers to the questions. |
| D．to give up the questions whose answers you don’t know. |
It is common that many students______.
| A．pay much attention to their testing skills. |
| B．often give up a difficult test halfway. |
| C．often get higher results by cheating. |
| D．don’t believe in their first impulse. |
What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Effective Studying Methods. | B．Effective Test Taking Skills. |
| C．Getting Better Exam Results. | D．Being Successful Students. |
Perfect Disaster
All around us buildings shook. We decided to leave the town. We stopped once we had left the buildings behind us. The carts were moving in opposite directions, though the ground was perfectly flat, and they wouldn't stay in place even with their wheels blocked by stones.
In addition, it seemed as though the sea was being sucked(吸) backwards, as if it were being pushed back by the shaking of the land. Certainly the shoreline moved outwards, and many sea animals were left on dry sand.
Behind us were frightening dark clouds that opened up to show fire—like lightning, but bigger. Not long after that the clouds reached down to the ground and covered the sea. Now came the dust, though still thin. I looked back. A dense cloud appeared behind us, following us like a flood pouring across the land. Then a darkness came that was not like a moonless or cloudy night, but more like being in a closed and unlighted room. You could hear women and children crying, men shouting. Some were calling for parents, others for children; they could only recognize them by their voices.
Darkness and ashes came again, a great weight of them. We stood up and shook the ash off again and again; otherwise we would have been covered with it and crushed by the weight.
At last the cloud became thinner and thinner until it was no more than smoke or fog. Soon there was real daylight. The sight that met our still terrified eyes was a changed world, buried in ash like snow.
―from Pliny's letter to a friendPliny left the town after _____.
| A．the eruption | B．the sky became dark |
| C．the buildings began shaking | D．the sea went back |
The carts wouldn't stay still because _____.
| A．the earth was shaking |
| B．the sea sucked them backwards |
| C．the wheels had stones under them |
| D．the lightening frightened the horses |
The reason why it was dark is that _____.
| A．it was very late at night | B．clouds of ash covered the sun |
| C．there was a very bad storm | D．there was no moon that night |
People tried to find their relations by calling out their names and.
| A．listening to their voices | B．running about looking for them |
| C．shaking the ash off people | D．watching people as they ran past |