In the face of rising gas costs, many consumers are beginning to consider the choice of a hybrid(混合动力的) vehicle--one which operates on both gas and electricity. All of the models of hybrid car will save money, but are they really effective when all of the costs of maintenance(维修) and other considerations are included in?
First of all, consider the cost of buying a hybrid vehicle. Depending on the model, hybrid vehicles can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $5,000 more than the traditional models. However, some say that as the hybrid cars become increasingly more available as a reflection of demand, the prices can be expected to drop, making them more cost effective when it comes to the initial investment(初始投资).
Also important to keep in mind is the fact that the hybrid cars have a much more specialized system than the standard vehicle, and will therefore require more specialized workers to repair them when they break down.
It seems as though, at least for the time being, the purchase of a hybrid vehicle for the average consumer may not be the best choice when it comes to saving money. It is important to keep several things in mind, however, when considering purchasing a hybrid model. Many consumers are choosing to purchase these cars because they represent a significant development in terms of environmental concerns over standard models. They also mean that as a whole, Western nations will become less dependent on oil as the only means of power.
Finally, it is necessary to remember that the hybrid car is a very new technology. Developed only within the last few years, the technology is still in the starting stage, where costs will continue to be high. As time passes, the development of the hybrid technology will begin to push prices down to the point where hybrids are more competitive with the traditionally fueled models of the past.
72.What is the purpose of writing this article?
A. To tell the readers about the advantages of hybrid cars.
B. To warn the readers of the disadvantages of hybrid cars.
C. To advise people to think twice before buying hybrid cars.
D. To call on people to buy hybrid cars to protect the environment.
73.Which is the benefit of hybrid cars?
A. Consuming less gas. B. Being easier to drive.
C. Lower initial investment. D. Lower maintenance cost.
74.What do we know from the passage?
A. The hybrid technology is very new and mature as well.
B. It’s not easy to repair a hybrid car due to its special system.
C. Many average consumers can not afford to buy hybrid cars.
D. The traditional vehicles are much safer to drive than hybrid cars.
75.We can infer from the passage that in the future.
A. the traditional cars will gradually disappear
B. the hybrid vehicles will gradually disappear
C. the cost of hybrid cars will be more reasonable
D. the hybrid technology will bring oil prices down
Americans have contributed (做贡献) to many art forms, and jazz, a type of music, is one of the art forms started in the United States. Black Americans, who sang and played the music of their homeland, created jazz.
Jazz is a mixture of the music of Africa, the work songs the slaves sang, and religious(宗教) music. Improvisation (即兴表演) is an important part of jazz. This is why a jazz song sounds a little different each time it is played.
Jazz bands formed in the late 1800s. They played in bars and clubs in many towns and cities of the South, especially New Orleans. New Orleans is an international seaport, and people from all over the world come to New Orleans to hear jazz.
Jazz became more and more popular. By the 1920s, jazz was popular all over the United States. By the 1940s, you could hear jazz not only in clubs and bars, but in concert halls as well. Today, people from all over the world play jazz. Jazz musicians from the United States, Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe meet and share their music at festivals on every continent. In this way, jazz continues to grow and change. What can be the best title of the passage?
A.American Art Forms | B.The Development of Jazz |
C.The Music of Black Americans | D.The Birthplace of Jazz |
From the text we can learn that ______.
A.New Orleans is the place where jazz was very popular |
B.the American people are all jazz lovers |
C.jazz is merrily sung by black people when working |
D.jazz may become less popular as time goes on |
It took about______ years to make jazz popular in the United States.
A.200 | B.120 | C.80 | D.40 |
I’m sure you know the song “Happy Birthday”. But do you know who wrote the song and for whom it was written?
The retired professor, Archibald A. Hill in Lucasville, USA could tell us the story. Ninety-seven years ago, two of Mr. Archibald Hill’s aunts, Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were asked to write some songs for a book called “Song Storied for the Sunday Morning”. Miss Patty Hill and Miss Mildred Hill were both kindergarten teachers then. They loved children very much and wrote many beautiful songs for the book. One of them was the famous “Good Morning to You.” The song said, “Good morning to you, good morning to you, children, good morning to all.” This song was very popular at that time among kindergarten children. But not many grown-ups knew it. A few years later little Archibald was born. As his aunt, Miss Patty Hill sang the song “Happy Birthday” to the melody(曲调) of “Good Morning to you” to her little nephew(侄子). She sang the song like this: Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, Archie! Happy birthday to you!
Miss Patty Hill and her sister had never expected that this song would become so popular, but it really did. People all over the world like the song because of its simplicity in tune(曲调简单) and friendliness in words.Archibald A. Hill was _______.
A. English B. American C. Russian D. Australian Professor Archibald A. Hill was Miss Mildred Hill’s ______.
A. son B. student C. brother D. nephewThe song “Happy Birthday” has a history of _______ years.
A.97 | B.more than 90 | C.less than 90 | D.about 90 |
The sentence “it really did” means _______.
A.The song really became popular |
B.Their wish would really come true |
C.People all over the world like to listen to the song |
D.Yes, but the song didn’t become popular |
The Internet has become part of teenagers’ life.
A news report on 3,375 students aged from 10 to 18 in seven Chinese cities found that 38 per cent of them believe they use the Internet often.
While most of them get useful information and use the Internet to help in their studies, some are not using it in a good way. Many are playing online games too much. A few even visit Web sites they should not look at. A middle school teacher from Beijing warns that bad things can happen if young people spend too much time on the Internet. She had a student who used to be good at school. But then he started visiting sex Web sites. He went mad, cheated a girl and was taken away by the police.
In order to help young people use the Internet in a good way, a textbook on good Internet behavior has started to be used in some Shanghai middle schools this term. The book uses real examples to teach students all about good ways of using the Internet. The book gives useful advice such as it’s good to read news or find helpful information to study.
Some students also make online friends. But if you are meeting a friend offline, make sure your parents know. Teachers and parents all think the book is a very good idea. This teacher said the book will be a guide for teens using the Internet. She believes it will keep students away from bad sites. “Many students are using the Internet without guidance from their parents,” she said. “The book will teach students how to be a good person in the online world.”The third paragraph mainly tells us that ________.
A.some students are not using the Internet correctly |
B.all students in Beijing use the Internet to help their school work |
C.a teacher in Beijing is worried about her students |
D.some students visit sex Web sites |
The textbook mainly tells us ________.
A.why we should use the Internet | B.not to visit sex Web sites |
C.how to use the Internet correctly | D.how to get help from others |
The writer advises the readers to ________.
A.let their parents know before visiting their online friends |
B.not to make friends online |
C.read the textbook carefully |
D.only read news on the Internet |
From this passage we know that ________.
A.more and more students have given up visiting bad Web sites |
B.schools and teachers begin to pay attention to students’ use of the Internet |
C.no more homework will be given in Shanghai |
D.less and less information can be found on line |
A new study has found that the best way to make yourself feel happier is to think of something good that happened to you the day before.
Volunteers who were asked to remember a pleasant event from past 24 hours began to feel happier right away.Other activities such as saying “Thank you” and smiling also made volunteers feel happier, but not as much.
Professor Richard Wiseman of Hertfordshire University planned the study.He got 26,000 people to go online to try out a few different activities to make them feel happier.They were told to be nice, remember a pleasant event from the day before, give thanks or smile for 15 seconds twice a day.The volunteers did these activities for one week.
The result showed that thinking about one good thing that had happened the day before worked the best for making people happier.The text may probably be taken from _____.
A.a personal anecdote(轶事) | B.sports news |
C.a history novel | D.brief news |
Volunteers who _____ began to feel happier right away.
A.thought of something good that happened the day before |
B.were asked to remember a pleasant event from the past 24 hours |
C.did other activities like saying “thank you” and smiling |
D.went online to try out a few different activities |
From the text we know that Richard Wiseman is a(an) _____.
A.worker | B.artist | C.professor | D.director |
The best title may probably be _____.
A.Thinking about yesterday’s happiness to be happy today |
B.Making a study to make people happier and younger |
C.Letting out a secret to live a longer life |
D.Doing experiments to make people happier |
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。
E
All areas of the world face a nurses shortage. But the shortage is most severe in developing countries. Many of their nurses move to the more developed nations for better pay, better working conditions and better chances for career development. For example, nearly 2,000 nurses left the Caribbean between 2002 and 2006.
The Caribbean nations currently have about 1 nurse for every 1,000 people. The ratio(比例) of nurses to population is about 10 times higher in the United States and countries in the European Union(EU). Now, more than 21,000 nurses who trained in the Caribbean are working in the United States, Canada and Britain.
Gaetan Lafortune is an official of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development(O.E.C.D) in Paris. He says the nurses shortage also affects industrialized countries. He says, “There is concern in most O.E.C.D.countries that the number of nurses is too small to meet the demand. And what is more worrying is that their concern is sort of growing.” Mr Lafortune says a large number of nurses are expected to retire within the next 10 years. At the same time, the health care needs of aging populations are expected to grow, intensifying the shortage of nurses.
Gaetan Lafortune said, “In the U.S., for instance, some researchers have found that there may be a shortage of close to a million nurses by 2020.” The United States is 1 of the 21 countries in the O.C.E.D. Gaetan Lafortune says in the recent years many of the countries increased their efforts to hire foreign nurses. As a result of that, O.E.C.D. countries were mainly exporting their shortage problem to countries that may have an even greater need for these nurses.What will be the main causes of the global nurses shortage in the next 10 years?
a. The demand for nurses will decrease.
b. Many nurses will be too old to work.
c. Many rich countries will hire more foreign nurses.
d. Nurses are often looked down upon.
e. Aging populations will increase rapidly
A.a and b | B.b and c | C.b and e | D.c and d |
The underlined word “intensify” in para. 3 means “________”.
A.strengthen | B.neglect | C.reduce | D.cause |
We know from this text that America and the EU countries ______.
A.refuse to offer equal pay to foreign nurses |
B.have at least one nurse out of 100 people |
C.don’t like to train nurses of their own countries |
D.have more serious nursing problems than the Caribbean nations |
What does the text mainly tell us?
A.Nursing is no longer a worthwhile profession in most countries. |
B.The different attitudes towards nursing in different countries. |
C.Nurses shortage will result in serious consequences. |
D.The health care industry needs more nurses. |