Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks’ time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year. If it falls within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes（沙丘）are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs（悬崖）and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing—very, very slowly—as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock.
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.Many plants may survive in deserts when ________.
| A．the rain is spread out in a year | B．the rain falls only in a few weeks |
| C．there is little rain in a year | D．it is dry all the year round |
Sand dunes are formed when _______.
| A．sand piles up gradually | B．there is plenty of rain in a year |
| C．the sea has dried up over the years | D．pieces of rock get smaller |
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is ______.
| A．too much sand | B．more sand than before |
| C．nothing except sand | D．something else besides sand |
It can be learned from the text that in a desert _______.
| A．there is no rainfall throughout the year |
| B．life exists in rough conditions |
| C．all sand dunes are a few feet high |
| D．rocks are worn away only by wind and heat |
第二部分：阅读理解（第一节20小题，第二节5小题；每小题2分，满分50分）
第一节：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。
Being interested in a theme park since the time that I was a child, I have learned a thing or two over the years about packing for a day of fun. A trip to a theme park is always a adventure, but if you’re not prepared, your day of fun could easily turn into a tiny little nightmare(噩梦). It is important to pack long sleeved(带袖的) shirts or jackets for all members of your family. I is also a good idea to pack an extra pair of socks for each member of the family, especially the children, as those wonderful water rides can be fun, but wet socks that won’t dry aren’t so much fun.
You don’t want to pack too much food, as you will probably want to experience at least some of the food offered at the theme park of your choice(that’s half of the fun), but it’s always a good idea to bring some energy increasing snacks, such as fruit,trail mix,etc. This can mean the difference between spending a lot of money on snacks or a little money on one or two good meals.
Theme parks,while fun and exciting, can wear a person out,especially a child, so it’s important to keep hydrated(含水的). I would suggest packing one bottle of water per person, and possibly a couple of cans of soda or bottles of juice as well.
It’s a good idea to have at least two cell phones or even a set of “walkie-talkies” in the event that your family gets,separated in the park. It’s a good idea to give one of these things to the children and one to the parents and make sure that each of them knows how to use it. This could be the difference between trouble and a happy ending,
1.You should get well prepared before going to a theme park__________.
A. because the trip always costs much money
B.because there are always too many people in a theme park.
C. so as not to suffer from bad dreams when going back
D.so as to cut down your trip expenses and have more fun
2.From the passage, we can know_______________.
A.the author was fond of visiting theme parks when he was a child
B.wearing wet socks in a theme park will bring children much fun
C.it is terrible to have a taste of the food offered in a theme park.
D. we’d better bring enough food, clothing and water when going to a theme park
3.What does th underlined part”walkie-talkies” in the last paragraph probably refer to?
A. A kind of transportation toolB.A kind of musical instrument
C.A kind of CDplayer D.A kind of phone
4.How many types of things does the author advise us to pack for day trips to a theme park?
A Three B.Five C.Six D. Eight
Brazil has become one of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth－but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazil’s population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗电视连续剧) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering, the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.
“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values － not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”
Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers (消费者). “This led to an enormous change in consumption (消耗、消费) patterns and consumption was incompatible (不相容的) with unlimited reproduction.” Says Martine.
1. According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth ____.
A. by educating its citizens B. by careful family planning
C. by developing TV programs D. by chance
2. According to the passage, many Third World countries ______.
A. haven’t attacked much importance to birth control
B. would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate
C. haven’t yet found an effective measure to control their population
D. neglected the role of TV plays in family planning
3. Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate because ____.
A. they keep people sitting long hours watching TV
B. they have gradually changed people’s way of life
C. people are drawn to their attractive package
D. they popularize birth control measures
4. What is Martine’s conclusion about Brazil’s population growth?
A. The increase in birth rate will increase consumption.
B. The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.
C. Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory (互相矛盾的)
D. A country’s production is limited by its population growth.
Stricter Traffic Law can Prevent Accidents
From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain that one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly on the motorist and seems to condone his behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through stringent annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair a person’s driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be mad much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound inordinately harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if tit results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
1. The main idea of this passage is__________-
A. Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.
B. Thousands of people the world over are killed each year.
C. The laws of some countries about driving are too lax.
D. Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents.
2.What does the author think of society toward motorists?
A. Society smiles on the motorists.
B. Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns.
C. Victims of accidents are nothing.
D. Society condones their rude driving.
3.Why does the author say:’ his car becomes the extension of his personality?’
A. Driving can show his real self.
B. Driving can show the other part of his personality.
C. Driving can bring out his character.
D. His car embodies his temper.
4.Which of the followings is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?
A. Build more highways.
B. Stricter driving tests.
C. Test drivers every three years.
D. raise age limit and lay down safety specifications.
5.The attitude of the author is
A. ironical B. critical C. appealing D. positive
Toronto---A pleasant attitude can do wonders for patients’ recovery, according to researchers who reviewed 16 studies that looked at patients’ attitudes toward health. The studies lasted 30 years and looked at patients’ attitudes after operation.
“In each case the better a patient’s expectations about how they would do after operation or some health procedure, the better they did,” said the author Donald Cole,
of the Institute for Work and Health in Toronto.
“This mind-body connection that we have been toying with for the past couple of decades really does have hard science behind it. The result shows that the power of positive thinking is real,” Cole said.
New York-A Pable Picasso painting sold at Christie’s auction house in New York Wednesday for 55-million dollars. The price set a new auction record for a Picasso, and is the fifth-highest price ever paid for any work of art at auction.
The painting---Woman with her arms crossed---was purchased by an telephone bidder(投标者).Painted in 1902 in Barcelona, the portrait is one of the best-known works from what is called Picasso’s blue period.
Christie’s says the painting by the famous Spanish artist is of a quality not seen on the market in more than 10 years.It sold for more than twice its pre-sale estimate.
Xinhua Agency---It had not come up until the very last minute in Premier Wen Jiabao’s two-hour press conference that concludes the annual sessions of the national legislature and political advisory body. But when it did it, it became an immediate catch phrase at home.
“I think fairness and justice are more glorious than the sun.” said Wen, responding to the laast question in yesterday’s press session. Which turned out to be the most-quoted lines in domestic media.
1.News Item 1 intends to make us believe that______.
A. positive thinking can make people healthy
B. a better attitude results in a better operation
C. researchers have observed 16 patients’ recovery during the past 30 years
D. great attention has been paid to how attitudes affect health
2.Which of the following is NOT true about the painting Woman with her arms crossed?
A. The painting was once thought to be worth around $25 million.
B. The painting is one of the most expensive pictures ever sold at auction.
C. The painting was purchased through telephone.
D. The painting has not been seen on the market for more than 10 years.
3. “I think fairness and justice are more glorious than the sun.” where does Wen say this?
A. At an online interview
B. At a press conference
C.At a meeting to all the leaders
D. At a speech in Beijing University
Honesty may well be the policy, but it often deserts us when no one is watching, psychologists report today. Experiments with an honesty box to collect payments for hot drinks show that people are better at paying up when under the gaze(注视) of a pair of eyes. The surprise was that the eyes were not real, but photographed.
Researchers at Newcastle University set up the experiment in secret. They attached a poster to a cupboard of mugs above an-honesty box alongside a kettle, with tea, coffee and milk. Over 10 weeks, they alternated each week between images of eyes and pictures of flowers.
Dr. Bateson, a behavioral biologist and leader of the study, said that even though the eyes were not real they still seemed to make people behave more honestly. They effect may arise from behavioral characteristics that developed as early humans formed social groups that increased their chances of survival. Individuals had to co-operate for the good of the group, rather than act selfishly.
"If nobody is watching us it is in our interests to behave selfishly. But when we think we're being watched we should behave better, so people see us as co-operative and behave the same way towards us, "Dr. Bateson said.
"We thought we'd get a slight effect with eyes, but it was quite striking how much difference they made. Even at a subconscious(潜意识的) level, it seems people respond to eyes, and that might be because eyes send a strong biological signal we have evolved(进化) to respond to."
The finding, which researchers believe sheds light on our evolutionary past, could be turned to practical use. The psychologists say images of eyes could promote ticket sales on public transport and improve monitor systems to prevent antisocial behavior.
1. This passage is mainly about _______________.
A. the policy of honesty B. an honesty box to collect money
C. evolution on honesty D. an experiment on honesty
2. The reason for doing the experiment secretly is that the researchers _____________.
A. wanted to get a comparatively more exact result
B. had known they wanted to do something illegally
C. meant to get the co-operation of their colleagues
D. intended to sell the hot drinks at a higher price
3. People behave honestly under watchful gaze of eyes because _____________.
A. they want to leave a good impression B. they fear to be laughed at by others
C. they've got the nature through evolution D. they take the photo for a real pair of eyes
4. Images of a pair of eyes can be applied to all except _____.
A. tickets sales on public transportB. cold drink sales in public places
C. places with “No spitting!” signs D. Christmas decorations in one’s home