The motor vehicle has killed and disabled more people in its brief history than any bomb or weapon ever invented. Much of the blood on the street flows essentially from uncivil behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral rights of others. So the massacre (大屠杀) on the road may be regarded as a social problem .
In fact, the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless people just ordinary people acting carelessly, you might say. But it is a principle both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one’s actions could bring death or damage to others. A minority of the killers go even beyond carelessness to total negligence (疏忽).
Researchers have pointed out that as many as 80 percent of all automobile accidents can result from the psychological condition of the driver. Emotional upsets can affect drivers’ reactions, slow their judgment, and blind them to dangers that might otherwise be clear. The experts warn that it is important for every driver to make a conscious effort to keep one’s emotion under control.
Yet the irresponsibility that accounts for much of the problem is not only caused by drivers. Street walkers regularly go against traffic rules, they are to blame in most vehicle walker accidents , and many cyclists even believe that they don’t obey the basic rules of the road.
Significant legal advances have been made towards safer driving in the past few years. Safety standards for vehicle have been raised both at the point of manufacture (制造业) and through regular road-worthiness inspections (车辆上路安检). In addition, speed limits have been lowered. Due to these measures, the accident rate has decreased. But the accident experts still worry because there has been little or no improvement in the way drivers behave. The only real and lasting solution, say the experts, is to convince people that driving is a skilled task requiring constant care and concentration. Those who fail to do all these things present a threat to those with whom they share the road.The following is mentioned as being responsible for the road accidents except .
| A．careless bicycle riders | B．people walking in the street |
| C．irresponsible drivers | D．irresponsible manufacturers of automobiles |
Why does the author mention the psychological condition of the driver in Paragraph 3?
| A．To give an example of the various reasons for road accidents. |
| B．To show how important it is for drivers to be emotionally healthy. |
| C．To show some of the inaccurate statements by researchers. |
| D．To show the hidden tensions in the course of driving |
What is the author’s main purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To show that the motor vehicle is a very dangerous invention. |
| B．To promote understanding between careless drivers and street walkers. |
| C．To discuss traffic problems and suggest possible solutions. |
| D．To warn drivers of the importance of safe driving. |
Which of the following best reflects the author’s attitude toward a future without traffic accident problems?
| A．Doubtful yet still longing for. | B．Happy and rather confident. |
| C．Surprised and very pleased. | D．Disappointed and not concerned. |
Can you believe everything that you read? It seems as if every day, some new articles come out about a new discovery about this or that. For example, water is bad for you, or good for you. The answer depends on which scientific study has just come out. People cannot decide which food items are healthy, how pyramids were constructed, and why dinosaurs disappeared. When we look for answers we sometimes can believe persuasive researches and scientists. But how trustworthy are they really? Here are two examples of scientific hoaxes (骗局).
As far back as 1726, Johann Beringer was fooled by his fellow scientists into thinking he had made an amazing discovery. The fossils of spiders, lizards, and even birds with the name of God written on them in Hebrew were unlike anything that had been found before. He wrote several papers on them and was famous for those only to have it revealed that they were planted by jealous colleagues to ruin his reputation.
When an early human being was discovered in 1912, scientists at this time were wild with excitement over the meaning it had for the theory of evolution. There were hundreds of papers about this Piltdown man over the next fifty years until it was finally discovered to be a complex hoax. The skull (头骨) of a man had been mixed with the jawbone of an orangutan (猩猩) to make the ape (猿) man.
The next time you read the exciting new findings of a study of the best scientist, do not automatically assume that it is true. Even qualified people can get it wrong. Though we certainly should not ignore scientific research, we do need to take it with a grain of salt. Just because it is accepted as the truth today does not mean it will still be trustworthy tomorrow.What is the reason why Johann Beringer was fooled?
| A．His fellow scientists wanted to make fun of him. |
| B．His workmates are eager to become famous too. |
| C．These scientists made a mistake because of carelessness. |
| D．His colleagues was jealous of him and did so to destroy his fame. |
The excited scientists thought that this Piltdown man ________.
| A．was in fact a complex hoax |
| B．was a great scientific invention |
| C．contributed to the theory of evolution |
| D．had the skull like that of an ape |
What does the underlined phrase “with a grain of salt” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Happily. | B．Generally. |
| C．Doubtfully. | D．Completely. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Hebrew is probably a kind of language. |
| B．Truths of science will never be out of time. |
| C．People believe scientists because they are persuasive. |
| D．We are advised to believe famous scientists. |
Photographs are everywhere. They decorate the walls of homes and are used in stores for sales of different goods. The news is filled with pictures of fires, floods, and special events. Photos record the beauties of nature. They can also bring things close that are far away. Through photos, people can see wild animals, cities in foreign lands, and even the stars in outer space. Photos also tell stories.
Reporting the news through photos is called photojournalism. At times photojournalists tell their stories through a single picture. At other times, they use a group of pictures to tell a story. Each picture is like a chapter in a book, which can do more than record the facts. It can also be a strong force for social change.
Jacob Riis was among the first photojournalists. He took pictures of parts of New York City where the poor lived. Riis believed that poverty caused crime, and he used photos to help him prove his point. A few years later, the photos of small children working in factories by Lewis Hine shocked the public. Hine’s pictures helped bring about laws to protect such children.
Hundreds of pictures may have to be taken in order to get one or two really good photos. It takes science to have the photo come out clearly and art to make a photo that has a good design and expresses feeling. Photojournalists make an actual record of what they see. A photo, however, can be both a work of art and an actual record. It can record an important event as a beautiful or exciting picture.
As historical and artistic documents, photos can become more important over time. Today photojournalists still have their pictures appear in newspapers and magazines. They also publish(发表) them in books and on the Internet.The underlined word “They” in the first paragraph refers to .
| A．beauties | B．photos |
| C．goods | D．events |
The photos of the small children by Hine show us that photos .
| A．are also works of art |
| B．are popular ways of reporting news |
| C．often shock the public |
| D．can serve as a force for social change |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．News with pictures is encouraging |
| B．Photos help people improve. |
| C．News photos mean history in a sense. |
| D．People prefer reading news with pictures. |
The text is mainly about .
| A．telling the story through pictures |
| B．decorating the walls of homes |
| C．publishing historical papers |
| D．expressing feeling through pictures |
Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames. Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy’s home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal. In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity and warmth that caused many listeners to say,“Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline news around the world.Armstrong was called Pops because he .
| A．looked like a musician |
| B．was a musician of much influence |
| C．showed an interest in music |
| D．traveled to play modern music |
The third paragraph is developed .
| A．by space | B．by examples |
| C．by time | D．by comparison |
Which statement about Armstrong is true?
| A．His tale begins in New Orleans. |
| B．He was born before jazz was invented. |
| C．His music was popular with his listeners. |
| D．He learned popular music at a boy’s home. |
Which would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Invention of the Jazz Music |
| B．The Father of the Jazz Style |
| C．The Making of a Musician |
| D．The Spread of Popular Music |
Dear College Dean,
It is my understanding that this college has received a large donation to be used to enhance (improve) the quality of life for students: expand the bookstore or add computers to the computer lab. It is the tradition of this school to promote education and to be the pioneer of new technology. That is why I strongly argue in favor of the addition of more computers to the computer lab.
Although expanding the campus bookstore to include CDs, gifts, and a snack bar will give a nicer look to the college, we have to think about a greater goal and a more practical way to enhance the quality of life for students. What do we .want for our students and our college? Do we want our college to be known as a place with a great bookstore where you can find CDs and gifts, or as a place where the students can explore and research in their field using the best tools provided by technology? In addition, there are already several snack bars on campus, and there are music stores nearby, so students do not depend on the college bookstore for these things.
We live in a highly technological world and computers play an increasingly important role in how we live. As a learning institution, this college has the responsibility to offer its students the best technology to help them prepare for their future. Many students will be expected to be familiar with the latest software and other tools when they go on to work or to graduate school.
While they are in college, students find they are expected to use computers. Many professors expect students to use computers to do homework or to complete projects. Since students are competing for good grades, those who have limited access to computers are at a great disadvantage. Furthermore, being able to do projects using the computer enhances the process of learning.
If there are more computers, no more will students have to wait in line while scanning the room for an empty chair and computer.. No longer will they have to sit and wait while an outdated computer struggles to follow their commands. Having more new and faster computers available will enable students to finish their work more quickly.
The more computers are used in society, the more colleges will depend on them as a tool of teaching and learning. Making computers more available to students facilitates their learning process by making the process easier, more interesting, more engaging, and in the process enhancing their quality of life.From the passage we can infer that .
| A．present computers in the college cannot meet the demands of the students |
| B．computers in the college will be updated to meet the students’ demands soon |
| C．the college has the responsibility to help the students to prepare for their future |
| D．it is also necessary to expand the college bookstore by using part of the donation |
In paragraph 4，the author mainly wants to tell us that .
| A．computers are beneficial to students’ academic(学业) success |
| B．computers are helpful to students competition for success |
| C．students find it convenient to do assignments by using computers |
| D．students wish to use the money to buy more advanced computers |
Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?
CP: central point SP: sub-point(次要点) P: point C: conclusion
Space is a dangerous place, not only because of meteors (流星) but also because of rays from the sun and other stars. The atmosphere again acts as our protective blanket on earth. Light gets through, and this is necessary for plants to make the food that we eat. Heat, too, makes our environment endurable. Various kinds of rays come through the air from outer space, but enormous quantities of radiation from the sun are screened off. As soon as men leave the atmosphere they are exposed to this radiation but their spacesuits or the walls of their spacecraft, if they are inside, do prevent a lot of radiation damage.
Radiation is the greatest known danger to explorers in space, The unit of radiation is called “rem” Scientists have reason to think that a man can put up with far more radiation than 0.1rem without being damaged; the figure of 60 rems has been agreed on. The trouble is that it is extremely difficult to be sure about radiation damage. A person may feel perfectly well, but the cells of his or her sex organs may be damaged, and this will not be discovered until the birth of deformed children or even grandchildren. Missions of the Apollo flights have had to cross belts of high radiation and , during the outward and return journeys, the Apollo crew accumulated(积累) a large amount of rems. So far, no dangerous amounts of radiation have been reported, but the Apollo missions have been quite short. We simply do not know yet how men are going to get on when they spend weeks and months outside the protection of the atmosphere, working in a space laboratory. Drugs might help to decrease the damage done by radiation, but no really effective ones have been found so far.In which way is the atmosphere necessary to man according to the first paragraph?
| A．It screens off the falling meteors. |
| B．It provides enough light for plants to grow. |
| C．It supplies the heat necessary for human survival. |
| D．It protects him against the harmful rays from space. |
We know from the passage that .
| A．exposure to even tiny amount of radiation is fatal( 致命的) |
| B．the effect of exposure to radiation is slow in coming |
| C．radiation is avoidable in space exploration |
| D．astronauts in spacesuits needn’t worry about radiation damage |
The underlined word “deformed” probably means .
| A．badly-shaped | B．weak |
| C．naturally-grown | D．ugly |
It can be inferred from the passage that .
| A．the Apollo mission was very successful |
| B．astronauts will have deformed children or grandchildren |
| C．protection from space radiation is no easy job |
| D．radiation is not a threat to well-protected space explorers |