In 1993, New York State ordered stores to charge a deposit on beverage (="drink)" containers. Within a year, consumers had returned millions of aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles. Plenty of companies were eager to accept the aluminum and glass as raw material for new products, but because few could figure out what to do with the plastic, much of it would end up buried in landfills(垃圾填埋场). The problem was not limited to New York. Unfortunately, there were too few uses for second-hand plastic.
Today, one out of five plastic soda bottles is recycled in the United States. The reason for the change is that now there are dozens of companies across the country buying discarded plastic soda bottles and turning them into fence post, paint brushes, etc.
As the New York experience shows, recycling involves more than simply separating valuable materials from the rest of the rubbish. A discard remains a discard unti1 somebody figures out how to give it a second life — and until economic arrangements exist to give that second life va1ue.Without adequate markets to absorb materials collected for recycling, throwaways actually depress prices for used materials.
Shrinking landfill space and rising costs for burying and burning rubbish are forcing local governments to look more closely at recycling. In many areas, the East Coast especially, recycling is already the least expensive waste-management option. For every ton of waste recycled, a city avoids paying for its disposal, which, in parts of New York, amounts to savings of more than $100 per ton. Recycling also stimulates the local economy by creating jobs and reduces the pollution control and energy costs of industries that make recycled products by giving them a more refined raw material.What regulation was issued by New York State concerning beverage containers?
A.A fee should be charged on used containers for recycling. |
B.Throwaways should be collected by the state for recycling. |
C. Consumers had to pay for beverage containers and could get their money back on returning them. |
D.Beverage companies should be responsible for collecting and reusing discarded plastic soda bottles. |
The returned plastic bottles in New York used to .
A.be turned into raw materia1s |
B.be separated from other rubbish |
C.have a second-life value |
D.end up somewhere underground |
The key problem in dealing with returned plastic beverage containers is .
A.how to reduce their recycling costs |
B.to sell them at a profitable price |
C.how to turn them into useful things |
D.to lower the prices for used materials |
Recycling has become the first choice for the disposal of rubbish because .
A.recycling causes litt1e pollution |
B.other methods are more expensive |
C.recycling has great appeal for the jobless |
D.local governments find it easy to manage |
It can be concluded from the passage that .
A. recycling is to be recommended both economically and environmentally |
B.local governments in the U. S. can expect big profits from recycling |
C.rubbish is a potential remedy for the shortage of raw materials |
D.landfills will sti1l be widely used for waste disposal |
A mouse looked through a hole in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package;what food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
Running to the farmyard,the mouse shouted,warning everyone,“There is a mouse trap in the house,there is a mouse trap in the house.”The chicken,with her head high,glared at the mouse and said,“Shut up.Little Ugly.This is a great concern to you,but it has nothing to do with me:I can’t be troubled by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him.“There is a mouse trap in the house.”“I am so sorry,Mr Mouse,”said the pig sympathetically,“but there is nothing I can do about it but pray;you are always in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow,who said,“A mouse trap,am I in great danger,huh?”
Now the mouse had to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard through the house,like that of a mouse trap catching its prey.The farmer’wife rushed to see what was caught.In the darkness,she did not see it was a big poisonous snake whose tail the trap had caught.The snake bit the farmer’s wife.The farmer rushed her to the hospital.She rerturned home with a fever.It is said that drinking fresh chicken soup will help treat fever,so the farmer took his sharp knife to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient.His wife’s sickness continued,so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.To feed them,the farmer killed the pig.The farmer’s wife did not get well,in fact,she died,and so many people came for her funeral.The farmer had the cow killed to provide for all of them to eat.
So next time when someone is facing a problem,don’t say that it has nothing to do with you.
57.We could see from the passage that the mouse was.
A.good at cheating others B.dishonest
C.kind and warm-hearted D.foolish
58.Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A.The others help the farmer kill the cow.
B.The mouse trap was very practical.
C.The pig is more friendly than the other animals.
D.The farmer’s family had no friends at all.
59.The passage is most probably a.
A.fable(寓言) B.science fiction
C.fairy tale(神话) D.humorous story
60.What can we learn from the story?
A.Traps can always cause chain reactions.
B.It is better to be safe than to be sorry.
C.Sometimes when the least of us is threatened,we all might be at risk.
D.To keep the balance of nature is the duty of us al.
I graduated from the university with a degree of engineering.It is a good field but my heart was not in it.I wanted to be an actor or work in the entertainment industryliving a creative life.My choice of engineering was really a mistake but I realized too late.As soon as I graduated,I moved straight to Los Angeles—the home of the film and television industry!
I tried to get a job in that field.I often worked as an extra in movies and TV shows—standing in the background while actors are in the foreground.This was fun for a while,but I wanted a real acting job,where I was speaking! Sadly,in Los Angeles,there is too much competition.Every race and age is represented:old,young,black,white,Asian,and Midwestern types like me.Being an extra couldst make enough money for me to live in Los Angeles.I had to do something else for money.
After three years of trying,I gave up my dream of being an actor and started a different career.I then tried network marketing,but in the end,that failed.Seven years after graduating from college,I was still in debt,still searching for a satisfactory life.I decided to go back to engineering.
However,I was starting to get disappointed with my life.Why is life not like what I expected? I expected to have made a lot of money,gotten married,with a house and nice cars,kids,freedom,etc.Millions of people lead lives with their dreams on the shelf , existing but not really living. I wanted my life to be different,more satisfactory,more alive.I wanted a life filled with adventure,romance,friendships,Successes,and dreams realized.But America was not providing that for me.
…
Struggling in the US?
I decided to move to China.
53.What does the underlined sentence mean?
A.A lot of people are living but they are not enjoying their life.
B.A lot of people are living and their life is enjoyable.
C.A lot of people realize their dreams but live a bad life.
D.A lot of people don’t have dreams,nor do they want to live either.
54.What did the writer do before he finally decided to move to China?
A.Marketing→engineering→extra.
B.Extra→marketing→engineering.
C.Engineering→extra→marketing.
D.Extra→engineering→marketing.
55.What can we infer from the passage?
A.Life is difficult in China.
B.Life in the US is easy.
C.There is always somewhere in the world where you can enjoy life.
D.It is certain that more and more Americans will move to China.
56.How can we describe the writer’s attitude toward life?
A.Impractical. B.Passive. C.Disappointed. D.Positive.
Hawaii’s Big Island
Nickname: Hawaii’s Island of Adventure
Size: 4,028 square miles
Population: 148,677.The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and
Kailua——Kona on the west.
Temperature: Averages between 71°F and 77°F year round (expect the mercury (水银
柱)to drop at higher heights)
Highest Peak: Mauna kea,13,796 feet
Agriculture: Hawaii’s agricultural products are mainly grown and processed On the Big
Island,including coffee,macadamia nuts and papaya.
Lodging: 9,655 rooms total;Nightly rates range from$35 to$5,000.
Airports: Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on
the west side.
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo
International and Kona International Airports as well as numerous resorts.In
addition,Hilo,Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxis.
Resources: Call(800)648—2441 to order a video poster,brochures and maps from
the Big Island Visitors Bureau.See WWW.Bigisland,org for updated
information.
Shopping: The large shopping centers are in Hilo,Kona,Waimea and the Kohala Coast.
49.The passage is intended to be read by
A.tourists B.businessmen C.students D.immigrants
50.The average population per square mile on the island is about.
A.28 B.32 C.44 D.37
51.What does the underlined part“expect the mercury(水银柱)to drop at higher heights ” mean?
A.Things are easy to lose weight at higher places.
B.Dropping things from higher places is expected.
C.Temperature is expected to be lower at higher places.
D.Temperature is expected to be higher at higher places.
52.Which is NOT mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island?
A.By train. B.By air.
C.By rental car. D.By taxi.
The world’s biggest Internet search engine,Google,has proven once again to be king of the Web.Users can download“Google Wi-Fi”software and then enjoy free Wi-Fi service available in some US cities since last Tuesday.
Wi-Fi is short for“Wireless Fidelity”(无线上网).It allows laptop computers and personal digital assistants to connect to the Internet at high speed by radio signal.
A person with a Wi-Fi enabled computer can connect to the Internet when near one of the network’s access points.The place covered by one or several access points is called a hotspot.Google has already set up two“hotspots”in the US city of San Francisco which provide a free Wi-Fi service.
The Wi—Fi technology even allows users to enjoy a free Internet phone service.
Some scientists argue that Wi-Fi may replace mobile phone networks.
Wi Fi is still limited to a few cities.where there are“hotspots”.But its capability (容量)of sending information has already done better than that of the mobile phone network,even that of 3G(Third Generation telecommunication technology).Some scientists have started to call Wi-Fi 4G.
In addition to a high speed Internet connection,Wi-Fi has other advantages com pared to mobile phones.Wi-Fi is global.The same Wi-Fi system works in different countries around the world.Different from using cell phones,you don’t need to change computers to use Internet phones when you go to other places and most importantly,many Internet phones cost you nothing at all.
45.Wi-Fi is not available in cities without.
A.a computer B.a radio C.a hotspot D.a cell phone
46.Which of the following is NOT the advantage of Wi-Fi?
A.The high speed Internet connection.
B.Many free Internet phones.
C.Using the same computers for Internet phones when you go to other places.
D.Used in all the US cities
47.Some scientists started to call Wi-Fi 4G,because.
A.it is the product of the Google's 4th generation
B.it is more capable of sending information than the mobile phone network
C.it has been used by more than four generations
D.Wi-Fi will surely take the place of the mobile phone network
48.Which of the following is the best title?
A.Third Generation Telecommunication Technology
B.Free call Service
C.Google Launches Free Wi-Fi Service
D.Google, King of the Web
第三部分:阅读理解(共两节,满分50分)
第一节:(共20小题;每小题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。
Have you ever dreamed of having a fashionable watch of great value?
A small watchmaker in Switzerland in 1922 designed the first automatic watch to show the day,month,and date.Only seven of these splendid watches were ever made and these watches were almost lost to history.Today,it is so hard to get an original watch that some watch historians are even willing to offer $ 200,000 for one.
These watches attracted a lot of people for their splendid color,fashionable style,and new uses in the 1920s.The owners of the watches were admired and set apart from the crowd.Because the number of the original watches is very limited,owning such a watch will make you feel very special.
Today,you are offered the same kind of watch with improvement.The watch has a 24-jewel mechanical(机械的)movement,the kind desired by watch collectors.The watchmaker has made the movement of the watch much more modern with an automatic rotor(上弦装置)so that the watch never needs to be wound by hand.The watch comes in a very beautiful case with a crocodile design on it.To get a watch in such a perfect design means to get a chance to know a piece of watch making history and to wear such a watch will show your personal taste and social position.
You can get the watch either in person or by mail at an affordable price.You will also receive good service from the watch seller.If you are not satisfied with the watch after you get it,you may simply return it within 30 days.Don’t miss the chance to realize your dream.
41.The original automatic watches are valuable because .
A.the watches were made many years ago
B.the watches were made by a Swiss watchmaker
C.only rich people can afford the watches
D.only a few watches of the kind were made
42.Watch collectors want to get the improved watch,especially for its.
A.mechanical movement B.splendid color
C.fashionable style D.new uses
43.The purpose of the passage is to encourage the readers to .
A.buy the watch B.return the watch
C.wear the watch D.receive the service
44.The passage is probably taken from a.
A.novel B.magazine C.text book D.science book