Toyota is the world's largest automaker, but its road to success has been long and filled with speed bumps(颠簸).
1958:The company's first foray into the American market was the Toyopet in 1958. It was a flop.
1964:Toyota introduced their Corona line of automobiles and sales hit 6, 400 in 1965,
marking an increase in popularity.
1969:Toyota began importing the Corolla and in 1985 it would become the first Toyota built in the U.S.
1975:Toyota surpassed the popular German brand Volkswagen to become the top import sold in the U.S.
1986:The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ordered its first recall of Toyota cars due to "speed control" problems.
1988:The First North American Toyota plant opened in Georgetown, Ky.
1989:Toyota introduced the Lexus LS 400, the company's first U.S. luxury car. It was a major hit.
1997:Toyota debuted their Prius gas-electric hybrid car.
2002:The first consumer complaints emerged of the Camry's engine surging under braking.
2004:The NHTSA opened a defect investigation into 2002-2003 Camry, Camry Solara and Lexus ES models.
2006:Toyota "Americanizes" and opened a new plant in Texas to build full-size pickups
2007:Toyota surpassed General Motors to become the world's largest automaker.
2007:The NHTSA investigated pedal entrapment in some Toyota vehicles, which led recalls of floor mats on Camry and Lexus models.
2007:The NHTSA investigated pedal entrapment in some Toyota vehicles, which led recalls of floor mats on Camry and Lexus models.
Aug. 2009:An off-duty California Highway Patrol officer and three family members were killed when their rental 2009 Lexus ES speeds out of control.
Nov. 2009:Toyota recalled 3.8 million Lexus and Toyota models to remove floor mats that can trap pedals.
Jan. 2010:Toyota recalled approximately 2.3 million more vehicles with potential sticking pedal problems. On Jan. 26, Toyota stopped selling eight models involved in the recall.
Feb. 2010:Prius and Lexus hybrids are now being recalled for brake problems in 2010 models.Which of the following brands belong to Toyota family?
A.Toyopet, Volkswagen, Lexus, Prius |
B.Camry, Prius, Lexus, Georgetown |
C.Corona, Prius, Lexus, Corolla |
D.General Motors, Lexus, Camry, Corolla |
The underlined the word in Para.6 probably means:
A.appreciation | B.sorrow | C.withdrawal | D.resolve |
We can infer from the passage that____________
A.Lexus LS 400 is a cheaper car |
B.Prius may be a kind of environmentally friendly car |
C.Corona became popular as soon as introduced to the US |
D.Toyota’s plant opened in Georgetown symbolized its “Americanize” tactics |
The purpose of this passage is to
A.advertise for Toyota |
B.introduce Toyota’ s struggle in the US |
C.uncover Toyota’s braking problems |
D.display Toyota’s glory |
What is the best title of the passage?
A.The world’s largest automaker | B.The rise of Toyota |
C.Toyota meeting problems in the US | D.Toyota’s failure in the US |
CAREER OPPORTUNITES
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2. Part-time job: We require three part-time shop assistants to work during the evening.No experience required, applicants should be between 18 and 26 years old.Call 0115 - 765643 for more information.
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4. Teaching Assistants Needed: Hania’s Playshool needs 2 young teaching assistants to help with classes from 9 to 3 pm.Applicants should have references. For more information please visit www. Haniaplayschool. co. uk.
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44.Which position is most suitable for a retired person?
A.Part-time Shop Assistant.
B.Teaching Assistant in Hania’s Playschool.
C.Weekend Workin Rubberlast Group Ltd.
D.Teaching Assistant in the University of Bristol.
45.If you have good computer skills and recently graduated from university (English degree), which jobs can you apply for?
A.Job 1,2 and 7. B.Job 3,4 and 6. C.Job 4,6 and 7. D.Job 2,3 and 5.
46.Which is the only position that has a formal educational requirement?
A.Full Time Secretary at United Business Ltd.
B.Home Delivery Representative for Yorkshire Post.
C.Teaching Assistant at Hania’s Playschool.
D.University Positions at the University of Bristol.
Beijing plans to build huge free or low-cost parking lots beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads to encourage more car owners to take buses or subways to the downtown area.
The plan is just one of the many measures the city plans to take to reduce its traffic jams.Low or no parking fees would be used as economic leverage(杠杆作用) to reduce growing parking demands from urban areas.
Car owners living in the suburbs will be encouraged to park their cars beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads and take buses or subways to the downtown area.Statistics show that nearly one quarter of the city’s traffic flow is concentrated in the 62-square-kilometer downtown area within the Second Ring Road, which makes up only 12 percent of the city’s total area.
The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau receives between 400 and 500 calls reporting traffic jams every day and more than 90 percent of the roads are filled to capacity during rush hours every morning and evening.Part of the problem is the lack of easy links between bus routes, subways and cars.
According to the communication commission, half of the city’s investment in transportation will go towards public transit(公共交通) construction in the next few years, making a jump from the current only 20 per cent.Moreover, Beijing plans to change its layout (布局) by building new city centers, such as at Yizhuang, Tongzhou, Shunyi and Changping, in a bid to reduce the traffic flow to the downtown.
The current layout of Beijing-expanded ring roads around the same center of the Forbidden City, is seen as the root cause of the endless traffic jams.The downtown area is crowded with three business centers and one financial center, as well as nearly 400 government organs and institutions.
Traffic experts say building more urban centers around Beijing may reduce the number of residents living in the suburbs and traveling long distances to work downtown every day, thus reducing traffic flow.
40.In the coming years, if a man beyond the Fourth Ring Road goes to work in the downtown of Beijing, he is encouraged to _________.
A.take buses or subways B.take a taxi
C.drive the car quickly D.park his car in a place which asks for no fees
41.According to this passage, when more and more people drive to work in rush hour in Beijing, it is likely to _______.
A.save time B.cause traffic jams
C.cause traffic accidents D.reduce air pollution
42.The aim in building new city centers is to ________.
A.make it convenient for people to go shopping
B.develop its local resources
C.reduce the traffic flow to the downtown
D.solve the problem of more laid-off workers
43.The passage suggests the author ______.
A.is tired of driving to work
B.finds it costs less to take subways than to drive
C.is for the plan to reduce Beijing’s traffic congestion(拥挤)
D.has benefited a lot by driving to the downtown every day
第二部分:阅读理解(共两节,满分40分)
第一节:(共15小题:每小题2分,满分30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。
Heather Mills McCartney lives an admirable life, attending celebrity parties, meeting regularly with the rich and famous and doing meaningful work for charity.All who work with her admire and respect her.But Heather’s life hasn’t always been so easy.When Heather was only 9 years old, her mother abandoned her and her two brothers.At the age of 13, she ran away from home and ended up living on the streets in London.Eventually, however, her exceptional beauty led to a career in modeling.At that time, Heather also began helping with the war relief efforts in former Yugoslavia.Through her modeling and relief work, she soon became famous.
But in August 1993, at age 25 her life changed once again.She was crossing the street in London when a motorcycle crashed into her.She was so badly injured that the doctors had to cut off her left leg.After that, she discovered she frequently needed to change her artificial limbs(假肢).It was expensive and she felt it was a waste to just throw away the old one.It occurred to her to set up an organization that could deliver used artificial limbs to Yugoslavia and other war-torn countries.It was through her charity work that she met her husband Paul McCartney.
Throughout her life, Heather has risen above problems and focused on helping others.Her work with artificial limbs even earned her a nomination(提名) for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996.Heathe’s persistence and determination are what impresses anyone who knows her.Heather believes anyone can make a positive difference in the world.
36.This passage is mainly about _________.
A.Heather’s miserable life B.Heather’s contribution to the world
C.Heather’s success in her work D.Heather’s belief in life
37.Heather began her modeling career _________.
A.due to her mother’s encouragement
B.after her brothers abandoned her
C.because of her excellent intelligence and performances
D.because she was especially beautiful
38.Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?
A.Heather won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996.
B.Heather began her charity work while working as a model.
C.Her artificial limbs had to be replaced continuously.
D.Heather has never been defeated by her problems.
39.From the passage we can infer that people admire and respect Heather because_________.
A.she had a lot of misfortunes during her childhood.
B.she was a world-famous model
C.she is determined and never gives in
D.she made a great difference in the world
The damming of river systems in the northwestern United States has had damaging effects on salmon(鲑鱼). In the spring young salmon, called smolts, drift into rivers from smaller streams. They swim with the current downstream heading for the Pacific Ocean. Before the large-scale constructions of dams(水坝), the young salmon used the strong flow from melting snows to get to the sea in between six and twenty days. It is necessary to do this because during these days the smolts’ bodies undergo the physiological changes for adaptation to salt water.
Unfortunately, the current has become very slow due to the construction of numerous dams. Companies operating the dams also intentionally slow the current. They store the water from the melting snow until the winter, when more electric power is needed. The net result is that many of the young fish do not survive the now sixty-day trip to the sea. Consequently, there are fewer adult salmon to migrate(回游) back up the rivers for breeding. When the time comes for the salmon to return, they again face the problem of dams. As fewer adult salmon are able to get back to their cool upstream water, they fail to produce a sufficiently new generation of salmon. This cycle could eventually lead to the extinction of the fish.
Attempts are being made to transport the young salmon down river by boats. However, many scientists think that this artificial method of getting the fish to the sea kills more than it saves. Another suggestion, recently proposed by environmentalists, is to increase the rate of water flow. This would be a partial(部分的) solution to the declining salmon numbers. One method of doing this would call for releasing water from upstream dam. This would speed up the downstream movement of the smolts.
Another method would be to reduce the water level in the dams for a period in the spring when the smolts are migrating downstream. This would also increase the flow rate temporarily without requiring large amounts of water and, thus, enable the young salmon to move downstream faster. Unfortunately, both of these proposals have met with criticism from the power companies, which strongly suggests the uncertain fate of the salmon in the region.
76. What’s the main topic of the passage?
A. The failure of adult salmon to reproduce.
B. The importance of smolts returning upstream.
C. The need for smolts to reach salt water quickly.
D. The harm caused to salmon by river damming.
77. The passage discusses all of the following methods of dealing with salmon issue EXCEPT _____.
A. carrying the fish in boats
B. allowing water to be released from upstream dams
C. dropping water levels in dams
D. breeding salmon
78. In paragraph 3, what does the author mean by the statement that many scientists think that this artificial method of getting the fish to the sea kills more than it saves?
A. Saving fish is artificial.
B. More fish die when transported than would die otherwise
C. Artificial methods of transportation give salmon the chance to get adapted to salt water.
D. The sea kills more fish than are saved by transportation.
79. Which of the following statements would the author most probably agree with?
A. The salmon problem is likely to continue.
B. A solution to the salmon problem will be found in the near future.
C. Salmon will be extinct very quickly.
D. The government should step in and provide a way out.
Computers and television have pushed a generation of children towards violent behaviour, and mental illness, a large-scale study said yesterday. Though the main reason for children’s violent behaviour comes from family, the study report also blamed computer games, the internet and television for breeding violence and increase mental illness.
The study report warned of the effects of long hours spent watching television, on the internet and playing computer games. 'There is much evidence that exposure to violent images encourages aggressive behaviour,” it said.
On television, violence is frequently shown as part of a normal human life. The violence is both physical and psychological, and violent argument appears as a standard response to disagreement. To be sure, there is plenty of violence in Shakespeare plays and in the cinema. But people used to go to the cinema once a week, whereas our children now watch television for an average of 17 hours a week.
According to the report, the harm caused by computer and television has been widely recognized, which is only second to family factors including family break-up and the lack of a father living at home. No doubt, selfish behaviour by adults is mainly responsible for the misery of millions of children.
Many parents’ aggressive pursuit of personal success has pushed the needs of children aside and amounts children’s violent behavior. The belief among adults that the main duty of the individual is to make the most of their own life, rather than contribute to the good of others, is causing our young people a range of problems.
At the end, the report calls for measures to cut the impact of television on young people, including a ban on all advertising aimed at children under 12, set up watchdog equipment on every TV set to control what children watch and put an end to advertising of alcohol and unhealthy food before the 9pm watershed. And more importantly, it calls on all British parents to value the once-in-a-lifetime period of their children’s growth. Or, according to the report, they will soon regret their absence in that special period when their kids have grown into the “bad guys.”
72. The study is mainly about ______.
A. the family and social reasons for the children’s negative behaviour
B. the importance of a complete family on the behaviour of children
C. the ways to reduce the influence of television on children
D. the relationship between parents and children
73. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A. The major reason for children’s bad behaviour comes from family.
B. Watching too many violent images will cause violent behaviour.
C. Classical works are violence-free so people in the past were not that violent.
D. Many parents put personal success ahead of their children’s benefits.
74. According to the passage, what kind of TV program is more likely to be shown after 9 p.m.?
A. Cartoons for kindergarten children.
B. Gardening programs for housewives.
C. Action movies with violent scenes.
D. Political talk shows for adults.
75. The passage mentions all the measures to reduce the TV influence EXCEPT ______.
A. advising parents to watch TV programs with children together
B. stopping commercials for little children
C. using a practical method to monitor what children watch on TV
D. forbiding ads for harmful products shown before 9 p.m.