A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can you combine the two to do something for your local environment? As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in the garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower.
A biodegradable (生物可降解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle. Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic, but overtime it can break down into the soil without giving out any poisonous chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this cover turns into waste, it forms nitrates (硝酸盐). These feed the seed and help the flower grow. “We’ve only put sunflower seeds into the cover so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time.” said one scientist.
As phone technology is developing so quickly people are constantly throwing their mobiles away. This means producers are under pressure to find ways of recycling them. Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be thrown away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists. “The seed is released and the flower grows in the pot so you don’t have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it,” said Kerry Kirwan, the leader of the research team.After you have finished using the new type of mobile phone, _______.
| A．the sunflower seed will come out and flower in the pot |
| B．the phone cover will break down very soon in the soil |
| C．it will be recycled by the producers |
| D．it can charge itself with electricity in a green way |
This type of research is done because ________.
| A．the technology of making phones is changing rapidly |
| B．too many waste mobile phones may lead to environmental problems |
| C．nobody has ever thought of recycling mobile phones |
| D．producing mobile phones uses a lot of energy |
We can infer from the story ________.
| A．the new type of mobile phones are already on the market |
| B．the new type of mobile phones will sell extremely well |
| C．the material of the new type of phones is harmful |
| D．other flowers may be used in the new type of mobile phones |
The best title of this passage is .
| A．Recycling our phones |
| B．The phones that flower |
| C．A new material for making phones |
| D．The harm of thrown-away phones |
For the most part, schools are designed to produce people who fit into society, not people who set out to change it. However, schools, particularly universities, may not only spread culture; they may add to the cultural heritage(遗产). Today American society places a good deal of emphasis on the development of new knowledge, especially in the physical and biological sciences , medicine, and engineering. In the recent years, the nation’s leading universities have increasingly become research centers.
An emphasis（强调）on research has led universities to judge professors not by abilities as teachers, but as researcher. promotions(提升), salary increases , and other benefits have long been dependent on research and publication. However, the most important is no longer publishing. To be successful these days, professors have to bring in money provided by government and private industry. Critics claim that academic(学术) success is most likely to come to those who have learned to“ignore”their teaching duties to pursue research activities. Defenders say that even when students themselves are not involved in research projects they benefit from such an emphasis on research.
Major research universities like the Massachustts Institute of Technology have also cooperated with industrial companies to develop technology and products with commercial potential(潜能).With university-industry ties continuing to grow, debate（辩论）has increased about the consequences for basic science, academic openness, the control of information, the direction of research, and the influence on students.
1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT emphasized by today’s American society?
A. Physical science. B. Biological science.
C. Engineering.D. Computer science.
2. In the present standard, a successful professor is one who can____.
A. teach well
B. get financial support for research
C. get the highest salary
D. have many publications
3. Supporters of the present emphasis on research argue that_____.
A. it involves more students in it.
B. it does good to students anyway.
C. it has a direct good effect on teaching
D. it earns a lot of money for a university
4. The author seems to be_____ the move of emphasis to research.
A. totally againstB. sorry to see C. in favor of D. neutral (中立) about
Electricity shortage leaves Afghanistan in the dark. Electricity is in short supply in the Middle Eastern Nation of Afghanistan. Only 6 percent of the country’s residents have electric power, according to the Asian Development Bank, an organization that works to reduce poverty.
Some residents in Kabul received only 3 hours of electricity a day last fall. Others received none. Kabul is the capital of Afghanistan. “It’s dark everywhere,” says city resident Gul Hussein. “Some of our neighbours are using candles.”
Experts say water shortage is partly to blame. Water is used to make electricity. In Kabul, power becomes scarce in midsummer, when the region’s hydroelectric(水力发电的) dams dry up. Hydroelectricity is made by the force of falling water.
Kabul’s growing population is also a cause. Since the late 1990s, the city’s population has jumped from less than 1 million to more than 4 million people. Now even more electricity is needed.
Despite receiving millions of dollars in international aid, the country’s electricity shortages continue. Still, Afghans hope for a solution. One plan is to import, or bring in, power from the nearby country Uzbekistan. Afghan officials also spoke with U.S. president about the nation’s need to make its own electricity.
“ Life takes power,” says Jan Agha, a worker from Kabul. “If you have electricity, life is good; but if there’s no electricity, you go around like a blind man.”
1.One reason for electricity shortage is _________
A. the lack of international aid
B. the shortage of hydroelectric dams
C. the increase of population
D. the low temperature in midsummer
2. Which of the following will probably a solution for the problem of electricity shortage?
A. To build more hydroelectric dams.
B. To advise people to use less electricity.
C. To buy electricity from America.
D. To produce electricity on its own.
3. What does the underlined word “scarce” mean in paragraph 3?
A. not normal B. not little C. not effective D. not enough
4. Which one should be the best title for the passage?
A. Water Shortage in Afghanistan B. Population Lead to Lack of Electricity
C. Electricity Shortage in Afghanistan D. Help Needed in Afghanistan
Remembering names is an important social skill．Here are some ways to master it．
Recite and repeat in conversation．
When you hear a person’s name，repeat it．Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips．You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial．
Ask the other person to recite and repeat．
You can let other people help you remember their names．After you’ve been introduced to someone，ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you．Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names．
Admit you don’t know．
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed．Most of them will feel sympathy if you say．“I’m working to remember names better．Yours is right on the tip of my tongue．What is it again?”
Use associations．
Link each person you meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual．For example，you could make a mental note: "Vicki Cheng -- tall, black hair. " To reinforce you’re your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early.
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That's fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others -- an automatic review for you.
1. How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
A. They will be moved. B. They will be annoyed.
C. They will be happy. D. They will be discouraged.
2. If you can't remember someone's name, you may _______.
A. tell him the truth B. tell him a white lie
C. ask him for pity D. ask others to help you
3. When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember ______.
A. all their names B. a couple of names first
C. just their last names D. as many names as possible
4. What does the text mainly tell us?
A. Tips on an important social skill.
B. Importance of attending parties.
C. How to make use of associations.
D. How to recite and repeat names.
The year 2009 is the Year of Ox. The ox is a representative of the farming culture of China. In the farming economy, oxen are the major animals pulling plows (犁).
Of course, the good of oxen is not limited to plowing. In fact, they are seen as "boats on land" for their ability to carry loads. Besides, the whole body of an ox is full of treasures. Their meat and milk are food full of nutrition, and their skin can be used to make clothes and shoes. With all these qualities, oxen are regarded as generous creatures(动物) .
In the past, oxen played an important role in the spiritual life of the Chinese. Even today, oxen still play a special part in some folk activities. For example, some people who 1ive in southwest China will cook cattle bone soup and share it among family members when holding the ceremony for children who reach 13. They believe that the cattle bone soup represents the blood relationship among family members. In order to express their love for oxen, people in some other areas will run to shake off diseases on the 16th day of the first month by the lunar calendar (农历), and during their run they will take their oxen along, which indicates they regard the creature as human.
Because of the contribution of oxen in their lives, the Chinese people are very grateful to the animal. In addition, the use of oxen in ceremonies and the thanks people owe to oxen help to develop various traditional customs, which becomes an important part of the folk culture of the Chinese nation.
1. The words "boats on land" underlined in Paragraph 2 refer to _______.
A. animals for taking goods B. creatures for pulling plows
C. treasures of the folk culture D. tools in the farming economy
2. From the third paragraph, we know that _______.
A. oxen are no more important today than in the past
B. ceremonies are held when people cook cattle bone soup
C. oxen are treated as human in some areas of China
D. people run with oxen to shake off diseases every month
3. Which of the following helps to develop traditional customs?
A. The special role of oxen in farming.
B. People's respect and love for oxen.
C. The practical value of an ox's body.
D. The contribution of oxen to the economy.
4. Why does the author write the text?
A. To stress the importance of oxen in farming.
B. To introduce a kind of Chinese folk culture.
C. To describe how to celebrate the Year of Ox.
D. To explain how to develop agriculture with oxen.
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
Put yourself in these tourists’ position. You are walking an icy mountain path in the Alps in Europe. Suddenly you spot a body on the ground, face downward and stuck to the ice. You think someone may have been murdered or in a fatal accident. So you rush back and call the police. The police, however, quickly realize that this body is different from others they’ve found on the mountain. For one thing, it is mostly undamaged. For another, its skin is dried out, like a mummy’s（木乃伊）. And there is an old small stone knife beside the body.
The body turned out be much older than the tourists could have guessed. When specialists（专家）had a chance to examine it, they discovered it had been there for about five thousand years!
How could a body stay preserved for all this time? Two things probably helped. First, the place where the man died was somewhat sheltered, so animals couldn’t get at it. Then he was quickly covered by falling snow. Wind blowing through the snow probably “freeze-dried” his body, removing all moisture(水分) from it.
Objects found with the body told something about the Iceman’s life. He wore a well-made fur jacket and trousers. He clearly had been hunting, because he carried arrows, and animal bones were nearby. He also had a grass cushion for sitting or sleeping on. Perhaps he was tired when he lay down for the last time.
The body was found in 1991, when some of the ice on the mountain melted. Searching for the cause of the Iceman’s death, scientists put the body back into cold conditions---and hoped.
1. What does the underlined word “spot” in the first paragraph probably mean?
A. lay B. dig C. find D. carry
2. Which of the following is NOT the reason that the police realize that the body is different from others?
A. The body’s skin is like a mummy’s. B. Beside the body is an old small stone knife.
C. The body is much older than others. D. The body is mostly undamaged.
3. At what time of a year was the Iceman probably died?
A. Early fall. B. Late spring. C. Summer. D. Winter.
4. This passage is mainly to _____________
A. tell us what life was like 5, 000 years ago.
B. warn us not to go to the Alps.
C. introduce a mysterious Iceman to us.
D. explain the mystery of the Alps.