There were red faces at one of Britain’s biggest banks recently. They had accepted a telephone order to buy ￡100,000 worth of shares from a 15-year-old schoolboy (they thought he was 21). The shares fell in value and the schoolboy was unable to pay up. The bank lost ￡20,000 on the deal which it cannot get back, because, for one thing, the young boy does not have the money, for another, being under 18, he is not legally liable for his debts. If the shares had risen in value by the same amount that they fell, he would have pocketed ￡20,000 profit. It certainly is better than delivering the morning newspaper. In another case, a boy of 14 found, in his grandmother’s house, a suitcase full of foreign banknotes. But they were now not used in their country of origin or anywhere else. This young boy headed straight to the nearest bank with his pockets filled with notes. The cashiers did not realize the country in question had reduced the value of its currency by 90%. They exchanged the notes at their face value at the current exchange rate. In three days, before he was found out, he took ￡200,000 from nine different banks. Amazingly, he had already spent more than half of this before the police caught up with him. Because he is also under 18 the banks have kissed goodbye to a lot of money, and several cashiers have lost their jobs.
Should we admire these youngsters for being enterprising and showing initiative or condemn them for their dishonesty? Maybe they had managed for years with tiny amounts of pocket money that they got from tight-fisted parents. Maybe they had done Saturday jobs for peanuts. It is hardly surprising, given the expensive things that young people want to buy, such as fashionable running shoes and computer games, if they sometimes think up more imaginative ways of making money than delivering newspapers. These youngsters saw the chance to make a lot of money and took it.
Another recent story which should give us food for thought is the case of the man who paid his six-year-old daughter￡300 a week pocket money. He then charged her for the food she ate a few coins for her piggy bank（存钱灌）“She will soon learn the value of money, ” he said. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has to be paid for and the sooner she learns that the better.” At the other extreme there are fond parents who provide free bed and board for their grown-up children, While even the most hard-hearted parents might hesitate to throw their children out on the streets, we all know of people in their twenties who still shamelessly live off their parents. Surely there comes a time when everyone has to leave the parental nest, look after themselves and pay their own way in life. But when is it?.
Recently one of Britain’s biggest banks _____.
| A．bought a lot of shares for a customer and brought him a great loss |
| B．lost money as its young customer had no money to pay his debts |
| C．lost much money because the shares they bought fell in value |
| D．received a telephone order to buy shares for a 21-year-old boy |
.
. The author’s attitude to the example of the two boys who cheated the banks is _____.
| A．objective | B．subjective | C．questioning | D．negative |
.
The man paid his daughter ￡300 a week pocket money and then required her to pay for her living expenses because _____.
| A．he wanted her to know making money was not easy |
| B．he wanted to save money for her future education |
| C．he thought it useful for family members to bear life hardships together |
| D．he wanted her to learn the value of money |
.
It can be concluded from the passage that the author believes that _____.
| A．children should leave the parental nest as soon as possible |
| B．grown-up children should live on their own |
| C．children should be taught not to cheat others |
| D．parents should give more pocket money to their children |
Dinner parties are out of date. Alumni (毕业生,校友) album are old-fashioned. School leaving is taking on a new turn：it is going online! Graduating students at Qinghua University are saving all their joys and sorrows from university on a CD. Some are setting up their alumni records online, such as Chinaren.com and 5406.net. With computer usage and Internet access becoming even more popular, students are throwing away the traditional graduation book. Instead they are using alumni books online, in CDs or disks, electrolyzing(电解) their graduation in the e-age.
"It is much easier and safer to save." Xu Ziguo, a civil-engineer-major at Qinghua University said. Like his class, most of Qinghua's to-be graduates are using the CD alumni records and online association. Xu said CD records can save more than the actual books. Photos and videos on school activities and normal campus life, and messages may be all included in the thin plastic with the help of a CD-Writer. "Everything is so lively when I watch it, just like what is happening on campus," Xu said. Another student at the Renmin University of China, Lu Yangzhen said her class saved all the memorable messages on a disk. They use a common chat room online to communicate after graduation. Many classes will keep their homepages on campus for future communication, Lu said.
Dotcom companies are also seizing the opportunity to get more clicks. Chinaren.com said it provided improved services for the users. One service is to send group emails, meaning if a user sends an email to one address, all his or her classmates can get it at the same time. But what if the Dotcom company breaks down one day? Xu said they had left a "backup". That is to use the old way with a person working as the liaison.
55. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A. Dotcom Companies Serve Graduating Students
B. Computer Usage Becomes More and More Popular
C. Dinner Parties Are Out of Date
D. Alumni Reunions Arrive Online
56. Why do they electrolyze their graduation in the e-age?
A. Because they found the traditional form was inconvenient.
B. Because many students can afford to buy a computer.
C. Because computers become more and more popular.
D. Because it is much easier and safer to save, and everything is lively.
57. What kind of service is provided by Dotcom companies?
A. If a user sends an email to one of his or her classmates, the others can get it at the same time.
B. If a user sends an email to a certain address, all his or her classmates can get it at the same time.
C. It isn't mentioned in the passage.
D. Users can use a common chat room online to communicate after graduation.
58. What does the underlined word "album" most probably mean?
A. a kind of book B. dinner C. present D. photo
第三部分阅读理解（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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Drying food is a simple, low-cost way to keep food safe for eating. Drying removes water that small organisms use to break down food into other substances. Some of these substances may be poisonous to humans.
A device that uses the sun is a good way to dry food. There are several kinds of solar dryers. The easiest to build is called the direct dryer. The sun shines directly on the food being dried. The direct dryer is a box with holes in it so that air can enter and leave the box. It has a cover made of clear glass or plastic. When the sun shines into the box, heat is produced. The heat is trapped inside the box and cannot escape back through the cover. The heat dries the food.
The solar dryer works better if the sides of the box are black. This is because dark colors hold heat while light colors reflect it. One way to make the sides black is to use wood that has been blackened by fire.
If you use black paint instead, be sure the paint contains no lead. Lead is poisonous to people, especially children.
The box can be made of almost any material such as wood, concrete or sheet metal. The dryer should be two meters long, one meter wide and twenty-three to thirty centimeters deep. The sides and bottom should have additional material, called insulation, to keep the heat from escaping.
The surface on which the food is placed should permit air to enter from below and pass through to the food. A surface made of wires with small square openings works very well. You should use wire with the largest openings or squares that do not allow the food to fall through. Air that comes in from below the wire surface will also carry away water evaporated from the food as it dries.
A direct dryer will dry most vegetables in two-and-one-half to four hours at temperatures from forty-three to sixty-three degrees Celsius. Fruits take longer, from four to six hours at the same temperatures.
51.Solar food drying is fast, safe and low-cost. It is also healthy because nutrients such as vitamin C are kept in the food. Solar dried food also tastes and looks good.
51.In which way will the food be fried quickly?
A.Let the sun shine directly on the food.
B.Make the sides of the box black.
C.Make wood be the sides of the box.
D.The box must be made of blackened wood.
52.What does the underlined word “evaporate” in the 6th paragraph mean?
A. sink into B. change into gas or steam C. flow away D. flow into
53.According to the text., which of the following statements is true?
A.Water in the food may cause poisonous substances.
B.The sun shines into the box and be trapped.
C.Dark colours hold heat better than light colours.
D.It takes longer for vegetable to be fried.
54.What’s the text mainly about?
A.the way to dry food.
B.Solar Food Dryers
C.The device that uses the sun
D.The way to keep food safe.
It is sometimes said that the English are polite people. This can make life difficult for foreigners. Suppose a foreign boy asks an English girl to go out with him and she says. "If I finish my work, I'll meet you in the cafe at 7 o'clock." Is she saying "yes" or "no" to his invitation?
In grammatical terms, she is using the conditional structure (假设结构). By using the conditional, speakers of English can avoid giving a "yes" or "no" answer to a question. It enables people to be diplomatic(有策略). If the girl doesn't want to go out with the boy, she won't turn up at the place she will let him understand she is still working. If she wants to go out with him, but doesn't want to appear too easy to catch, she has achieved that with her reply. But in this case, as she uses the first conditional which shows probability, she is quite likely to turn up at the caf. Being polite can make life very difficult.
The conditional is often used by people in the news-politicians, for example-who wish to avoid speaking out their ideas. This is very important if they are on their way to discuss an agreement. No one wants to give away his or her points before he or she starts. A government spokesman might say to a group of workers, "if we could pay you more, we would" .The use of the conditional here makes room for argument although the speaker is using the second conditional form, which shows improbability. So it is unlikely the workers will get their rise.
"If" is a small word, which appears often in the English language. It can show politeness and conditionals such as the First-probability-if I can come to your party, I will, the Second - improbability - if I saw you tomorrow. I'd give you the book, and the Third-impossibility(meaning it is too late to change something that has happened)-if you had told me. I would have helped you.
77.The use of conditional can make a speech________.
A.clearer B.quicker C.more polite D.more exciting
78.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Language used in the news should make room to argue.
B.Usually English girls are not easy to catch.
C.English people never speak out their ideas in public
D.The word "if" can show different meanings.
79.In the passage, "If we could pay you more, we would." probably means________.
A.the workers make more money B.the spokesman doesn't promise anything
C.the spokesman keeps his word D.the workers' problems aren't difficult
80.If someone says, "If I were free now, I would go with you", he means that________.
A.he is very polite to you B.he will go with you
C.he regrets that he didn't go with you D.he refuses to go with you
Teen Dating can be fun if you are aware of its pros and cons and are also aware of the ways to protect yourself.There are a couple of suggestions you would like to know before you are out for dating.
Do not go out for dating with somebody whom you have seen only a few times and does not know much about him or her.
Before leaving on a date, know the exact plans for the evening and make sure a parent or friend knows these plans and what time to expect you home. Let your date know that you are expected to call or tell that person when you get in.
Similarly, if you leave a party with someone you do not know well, make sure you tell another person you are leaving and with whom. Ask a friend to call and make sure you arrive home safely.
No matter how good the person appears to you, trust your inner instincts(直感). If a situation makes you uncomfortable, try to stay calm and think of a way to remove yourself from the situation without letting your date realize what is going on in your mind.
Be aware of your decreased ability to react under the influence of alcohol or drugs and keep yourself in control when out for a date.
Always stay firm, straightforward and clear in your relationships, thoughts, decisions and judgments. Never let a doubt come to your mind or face when out for dating. If you are firm and clear in your communication, your date will always be careful in dealing with you.
You should think ahead about ways to be safe if you are in a dangerous or potentially(潜在) dangerous relationship. Adults, like parents, teachers, counselors, can be trusted in such cases.
73.Which of the following is forbidden when dating according to the passage?
A.Going out for dating with a stranger.
B.Knowing the plan for the evening.
C.Telling your parents about the date.
D.Telling the person you date that your parents know about the date.
74.The underlined word "date " in the third paragraph might mean________.
A.a time B.a plan C.a person D.a place
75.If you feel uncomfortable, you should NOT________.
A.leave as soon as possible B.tell your date what you are thinking
C.stay calm D.trust yourself
76.The best title for this passage might be ________.
A.Be careful with your friends B.Never go out dating
C.Safety measures for teen dating D.Dating out is always dangerous
Parents in three Midwestern states will soon know just how good or bad their kids' driving is when their children take the car for a spin (疾驶).
Starting today, American Family Insurance is offering customers with teen drivers free cameras that record what happens when a sudden change in the car's movement occurs.
The cameras record the action inside and in front of the car in 20 - second audio - video clips (剪辑). The clips are then transmitted to Drive Cam, a San Diego company that analyzes the clips for risky behavior.
Among things the analysts look for is the response time of the drivers and if they are paying attention to the road. Parents can receive a report on their kids' driving and view the clips on a home computer.
Car accidents are the leading cause of death among U. S. teens, according to the NHTSA
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration).
"There will be fewer accidents," Rick Fetherston, vice president at American Family said of the new system. American Family will test the system out by offering it for free for one year to 30.000 families in Wisconsin, Indiana and Minnesota to see whether the system results in fewer accidents. If the system is proven to prevent accidents, customers who volunteer to use it might see their insurance premiums (保险费) drop. The company would not be viewing the videos or individual score cars, unless there is an accident.
Bruce Moeller, president of Drive Cam, says his company's system is already being used by companies with lots of cars. "Some of our customers are reporting a 30% to 90% reduction in their risky driver events," Moeller says.
But a lawyer in Minneapolis says. "If I felt I needed a camera in the car to watch over my kids, I shouldn't be letting them drive."
American Family tested the system in two high schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Megan Ireland, 17, said the camera caught her stopping too late and taking turns too fast. The student at Prior Lake High School in Savage, Minn., said she didn't like it because she felt it invaded her privacy (侵犯隐私) but has warmed up to the system. "Now I don't really have a problem with it because it's made me a better driver," she says. "For real."
69.The camera is being offered to________by________free of charge now.
A.teen drivers; a company called Drive Cam
B.insurance companies; a San Diego company
C.families with teen drivers; an insurance company
D.American Family Insurance; the NHTSA
70.The camera is used to________.
A.record what the teen driver does while driving
B.prevent the teen drivers from speeding
C.reduce the insurance premiums
D.provide videos and score cards for the police
71.Which of the following states is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Drive Cam will analyze the clips to find if the driver drives riskily.
B.All the students in Minnesota and Wisconsin don't like the system.
C.The insurance company will never look at the clips or score cards of the customers.
D.If the system can reduce the number of accidents, the fees for insurance will be reduced.
72.The best title for this passage might be________.
A.Teens, drive carefully B.A free camera for kids
C.Cameras invade Privacy D.Cameras keep watch on teen driving