Every culture has a recognized (公认的) point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed.
In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have th
eir license, they drive into the grown-up world.
“Nobody wants to ride the bus to school,” said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She 
remembered the pressure, especially from kids from richer families. “It’s like you’re not cool if you don’t have a car,
” she said.
According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.
Not all families will buy cars for their children. In cities with subways (地铁) and limited parking, some teenagers don’t want them. But in rich suburban (郊区的) areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
But police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents think carefully before letting their kids drive.
Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17.
Chad said he has accepted his parents’ decision, although it has caused some teasing (奚落) from his friends. “They say that I am unlucky,” he said. “But I’d rather 
be alive than driving, and I don’t really trust my friends on the road either.”
In China as more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult?The story is mainly about _______.
| A．the recognized point between childhood and adulthood |
| B．American teens want to drive a car when they turn 16 |
C．whether teenager s should have a car |
| D．the fact that it’s safer for teens to drive a car at an younger age |
Which of the following is not one of the reasons that kids want to have a car?
| A．With a car, it would be easy to move around. |
| B．A great number of teenagers have cars. |
| C．Having a car would mean more excitement. |
| D．Parents’ support for kids to have a car at an early age. |
.Which of the following is not true?
| A．Some of Chad’s friends have cars. |
| B．When deciding whether to buy a car for their kids, safety weighs heavily on many parents’ mind. |
C．In the US, 16 is consid ered the point between childhood and adulthood. |
| D．More kids from cities own cars than those from the countryside. |
The word “license”
in Paragraph 2 means closest to ______.
| A．driving permit | B．ID card | C．learner’s permit | D．test result |
How could we possibly think that keeping animals in cages in unnatural environments---mostly for entertainment purposes --- is fair and respectful?
Zoo officials say they are concerned about animals. However, most zoos remain “collections” of interesting “things” rather than protective habitats. Zoos teach people that it is acceptable to keep animals bored, lonely and far from their natural homes.
Zoo claims to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors leaves zoos without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behaviour, intelligence, or beauty. Zoo keeps animals in small spaces or cages, and most signs only mention the species’ name, diet, and natural range. The animals’ normal behavior is seldom noticed because zoos don’t usually take care of the animals’ natural needs.
The animals are kept together in small spaces, with no privacy and little opportunity for mental and physical exercise. This results in unusual and self-destructive behavior called zoochosis. A worldwide study of zoos found that zoochosis common among animals kept in small spaces or cages. Another study showed that elephants spend 22 percent of their time making repeated head movements or biting cage bars and bears spend 30 percent of their time walking back and forth, a sign of unhappiness and pain.
Furthermore, most animals in zoos are not endangered. Captive breeding (圈养繁殖) of endangered big cats, Asian elephants, and another species has not resulted in their being sent back to the wild. Zoos talk a lot about their captive breeding programs because they do not want people to worry about a species dying out. In fact, baby animals also attract a lot of paying customers. Haven’t we seen enough competitions to name baby animals?
Actually, we still save endangered species only if we save their habitats and put an end to the reasons people kill them. Instead of supporting zoos, we should support groups that work to protect animals’ natural habitats.How would the author describe the animals’ life in Zoos?
| A．Dangerous | B．Unhappy | C．Natural | D．Easy |
In the state of zoochosis, animals _______________.
| A．remain in cages | B．behave strangely |
| C．attack other animals | D．enjoy moving around |
According to the passage what point of view does the author hold?
| A．Zoos are not worth the public support. |
| B．Zoos fail in their attempt to save animals. |
| C．Zoos should treat animals as human beings. |
| D．Zoos use animals as a means of entertainment. |
The author tries to persuade readers to accept his argument mainly by________.
| A．pointing out the faults in what zoos do |
| B．using evidence he has collected at zoos |
| C．exploring the way animals are protected |
| D．discussing the advantages of natural habitats |
Although he argues against zoos, the author would still agree that___________.
| A．zoos have to keep animals in small spaces |
| B．most animals in zoos are endangered species |
| C．some endangered animals are reproduced in zoos |
| D．it’s acceptable to keep animals away from their habitats |
阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。
[1] Twenty-seven outstanding individuals and organizations have been selected from more than-200 nominations (提名) as finalists for the 2012 National Disability Awards for their valuable contribution to improving the lives of people with disability in Australia. The National Disability Awards, now in their sixth year, celebrate the remarkable achievements of people with disability and those who support them to create a more inclusive (包容的) and diverse society.
[2] The Minister for Disability Reform, Jenny Macklin, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Jan McLucas, announced the finalists across the nine award categories.
[3] The finalists are made up of individuals, support organizations and national companies. Their achievements include improving Community accessibility and employment opportunities for people with disability, promoting the rights of people with disability and advocating (提倡) a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
[4] This year's awards come at an exciting time for People with disability, their families and carers, as the Gillard Government invests $1 billion in the first stage of an NDIS, which will be launched from the middle of 2013. More man 20,000 people with significant and permanent disability in five locations __________, receiving a care and support package that is individually adapted to their needs and having decision-making power about their care and support. Important to the success of an NDIS will be the continued commitment of all Australian governments to the National Disability Strategy, which is a framework (机制) to include disability in policies, programs, services and infrastructure (基础设施) across all areas of the community.
[5] The National Disability Awards form part of the Australian Government's celebration of International Day of People with Disability, which occurs annually on 3rd December and which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary.Why have twenty-seven individuals and organizations been selected as finalists for the 2012 National Disability Awards? (no more than 15 words)
_______________________________What are the finalists made up of? (no more than 8 words)
_______________________________Fill in the blank in Paragraph 4 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
_______________________________What does the word“them”(Line 5, Paragraph 1) refer to? ( no more than 3 words)
_______________________________What is the passage mainly about? (no more than 8 words)
_______________________________
An astronomer is making a case for launching pop singer Justin Bieber into suborbital（亚轨道的）space aboard a private rocket ship. The idea is not to rid the world of the Canadian teenager — he would come back down to Earth eventually, after all — but rather to help jump-start the emergingsuborbital spaceflight industry.
It would generate a lot of public interest, which would helpcommercial spaceflightpick up some much-needed momentum, said Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in Mountain View, California. “If there’s more interest, there are more customers. If there are more customers, there's more technical development. It's a positive feedback loop, and obviously that's good.”
Such missions would return to Earth without completing a full lap around the planet. Instead, the flights would hit the edge of space about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth, experience a few minutes of weightlessness, then re-enter the atmosphere and land back at a spaceport.
None of these firms are ready to fly customers yet, but some are getting close. For instance, Virgin Galactic hopes to begin powered test flights of itsSpaceShipTwo vehiclelater this year, with commercial operations perhaps beginning in 2013 or 2014. It is SpaceShipTwo that reportedly grabbed the attention ofBeyonce and Jay-Z.
Virgin Galactic has collected deposits from nearly 500 customers willing to pay $200,000 for a ride aboard SpaceShipTwo, and both Virgin and XCOR have inked deals to fly scientists and their experiments on research flights. So a suborbital market already exists — but Shostak is thinking about ways to make it grow.
A celebrity launch isn't Shostak’s only idea. Suborbital firms should also promote their activities aggressively via social media, Shostak said, and they should make sure their spaceships are bristling（充满）with cameras both inside and out, to give the public dramatic views of every mission.
Some observers view commercial suborbital spaceflight as a potentially transformative industry, saying it could serve as a stepping stone to the exploration and exploitation of space on an unprecedented scale. While the industry’s success is far from assured, Shostak offered some reason for optimism: The American public remains keen on space.Why may Justin Bieber be sent into suborbital space?
| A．To show his bravery and make him a role model for teenagers. |
| B．To arouse the American public’s interest. |
| C．To help reform the spaceflight industry. |
| D．To film an advertisement about space. |
What can we learn about suborbital spaceflight?
| A．A trip will return to Earth before finishing a lap. |
| B．The whole trip will leave passengers weightless. |
| C．Each trip can take 500 passengers. |
| D．The trip will be too expensive even for celebrities. |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．SpaceShipTwo will be the first to fly. |
| B．Famous people will be the main passengers in the future. |
| C．The space trip is still in preparation. |
| D．Every space trip will be made into a film. |
The last paragraph suggests that _________.
| A．space is too mysterious to explore |
| B．the suborbital market is promising |
| C．the spaceflight industry is more successful than people think |
| D．developing the industry is risky |
What is the main purpose of the text?
| A．To predict a change in the space market. |
| B．To discuss a recent launch. |
| C．To introduce the status of the spaceflight industry. |
| D．To remove public doubt about the spaceflight industry. |
Gallows humor（黑色幽默）seem like a mistake, or at least in poor taste. But psychologists say that gallows humor can be an important way to relieve stress. “Humor makes you feel in control and it can give you that feeling that everything is okay even when it's not,” says James M. Jones, a psychology professor at the University of Delaware.
Psychologists say that just because you're laughing doesn't mean you’re wasting time. Occasional teasing among colleagues, particularly if it revolves around things associated with the job, can boost creativity, departmental cohesiveness（凝聚力）and performance.
“There are a lot of stressors out there,” says Ed Dunkelblau, a psychologist with the Institute for Emotionally Intelligent Learning in Chicago. “But gallows humor is a way of making difficult things a little less difficult.”
This is true as long as the humor is used for the right purpose. The main point of it should be inspiring people --- not laughing at them. “Anything that would lift morale（士气）in terms of the company would be good humor,” says Thierry Guedj, a professor of business and psychology at Boston University. “Before you say or do anything, think about, ‘How is this helping my employees’ morale?’”
You want to give your employees and co-workers a sense of belonging, so don’t make observations that are aggressive. Most obviously, Dr Guedj says, don’t make comments about people’s physical appearance, or faith. If you have any doubt, it's appropriate, don't go through with it.
Or you can take aim at the one person you know won't be offended（冒犯）:Yourself. “If there's going to be a joke or story, it should be you,” Mr. Dunkelblau says. For example, if you're a marketing manager reviewing a failed campaign that you led, begin with a line like, “The guy who gave permission to this deal might just be looking for work next week.”
“People with the ability to laugh at themselves can give other people permission to laugh at themselves too,” Mr. Jones says. “And if you can laugh at yourself, you feel better about yourself.”According to the text, gallows humor has the following functions EXCEPT ________.
| A．reducing pressure |
| B．improving performance |
| C．making people more creative |
| D．leading to a big mistake |
What is Ed Dunkelblau’s attitude towards gallows humor?
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Neutral. | D．Uncertain. |
Which of the following would Dr. Guedj most probably agree with?
| A．Gallows humor is the basic source of morale. |
| B．Gallows humor allows people to laugh at others. |
| C．Gallows humor may sometimes be used for the wrong purpose. |
| D．Anything that may lift morale can be called gallows humor. |
When people use gallows humor, they should ________.
| A．observe who is aggressive |
| B．show a sense of belonging |
| C．doubt about the result of humors |
| D．try to avoid irritating others |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．People tend to laugh at others rather than themselves. |
| B．Laughing at ourselves can help relieve the stress of others. |
| C．People can’t avoid offending others with gallows humor. |
| D．People who laugh at themselves are hard to be friends with. |
Life is full of change, and this leads to growth. Change is what keeps our lives moving, and allows us to achieve what we desire and deserve. Like it or not, we need to be willing to go with the flow, and be adaptable when something doesn’t go according to plan. A catalyst is a person that causes something else to happen, and if you’re not currently a catalyst for change, here are some things you can do to become one.
Take a look at what you’ve got going on in your life right now. Write down everything that comes to mind. Is there anything that jumps out at you that you're not content with? Is there something that isn't moving forward as quickly as you would like it to? Identifying what you want to change is the first step to getting somewhere with it.
Take the initiative to make change happen. Once you have identified what you want to work on changing, write down several possible "next steps" you can take to realizing that change. Whatever it is you want to change, you won't get very far without having specific actions in mind to carry out. Start small, and then focus on items that are a bit more involved or difficult and just keep going!
When carrying out a change, it’s great if you’re able to bounce ideas off other people, particularly if they can help you implement that change in some way. Be receptive to feedback, but realize that others’ opinions are not golden. Also remember to give feedback when asked for it. Be sure it's genuine and that you are able to stand behind it.
Create an environment for change. There is nothing more discouraging than trying to create change in an environment that is not conducive to it. It’s like trying to stick to a diet in a house that is filled with chips, cookies, ice cream and chocolate; you are just making it more difficult for yourself.
Change is good, and often leads to process improvement, increased productivity and efficiency. Take the initiative, and make changes to your life to get to where you want to go faster than you are going right now.If you decide to change, you should start by _________.
| A．going with the flow |
| B．changing from day to day |
| C．writing down good ideas |
| D．making sure you know what to change |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the fourth paragraph?
| A．One should accept others’ opinions uncritically. |
| B．One should be cautious about the opinions of others. |
| C．It’s more important to get than to give feedback. |
| D．Change may not happen without ideas from other people. |
The underlined words “bounce ideas off other people” in the fourth paragraph probably mean
“_________”.
| A．get approval from others |
| B．get your ideas across to other people |
| C．get others’ feedback about your ideas |
| D．carry out your ideas without the help of others |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．Change benefits us in different ways. |
| B．Creating a good environment is the most important step. |
| C．It’s discouraging to try to change one’s environment. |
| D．Being a catalyst for change is risky but rewarding. |
Which would be the best title for the text?
| A．How to achieve what you desire. |
| B．How to be a catalyst for change. |
| C．How to act according to your plans. |
| D．How to move in the right direction. |