American cities are similar to other cities around the world: In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture, American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.
After World War II, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts（转移）to and from the city reflect the changing values of American
society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents(居民) became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs(郊区).
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for
sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.What does the author think of cities all over the world?
| A．They are alive | B．They are hopeless |
| C．They are similar | D．They are different |
Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War II?
| A．Because older American cities were dying |
| B．Because they were richer and needed more space |
| C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society |
| D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city |
According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities .
| A．are faced with housing problems | B．are forced to move to the suburbs |
| C．want to sell their buildings | D．need more money for daily expenses |
We can conclude from the text that .
| A．American cities are changing for the worse |
| B．people have different views on American cities |
| C．many people are now moving from American cities |
| D．the population is decreasing in older American cities |
D
Chocolate which hepls you lose weight by actually burning calories as you eat it ? It sounds wonderful．
But unfortunately , for anyone who spent ￡ 37 on a 40-day supply of Slim Choc, the idea is nothing more than daydream．
The product was one of a lot of “miracle cures” marketed to Britons which had no evidence to back up their grandiose(夸大的) claims, according to the Office of Fair Trading．
The OFT said that such tricks affect 200,000 of us a year, at a cost ￡ 20 million ． Some 78 per cent of the victims(受害人)are female, but a large number of men are also taken in by “cures”for hair loss．
OFT Director of Consumer Protection Mike Haley said,“Miracle health tricks target people who are eager to lose weight or find a cure． The products are often worthless and can even be dangerous with untested and possibly harmful ingredients（成分）。”
The OFT yesterday warned consumers about the adverts for Slim-Choc, which were contained in junk mail sent to thousands of homes acorss Britain．
The company chaimed that eating the “slimming chocolate”could help users lose 20lbs in just 20 days, without exercising or cutting back on food．
The tricks claimed this was a “brand new revolutionary cure for the overweight”,and it was “the first and only cholcolate that burns off fat”． Thousands were persuaded to pay ￡ 37 for a 40-day supply．
Alice Tuff, of the Sense About Science charity, said :“The emotional and financial costs for the people who get drawn in can be huge and it is very important that we keep promoting public vigilance（警惕）in dealing with this serious problem．”
1．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A．Chocolate And Health B．Dangerous Chocolate
C．Too Good To Be True D．Weight-loss Chocolate
2．Which of the following best states Mike’s idea?
A．The emotional and financial costs for victims can be great
B．Eating the “slimming chocolate” could help users lose weight．
C．We should deal with this weight-loss chocolate problem seriously．
D．Weight-loss chocolate may contain dangerous ingredients．
3．The company promises if you pay ￡ 37 for the product, you will
A．turn to normal in 40 days, B．loss weight without exercising
C．lose 40lbs in 20 days D．lose weight anywhere anytime
4．The passage is written mainly for
A．doctors B．experts C．consumers D．advertisers
I am trying to muster(鼓起)the courage to toss away my mobile phone to enjoy a more peaceful and ring –free life．
Can you imagine not having your mobile phone? In our high-tech, in-a-hurry age, a cell-free life is a hard concept to swallow． Our mobile phones can now access the Internet, and many people feel the need to express their every thought on their blog pages． If I gave up my cellphone, people would think I was mad．
I wish I had the strength to toss away my technology ． I have an office phone, a home phone, e-mail and if people want to contact me． they can． If I’m out, people can leave a message． Do they really need to find me 24/7 ? However, I’m a bit like Frodo in the movie Lord of the Rings． The power of the ring is too strong and I can’t let it go．
Mobile phones have become necessary tools in our busy life． For most people , they hold all contacts and many of us don't write up address books any more． The latest phones carry our music, pictures, movies and everything else． We feel lost without this device and when we do misplace it , we feel cut off from our fellow,
“Where have you been?” said a friend, who saw me a week after I lost my cell, “I tried calling you , but you disappeared． You disappeared off the face of the Earth。” See, when you don’t have a mobile phone, you don’t exist．
I’m not really going to toss my mobile phone away, in fact． We humans are such social animals and mobile phones serve us well． So in 2009, I’ve dicided not to serve my mobile phone． Like all machine, I can always turn it off．
1．What does the underslined phrase“toss away”mean?
A．give away B．get away C．break away D．throw away
2．The writer mentions Frodo to
A．show it is difficult to get rid of the mobile phone
B．show how much he likes Frodo
C．suggest a cell-free life is what he wants
D．introduce a film character to us
3．What do we know about mobile phones in the 4 th paragraph?
A．Mobile phones can do anything for us ．
B．Mobile phones have become very important in our life
C．We could not live without mobile phones
D．We would be cut off by our fellow without mobile phones
4．What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A．The writer is not really going to toss his mobile phone away．
B．When you don't have a mobile phone, you don’t exist．
C．The writer decides not to serve his mobile phone
D．We humans can control ourselves and machines will．
How to Save on Sightseeing New York City Attractions
With so many unique attractions, world-famous museums, theaters, and skyscrapers there is always plenty to do in New York． However, sightseeing, in New York City might not be the easiest or the cheapest experience．
This is why our team of real, life-long New Yorkers has created the New York Pass． If you want to discover the best of what this amazing city offers while still saving some time and money on your visit, the New York Pass is something you should be interested in．
How You Benefit from The New York Pass?
Free entry to over 50 attractions – Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Museum of Modern Art, Madison Square Garden Tour,． NBC Studio Tours, New York Aquarium．& many others．
Free 140-page guidebook in English, German & Spanish, containing hours of operation, maps and directions to every tourist attraction , shop and restaurant．
Line skipping privileges（特权）－As a New York Pass holder you are entitled (享有权利)to fast track entry to the New York City ‘s busiest attractions．
Over 650 worth of entrance fees－that’s how much it would cost if you visited all the attractions that New York Pass grants entrance to –wihtout using the New York Pass． That doesn’t even include the additional discounts you receive for having a NY Pass．
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Plese Note:
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New York Pass Prices;
Offer Ends : Fri 13 Feb 2009
| Product |
Price |
| 1 Day Adult Pass |
$75 |
| 1 Day Child Pass |
$55 |
| 2 Day Adult Pass |
$110 |
| 2 Day Child Pass |
$90 |
| 3 Day Adult Pass |
$140 $112 |
| 3 Day Child Pass |
$120 $96 |
| 7 Day Adult Pass |
$180 $144 |
| 7 Day Child Pass |
$140 $ 112 |
1．What is the main purpose of this passage?
A．To attract tourists to New York．
B．To describe how to use the New York Pass．
C．To introduc the New York Pass．
D．To explain why the New York Pass is created
2．What benefit can you get from the New York Pass
A．You can change your travel plans as you like,
B．You can get the free guidebook in four languages．
C．You don’t have to carry cash with you
D．You can visit the Statue of Liberty for free．
3．Jack and his two kids will visit New York for three days in January in 2009,how much should he pay for the New York Pass?
A． 304 B． 380 C．420D．520
4．If the Empire State Building is too crowded, you can
A．get the refund from the New York Pass immediately
B．enter it before others by using the New York Pass
C．get more discounts and save more money
D．visit many other attractions as long as you want
第三部分:阅读理解（共20小题；每题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，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。
It happened to me recently that I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of the current US President． The person I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words,“a wonderfully written book ．”However, he then proceeded to talk about Mr Obama in a way that suggested he had no idea of his background at all． I sensed that I was talking to a book liar．
And it seems that he is not the only one． Clearly two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t ． In The World Book Day survey, Dreams From My Father is at number 9． The survey lists top ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading． As I’m not one to lie too often, I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire ten books． But I am pleased to say that I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984． I think it’s absolutely outstanding．
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to impress someone they were speaking to ． This could be difficult if the conversation became more in-depth !
The World Book Day survey also has some other interesting information in it． It shows that many people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens and so on. But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, they named JK Rowling, Jilly Cooper, and Stephen King (ah, the big sellers, in other words)． Forty-one percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story．
So which books have you lied about reading—if any—and which is your favourite?
1．The main reason why people lie about reading is to
A．make fun of the listener B．impress the listener
C．please the listener D．interest the listener
2．The underlined word“proceeded”in the passage probably means“ ”
A．wanted B．happened C．continued D．stopped
3．What does The World Book Day survey show?
A．Nearly half of the people surveryed didn’t read through a whole classical book．
B．People don’t like Dreams From My Father and George Orwell’s 1984
C．Few people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen．
D．People usually enjoy reading books by Charles Dickens．
4．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Are You A Book Liar? B．Readers Are All Liars
C．World Book Day D．Dreams From My Father,
E
The motor vehicle has killed and disabled more people in its brief history than any bomb or weapon ever invented . Much of the blood on the street flows essentially from uncivil behavior of drivers who refuse to respect the legal and moral rights of others . So the massacre (大屠杀) on the road may be regarded as a social problem .
In fact , the enemies of society on wheels are rather harmless people just ordinary people acting carelessly , you might say . But it is a principle both of law and common morality that carelessness is no excuse when one’s actions could bring death or damage to others . A minority of the killers go even beyond carelessness to total negligence (疏忽).
Researchers have estimated that as many as 80 percent of all automobile accidents can be attributed to the psychological condition of the driver . Emotional upsets can distort drivers’ reactions , slow their judgment , and blind them to dangers that might otherwise be evident . The experts warn that it is important for every driver to make a conscious effort to keep one’s emotion under control .
Yet the irresponsibility that accounts for much of the problem is not confined to drivers . Street walkers regularly violate (违反) traffic regulations , they are at fault in most vehicle walker accidents , and many cyclists even believe that they are not subject to the basic rules of the road .
Significant legal advances have been made towards safer driving in the past few years . Safety standards for vehicle have been raised both at the point of manufacture (制造业) and through periodic road-worthiness inspections . In addition , speed limits have been lowered. Due to these measures , the accident rate has decreased . But the accident experts still worry because there has been little or no improvement in the way drivers behave . The only real and lasting solution , say the experts , is to convince people that driving is a skilled task requiring constant care and concentration . Those who fail to do all these things present a threat to those with whom they share the road .
1．What is the author’s main purpose in writing this passage ?
A．To show that the motor vehicle is a very dangerous invention .
B．To promote understanding between careless drivers and street walkers .
C．To discuss traffic problems and propose possible solutions .
D．To warn drivers of the importance of safe driving .
2．Why does the author mention the psychological condition of the driver in Paragraph Three ?
A．To give an example of the various reasons for road accidents .
B．To show how important it is for drivers to be emotionally healthy .
C．To show some of the inaccurate estimations by researchers .
D．To illustrate the hidden tensions in the course of driving
3．The following is mentioned as being responsible for the road accidents except .
A．careless bicycle riders B．mindless people walking in the street
C．irresponsible drivers D．irresponsible manufacturers of automobiles
4．Which of the following best reflects the author’s attitude toward a future without traffic accident problems ?
A．Doubtful yet still longing for . B．Happy and rather confident .
C．Surprised and very pleased . D．Disappointed and deeply worried .