About 21,000 young people in 17 American states do not go to classes in school buildings. Instead, they receive their school education by working at home on computers. The Center for Education Reform says the United States has 67 public “cyberschools,” and that is about twice as many as two years ago.
The money for students to go to a cyberschool comes from the governments of the states where they live. Some educators say cyberschools receive money that should support traditional public schools. They also say it is difficult to know if students are learning well.
Other educators praise this new form of education for letting students work at their own speed. These people say cyberschools help students who were unhappy or unsuccessful in traditional schools. They say learning at home by computer ends long bus rides for children who live far from school.
Whatever the judgment of cyberschools, they are getting more and more popular. For example, a new cybershool called Common-wealth Connections Academy will take in students this fall. It will serve children in the state of Pennsylvania from ages five through thirteen.
Children get free equipment for their online education. This includes a computer, a printer, books and technical(技术的) services. Parents and students talk with teachers by telephone or by sending emails through their computer when necessary.
Students at cyberschools usually do not know one another. But 56 such students who finished studies at Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School recently met for the first time. They were guests honor at their graduation. What do we know from the text about students of a cyberschool?
| A．They have to take long bus rides to school. |
| B．They study at home rather than in classrooms. |
| C．They receive money from traditional public schools. |
| D．They do well in traditional school program. |
What is a problem with cyberschools?
| A．Their equipment costs a lot of money. |
| B．They get little support from the state government. |
| C．It is hard to know students’ progress in learning. |
| D．The students find it hard to make friends. |
Cyberschools are getting popular because ________.
| A．they are less expensive for students |
| B．their students can work at their own speed |
| C．their graduates are more successful in society |
| D．they serve students in a wider age range(范围) |
We can infer that the author of the text is ________.
| A．unprejudiced(无偏见的) in his description(描述) of cyberschools |
| B．excited about the future of cyberschools |
| C．doubtful about the quality of cyberschools |
| D．disappointed at the development of cyberschools |
According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
A. About 67% of the students in the USA go to cyberschools nowadays.
B. Cyberschools will take the place of traditional schools in the future.
C. Cyberschools are the most popular form of education now in the USA.
D. Not everybody likes cyberschools.
I love exploring new places. Whether I travel across America or around the world，a new adventure is always waiting. What I don’t always enjoy is the time spent 9,000 meters（30,000 feet）in the air. Tight spaces, long hours, and unexpected-problems can make air travel stressful. Follow these six tips to make your next flight a braze.
1. Make a checklist. Before you pack，make a checklist of everything you need and mark item off as you put them in your bag. Be sure you include important documents, such as your passport.
2. Pack light. You don’t need to pack your whole closet. Choose clothes that mix and match for more variety. Wear your largest shoes on the place to save room in your bag. And pack a few old items that you can leave behind to make more room for souvenirs(纪念品) on the way home.
3. Carry on essential （基本的）items. Unfortunately, dependable baggage service is hard to come by. When you fly, be sure to pack your medicine, important documents, and a change of clothes in your carry-on bag.
4. Pack water and snacks. No one wants to get stuck on a runway for hours without food, water. But bad weather or mechanical problems could leave you stranded（进退两难的）. Pack water and crackers in your carry-on. But leave fresh foods at home. Most countries won’t allow you to bring them across their borders.
5. Stretch your legs. More and more travelers suffer from blood clots caused by sitting too long in tight spaces. You can help prevent this problem by doing stretches in your seat taking short walks every hour.
6. Entertain yourself. A long trip can either mean hours of boredom or an exciting adventure. Plan ahead to keep yourself busy with books，magazines and portable CD player. Just don’t forget to bring extra batteries.
Research airlines before you book your reservations. For just a few dollars more，some airlines offer personal entertainment systems. Singapore Air gives you nearly 70 choices of movies，music channels, and other entertainment！
With a little planning ahead，you’ll be able to sit back and enjoy the ride.
68. It is advised by the writer in this passage to _____ for your flight.
A. pack all the things you will need B. leave your important documents behind
C. carry some fresh foods with you D. take some books, magazines and CD players
69. Which of the following tips isn’t mentioned in this passage？
A. Researching airlines before reservations. B. Staying still during the whole flight.
C. Carrying some water and essential items. D. Making a list of the things you need.
70. The underlined phrase “come by” in tip 3 probably means _____.
A. receive by chance B. obtain by effort C. pass byD. offer in satisfaction
71. We can conclude from this passage that _____.
A. you will get sick during the long flight hours
B. old items are not allowed to bring back on the way home
C. you are not allowed to carry things as freely as you want
D. you can also board the plane without your passport
The bicycle is the common sight in our daily life, as a great many Chinese use one every day. But you may not know its role in strengthening international relations, as it did in the case of US President George W. Bush’s visit to China .
President Bush arrived in Beijing on November 19, 2005 after he finished the APEC meeting in South Korea.He met with Chinese top leaders and achieved agreements on trade, Taiwan issue and more.
Although Bush’s trip was short as 40 hours, he managed to spare a moment to do some cycling. On November 20, he rode up and down a steep path at Laoshan Olympic Mountain Bike Course in Beijing’s suburbs.
Six young Chinese cyclists accompanied the president, who was dressed in a Chinese training uniform with the “Beijing 2008” logo (标志). He did not go along the arranged route and chose a more zigzag(曲折的) hiking path.
“How do you say, ‘take it easy on the old man’?” Bush joked to his partners before setting out.
“Compared with my bike path on the Crawford ranch (农场) , this one is greater and really difficult,” said Bush when his 45-minute ride ended. He said he will come to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games.
This is not Bush’s first cycle ride in Beijing. In 1975 at the age of 29, he visited the Chinese capital for the first time, when his father was head of the US liaison office (联络处) in Beijing, which Bush described as “fantastic”.
However, observers said Bush’s ride is much more than just his favorite pastime. It expressed friendliness with people in China, where the bicycle is an important part of life and culture.
According to the Washington Post, one of the major newspapers in the US, this was a specially arranged activity by the US Government, for they want to send the Chinese a sign of friendship. “The president is by no means hostile (有敌意的) to China,” it said.
64. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A. Every Chinese has at least one bicycle
B. The bicycle is the common sight in our daily life
C. Bicycle can play a role in improving relationship between nations
D. President George W. Bush is fond of cycling
65. President George W. Bush went cycling ______.
A. wearing a T-shirt with the “Beijing 2008” logo
B. up and down a path on Laoshan Mountain
C. accompanied by six young Chinese policemen
D. along a more challenging way without arrangement
66. Bush said “take it easy on the old man” to his partners probably because ______.
A. he wanted to make them easy
B. he wanted to make a joke about them
C. he wanted to tell them it would be a more zigzag hiking path
D. he wanted to show them it would be a easy task for an old man
67. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Bush’s first cycle ride was in 1975.
B. Bush’s ride was specially arranged by the Washington Post.
C. Bush’s ride is more a sign of friendship than just his favorite pastime.
D. Bush will come to Beijing to take part in the Olympic cycling games in 2008.
More than 20,000 drivers and front seat passengers are killed or seriously injured each year. At a speed of only 30 miles per hour it is the same as falling from a third floor window. Wearing a seat belt saves lives; it reduces your chance of death or serious injury by more than half.
Therefore drivers or front seat passengers over 14 most vehicles must wear a seat belt. If you do not, you could be fined up to $50. It will not be up to the drivers to make sure you wear your belt. But it will be the driver’s responsibility to make sure that children under 14 do not ride in the front unless they are wearing a seat belt of some kind.
However, you do not have to wear a seat belt if you are reversing(倒退) your vehicle; or you are making a local delivery or collection using a special vehicle; or if you have a valid（正当的） medical certificate（证书）which excuses you from wearing it. Make sure these cases supply to you before you decide not to wear your seat belt. Remember you may be taken to court for not doing so, and you may be fined if you cannot prove to the court you have been excused from wearing.
60. This passage is probably taken from ______.
A. medical magazine B. a legal document
C. a textbook D. a government information booklet
61. Wearing a seat belt in a vehicle ______.
A. reduces road accidents by more than half
B. reduces the death rate in traffic accidents
C. saves lives while driving at a speed up to 30 miles per hour
D. saves more than 16,000 lives each year
62. It is the driver’s responsibility to ______.
A. make the front seat passenger wear a seat belt
B. make the front seat children under 14 wear a seat belt
C. stop children from riding in the front seat
D. wear a seat belt each time he drives
63. For some people, it may be better to ______.
A. pay a fine rather than wear a seat belt
B. wear a seat belt for health reasons
C. (not to) wear seat belt for health reasons
D. get a valid medical certificate before wearing a seat belt
第三部分：阅读理解（共20题；每小题2分，共40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题中所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
You have heard the expression “horse sense”. As you may imagine, it came from the time when the majority of people traveled in vehicles drawn by horses. A horse does have a lot of common sense, and there are many true stories about horses having saved their drivers from danger of death.
Today for the most part, people travel by train, ship, airplane, and car, but very little by the use of horses. Modern vehicles are propelled by engines, and an engine does not have any sense. In case of danger, many horses could be depended on to help. Not so with the engine; the driver must do all the things.
In recent years, the speed of travel has increased greatly. With the increased speed comes greatly increased danger. The driver of a powerful engine needs to be careful. A moment of being careless may cost a life. In order to drive today, a person must be able to see clearly, and he must learn and follow carefully the rules for safety on the road. Greater attention is the price we pay for using a machine instead of a horse.
56. The passage mainly talks about ______.
A. engines B. safe driving C. using horses D. modern machines
57. The underlined word “propel” in the second paragraph means ______.
A. repair B. raise C. push forward D. made
58. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. a driver must know the rules of safety
B. a driver needs to be able only to tell red from green
C. an eye test is an important part of a driver’s examination
D. greater attention is needed for a driver while driving a machine
59. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. A driver must be able to see and hear well.
B. The driver of a car must follow the rules of safety.
C. Horses are known to have saved their drivers from injury.
D. It is better for vehicles to be pulled by horse than to be pushed by engine.
Do you suppose Darwin, one of the greatest scientists of all times, really
did fools' experiments?
Or did he do experiments that were so simple and basic that other people just thought they were foolish?
Sometimes people think they already know the answer to a question or the solution (解决办法) to a problem. Sometimes they really do know an answer or a solution, but without thinking they are important.
Charles Darwin didn’t settle for (满足于) just thinking he knew something. And, he believed all things could be important however simple they seemed to be.
Suppose you drop two sheets of paper which are exactly the same size and shape. If you drop them at the same time in the same place, they will fall in the same way. Now make one of the sheets of paper into a tight little ball and let it drop along with the other sheet. What happens? You have done an experiment that is so simple that you might think it couldn't be worth anything.
But this simple experiment is important. It explains part of our present-day understanding of physics ideas that were worked out long ago by Galileo and Newton. And these understandings set aside some of ancient Greek physics.
Science sometimes stops to look at very simple things and to think very hard about them. Even the simplest idea, what we might think is foolish, can shake the foundations (基础) of science.
68. “Sometimes people think they already know the answer to a question.” This means that _________.
A. they are already told the answer
B. the question is so important that everyone should know the answer
C. they are already to answer such a question by others
D. the question is simple enough for them to answer
69. From the passage, we learn that Charles Darwin _________.
A. did many fools' experiments
B. enjoyed doing simple experiments
C. was not satisfied with what he knew
D. tried to prove that Galileo and Newton were sometimes wrong
70. The underlined phrase “set aside” most probably means “________”
A. throw away B. store up B. put to use D. realize
71. The author of the passage tries to ________.
A. convince(使…信服) us that Charles Darwin, Galileo and Newton are the greatest scientists in the world
B. draw the conclusion that basic sciences are simple things
C. prove that two sheets of paper, with the same size and shape, will fall at the same speed
D. draw our attention to everyday happenings around us