Last week, I bought an alarm system for about $ 450. It consisted of a control unit with three small units. I put the control unit in the sitting-room and fastened the other units by the front door, back door and living-room windows. The instructions told us to choose three numbers, so we chose 4, 9 and 1, the last three numbers of our telephone number.
Now I must explain how the alarm works:
l There is a power siren(警报器) in the control unit. It makes a very loud noise.
2 Each of the small units sends out beams or rays in different directions. If anything moves, it breaks a beam. This sends a signal to the control unit. The siren makes a noise which you can hear 50 meters away.
3. When we go to bed, I press the three buttons numbered 4, 9 and 1. Then we have 30 seconds to get out of the room before the alarm starts to work.
That night I slept soundly because I was sure that no burglar(夜贼) could get into our house. However, at about 2:10 a. m., I woke up and heard the siren. “There must be a burglar in the house,” Mary said. “What shall we do?”“I’ll go and see who’s there,” I said. “Stay here. Don’t make a noise.”I went downstairs quietly. When I reached the living-room, I switched on my torch and looked round the room. Then I turned the light on. I switched the siren off and searched the rooms downstairs. There was nothing wrong except that the back door was unlocked. I locked it, reset the alarm and went back to bed. About an hour later, the alarm started again. I jumped out of bed, fell over a chair in the dark and bumped into the bedroom door. Mary woke up and started hitting me with a torch. “Hey! Wait a minute!” I whispered. “It’s only me. I’m going downstairs to see what’s wrong.”I went down into the living-room and listened for a moment. The only sound I could hear was the siren. I turned on the light and then switched the siren off. As I did so, I glanced across at the curtains in front of the windows. I saw a house lizard (a kind of small animal) disappear behind the curtains.“Oh!” I said to myself. “That’s our burglar. ”When the lizard moved, it started the siren. I guessed that the alarm had been made in Europe, where there are no house lizards. Well. I won’t finish this story but if you want an alarm system free of charge, let me know. I’ll send you ours. We bought a dog this morning. It knows the difference between a lizard and a burglar.The writer bought an alarm system to ________.
| A．make sure that he got up early every day |
| B．warn him when there were lizards in his house |
| C．frighten burglars and tell him that somebody had got into the house |
| D．make Mary feel safe to live in the large room |
The purpose of the three units was to________.
| A．send a message to the control unit and start the siren |
| B．sound their own sirens when the control unit told them so |
| C．check that the control unit worked properly all the time |
| D．give them enough light |
If the writer set the alarm and remained in the room for more than half a minute, _______.
| A．nothing would happen |
| B．the control unit would not work |
| C．the siren would make a noise |
| D．the dog would bark |
The purpose of the writer in writing the passage is to ________.
| A．tell us that the alarm system doesn’t work |
| B．tell us an interesting experience |
| C．show us how the alarm system works |
| D．make it clear that he wants to give away his alarm system |
C 
Arthritis, stroke, osteoporosis(骨关节炎), heart disease and dementia are what we’ve got to look forward to in old age. But conditions like these don’t have to be impossible to avoid, says New Zealand cook Robyn Martin. She firmly believes that we are what we eat and we can choose to consume foods that can slow the aging process and even prevent certain illnesses. That’s why her latest cookbook is devoted to recipes that use ingredients with a large number of anti-aging benefits. Stop the Clock—the Anti-Aging cookbook looks at a variety of health problems—from brain decline and joint aches and pains to heart disease and high cholesterol(胆固醇)—then lists foods that can improve or prevent them and offers a selection of recipes using those ingredients. “I wrote this book so I can offer people lots of information about foods that can give them a better old age.”
Six foods that can help slow the aging process:
1. Lentils
The important substance included in lentils is the one that can help you avoid the unpleasant symptoms of menopause(更年期), like mood swings.
2. Blueberries
Blueberries slow and, in some cases, reverse damage in aging brains. They are also rich in some chemicals which keep your looking young and help relieve arthritic(关节炎的) pain.
3. Carrots
Carrots have high levels of beta-carotene, which changes to vitamin A in the body. So they may help with memory, do good to the skin and are also thought to lower cholesterol.
4. Oats
The protein, calcium and phosphorus in oats all help build strong bones and connective tissue. The fibre they contain helps lower cholesterol and high blood pressure.
5. Spinach
Spinach is a good source of two important substances involved in protecting the DNA in our cells from oxication(氧化). It not only helps to strengthen the memory and turn off genes that can step up aging, but also can help improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
6. Soy
Soy products help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and are rich in phytoestrogens, which can help prevent hormone-related cancers. Soy can also be helpful to the skin, making it firm and youthful.
Did you know? Tomatoes contain a powerful substance which is not only useful for preventing problems in the heart, and lungs, but also prevents diseases like cancer. To gain the most benefit, tomatoes should be cooked.
64. If memory often fails you, which of the following combination will be good to you?
A. soy and carrots B. oats and soy
C. lentils and blueberries D. carrots and spinach
65. This passage mainly deals with _____.
A. foods and ingredients B. foods and health C. foods and nutrition D. foods and diseases
66. The passage is written _____.
A. to tell the readers recipes play an important role in keeping healthy
B. to advertise the foods mentioned in the passage
C. to tell the readers how to slow the aging process
D. to tell the readers how to cure some diseases by taking right foods
B
I am a person who does not like to wait in line. However, I realize anger will get me nowhere. Considering this, I have decided to turn my frustration(沮丧) to productive ends. In short, I am constantly hunting around for what I call “waiting in line books”, especially those that are designed for being read in snippets(文摘), so there is no extended story line to lose track of. Another requirement is that they be small enough to slip neatly into my back pocket.
The other day I went to the supermarket and was surprised to see that the place was crowded with shoppers, but no worries. I parked my cart behind five others and pulled out my vocabulary builder. Within a few seconds I was totally absorbed, and rather than seething at the 15 minutes it took to advance to the cashier, I learned that nankeen is “a yellow cotton cloth”, or, in the plural, “trousers made of it”. The acquisition of new words led me into a place where I would otherwise not have enjoyed myself so much.
Once, at a yard sale, I found two small pocket books titled Sidelights on American History (copyright 1919). The seller approached as I looked through the pages. “You want them?”
“First I need to see if they fit,” I told him. He watched as I slipped Volume 1 into my back pocket. “Perfect. I’ll take them.”
10 minutes later, I was at the carwash, where the waiting line was six vehicles long. Thank goodness for my books! By the time my car was being soaped and power sprayed, I had learned about the Annapolis Convention, the early life of Aaron Bur.
The more the world demands that I wait, the more I learn from my waiting library. In fact, I have become so fond of my “waiting” books that my spirits actually rise when I see a long line I must stand in. It is most likely I would be regarded as a bookish, lonely soul. But little would they realize that I was enjoying the company of those “waiting” books. And just as Disraeli said, “Everything comes if a man will only wait”.
60. When buying a book the writer _____.
A. has his own rules B. prefers books of small size
C. chooses books by famous writers D. has no particular appetite
61. The truth behind the story is that the writer wants to tell us _____.
A. reading is not only important but also practical
B. one is expected to learn to adjust oneself rather than complain
C. reading is the best way to kill time
D. knowledge is power and wisdom is fortune
62. The underlined expression in paragraph 3 “seething at” probably means _____.
A. angry at B. delighted at C. surprised at D. excited at
63. The sentence in Paragraph 2 “there is no extended story line to lose track of” shows that _____.
A. what the writer reads is not difficult to understand
B. the writer likes to read interesting stories while waiting in line
C. the writer can stop wherever needed with no plot to leave out
D. the writer does not necessarily reach his understanding
第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Around the age of 40, honest people may already admit to noticing changes in their mental abilities. This is the beginning of a gradual decline that in all too many of us will end with full-blown dementia(痴呆).
However, a few drugs that might do the job, known as “cognitive enhancement(认知增强)”, are already on the market, and a few dozen others are on the way. Perhaps the best-known is modafinil. Licensed to treat narcolepsy, the condition that causes people to suddenly fall asleep, it has notable effects in healthy people too. Modafinil can keep a person awake and his or her attention fixed for 90 hours straight, with none of anxiety, nervousness and bad concentration. In fact, with the help of modafinil, people who can hardly go to sleep can perform even better than their well-rested, un-medicated(未服药的) selves.
It’s an open secret that many, perhaps most, prescriptions for modafinil are written not for people who suffer from narcolepsy, but for those who simply want to stay awake. Similarly, many people are using Ritalin not because they suffer from attention problem or any other disorder, but because they want superior concentration during exams or heavy-duty activities.
Some drugs have also been specially designed to improve memory. Many of these seem to work, and without any major side effects. So why aren’t we all on cognitive enhancers already?
“We need to be careful what we wish for,” says Daniele Piomelli at the University of California at Irvine. Repairing and improving memory may have unwanted effects, he warns. “Eventually we may end up remembering things we don’t want to.”
56. According to the message, we can learn that originally modafinil is a drug designed for _____.
A. for both healthy and unhealthy people
B. the treatment of dementia
C. people who can hardly go to sleep
D. those suffering from falling asleep suddenly
57. The passage mainly talks about _____.
A. dementia—a threat to the old people B. modafinil—a nice drug for dementia
C. relevant drugs to a better brain D. cognitive enhancement
58. The underlined sentences in paragraph two wants to tell us that _____.
A. without modafinil people suffering from sleep problems cannot rest well
B. people lacking sleep can work better than they are in a healthy state if taking modafinil
C. modafinil has greater effects on healthy people if they take it
D. with modafinil people suffering from narcolepsy can fall asleep easily
59. What’s the writer’s attitude to the drugs mentioned in the passage?
A. Positive. B. Negative. C. Objective(客观的). D. Doubtful.
E
Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students 
how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes – they are failing because the academic classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well- rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art – there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge – certainly not a good preparation 
for the real world.
72. Music and drama are not included in the high- school curriculum mainly because ________.
A. the school committee pays no attention to them
B. the school is afraid of losing financial support
C. the students are not interested in both of them
D. the state standardized test is more important
73. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test
B. Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’ s school system
C. Students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons
D. The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts
74. We can learn that music and art can ______.
A. motivate students in creativity and expression
B. make students round-shaped people in future
C. provide students with analytical thinking
D. prevent students graduating from high school
75. The best title of the passage can be ______.
A. Who Killed Music and Drama? B. Can Curriculum Go Without Music?
C. Why is Music So Important? D. How To Prepare For th
e Real World?
D
In the computer age, most of us take a broadband Internet connection for granted. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a catch, of course: You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.
Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs, it’s relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely (稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables (光纤电缆) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.
Still, the “last mile” problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication (迹象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.
68. The underlined part “a catch” (in Paragraph 2) probably means “_____”.
A. a rare challenge B. a desirable plan
C. an efficient device D. a hidden problem
69. What can we know from the third paragraph?
A. Internet connection has not been popular in most cities.
B. Internet service providers care about rural customers.
C. Computer is popular in developing countries.
D. It is hard to bring Internet access to users in remote areas.
70. Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements _____.
A. make TV and telephone available everywhere
B. bring great change to people’s everyday life
C. make it possible for more people to use the Internet
D. bring faster Internet connections to users
71. What may eventually settle the “last mile” problem?
A. The broadband connection’s getting faster.
B. More and more Internet users.
C. more and more Internet connections.
D The rapid progress in cell phone technology.