LastFridaymybrotherandIweredri-优题课

Traffic jam and cities, it seems, go hand in hand. Everyone complains about being stuck in traffic; but, like the weather, no one seems to do anything about it. In particular, traffic engineers, transportation planners, and public officials responsible for transportation systems in large cities are frequently criticized for failing to solve traffic jam.
But is traffic jam a sign of failure? Long queues at restaurants or theater box offices are seen as signs of success. Should transportation systems be viewed any differently? I think we should recognize that traffic jam is an unpreventable by-product of successful cities, and view the “traffic problem” in a different light.
Cities exist because they promote social interactions and economic transactions.
Traffic jam occurs where there are lots of people but limited spaces. Culturally and economically successful cities have the worst traffic problems, while decaying cities don’t have much traffic. New York and Los Angeles are America’s most crowded cities. But if you want access to major brokerage houses (经纪行), you will find them easier to reach in crowded New York than in any other large cities. And if your firm needs access to post-production film editors or satellite-guidance engineers, you will reach them more quickly through the crowded freeways of LA than through less crowded roads elsewhere.
Despite traffic jam, a larger number and wider variety of social interactions and economic transactions can be made perfect in large, crowded cities than elsewhere. Seen in this light, traffic jam is an unfortunate consequence of prosperity, not a cause of economic decline and urban decay.
So while we can consider traffic jam as increasing costs on the areas of big cities, the costs of inaccessibility (交通不便) in uncrowded places are almost certainly greater.
There is no doubt that traffic jam brings the terrible economic and environmental damage in places like Bangkok, Jakarta, and Lagos. But mobility is far higher and traffic jam levels are far lower here in the US, even in our most crowded cities. That’s why, for now, we don’t see people and capital streaming out of San Francisco and Chicago, heading for cities like California, and Illinois.
53. We can conclude from the first paragraph that____.
A. traffic jam and weather are the two factors preventing the development of the big city
B. traffic jam seems to be very difficult to deal with
C. if traffic engineers try their best, traffic jam can be solved
D. public officials are always criticized for misusing their power
54. According to the passage, what’s the author’s opinion towards traffic jam?
A. In cities, traffic jam is unavoidable.
B. Traffic jam is both a sign of failure and a sign of success.
C. Traffic jam is the consequence of successful cities.
D. For a successful city, traffic jam is not unpreventable.
55. By saying “decaying” (in Para. 4), the writer probably means____.
A. declining B. developing
C. rich and successful D. strong and healthy
56. According to this article, which statement about “New York” and “Los Angeles” is true?
A. The traffic jam in the two cities has been worsened.
B. New York and Los Angeles are the least successful cities in the USA.
C. It is easier to reach major brokerage houses in the two cities than in other cities.
D. Despite the traffic jam in LA, you’ll find a satellite-guidance engineer more quickly there.

You could fill a store with all the energy drinks available. They promise to make people feel more energetic and think more clearly. These products have names like Red Bull, Monster, Ripped Force, Speed Stack and 5-Hour Energy. They appeal mainly to young people.
Professor Chad Reissig, at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, is a medical researcher who studies drug dependence. He says the team he works on got interested in studying energy drinks.
He says the researchers have found three things. One: there are hundreds of brands of energy drinks in most major countries. Two: the drinks are not clearly labeled with enough information. And three: the amount of caffeine differs greatly. Some contain as little as fifty milligrams, while others as much as five hundred.
Some people combine energy drinks with alcohol. They think they can drink more alcohol that way and not be affected. Studies, however, suggest that they are still under the influence of the alcohol even if they do not feel that way.
Some makers of energy drinks do provide warnings. For example, a popular energy drink warns against use by people who are under the age of twelve. The directions also advise people to limit caffeine products and to drink only half the bottle.
The team at Johns Hopkins University published a report in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence. They suggested that the amount of caffeine and other ingredients be clearly listed on the drink. The researchers are continuing to study energy drinks. They are seeking young people who have had a bad experience after drinking them.
50. According to the passage, the energy drinks mainly attract____.
A. young peopleB. alcohol drinkers
C. university professorsD. twelve-year-old children
51. The team thinks that the biggest problem of the energy drinks is that.
A. there are too many brands B. they are not clearly labeled
C. there is too much caffeine D. they are not available in some stores
52. The purpose of the passage is to tell readers.
A. to identify caffeine in energy drinks
B. to take a closer look at energy drinks
C. whether energy drinks are good or bad
D. whether energy drinks make people addicted

第二部分阅读理解（共二节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the websites you've visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchases or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.
In fact, it's likely some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen—the 2lst century is the equal of being caught naked.
Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, and that it's important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread pieces you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret. The key question is: Does that matter?
When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found an overwhelming pessimism about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is "slipping away, and that bothers me."
But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny part of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths (收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquits has run a series of tests that reveal that people will give personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cent-off coupon.
But privacy does matter--- at least sometimes. It's like health; when you have it, you don't notice it. Only when it's gone do you wish you'd done more to protect it.
46. What would psychologists advise on the relationship between friends?
A. Friends should open their hearts to each other.
B. Friends should always be faithful to each other.
C. There should be a distance even between friends.
D. There should be fewer disputes between friends.
47. Why does the author say "we live in a world where you simply cannot keep a secret" (Line 5 Para.3)?
A. Modern society has finally developed into an open society.
B. People leave traces around when using modern technology.
C. There are always people who are curious about others' affairs.
D. Many search engines profit by revealing people's identities.
48. What do most Americans do with regard to privacy protection?
A. They change behaviors that might disclose their identity.
B. They use various loyalty cards for business transactions.
C. They rely more and more on electronic devices.
D. They talk a lot but hardly do anything about it.
49. According to the passage, privacy is like health in that ____.
A. people will make every effort to keep it
B. its importance is rarely understood
C. it is something that can easily be lost
D. people don't value it until they lose it

There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external (外在的) result or a product that can easily be identified and measured．The worker who gets a rise, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language—all these examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts．
By contrast (对照) , the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since it is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way．The process is not the road itself, but the attitudes, feelings people have , and their caution or courage, as they meet with new experiences and unexpected difficulties．In this process, the journey never really ends；there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept．
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to face the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first．How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is necessary for our ability to grow．Do we see ourselves as quick and curious? If so, we tend to take more chances and be more open to unfamiliar experiences．Do we think we’re shy and indecisive? Then our sense of fear can cause us to hesitate, to move slowly, and we think we are slow to adapt (适应) to change or that we’re not smart enough to deal with a new challenge．Then we are likely to take a more passive role or not try at all．
These feelings of insecurity (不安全) and self-doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow．If we protect ourselves too much, then we stop growing．We become trapped inside a shell of our own making．
57．In the author’s eye, one who views personal growth as a process would ______．
A．succeed in climbing up the social ladder
B．grow up from his own achievements
C．face difficulties and take up challenges
D．aim high and reach his goal each time
58．Which of the following can be viewed as the process of personal growing?
A．Our manager was always willing to accept new challenges．
B．Jane won the first prize in the speech competition．
C．Jerry picked up French during his stay in Paris．
D．Father’s salary rose from 5, 000 to 7,000．
59．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．It is not so easy to measure personal growth．
B．To try and fail on the new road facing the unknown is unavoidable．
C．There are only two ways to see a person’s growth．
D．If you are too shy to take any risks in life, you cannot grow up．
60．The best title for this passage should be ______．
A．Facing New Challenges B．Growth—Product or Process
C．Two Basic Ways of Growth D．Overcoming Internal Fears

You can be proud of yourselves, even if you can only make one or two of these green changes. The goal here is to limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are closely associated to the big problem of global-warming.
Strategy 1: Bring your own cup to Starbucks
You’ll get a 10 cent discount, and it’s one less paper cup to end up in a landfill. While you’re there, pick up some free bags of spent coffee grounds to use as ‘‘green’’ fertilizer in your garden.
The payoff: The store won’t create more waste when they throw away a cup.
Strategy2: Turn off your computer
When in standby mode, your PC is still using energy. In fact, 75percent of electricity used in your home comes from electronics that are turned off.
The payoff: Turning off a monitor for 40 hours a week may only save $5 a month, but it reduces CO2 by 750 pounds
Strategy 3: Reuse plastic bags
Instead of throwing away 100 billion plastic bags a year, try and get a second, third, or tenth use out of them. Better yet, next time you shop, try a reusable bag.
The payoff: You’re reducing pollution. The amount of oil it would take to make just 14 plastic bags would run your car for one mile.
Strategy4: Use recycled paper in the bathroom
Most of the toilet paper we use is made from trees found in forests previously untouched by humans.
The payoff: If every household replaced one roll of toilet paper with a recycled one, 424000 trees would still be standing. Look for eco-paper towels too.
Strategy5: Buy energy-efficient appliances（电器）
Replace the old fridge with an Energy Star appliance and you’ll use 15 percent less energy. It might be a little expensive to buy, but you’ll save money on your electricity bills and help the environment.
The payoff: If we all used one Energy Star appliance at home, it would be like planting 1. 7 million acres of new trees.
Strategy 6: Plant a tree
Adding green to your garden is beautiful and earth-pleasing.
The payoff: Just one tree will help make cleaner air and save the environment from 5000 pounds of hot carbon dioxide each year.
54. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Ways to save money at home
B. Ways to be earth-friendly
C. Ways to end global-warming
D. Ways to limit carbon dioxide
55. What benefits do these strategies have in common?
A. They all help reduce the use of energy like electricity.
B. They all cut down the amount of the paper.
C. They all result in producing less greenhouse gases.
D. They all help to preserve our trees and forest.
56．Which strategies suggest recycling or reuse of things?
A．Strategies 1&3 B．Strategies 2&5
C．Strategies 3&6 D．Strategies 4&5.