We all remember seeing hitchhikers, standing by the side of the road, thumb, sticking out, waiting for a lift. But it is getting rare nowadays. What killed hitchhiking? Safety is often mentioned as a reason. Movies about murderous hitchhikers and real-life crime have put many drivers off picking up hitchhikers. That no single women picked me up on my journey to Manchester no doubt reflects the safety fear: a large, strangely dressed man is seen as dangerous.
But the reason may be more complex: hitchhiking happens where people don’t have cars and transport services are poor. Plenty of people still hitchhike in Poland and Romania. Perhaps the rising level of car ownership in the UK means the few people lift hitchhiking are usually considered strange. Why can’t they afford cars? Why can’t they take the coach or the train?
Three-quarters of the UK population have access to a car; many of the remainder will be quite old. The potential hitchhiking population is therefore small. Yet my trip proves it’s still possible to hitchhike. The people who picked me up were very interesting-lawyer, retired surgeon, tank commander, carpenter, man who live in an isolated farmhouse and a couple living up in the mountains. My conclusion is that only really interesting people are mad enough to pick up fat blokes in red, spotted scarves. Most just wanted to do someone a good turn; a few said they were so surprised to see a hitchhiker that they couldn’t help stopping.
The future of hitchhiking most likely lies with car-sharing organized over the Internet, via sites such as hitchhikers.org. But for now, you can still stick your thumb out (actually, I didn’t do much of that, preferring just to hold up my destination sign) and people-wonderful, caring, sharing, unafraid people-will stop.
In the UK, with its cheap coaches and reasonable rail service, I don’t think I’ll make a habit of it. But having enjoyed it so much, I’m ready now to do a big trip across Europe and beyond. In the 1970s a female friend of my wife’s hitchhiked to India. How wonderful it would be to have another go, though Afghanistan might be a challenge. I wish I’d got that tank commander’s mobile number.The author tried to hitchhike but was rejected by single women drivers because .
| A．they were not heading towards Manchester |
| B．they thought most hitchhikers were dangerous |
| C．hitchhiking had been handed and they didn’t want to break the law |
| D．he was a strong man in strange clothes who seemed dangerous |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Movies have discouraged people from hitchhiking |
| B．Car ownership levels are lower in Romania than in the UK. |
| C．25% of UK people don’t have access to cars. |
| D．Increased car ownership has reduced the need for hitchhiking. |
The “fat blokes in red, spotted scarves” in Paragraph 3 most likely means .
| A．murderous hitchhikers | B．friendly and talkative hitchhikers |
| C．typical hitchhikers | D．strange hitchhikers like the author |
According to the author, future hitchhikers are more likely to .
| A．visit websites and find people to share cars with |
| B．stand by roads with their thumbs sticking out |
| C．stick out signs with their destinations written on |
| D．wait for some kind people to pick them up |
From the last paragraph, we know that the author .
| A．frequently hitchhikes in Britain |
| B．plans to hitchhike across Europe |
| C．thinks public transport is safer for travel |
| D．is going to contact the tank commander |
Like all animal species, plant species must spread their offspring to suitable areas where they can grow and pass on their parents’ genes. Young animals generally spread by walking or flying. Because plants don’t have that ability, they must somehow hitchhike(搭车). Some plant seeds scatter by blowing in the wind or floating on water. Many other plant species, though, trick an animal into carrying their seeds. How do they do this? They enclose the seeds within a tasty fruit and advertise the fruit’s ripeness by its colour or smell. The hungry animal collects and swallows the fruit, walks or flies off, and later spits out the seeds somewhere far from its parent tree. Seeds can thereby be carried for thousands of miles. It may surprise you to learn that plant seeds can resist digestion. In fact, some seeds actually require passage through an animal’s body before they can grow.
Wild strawberries offer a good example of hitchhiking tactics. When strawberry seeds are still young and not yet ready to be planted, the surrounding fruit is green, sour and hard. When the seeds finally mature, the berries turn red, sweet, and tender. The change in the berries’ colour serves as a signal to birds which then eat the strawberries, fly off, and eventually spit out the seeds.
Naturally, strawberry plants didn’t set out with a conscious intention of attracting birds only when their seeds were ready to be dispersed. Nor did birds set out with the intent of planting strawberries. Rather, strawberry plants evolved through natural selection. The sweeter and redder the final strawberry, the more birds spread its ripe seeds; the greener and more sour the young strawberry, the fewer birds destroyed the seeds by eating berries before the seeds were ready.
1．What does the underlined word “dispersed” in the third paragraph mean?
A．spread B．eaten
C．born D．planted
2．For plants, which of the following is NOT a way of spreading their offspring to suitable areas?
A．Hitchhiking. B．Blowing in the wind.
C．Floating on water. D．Tracking an animal.
3．Which strategy does the example of wild strawberries describe?
A．The conscious intent of attracting birds. B．Spreading by walking.
C．Spreading by flying. D．The strategy of taking a lift.
4．Why does the author describe how strawberry seeds are spread?
A．To show plants are good at
adapting to the environment. .
B．To show strawberry’s special way.
C．To show the plant has different ways of spreading seeds.
D．To show the mystery of plant.
5．What’s the passage mainly about?
A．How animals disperse offspring. B．How plants disperse their offspring.
C．Plant evolution. D．Plants’ hitchhiking on animals.
Ⅲ阅读（共两节，满分30分）
第一节：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、和D项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑
Like other student athletes, Ray Ray McElrathbey deals with schoolwork, practice and games. But after a long day of studying and working out on the football field, the Clemson University player can’t relax with friends. Ray Ray has to make sure his 11-year-old brother, Fahmarr, gets a good dinner, does his homework and goes to bed.
Since taking responsibility for Fahmarr this August, “I’ve aged dramatically, ” said Ray Ray. “I can’t be running around at all hours, making 19-year-old decisions.” Ray Ray has temporary custody (监护权) of Fahamrr. Their mother struggles with drug addiction, and they are not in touch with their dad. Ray Ray didn’t want to see his brother go into foster care(收养), where both of them have spent time. The brothers now live together in an apartment near the campus in Clemson, South Carolina.
Clemson Tigers fans aren’t the only people rooting for Ray Ray. Sports Illustrated, ESPN and ABC News have featured the story of the brothers. They have received praise and many offers of help, but Ray Ray attends the university and arra
nge their life on a scholarship. Under the rules, he can’t accept money or gifts. Coaches’ family members can’t even give Fahmarr a ride home from school.
This changed a few weeks ago, when the National Collegiate Athletic Association allowed Clemson to set up a trust fund for Fahmarr. It will help provide for his basic needs, including food and clothing. However, the brothers can give each other something that all the money in the world can’t buy. Ray Ray says he hopes to instill in Fahmarr qualities of “strength and intelligence”. He says having his brother around is “a great thing, knowing he will grow up right.”
1．What would be the best title for the passage?
A．Ray Ray McElrathbey Works Hard at College
B．Ray Ray McElrathbey Loves His Brother
C．Parents Fail to Raise Their Children
D．College Football Player Plays Parents’ Role
2．Ray Ray and his brother mainly live on_____.
A．foster care B．money or gifts from others
C．a scholarship D．his coaches’ families
3．The underlined phrase “rooting for ”in Paragraph 3 can be best explained as _______.
A．supporting B．praising C．admiring D．exciting
4．It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A．Ray Ray must be the best player on his team
B．like his brother, Ray Ray has had little care from their parents
C．Clemson University will raise money for Ray Ray and his brother
D．Ray Ray’s brother do well at school
5．Which of the following is True according to the passage?
A．Ray Ray has few friends to relax with.
B．Ray Ray knows where his father is.
C．Ray Ray’s mother suffered from cancer and depends on drugs.
D．Ray Ray is proud to support his brother.
Ⅲ阅读 (共两节，满分40分)
第一节阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
I took the bus to work for many years. No one knew each other; the passengers all sat there sleepily in the morning. The bus was cheerless and silent.
One of the passengers was a small grey man who took the bus to the center for senior citizens every morning. No one ever paid very much attention to him. One July morning he said good morning to the driver and smiled. The driver nodded guardedly. The rest of us were silent.
The next day, the old man boarded with a big smile and said in a loud voice: "A very good morning to you all!” Some of us looked up, amazed, and murmured “good morning” in reply.
The following weeks, our friend was dressed in a nice old suit and tie. The thin hair had been carefully combed. He said good morning to us every day and we gradually began to nod and talk to each other.
One morning he even had a bunch of wild flowers in his hand. The driver turned around smilingly and asked: “Have you got yourself a girlfriend, Charlie?” We never got to know if his name really was “Charlie”, but he nodded shyly and said yes. The other passengers whistled and clapped at him. Charlie waved the flowers before he sat down on his seat.
Every morning after that Charlie always brought flowers. Some passengers also brought flowers for him. The bus became a happy place.
Then, one morning, as autumn was closing in, Charlie wasn’t waiting at his usual stop. When he wasn’t there the next day and the day after that, we started wondering if he was sick or hopefully-on holiday somewhere. When we came nearer to the center for senior citizens, one of the passengers even asked the driver to wait.
We all held our breaths when he went to the door. The old gentleman was fine, but one of his close friends had died over the weekend. How silent we were the rest of the way to work.
The next Monday Charlie was waiting at the stop, and without a tie. Inside the bus was silent.
1. The story is mainly developed by ___________.
A. time B. logic C. comparison D. cause and result
2. Greeted with “good morning” from the old man, people aboard the bus at first ___________.
A. felt tired and sleepy and didn’t want to talk
B. greeted him back loudly and politely
C. guarded against the conversation from strangers
D. felt surprised and became angry with him
3. When the passengers found the old man was not waiting at the bus stop as usual, they did NOT ___________.
A. buy flowers and wait for him to come
B. feel anxious and worried about him
C. miss him and expect to see him
D. hope he was going on holiday rather than falling ill
4. It can be inferred from the text that ___________.
A. the driver didn’t like the old man at first
B. people usually wear a tie when they are happy
C. passengers brought flowers to express gratitude to the old man
D. the old man had a great influence on the passengers’ emotion
5. The purpose of the passage is to ___________.
A. introduce the old gentleman and praise his good deeds
B. persuade us to become friendly and considerate to people around
C. tell us to keep silent when somebody passes away
D. criticize those who remain silent when they are greeted
As Joe and Michael were heading towards the Drivers License place, Michael, who was behind the wheel, froze as he heard the voice on the radio saying that a man had been murdered by a bullet that had came from the sky. He immediately drove off and went to a secret place. Later on that day, after thinking that the shot they had fired possibly wasn’t the shot that killed Mr Ward, they headed back to the Drivers License place where Michael failed the driver’s test because he could not think straight. For the next two months, Michael and Joe hid the secret that the bullet had actually shot Mr Ward.
During this time, Jenna Ward started to realize life without her father. While Jenna mourned the death of her father, a strange boy started to appear at the front steps of the church across the street from her house. After many nights of watching this boy, she finally recognized that it was Michael who was sitting on the steps every night.
After months of finding out where the shot came, the police were able to narrow the search area down to within a four-block area. Among these four blocks were Michael’s house and Joe’s house. When the police arrived at Michael’s house, his dad mentioned the gun that Michael had received from his grandpa at his birthday party. Michael, trying to be sly, told the cops that Joe had borrowed the gun. Upon this, Joe said that the gun had been stolen out of his car along with his CD player. After the police were gone, Michael met Joe at a special spot and told Joe the gun was under the wood pile in his backyard.
One day, when Michael thought the police would not come back, he came home to find the police searching his backyard with metal detectors. When the Sergeant(警官) went into the woods behind the house, he came out with a bullet that Joe and he had shot off on his birthday. The bullet matched the one that they had recovered from Mr. Ward, but without the gun, the police could not place Michael as the killer.
With the pressure mounting, Michael finally broke down and realized he had to give up. On a Saturday morning, he went to Jenna’s house to confess to her and her mother and then turned himself in.
1. It can be inferred from the story that Michael and Joe _____.
A. shot and killed Mr Ward by accident
B. shot and killed Mr Ward deliberately
C. fired a bullet that killed Ward from the sky
D. were experienced professional murders
2. Michael and Joe drove to the Drivers License place ______.
A. to find out whether Mr Ward was dead
B. to find a secret place to hide themselves
C. to take the driver’s licence test
D. to have their car wheel repaired
3. Why did Michael sit on the steps of the church every night?
A. He was monitoring Jenna’s whereabouts (行踪)
B. He was probably feeling upset and guilty.
C. He wanted to make sure that Ward was dead.
D. He wanted to show sympathy for the Ward’s.
4. From the passage we can learn that _____.
A. Michael lent the gun to Joe at his birthday party
B. the gun together with a CD player was stolen from Joe’s car
C. Michael hid the gun under the wood pile in his backyard
D. the Sergeant discovered the bullet in the wood pile
5. The underlined phrase “turned himself in” in the last paragraph means _____.
A. returned home B. went into the room
C. fled into the woods D. delivered himself to the police
Poverty is not first thing that comes to mind when you think of Japan. After all, there are no children begging on the streets in major cities here. You do not often see Japanese citizens publicly letting out their complaints over the country’s economic decline. But senior government researcher Aya Abe says Japan has the fourth-highest rate of child poverty among developed countries.
She says she sees that poverty in schools where students admit to only bathing once a week. Some cannot afford to buy pencils for class.
“They may not be on the streets begging or they may not be turning into criminals, but it’s there. It’s just that we have to open our eyes and see,” Abe said.
Abe owes the increase in child poverty to the country’s changing demographics(人口统计), struggling economy and high social security premiums(保险费). She says fewer people live in three-generation households, where the parents and grandparents work. The number of single mothers has increased. The salary for young fathers has declined with the economic downturn. Social security premiums have increased in the last 20 years, putting families on the threshold of poverty.
Abe says studies conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD ) point to rising poverty in Japan before the global economic crises in 2008. But the Japanese government and public refused to acknowledge it until then - in part, because of the shame associated with poverty.
“It was, what should I say, very unpopular for Japanese media to say anything about Japanese poverty,” said Abe. “Even though OECD announced it and OECD Japan announced it in Japanese, it didn’t make it into the articles.”
Abe says new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has taken one important step to help alleviate (减缓) the problem. Next year, his Democratic Party of Japan plans to double monthly child care allowances given to families.
But Abe wants the government to expand its financial help even more. She wants it to simplify the process to apply for public assistance and provide educational grants for students struggling to pay for tuition at high schools and colleges. The country now only offers loans.
Abe says the government must act quickly because she says the problem will only get worse in the next few years.
1. The passage is intended to _________.
A. report the result of the studies conducted by OECD
B. tell us about the increase in Japanese child poverty
C. prove that Japan is no longer a developed country
D. introduce Aya Abe, a senior government researcher
2. It seems to be hard to associate Japan with poverty because _______.
A. no children are seen begging in the streets of main cities in Japan
B. its citizens never complain about the country’s economic decline
C. it is one of the few wealthiest countries in the world
D. its government and public refused to acknowledge it
3. According to Abe, several things contribute to the rising child poverty except________.
A. high social security premiums
B. the increase of the number of single mothers
C. the decrease of the salary for young fathers
D. the expansion of three-generation households
4. Why was it unpopular for Japanese media to say anything about Japanese poverty?
A.The Japanese public didn’t think it true.
B. It was forbidden by the Japanese government.
C. The Japanese public regarded it shameful to be poor.
D. OECD Japan had already announced it in Japanese.
5. What of the following is NOT the author’s suggestion for alleviating this problem?
A. Doubling monthly child care allowances given to families.
B. Expanding government’s financial help even more.
C. Providing educational grants for poor students.
D. Simplifying the process to apply for public assistance