Thomas Alva Edison was awarded more patents on inventions than any other American. When he died in 1931, Americans wondered how they could best show their respect for him. One suggestion was that the nation observe a minute or two of total blackout. All electric power would be shut off in homes, streets, and factories. Perhaps this suggested plan made Americans realize fully what Edison and his inventions mean to them. Electric power was too important to the country. Shutting it off for even a short time would have led to complete confusion. A blackout was impossible.
On the day of Edison's funeral, many people silently dimmed their lights. In this way they honored the man who had done more than anyone else to put the great force of electricity at his countrymen's fingertips.This selection says that Thomas Edison ________.
| A．was the only important American inventor |
| B．received the first American patent |
| C．received more patents than any other American |
| D．was the first American inventor |
People decided to honor Edison when ________.
| A．he made the first electric light |
| B．electric power was 100 years |
| C．the country realized electricity's importance |
| D．he died in 1931 |
The suggested plan was to ________.
| A．turn off the lights in factories and schools |
| B．observe a few minutes of total silence |
| C．dim all electric lights |
| D．shut off all electricity for a short time |
D
Every profession，every art，and every science has its technical vocabulary. Its function is partly to name things or processes which can not be described in ordinary English．Such special terms are necessary in technical discussion of any kind．Being universally understood by the specialists of the particular science or art，these terms have the exactness of a mathematical formula（公式）．Besides，they save time, for it is much more convenient to name a process than to describe it．
Different occupations，however，differ widely in the character of their special vocabularies．In trades and handicrafts，and other professions，like farming and fishery，that have occupied great numbers of men in the past，the technical vocabulary is very old．It consists largely of native words, or borrowed words that have worked themselves into the very fibre of our language．As a consequence, though highly technical in many particulars，these vocabularies are more familiar in sound；and more generally understood，than most other technicalities．
Yet every profession still possesses a large body of technical terms that remain extremely unfamiliar, even to educated speech．And the amount has been much increased in the last fifty years．New terms are invented with the greatest freedom，and abandoned unconcernedly when they have served their turn．Most of the new inventions of words and expressions are restricted to special discussions, and seldom get into general conversation．
Yet no profession is，nowadays，as all professions once were，a closed association．Specialists in different fields share ideas and associate freely with each other. Furthermore, what is called “popular science” familiarizes everybody with modern views and recent discoveries. Any important experiment, though made in a remote lab, is at once reported in the newspaper, and everybody is soon talking about it—as in the case of the Roentgen rays and wordless telegraph. Thus our common speech is always taking up new technical terms and making them commonplace.
67．Technical terms are created so .
A．specialists may communicate more easily
B．people may enjoy varieties of occupations
C．people may save time in everyday discussions
D．specialists may well accept mathematical formulas
68．The writer lists wireless telegraph as an example to show special words .
A．should represent popular science
B．may become part of common speech
C．should be restricted to scientific fields
D．may be considered great inventions of man
69．What can we infer from the passage?
A．Nonteehnical words may be replaced.
B．Media helps to popularize special terms.
C．Various professionals exchange their terms.
D．Educated people know most technical terms.
C
A gadget which makes water out of air could become the greatest househo1d invention since the microwave.
Using the same technology as a dehumidifier（除湿器），the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source—the air．
The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water in
developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage．
The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter（过滤器）and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water droplets．It can produce up to 1 2 liters a day．The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases. 
In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights.
Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said: “The demand for water is off the chart. So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”
The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost ￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring. Its make
r, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly calculates that a litre of water cost around 20p to produce.
Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080. One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.
The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.
63．What does the underlined word “it” refer do?
A．Drinking water. B．Invention. C．Microwave. D．Water Mill.
64．What do we learn about the machine?
A．It works in the same way as microwaves.
B．It is very expensive for families to afford.
C．It absorbs steam and turns it into water.
D．It helps to make the water clean to drink.
65．What does the passage lead us to believe?
A．The cost of water will go up. B．Bottled water will disappear sooner.
C．The machine is energy saving. D．The machine will be popular worldwide.
66．What’s the best title for the passage?
A．A New Way to Solve Water Problem. B．A Machine to Make Water out of Air.
C．A Dehumidifier to Produce Water. D．An Absolutely New Invention
B
The man traveling in the back of the ambulance which was running at a high speed along the streets of Baltimore that morning in 2008 had no business to be alive．By everything that was reasonable，and there were plenty of such things before，he should have been very dead indeed．But he wasn’t．As the people in the hospital pointed out after they had examined him，he was only slightly hurt．Yet he had just fallen 150 feet down a hotel lift shaft（电梯通道）!
Unknown to the man，two things had occurred which were to affect his life that day．On the thirteenth f1oor of the hotel, somebody had carelessly left the lift gate open．Down in the basement, a pipe had burst and，it had flooded the bottom of the lift shaft to a depth of two feet．
Modern lifts have all sorts of fail-safe system to prevent accidents，but this was ancient equipment unreliable，slow，dangerous，and suitable material to recycle．
The man had plenty of things to occupy his mind that morning. He had overslept. The hotel had forgotten to call him and now he was late for an important business appointment. He dressed quickly, shaved hurriedly, took hold of his briefcase and hurried off down the hotel corridor.
Good! The life gate was open. The life must be there. He need not press the button and wait while the large, clumsy life made its way upwards. Without looking or thinking, he stepped out into space. The lift cag
e was, in fact, one floor above him on the fourteenth. The would which he had walked was a narrow space of not very fresh sir, ending 150 feet below in two feet of dirty water.
The man fell, making his journey to the ground at a speed he had never dreamed of. Confused patterns, a rush of air, time enough to be afraid, split-second thoughts of death, then-crash!
Perhaps this gave him the record for some sort of high-diving act. No doubt in future he always looked before he jumped. Certainly be learnt that this was no way to save time. The experts said that those two feet of water had saved his life.
59．What do we learn about the man?
A．He fell from the 13th floor. B．He was hit by an ambulance．
C．He got caught in a serious flood． D．He made a record for high-diving.
60．By “……had no business to be alive”，the writer means that the man_______.
A．had missed his business appointment B．was alive with excitement
C．was alive and this was surprising D．didn’t do any business
61．Tile lift did not have a fail-safe system because it was____________.
A．narrow B．slow C．1arge D．old
62．Which of the following was NOT the cause of the accident?
A．A pipe burst． B．The man overslept
C．The hotel forgot to call him D．Someone left the lift door open
第三部分：阅读理解（共阴节，40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，共30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的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
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Dear Mr. Barton,
I am writing for the residents’ association (业主协会) to inform you of our feelings about your act. We’ve really had enough of you. Although we have tried to speak to you politely on several occasions, you have always answered with a stream of verbal abuse(辱骂).
Ever since you moved in three months ago, you have shown very little consideration for the other residents of this building, though many residents expressed their unhappiness with you. For the past six weekends, you have held very noisy parties, which have not finished until early the next morning. As you know, most of the people here are elderly or have very young children, and the noise keeps them awake all night. You don’t have to be so noisy, do you? Last weekend the situation deteriorated when two of your friends fought with each other on the first floor. The fighting was so bad that the police had to be called. What’s more, your friends left the stairs in a terrible state --- they even broke two windows on their way out! We feel that we can’t bear this type of act.
We strongly demand that you pay for this damage to the window soon. If you don’t and you carry on being a nuisance(令人讨厌的人或物). We will kick you out! Legal steps will be taken if necessary.
Yours sincerely,
Resident
57. What does the writer feel?
A. Excited B. surprised C. Angry D. Happy
58. What does the word “deteriorated” mean?
A. Changed B. Improved C. Moved D. Worsened
59. What is the main purpose of the letter?
A. To ask Mr. Barton to leave the building for the peace.
B. To inform Mr. Barton of the noise he made.
C. To talk about what Mr. Barton did. D. To give a warning to Mr. Barton.
60. What is true according to the letter?
A. Mr. Barton paid no attention to the others’ unhappiness.
B. Mr. Barton never replied to the others’ unhappiness
C. Mr. Barton always said sorry to those unhappy with him.
D. Mr. Barton never apologized to the other residents.