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Dye (染料) can bring a little color to life. Most clothing is colored with dyes. Modern, manufactured dyes can be costly. Natural dyes from plant and animal products have been used since ancient times. So this week, we describe a natural way to dye wool.
There are several methods to put dye onto material. The vat method, for example, can be used to dye wool with onionskins. For this example, use one hundred grams of natural wool. The wool must be clean. Leave it overnight in water and liquid soap. Then wash it with clean water that is a little warm. Gently squeeze out the extra water.
A solution called a mordant (媒染) is used in the dying process. A mordant helps fix the dye to the material. Traditionally, mordants were found in nature. Wool ash is one example. But chemical mordants such as alum are popular today. Alum is sold in many stores. It is often mixed with cream of tartar, a fine powder commonly used in cooking.
Mix eight grams of alum with seven grams of cream of tartar in a small amount of hot water. Add the solution to a metal pan of cool water. Next, add the wool and place the mixture over heat. Slowly bring the liquid to eighty-two degrees Celsius. Heat the mixture for forty-five minutes. After it cools, remove the wool and wash it.
To prepare the dye solution, cover thirty grams of onionskins with water. Use only the dry, brown outer skins. Boil the liquid until the onionskins lose their color, about forty-five minutes. Remove the skins after the dye cools.
Now it is time to dye the wool. Place the wool into the dye and heat the mixture. Bring it to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to eighty-two degrees. Now heat the dye for about forty-five minutes or until the wool is the desired color. Keep in mind that wet wool looks darker than it is.
Once the dye cools, remove the wool and wash it. Now the wool is orange or yellow. Or at least it should be.
57. According to the passage, mordants are ________.
A. dyes used in the dying process
B. materials which will be put dye to
C. wood ashes used in the dying process
D. not dyes but play an important role in the dying process
58. Which of the following statements about “natural dyes” is true?
A. They might be cheaper than chemical dyes.
B. They are more expensive than chemical dyes.
C. They have been used for only recent years.
D. They are all made from animal products.
59. As for the vat method, which of the following statements is NOT necessarily needed?
A. Ash. B. Water. C. Mordant. D. Temperature.
60. Choose the proper order of dying wool:
a. boil the liquid with onionskins.
b. add mordants to a metal pan of cool water.
c. wash the wool with clean water.
d. put the wool into the liquid and heat it
e. heat the mixture and then wash it.
A. c, b, e, a, d B. e, b, c, d, a C. b, e, a, d, c D. a, b, e, c, d

In nineteen ninety-nine, twelve percent of public elementary schools in the United States required students to wear uniforms. Just three years later, estimates were almost double that.
A study of six big-city Ohio public schools showed students who were required to wear uniforms had improved graduation, behavior and attendance rates. Academic performance was unchanged.
Some middle and high schools in Texas have also joined the movement. Yet studies find mixed results from requiring uniforms. And some schools have turned away from such policies.
Supporters believe dressing the same creates a better learning environment and safer schools. The school district in Long Beach, California, was the first in the country to require uniforms in all elementary and middle schools. The example helped build national interest in uniforms as a way to deal with school violence and improve learning.
Findings in Long Beach suggested that the policy resulted in fewer behavior problems and better attendance. But researcher Viktoria Stamison, who has looked at those findings, says they were based only on opinions about the effects of uniforms.
She says other steps taken at the same time to improve schools in Long Beach and statewide could have influenced the findings. The district increased punishments for misbehavior. And California passed a law to reduce class sizes.
In Florida, for example, researcher Sharon Pate found that uniforms seemed to improve behavior and reduce violence. In Texas, Eloise Hughes found fewer discipline problems among students required to wear uniforms, but no effect on attendance.
Sociologist David Brunsma has studied school uniform policies since nineteen ninety-eight. He collected the reports in the book. In his own study, he found that reading and mathematics performance dropped after a school in rural Pennsylvania required uniforms.
Political and community pressures may persuade schools to go to uniforms to improve learning. But David Brunsma and others believe there is not enough evidence of a direct relationship. In fact, he says requiring uniforms may even increase discipline problems.
52. What’s the main idea of this passage?
A. More and more students are required to wear uniforms in the US.
B. Wearing uniforms contributes to good academic performance.
C. Researchers in the US argue for school uniform policies.
D. Evidence for school uniform policies in the US is seen as weak.
53. Which was/were the first in the US to require uniforms in all elementary and middle schools?
A. Six big-city Ohio public schools.
B. The school district in Long Beach, California.
C. Some middle and high schools in Texas.
D. Some elementary and middle schools in Florida.
54. Which of the following researchers are NOT supporters of school uniform policies?
A. Viktoria Stamison and Sharon Pate.
B. Sharon Pate and David Brunsma.
C. Eloise Hughes and Sharon Pate.
D. Viktoria Stamison and David Brunsma.
55. The underlined word “misbehavior” in the sixth paragraph probably means ______.
A. serious crime B. bad performance
C. absence for class D. action against wearing uniforms
56. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. more work is needed to get better information about uniform’s effect
B. the number of schools requiring uniforms in the US will decline sharply
C. wearing uniforms has little to do with behavior and learning
D. politicians and communities won’t vote for uniform policies

10 Days to More Confident Public Speaking
By The Princeton Language Institute, Lenny Laskowski
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Warner Books
ISBN: 0446676683
This book is a course on giving public talks. It’s written by an expert in the field and has the tools to make you a relaxed, effective, and commanding public speaker. You can find clear, brief, step-by-step to help you: Overcome nervousness and discover your own natural style. Set up an immediate connection with your audience.
Practise new techniques daily in conversations with friends. Write a speech that builds to an unforgettable conclusion. Mix together humour and anecdotes into your talk. Use special techniques to memorize your speech.
In the Spotlight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing
By Janet E. Esposito
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Strong Books
ISBN: 1928782078
In the Spotlight is a gift for people experiencing any degree of fear or discomfort in speaking or performing in front of others, either in formal settings. The book has many different methods to help you get beyond stage fright and learn to speak or perform with ease and confidence.
The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write One and How to Deliver It
By Richard Dowis
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: American Management Association
ISBN: 0814470548
Here’s expert guidance on how to write a forceful speech. Attractive slides, confident body language, and a lot of eye contacts are fine. Now everyone can learn to give a powerful, direct speeches that catch an audience’s attention. The key is not just in the delivery, but in using the power of language. It requires interesting ideas, presented in a clear and memorable way.
It’s speech-writing guide made by an award-winning writer. It has everything from researching and writing the speech to preparing the text to delivering the speech to handling questions from the audience.
Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History
By William Bathe
Paperback: 1,055 pages
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393040054
This is a collection of more than 100 speeches that seeks to show the enduring power of human eloquence (雄辩) to inspire and uplift (振奋). These speeches are said to have moved millions and changed history. There is an introduction to each speech, and an essay on the art of public speaking.
This collection is edited by a former presidential speechwriter-William Satire. He knows firsthand, the importance of putting together the right words for the right movement.
These speeches prove that, even in the digital age, the most forceful medium of communication is still the human voice speaking directly to the mind, heart, and soul.
49. The purpose of the above books is to _______.
A. give you encouragement in making a speech
B. tell you how to make a forceful speech
C. show you the skills of making a good speech
D. tell you how to catch an audience’s attention while making a speech
50. If you want to improve your speaking skills by reading some great speeches by famous people, you will read ______.
A. Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History
B. The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write One and How to Deliver It
C. In the Spotlight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing
D. 10 Days to More Confident Public speaking
51. Which of the following people used to write speeches for presidents？
A. Rechard Dowis. B. Janet E. Esposito.
C. Lenny Laskowski. D. William Satire.

第二部分阅读理解（共两节，满分 40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列四篇短文，从每小题后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Imagine a classroom missing the one thing that’s long been considered a necessary part to reading and writing ------ paper. No notebooks, no textbooks, no test paper. Nor are there any pencils or pens, which always seem to run out of ink at the critical moment.
A “paperless classroom” is what more and more schools are trying to achieve.
Students don’t do any handwriting in this class. Instead, they use palm size, or specially-designed computers. The teacher downloads texts from Internet libraries and sends them to every student’s personal computer.
Having computers also means that students can use the Web. They can look up information on any subject they’re studying from math to social science.
High school teacher Judy Harrel in Florida, US, described how her class used the Web to learn about the war in Afghanistan (阿富汗) before.
“We could touch every side of the country through different sites from the forest to refugee camps (难民营)”, she said. “Using a book that’s three or four years old is impossible.”
And exams can go online too. At a high school in Tennessee, US, students take tests on their own computers. The teacher records the grades on the network for everyone to see and then copies them to his own electronic grade book.
A paperless classroom is a big step towards reducing the waste of paper. High school teacher Stephanie Sorrell in Kentucky, US, said she used to give about 900 pieces of paper each week to each student.
“Think about the money and trees we could save with the computer,” she said.
But, with all this technology, there’s always the risk that the machines will break down. So, in case of a power failure or technical problems, paper textbooks are still widely available for these hi-tech students.
46. What does “run out of ink at the critical moment” in the first paragraph mean?
A. Pens may not write well at the critical moment.
B. Pens get lost easily, so you may not find them at the critical moment.
C. Pens may have little or no ink at the critical moment.
D. Pens use ink, while pencils don’t.
47. The high school teacher, Judy Harrell, used the example of her class to show that ______.
A. the Web could take them everywhere
B. the Web taught them a lot
C. the Web is a good tool for information
D. the Web, better than the textbooks, can give the latest and comprehensive (全面的)information
48. The paperless classrooms will benefit ______ most.
A. students B. teachers C. trees D. computers

Michael Lewis writes about the inner strategies of sports to fans’ delight, and yet describes the personalities and worlds of his real-life characters withsuch depth that nonfanswill enjoy his writing just as much. He looked successfully at baseball management with Moneyball. Now The Blind Side examines the increasing value placed on the left tackle(左后卫)position in football, the high pressure world of college football recruiting(招收队员), and in particular, the life of one promising young left tackle, Mike Oher.
Oher’s story’s attractive. The big boy was silent to the point that many people thought he was mentally disabled. Then, in a lucky break, Oher and a friend are admitted to a very white, private high school, far across town from their own poor African-American neighborhood.Oher is unbelievably far behind academically, but he’s taken under the wing of Sean Tuohy, one of the school’s coaches, a wealthy man whose family Oher eventually joins. Before long, thoughOher almost completely lacks football experience, he leads him to new athletic heights and brings on a fierce competition from eager college coaches.
Lewis’s book brings on many interesting questions: How did a kid like Oher get so lost in the college recruiting system at first? How far should the system bend to meet the needs of a few student athletes?Are the Tuohys the most selfless, or are they using Oher themselves? If so, does it matter, if it benefits him? And what should we think of the college recruiting system that comes after him? These are just a few subjects raised by this highly readable book.
No fan of football should pass on this good one, but even if your interest in sports is only mild, consider tracking down the works of Michael Lewis.
72．Michael Lewis is ________.
A. a football player B. a high school student C. a book writer D. a football coach
73．People thought Oher was mentally disabled because ________.
A. he was too tall and heavy B. he seldom spoke with others
C. he was too academically poor D. he was an African-American
74．The third paragraph is intended to ________.
A. explore deep meanings of the book B. tell how hard it is to understand the story
C. question the poor quality of the book D. show what a hot topic the book becomes
75．Which of the following would be the best title?
A. The Blind Side: Progress of a Game B. Michael Lewis: Thinker of Real Life
C. Where Is College Recruiting System Going? D. Where Are the African-Americans Going?