In the age of reality television, success isn’t the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame, just like William Hung, 21, a native of Hong Kong.
Hung recently has made an agreement with US-based entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. They will publish a full-length record, titled “The True Idol” on April 6.
The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” on the television show “American Idol 3”, on January 27. The Fox TV singing contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung, however, his act was so bad that the judges cut him off in mid-act.
Hung’s response? “I already gave my best, so I have no regrets at all.” That’s good, because any common person would have found plenty to regret: The off-key singing. The blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high. The terrible dancing. The hips jerking (摇摆) to a beat that did not belong to the song, maybe not even to this planet. It was, by all accounts, bad.
But, it was this very bad act that sold well.
Marc Juries, president of Fuse, explained it this way: “Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom, completely off-key and completely unworried. That’s what William did and immediately won the hearts of America.”
Whatever it is, for the moment it’s big. Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and techno-music and have made it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station.
So, what does Hung think of this?
“There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I was great on the show, but some didn’t have much respect for me and some were kind of mean.”
Now he says he’s not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour (魅力) or to accept it. Returning to normal hasn’t been easy.What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Sometimes an idol behaves quite foolishly. |
| B．Hung’s performance attracted the public eye. |
| C．How an unsuccessful person became famous. |
| D．Success sometimes does not require hard work. |
What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 7 refer to?
| A．William Hung. | B．Hung’s bad act. | C．Hung’s website. | D．The public’s opinion. |
Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened to Hung?
a. The entertainment firms made an agreement with Hung.
b. The judges cut Hung off in mid-act in the singing contest.
c. Hung became popular among Americans.
d. Hung gave a terrible performance though he tried his best.
e. Three websites put Hung’s funny performance on the Internet.
| A．d, b, e, c, a | B．a, c, d, b, e | C．a, d, b, c, e | D．d, b, a, e, c |
Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)-also called “second-hand smoke” and “passive smoking” contains over 4 000 chemicals, including over 50 known carcinogens (致癌物) and many poisonous things. No safe level of ETS exposure has been proved. Nor is there any expectation that further research will identify such a level.
Several recent reviews have confirmed the serious risks to health and life associated with passive smoking. Long time exposure to second-hand smoke has been proved as a cause of many of the same diseases caused by active smoking, including lung cancer, cardiovascular (心脏血管的) disease, and childhood disease.
Living with a smoker has been shown to increase the risk of coronary heart disease (冠心病) among non-smokers by 25-30% (a recent study indicates that this figure may actually be higher). 
There is also growing evidence that passive smoking is causally linked to stroke in non-smokers, although further research is needed to estimate the risk.
Second-hand smoke is especially dangerous for young children and infants, being associated with sudden infant death, pneumonia, bronchitis (支气管炎), asthma (哮喘) and respiratory symptoms as well as middle ear disease. ETS exposure in pregnant women can cause lower birth weight, foetal (胎儿的) death and preterm delivery.
Most of the adverse health outcomes brought about by ETS show that the risk increases steadily with increasing exposure. The level of individual risk is lower compared to active smoking. Nevertheless, the fact that large numbers of people are exposed results in a substantial burden of disease.
Action on smoke-free environments would not only protect people from the harm of ETS exposure but also contribute to the reduction of tobacco consumption in the whole population. The health effects of reduced passive and active smoking would include reduced illness and death from major disease types-in particular lung cancer, coronary heart disease, and stroke-and increased life expectancy.
51. Which of the following statements is true? _______
A. Although ETS contains many harmful things, it is not unsafe.
B. The fact that second-hand smoke is safe has been recently found.
C. It is expected that further research will be done to test the level of ETS.
D. By far the safe level of ETS has not been found and will not in the future.
52. Cardiovascular disease can be caused by _______.
A. long time passive smoking B. accidental active smoking
B. occasional passive smoking D. short term active smoking
53. According to the article, the statements about the risk of coronary heart disease are wrong EXCEPT that________
A. if you smoke, the risk of this disease will increase by 25-30%.
B. the non-smokers exposed to smoke will increase the risk of this disease by 25-30%.
C. for the smokers, the risk of getting this disease is higher than that of the non-smokers.
D. the non-smokers exposed to smoke will be more easily to get this disease than the smokers.
54. What does the underlined word “delivery” mean? ________.
A. Transferring to another B. Giving birth C. Throwing away D. Giving out
55. What’s the author’s main purpose in writing this passage? ______
A. To introduce what is ETS.
B. To tell the readers how to avoid ETS.
C. To call for the action against ETS.
D. To warn the readers against smoking.
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.
46. 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
47. 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.
48. By saying “decaying” (in Para. 4), the writer probably means_______.
A. declining B. developing
C. rich and successful D. strong and healthy
49. 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 most 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.
50. What can we learn from the last paragraph? _______
A. Traffic jam has caused terrible bad effects in cities such as Bangkok and Lagos.
B. The traffic jam in San Francisco has resulted in the capital becoming empty.
C. The traffic jam level in Jakarta is lower than that in the US.
D. California is as crowded and successful as San Francisco.
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 person may have an idea about himself that will prevent him from doing good work. He may have the idea that he is not capable of it. A child may think he is stupid because he does not understand how to make the most of his mental faculties (机能), or he may accept another person's mistaken estimate (评价) of his ability. Older people may be handicapped (阻碍) by the mistaken belief that they are incapable of learning anything new because of their age.
A person who believes that he is incapable will not make a real effort, because he feels that it would be useless. He won’t go at a job with the confidence necessary for success. He is therefore likely to fail, and the failure will strengthen his belief in his incompetence. Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had an experience which illustrates this. When he was a small boy he got off to a poor start in arithmetic. His teacher got the idea that he had no ability in arithmetic, and told his parents what she thought in order that they would not expect too much of him. In this way, they too developed the idea, “Isn’t it too bad that Alfred can’t do arithmetic?” He accepted their mistaken estimate of his ability, felt that it was useless to try, and was very poor at arithmetic, just as they expected.
One day Adler succeeded in solving a problem which none of the other students had been able to solve. This gave him confidence. He rejected the idea that he couldn’t do arithmetic and was determined to show them that he could. His newfound confidence stimulated him to go at arithmetic problems with a new spirit. He now worked with interest, determination and purpose, and he soon became extraordinary good at arithmetic.
This experience made him realize that many people have more ability than they think they have, and that lack of success is as often the result of lack of knowledge of how to apply one’s ability, lack of confidence, and lack of determination as it is the result of lack of ability.
41. Why might a person be prevented from doing good work? _______.
A. Because he thinks he is old enough to make the most of his mental facilities
B. Because he accepts another person’s mistaken estimate of his ability
C. Because he has the idea that he is incapable of doing everything
D. Because he believes in what other people think of him
42. A person who believes in his low ability will________.
A. spare no efforts to do things
B. fail to go at a job but never lose heart
C. change to learn other course instead of mathematics
D. show complete lack of confidence
43. As a boy, Alfred Adler was poor at arithmetic because ________.
A. he lost his self-confidence
B. he was weak in thinking
C. his parents expected too much of him
D. his teacher had no confidence in herself
44. Which of the following is the most important factor to Alder's success? ______
A. Spirit and experience B. Interest and self-respect
C. Confidence and determination D. Purpose and knowledge
45. Alder’s experience made him realize that _______.
A. people are not as capable as they think
B. people can be more capable than they think
C. lack of confidence leads to failure
D. lack of ability results in lack of determination
Barcelona December 22,2007.
Spain’s “El Gordo,” the word’s biggest lottery (彩票), gave out 2.2 billion euros (欧元) (1.6 billion pounds) in Christmas prizes on Saturday.
El Gordo, Spanish for "The Fat One", is designed so that as many people as possible across Spain get a festive windfall. The top prize this year was 3 million euros -- going to the series of tickets with the mag
ic number 06381.
Because the tickets are sold in a series of 10, only those who paid 200 euros for the whole strip get the full prize.
The bi
ggest 
share of winning tickets was bought by people in the town of Nava, in the north-western Asturias region.
The draw lasts three-and-a-half hours and is carried live on national television with children from the San Ildefonso school, a former orphanage in Madrid, in turn chanting the winning numbers and the amount won.
Lotteries have two centuries of history in Spain. The country spent 2.87 billion euros on the lottery -- 5.7 percent more than last year. Seventy percent is paid out in prizes. Most of the rest goes in costs. Eight out of ten Spaniards bought tickets for the lottery, spending on average 64 euros. Spaniards often choose lottery numbers matching significant dates although there was no particular favourite in 2007. In 2006, one of the most sought-after series was 22105, the date on which Fernando Alonso became Formula 1 world champion for the second year running.The underlined word “windfall” in par
agraph two probably means .
| A．fat gift | B．unexpected fortune |
| C．big feast | D．wind and snow |
Who is likely to win the full prize in El Gordo?
A．People who paid 200 euros for the wole group of seri es. |
| B．People who bough tickets with the magic number 06381. |
| C．People who lived in a town in the northwestern Asturias. |
| D．People who chose lottery numbers matching Alonso’s date. |
According to the text, children from the San Ildefonso School in Madrid will .
| A．host the draw of lottery live on TV |
| B．offer a show of three – and – a – half hours |
| C．perform with the lottery draw as Christmas celebration |
| D．help make some declarations for the draw as invited guests |
What can we learn about the history of lotteries in Spain?
| A．Most of the money people spent on lotteries goes in the cost. |
| B．The majority of Spaniards have the experience of buying lotteries. |
| C．Lottery numbers matching significant dates help people win every year. |
| D．As the biggest in the world, Spanish lotteries have a history of two centuries. |
Perhaps you do not know your school principal (校长) well. But you might be wise to take him or her seriously. Beijing University will enroll (招收) students recommended by high school principals this year. If the students recommended pass a r
ound of interviews by Peking University, they will have an extra 30 extra points added to their national college entrance exam scores if they apply to the university.
Beijing University said the reason behind the move was a desire to give students with comprehensive (综合的) or special abilities a chance to stand out.
However, a survey, showed 10,046 out of 14,227 people are against the measure. Some experts agree with the criticism. Liu Daoyu, former president of Wuhan University is one strong opponent(反对者). “There are so many high schools across the country. But only 39 schools are qualified to recommend students. Is it fair to the rest of the schools? Besides, most of the 39 schools are located in big cities, which is unfair to other regions,”
The reform is also unfair to other students, some say. According to Liu, in the competitive exam, one extra point can put a student ahead of a large numbers of others – never mind 30.
“Principals do not know students well. How can they guarantee the recommendation will be fair?” asked Wang Xuming, former spokesman of the Ministry of Education.
The Ministry of Education said the move is a good experiment in college admission reforms and the public should support it even if it is not yet mature (成熟的). It said Beijing University promised a series of supervision (监督) measures to avoid cheating. For example, the information of schools and principals that recommend students, and the recommended students will be put online for a week for public supervision.The best title of the passage could be .
| A．Beijing University Will Enroll More Students |
| B．Beijing University’s Reform Causes a Debate |
| C．People Are Against Beijing University’s Reform |
| D．The Government Supports Peking University’s Reform |
The following are the reasons why Liu Daoyu is against Beijing University’s reform except that .
| A．there will be a lot of cheating |
| B．it is unfair to the other regions |
| C．it is unfair to other schools |
| D．30 points cause a huge gap among students |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．the Ministry of Education supports the reform |
| B．the reform has started to work in college admissions |
| C．all the recommended students will be accepted |
| D．no more than 70% of the people are against the reform |
If a student passes the interview by Beijing University, he or she .
| A．can also apply to other universities |
| B．will be admitted into Beijing University |
| C．will have comprehensive and special abilities |
| D．needn’t accept the public supervision |