The British usually expect one or two snowfalls each year but the amount of snow rarely affects everyday life. However, this week Britain has had the worst snow it has seen in around 18 years. Some places had more than 30cm in a day.
The bad weather caused severe disruption. More than 3000 schools had to close as teachers and pupils were unable to get to school. School children weren’t too unhappy about it though as they headed out to play the snow, building snowmen, having snowball fights, sledging and some even snowboarding and skiing.
In London, bus services were withdrawn for a day and tubes and trains were cancelled. Major motorways in the country had to close. Many people were unable to get to work and it is thought the cost of this lost labor is around &1 billion (10 billion yuan) to businesses and the economy.
Anyone who wanted to leave the country had problems too. Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports because of the amount of snow. Hundreds of flights were cancelled leaving some passengers stranded at airports.
So why is the UK so ill-prepared for snow? The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, explained that there aren’t enough snow –ploughs（铲雪机）and gritters（撒沙机）and it doesn’t make sense to buy such equipment when it snows so infrequently.
The south-east of England was the hardest hit at the beginning of the week but the snow is now moving northwards where the chaos continues.
More ice and snow is forecast throughout the week and the advice from travel and weather organizations is to stay indoors unless you really need to venture out! Which of the following facts is FALSE according to the passage?
| A．More than 3000 schools had to close for the heavy snow. |
| B．Major motorways in the country had to close for the bad weather. |
| C．Runways were closed at all the UK’s major airports for the amount of snow. |
| D．The government organized to clear the snow away with snow-ploughs and gritters. |
What does the underlined phrase venture out probably mean in last paragraph?
| A．go out | B．search out |
| C．take no risks | D．stay indoors |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．School children seemed happy to head out to play in the snow though schools had to close. |
| B．The cost of the lost labor reached around 10 billion yuan to businesses and the economy. |
| C．Hundreds of flights couldn’t land because the runways were closed at major British airports. |
| D．Tubes and trains in London were cancelled, but drivers were still driving in main motorways. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The heavy snow is what the British have been expecting for 18 years. |
| B．The heavy snow has been a very rare heavy one in the UK for 18 years. |
| C．The heavy snow doesn't please school children at all. |
| D．The government isn’t ill-prepared for snow. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Harsh Winters Visit Britain |
| B．Heavy Snow Hits the UK |
| C．Bad Weather Causes Chaos Just in London |
| D．Heavy Snow Causes Disruption Only in Motorways |
（C）
Texas——US President George W．Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin failed to bridge their differences over a key arms control treaty last week, but that didn’t stop them from backslapping（喧闹的狂欢） as they ended a summit．
The two leaders also offered differing interpretations of the fate of nuclear warheads to be removed from missiles under arms reductions they each announced last week．Bush said he intended to destroy the warheads, but Putin said their fate should be negotiated．
The two men untied on the need for Northern Alliance forces——to allow for a broad based government that respects all parties there．
Bush and Putin had spent the night at Bush’s ranch．Despite the rain, the rural environment and friendly company appeared to have worked its magic．They slapped on the back and joked, at one point teasing each other about whether it is better to visit Texas in the heat of August or Siberia in winter．
Analysts say the dramatic warming in US-Russian relation could herald（预示） an era of pragmatism（务实的想法或做法） in global affairs as the two old rivals finally end decades of hostility and become friends．
“Washington and Moscow are no longer playing the ‘big game’ against each other, but with each other,” said Karl Heniz Kamp, an analyst at the Konrad Adenanaer Foundation，a German think tank．
72．It can be concluded that President Bush and President Putin__________．
A．didn’t agree on key arms control treaty
B．offered different explanations of the future of nuclear warheads under arms reductions
C．neither A or B
D．both A and B
73．The reason why the two men joined together is that．
A．they were needed by the Northern Alliance forces
B．they had taken the advice given by Karl Heniz Kamp, an analyst of German think tank．
C．they had already been partners
D．they had no different opinions on everything
74 The warming of US-Russian relations indicates that_______．
A．the two persons end hostility and become friends
B．US can benefit a lot from global affairs
C．there will be an end to all the armies of the world
D．it is a turning point to words being practical in global affairs
75．What the two men teased about shows that___________．
A．they appeared friendly but in fact they didn’t
B．they just made fun of each other
C．they are friendly and humorous
D．they invited each other to their countries in the bad weather
（B）
People have wondered for a long time how their personalities and behaviors are formed．It is not easy to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not, or why one is cooperative and another is competitive．
Social scientists are, of course, extremely interested in these types of questions．They want to explain why we possess certain characteristics and exhibit certain behaviors．There are no clear answers yet, but two distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed．As one might expect, the two approaches are very different from one another, and there is a great deal of debate between proponents of each theory．The controversy is often referred to as “nature/nurture”．
Those who support the “nature” side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior patterns are largely determined by biological and genetic factors．That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics, and behavior is central to this theory．Taken to an extreme, this theory maintains that our behavior is predetermined to such a degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts．
Proponents of the “nurture” theory, or, as they are often called, behaviorists, claimed that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how we will act．A behaviorist, B．F．Skinner, sees humans as beings whose behavior is almost completely shaped by their surroundings．The behaviorists’ view of the human being is quite mechanistic; they maintain that, like machines, humans’ respond to environmental stimuli as the basis of their behavior．
Either of these theories cannot yet fully explain human behavior．In fact, it is quite likely that the key to our behavior lies somewhere between these two extremes．That the controversy will continue for a long time is certain．
69．Which of the following statements would the supporters of the “nature” theory agree with?
A．A person’s instincts have little effect on his actions．
B．Environment is important in determining a person’s behavior and personality．
C．Biological reasons have a strong influence on how we act．
D．The behaviorists’ view correctly explains how we act．
70．Concerning the nature/nurture controversy, the writer of this article____________．
A．supports the nature theory
B．supports the nurture theory
C．believes both are completely wrong
D．thinks that the correct explanation of human behavior will take ideas from both theories．
71．In the United States, Black people often score below White people on intelligence tests．With this in mind, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A．Nature proponents would say that Whites are genetically superior to Blacks．
B．Supporters of the nature theory would say that Whites score well because they have a superior environment．
C．Behaviorists would say that Blacks often lack the educational and environmental advantages that Whites enjoy．
D．Nurture proponents would disagree that Blacks are biologically inferior to Whites．
Section B
（A）
Taiwan will finalize a plan by the end of June to open up the island to tourists from mainland China, though no date has been fixed for formal implementation（执行）, an official at the Mainland Affairs Council（MAC） said on Monday．
The official said the reports in the local press on Monday that the MAC has decided to postpone its plan to announce the implementation of the new plan on July 1 were inaccurate．
The official said cooperation between different organizations was still underway．The United Daily news quoted the director of the MAC’s legal affairs department, Liu Thehsun, as saying the plan to open up to mainland tourists would not be implemented as scheduled due to a lack of cross-strait communication．
Although relevant authorities, including the Bureau of Immigration and the Tourism Bureau, have complete reports on how to deal with visitors from mainland China, the decision has been taken not to press, ahead with announcement of the plan’s implementation on the first of July, Liu was quoted as saying．
The report also said that while no restrictions would be imposed on the mainland visitors in terms of age or residence in China, the visitors would need to hold a steady job or have more than 50,000RMB（about 6,000, U．S．dollars）in bank savings before they would be eligible（有资格的）to visit Taiwan．
In addition, Taiwan bound mainland tourists would have to come as part of a tour group and would be allowed to stay a maximum of 10 days each time．
The number of mainland tourists allowed to enter the island would also initially be limited to 1,000 people a day．
Although most people from Taiwan are free to travel to China, only a small number of mainland Chinese have been able to visit the island due to restrictions imposed by both sides of the Taiwan Strait after the end of a civil war in 1949．
65．At the moment, according to the passage,．
A．no mainland Chinese can visit Taiwan now
B．any mainland Chinese can visit Taiwan now
C．many mainland Chinese have ever visited Taiwan since 1949
D．a few mainland Chinese have ever visited Taiwan since 1949
66．When Taiwan opens up the island to tourists from mainland China,．
A．there will be no restrictions to mainland visitors
B．mainland visitors who want to travel in Taiwan must have at least ￥50,000 in the bank savings account
C．there will be no age restrictions to the mainland visitors
D．mainland visitors will be free to travel to Taiwan
67．We can infer from the passage that get（s） involved in the implementation of the plan．
A．MAC B．United Daily
C．several organizations D．Bureau of Immigration
68．Which of the following statement is TRUE?
A．The implementation of the plan has not been fixed．
B．It was originally fixed on July 1 to announce the plan’s implementation．
C．For lack of cross-strait communication, the plan will not be officially completed until July．
D．When the plan is finalized, it will be announced immediately．
D
Have you ever known a married couple that just didn’t seem as though they should fit together—yet they are both happy in the marriage, and you can’t figure out why?
I know of one couple: the husband is a burly(魁梧的)ex-athlete who, in addition to being a successful salesman, coaches Little League, is active in his Rotary Club and plays golf every Saturday with friends. Meanwhile, his wife is petite, quiet and a complete homebody. She doesn’t even like to go out to dinner.
What mysterious force drives us into the arms of one person, while pushing us away from another who might appear equally desirable to any unbiased(没有偏见的) observer?
Of the many factors influencing our idea of the perfect mate, one of the most telling, according to John Money, professor emeritus(荣誉退休的) of medical psychology and pediatrics(儿科学) at Johns Hopkins University, is what he calls our “love map”—a group of messages encoded in our brains that describes our likes and dislikes. It shows our preferences in hair and eye color, in voice, smell, body build. It also records the kind of personality that appeals to us, whether it’s the warm and friendly type or the strong, silent type.
In short, we fall for and pursue those people who most clearly fit our love map. And this love map is largely determined in childhood. By age eight, the pattern for our ideal mate has already begun to float around in our brains.
When I lecture, I often ask couples in the audience what drew them to their dates or mates. Answers range from “She’s strong and independent” and “I go for redheads” to “I love his sense of humor” and “That crooked smile, that’s what did it.”
I believe what they say. But I also know that if I were to ask those same men and women to describe their mothers, there would be many similarities between their ideal mates and their moms. Yes, our mothers—the first real love of our lives—write a significant portion of our love map.
51. What does the underlined word “petite” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Clever. B. Little. C. Energetic. D. Lovely.
52. What is “love map” according to John Money?
A. One of the many factors influencing our idea of the perfect mate.
B. Our preferences in hair and eye color, in voice, smell, body build.
C. A group of messages encodes in our brains that describes our likes and dislikes.
D. Something that appeals to us, whether it’s the warm and friendly type.
53. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. By age eight, the pattern for our ideal mate has already begun to float around in our brains.
B. We fall for and pursue those people who most clearly fit our love map.
C. Love map is largely determined in childhood.
D. “She’d strong and independent” is the most important reason that drew the couple together.
54. What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. The author believes what the questioned couple said.
B. Our mothers play a very important role in the forming of our “love map”.
C. Our mothers are the first real love in our lives.
D. There would be many similarities between ideal mates and moms.
55. What would be the best title of this passage?
A. The “love map” in our mind.
B. What mysterious force drives us into the arms of one person?
C. The real reason why we choose that special someone.
D. Our mothers write a significant portion of our love map.
C
The Tasmanian devil is a rare marsupial(有袋动物)that lives only on the Australian island state of Tasmania. The doglike animal is rapidly disappearing. The Tasmanian state government estimates that the number of devils has dropped from around 150,000 in the mid-1990s to between 20,000 and 50,000 at the end of 2007.
The devil was declared an endangered species last week. It is being wiped out by a rare cancer called devil facial tumor(肿瘤)disease(DFTD). It spreads like a cold or flu from animal to animal. The disease is passed when one devil bites another. When the marsupial is infected with DFTD, large tumors develop around its mouth and neck. These growths make it impossible for the devil to eat. Many finally die from starvation within six months of being infected. As the name implies, the disease occurs only in Tasmanian devils and cannot be passed to humans.
You’ve got to remember that devils are scavengers(清扫工). They search through garbage for food. Throughout Tasmania people maintain outdoor dumps. If somebody threw out a carcass(兽类尸体), then the devils might actually consume quite large quantities of it.
The disease has not yet appeared in the devil population that lives in the northwest region of Tasmania. Conservationists have captured some of the healthy devils and sent them to a new home on the mainland of Australia. They hope these DFTD-free marsupials can be used to start a captive-breeding population. Once there are more disease-free devils, they can then repopulate the areas of Tasmania where the species are being wiped out.
Tasmanian devils play an important role in keeping the state’s ecosystem in balance. They keep the population of other predators, such as foxes and wild cats, in check. Ray Nias, head of World Wildlife Federation—Australia’s conservation program, says all Tasmanian wildlife will suffer if the devil becomes extinct. “If the devils go and the foxes and cats increase, it would be all over for a good dozen or more species of mammals, many of which are unique to Tasmania.”
46. It can be inferred that the Tasmanian devil is __________.
A. a hard-working street-cleaner B. a grass-eating animal
C. a meat-eating marsupial D. A DFTD origin
47. What’s the reason for making the Tasmanian devil endangered?
A. A rare disease called DFTD occurs in Tasmanian devils.
B. Dogs like to attack Tasmanian devils.
C. Tasmanian people try to wipe out Tasmanian devils.
D. The region of Tasmania is becoming hard for Tasmanian devils to breed.
48. To which question does the last paragraph give the answer?
A. How should people protect the devils?
B. What do the Tasmanian people do with the devils?
C. What happens if the devils disappear?
D. Which animal is closely related to the devils?
49. What measures do Tasmanian people take to stop the devils from being wiped out?
A. Trapping disease-free devils in a new place to breed more young devils.
B. Searching the cause of the disease and finding an effective treatment.
C. Developing new chemicals for the infected animals.
D. Moving all the devils to a new home on the mainland of Australia.
50. What’s true about DFTD?
A. It’s a disease that can be spread to human beings.
B. It’s a cold that occurs only in Tasmanian devils.
C. It’s a flu that Tasmanian devils get from their companions.
D. It’s a cancer that can be passed from one Tasmanian devil to another.