American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country, cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing, just as American society is changing.
After World War II, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts（转移）to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents（居民）became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs（郊区）。
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s , many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying . Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.What does the author think of cities all over the world?
| A．They are alive. | B．They are hopeless. |
| C．They are similar. | D．They are different. |
Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War II?
| A．Because older American cities were dying. |
| B．Because they were richer and needed more space. |
| C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society. |
| D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city. |
According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities .
| A．are faced with housing problems. | B．are forced to move to the suburbs. |
| C．want to sell their buildings. | D．need more money for daily expenses. |
We can conclude from the text that .
| A．American cities are changing for the worse. |
| B．people have different views on American cities. |
| C．many people are now moving from American cities. |
| D．the population is decreasing in older American cities. |
We often focus on building relationships with others so that we forget the essential first step: being friends of ourselves. That is the crucial first step if we are to have good relationships with others. How can we have good relationships with others if we don't even have good relationship with ourselves? The problem might be worse than we expect. Maybe we don't like ourselves without realizing it.
For example, maybe you have made mistakes in the past which you feel bad about. You might be disappointed with yourself on why you could make such mistakes. Even if that happened in distant past, your subconscious (潜意识) mind still has a reason not to like yourself.
You might wish that you were born in different family, or that you have different background. Maybe you could not accept the fact that you are not as lucky as others, who seem to get whatever they want effortlessly because of their background.
You might have some personal traits that you don't like. For example, you may be an introvert ( 内向的人) and you don't like it; you wish you are an extrovert (外向的人).
Your achievements relate to others. They might have better achievements than you, and no matter how hard you tried, it might seem impossible for you to match them. You might then think that it's because you are not smart enough or don't have enough talents.
Is there anything that resonates (产生共鸣) with you? All these give reasons to you not to like yourself. That in turn makes it difficult for you to be a good friend to yourself.
Fortunately, there are always things you can do to fix the situation. Here are some tips:
1. Forgive yourself.
2. Accept things you can't change.
3. Focus on your strengths.
4. Write your success stories.
5. Stop comparing yourself with others.
6. Always be true to yourself.
59. The underlined word "traits" in the fourth paragraph probably means
A. particular qualities B. some disadvantages
C. special abilities D. training courses
60. One can't be friends with himself because
A. he won't forgive others' mistakes
B. he dislikes his background
C. he accepts some of his personal traits
D. he is proud of himself
61. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Resonating is very important for making friends.
B. How to make friends with ourselves is very difficult.
C. Writing your success contributes to stopping comparing with others.
D. Realizing your own advantages and good is good to you.
62. Which of the following is NOT mentioned according to the passage?
A. It's normal to make mistakes, so do yourself a favor by giving yourself forgiveness.
B. You will feel much relaxed if you treat things you can't change the way they are.
C. It's useless to compare yourself with others.
D. If you have a good family, you'll make friends with yourself.
Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch can be found in Arches National Park in Utah, USA. The arch stands alone at a height of 52 feet and is considered one of Utah's most important landmarks. In 2002, the Olympic torch passed through this arch to mark the beginning of the winter games.
Wave Rock
This 15-meter high and 110-meter long impressive natural rock formation is located in Western Australia. It looks like a large, smooth wave ready to break. Algae(海藻）grow on the surface of Wave Rock.
The Wave
The Wave is located on the slopes of the Coyote Buttes, Arizona, USA. This incredible formation can be reached by hiking approximately 4.8 kilometers, making the round trip to and from The Wave a nearly 9.7-kilometer hike that climbs about 107 meters in altitude.
James Bond Island
James Bond Island can be found in Aohang-Nga National Park in Thailand. The needle-shaped rock formation was named James Bond Island because it was featured in a 1974 Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun.
Devil's Tower
The formation known as Devil's Tower can be found in Wyoming, USA. Also known as Bear Tower, the rock formation is actually the neck of a volcano. It rises 386 meters above the surrounding land and the top of it is 1.558 meters above sea level.
The Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is located in Northern Ireland and has a series of over 40,000 columns made of basalt(玄武岩). Each column is connected and the formation is believed to be a result of volcanic ash. Believe it or not, when this formation was first discovered, scientists argued as to how it was formed. Some thought it was natural, others thought it was manmade, and some thought that perhaps it had been created by a giant!
Bryce Canyon National Park
One of the most impressive rock formations in the world is the Bryce Canyon in Utah, USA. It is a national park and despite its name, it is not actually a canyon, but rather a giant natural amphitheater( 圆形竞技场）created by erosion.
Pierce Rock
This rock formation is one of the largest natural arches in the world. This natural arch named Pierce Rock is an island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Canada. It is 433 meters long,90 meters wide, and 88 meters at its highest point.
55. Which of the following rock formations is located in Asia?
A. Wave Rock. B. James Bond Island
C. The Giant's Causeway. D. Pierce Rock.
56. Which of the following rock formations is related to a volcano?
A. The Wave B. Devil's Tower.
C. Bryce Canyon National park. D. Pierce Rock.
57. Which of the following words can best describe the rock formations?
A. Impressive. B. Unexpected.
C. Surprising. D. Unexceptional.
58. According to the passage, the scientists once argued with regard to__________at first.
A. why Pierce Rock was so featured
B. when Bryce Canyon National park came into being
C. what on earth these formations are connected with
D. how the Giant's Causeway was formed
第三部分：阅读理解(共两节，满分40分)
第一节阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
Are some people born clever and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person's intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to say that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population, it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine that now we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.
51. By using the example that two people closer in blood relationship are closer in intelligence that writer wants to prove________.
A. intelligence is given at birth
B. intelligence can be developed by environment
C. intelligence can be developed by experience
D. education plays an important part in the development of education
52. A child who lives in rich and varied surroundings turns out higher in intelligence because______.
A. his family is rich and therefore can afford to develop his intelligence
B. he can break the limits of intelligence fixed at birth
C. his family is rich and provides him with various healthy food
D. these surroundings are likely to help him reach the limits of his intelligence
53. The writer of this article believes that_______.
A. the development of one's intelligence is determined by many factors working together
B. environment plays the most important role in the development of intelligence
C. education plays the most important role in the development of intelligence
D. birth plays the most important role in the development of intelligence
54. The best title for this passage might be______.
A. Intelligence B. Birth and Environment
C. The Answer to a Question D. Why Are Some People Born Clever
There are some very good things about open education .This way of teaching allows students to grow as people ,and to develop their own interests in many subjects .Open education allows students to be responsible for （负责）their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life .Some students do badly in traditional classrooms. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning .Some students will be happier inan open education school . They will not have to worry about grades or rules .For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.
But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students ，there are too few rules .These students will do little in school. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem of getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules .Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it .Many teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may have many problems at their school.
You now know what open education is .Some of its good points and bad points have been explained .You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, want some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects .Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.
67．Open education allows students to________
A．grow as they are educated
B．be responsible for their future
C．develop their own interests
D．discover subjects outside class
68．Some students like open education but some students will do little in an open classroom because___________.
A．there are too few rules
B．they hate activities
C．open education is similar to traditional education
D．they worry about the rules
69．Which of the following is Not mentioned in the passage?
A．Some traditional teachers do not like open education.
B．Many teachers do not believe in open education.
C．Teachers may have problems in open classroom.
D．The teachers’ feelings and attitudes are important to the students.
70．Which of the following can best summarize（总结）the passage?
A．Open education is a really complicated idea.
B．Open education is better than traditional education.
C．Teachers dislike open education.
D．Open education is a good idea in practice.
Going to the beach is many American’s favorite activity. They went swimming in the ocean without giving a thought to what was underwater. But those days are long gone. In the summer of 1988, many of the beaches had to be closed because garbage（废料）from hospitals was found in the water. The garbage included glass bottles with samples of blood, and people were afraid they might get AIDS from the blood. At some beaches, sewage（下水道）was found in the water. Americans were shocked by this state of affairs. People didn’t think of the underwater garbage because it was out of sight.
Some of the most polluted waters still look beautiful. San Francisco Bay is a good example of a beautiful bay that’s full of chemicals. Scientists discovered pollution in some lakes and rivers when they found fish with rotting skin. People are told not to eat too much fish because of pollution. Most American cities put their garbage in the ground. But New York and a few other cities put their garbage in the ocean. Boston Harbor is so polluted that scientists say it won’t recover until the next century. The government has ordered the city to build a sewage treatment plant, Cleaning up oceans won’t be easy, but people can no longer ignore（忽视）this challenge.
63. The main idea of the article is that _____.
A. ocean waters around America have become polluted.
B. Americans are bringing too much garbage to the beach.
C. beaches were closed because Americans were shocked.
D. going to the beach is many American’s favorite activity.
64. The oceans are polluted by _____.
A. swimmers, AIDS patients and fish.
B. Boston, San Francisco and New York only.
C. garbage, sewage and medical waste and so on.
D. swimmers and fishes
65. Many polluted waters are beautiful because _____.
A. chemicals can be beautiful.
B. they have been cleaned up.
C. pollution is underwater or hard to see.
D. there are still many fish in them
66. More people can go to the beaches near Boston if _____.
A. the city puts its garbage in the ground
B. a sewage plant is built
C. they don’t eat too much fish
D. they stop polluting the water