I want to talk about the economy．Not "the economy" we hear about endlessly in the news each day and in politicians' speeches．I want to talk about the real economy, the one we live in day by day．
Most people aren't particularly interested in "the economy"．"Share prices are flying high; interest rates are soaring; the Dow Jones Index closed sixty-three points down on 8472．35．" We hear this and subconsciously switch off．
Notice that "the economy" is not the same as the economy, "The economy" is what men in suits play with to make vast personal wealth．The economy is where the rest of us live on a daily basis, earning our living, paying our taxes, and purchasing the necessities of life．
We are supposed to be benefiting from all the advantages of a well-off society．So why do we feel tired and stressed? We have no time for anything other than work, which is ridiculous given the number of labor-saving devices in our lives．Our towns become more and more crowded．We poison our air and seas, and our food is full of chemicals．There's something wrong here．If times were truly good, then you may think we'd all feel optimistic about the future．Yet the majority of us are deeply worried．More than 90 percent of us think we are too concerned about ourselves and not concerned enough about future generations．
The term "economic expansion" suggests something desirable, but expansion simply means spending more money．More spending doesn't mean that life is getting better．We all know it often means the opposite - greed, crime, poverty, pollution．More spending merely feeds our whole economic system, which is based on production and consumption．Unless money keeps circulating, the economy breaks down．If we don't keep consuming, the whole system goes into stalemate（僵局）．
How do we break the cycle and make some changes? We need to become far more aware of the results of our actions．We buy clothes that are made in sweat shops by virtual slaves in poor parts of the world．We create mountains of waste．We demand cheap food, mindless of the fact that it totally lacks taste and is produced using chemicals that poison the land．
The consumption culture makes us unaware of the effect of our own behavior．Our main problem is not that we don't know what to do about it．It is gathering the desire to do it．According to the author, which one belongs to the real economy?
| A．The Dow Jones Index． |
| B．Increases in interest rates |
| C．Skyrocketing share prices |
| D．Shopping in a supermarket |
It can be concluded from Paragraph 4 that ．
| A．people are benefiting from a well-off society |
| B．the future generation is a big concern for most people |
| C．people still feel much pressure despite labor-saving devices |
| D．the majority of people are optimistic about the future |
What is true about economic expansion?
| A．It guarantees a better life for us． |
| B．It may lead to some social problems． |
| C．It will stop the circulation of money． |
| D．It has only brought desirable effects． |
The author writes the passage mainly to ．
| A．call on us to change our behavior |
| B．suggest a solution for over-consumption |
| C．make a distinction between two economies |
| D．inform us of the effects of economic expansion |
One silly question I simply can’t stand is “How do you feel?” Usually the question is asked of a man in action — a man on the go, walking along the street, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say, “Fine, I’m all right,” but “you’ve put a bug in his ear” — maybe now he’s not sure. If you’re a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk, that he overlooked that morning. It starts him worrying a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else, “How do you feel?”
Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for instance, to asked “How do you feel?” if you’re visiting a close friend in the hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to catch a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s no time to ask him that silly question.
When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays, was in his eighties, someone asked him, “How do you feel?” Shaw put him in his place. “When you reach my age,” Shaw said, “either you feel all right or you’re dead.”
26. The passage tells us that some greetings such as “How do you feel?” __________.
A. show one’s consideration for others
B. are a good way to make friends
C. are proper to ask a man in action
D. generally make one feel uneasy
27. The question “How do you feel?” seems to be correct and suitable when asked of _________________________.
A. a man working at his work B. a person having lost a close friend
C. a stranger who looks somewhat worried D. a friend who is ill
28. The writer seems to feel that a busy man should _________________.
A. be praised for his efforts
B. never be asked any questions
C. not be troubled
D. be discouraged from working so hard
29. “You’ve put a bug in his ear” means that you’ve _________________.
A. made him laugh merrily
B. given him some kind of warning
C. shown much concern for him
D. played a joke on him
30. George Bernard Shaw’s reply in the passage shows his __________.
A. cleverness B. cheerfulness C. power and skills D. politeness
第二部分阅读理解（共25小题；每小题2分，满分50分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从21~45各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Passage A
Visitors from space may have landed on our planet dozens, even hundreds of times during the long, empty ages while Man was still a dream of the distant future. Indeed, they could have landed on 90% of the earth as recently as two or three hundred years ago, and we could never have heard of it. If one searches through old newspapers and local records, one can find many reports of strange incidents that could be interpreted(解释) as visits from outer space. A winter, Charles Fort, had made a collection of UFO sightings in his book. One is tempted(引诱) to believe them more than any modern reports, for the simple reason that they happened long before anyone had ever thought of space travel. Yet at the same time, one can’t take them too seriously, for before scientific education was widespread, even sightings of meteors(流星) and comets(彗星) gave rise to the most unbelievable stories, as they still do today.
1. According to the passage visitors from space may have landed on the earth _____.
A. long before man had dreamed of it
B. long before there were human beings
C. in the last few hundred years
D. after the space age began
2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. All observations of UFO’s are believable
B. Charles Fort sighted a lot of UFO’s himself
C. Older civilization (文明) may exist on other planets
D. People have seen visitors from other planets everywhere
3. If visitors from other planets have actually landed on the earth, one can suppose that they came to __________________.
A. make war B. communicate C. settle down D. explore
4 The passage implies that the space age has __________________.
A. made the reported sightings unbelievable
B. increased the number of UFO sightings
C. allowed more scientific study of UFO’s
D. given clearer pictures of UFO’s
5. According to the passage, __________________.
A. UFO’s are only recent observations B. UFO sightings are not new
C. UFO’s are just meteors and comets D. UFO’s are invented by people
American scientists have developed the first material that repairs itself. The material is a form of plastic that has been engineered to fill breaks in its surface.
Plastics are used today in everything from airplane wings to hundreds of object found in the home. Scientists wanted to find a way to make objects made of plastic last longer. The researchers hope their new discovery can be used to make objects that are difficult or impossible to replace.
The surface of plastic objects breaks over time. Very small breaks develop every time a plastic object is used. The researchers wanted to find out how to stop plastic from developing small breaks that weaken and destroy it. They found the answer in the chemical structure（构造）of plastic itself.
Plastic is made of monomers（单体）. These monomers link together to form polymers（聚合物）. Polymers give plastic its ability to be shaped and its strength. The research team found a way to make plastic that contains very small balloons filled with monomer liquid（液体）. When the new plastic cracks（裂开）, the monomer liquid is let out and flows into the crack. Thus the break is repaired. The repaired plastic has seventy – five percent of the strength of undamaged plastic.
The new self – repairing plastic is not yet ready for production. But it has several possible uses. One could be in space vehicles where parts cannot be repaired or replaced. Another possible use might be in bridges. And it could be used in people, to replace bone joints that have become broken or damaged.
72．Which of the following can be the best title for the article?
A．Ever-Lasting Material Invented.
B．The Chemical Structure of Plastic.
C．Plastic that Repairs Itself.
D．Small Balloons that Makes Plastic Stronger.
73．We know from the passage that the repair is done as .
A．the cracked plastic parts are changed
B．the plastic is made
C．the liquid is put into the plastic cracks
D．the plastic cracks
74．The scientist are planning to use the new material in space vehicles, bridges and people because .
A．the plastic parts in them are required to last longer
B．the plastic parts in them are easily broken or damaged
C．the new material cannot be used elsewhere
D．they want to experiment in these places first
75．What can we know about the new material mentioned in the passage?
A．It is a kind of liquid that is commonly used.
B．It is more difficult to make than common plastics.
C．Its surface does not crack so easily as other ones.
D．It makes it difficult or impossible to replace plastic objects.
Students must apply for a place before attending any class. Applications(申请), either by post or in person, are dealt with strictly in the order they are received at the Adult Education Office.
You can apply:
BY POST-Use the card provided with the exact fee. You'll be accepted on the course unless it is full, in which case we will inform you. An acknowledgement(承认) will not be made nor a receipt(收据) sent unless you provide a stamped addressed envelope. Receipts will normally be given out at the first class.
IN PERSON-Call at the Adult Education Office (ground floor, Block C) between approximately 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. (2:30 p.m. on Fridays), or at the College Reception Desk (at the main entrance) at the other times (in the evenings until about 7:30 p.m. on Fridays).
Students should note that popular classes may be full well before the course is to start, so that early application is strongly advised to avoid disappointment.
For the AUTUMN TERM, applications will be accepted by post (preferably) or in person from 1st August.
For the SPRING TERM, applications will be accepted from 1st December.
For the SUMMER TERM, applications will be accepted from 1st April.
68．Students who apply to the college by post will ________ .
A．avoid disappointment
B．be sent a bill
C．have an advantage over people applying in person
D．be informed if they haven't got a place
69．Students applying by post must ________ .
A．hand in a stamped addressed envelope in person
B．pay at the first class
C．bring the receipt to the first class
D．send payment with their application
70．Where can students apply in person?
A．At the College Reception Desk at 3:30 p.m.
B．At the Adult Education Office after about 3:30 p.m.
C．At the Adult Education Office at 9:30 a.m.
D．At the College Reception Desk at 2:20 p.m. on Fridays.
71．If students want to apply for the AUTUMN TERM, ________ .
A．they should check whether the course is full
B．they can apply by post or in person
C．applications must be received by August 1st
D．they must apply in person before August 1
Watching some children trying to catch butterflies one hot August afternoon, I was reminded of an incident in my own childhooD．When I was a boy of 12 in South Carolina, something happened to me that cured me forever of wanting to put any wild creature in a cage.
We lived on the edge of a wood, and every evening at dusk the mockingbirds would come and rest in the trees and sing. There isn’t a musical instrument made by man that can produce a more beautiful sound than the song of the mockingbird.
I decided that I would catch a young bird and keep it in a cage and in that way would have my own private musician.
I finally succeeded in catching one and put it in a cage. At first, in its fright at being captured, the bird fluttered about the cage, but eventually it settled down in its new home. I felt very pleased with myself and looked forward to some beautiful singing from my tiny musician.
I had left the cage out on our back porch, and on the second day of the bird’s captivity my new pet’s mother flew to the cage with food in her mouth. The baby bird ate everything she brought to it. I was pleased to see this. Certainly the mother knew better than I how to feed her baby.
The following morning when I went to see how my captive was doing, I discovered it on the floor of the cage, dead. I was shocked! What had happened! I had taken excellent care of my little bird, or so I thought.
Arthur Wayne, the famous ornithologist, happened to be visiting my father at the time, hearing me crying over the death of my bird, explained what had occurred. “A mother mockingbird, finding her young in a cage, will sometimes bring it poison berries. She thinks it better for her young to die than to live in captivity.”
Never since then have I caught any living creature and put it in a cage. All living creatures have a right to live free.
64．Why did the writer catch a mockingbird when he was a boy of 12?
A．He had just got a new cage. B．He liked its beautiful feather.
C．He wanted it to sing for him. D．He wanted a pet for a companion.
65．The mockingbird died because it ______.
A．was frightened to death B．ate the poisonous food its mother gave it
C．refused to eat anything D．drank the poisonous water by mistake
66．An ornithologist probably means ______.
A．a religious person B．a kind person
C．a schoolmaster D．a expert in birds
67．What is the most important lesson the writer learned from the incident?
A．Freedom is very valuable to all creatures.
B．All birds put in a cage won’t live long.
C．You should keep the birds from their mother.
D．Be careful about food you give to baby birds.