There has been a dramatic increase in the number of natural disasters over the past few years, and it is assumed that global warming and climate change could cause even more disasters in the future. Some of the world’s leading cities are facing disasters like floods and heat waves.
London
London’s flood defences are getting older. Since 1982, the Thames Barrier(水闸)has protected the city from the threat of flooding, but it was only designed to last until 2030 and close once every two or three years. About 26 years later the barrier now closes five or six times a year and according to Environment Agency predictions, by 2050 the barrier will be closed on almost every tide if the problem is not addressed.
There are 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80 billion worth of property in London’s flood risk area, so large scale flooding would be disastrous.
Paris
Over a six week period in July and August 2003, more than 1 1,400—mainly elderly people—died in France from dehydration(脱水)and extremely high body temperature in a deadly heat wave. Heat waves of similar intensity(强度)are expected every seven years by 2050, so what can be done to make sure such a disaster does not happen again?
One solution is to have air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes. But this is considered a short-term solution, as the increase in demand for electricity also increases carbon emissions(排放).
In Paris the local authorities are encouraging architects to design new types of buildings such as the building “Flower Tower,” which uses a covering of bamboo to act as a natural air-conditioner.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the fastest growing city on Earth. It has a population of 18 million and is only 4 meters above sea level. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 20 cm within the next century.
An estimated 250，000 people move to Shanghai every year in search of work, placing extra demands on energy consumption. China relies heavily on coal—fired power stations, but these emissions increase temperatures and, in turn, warmer seas increase the risk of typhoons.What problem should be settled now in London?
| A．How to protect the city’s property |
| B．Where to build its flood defences |
| C．How to use the Thames Barrier to protect the city |
| D．How to improve the function of the old flood defences |
Which of the following measures can’t solve the heat wave disaster in Paris?
| A．Putting up new types of buildings with a covering of bamboo |
| B．Having air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes |
| C．Forbidding the city to build“Flower Tower” |
| D．Encouraging architects to design new types of buildings |
The major threats to Shanghai are ．
| A．increasing population and coal-fired power stations |
| B．rising sea levels and typhoons |
| C．extremely high temperature and rising sea levels |
| D．extra demands on energy consumption and typhoons |
The purpose of the passage is ．
| A．to tell us how to protect the big cities |
| B．to give advice on how to defend natural disasters |
| C．to explain what causes flood and heat waves |
| D．to warn us of the increasing natural disasters in big cities |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Big Cities Facing Big Disasters |
| B．Big Disasters in the Future |
| C．The Increase of Natural Disasters |
| D．Solutions to Natural Disasters |
Rules for the University Entrance Examination
● You must be at the examination center ten minutes before the examination starts. If you are more than ten minutes late, you may not enter the examination center. The examination takes place at the same time in different states.
● You must have proof of your name and grade（准考证）as well as official examination number. Show these when you come to the examination center.
● Depending on which examination you are taking, you may bring certain items into the examination center. Mathematics examinations may allow you to use electronic calculators. Other subjects may allow you to use dictionaries and other reference material. Please read the notes sent with your timetable carefully.
● You must bring your own pencils. None will be provided for you. The following items are not allowed in the examination center: walkmans and radios, head sets, any food or drink, schoolbags, electronic equipment （unless specifically permitted for various subjects）, and mobile phones.
● Once in the center, you must sit at the desk with your examination number on it. When you sit down, place your examination number at the top corner of your desk.
● You must remain silent during the examination. You must not disturb other people who are taking the test.
● If you need a drink or toilet break, you should raise your hand and wait for the supervisor（监督者） to speak to you. You will be given water or the supervisor will take you to the bathroom. You are not allowed to talk with anyone during the break.
● You must write your answers in the official answer sheet. Your supervisor will provide extra paper if you wish to make notes.
● You may leave the examination room at any time if you do not plan to return. If you finish early and want to leave, please move well away from the examination center.
● The supervisor will warn you fifteen minutes, five minutes and one minute before the end of the examination. When the supervisor says that the time is up, you must put down your pencil and wait at your desk until you paper is collected.
1. What kind of examination are these rules probably for?
A. A local exam. B. A final exam.
C. A college exam. D. A national exam.
2. What are you allowed to have with you when you take mathematics examination?
A. Related material. B. Proof of yourself.
C. A cell phone. D. A dictionary.
3. What should you do if you finish the test early and want to get a good result?
A. Take some notes carefully. B. Leave the room immediately.
C. Remain in your seat and check again. D. Raise your hand to inform your teacher.
4. What can be provided for you during the exam?
A. Pencils. B. Food and drink. C. Extra paper. D. Calculators.
A political scientist from Indiana University whose work exploring how people come together to protect their collective （共有的）resources may provide important clues in the fight against elimate change has become the first woman to win the Nobel prize for economics.
Elinor Ostrom, 76, shares the award with fellow American academic Oliver E. Williamson, 77. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced to the world the pair had been chosen to win the 40th prize in economic sciences.
For Ostrom, the award came, as she showed, as a “big surprise”. To rise to the summit of her area of learning has been an big journey, as she has had to struggle against her own weaknesses and the impediments （妨碍）of the system. At school in Los Angeles she suffered from stuttering（口吃）. She also faced the hurdles （障碍） common to most women of her generation entering the sciences--she was discouraged from taking a PhD when she applied for graduate school.
Her field of study has been striking for how cross-disciplinary （交叉训练的）it is. Early on she gained a reputation for bringing economics, political science and sociology together.
What interests her is how common property can be managed successfully through groups in society. One of the first subjects that interested her was management of water resources.
The findings of her research have been striking, because they have challenged the traditional idea that common property is poorly managed unless it is either regulated by government or privatized. She has shown how individuals can work together and form collectives that protect the resource at hand.
“A lot of people are waiting for more international co-operation to solve global warming,” said Ostrom, “It is important that there is international agreement, but we can take steps at family level community level, and national level … There are many steps that can be taken. That will not solve it on their own but continuously will make a big difference.”
1. Why was Ostrom not advised to take a PhD?
A. Because she was a stutter who didn’t speak fluently.
B. Because she was a woman who was prejudiced then.
C. Because she was as common as other women in science.
D. Because she didn’t receive a degree of master yet.
2. Which of the following statements may Ostrom agree to?
A. Only government can make full use of common property.
B. Private enterprise can control individual behavior.
C. Different people should work together to protect the resources.
D. Individuals play a minor role in fighting climate change.
3. Ostrom was awarded the Nobel Prize for economics because _______.
A. she brought economics and political science into sociology
B. she predicted the breakout of the global financial crisis
C. she worked on the relationship between individuals and government
D. she put forward a new theory to help fight against climate change
4. The passage mainly tells us that ________.
A. the Nobel Prize for economics was first won by a woman
B. Elinor Ostrom’s work may help fight poverty
C. the first woman won the Nobel Prize in America
D. the Nobel Prize for economics is shared this year
Leehom Wang（王力宏）is different from other pop singers. He has a lot of musical talent. He can play the violin, the drums and the piano.
However, this time it is his environmentally-friendly behavior that is making him stand out. When his latest album Change Me came out, Wang used recycled paper rather than plastie to package his album and went by bicycle to the press conference. “Everyone can make the world a better place on a daily basis,” he said.
Wang gives 10 pieces of advice in his new album. For example, he suggests that the temperature of an air-conditioner（空调）should not be lower than 28 ℃.
Wang has Captured the hearts of millions of fans by singing, dancing, acting, composing songs, and working as a producer of many major records. “I admire Wang for his sense of duty, responsibility and hard work,” said Li Xiaoshan, 17, who traveled from Nanjing to see Wang when he was in Beijing to promote （促销）his new CD.
Wang has established himself as a versatile （多才多艺的）musician in the pop scene and a good role model for Chinese youths around the world. He grew up in New York and first became fascinated at the sight of a violin at the age of six. His ambition has always been to be a musician. However, this was not what his parents’ wanted. They hoped he would be a doctor, which they saw as a steady and well-paid job.
Decisions about what Wang should do when he was older created tension in his family. So Wang decided to study biology at university to please his parents. But while he was studying, he continued practising singing and dancing and finally landed a record contract, which was the beginning of his career.
1. Wang rode a bicycle to attend the press conference ________.
A. to avoid the traffic jams B. to show off his cycling skills
C. to cut down on the cost of trips D. to show his environmental awareness
2. Li Xiaoshan travelled to Beijing ________.
A. to buy Wang’s latest album B. to promote his own new CD
C. to welcome Wang’s new album D. to make friends with Wang’s fans
3. Why did Wang’s parents intend him to become a doctor?
A. Doctors have a big and stable salary.
B. Doctors enjoy a high social status.
C. It is easy for doctors to become famous.
D. It is doctors’ duty to save lives.
4. What can we learn from Leehom Wang’s story?
A. Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
B. The wisest men follow their own direction.
C. Determination today leads to success tomorrow.
D. Other people’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并填在答卷卡上。
A guitarist was pleasantly surprised to hear from New York City police that his valuable guitar had been found. It disappeared almost a year ago when he got out of a taxi and forgot to take the guitar with him. Laurence Lennon, 44, said he was running late that day. He was talking to his manager on his cellphone when he rushed out of the taxi. He said that he gave the driver $60 and told him to keep the change. He walked through the front doors of the concert hall, still talking on the phone to his manager.
Upon discovering his loss, Lennon used his cellphone to call the police. The policewoman asked him for the name of the taxi company, the number of the taxi, and the name of the driver. He said that she must have been joking.
She told Lennon that he could apply for a missing item report online. Lennon asked for address. It was www.nypd.gov/toprotectandtoserve/haveaniceday. She told him that finding the guitar might take a couple of years for finding guitars was not as important as finding murderers and marijuana （大麻）smokers. Then she told him to have a nice day.
“This year has been depressing,” said Lennon. “I had to put off the recording of two new CDs. I’ve been using borrowed guitars. And I was losing hope of ever recovering my guitar.”
Lennon was reunited with his $100,000 guitar yesterday. The guitar had been discovered in the corner of a coffeehouse only two blocks from where Lennon had lost it. Lennon had offered a $10,000 reward for its return. He said he would give the reward to the coffeehouse owner, who had informed the police.
1. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Careless guitarist surprised. B. Valuable guitar found.
C. Coffeehouse owner rewarded. D. Taxi driver still unknown.
2. In the first paragraph, the author explained ________.
A. how costly the guitar was B. how important the concert was
C. why the guitarist was late D. why the guitar was left behind
3. By saying “she must have been joking” in Para 2, the guitarist probably means ________.
A. it was impossible for him to answer her questions
B. there must have been something she felt funny
C. she didn’t believe at all that he had lost his guitar
D. she must have felt that his behavior was funny
4. In the policewoman’s opinion, finding the lost guitar _________.
A. was not important at all B. wouldn’t be done online
C. could be a long time hunting D. only depended on the driver
Is early childhood education really necessary? Early childhood education primarily focuses on learning through playing to develop the child’s physical, sensory, communicational and social development．Early childhood education has become a concern of the government, who pushes poor children to be formally trained before they are old enough for Kindergarten．
There are good reasons for the government to push early childhood education．Studies have shown that orphaned children who did not receive good care and education become developmentally delayed causing failure in school, and even in life．Further studies show that poor children who take part in Head Start programs are more prepared for school, less likely to end up in
Special Education classes, and are less likely to receive public help or go to jail．
There are also negative parts to putting a child in formal education programs too early．Time Magazine online explains that “the younger the child the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work．” I have personally witnessed many children of my generation who went to Head Start programs become frustrated and bored with school before they finished high school．Yet parents have been sure that the earlier the child starts school, the better off he or she is, so they push to start children earlier．
Actually while early formal education of poor children does show great gains in the early elementary years, studies also show that this head start is really a “false start”, as the gains are lost in middle and high school years．It seems that environment is a bigger factor on life’s success than early education．Head Start programs have not achieved its original goal in closing the achievement gap in poor and middle school children．Perhaps it is time to find other ways to close that gap．
1．The purpose of the government valuing the early childhood education is ________．
A．to develop the children’s communication
A．to give orphaned children good care and education
C．to get the children prepared for the kindergarten
D．to train the children formally and regularly
2．According to the studies, which of the following is True?
A．Children with good early education may have a rich life．
B．The orphaned children are usually unhappy in their life．
C．Children without early education can do well at school．
D．Head Start programs are helpful to the poor children．
3．“the younger the child the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work．” suggests that _________．
A．the early childhood education is helpless to the child’s grade
B．it is good for the young children to receive early education
C．the early education can help the children follow the grade
D．the younger the children are, the cleverer they will be
4 The author’s attitude toward the early childhood education is _________．
A．puzzling B．objective C．indifferent D．approving
5．The main idea of the last passage is that __________．
A．the early childhood education is very necessary
B．Head Start programs have helped the children a lot
C．environment is the most important to life’s success
D．better ways should be found to help the poor children