We produce 500 billion of plastic bags in a year worldwide and they are thrown away polluting oceans, killing wildlife and getting dumped in landfills where they take up to 1000 years to decompose. Researchers have been unsuccessfully looking for a solution.
The 16-year old Canadian high school student, Daniel Burd, from Waterloo Collegiate Institute,
has discovered a way to make plastic bags degrade(分解) in as few as 3 months, a finding that won him first prize at the Canada－Wide Science Fair, a $10 000 prize, a $20 000 scholarship, and a chance to revolutionize a major environmental issue.
Burd's strategy was simple: Since plastic does eventually degrade, it must be eaten by microorganisms (微生物). If those microorganisms could be identified, we could put them to work eating the plastic much faster than under normal conditions.
With this goal in mind, he ground plastic bags into a powder and concocted(调制) a solution of household chemicals, yeast(酵母) and tap water to encourage microbes growth. Then he added the plastic powder and let the microbes work their magic for 3 months. Finally, he tested the resulting bacterial culture on plastic bags, exposing one plastic sample to dead bacteria as a control. Sure enough, the plastic exposed to the live bacteria was 17% lighter than the control after six weeks.
The inputs are cheap: maintaining the required temperature takes little energy because microbes produce heat as they work, and the only outputs are water and tiny levels of carbon dioxide.
“Almost every week I have to do chores and when I open the closet door, I have piles of plastic bags falling on top of me. One day, I got tired of it and I wanted to know what other people are doing with these plastic bags. The answer: not much. So I decided to do something myself.” said Daniel Burd.Daniel Burd won first prize at the Canada－Wide Science Fair because________.
| A．he found a new kind of microorganism |
| B．he contributed much to environmental protection |
| C．he found a way to degrade plastics in shorter time |
| D．he could encourage microbes growth in an easier way |
Daniel Burd exposed one plastic sample to dead bacteria to ________.
| A．make the live bacteria work better |
| B．test how effective his method was |
| C．know which bacteria worked faster |
| D．control the temperature in the process |
Maintaining the required temperature takes little energy because ________.
| A．plastics can get hot easily |
| B．microbes can produce heat themselves |
| C．much carbon dioxide is produced |
| D．the temperature can be controlled |
Daniel Burd got his idea from ________.
| A．his school textbook | B．the failure of researchers |
| C．his everyday work | D．the practice of other people |
Prague is not strange to the tourism world. It is a great tourist attraction with many historic tourist spots such as the Prague Castle, which was built in the early 9th century. In addition to the Prague Castle, some of the other historic spots are the Old Town churches, the Jewish Quarter and the Estates Theater. Surveys indicate that Prague is ranked the sixth main attraction in the whole of Europe. Though there are large numbers of places of tourist interest, there are a few spots which are the most appealing. The Old Town is one such spot of great tourist interest. The Astronomical Clock, which is popularly known as the “Prague Orloj”, is installed(安装) on the Old town city hall’s south wall, which is a historic construction. So if you are heading to Prague for a vacation, you should never miss seeing this astronomical clock.
The excitement in Prague doesn’t stop here. Next is the Lennon Wall. The Lennon Wall became a tourist spot as people of the 1980s started to fill it with John Lennon-inspired graffiti(涂鸦). You can also find the graffiti of pieces of lyrics from Beatles songs on this wall. There are many fun activities that you can do in Prague. There are many local theaters and entertainment facilities which are very inexpensive.
If you are well aware of the different places of tourist interest, you can really enjoy a great weekend in Prague. Thankfully there are several online tourist guides out there which can help you to make your weekend in Prague much more joyous than ever before. There are many sources out there online where you can find all the information about the best tourist spots in Prague. Once you have all the information about the best tourist attractions in Prague, you can plan your weekend trip effectively.
67.Prague is a city _______
A.where there are many historic attractions
B.which is a new tourist city to the world
C.where there are many famous singers
D.which is the sixth largest city in Europe
68.According to the passage, Prague Orloj refers to _______.
A. the Estates TheaterB. the Old Town city hall
C. the Astronomical Clock D. the Prague Castle
69. The Lennon Wall is most famous for______.
A. Beatles songs B. the graffiti
C. famous Lyrics D. cheap entertainment facilities
70. To have a pleasant weekend in Prague, you’re advised in advance to ask for help from______.
A. the historians B. the local people
C. the travel agency D. the Internet
Little Brother
By Cory Doctorow, 382 pages, $19.95
In the very near future, Marcus Yallow is walking with his friends in San Francisco when a 9/11-sized terrorist attack occurs blocks away. Everyone around is secretly taken away by the Department of Homeland Security to see whether they're terrorists. However, during the investigation, one of his friends dies mysteriously. The friends try to find out the truth. If you read only one science-fiction novel this year, make it this one.
The Flying Troutmans
By Miriam Toews, 274 pages, $32
The heart of the book is a road journey in Canada made by Hattie, Thebes and Logan to find Cherkis, the kids' dad. It's rich in dialogue, sometimes funny, sometimes surprisingly sad, always character-true. Toews is an extraordinarily gifted writer, with tough-minded compassion（同情） for her characters.
Reading By Lightning
By Joan Thomas, 388 pages, $22.95
We're in 1930s Canada, where Lily's father arrived three decades earlier to be promised fertile agricultural land. But they had been cheated and thrown in the middle of Manitoba. Now William Piper and his wife farm their land and place little hope in this life.
What They Wanted
By Donna Morrissey, 325 pages,$32
A father has a heart attack; a brother and a sister leave Newfoundland and go to Alberta, Canada to work; a tragedy brings reconciliation（和解）, but also terrible loss. Primarily a novel of character, it’s also a novel of Canada, of two very specific and vividly drawn places. Donna Morrissey's characters are troubled, sensitive, quick to be moved to anger or pain, and just as quick to laughter and affection.
63.If Jim only has 20 dollars, which book could he buy?
A. The Flying Troutmans B. What They Wanted
C. Little Brother D. Reading By Lightning
64.According to the text, we know that The Flying Troutmans is_____.
A. Full of dialogueB. A sad storyC. About tourismD. A real story
65.In Reading By Lightning, why did William Piper arrive in Canada?
A. To carry out his promise.B. To work in a big city.
C. To get work experience. D. To seek his fortune.
66.If you want to know about two different places of Canada, whose novel is the best choice?
A. Cory Doctorow's B. Miriam Toews's
C. Joan Thomas's D. Donna Morrissey's
When I recall my experiences of feeling heard and deeply understood by someone, I know how much the experiences helped me to cope with whatever I was dealing with at the time. Caring people who I have turned to in difficult times helped me the most by listening and asking about my feelings.
During one of my volunteer jobs at a local HIV and cancer clinic, I found the helpfulness of empathic（感情移入的） listening. As a volunteer I was providing emotional support for people with health related problems. Empathic listening really made a difference on how patients felt about their health problems. By sharing about their pain and suffering and may willingness to listen, they felt less alone.
We can make life easier for each other by becoming a better listener and encouraging each other to share our feelings. We can become a better listener by avoiding giving advice and trying to solve problems unless we are asked to do so. Pressuring others to solve their life problems--"our ways"--is not helpful. Most people intuitively(凭直觉地） know how to solve their own problems. As a listener it's important to be patient and not to interrupt the speaker. Let them know it's OK to talk about their feelings and support them in feeling their feelings.
When one neither shares nor reaches out for support, he or she can remain a lonely mystery. Life can feel lonely when one keeps everything inside. Feeling alone with life problems can be worse than the problem itself. When we let a caring person listen to our life struggle, we will no longer feel alone with our struggle. Don't be afraid to ask your loved ones to take time to hear you out. Sometimes you have to ask for it. People cannot read your mind. Confiding in others can have a positive effect on our mood.
59.What made the author comfortable in difficult times?
A. Persuading B. Sharing C. Apologizing D. Complaining
60.According to the second paragraph, we can know that ____.
A. The patients enjoyed listening to the author
B. The author found empathic listening was helpless
C. The patients didn't get on well with the author
D. The author did a good job at a cancer clinic
61.What does the underlined part "Confiding in others" in the last paragraph mean?
A. Telling others your secrets. B. Reading others' mind
C. Listening to others. D. Leaving others alone.
62.What's the main idea of this passage?
A. Listening and sharing can make you happier.
B. People 
know how to solve their own problems.
C. It is wrong to give advice to solve problems.
D. You should learn to believe in other people.
第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分 40 分）
（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A,B,C,D）中，选出最佳选项。
Mike McClure walked into Sarasota Bay for a little fishing on a beautiful day last April. This afternoon, the water was shallow enough at low tide that McClure could easily walk 100 yards offshore and cast(投）his line in any direction.
Near sunset, still without a fish, he decided to turn back. Rather than turn to his earlier course, he chose a more direct path toward shore, thinking the bay wouldn't get deeper along the way. Instead, he was trapped. He tried to walk in different directions, but shallower water eluded(避开）him. Finally, he decided his safest choice was to head straight for land.
"Within about five steps, the water was coming in through the top of the waders(高筒防水胶靴）," says McClure.
He felt the deadweight of the flooding waders pulling him down and knew that if he didn't get out of them, he would drown. But he failed to kick his way out of the waders. Instead, they pulled him completely below the surface.
Back onshore, Eliza Cameron, 19, Loren Niurka Mora, 20, and Caitlin Petro, 20, had been watching McClure fish as they rested on the grass after a long week of classes. They saw McClure go under and then heard him cry, "Help！”
The three friends kicked off their shoes and ran into the bay. They were all good swimmers, but all hid a fear that he might pull them down too because they'd have to dive to save him.
When they reached him, he'd managed to kick himself out the waders, but his eyes had partly rolled back. Cameron and Mora each hooked an arm under his shoulders, while Petro supported his back and held his hand. Then the three friends tried their best to tug him towards shore. Finally, they all returned to shore safely.
56.Mike McClure didn't turn back by his earlier course because _____.
A. He wanted to choose a short course
B. His earlier course was dangerous
C. He just wanted to take a risk
D. He knew where the water was deep
57.What directly trapped Mike McClure in the bay?
A. His wrong decisionB. The coming high tide
C. His waders' being flooded D. The depth of water
58.During the rescue, ____.
A. The three women were afraid of being trapped in the water
B.Cameron and Petro helped catch Mike McClure's arms
C. The three women removed Mike McClure's waders
D. Mike McClure still wore his flooding waders
Bruce Horowitz writes in USA Today that Domino’s Pizza is changing its pizza recipe . It will be a completely new pizza with a different crust, cheese , and sauce.
Some observers say that the company is taking a big risk with such a total reform of its main product. However, in a 2009 consumer survey , Domino’s tied for last place for taste . Domino’s was voted the best for convenience and price.
This change is not something that Domino’s took lightly. They spent two years testing many different recipes before settling on the new Domino’s Pizza..
The company will have an advertising campaign to launch the change that will have spread to all its restaurants by December 27,2009. After that, look for the company to put out new ads proudly telling the public about the change. The author says that Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day for pizza sales and that Domino’s “may buy an ad the bit game”
Everyone has his or her own preferences when it comes to food. It will be interesting to see how well the new Domino’s Pizza is received by those who consider pizza to be an important part of their diets.
64．What is the main idea of this article?
A．Changing a recipe is fun
B．Domino’s Pizza did poorly in taste comparisons
C．Many people eat pizza on Super Bowl Sunday
D．Domino’s making a major change to its pizza
65．Which statement is true?
A．Domino’s was rated best for its price
B．No one likes the taste of the original Domino’s pizza
C．This reading selection tells us which pizza had the highest taste tanking
D．The new recipe will change a little
66．The new Domino’s Pizza will .
A．certainly make Domino’s the most popular pizza in the world
B．have been available by the year 2010 in all its restaurants
C．cost twice as much as the old one
D．only be found in a few Domino’s
67．What can we learn from paragraph 4?
A．“The company ” in sentence 1 and “the company ” in sentence 2 refer to the same company.
B．Domino’s will put out a lot of advertisements to promote its new pizza.
C．Super Bowl Sunday is a special day only for Domino’s
D．The writer of the passage likes Domino’s new pizza recipe.