IreceivedacalltodayaskingifIwo-优题课

D
First the ground shook in Haiti, then Chile and Turkey. The earthquakes keep coming hard and fast this year, causing people to wonder if something evil (邪恶的) is happening underfoot.
It’s not.
While it may seem as if there are more earthquakes occurring, there really aren’t. the problem is what’s happening above ground, not underground, experts say.
More people are moving into big cities that happen to be built in quake zones, and they’re rapidly putting up buildings that can’t withstand (经受) earthquakes, scientists believe.
And around-the-clock news coverage (报道) and better earthquake monitoring make it seem as if earthquakes are ever-present.
“I can definitely tell you that the world is not coming to an end,” said Bob Holdsworth, an expert in tectonics (筑造学) at Durharn University in the UK.
A 7.0 magnitude quake in January killed more than 230,000 people in Haiti. Last month, an 8.8 magnitude quake--- the fifth-strongest since 1900—killed more than 900 people in Chile. And two weeks ago, a 6.0 magnitude quake struck rural eastern Turkey, killing at least 57 people.
On average, there are 134 earthquakes a year that have a magnitude between 6.0 and 6.9, according to the US Geological Survey. This year is off to a fast start with 40 so far—more than in most years for that time period.
But that’s because the 8.8 quake in Chile generated a large number of strong aftershocks, and so many quakes this early in the year skews (扭曲) the picture, said Paul Earle, a US seismologist (地震学家).
Also, it’s not the number of quakes, but their devastating (破坏性的) impacts that gain attention, with the death tolls (死亡人数) largely due to construction standards and crowding, Earle added. “The standard mantra (咒语) is earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do, ” he said.
There have been more deaths over the past decades from earthquakes, said University of Colorado geologist Roger Bilham. In an opinion column last month in the journal Nature, Bilham called for better construction standards in the world’s big cities.
Of the 130 cities worldwide with populations of more than 1 million, more than half are prone (倾向于) to earthquakes, Bilham said.
Developing nations, where populations are booming, don’t pay attention to earthquake preparedness, Bilham said.” If you have a problem feeding yourself, you’re not really going to worry about earthquakes.”
Another reason quakes seem worse is that we’re paying attention more. The Haiti earthquake quickly followed by the 8.8 in Chile made everyone start to think.
But it won’t last, said US disaster researcher Deniis Mileti. “People are paying attention to the violent planet we’ve always lived on,” Mileti said.” Come back in another six months if there has been no earthquakes, most people will have forgotten it again. ”
73. What is the main idea of the article?
A. The number of earthquakes is increasing this year.
B. The reasons why earthquakes are so devastating.
C. The reasons why recent earthquakes have struck large cities.
D. Why earthquakes seem to be more serious this year.
74. Which of the following is NOT a reason for the seeming increase in earthquakes this year，
according to the article?
A. Greater underground activity.
B. A larger number of buildings prone to damage during earthquakes.
C. Around-the-clock news coverage.
D. Better earthquake monitoring.
75. According to the article, it is safe to say that ______.
A. there is an evil force beneath the world’s surface
B. large cities are always built in quake zones
C. enough attention has been paid to reducing the impact of earthquakes
D. the earthquake in Chili caused many aftershocks.
76. According to the article, the greater damage of earthquakes this year can be mainly caused by ______.
A. the occurrence of larger earthquakes
B. insufficient warnings about earthquakes
C. poor construction standards and overcrowding
D. an increase in large cities

C
Being considered a leader in our society is indeed of high praise. Leadership means power, commands, respect and, most important, encourages achievement. Unlike vitamin C, leadership skills can’t be easily swallowed down. They must be carefully cultivated.
Different from popular belief, most good leaders are made, not born. They learn their skills in their everyday lives. But which do they develop? How do they (and how can you ) get others to follow?
Always give credit. Many leaders note that the most efficient way to get a good performance from others is to treat them like heroes. Giving public credit to someone who has earned it is the best leadership technique in the world. It is also an act of generosity (慷慨) that’s never forgotten.
Giving credit is more effective than even the most constructive criticism (批评), which often hurts rather than helps. Kenneth Blanchard, the author of The One-Minute Manager, agrees. “Catch people doing something right!” he says. Then tell everyone about it.
Take informed risk. (冒险). “The best leaders know that taking a risk is not a thoughtless exercise,” says management adviser Marilyn Machlowitz. “Sky divers don’t go up in an airplane without checking the parachutes beforehand.”
Because the idea of risk also carries with it the possibility of failure, many of us usually wait for others to take charge. But if you want to be a leader, you must learn to fail --- and not die a thousand deaths. Pick yourself up and start all over again.
Encourage enthusiasm.（热情） “When people understand the importance of work, they lend their mental strengths,” says Lee Ducat. But when they get excited about the work, all their energy gets poured into the job. That’s a great force! Is this the best way to create excitement? Be enthusiastic yourself - You will be followed by everyone.
69. The underlined word “cultivated”(paragraph 1）roughly means ______．
A. encouraged B. compared C. examined D. developed
70. The part “Always give credit” tells us that a leader should ______．
A. give helpful criticism
B. regard others as real heroes
C. praise people for their good performances
D. praise everyone
71. To be a good leader, you should ______．
A. not be afraid of any risks B. think twice before taking risks
C. try to avoid any possible failures D. know what a thoughtless exercise is
72. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. Leadership Is of Skills and Techniques
B. Leadership Is Very Important
C. Not Many Can Be Leaders
D. How to Be a Leader

B
In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bicycles to work every day. In New York, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City. They declare that if more people rode bicycles to work, there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown part of the city and so less dirty air from car engines.
For several years this group has been trying to get the city government to help bicycle riders. For example, they want the city to draw special lanes（车道）for bicycles only on some of the main streets, because when bicycle riders must use the same lanes as cars, there are accidents. Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes.
But no bicycle lanes have been drawn. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea—they say it will slow traffic. Some storeowners on the main streets don’t like the idea—they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business.
The city government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park—the largest place of open ground in New York—is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bicycles only.
But Bike for a Better City says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bicycle lanes downtown.
65. In New York, a group of bike riders______.
A. are keeping practising for health
B. have no cars of their own
C. are complaining（埋怨）there are not enough buses
D. are trying to settle the problem of air pollution
66. The bike riders suggest that______.
A. bicycles should be used instead of cars
B. bicycle lanes should be drawn
C. fewer buses or cars should be used
D. the number of special lanes should be increased
67. The advantage of the special lanes is that______.
A. they will make cars and buses run slowly
B. they will make it easier for bike riders to go to parks
C. they will make the city more beautiful
D. the lanes will prevent accidents
68. The government has not decided whether special lanes should be drawn______.
A. so that everyone is disappointed
B. because there are different opinions
C. because most people travel by train
D. because Bike for a Better City is not strong enough

第三部分：阅读理解（第一节16小题，每小题1.5分，满分24分；第二节5小题，每小题1分，满分5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。
A
Every year, it costs British students more and more to attend university. Students are graduating with larger and larger debts. So is a college degree really worth it?
In 2006, the UK government started to allow universities in England and Wales to charge British students tuition fees (学费). As a result, more than 80 percent of students in England and Wales now take out a student loan (贷款) in order to go to university.
They use the loan to pay for tuition fees and living expenses. Although the interest on student loans is quite low, it begins as soon as the student receives the loan.
The average student in England and Wales now graduates from university with a debt of around $12,000 (122,952yuan). It means graduates have to struggle to pay rent on a flat, because they have to start paying back the student loan when they reach the April after graduating. If you start to earn over $ 15,000 (153,639yuan) a year, the government takes repayments directly from your monthly salary.
You might think that a person with a degree would find it easy to get a well-paid job. However, most people in “white collar jobs” seem to have a degree, so there is a lot of competition. Also, British companies tend to value work experience over a piece of paper.
All of the above is beginning to make British people question whether a university degree is really worth the money. Even before the credit crisis started, the BBC stated: “The number of British students at UK universities has fallen for the first time in recent history, from 1.97 million in 2007 to 1.96 million last year (2008).”
“Student poverty” is now considered a real problem. Meanwhile, the British universities offer more and more of the available places to richer international students rather than poorer British students. What does the future hold for British higher education?
61. What makes British students question the worth of a university degree?
A. Higher university expenses. B. Lower education quality.
C. A higher interest rate on student loans D. Grater difficulty obtaining student loans.
62. According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. University tuition fees in all parts of Britain have been on the rise since 2006.
B. Interest on a student loan starts as soon as the student receives it.
C. People have always questioned the worth of a university degree.
D. University graduates need to pay off their loans right upon graduation.
63. Which of the following is NOT a factor that concerns a British university graduate?
A. Fierce competition in the job market. B. The burden of a large debt.
C. Lack of experience. D. Fewer job openings.
64. What is the title of this passage?
A. Student poverty B. Is college worth it?
C. The UK government started to charge students tuition fees.
D. British students use the loan to pay for tuition fees and living expenses.

Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best. For example, to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you need large, flat, black surfaces. One way to do that is to build those surfaces specially, on the roofs of buildings. But why go to all that trouble when cities are rub of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt （柏油） roads?
Ten years ago, this thought came into the mind of Arian de Bondt, a Dutch engineer. He finally persuaded his boss to follow it up. The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a system that relies on the surface of the road outside.
The heat-collector is a system of connected water pipes. Most of them ran from one side of the street to the other, just under the asphalt road. Some, however, dive deep into the ground.
When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes it underground through one of the diving pipes. At a depth of 100 metres lies a natural aquifer （蓄水层） into which several heat exchangers （交换器） have been built. The hot water from the street runs through these exchangers, warming the ground-water, before returning to the surface through another pipe. The aquifer is thus used as a heat store.
In winter, the working system is changed slightly. Water is pumped through the heat exchangers to pick up the heat stored during summer. This water goes into the building and is used to warm the place up. After performing that task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and ice.
Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs?

A．Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss.

B．Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities.

C．The Dutch engineer's system has been widely used.

D．Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads.

For what purpose are the diving pipes used?

A．To absorb heat from the sun.	B．To store heat for future use.
C．To turn solar energy into heat energy.	D．To carry heat down below the surface.

From the last paragraph we can learn that __

A．some pipes have to be re-arranged in winter

B．the system can do more than warming up the building

C．the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surface

D．less heat may be collected in winter than in summer