The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological（生态的） disaster area. Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence — other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru’s real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate (磷酸盐)on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine（带状矿）. When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer（层） of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem — their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen. What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?
| A．To seek help for Nauru’s problems. | B．To give a warning to other countries. |
| C．To show the importance of money. | D．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war. |
What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
| A．Rich and powerful. | B．Modern and open. |
| C．Peaceful and attractive. | D．Greedy and aggressive. |
The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from .
| A．soil pollution | B．phosphate over mining |
| C．farming activity | D．whale hunting |
Which of the following was a cause of Nauru’s financial problem?
| A．Its leaders misused the money. | B．It spent too much repairing the island. |
| C．Its phosphate mining cost much money. | D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war. |
What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?
| A．The phosphate mines were destroyed. | B．The leaders will take the experts’ words seriously. |
| C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans. | D．The ecological damage is difficult to repair. |
Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola companies-Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola-are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.
We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic or Pepsi. Diet Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.
We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them with four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guesswork could have accomplished.
Getting all four samples right was a tough test but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse-only 7 out of 27 identified all four samples correctly.
Both groups did better than chance would predict, but nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.
71. According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to___________.
A.show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guesswork
B.compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks
C.find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking
D.reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers
72. The statistics recorded in the preference tests show that____________.
A.there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and Pepsi
B.few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from Pepsi
C.people`s tastes differ from one another
D.Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people`s two most favorite drinks
73.It is implied in the first paragraph that __________
A.the competition between the two colas is very strong
B.blind tasting is neccssary for identifying fans
C.the purpose of taste test is to promote the sale of colas
D.The improvement of quailty is the chief concern of the two cola companies
74.The underlined word "burnout" here refers to the state of __________
A.being seriously burnt in the skin
B.Being badly damaged by dire
C.Being unable to burn for lack of fuel
D.Being unable to function because of too much use
75.The author`s purpose in writing this passage is to __________
A.emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other
B.Recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas
C.Show that taste preference is highly subjective
D.Argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy
A 17-year-old boy，caught sending text messages in class，was recently sent to the vice principal`s office. The vice principal，Steve Gallagher，told the boy he needed to focus on the teach-er，not his cellphone. The boy listened politely and nodded，and that`s when Mr.Gallagher noticed the student`s fingers moving on his lap. He was testing while being scolded for texting. " It was a subconscious act，" says Mr. Gallagher，who took the phone away. " Young people today are con-nected socially from the moment they open their eyes in the morning until they colse their eyes at night.It`s compulsive."
A study this year by psychology students at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain,Ga.,found that the more time young people spend on Facebook，the more likely they are to have lower grades and weaker study habits. Heavy Facebook users show signs of being more sociable，but they are also more likely to be anxious，hostile or depressed.
Almost a quarter of today`s teens check Facebook more than 10 times a day，according to a 2009 survey by Common Sense Media,a nonprofit group that monitors media`s impact on families.Will these young people get rid of this habit once they enter the work force，or will employers come to see texting and `social-network cheeking` as accepted parts of the workday?Think back,When today`s older workers were in their 20s,they might have taken a break on the job to call friends and make after-work plans.In those earlier eras,companies discouraged non-business-related calls,and someone who made personal calls all day risked being fired.It was impossible to imagine the constant back-and-forth texting that defines interactions among young people today.Educators are also being asked by parents，students and educational strategists to reconsider their rules. "In past generations，students got in trouble for passing notes in class. Now students are good at texting with their phones still in their pockets，" says 40-year-old Mr.Gallagher,the vice principal,"and they`re able to communicate with someone one floor down and three rows over. Students are just fundamentally different today.They will take suspensions rather than give up their phones."
66.The underlined word "a subconscious act"in the first paragraph refers to an act_________
A.on purpose B.without realization
C.in secret D.with care
67.Young people addicted to the use of Facebook _________.
A.are good at dealing with the social relationships and concentrate on their study
B.have high spirits and positive attitudes towards their life and work
C.have been influenced mentally in the aspects of behaviors and habits
D.are always in bad mood and have poor performance in every respect
68.Through the situation of today`s older workers in their 20s,it can be inferred that_________
A.the employers will not accept young people`s sending text messages
B.a cellphone is a must for today`s older workers instead of young people
C.The employers prefer older workers to young people
D.the employers will find it hard to control the interaction among young people
69. Mr. Gallagher reminds us that the students in the past and those today_______.
A.like to break rules and have the same means of sending messages
B.are always the big problem for the educations and their parents
C.like sending text messages but those today do it in a more secret and skillful way
D.cannot live without a cellphone
70. What’s the best title of the passage?
A.Teenagers and Cellphones
B.Teenagers’ Texting Addiction
C.Employers and Teenagers
D.Teenagers’ Education
Edinburgh Zoo makes plans to bring a pair of giant pandas from China to Scotland. Representa-tives from Edinburgh Zoo have recently returned from China,where they signed a litter of intent(意向书)making a promise to bring giant pandas to the zoo.
It has been suggested that the breeding pair should be rented to the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland(RZSS)for10years and it is hoped they would give birth to babies during that time. Edin-burgh Zoo would be the eighth zoo in the West to care for the species if the project goes ahead.
Zoo chiefs said that looking after the endangered animals could benefit conservation. David Windmill，chief of RZSS，said，"It is an opportunity to work on a global level with other conserva-
tionists to gain a better understanding of the giant panda，the threats they face，and what we can do to ensure their survival."
At present，there are currently only around 1，500 giant pandas in the wild. RZSS has been working on the project for almost a year，and hopes to have giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo by 2011,the year of the society`s centenary.
Mr. Windmill said that the project has received strong support from the UK and Seottish Gov-ernments and that this must continue if the zoo is to reach an agreement with the Chinese.As part of the proposed agreement with the Chinese government，Edinburgh Zoo will cooperate on research projects benefiting conservation in the wild.
RZSS will also provide considerable money to support giant panda conservation projects in the wild.Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China and feel almost wholly on bamboo，which makes up 99% of the their diet.
61.What result did zoo representatives get from China？
A.A breeding pair is on loan to RZSS for ten years.
B.China promised to sell two giant pandas before 2011.
C.They signed a letter of intent about giant pandas to be loaned to Edinburgh Zoo.
D.China promised to offer the money but not the experts for research into giant pandas.
62.If Edinburgh Zoo can borrow giant pandas，what will happen？
A.RZSS will celebrate its centenary in 2011.
B.Scotland will be the eighth country to have giant pandas.
C.RZSS will have a better understanding of living habits of giant pandas.
D.Edinburgh Zoo will be the eighth zoo to have Chinese pandas in the world.
63.The underlined part "the prlject" in Paragraph 4 refers to "__________ ".
A.the celebration of RZSS`s centenary
B.introducing giant pandas to RZSS`s collection
C.the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland itself
D.Borrowing giant pandas from China for conservation
64.At present what seems to be the key factor for giant pandas to successfully go to Edinburgh Zoo?
A.RZSS`s attitude.
B.The Chinese government`s attitude.
C.Edinburgh Zoo`s support.
D.The Scottish government`s attitude.
65.The best title for this passage would be "__________ ".
A.Edinburgh Zoo expects giant pandas from China
B.Edinburgh Zoo does research into giant pandas
C.Scotland supports giant panda conservation
D.Giant pandas live happily at Edinburgh Zoo
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，选出一个最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The key to happiness is how quickly you can get back your focus on what`s important.
——Anonymous
Sixteen years ago I learned this lesson in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Here`s what happened. I hopped in a taxi，and we took off for Grand Central Station. We were driving in the right lane when，all of a sudden，a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes，skidded，and missed the other car`s back end by just inches!
The driver of the other car，who almost caused a big accident，started yelling bad words at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean，he was friendly. So，I said，"Why did you just do that？This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital！"And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call "The Law of the Garbage Truck. "
Many people are like garbage （rubbish）trucks. They run around full of garbage，full of frus-tration， full of anger，and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up，they need a place to dump it. And if you let them，they`ll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you，don`t take it personally. You just smile，wave，wish them well，and move on. You`ll be happy with what you did.
I started thinking，how often do I led Garbage Trucks run right over me？And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people ai work，at home，or on the streets？It was that day
I said，"I`m not going to do anymore. "
Successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you？If you let more garbage trucks pass you by，you`ll be happier. Life`s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So，Love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ones who don`t.
56.What happened one day when the author was taking a taxi？
A.The taxi almost hit another car.
B.The taxi driver was injured.
C.The author scolded the driver of the other car.
D.The author learned a lesson from the driver of the garbage truck.
57.How did the taxi driver respond to the behaviour of the driver of the black car？
A.He yelled back at the driver.
B.He sent the driver to the hospital.
C.He was friendly towards the driver.
D.He dumped some garbage in front of his car.
58.What does the taxi driver think of people according to Paragraph 3？
A.Many people like to drive garbage trucks.
B.Many people dump garbage wherever they like.
C.Many people are warm-hearted to make others happy.
D.Many people tend to be very much depressed.
59.What can we infer from Paragraph 4？
A.The author used to have a lot of garbage trucks.
B.The author used to complain a lot.
C.The author used to have a lot of money.
D.The author used to be a good manager.
60.According to the passage，what should you do if people "dump garbage" on you？
A.Ignore them and go on with our own work.
B.Try our best to persuade them not to do that again.
C.Tell them to dump the garbage in the right place.
D.Take over their work and carry the garbage to somewhere else.
Silence is unnatural to man. He begins life with a cry and ends it in stillness. In between he does all he can to make a noise in the world, and he fears silence more than anything else. Even his conversation is an attempt to prevent a fearful silence. If he is introduced to another person, and a number of pauses occur in the conversation, he regards himself as a failure, a worthless person, and is full of envy of the emptiest-headed chatterbox. He knows that ninety nine percent of human conversation means no more than the buzzing of a fly, but he is anxious to join in the buzz and to prove that he is a man and not a waxwork figure（蜡塑人像）.
The aim of conversation is not, for the most part, to communicate ideas; it is to keep up the buzzing sound. There are, it must be admitted, different qualities of buzz; there is even a buzz that is as annoying as the continuous noise made by a mosquito(蚊子). But at a dinner party one would rather be a mosquito than a quiet person. Most buzzing, fortunately, is pleasant to the ear, and some of it is pleasant even to the mind. He would be a foolish man if he waited until he had a wise thought to take pert in the buzzing with his neighbors.
Those who hate to pick up the weather as a conversational opening seem to me not to know the reason why human beings wish to talk. Very few human beings join in a conversation in the hope of learning anything new. Some of them are content if they are merely allowed to go on making a noise into other people’s ears, though they have nothing to tell them except that they have seen two or three new plays or that they had food in a Swiss hotel. At the end of an evening during which they have said nothing meaningful for a long time, they just prove themselves to be successful conversationists.
72. According to the author, people make conversation to_________.
A. exchange ideas B. prove their value
C. achieve success in life D. overcome their fear of silence
73. By “the buzzing of a fly
” (Para. 1),the author means “_________”.
A. the noise of an insect B. a low whispering sound
C. meaningless talks D. the voice of a chatterbox
74. According to the passage, people usually talk to their neighbors_________.
A. about whatever they have prepared B. about whatever they want to
C. in the hope of learning something new D. in the hope of getting on well
75. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A. To discuss why people like talking about weather
B. To encourage people to join in conversations
C. To persuade people to stop making noises
D. To explain why people keep talking