One of the world’s richest men has taken a close interest in one of man’s most basic functions：visiting the toilet.Bill Gates’s charitable organization，the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation，is looking for inventors to design the loo of the future，which，they hope，would improve sanitation for millions of people around the world.
So，what’s wrong with the traditional flush toilet？Firstly，it wastes a huge amount of potential drinking water.Secondly，they are more likely to cause pollution.This is a real problem in many areas of the developing world，where，according to United Nations estimates，unsafe sanitation causes half of all hospitalizations.Younger people are particularly at risk.Illnesses which cause diarrhea are responsible for the deaths of about 1.5 million children a year.Finally，standard lavatories simply aren’t practical in remote areas.
The challenge set by Bill Gates was to come up with a latrine which works without running water，electricity or aseptic tank.It also needed to operate for less than 5 cents.28 designs were displayed at the recent Reinvent the Toilet Fair，in Seattle，USA.Among them was one which turned human waste into electricity using microwaves，another which converted human waste into charcoal，and yet another which used urine for flushing.
But the winner was a solarpowered design which generated hydrogen gas and electricity. The team from the California Institute of Technology(CIT) picked up a prize of $100,000.
But clearly Bill Gates doesn’t feel he’s flushing money down the toilet.After the Seattle event he said，“We couldn’t be happier with the response we’ve gotten.” Gates has even pledged $370 million more to the future toilet project.They hope to field test more prototypes over the next three years.Why is Bill Gates paying people to invent new toilets?
| A．Because he wants to test people’s sense of creativity. |
| B．Because he wants to improve sanitation for many people. |
| C．Because he thinks the traditional ones are out of fashion. |
| D．Because he can’t design this kind of things himself. |
Which of the following is NOT a problem with the traditional flush toilet?
| A．They waste too much water. |
| B．They might cause diseases. |
| C．They are not always practical. |
| D．They are too complicated to use. |
The underlined word “latrine” in the third paragraph might have similar meanings to the word “________” in the text.
| A．loo | B．sanitation |
| C．diarrhea | D．prototype |
The team from CIT won the prize because their design ________.
| A．can change human waste into electricity |
| B．can turn human waste into charcoal |
| C．can produce power with solar energy |
| D．can use urine for flushing |
We are all called upon to make a speech at some point 
in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.
So, you have to give a speech—and you are terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank Goodness, it’s over. I’m just not good at public 
speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”
Cheep up! It doesn’t have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of your time doing your research. Then spend plenty of your time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say 
and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.
If you follow these simple steps, you will see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? Give it a try and see what happens.The main idea of this article is.
| A．that it is hard to make a speech | B．that a poor speaker can never change |
| C．to always make a short speech | D．that you can improve your speaking ability |
Paragraph 2 implies that .
| A．many people talk too long |
| B．many people are happy to give a speech |
| C．many people don’t prepare for a speech |
| D．many people are afraid of giving a speech |
The phrase “talk over their heads” means .
| A．speak too loudly | B．look at the ceiling |
| C．look down upon them | D．use words and ideas that are too difficult |
All of the following statements are TRUE except .
| A．a lecturer does not need to organize his speech |
| B．few people know how to make good speeches |
| C．research is important in preparing a speech |
| D．there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability |
The title for this passage may be .
| A．Do Not Make a Long Speech | B．Try to Enjoy a speech |
| C．How to prepare for a Speech | D．How to Give a Good Speech |
There are a lot of differences in life in the US that you can only learn by living here. However, we will try to introduce you to some of the more important cultural differences.
Personal Space
When two people are talking to each other, they tend to stand a distance apart. Each person has an invisible boundary (界限) around their body into which other people may not come.
Interestingly，the average personal distance varies from culture to culture. Americans tend to require more personal space than in other cultures. So if you try to get too close to an American during your conversation, he or she will feel that you are “in their face” and will try to back away.
Try to avoid physical contact while you are speaking, since this may also lead to discomfort.
Tipping(小费)
Restaurants do not include a service charge in the bill, so you should tip the waiter 15% of the total bill. If service is slow or particular bad, some Americans will tip only 10%. If service is particularly good, it is appropriate to tip 20%. If service is so bad that you will never eat in the restaurant again, leave two cents. It tells the waiter that you haven’t forgotten to leave a tip. Tipping is only appropriate in restaurants which offer table service. You do not tip the cashier in a fast food restaurant.
Gestures
To wave goodbye or hello to someone, raise your hand and wave it from side to side, not front to back. Wave the whole hand, not just the fingers. Waving the hand front to back or the fingers up and down means “no”, “stop”, or “go away’. Holding your hand up with the palm facing forward but no movement means “stop”.
If you want to point at an object, extend the index finger and use it to point at the object. It is not polite to point at people.
Although showing your fist with the thumb up or your open hand with the tips of the thumb and index finger together forming an “O” means “OK”， these are stereotypes (老套). Americans understand these gestures, but they are mainly used by actors in movies, not in real life. If an American to whom you are speaking backs away a little, you’d better __________.
| A．not try to close the gap | B．stop talking with him or her |
| C．back away too | D．ask him or her what happened |
Which of the following statements is TRUE when you eat out in the US?
| A．The tip always ranges from 10% to 20% of the total bill. |
| B．You needn’t leave a tip if you will never eat in the restaurant. |
| C．It’s unnecessary to tip the waiter in a restaurant. |
| D．Tipping is not necessary in fast food restaurants. |
Which of the following gestures is not used in Americans’ daily life?
A B. C. D.
. 
We can learn from the passage that in the US ___________________.
| A．it’s natural to touch each other in a conversation. |
| B．it’s polite to leave a tip though the service is bad. |
| C．there is only one gesture meaning “stop”. |
| D．Americans use the same gesture to point at people and objects. |
When Xia Min started drinking alcohol with her classmates at a friend’s birthday, she didn’t realize what would happen to her. She drank a lot and fell into a coma (昏迷). The 15year-old girl from Chongqing never recovered.
Xia’s death is warning to other students. A new rule went into effect on January 1, 2006. Teens are not allowed to buy or drink alcohol. Shops are not allowed to sell it to them.
A 1999 Chinese law forbade (禁止) shops to sell alcohol to youths under 18. But it is not taken seriously by shopkeepers because it doesn’t have specific rules. People hope the new rule will work.
“I tasted alcohol when having the dinner of the last New Year’s Eve,” said Lian Yuqi, a 16-year-old girl in Xiamen. She believes that the new rule will stop teens from drinking and help them grow in a healthy way.
“Although it may be a little disappointing not to have beer at parties, I think we can have soft drinks instead,” she said.Xia Min died from alcohol at the age of ______.
| A．15 | B．16 | C．17 | D．18 |
The underlined word “it” means ________.
| A．a warning sing | B．a shopkeeper |
| C．the new rule | D．a 1999 Chinese law |
We can know that ________.
| A．it is against the new rule for youths under 18 to drink alcohol |
| B．shops can sell alcohol to a 16 years old youth. |
| C．without an ID card, young people can’t buy alcohol |
| D．it seems that the young girl, Liang Yuqi, likes to drink alcohol |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The new rule has worked very well. |
| B．Shopkeepers can sell alcohol to teens above 18. |
| C．China’s legal drinking age is clearly under18. |
| D．Many teens drink alcohol to show they’ve grown up. |
This passage is mainly about _______.
| A．the harm of drinking alcohol |
| B．the legal age for drinking alcohol |
| C．a new rule to stop teens drinking |
| D．student’s ideas about drinking alcohol |
If your mother wants to tell you something, she uses words. Birds can not talk as we do. But some birds can make sounds to warn their young of danger. They have their own ways to make the young birds do certain thing.
The jackdaw is a kind of blackbirds that lives in Europe. Jackdaws live together in flocks. ( 群) Yong jackdaws do not know their enemies. When an older jackdaw sees a dog , it makes a loud tattling (格格响的)sound.The young birds know this sound means an enemy is nearby. The sounds warns them to know their enemy.
If a young jackdaw is in a dangerous place, a jackdaw parent flies over him from behind.The parent bird flies low over the young bird’s back, the parents’ tail feathers move quickly from side to side, It is trying to say, “ Follow me.”
At the same time , the parent calls out, “ Key-aw ,Key-aw.” The parent means, “ Fly home with me.” The young bird then follows the older one home.
Young jackdaws do not have to learn what certain sounds mean.They know the meaning of these sounds from the time they hatch. The jackdaw lives in _____ .
| A．Europe | B．Australia | C．America | D．Africa |
When an old jackdaw sees a dog , it _____ .
| A．calls out “Follow me .” | B．makes a loud sound |
| C．flies away | D．fights the dog . |
Parent jackdaw can use their tail feathers to ______ .
| A．ask their young to follow them | B．play a game with the young |
| C．tell the meal time | D．give a warning of a fire |
The story tells much about _____ .
| A．the danger of jackdaws. |
| B．in which mother can talk to their children. |
| C．the way jackdaws warn their young of danger. |
| D．how the jackdaws are living. |
Which of the following does this story lead you to believe ?
| A．All animal parents can talk to their young. |
| B．Dogs are the most dangerous enemies for jackdaws. |
| C．Young jackdaws know the meaning of their parents’ sound when they grow older . |
| D．Some birds can give certain information to one another. |
Nothing was going right for Dr.Turner at the hospital. He made a mistake while operating on a patient. He felt sure he was no longer trusted and decided to change his job . One day he learned from the paper that a doctor was looking for a partner (合作者). The doc-tor, whose name was Johnson , lived in Thorby, a small town in the north of England.
A few days later Dr. Turner went to Thorby, and arrived at Dr.Johnson's home early in the afternoon. Though old and a little deaf, Dr.Johnson still had a good brain. He kept talking to the visitor about the town and its people. When they turned to the question of partnership,it was already seven in the evening. Dr. Johnson invited Dr . Turner to have dinner with him in a restaurant before catching the train back to London. Dr . Turner noticed that Dr. Johnson was fond of good food and expensive wines . They had an excellent meal. When the bill was brought, Dr. Johnson felt in his pocket." Oh, dear," he said. "I've forgotten my money." "That's all right,"Dr. Turner said."I'll pay the bill."As he did so,he began to wonder whether Dr. Johnson was worthy of trust. Dr. Turner decided to leave his present job because.
| A．he had never been trusted |
| B．it demanded too great skills |
| C．he believed it offered little hope for his future |
| D．he thought the hospital would like him to leave |
The two doctors spent most of the afternoon talking about.
| A．things of no interest to Dr. Johnson |
| B．things of no importance to Dr. Turner |
| C．health matters |
| D．food and drink |
The story suggests that.
| A．Dr. Johnson did notlike Dr. Turner |
| B．the two doctors would become friends |
| C．the two doctors would not work together |
| D．Dr. Turner decided to stay at his present job |
The words did so in the last sentence mean.
| A．caught the train back to London | B．felt in his pocket |
| C．paid the bill | D．said those words |