A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky(冒险的) it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a deadly accident as a teenager driving alone, while the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.
The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased sharply after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue,” he says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is.”
Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (使……缓解)the problem is to have states set up so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night or passenger limits, before graduating to full driving licenses.
Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have limits on passengers. California is the strictest, with a new driver under 20 forbidden to carry any passenger (without the presence of an adult over 25) for the first six months. Which of the following situations can we infer is most dangerous according to the passage?
| A．A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car. |
| B．Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m. |
| C．Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night. |
| D．A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight. |
According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly because of _______.
| A．their frequent driving at night | B．their improper ways of driving |
| C．their driving with passengers | D．their lack of driving experience |
According to Paragraph 3, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The licensing departments are partly responsible for teenagers' driving accidents. |
| B．Driving is too complex a skill for teenagers to learn. |
| C．Teenagers should be forbidden to apply to take driving lessons. |
| D．Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive. |
A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers' driving accidents is that_______.
| A．driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule |
| B．the licensing system should be improved |
| C．they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m. |
| D．they should be forbidden to take on passengers |
China news, Beijing, July 29 --- Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not
sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate(控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered. Wha
t is the average housing price per square meter in China?
| A．8000 yuan. | B．10000 yuan. | C．7000 yuan. | D．Not mentioned. |
Which of the following does NOT support the idea that the average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States?
| A．Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. |
| B．American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. |
| C．The population who need houses in China is larger than in the United States. |
| D．The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. |
How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?
A．One. |
B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．The housing price in China is so high that the government should do something useful to prevent it. |
| B．There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market. |
| C．The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States. |
| D．Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. |
Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing. Three years ago, few people would go swimming in the icy waters, But now there is a Winter-swimming Enthusiast’s club(冬泳爱好者协会)and it has more than 2,000 members. The oldest is 84years old and the youngest in only 7. The members are from all walks of life. They may be workers, peasants, soldiers, teachers, students...
Though it is now the coldest part of the season and the water temperature in the city’s lakes is around 0℃, many winter swimmers still swim in the icy waters, even when it is snowing. They enjoy themselves in the lake, while the people by the side of the lake are wearing heavy clothes.
Why are so many people interested in winter-swimming? Because winter-swimming can be good for one’s health.
Bei Sha is a good example. He is 69,and he once suffered from heart trouble for 26 years. After ten years of winter-swimming he is now in good health. Scientists are now studying the effects of winter-swimming on health.Among the winter-swimmers the oldest man is _______ years older than then youngest one.
| A．91 | B．84 | C．77 | D．7 |
Guess what “The members are from all walks of life” means?
| A．The members do different jobs at different places. |
| B．They come from all parts of Beijing. |
| C．They are persons of different ages. |
| D．They are men and women, old and young. |
The winter-swimmers are able to swim in the icy waters, even on snowy days because______.
| A．They are not afraid of coldness. |
| B．They often swim in the icy waters. |
| C．They know that they can benefit from it. |
| D．winter-swimmers can make people healthy. |
Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing because_____________.
| A．more and more people like to swim Beijing |
| B．it is more interesting than swimming in summer |
| C．winter-swimmers are brave men |
| D．winter-swimmers does a lot of good to one’s health |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．People in Beijing Like swimming in Winter |
| B．Winter-swimming—A Craze in Beijing |
| C．People Benefit from Winter-swimming |
| D．winter-swimmers Are Brave Men |
You speak, write a letter, make a telephone. Your words carry a message. People communicate with words. Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad.
When you put up your hands in class, the teacher 
knows you want to say something or ask questions. You shake your head, and people know you are saying "No". You nod and people know you are saying "Yes". Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus helps you to know which bus to take. A sign on the door helps you where to go in or out. Have you ever thought that there are a lot of signs around you and that you receive messages from them all the time? People can communicate in many other ways. An artist can use his drawing to tell beautiful mountains, about the blue sea and many other things. Books are written to tell about all the wonderful things in the world and also about people and their ideas. Books, magazines, TV, radio and films all help us communicate with others. They can help us to know what is going on in the world and what other people are thinking about.People communicate ________.
| A．with words only | B．in many different ways |
| C．in letters and drawings | D．with smiles, tears and hands |
Signs can carry as many _________ as words.
| A．questions | B．examples | C．tears and smiles | D．messages |
Which of the following is not talked in the passage as which can help us communicate?
| A．books and magazines | B．TV and films | C．newspapers | D．radio |
Communication is important because it can help people to ______.
| A．understand the world and other people better around us. |
| B．teach each other to speak, write, read and draw. |
| C．know what other people are thinking about |
| D．learn about mountains,blue sea and other things. |
The best title（题目）for this short passage is _________.
| A．Signs Carry Messages | B．The important Communication |
| C．Words, Signs and Drawing | D．Ways of Communication. |
The word “day” has two meanings. When we talk about the number of days in a year, we are using “day” to mean 24 hours. But when we talk about day and night, we are using “day” to mean the time between sunrise and sunset. Since the earth looks like a ball, the sun can shine on only half of it at a time. Always one half of the earth is having day and the other half night. A place is moved from day into night and from night into day over and over by the spinning(旋转) of the earth. At the equator(赤道) day and night are sometimes the same length. They are each twelve hours long. The sun rises at 6 in the morning and sets at 6 in the evening. For six months the North Pole is tilted(倾斜) toward the sun. In those months the Northern Hemisphere(半球) gets more hours of sunlight than the Southern Hemisphere. Days are longer than nights. South of the equator nights are longer than days. For the other six months the North Pole is tilted away from the sun. Then the Southern Hemisphere gets more sunlight. Days are longer than night. North of the equator nights are longer than days. Winter is the season of long nights. Summer is the season of long days.When the Western Hemisphere is having day, the Eastern Hemisphere is having ______.
| A．both day and night | B．day | C．neither day nor night | D．night |
A place is moved from day into night and from night into day over and over by ______ of the earth.
| A．the pushing | B．the pulling | C．the spinning | D．the passing |
At the equator day is as long as night ______.
| A．sometimes | B．never | C．usually | D．always |
When the North Pole is tilted toward the sun, the Northern Hemisphere gets _____ sunlight.
| A．less | B．more | C．all | D．no |
When it is winter in China, ______.
| A．the USA is tilted toward the sun |
| B．the South Pole is tilted away from the sun |
| C．the North Pole is tilted toward the sun |
| D．the North Pole is tilted away from the sun |
Are you looking for something fun and would you like to help others in your spare time? Then join us to be a volunteer! We’re a non-profit (赢利的) organization. We have volunteer jobs of all ages. Anyone, from twelve-year-old children to people in their seventies can become a volunteer.
You can help people in many ways. Schools need help with taking care of children while parents are working. Hospitals need volunteers to look after children while their parents are seeing a doctor. Animal lovers can help take care of those dogs and cats without homes. There is something for everyone.
“As a volunteer, I don’t want to get anything. Seeing the children’s happy faces, I’m happy, too.” Said Carlos Domingo, an old woman of 62. “I often played computer games in my spare time before. Now I help older people learn how to use computers.” said another volunteer at the age of 18.
If everyone helps out a bit, we’ll have a better world to live in. Interested? Call us 1-800-555-5756 or visit our website: www.activol.com.When do the volunteers help others?
| A．In their spare time. | B．At weekends | C．On weekdays. | D．In the evenings. |
_____ can be a volunteer.
| A．Children | B．Old women | C．Anyone aged 12-70 | D．Young people |
Volunteers want to get _______ when they help others.
| A．money | B．computers | C．everything | D．nothing |
Carlos Domingo does volunteer work with ______.
| A．animals | B．children | C．computers | D．older people |
We can read such a passage ______.
| A．in a newspaper | B．in a storybook | C．in a picture book | D．in a textbook |