Fortunately, I've been able to avoid the traffic jam brought by presidential visits because ! don't have to commute anywhere. Barack Obama visited Los Angeles recently which paralyzed large sections of a city and you could almost hear the collective pain of unhappy commuters.
I am among the l0 percent of people in the US that regularly work from home. You could include Obama among them, although I suspect his working area in the White House is better-equipped than my small space on to the back of the garage. He also probably doesn't have a problem with three little kids interrupting his phone calls or bursting into his office at inappropriate moments.
Every day there they are, knocking on my window and peering inside, as if looking at an animal in a zoo. Once, a telephone interview I was doing with the former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was interrupted by my older son, then three years old, and completely naked "Ahaaar!" he shouted to my face. "What was that?" said Schwarzenegger. I stammered(结巴地说出) something about the joys of children and silently managed to shoo the boy out of the room without putting down the phone.
I shouldn't complain. I no longer have to stand having someone's armpit(腋窝) being pressed into my face on a crowded train and home status means ! should be a more productive worker although working from home could also lead to "avoiding duties from home". I would argue that a bigger problem is going nuts: Staring at the same walls every day and not going anywhere can do strange things to a person.
I realized I had to get out of the house at least once a day to avoid turning into an unshaven and unshoweredrecluse(隐士) who was still in his pyjamas at dinner time. I would work for an hour or so in a local coffee shop but, like most routine, this became boring because I would constantly see the same faces: Screenwriters poring over screenplays, elderly women heading to the yoga studio next door and hordes of overweight middle-aged male cycling by.
And yet here I am several years later, still working from home consciously and, I'm happy to report, not sitting at my desk in my pyjamas. Not since last Tuesday, anyway.The author may agree that __
| A．it's a bad decision to work from home |
| B．presidential visits bring inconvenience to the locals |
| C．if a person wants to be more productive, he must work from home |
| D．the former California governor was angry at the interruption during the interview |
The incident of three-year-old son is described to prove that___
| A．working from home has some drawbacks |
| B．working from home is a pleasant experience |
| C．Barack Obama has better working conditions than the author |
| D．it's unfortunate for the author to have a naughty boy |
The reason why the author goes to the coffee shop is that __
| A．he wants to get familiar with the people around |
| B．he doesn't like working in his pyjamas at home |
| C．he becomes bored with being a commuter |
| D．he needs some changes to get relaxation |
The whole passage suggests that __
| A．the author has to work from home |
| B．any routine definitely means boredom |
| C．the author is a humorous person |
| D．working from home contributes to avoiding duties |
If you’re a male and you’re reading this, congratulations! You’re a survivor. According to statistics，you’re more than twice as likely to die of skin cancer than a woman，and nine times more likely to die of AIDS. Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term，about 78 years for men in Australia，you’ll die on average five years before a woman.
There're many reasons for this--typically，men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor.
“Men aren't seeing doctors as often as they should，” says Dr. Gullotta.“This is particularly so
for the over-40s, when diseases tend to strike. According to a recent survey, 95％of women aged between 15 and early 49s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70％of men in the same age group.
“A lot of men think they’re unbeatable，”Gullotta says．“They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think, Geez, if it could happen to him …”
Then there’s the ostrich（鸵鸟）approach．“Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know,” says Dr. Ross Cartmill.
“Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says. He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups.
“Prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases．Besides, the final cost is far greater，it’s called premature death.”
64．Why does the author congratulate male readers at the beginning of the passage?
A．They can live longer than they expected．
B．They are sure to enjoy a longer and happier life.
C．They have lived long enough to read this article.
D．They are more likely to survive serious diseases now．
65．Which of the author’s statements is the most important reason that men die five years earlier on
average than women according to the passage?
A．Men drink and smoke much more than women.
B．Men don’t seek medical care as often as women.
C．Men are more likely to suffer from deadly diseases.
D．Men aren’t as cautious as women in face of danger.
66．Which of the following best completes the underlined sentence “Geez, if it could happen to him…” （in Para 4） ?
A．it could happen to me，too.
B．it would be a big misfortune.
C．I should avoid playing golf.
D．I should consider myself lucky.
67．What does Dr．Ross Cartmill mean by“the ostrich approach”（in Para 5）?
A．A casual attitude towards one’s health conditions.
B．A new treatment for certain psychological problems．
C．Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involved.
D．Unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear.
The Harvard Student-led Walking Tour
Let a student show you Harvard … on a free walking tour.
We welcome our neighbors to stop by the Harvard University Events & Information Center, located in the Holyoke Center Arcade at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue in the heart of Harvard Square in Cambridge.
Let a student take you and your family，school，or organization on an engaging，hour-long historical tour of the Harvard campus．The tours leave from the Events & Information Center. Not only will you discover the location of fascinating exhibitions and programmes on campus，you will also see Harvard’s rich sampling of American history and architecture from the Colonial period to the present
Schedule of Tours
Tours leave the Events ＆ Information Center at 10 am and 2 pm Monday through Friday, and at 2 pm on Saturday through the academic year（February 4 through May 2；September 23 through December 16）. Summer tours（June 24 through August 15）are offered at 10 am，11:15 am，2 pm，and 3：1 5 pm Monday through Saturday．Reservations for special tours of 20 or more people may be made by calling the Events & Information Center at（617）495—1573 or emailing icenter@camail. Harvard. edu. Tours are stopped March 23 through April 2 for Spring break，May 3 through June 23 for Spring intercession（祷告）, and August 1 6 through September 22 for Summer intercession．
NOTE：Prospective（未来的）students may take tours originating at the Harvard Admissions Office，located at Byerly Hall on 8 Garden Street in Cambridge．The Admissions staff will conduct information sessions．For more information，please call at（617）495—1551.
Harvard University Events & Information Center
Location：Holyoke Center Arcade，1350 Massachusetts Avenue，Cambridge MA 02138
Phone：（617）495—1573
60．If you want to join in a tour，you can go on______
A．May 2 B．June 23 C．August 20． D．September 1
61．How can you book special tours of 20 people?
A．By calling at（617）495—1573
B．By calling at（617）495—1551
C．By visiting the Harvard Admissions Office．
D．By calling the Events & Information Center any time.
62．A student who wants an information session may______for more information.
A．call（617）495—1573．
B．call（617）495—1551
C．email icenter@camail. Harvard.edu
D．go to the Events & Information Center
63．The above ads is mainly intended for______.
A．foreign visitors B．high school students
C．new students in the university D．those living near Harvard University
第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，共30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It was a Sunday morning, and I was in a terrible mood. Two of my friends had gone to the movies the night before and hadn’t invited me．I was in my room thinking of ways to make them sorry when my father came in. “Want to go for a ride，today，Beck? It’s a beautiful day.”
“No ! Leave me alone!”Those were the last words I said to him that morning．
My friends called and invited me to go to the mall with them a few hours later．I forgot to be mad at them and went I came home to find a note on the table. My mother put it where I would be sure to see it. “Dad has had an accident. Please meet us at Highland Park Hospital”．
When I reached the hospital，my mother came out and told me my father’s injuries were extensive.“Your lather told the driver to leave him alone and just call 911，thank God! If he had moved Daddy，there’s no telling what might have happened．A broken rib（肋骨）might have pierced（穿透）a lung….”
My mother may have said more，but I didn’t hear．I didn’t hear anything except those terrible
words：Leave me alone．My dad said them to save himself from being hurt more．How much had I hurt him when I hurled those words at him earlier in the day?
It was several days later that he was finally able to have a conversation．I held his hand gently, afraid of hurting him．
“Daddy… I am so sorry….”
“It’s okay，sweetheart．I'll be okay．”
“No，”I said，“I mean about what I said to you that day．You know, that morning?”
My father could no more tell a lie than he could fly．He looked at me and said．“Sweetheart,
I don’t remember anything about that day， not before，during or after the accident． I remember
kissing you goodnight the night before，though．”He managed a weak smile．
My English teacher once told me that words have immeasurable power．They can hurt or they
can heal．And we all have the power to choose our words. I intend to do that very carefully from now on.
56．The author was in bad mood that morning because______.
A．his father had a terrible accident
B．he couldn’t drive to the mall with his friends
C．his friends hadn’t invited him to the cinema
D．his father didn’t allow him to go out with his friends
57．Why did the author say sorry to his father in the hospital?
A．Because he didn’t go along with his father．
B．Because he was rude to his father that morning．
C．Because he failed to come earlier after the accident．
D．Because he couldn’t look after his father in the hospital
58．The reason why the author’s father said he forgot everything about that day is that______
A．he had a poor memory
B．he didn’t wanted to comfort his son
C．he just wanted to comfort his son
D．he lost his memory after the accident
59．What lesson did Beck learn from the matter?
A．Don’t treat your parents badly．
B．Don’t hurt others with rude words．
C．Don’t move the injured in an accident．
D．Don’t be angry with friends at small things
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
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。
At the age of sixteen, I joined a volunteer group with my dad. I went on my first volunteer project in West Virginia. On the night we arrived, we discovered that “our family” was living in a trailer(拖车) that was in poor condition. A crew had been working on it for two weeks, but every time they finished one problem, another surfaced.
We decided the only reasonable solution was to build a new house – something unusual but necessary under these circumstances. The family was overjoyed with their new house that was twenty by thirty feet with three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchen.
On Tuesday of that week, while we ate lunch together, I asked the family’s three boys, Josh, Eric and Ryan, "What do you want for your new room?" Expecting toys and other gadgets that children usually ask for, we were surprised when Josh responded, "I just want a bed."
The boys had never slept in a bed! They were accustomed to plastic mats. That night we had a meeting and decided that beds would be the perfect gift. On Thursday night, a few adults in our group drove to the nearest city and bought beds and new bedding.
When we saw the delivery truck coming, we told the family about the surprise. We could hardly contain ourselves. It was like watching excited children on Christmas morning.
That afternoon, as we fitted the frames of the beds tog tether, Eric ran into the house to watch us. Too dirty to enter his room, he observed with wide-eyed enthusiasm from the doorway.
As my father slipped a pillowcase onto one of the pillows, Eric asked, "What is that?"
"A pillow," she replied.
"What do you do with it?" Eric continued to ask.
"When you go to sleep, you put your head on it,” I answered softly. Tears came to our eyes as she handed Eric the pillow.
"Oh . . . that's soft," he said, hugging it tightly.
Now, when my sister or I start to ask for something that seems urgent, my Dad gently asks, "Do you have a pillow?"
We know exactly what he means.
56．The writer’s first volunteer project was .
A．working on a poor trailer B．helping a poor family
C．donating beds and bedding D．dealing with a housing problem
57．On bearing Josh’s answer, the writer was shocked because .
A．the family lived in a trailer B．he expected to get some toys
C．he didn’t know what a bed was D．the boys had no bed to sleep in
58．From the passage, we can learn that Eric had never seenbefore.
A．a trailer B．a truck C．a pillow D．a house
59．By saying “Do you have a pillow?”, the writer’s father means that .
A．what they want to get may be unnecessary
B．they should not waste money on small things
C．they should do more volunteer work for the poor
D．what he will buy is not what they want but a pillow
D
Recently there was a major discovery in the scientific research—the mapping of all DNA in a human gene（基因） is complete．Couple of years ago, this seems an impossible task for scientist to accomplish．All this progress in science leads us to believe that the day, when the human being will be cloned, is not far away．Human cloning has always been a topic of argument, in terms of morality or religion．
Taking a look at why cloning might be beneficial, among many cases, it is arguable that parents who are known to be at risk of passing a genetic limitation to a child could make use of cloning．If the clone was free of genetic limitations．then the other clone would be as well．The latter could foe inserted in the woman and allowed to ripen to term．Moreover, cloning would enable women, who can't get pregnant, to have children of their own．
Cloning humans would also mean that organs could be cloned, so it would be a source of perfect transfer organs．This, surely would be greatly beneficial to millions of unfortunate people around the world that are expected to lose their lives due to failure of single （or more） organ （s）．It is also arguable that a ban on cloning may be unlawful and would rob people of the right to reproduce and limit the freedom of scientists．
Arguments against cloning are also on a perfectly practical side．Primarily, I believe that cloning would step in the normal "cycle" of life．There would be a large number of same genes, which reduce the chances of improvement, and, in turn, development—the fundamental reason how living things naturally adapt to the ever-changing environment．Life processes failing to do so might result in untimely disappearance．Furthermore, cloning would make the uniqueness that each one of us possesses disappear．Thus, leading to creation of genetically engineered groups of people for specific purposes and, chances are, that those individuals would be regarded as "objects" rather than people in the society．
Scientists haven't 100 per cent．guaranteed that the first cloned humans will be normal．Thus this could result in introduction of additional limitations in the human "gene-pool"．
Regarding such arguable topics in "black or white" approach seems very innocent to me personally．We should rather try to look at all "shades" of it．I believe that cloning is only legal if its purpose is for cloning organs; not humans．Then we could regard this as for "saving life" instead of "creating life"．I believe cloning humans is morally and socially unacceptable．
67．Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．Genetic limitation will be beneficial for some women．
B．A large number of genes will prevent us from developing．
C．Prohibition of cloning might limit the freedom of scientists．
D．First cloned humans might be normal according to scientists．
68．What's the author's opinion on cloning?
A．Cloning should be entirely banned．
B．Cloning should be used in creating life．
C．Cloning will take away the right to reproduce．
D．Cloning is acceptable if it is used for cloning organs．
69．Where can you read this article?
A．In a story book．
B．In a magazine．
C．In a science fiction．
D．In a brochure．
70．Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?