Fahad Azad, an engineer in India, invented a robot named DuctBot．The toy-car sized DuctBot measured 23 centimeters in length, 19 centimeters in width and 9 centimeters in height and weighs just two kilograms．
The robot is designed to snake through dark, narrow air conditioning ducts （管道） and clean them．A pair of LEDs fitted on the robot light up the dirty scenery, so it can be captured （抓拍） by a camera．
In order to control it more easily, Mr. Azad chooses to fix DuctBot on wheels．The robot can clean off lots of dirt, as well as dead pigeons and insects．Keeping indoor air in good quality and monitoring carbon-dioxide levels in buildings with central air conditioning is a challenge．It is important in some places where clean air can mean a difference between life and death, such as hospitals．Dirty air has a bad influence on people's health．
EPSCO, a Dubai-based company which specializes in improving indoor air quality, read about Mr. Azad's invention in a national newspaper after he had won an international robotics competition．EPSCO had cleaning equipment, but it needed someone to get into those ducts to do the dirty, dangerous work．Across India, for example, the task still falls to children．They are small enough to go through those ducts．
In 2005, Mr. Azad who was still at university decided to do something about it．Six years later his own company, Robosoft Systems, has Bluestar, EPSCO and the Indian Navy, some leading air condition makers, as partners．
Mr. Azad and his ten employees are currently exploring robot designs to examine oil tanks or sewage （污水）pipes．Their biggest challenge is to make the robots user-friendly enough．Mr. Azad hopes that the robot could eventually be operated not by engineers but by workers．There will be lots of difficulties they need to overcome in the future．What can we learn about Ductbot?
| A．It is a toy car and popular with children． |
| B．It is designed to move like a snake in the ducts． |
| C．many LEDs are fitted on it to tell its location． |
| D．It is actually a camera to capture dirty scenery． |
The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 2 refers to "____"．
| A．the camera | B．the conditioning duct |
| C．the LED light | D．the dirty scenery |
What can the Ductbot do for us?
| A．Clean off the dirt in the ducts． |
| B．Control the central conditioning． |
| C．Reduce carbon-dioxide in buildings． |
| D．Protect more animals in city． |
According to the text, EPSCO____．
| A．has won an international robotics competition |
| B．hired children to clean the dirty ducts in the past |
| C．is the only partner of Robosoft Systems |
| D．specializes in improving people's health |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Only engineers can operate the Ductbot now． |
| B．New ways have been found to examine oil tanks． |
| C．Azad's difficulties are impossible to overcome． |
| D．Azad's team are working to improve their robot designs． |
Every day, life is made and lost. Every day, life goes on. Every day we experience some of the most important parts of life and may not even realize it: love, generosity, and perseverance. These values aren’t just important to us; they make the world what it is.
Scientists say that gravitaional(重力的)force makes the world turn, but some people say that love makes it go round. Love can be found anywhere: in families, friends, even complete strangers. Even if you can’t see it, you know it’s there.
Love may connect people all over the world, but what would the world be without generosity? Whether after a national disaster, or a school fund-raiser, one thing is certain----it is better to give than to receive. Generosity is found everywhere and whether it’s a large or small act, it makes a difference. Sometimes, though, it takes effort to be generous, which leads us to perseverance.
Founding a country, riding a bike, or finishing an essay, these are all finished with perseverance. Perseverance is the one thing that can help us achieve whatever we want. It is what helps scientists to discover cures for diseases, and athletes to become champions.
There is an infinite(无穷的) number of things we value, but without love, generosity and perseverance, we just don’t think that our life or the world would be the way it is.
1. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “________”.
A. the world B. gravitational force
C. value D. experience
2. To be generous, the author thinks________.
A. you needn’t make efforts B. you should be qualified
C. you should give all you have D. you will find it good to give
3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Perseverance is the only thing that can halp us to achieve success.
B. People don’t understand the life they are experiencing at all.
C. We can find love in complete strangers sometimes.
D. What the world is like depends on gravity and love.
4. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Success and Failure B. Three Values
C. Endless Love D. Life Full of Hope
Wednesday, October fifteenth, is the first Global Handwashing Day. Activities are planned in more than twenty countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands but very few use soap at so–called key (关键的)moments. These include after using the toilet , after cleaning a baby and before touching food .
The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germs (细菌).They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub it into all areas, including under the fingernails. Rub for at least twenty seconds. Then , wash well under running water . Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth or wave them in the air.
The Partnership for Handwashing says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend washing . Soap also helps to break up the grease （油脂）and dirt that hold most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell, which increases the likelihood that people will wash again.
The partnership says washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet could save more lives than any vaccine or medicine. It could help reduce cases of diarrhea (腹泻)by almost half. And it could reduce deaths from pneumonia(肺炎)and other breathing infections by one fourth.
Diarrhea is the second leading cause of child deaths, killing more than one and a half million children a year. Pneumonia is the leading cause, killing about two million children under five each year. Hand washing can also prevent the spread of other diseases.
When people get germs on their hands, they can infect themselves by touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Then they can infect others .
1.Why is there the Global Handwashing Day?
A. To increase the sale of soap around the world.
B. To save the chidren in the developing world.
C. To advice people to wash hands more often.
D. To encourage people to wash hands with soap
2.What’ s the correct order of washing hands?
a. Cover the hands with soap
b. Rub the hands for twenty seconds
c. Dry the hands with a clean cloth
d. Wet the hands with a small amount of water.
e. Wash the hands well under running water
A. d,a,b, e,c B. d,b,a,e,c C. a,e,d,b,c B. a,b,d ,e,c
3. Which of the following is NOT the reason why soap can help to remove germs?
A. It makes people spend more time washing hands.
B. It helps break up the grease and dirt on the hands
C. The pleasant smell kills off the disease-causing germs.
D. It raises the possibility of people washing hands again
4. What can we leam from the last three paragraphs?
A. Washing with soap will save our lives instead of medicine
B. Diarrhea and pneumonia get many children killed every year
C. People shouldn’t touch eyes and noses with hands for fear of germs.
D. We won’t get infected if we get our hands washed well.
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题，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，选出最佳项。
To Whom It May Concern:
My husband and I got married in 1965 and for the first ten years of our marriage I was very happy to stay at home and raise our three children. Then four years ago, our youngest child went to school and I thought I might go back to work.
My husband was very supportive and helped me to make my decision. He emphasized all of the things I can do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business.
After several weeks of job-hunting I found my present job, which is working for a small public relations firm. At first, my husband was very proud of me and would tell his friends, "My clever little wife can run that company she's working for."
But as his joking remark approached reality, my husband stopped talking to me about my job. I have received several promotions and pay increases, and I am now making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, my husband and I can do many things that we had always dreamed of doing, but we don't do these things because he is very unhappy.
We fight about little things and my husband is very critical of me in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to an end.
I love my husband very much, and I don't want him to feel inferior（自惭形秽）, but I also love my job. I think I can be a good wife and a working woman, but I don't know how. Can you give me some advice? Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my husband and my new career?
Please help. "Distressed"
1. The letter was most probably written ________.
A. in 1975 B. around 1980 C. four years ago D. in 1965
2. Her husband ________ when she first found her present job.
A. was very critical of her B. felt disappointed
C. was proud of her D. was happy but critical
3. What does the underlined word "promotion" mean?
A. scolding B. criticism C. prize D. advancement
4. As her income increased, ________.
A. she found a gap（分歧）emerged（显露）between her and her husband
B. she bought more clothes and a house
C. she did the many things she and her husband dreamed of
D. she felt very proud of herself
Bored by the Chinese courses he was majoring in, Zuo Cheng, 18, couldn't imagine having to drag himself into class day after day, week after week, for four years. The Beijing Language and Culture University student decided that enough was enough. After rounds of examinations and interviews, he managed to transfer (转移) to the Department of International Accounting.
"It may seem like I've wasted a year and have to start college all over again, but now that I've settled on a field, I'll be able to concentrate." Zuo said. Zuo is not alone.
At the China Three Gorges University in Yichang in Hubei province 53 out of 59 students in the Physics Department took transfer exams last term. Unfortunately only 22 of them got a place on another major.
Jiang Xin, 20, who was able to switch to electrical engineering and automation from physics, said that physics graduates had few other choices besides going into teaching. He added that a career in education just didn't suit him.
"I should have better job prospects (前景) and the chance to earn more money once I graduate," Jiang said. Many first year college students find their majors uninteresting.
However, Shao Yanfang, who works at the admissions office of a university, advised students to consider both short-term and long-term goals. "After graduation do you want to find yourself in a job very specifically related to your college major? Or, would you like to possess the knowledge and skills that will enable you to work in many areas? These are the questions students need to consider. Above all, your choice of major should be based on your own interests, abilities and personality," Shao said.
1. After Zuo Cheng managed to transfer the collage major, he felt________.
A. sad B. happyC. nervous D. pitiful
2. Which of the following statements is true?
A. A lot of students are not accustomed to the life on campus.
B. Students who attend university want to earn more money.
C. Students can change their major based on their interests.
D. Students who are weak in their study can change their major.
3. In the passage, Paragraph 3 functions as ________.
A. an example B. an introduction C. a conclusion D. an explanation
4. According to Shao Yanfang, students are supposed to think about ________ when changing majors.
A. present knowledge and skills B. short-term and long-term goals
C. future earnings and jobs D. relationship between friends
5. The text is written mainly for those ________.
A. Company managers B. Job hunters
C. Collage directors D. College students
For more than two decades, Oprah Winfrey has been the change-your-life champion who ruled over daytime television much like Johnny Caron once ruled late night.
However, now she’s ready to say goodbye, Wimfrey told viewers Friday that The Oprah Winfrey Show would close in September 2011 after 25 years on the air.
“I love this show. This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it’s time to say goodbye,” Winfrey said, holding back tears.
Winfrey’s show “is one of daytime television’s very foundations,” said Larry Gerbrandt an analyst for the firm Media Valuation Partners in Los Angeles. “Stations build their schedules around her. They gave it the best time period and used it to promote other shows.”
Winfrey offered no specific plans for the future, except to say that she intended to produce the best possible shows during the final two years.
“I just wanted to say whether you’ve been here with me from the beginning or you joined me last week, I want you all to know that my relationship with you is one that I hold very dear,” she said. “Your trust in me and the sharing of your precious time every day with me have brought me the greatest joy I have ever known.”
The Oprah Winfrey Show’s open atmosphere and frank conversation determined the talk show style and made Winfrey one of the most influential women in the US as well as the wealthiest black woman in the world.
“She has had great effects on today’s society. She’s just part of every one’s life,” said Yasmeen Elhaj, a 19-year-old student from Chicago.
1. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A. Winfrey’s Contributions to TV Show
B. Winfrey’s Show to Close in the Year 2011
C. Winfiey’s Great Influence in the USA
D. Winfrey’s Support for Black People
2. Winfrey’s talk show has lasted________.
A. nearly 25 years B. less than 20 years
C. no more than 20 years D. more than 25 years
3. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Winfred will change her show style in the coming years.
B. Winfrey will have some other specific plan for the future.
C. Winfred does promote some other shows after her retirement.
D. Winfrey appreciates every moment she has with her viewers.
4. Which of the following can best describe Oprah Winfred?
A. Energetic and funny. B. Friendly and clever.
C. Frank and influential. D. Active and changeable.