American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country cities reflect the values of the culture. Cities contain the very best aspects of a society: opportunities for education employment and entertainment. They also contain the very worst parts of a society: violent crime racial conflict and poverty. American cities are changing just as American society is changing.
After World War II city residents became wealthier more prosperous. They had more children. They needed more space. They move out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs areas near a city where people live. These are areas without many offices or factories. During the 1950s the American “dream” was to have a house in the suburbs.
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in 1950s are now adults. They unlike their parents want to live in the cities. Many young professionals doctors lawyers and executives are moving back into the city. Many are single; others are married but often without children. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; they are afraid of the fuel shortage; or they just enjoy the excitement and opportunities which the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright , new future .Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure：many dying cities are alive again.What does the author think of cities all over the world ?
| A．They are alive . | B．They are hopeless. |
| C．They are similar | D．They are different. |
Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Ⅱ?
| A．Because older American cities were dying. |
| B．Because they were richer and needed more space. |
| C．Because cities contained the worst parts of society. |
| D．Because they could hardly afford to live in the city. |
According to the 4 th paragragh, a great many poor people in American cities ____ .
| A．are faced with housing problems |
| B．are faced to move to the suburbs |
| C．want to sell their buildings |
| D．need more money for daily expenses |
We can conclude from the text that_____?
| A．American cities are changing for the wars |
| B．people have different views on American cities |
| C．many people are now moving from American cities |
| D．the population is decreasing in older American cities |
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If US software(软件) companies don’t pay more attention to quality, they could kiss their business good-bye. Both India and Brazil are developing a world-class software industry. Their weapon is quality and one of their jobs is to attract the top US quality specialists whose voices are not listened to in their country.
Already, of the world’s 12 software houses that have earned the highest position in the world, seven are in India. That’s largely because they have used new methods American software specialists refused to use. For example, for years, quality specialists, W. Edwards Deming and J.M. Juran had tried to persuade US software companies to change their attitudes to quality. But their quality call mainly fell on deaf ears in the US--but not in Japan. By the 1970s and 1980s, Japan was taking its market share with better, cheaper products. They used Deming’s and Juran’s ideas to bring down the cost of good quality to as little as 5% of total production costs. In US factories, the cost of quality then was 10 times as high: 50%. In software, it still is.
Watts S. Humphrey spent 27 years at IBM heading up software production and then quality assurance(保证). But his advice was seldom paid attention to. He retired from IBM in 1986. In 1987, he worked out a system for assessing(评估) and improving software quality. It has proved its value time and again. For example, in 1990 the cost of quality at Raytheon Electronics Systems was almost 60 % of total software production costs. It fell to 15% in 1996 and has since further dropped to below 10 %.
Like Deming and Juran, Humphrey seems to be winning more praises overseas than at home. The Indian government and several companies have just founded the Watts Humphrey Software Quality Institute at the Software Technology Park in Chennai, India. Let’s hope that US lead in software will not be eaten up by its quality problems.
64. Which country has the most first-class software companies in the world?
A. Germany. B. The USA. C. Brazil. D. India.
65. Which of the following statements about Humphrey is true?
A. He is now still an IBM employer.
B. He has worked for IBM for 37 years.
C. The US pays much attention to his quality advice.
D. India honors him highly.
66. By what means did Japan take its large market share by the 1970s and the 1980s?
A. Its products were cheaper in price and better in quality.
B. Its advertising was most successful.
C. The US hardware industry was falling behind.
D. Japan hired a lot of Indian software specialists.
67. What is the writer worrying about?
A. Many US software specialists are working for Japan.
B. The quality problem has become a worldwide problem.
C. The US will lose its lead in software in the world.
D. India and Japan are joining hands to compete with the US.
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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，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bicycles to work every day. In New York, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City. They declare that if more people rode bicycles to work, there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown part of the city and so less dirty air from car engines.For several years this group has been trying to get the city government to help bicycle riders. For example, they want the city to draw special lanes（车道） for bicycles only on some of the main streets, because when bicycle riders must use the same lanes as cars, there are accidents. Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes.But no bicycle lanes have been drawn. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea—they say it will slow traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea—they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business.The city government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park—the largest place of open ground in New York—is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bicycles only.But Bike for a Better City says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bicycle lanes downtown.56. In New York , a group of bike riders______.A. are keeping practising for healthB. have no cars of their ownC. are complaining（埋怨） there are not enough busesD. are trying to settle the problem of air pollution57. The bike riders suggest that______.A. bicycles should be used instead of cars
B. bicycle lanes should be drawnC. fewer buses or cars should be used
D. the number of special lanes should be increased
58. The advantage of the special lanes is that______.
A. they will make cars and buses run slowly
B. they will make it easier for bike riders to go to parks
C. they will make the city more beautiful
D. the lanes will prevent accidents
59. The government has not decided whether special lanes should be drawn______.
A. so that everyone is disappointed
B. because there are different opinions
C. because most people travel by train
D. because Bike for a Better City is not strong enough
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Koeler took special notice of the tall woman who was nicely dressed, but she was wearing ugly, thick-soled(厚底) shoes.
Now the woman was taken to a room for questioning. There it was found that the soles of the shoes were hollow(中空的). They were opened. Some diamonds fell out on the floor. Their total weight was 3377 carats(克拉).
The young woman broke down in tears. Then she told her story. For years she had dreamed of coming to live in America, she said. At last she had managed to get the papers she needed to come to the U.S. Then a strange man called on her. He said he would pay for her trip and give her one hundred dollars. All she had to do was to smuggle the diamonds past the U.S. Customs. The man gave her the shoes and also bought her a plane ticket. Just before she got on the plane, he gave her an envelope. He said that it was the hundred dollars he had promised.
The weeping woman handed the envelope to Koeler. He tore it open. There was only eighteen dollars. She was cheated. In the end the woman was trialed and sentenced to eighteen months in prison for her part in the smuggling.
60. Where did the story happen?
A. At an airport. B. At a police station.
C. At a railway station. D. In a custom office in China.
61. The underlined word “smuggling ” in this passage most probably means_____.
A. 偷税 B. 盗窃 C. 走私 D. 交换
62. The woman had agreed to smuggle the diamonds______.
A. in order to get the papers she needed B. in hope of selling them
C. in return for some money and a free trip D. so as to share them with the man
63. Which is the right order of the events(事件)given in the passage?
a. She wanted to live in the U.S.
b. She arrived in the U.S.
c. She was given an envelope.
d. She was given a plane ticket.
e. She was found out.
f. She was put into prison.
A. a, d, c, b, e, f B. a, b, c, e, f, d
C. a, c, d, b, e, f D. a, b, d, c, e, f
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"If you're busy preparing for your job interview now, you could learn a lot by watching this show," says Joe Turner.
Mr. Turner says American Idol (美国偶像) has many lessons to teach an employee about making an impression in a job interview, especially selling your strengths and skills.
To win on American Idol, "you don't have to be the best singer, just the most memorable singer," he said. "Same for the job interview — you don't have to be the best employee with the top skills, but you do have to be the most memorable employee worth being hired."
The No.1 thing in an interview and a job search is knowing your audience. For American Idol competitors, the judges and voting (投票的) public are the audience; for job hunters, it's the hiring manager.
Just as talented American Idol competitors lack confidence when singing the wrong song, job hunters can fail to be chosen when they fail to present their skills according to the employer's needs.
"Difference" is how Mr. Turner describes the way American Idol competitors stand out among singers who may be equally good.
In the real world, the right skills, education and experience still make one's ability different or memorable. But it's important for the job hunter to present "something special" that he or she has to offer.
A recent survey suggests that managers often sense whether they'll hire someone within minutes after the first handshake. Just as an Idol competitor prepares for performances, a job hunter should prepare carefully to make the first good impression.
Job hunters also can learn from past American Idol winners who proved an ability to recover from setbacks. If they can take feedback (反馈), make improvements and make sure they're better prepared the next go-round, that will pay off eventually.
72. The purpose of the passage is _________.
A. to persuade readers to take part in American Idol
B. to praise the winners of American Idol
C. to advertise for American Idol
D. to tell job hunters what they can learn from American Idol
73. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. if a job hunter fails to be chosen for one job, he or she will never succeed
B. job hunters should distinguish themselves from other applicants when interviewing
C. the skills, education and experience are the keys to your success
D. an American Idol competitor is never the same as a job hunter
74. The underlined word "setbacks" in the last paragraph means __________.
A. failures B. successes
C. performances D. advantages
75. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage ?
A. The reason that you are planning to change your job.
B. The best singer may not win on American Idol.
C. An employer may have the opinion on a job hunter within minutes.
D. How an American Idol competitor can stand out among singers.
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Opened on October, 27, 1907 and completed in 1908, Union Station (联盟火车站) is considered to be one of the finest examples of the Beaux-Arts (古典装饰的) style of architecture. Architect Daniel Buraham designed the building.
At the time it was built, Union Station covered more ground than any other buildings in the United States and was the largest train station in the world. In many ways, Union Station was a city within a city. At various times it employed a staff of over 5,000 people and provided hotel, ice house, first-class restaurant and police station.
As train travel was the means of transportation for even US Presidents in the early 1900s, a Presidential Suite (总统套间) was added to Union Station. In 1909, President Taft was the first President to use the room and over the years many famous people were officially welcomed there. The last President to use the Presidential Suite was President Eisenhower.
For half a century and through two world wars, Union Station served Washington and the US as a major center of transportation and the place for many historic events. On April 14, 1945, a train backed into Union Station carrying the casket (棺材) of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
However, the air travel led to a decline in railroad passengers, and Union Station began to fall into disuse. In 1968, the decision was made to change it into the "National Visitor Center". The project opened in July 4, 1976 but failed to draw enough crowds to sustain（="keep" up） its operation, and was closed in 1978.
While Congress debated the future of Union Station, rain damage caused parts of the roof to fall down. Following three years of repair at a cost of $160 million, Union Station reopened on September 29, 1988.
Today, Union Station continues to make history as the most visited place with over 29 million visitors a year. World-class exhibitions and international cultural events are hosted there for the public to enjoy. Private special events are celebrated in the grand halls. Even today, US Presidents still visit Union Station.
68. What is the passage mainly about?
A. Introduction to Union Station. B. Architecture in the US.
C. Train stations in the US.D. Transportation in the US.
69. Place the following events in the correct order.
a. Union Station reopened.
b. President Taft used the Presidential Suite.
c. The decision was made to change Union Station into the "National Visitor Center".
d. The construction of Union Station was completed.
A. cdbaB. dacbC. dbcaD. acbd
70. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 6 implies that _______.
A. Union Station was a symbol of the US
B. Union Station was of no use
C. the government was unwilling to waste money on Union Station
D. Union Station was not rebuilt immediately
71. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Union Station is still the largest train station in the world.
B. Union Station made great contributions to the United States.
C. The repair work of Union Station lasted several years.
D. Union Station is popular in the US nowadays.