It was a cold winter day. A woman drove up to the Rainbow Bridge tollbooth (收费站). “I’m paying for myself, and for the six cars behind me,” she said with a smile, handing over seven tickets. One after another, the next six drivers arriving at the tollbooth were informed, “Some lady up ahead already paid your fare.”
It turned out that the woman, Natalie Smith, had read something on a friend’s refrigerator: “Practice random(随意的) kindness and senseless acts of beauty.” The phrase impressed her so much that she copied it down.
Judy Foreman spotted the same phrase on a warehouse wall far away from home. When it stayed on her mind for days, she gave up and drove all the way back to copy it down. “I thought it was beautiful,” she said, explaining why she’d taken to writing it at the bottom of all her letters, “like a message from above.” Her husband, Frank, liked the phrase so much that he put it up on the classroom wall for his students, one of whom was the daughter of Alice Johnson, a local news reporter. Alice put it in the newspaper, admitting that though she liked it, she didn’t know where it came from or what it really meant.
Two days later, Alice got a call from Anne Herbert, a woman living in Marin. It was in a restaurant that Anne wrote the phrase down on a piece of paper, after turning it around in her mind for days.
“Here’s the idea,” Anne says. “Anything you think there should be more of, do it randomly.” Her fantasies(想象) include painting the classrooms of shabby schools, leaving hot meals on kitchen tables in the poor part of town, and giving money secretly to a proud old lady. Anne says, “Kindness can build on itself as much as violence can.”
The acts of random kindness spread. If you were one of those drivers who found your fare paid, who knows what you might have been inspired to do for someone else later. Like all great events, kindness begins slowly, with every single act. Let it be yours!Why did Natalie Smith pay for the six cars behind her?
| A．She knew the car drivers well. |
| B．She wanted to show kindness. |
| C．She hoped to please others. |
| D．She had seven tickets. |
Judy Foreman copied down the phrase because she .
| A．thought it was beautifully written |
| B．wanted to know what it really meant |
| C．decided to write it on a warehouse wall |
| D．wanted her husband to put it up in the classroom |
Who came up with the phrase according to the passage?
| A．Judy Foreman. | B．Natalie Smith. |
| C．Alice Johnson. | D．Anne Herbert. |
Which of the following statements is closest in the meaning to the underlined sentence above?
| A．Kindness and violence can change the world. |
| B．Kindness and violence can affect one’s behavior. |
| C．Kindness and violence can reproduce themselves. |
| D．Kindness and violence can shape one’s character. |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．People should practice random kindness to those in need. |
| B．People who receive kindness are likely to offer it to others. |
| C．People should practice random kindness to strangers they meet. |
| D．People who receive kindness are likely to pay it back to the giver. |
When building houses, people used to think about not only the climate of the areas but also the building materials and the fashions for their houses. However, since electricity became more and more expensive, people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways they could find to protect their houses from both cold and heat.
Now, houses of an old yet new type have been widely built. In some parts of the world, people share their houses with their livestock（家畜）.During cold weather, they gather their cows, goats, or other animals and keep them on the first floor of their houses. The reasons are that the animals can be protected from the cold and that they can help to heat the houses as well. The body heat given off by the animals rises to the second floor of the houses, where people live. By sharing their houses with their livestock, people gain a source of heat.
People who live in or near cities do not usually keep livestock. However, home builders use the fact that heat rises. This natural law can be used in building houses in these areas. Instead of keeping livestock on the first floor, builders fill it with large rocks. As they are open to the sun’s rays during cold weather, these rocks take in heat. They also give off the heat, and, of course, the warm air rises into the living areas of the houses. So these houses are energy-saving.
House-building becomes a great challenge（挑战）to building designers and energy engineers. They try to meet this challenge by learning from old traditions and by using modern technology. And someday in the future, people will be able to live in more energy-saving houses.
56．What did people begin to consider as electricity was no longer cheap?
A．The climate of their areas. B．The energy for their houses.
C．The fashions for their houses. D．The building materials for their houses.
57．People in some areas gain a source of heat by _________.
A．keeping their livestock downstairs
B．protecting their livestock from the cold
C．sharing their houses only with their cows
D．living on the second floor with their livestock
58．The underlined words “natural law” in the third paragraph refer to the fact that ________.
A．heat raises the temperature in the houses
B．heat goes in the upward direction
C．heat goes up if temperature is raised
D．heat increases the temperature of rocks
59．From the passage, we can conclude that __________.
A．people will no longer consider building materials in the future
B．energy-saving buildings will become more popular in the future
C．almost all people will move into the houses heated by large rocks
D．energy engineers will devote themselves only to modern technology
Good tool design is important in the prevention of overuse injuries. Well-designed tools and equipment will require less force to operate them and prevent awkward（别扭的）hand positions. They will allow the worker to keep the elbows（肘）next to the body to prevent damage to the shoulder and arm.
Overuse injuries can therefore be prevented or reduced if the employer provides, and workers use:
●power tools rather than having to use muscle（肌肉）power
●tools with specially designed handles that allow the wrist（手腕）to keep straight . This means that hands and wrists are kept in the same position as they would be if they were hanging relaxed at a person’s side
Figure1. Bend the tool, not the wrist
●tools with handles that can be held comfortably by the whole hand. This means having a selection of sizes—remember that tools that provide a comfortable firm hold for a person with a very large hand may be awkward for someone with a very small hand. This is a particularly important consideration for women who may use tools originally designed for men.
●tools that do not press fingers (or flesh) between the handles, and whose handles do not have sharp edges or a small surface area.
60. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Good Tool Design for Women B. Importance of Good Tool Design
C. Tool Design and Prevention of Injuries D. Overuse of Tools and Worker Protection
61. Which of the following describes a well-designed tool?
A. It’s kept close to the body. B. It fully uses muscle power.
C. It makes users feel relaxed. D. It’s operated with less force.
62. What is Figure 1 used to show?
A. The effective use of the tool. B. The way of operating the tool.
C. The proper design of the handle. D. The purpose of bending the wrist.
63. In choosing tools for women, _____of the handle is the most important.
A. the size B. the edge C. the shape D. the position
PITTSBURGH – For most people, snakes seem unpleasant or even threatening. But Howie Choset sees in their delicate movements a way to save lives.
The 37-year-old Carnegie Mellon University professor has spent years developing snake-like robots he hopes will eventually slide through fallen buildings in search of victims trapped after natural disasters or other emergencies.
Dan Kara is president of Robotics Trends, a Northboro, Mass.-based company that publishes an online industry magazine and runs robotics trade shows. He said there are other snake-like robots being developed, mainly at universities, but didn’t know of one that could climb pipes.
The Carnegie Mellon machines are designed to carry cameras and electronic sensors and can be controlled with a joystick(操纵杆). They move smoothly with the help of small electric motors, or servos, commonly used by hobbyists in model airplanes.
Built from lightweight materials, the robots are about the size of a human arm orsmaller. They can sense which way is up, but are only as good as their human operators, Choset added.
Sam Stover, a search term manager with the Federal Emergency Management Agency based in Indiana, said snake-type robots would offer greater mobility than equipment currently available, such as cameras attached to extendable roles.
“It just allows us to do something we’ve not been able to do before,” Stover said, “We needed them yesterday.”
He said sniffer dogs are still the best search tool for rescue workers, but that they can only be used effectively when workers have access to damaged buildings.
Stover, among the rescue workers who handled the aftermath (后果) of Hurricane Katrina, said snake robots would have helped rescuers search flooded houses in that disaster.
Choset said the robots may not be ready for use for another five to ten years, depending on funding.
72. Which institution is responsible for the development of Choset’s robots?
A. Robotics Trends.B. Pittsburgh City Council.
C. Carnegie Mellon University. D. Federal Emergency Management Agency.
73. Choset believes that his invention ______.
A.can be attached to an electronic arm B.can be used by hobbyists in model airplanes
C.can find victims more quickly than a sniffer dog
D.can sense its way no better than its operators
74. By saying “We needed them yesterday” (paragraph 7), Stover means that snake-like robots _____.
A.could help handle the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
B.would have been put to use in past rescue work
C.helped rescuers search flooded houses yesterday
D.were in greater need yesterday than today
75. What is the text mainly about?
A.Snake-like robots used in industries. B.Snake-like robots made to aid in rescues.
C.The development of snake-like robots. D.The working principles of snake-like robots.
Early people had very little effect on the environment. They lived in caves in very small ‘clan’groups. They collected or killed only enough for the clan’s survival. Early clans were nomadic, which means that they did not stay in one place. Instead, they moved around, following the animals that were their main food source and seeking areas where seasonal plants grew wild. Moving around seasonally helped to protect the environment. The land had time to recover and animals had time to breed (繁殖) before the clan returned for the next season.
As time went by, these small family clans joined with others to form larger groups for protection. Joining with other clans gave them more hunters and more women to help cut up the meat and share it between families. Eventually , people tamed(驯养) wild animals such as dogs and horses. People settled around rivers and fertile plains to share responsibilities and duties. Then, people began to plant crops instead of moving to areas where the plants grew. This development changed the environment.
Traditional forms of work also changed. Some people were better at performing a particular task than other clan members, so they began to specialize in things they were good at doing. This also meant that they began to exchange their goods for things that others produced.
People began to communicate with distant tribes. Land was cleared for roads. Foreign plants and animals were transported to places where they had not existed before. Specialization also gave people more free time. So art, dance and music became important ways of expressing feelings and thoughts. This was how many great civilizations started.
Compared to the past, modern civilization has experienced many changes to become the highly developed society that exists today. Populations have increased rapidly. Forests have been cleared for farms. Inventions and technology have made work easier.
However, pollution and other serious problems have also resulted from human progress. As concerned citizens, it is up to us to learn from past mistakes and to help maintain and improve our environment.
64. Early tribes didn't have much effect on animal population because __ .
A. they kept animals for themselves B. they ate only vegetables
C. they killed only enough for food D. they loved animals
65. The main purpose for small clans to join together was .
A. to hunt animals B. to seek safety C. to share cavesD. to protect environment
66. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A. Early people moved to new places looking for new sources of food.
B. Modem civilization began when people started to live together in big groups.
C. Modem advancements are always good for the environment.
D. People began to exchange goods because they didn't have enough money.
67. It can be concluded from the passage that .
A. human progress has brought civilization to the society
B. civilization has improved traditional forms of work
C. our environment has been affected by human progress
D. early people understood environmental protection
Most people think of racing when they see greyhounds (灰狗) and believe they need lots of exercise. They can actually be quite lazy! Greyhounds are good at fast races but not long-distance running. They do need regular exercise but they like to run for a short burst and then get back on the bed or a comfortable seat. Another misunderstanding is that greyhounds must be aggressive(好斗的) because they are big in size. In fact greyhounds love people and are gentle with children.
Greyhounds can live for 12 – 14 years but usually only race for two or three years, and after that they make great pets. They don’t need a lot of space, don’t make a lot of noise, and don’t eat a lot for their size.
Normally, greyhounds can be as tall as 90 cm. There is, however, a small-sized greyhound, which stands only 33cm. Greyhounds come in a variety of colors. Grey and yellowish-brown are the most common. Others include black, white, blue, red and brown or a mix of these.
Greyhounds have smooth body coats, low body fat and are very healthy. Because they’re slim (苗条的) they don’t have the leg problems like other dogs the same height. But they do feel the cold, especially since they would much rather be at home in bed than walking around outside.
56. The text is written mainly______.
A. to tell people how to raise greyhounds B. to let people know more about greyhounds
C. to explain why greyhounds are aggressive D. to describe greyhounds of different colors
57. It can be inferred that greyhounds_______.
A. love big doghouses B. like staying in bed all day
C. make the best guard dogs D. need some exercise outdoors
58. Why does the author say that greyhounds make great pets?
A. They are big in size. B. They live a very long life.
C. They can run races for some time. D. They are quiet and easy to look after.
59. If you keep a pet greyhound, it is important________.
A. to keep it slim B. to keep it warm C. to take special care of its legs
D. to take it to animal doctors regularly