In many parts of the world, cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them. So the idea that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by government but also by car manufacturers.
The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2020 all cars will be computerized. That will mean much saving, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car in the future will drive itself. And it will not be owned by one individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.
According to Dr. David Davis, who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air, and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.
Davis says, cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices(装置) to regulate(调节) the distance between one car and another. The car will automatically speed up, or slow down, to match the speed of the car in front. computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people.
By 2016, Dr. David Davis believes, car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road, whatever the weather conditions, by projecting an image of the road ahead on to the car’s windscreen. And by 2020, cars will travel in line, linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow bar to the car in front to form “road-trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount.”says Davis. “but all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount, and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.”We know from the passage that governments and car manufactures____________.
| A．don’t believe the prediction that no one will own cars by 2020 |
| B．are dedicated to the technological invention in car industry |
| C．consider the prediction made by the researchers seriously |
| D．have put the super-intelligent car into mass production |
Which of the following will be the characteristic of transport in 2020?
| A．The cars will consume no fuels. |
| B．There won’t be any car accidents. |
| C．All cars will be driven at the same speed. |
| D．All car drivers will be trained to be more skillful than today’s. |
Davis believes that the present car culture will change because__________.
| A．cars play an important role in daily life |
| B．many societies would stop working without cars |
| C．cars should not be owned by one individual |
| D．it causes more and more agonies（烦恼） to human society |
Which of the following sentences can explain “better use of roads”by 2020 mentioned in the passage?
| A．Computer-driven cars drive much closer together than cars driven by people. |
| B．Motorists can have a clear view of the road whatever the weather conditions are. |
| C．Cars will travel in convoy, linked to each other by an electronic tow bar. |
| D．Intelligent cruise control devices can regulate the distance between one car and another. |
What will happen if cars are linked to each other electronically in 2020?
| A．Motorists will get a clear view of the road. |
| B．The weather conditions won’t have effect on motorists. |
| C．There will be a great decrease in the pollution caused by cars. |
| D．All trains will burn less fuel than present. |
B
Until I started my Happiness Project, I didn’t think much about rituals and whether they made me happy. But when I reflected on them, I realized that I found rituals both calming and energizing.
For example, in my high school, exams were taken very seriously. When everyone was steeled at a desk, the teacher would pass out the papers, and we would lay them face down. She would return to the front of the classroom, look at the clock, and say quietly, “It is 9:10 now. You have two hours. Be sure to read all the instructions carefully”—then a pause —“you may turn over your test paper and begin now.” This familiar, quiet formula made the start of an exam into a little ritual that put me in the right frame of mind to face a tense exam.
In kindergarten, after singing a good-bye song, the children stand in a circle in the classroom, while the grown-ups wait in a line outside the door. The teacher calls the children’s names, one by one, and the child comes to the door to get a big hug and to leave. The orderliness of this process keeps everyone calm and cheerful.
So think about rituals in your life. Take a moment to taste the enjoyable ones. Think about opportunities to heighten the experience of an ordinary occasion by treating it with special consideration. This is particularly useful if it’s a stressful or emotional experience, discussing a child’s report card, giving a performance review. Packing for a trip, or getting ready for a date.
Studies show that family traditions and family rituals encourage children’s social development and improve feeling of family. They’re not just important for children but for the whole society.
61．From the passage we know that__________．
A．rituals can make the whole society happy and peaceful
B．the author felt nervous when he took exams in high school
C．the exams in high school was a mess
D．the children are nervous as the adults wait to watch their performance
62．The author mentions all of the ritual items in paragraph 3 EXCEPT _________ .
A．singing a good-bye song
B．standing in a circle in the classroom
C．children getting a big hug
D．grown-ups shaking hand with the teacher
63．Studies show that one way to encourage child’s social development is to___________．
A．train their parents for rituals
B．communicate with children
C．form family rituals
D．praise their good actions
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
A
Spending time together is very important for a family. Parents can use this time to really get to know their children, and children love spending time together with their parents.
Whether it is breakfast, lunch or dinner, families can always come together at the table. Meal time can feed more than just the baby alone, family relations can be promoted as well. Eating breakfast together is a great way to start the day. Eating dinner together every night allows families to share the happening of the day and plan for tomorrow.
Everyone loves a good movie. Break out a bowl of popcorn and gather on the couch together for a family movie night once a week. After a week or two, families begin to really look forward to this relaxing and quiet family time.
Pack up your tent and head for the hills. Going camping is a great way for families have some of that special time together, and a great way to have a holiday too!
Games are fun for both kids and adults. There are so many games to choose from ! This is a wonderful way to bring families together as games make family time so fun !
Gather your family together for a story. Kids just love bedtime stories, This allows parents to spend a bit of time with their kids, too. Children will fall asleep much easier after having a story read to them. This little bit of family time is beneficial in a lot of ways.
Enjoy your family time and have fun with it . You’ll remember the special time for the of your lives.
56．The author thinks playing games is a good way to bring family together because_________．
A．family time is always a fun game
B．both parents and children like games
C．there are so many games for children
D．games are to children what movies are to parents
57．The author seems to believe that________．
A．eating dinner together is to prepare for tomorrow
B．parents should treat children as readers
C．children need parents to read to them
D．watching movies is always special
58．The author implies that_________．
A．watching a movie with popcorn is a practice
B．there is little time for a family to read together
C．meal time can help to strengthen family ties
D．camping is good way to stay away from stress
59．By writing the passage, the author intends to__________．
A．tell readers why it’s necessary to spend family time together
B．show people like spending family time together
C．express his appreciation of the time his family spent is important
D．explain why reading to children before they go to sleep is important
60．The main purpose of the text is to________．
A．give advice B．provide facts C．tell a story D．compare opinions
E
Teachers have long said that success is its own reward. But these days, some students are finding that good grades can bring them cash and luxury gifts.
In at least a dozen states this school year, students who bring home top marks can expect more than just thankfulness.
The most ambitious experiment began in September, when seven states—Arkansas, Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia and Washington—won spots in an Mobilfunded program that, in most cases, pays students $100 for each passing grade on advanced placement(AP) collegeprep exams.
It’s an effort to get lowincome and minority students interested in the courses, says Tommie Sue Anthony, president of the Arkansas Advanced Initiative for Math and Science. “We still have students who are not sure of the value, who are not willing to take the courses.” she says, “Probably the motivation will make a difference with those students.”
Gregg Fleisher of the National Math and Science Initiative, which runs the sevenstate program, says the effort is modeled on a program adopted by Dallas in the 1995-1996 school year that saw AP coursetaking jump obviously. That program is now statewide.
While many educators would be against offering kids cash for good grades, Fleisher and others say the idea is simple. “It’s an encouragement to get them to basically make the right decision and choose a more strict class.” he says, “This teaches them that if they work at something very hard and have a lot of support, they can do something they didn’t think they could do.”
An analysis of the Texas program last month by Cornell economist C.Kirabo Jackson found that it linked to a 30% rise in the number of students with high SAT and ACT scores and an 8% rise in collegegoing students.
(Notes:1.SAT:美国学术能力评估考试; 2.ACT:美国大学入学考试。)
51.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.Success is its own reward. B.Success makes a difference.
C.Good grades deserves gratitude. D.A new motivation for students.
52.What’s the purpose of the experiment?
A.To get relatively poor students interested in their studies.
B.To help poor students to keep on with education.
C.To offer poor students luxury gifts on their birthdays.
D.To make an effort to raise the value of money.
53.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Students who top at collegeprep exams get $100.
B.The program was probably first adopted by Dallas.
C.The program has been going on half a dozen states this year.
D.The program didn’t have any effect on student’s achievements.
54.What is the writer’s attitude toward offering kids cash for good grades?
A.Favorable. B.Worried. C.Opposed. D.Confident.
55.According to the passage, the program_______.
A.makes everything possible B.encourages students to study harder
C.helps students choose right classesD.teaches students to spend money
D
Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.
By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power”.
Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal(日志) of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.
Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem—why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half way there.
Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.
47.What would be the best title for the passage?
A.A Way on How to Write
B.Increase Your Brain Power Through Writing
C.Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing
D.How to Start Your Writing
48.According to the passage, writing can help you a lot EXCEPT_______.
A.to increase your brain power B.to improve the ability to remember
C.to develop your interest in study D.to strengthen the understanding of a topic
49.The underlined sentence “you’re halfway there” in the fourth paragraph means that_______.
A.you are already successful
B.there’s a long way for you to go to reach your goal
C.you are left wondering what to do
D.you have been on the way to success
50.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Writing can cure people of their brain disease.
B.People who can keep all thoughts in mind are more likely to succeed.
C.Writing a book about one topic is the only way to understand it.
D.The more you write, the more logical you will be.
C
With a VISA card in your hand, the world opens up to you. With more than 24 million places across the world accepting VISA, you can use your VISA card instead of cash to pay for your everyday purchases—whether you are shopping at the grocery store, dining at a restaurant, filling your car with petrol or buying the perfect gift on your travels. You can even use it to get cash from more than one million ATMs around the world.
To avoid even that inconvenience, you can take the following basic precautions:When you get your card:
Sign the signature panel immediately;4BIf you have been given a PIN(personal identification number) to use at a cash machine or in shops, memorize it—never write it down;
If you choose your own PIN, or change the one you were given, avoid obvious choices such as your date of birth or telephone number;
Do not tell anyone your PIN;
At home
Keep your sales and cash machine receipts and check them against your card or bank statement;
If any amount is incorrect or you spot a transaction you did not make, call the bank or other organizations that issued your card immediately;
Keep a list of your card numbers, along with the telephone numbers you should call if they are lost or stolen.
In the shop
Check the sales slip to ensure the amount is correct and the total has been filled in before you sign;
Make sure the retailer gives the card back to you, along with your copy of the voucher(收据）；
Keep your card close to you—be ware of pickpockets(扒手);
Do not leave your card in your car’s glove compartment.
Telephone and mail order shopping:
When you place an order over the telephone or by mail, give your card number only if you are confident about the company’s reputation;
You might be asked for your VISA card security code—the three digits at the end of the card number printed on the signature panel. Give the seller that code but never give your PIN.
43.If you were asked for your VISA card security code, what would you do?
A.Never tell the card number to anybody
B.Check the card number and never give your PIN
C.Give your card number only if you are confident about the company
D.Call the bank or other organizations for help
44.What’s a VISA card?
A.It’s a card that you can use to pay for something.
B.It’s a card which includes a PIN, without that it is penniless.
C.It’s another form of money, which can buy anything around the world.
D.It’s something that you can place an order over the telephone or by mail.
45.What’s the title of the passage?
A.VISA Card Is Important B.ATM’s Replacement—VISA Card
C.Inconvenient, Safe But Cheap D.VISA Card—Another World Opens to You
46.Which of the following statements is right?
A.We can buy anything in the world with a VISA.
B.If your VISA card is stolen, you should tell the bank your card number.
C.In case of forgetting your PIN, you can tell your mother your PIN.
D.You can put your VISA card in your car if there’s nobody around you.