READY or not, the college application season has begun. There are two main kinds of early admissions programs: Early Action and Early Decision.
Early Action is a great choice for the well-prepared student. Students apply early, and are allowed to apply under an Early Action program to as many colleges as they choose. The biggest advantage for students is that colleges let them know early – in most cases, before Jan 1. Roughly 15 percent of colleges and universities offer an Early Action option. Oct 15 is now the first deadline for many colleges and universities.This movement toward earlier deadlines is especially popular in the Southeast, with many of the large public universities leading the way. North Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia all have an Oct 15 Early Action deadline.
Early Decision is a promise that cannot be reversed. Students who are accepted must take back their other applications and should attend that school. Students are allowed to apply to just one school under an Early Decision program. Early Decision deadlines are in early November, with colleges letting students know by mid-December.Many students believe that they are more likely to be accepted if they apply for Early Decision, but it actually depends.
In some cases there is big increase in students being accepted, and at other colleges it is not that big at all. Generally, the strongest students are applying early. Athletes and students with focused interests are encouraged to apply for Early Decision
Choose the best answer:
What is the author’s purpose in writing the article?
A.To explain the process of applying to study in the US. |
B.To describe two types of US college early admissions programs. |
C.To encourage students who want to study in the US to apply early. |
D.To list the advantages of early admissions programs. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of Early Action according to the article?
A.A student who is accepted as an Early Action applicant must attend the college they apply to. |
B.The deadline for Early Action is usually two months earlier than the one for Early Decision. |
C.Students can apply to several colleges at the same time under an Early Action program. |
D.Students can apply for Early Action at the majority of universities and colleges in the US. |
The underlined word “reversed” in Paragraph 6 probably means _______.
A.changed | B.balanced | C.accepted | D.arranged |
What can be concluded from the article?
A.Students are not allowed to apply for both Early Decision and Early Action at the same time. |
B.Students applying for Early Decision impress colleges because they tend to be more active than others. |
C.Early Decision is most fit for students who are skilled in some field. |
D.Those applying for Early Decision have a better chance of being accepted than those applying for Early Action. |
III. 阅读(共两节,满分40分)
第一节:阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30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,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Man has invented four kinds of satellites. The first kind of satellites studies the geography of the earth. They are used to make maps. They also help countries to see where they can find oil or gold. The second kind of satellites is used to guide ships and planes. A ship or a plane can send a message to the satellite and the satellite can find out where it is. The third kind of satellites studies the weather. These satellites watch clouds and strong winds moving across the earth. They warn countries to make preparations when very bad weather is coming. They take photos of the earth from miles above it and send the photos to weather stations on the ground.
The last kind is used for communication. Telephone calls between countries can be sent by these satellites. Some can carry hundreds of calls at one time. The call is sent to the satellite and then the satellite send it to the station in the country which is being phoned. These satellites also carry pictures, they can send about eight programs at a time.
1. If a ship is lost, ___________________, and the satellite will help it.
A. it can send a message to the satellite
B. the captain of the ship call the station
C. it stays there waiting
D. the satellite will take a photo of it
2. What can’t a satellite do according to the passage?
A. Tell the weatherB. Send a message
C. Tell the position D. Show the time
3. Which of the following is true?
A. A satellite can dig out oil and gold.
B. A satellite can stop a plane.
C. A satellite can take pictures.
D. A satellite can stop storms.
4. Many countries send up satellites into space mainly because______.
A. they are helpful B. they are fashionable
C. they show how strong a country is D. they make the country beautiful
5. Which can be the best title for this passage?
A. Where to find a satellite? B. How many kinds of satellites?
C. What can a satellite do? D. What is a satellite?
It’s only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in “Fiji time”?
Viti Levu – Great Fiji – is the largest island. Here you’ll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. On the other hand, Vatoa, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.
With less than a million people living on islands, you’ll never feel crowded. And with a climate(气候) that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there’s never a bad time to come.
From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.
Whenever you come, wherever you go, you’re sure to see some unforgettable events. From war dances to religious(宗教的) songs. From market days to religious days. It’s not just staged for tourists; it’s still a part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji’s spirit by being part of the traditional(传统的) sharing of yaqona, a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.
So why not join us for the experience of a life-time?
1. Where is the international airport of Fiji?
A. In Suva. B. In Sydney.
C. On the island of Vatoa. D. On the island of Viti Levu.
2. What does the text tell us about Fijian people?
A. They invented “Fiji time” for visitors.
B. They stick to a traditional way of life.
C. They like to travel from place to place. D. They love taking adventures abroad.
3. One of the things that make Fiji a tourist attraction is _______.
A. it’s comfortable hotels B. its good weather all year round
C. its exciting football matches D. its religious beliefs
4. Where can we most probably read this text?
A. In a personal diary. B. In a science report.
C. In a travel magazine. D. In a geography textbook.
Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris. He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn’t have any other luggage. Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a round-trip ticket and a small package.
“Give this package to Jean-Paul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it. I think you can find him easily ,” Tony said, ”You don’t have any luggage, right?”
“Only this backpack,” Brian answered. ”You said I could bring one carry-on bag. ”
“That’s right. One carry-on bag is fine. Have a good trip. ”
“Thanks.”
Is Brian a criminal(罪犯)? Not at all. He is an air-courier. And he paid only $110 for the round-trip ticket to Paris. Air couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an air-courier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an air courier, but it is quick.
Every year about 80,000 people worldwide travel as air couriers. The number of tickets for courier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, air-courier travel isn’t for everyone. But if you have very little money, can be flexible(灵活的) about your travel plans, and don’t mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation!
1. Why was Brian wearing so many clothes for his travel?
A. Because they were the uniforms for air couriers.
B. Because that made him easier to be recognized.
C. Because his backpack had no room his clothes.
D. Because he did not have any luggage with him
2. An air courier is a person who_________
A . manages a business company in foreign countries
B. organizes international flights for tourists
C. travels around the world with cheap tickets
D delivers papers and packages to foreign countries.
3. Business choose the air-courier service because_____.
A. it costs less B. it is flexible C. it saves time D. it grows fast
4. The author of the text mainly______.
A. describes the activities of a law-breaker B. suggests an ideal way to travel
C. argues against the air-courier travel D. tells us about a developing business
Far from the land of Antarctica(南极洲), a huge shelf of ice meets the ocean. At the underside of the shelf there lives a small fish, the Antarctic cod. For forty years scientists have been curious about that fish. How does it live where most fish would freeze to death? It must have some secret. The Antarctic is not a comfortable place to work and research has been slow. Now it seems we have an answer.
Research was begun by cutting holes in the ice and catching the fish. Scientists studied the fish’s blood and measured its freezing point.
The fish were taken from seawater that had a temperature of -1. 88℃ and many tiny pieces of ice floating in it. The blood of the fish did not begin to freeze until its temperature was lowered to -2. 05℃. That small difference is enough for the fish to live at the freezing temperature of the ice-salt mixture.
The scientists’ next research job was clear: Find out what in the fish’s blood kept it from freezing. Their search led to some really strange thing made up of a protein(蛋白质) never before seen in the blood of a fish. When it was removed, the blood froze at seawater temperature. When it was put back, the blood again had its antifreeze quality and a lowered freezing point.
Study showed that it is an unusual kind of protein. It has many small sugar molecules(分子) held in special positions within each big protein molecule. Because of its sugar content. It is called a glycoprotein. So it has come to be called the antifreeze fish glycoprotein, or AFGP.
1. What is the text mainly about?
A. The terrible conditions in the Antarctic.
B. A special fish living in freezing waters.
C. The ice shelf around Antarctica. D. Protection of the Antarctic cod.
2. Why can the Antarctic cod live at the freezing temperature?
A. The seawater has a temperature of -1. 88℃.
B. It loves to live in the ice-salt mixture.
C. A special protein keeps it from freezing.
D. Its blood has a temperature lower than -2. 05℃.
3. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A. A type of ice-salt mixture. B. A newly found protein.
C. Fish blood. D. Sugar molecule.
4. What does “glycol-” in the underlined word “glycoprotein” in the last paragraph mean?
A. sugar B. ice C. blood D. molecule
Advertisers tend to think big and perhaps this is why they're always coming in for criticism. Their critics(批评家)seem to hate them because they have so much money to throw around. Why don’t they stop advertising and reduce the price of their goods? After all, it’s the consumer who pays.
The poor old consumer! He'd have to pay a great deal more if advertising didn't create mass markets for products. It is precisely because of the heavy advertising that consumer goods are so cheap. But we get the wrong idea if we think the only purpose of advertising is to sell goods. Another equally important function is to inform. A great deal of the knowledge we have about household goods is largely from the advertisements we read. Advertisements introduce us to new products or remind us of the existence of ones we already know about. Supposing you wanted to buy a washing machine, it is more than likely you would obtain details regarding performance, price, etc., from an advertisement.
Lots of people pretend that they never read advertisements, but this claim may be seriously doubted. It is hardly possible not to read advertisements these days. And what fun they often are, too! Just think what a railway station or a newspaper would be like without advertisements. Would you enjoy gazing at a blank wall or reading railway byelaws while waiting for a train? A cheerful, witty advertisement makes such a difference to a dull wall or a newspaper full of the incidents and disasters.
We must not forget, either, that advertising makes a positive contribution to our pockets. The fact that we pay so little for our daily paper, or can enjoy so many broadcast programmers is due entirely to the money spent by advertisers. Just think what a newspaper would cost if we had to pay its full price!
Another thing we mustn't forget is the “small ads.” What a tremendously useful service they perform for the community! Just about anything can be accomplished through these columns. For instance, you can find a job, buy or sell a house, announce a birth, marriage or death in what used to be called the “hatch, match and dispatch” column(栏目) but by far the most fascinating section is the personal or “agony” column. No other item in a newspaper provides such entertaining reading or offers such a deep insight into human nature. It's the best advertisement for advertising there is!
1.What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Advertisements steal money from our pockets
B. The critics get the wrong idea of advertisements.
C. Advertisers perform a useful service to communities.
D. Advertisements are everywhere.
2.What is the attitude of the author toward advertisements?
A. He appreciates the role of advertisements.
B. He doubts the effect of advertisements.
C. He believes what is said in advertisements.
D. He complains too many advertisements in daily life.
3.Which of the following is Not True?
A. The personal or “agony” column makes us know more about human nature.
B. The only purpose of advertising is to sell goods.
C. A newspaper will cost us more if there is no advertisement on it.
D. Advertisement makes our life colorful.
4.Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
A. B. C.D.
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② ② ③ ② ③ ④
③ ④ ④ ⑤
⑤ ⑤ ② ③ ④ ⑤
( ①=" Paragraph" 1, ②=" paragraph" 2, ③=" paragraph" 3, ④=" paragraph" 4 ⑤=" paragraph" 5 )