Thebiggestdangerfacingairlines-优题课

When an ant dies, other ants take it out of the nest, often within an hour after its death. This behavior interests scientists and they wonder how ants know for sure—and so soon—that another ant is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behaviour. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist, a scientist who studies animals and plants. He found that ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I'm dead—take me away” when it is dead.
But there's a question to answer: As we know, if an ant is dead, it stops moving. But when an ant is sleeping or knocked unconscious, it is also not moving. However, other ants don't move the living ant out of the nest. How do they know this ant is not dead? Choe found that ants have another chemical on their bodies, which tells nearby ants something like, “Wait—I'm not dead yet”when it is not dead. Choe suspects that when an ant dies, the chemical that says, “Wait I'm not dead yet”quickly goes away. When other ants detect the“dead”chemical without the“not dead yet”chemical, they move away the body.
To test his theory , Choe and his team put different chemicals on ants. When the scientists used the “I'm dead” chemical, other ants quickly moved the treated ant away. When the scientists used the“Wait—I'm not dead yet”chemical, other ants left the treated ant alone. Choe believes this behavior shows that the“not dead yet”chemical overrides the“dead” chemical when picked up by other ants. And that when an ant dies, the “not dead yet” chemical fades away. Other nearby ants then detect the remaining“dead”chemical and remove the body from the nest.
Understanding this behavior can help scientists figure out how to stop ants from invading new places and causing problems.
57. What is the function of the first paragraph?
A. Leading the following paragraphs.
B. Showing the main idea of the passage.
C. Introducing the background of the passage.
D. Giving a summary of the passage.
58. Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “overrides” in the fourth paragraph?
A.is weaker than B. is stronger than C. is better than D. is worse than
59. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Living ants can also be taken away when they are not moving.
B. When an ant dies, it can tell others using a certain chemical.
C. A living ant can pretend to be dead using a special chemical.
D. Ants often use chemicals to communicate with each other.
60. Which of the following descriptions about Dong-Hwan Choe is right?
A. Choe did this study in order to stop ants from invading new places.
B.Choe is a biologist who is only interested in animals, especially in ants.
C. Choe first came up with an idea to explain this ant behavior，and then did some tests to prove his theory.
D. Choe did the research on this ant behavior on his own

COPENHAGEN—The world is gathered in Copenhagen for the U.N. climate summit, but Denmark’s bicycle-friendly capital has also given its name to a movement of cities trying to find a kinder way to travel to and from work.
Nearly 40 percent of Copenhagen’s population cycle to work or school on ubiquitous（无处不在的） paved cycle paths. Many residents take to their bikes year-round, braving rain and snow through the winter in a city where the bicycles outnumber the people.
Amsterdam and Beijing too are known for their bicycles, but the Danish capital is where urban planners from around the world have been looking for ways to get their people out of cars and up onto bikes, an effort known as Copenhagenisation.
Klaus Bondam, Copenhagen’s technical and environmental chief, calls himself a “mega cyclist” and says the bike’s popularity stems partly from high taxes on cars which meant working-class Danes could not afford to drive in the 1930s and 1940s. “Today you’ll meet everybody on the bicycle lanes — women and men, rich and poor, old and young.” Bondam said.
The local government has during the last three years invested more than 250 million crowns ($49.42 million) in bicycle lanes and to make the traffic safer for bicyclists. Today around a third of the population drive cars to work or study, another third take public transport, while 37 percent cycle -- a figure the city aims to increase to 50 percent by 2015.
There are many benefits when citizens choose bicycles over cars: pollution and noise decline, public health improves, and more people on bikes or walking creates a sense of safety in the city. Fewer parked cars leaves more space for playgrounds, parks, shopping areas and other useful public places.
53. According to the first paragraph, Copenhagen is better known as ___________.
A. a city without cars B. a bicycle-friendly city
C. Denmark’s capital D. the U.N. climate summit
54. We can learn from the second and the third paragraph, __________.
A. there is no path for cars during rainy and snowy days
B. citizens are limited to have only one bike for each person
C. two-thirds of people in Copenhagen cycle to work or school
D. city planners try their best to encourage more citizens to ride bikes
55. Bikes are popular in Copenhagen partly because ___________.
A. the citizens are unable to afford to buy a car
B. the rich tend to keep fit by cycling to work
C. young people regard cycling a fashion to follow
D. high taxes were paid for cars in the 1930s and 1940s
56. We can learn from the passage that __________.
A. cars are forbidden to park in Copenhagen
B. more citizens tend to choose cars in Copenhagen
C. Copenhagen becomes a model for cities’ traffic
D. living standards in Copenhagen are greatly declining

World Footballer of the Year 2009
Football experts from the world have chosen Steven Gerrard, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Samuel Eto'o as the top footballers in the world. Now it's up to you to vote for the player you think is the king of World Football.
THE CANDIDATES

Vote Now
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
＊Why I'd vote for Gerrard
“Gerrard is clearly in his prime and quite rightly rated one of the finest midfield players of his generation.” says Steve Bates, chairman of the FWA.
＊Why I'd vote for Cristiano Ronaldo
Johan Cruyff points out Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United.
＊Why I'd vote for Samuel Eto'o
Piers Edwards thinks the title of World footballer should go to Samuel Eto'o.
＊Why I'd vote for Messi
Messi’s individual brilliance and year-long persistence has impressed Diego Maradona.
49. The passage is mainly intended to __________.
A. invite readers to vote for the World Footballer of 2009
B. predict the results of the vote of the World Footballer of 2009
C. tell the outstanding performance of the candidates of the World Footballer of 2009
D. share with readers the experts’ opinions on the candidates of World Footballer of 2009
50.Which of the following descriptions about the footballers is RIGHT?
A. Ronaldo has primarily played as a second attacker.
B. Eto'o scored 42 goals in the 2008-2009 season altogether.
C. Diego Maradona believed that Messi could never match him in playing style.
D. Gerrard plays an important role in Liverpool’s challenge to Premier League leaders.
51. We can learn from the passage that Ballon d'Or is __________.
A. an activity about football B. an organization of football
C. a title for excellent footballers D. a team name of football
52. Diego Maradona is more likely to vote___________ to be the World Footballer of the Year.
A. Lionel Messi B. Cristiano Ronaldo
C. Samuel Eto'o D. Steven Gerrard

A special education teacher and former police officer was honored by President Barack Obama at the White House as the 2009 National Teacher of the Year for his innovative（创新的） approach, community focus, and teamwork with other teachers. “In a global economy where the greatest job qualification isn’t what you can do, but what you know, our teachers are the key to our nation’s success,”President Obama stated.
Mullen, a ninth-through twelfth-grade special education teacher at the ARCH School in
Connecticut,is the 59th National Teacher of the Year. Mullen's goal is to provide passion, professionalism(职业特质) ,and perseverance as an educator. “A teacher can receive no greater reward than the knowledge that he or she helped recover a lost student,” Mullen remarked. He will travel for one year as a full-time national and international spokesperson for education beginning June1,2009.
The National Teacher of the Year Program focuses public attention on teaching excellence and is the oldest and most famous national honors program for teachers. ‘ACEI is a proud participant in the selection process for the National Teacher of the Year, and we are pleased to see Anthony Mullen selected. Mr. Mullen is a dedicated individual who possesses a wealth of talents and skills as a teacher. His devotion to young people, however, reaches beyond the call of duty. Mr.Mullen extends himself to adviser and guides children who need to know that they are not forgotten and that they, too, are unique and special,” stated ACEI Executive Director Diane Whitehead.
ACEI is one of 15 national education organizations that select the National Teacher of the Year from among the state teachers of the year, including those representing the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity,and five U. S. extra state departments.
45. What is the passage mainly about?
A. A White House ceremony.B. An innovative teaching approach.
C. The 2009 National Teacher of the Year.D. The national education organizations.
46. We can learn from the first paragraph Obama stresses __________.
A. teachers’ role B. community lives
C. teachers’ teamwork D. innovative approach
47. According to Mullen, his success as an educator lies in__________.
A. being a full-time national and international spokesperson
B. providing passion, perseverance and professionalism
C. helping those who can’t find their way home
D. helping the students achieve high scores
48. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
A. the National Teacher of the Year Program hasn't been well-known
B. ACEI is the only organization in charge of selecting excellent teachers
C. Mullen is devoted to teaching the students for the call of duty
D. Mullen's success may be due to his previous work experience

第二部分阅读理解（第一节20小题,第二节5小题；每小题2分,满分50分）
第一节阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Not long ago, I faced an enjoyable yet formidable(难以对付的) challenge. I was returning to my old neighborhood in the South Bronx to speak the students of my old school, Morris High. As we drove down streets where my friend Gene Norman and I used to race bicycles, I thought of the problems awaiting the kids living here, the drugs, the temptations, and the crime. What could I say to encourage them?
As we passed the hamburger place that I used to haunt, I remembered my growing-up years here, the joys, the sorrows, and the choices. Even then kids faced choices. There were drugs in my neighbourhood and a youngster could gain easy access to them if tempted. But in my family, the decision was simple: You just didn’t do it. We knew it was stupid and the most self-destructive thing you could do with the life God had given you.
At age of 17 I found a summer job in a local soft-drink bottling plant at 90 cents an hour. I was thrilled. On my first day of work, having joined the ranks of other newly hired teenagers, I was full of enthusiasm. The bottling machines caught my eye, but only the white boys worked there. I was hired as a porter and the foreman handed me a mop(拖把). I decided to be the best mop user there ever was. Right to left, left to right.
As our car rolled on, our driver’s voice broke my thought . “We are here, General.” I looked up at my old school; it hadn’t changed much. As I walked up its familiar stone steps I remembered racing up them to beat the bell. The setting for my talk to the student body was the gymnasium.
“I remember this place”, I told the students. “I remember it all. I remember running through Van Cortland Park with the track team, the victory I used to take each day from my home to Kelly Street to school.”
“I also remember, upon occasions, experiencing the feeling ‘you can’t make it’”, I continued. “But you can. When I was coming up, opportunities were limited. But now the opportunities are there to be anything you want to be. But wanting to be isn’t enough, dreaming about it isn’t enough. You’ve got to study for it, work for it, fight for it with all your heart energy and soul so that nothing will be denied you.
I wanted them to make the right choices, to work hard and not lose sight of a dream. And I wanted them to know that someone is always watching.
41.Why does the author say that he faced an enjoyable yet formidale challenge?Because_______
A.he was very much afraid of returning to his old neighborhood
B. his old neighborhood is problematic with drugs, temptation and crimes
C. he was going to make a speech to schoolboys and schoolgirls of Morris High
D. there are problems on the road his car was driven on and this worried him
42.The author thinks it was _________for kids to face choices when he was young.
A. very exciting B. only natural C. very easy D. really a sad thing
43.According to the author, the stupid and the most self-destructive thing you could do with the life God had given you is __________.
A. to get easy access to choicesB. to hang around the hamburger place
C. to get addicted to drugs D. to resist the temptation of drugs
44.Which statement is TRUE according to the article?
A. The author went back to his old school as a general
B. The author was the best mop user there ever was
C. The author was very excited about his first job
D.The author believed that you can become anything you want