As a boy, Charles Robert Darwin collected anything that caught his interest: insects, coins and interesting stones. He was not very clever, but Darwin was good at doing the things that interested him.
His father was a doctor, so Darwin was sent to Edinburgh to study medicine, and was planned to follow a medical career. But Charles found the lectures boring. Then his father sent him to Cambridge University to study to be a priest. While at Cambridge, Darwin’s interest in zoology and geography grew. Later he got a letter from Robert FitzRoy who was planning to make a voyage around the world on a ship, the Beagle. He wanted a naturalist to join the ship, and Darwin was recommended(推荐). That voyage was the start of Darwin’s great life.
As the Beagle sailed around the world, Darwin began to wonder how life had developed on earth. He began to observe everything. After he was home, he set to work, getting his collection in order. His first great work The Zoology of the Beagle was well received, but he was slow to make public his ideas on the origin of life.
Later Darwin and Wallace, another naturalist who had the same opinions as Darwin, produced a paper together. Darwin’s great book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (《物种起源》) appeared. It attracted a storm. People thought that Darwin was saying they were descended from monkeys. What a shameful idea! Although most scientists agreed that Darwin was right, the Church was still so strong that Darwin never received any honors for his work.
Afterwards, he published another great work, The Descent of Man. His health grew worse, but he still worked. “When I have to give up observation, I shall die,” he said. He was still working on 17, April, 1882. He was dead two days later.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Charles Darwin’s ideas |
| B．Charles Darwin’s works |
| C．Father of modern biology: Charles Darwin |
| D．The greatest scientist: Charles Darwin |
Darwin’s father sent him to Edinburgh to _____.
| A．make him like natural history |
| B．make him become a doctor |
| C．let him change his hobbies |
| D．have him give up his collection |
According to the passage, Charles Darwin’s whole life was changed by _____.
| A．his study at Cambridge University |
| B．his collection of coins |
| C．the naturalists at Cambridge |
| D．the voyage of the Beagle |
The underlined part “they were descended from monkeys” probably means “_____”.
| A．they gave monkeys life |
| B．they were different from monkeys |
| C．they were developed from monkeys |
| D．they had to live with monkeys |
Which is the right order about Charles Darwin according to the passage?
a. He published another great work, The Descent of Man.
b. His father sent him to Cambridge University to study to be a priest.
c. His first great work The Zoology of the Beagle was well received,
d. He got a letter from Robert FitzRoy who was planning to make a voyage around the world on a ship.
| A．acbd | B．bdca | C．bcda | D．abdc |
New York has taken the title of the world’s top fashion capital from Milan. The annual survey suggest that the top five fashion cities are facing competition from Asia and Australia. New York had been the top fashion city for five years, but Milan took the title in 2009. The survey was made by the Global Language Monitor, a US based organization. It tracks the frequency（频率） of words and phrases in the media, on the Internet and throughout the blog. With the US economy recovering, New York once again took the top title. Hong Kong took second place. It was followed by London, Paris and Los Angeles. The other top 10 cities were Milan, Sydney, Miami, Barcelona and Madrid.
“Because of the new economic situation, the global fashion centers have also changed a lot, ”said Bekka Payack. the Manhattan-based fashion reporter for the Global Language Monitor. “The new list shows that global fashion centers will change now and then. Compared with the traditional fashion cities, some new ones are performing better and better. ”She said that perhaps this is new trend, and it is the first sign that the traditional top five fashion cities——New York, Paris, London, Milan, and Rome——do not control global fashion any more.
The biggest changes in the list are Hong Kong, Madrid and Melbourne. The Group said that the top newcomers to the list include Amsterdam at number 17, Cape Town at 23, Johannesburg at 25 and Vienna at 27.
The following are the 10 top fashion cities of 2010 and the changes from 2009.
1. New York（up 1） 2. Hong Kong（up 5）
3. London（up 2） 4. Paris（down 1）
5. Los Angeles（up 1） 6. Milan（down 5）
7. Sydney（up 2） 8. Miami（up 5）
9. Barcelona（up 5） 10. Madrid（up 11）New York has regained the title of the world’s top fashion capital mainly because __________.
| A．the US economy has been recovering |
| B．Milan faced competition from other cities |
| C．few big cities took part in the competition |
| D．the survey was made by an American organization |
Compared with the 2009 list, which of the following has the greatest change?
| A．Hong Kong | B．Milan | C．Madrid | D．Barcelona |
We can infer from the text that __________.
| A．New York has lost the top title several times |
| B．all the traditional fashion cities are in the 2010 list |
| C．economic situations influence global fashion centers |
| D．new fashion cities have performed better than traditional ones |
The text is probably taken from a __________.
| A．science report | B．fashion magazine |
| C．geography textbook | D．history book |
Use your American Express Card to enjoy one-day visit at four of America’s greatest museums. Note the participating museums, and their exciting special exhibitions that you will not want to miss, listed below.
Boston
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Chairs
February 11-May 8, 2012
Italian furniture expert Fausto Calderai and Indian photographer Dayanita Singh present an exhibition of chairs from the museum’s collection and “chair photographs” from around the world presented in a Venetian-style hall housing world-famous masterpieces.
For more information：www. gardnermuseum. org
New York
The Noguchi Museum
Noguehi and Graham
December 1, 2011-May 1, 2012
Noguchi’s long-term collaboration（协作） with dancer Martha Graham is regarded by many as a high point in the history of both modern dance and art. The exhibition highlights nine of the sets created through this collaboration.
For more information：www. noguchi. org
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
In Full View：American Painting（1720—2012）
January 11--April 10, 2012
Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy has been home to America’s artists for more than 200 years. The Academy collects and exhibits the works of famous American artists, and is well-known for training fine artists. 2012 at the Academy begins with the largest exhibition of Academy’s distinguished American collection in the institution’s history.
For more information：www. pafa. org
Seattle
Seattle Museum of Glass
Murano：Glass from the Olnick Spanu Collection
Through November 7, 2011
This exhibition includes over 200 pieces of beautiful glass from Murano, the island of glassblowers near Venice, Italy. Watch live glass-blowing shows in the Hot Shop and see other modern glass exhibitions.
For more information：www. museumofglass. orgWhich of the following websites offers information about the furniture show?
| A．www. pafa. org |
| B．www. museumofglass. org |
| C．www. noguchi. org |
| D．www. gardnermuseum. org |
We learn from the text that Martha Graham is ___________.
| A．a dancer | B．a glassblower | C．a painter | D．a photographer |
If you want to know the history of American painting, you may visit ___________.
| A．the Noguchi Museum |
| B．Seattle Museum of Glass |
| C．Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum |
| D．Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |
Now we’re always hearing about road accident, and when we’re in a car we try to drive carefully, but how many of us take the same degree of care in our homes? Any large hospital will tell you the number of the accidents that happen in the home is almost the same as those on the road.
One of the commonest and most dangerous causes of home accidents is wrong and careless use of electrical equipment. People will continue to use a loose plug or pull out a plug without first turning off the power. In spite of warnings, one will carry an electric heater into the bathroom when he is going to have a bath. Sometimes one forgets to cut off the power before mending a lamp or something else. All this will cause accidents. So the rule about anything that work by electricity is：Switch off before you touch anything and don’t pretend you know when you actually don’t.
If you’ve got children in the house, it's always best to keep medicines of any kind out of their reach. Otherwise, they may be taken for candies or a new kind of drink. When there are older people living with you, you have to take particular care in a number of ways in order to make them safe and happy.
Fire, of course, is always a risk. So, remember not to dry clothes in front of fires, or leave stoves in the middle of rooms where they can easily be knocked over. And don’t forget to keep the children away from fire. Smoking, too, may cause fire. So you’d better give it up. Safety first may mean a little more time and care, but it may save you a lot of trouble.According to the writer, we try to drive carefully in a car while __________.
| A．we take the same degree of care in our homes |
| B．We don’t care much about the accidents in large hospitals |
| C．We don’t pay enough attention to home accidents |
| D．We seldom think a lot about the road accidents |
We can learn from the text that __________.
| A．people should never be allowed to carry an electric heater into the bathroom |
| B．the improper use of the electrical equipment is the most dangerous cause of home accidents |
| C．people should cut off the power first before using the electrical equipment |
| D．both the children and the older people should be taken special care of at home |
It can be inferred in the text that our life at home will be much safer if __________.
| A．we know more about the accidents that happen in the home |
| B．all of us give up smoking as soon as possible |
| C．we take more time and care in our life |
| D．we keep the stoves at the corner of the rooms |
The main purpose of writing the text is __________.
| A．to tell how and why home accidents happen |
| B．to persuade people to get rid of bad habits |
| C．to explain how to use electrical equipment |
| D．to instruct people how to prevent home accidents |
阅读下面短文回答问题，将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（注意题后的字数要求）。
In the United States, train transportation is unpopular compared with cars and airplanes. Most people like traveling by car or by air.
Officials of the United States Department of Transportation made a study in 2001. The study is about how many miles Americans traveled by different means of transportation. They only studied trips longer than 50 miles. The study showed that fifty-six percent of all miles were traveled in personal vehicle. Forty-one percent were traveled in an airplane. Two percent were traveled in a bus. And less than one percent of miles were traveled in a train.
Amtrak is the national provider of train transportation in the United States. In the past ten years, the number of its passengers has increased by eighteen percent. Although the number of passengers has increased, it is still very small now. In countries such as France, Germany, or Japan, more people use trains.
There are several reasons why many people __________________________.
Firstly, Americans love to drive their own cars. On highways, cars can travel as fast as trains. These highways connect all major cities in America．Secondly, many travelers like to be independent. When they use their own cars they can decide when to travel. Thirdly, many buses travel between major cities. Bus travel is less costly than train travel.
In a huge country like the United States, cities are far away from each other. In some cases, travel from one city to another by train may take more than a day. Airplanes can carry passengers over long distances much faster. People who do not want to spend long time traveling by train decide to fly. For these people saving time is the most important thing.What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words.)
Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
It’s convenient for people to decide the start-off time when they travel in their own cars.Please fill in the blank in the fourth paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence.( Please answer within 10 words.)
What means of transportation do you like best when traveling, trains, cars, or planes? Why? (Please answer within 30 words)
Translate the underlined sentences in the last paragraph into Chinese.
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday. This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale（士气）. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because__________.
| A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance |
| C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
| D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because__________.
| A．they make him feel at ease when working |
| B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C．he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D．he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code. |
| B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive. |
| C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees. |
| D．All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear. |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago. |
| B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
| C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
| D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except __________.
| A．saving employees’ money |
| B．making employees more attractive |
| C．improving employees’ motivation |
| D．making employees happier |