I decided to go back to school in the fall of 2008 after not being happy with my current job and financial status. I obtained my Associate’s Degree in May 2002 in Commercial Arts. After graduation, I had trouble obtaining a job in that field. For years, I was going from one job to another feeling unfilled, and I was not satisfied with the instability. I decided to go back to school for either International Business or Psychology. I weighed the pros and cons of both professions and Psychology won. I like helping my friends and family, when they go through hard situations in their life by giving them sound advice and being honest with them. Also, I was interested in “the mind”. I was searching for online schools because my work schedule at my current job would not allow me t o attend a regular class. I was nervous about starting online classes because I heard mixed stories from other friends who were taking online classes. I decided to do it anyway to experience something different. I wanted to find an online school that was affordable and reputable. Through my search, I discovered Walden University, which is specially for working adults who want to obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher. The process of getting accepted was easy, which included writing an essay on why I wanted to attend their school, transferring my previous credits, etc. I am currently enrolled in the Bachelors program for psychology, and I am paying for college via financial-aid loans and grants. This experience has been interesting yet trying as sometimes it was difficult to balance work, school and home life. I learned a lot about psychology and myself. For example, I like writing about current events, relationships and traveling. I thought my English composition was ordinary, but after taking a few classes at Walden University, I improved my English composition and it made me feel confident enough to start writing professionally so I became a freelance (自由撰稿) writer. Currently, I am only three classes away from obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology! It was one of the best decisions I made in my life.What did the author study originally when he was in college?
| A．Psychology | B．Commercial Arts |
| C．International Business | D．English Composition |
What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?
| A．He decided to study International Business at first. |
| B．He wanted to study two majors. |
| C．He liked Psychology better. |
| D．He chose his major with the help of his friends. |
Why was the author nervous about starting online classes?
| A．Because he heard some negative remarks about it. |
| B．Because h e was worried that he didn’t have enough time to study. |
| C．Because he feared he would fail the entrance exam. |
| D．Because he was afraid that he didn’t have enough money. |
Which of the following best describes the author’s learning experience?
| A．Dull and challenging. | B．Interesting and easy. |
| C．Interesting and challenging. | D．Dull and easy |
According to the passage, the author _________.
| A．was not able to find a full-time job |
| B．is most interested in writing |
| C．pays for hi s schooling with the help of his family |
| D．is satisfied with his achievements. |
SINCE the 1997 international agreement to fight global warming, climate change has worsened and speeded up – beyond even the worst expectations of the 1997 talks in Kyoto, Japan.
As world leaders have spent a dozen years trying to figure out what to do next, new ship passages have opened through the once frozen summer sea ice of the Arctic. In Greenland and Antarctica, ice sheets have lost trillions of tons of ice. Mountain glaciers in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa are shrinking faster than before.
And it's not just the frozen parts of the world that have felt the heat in the dozen years leading up to next month's climate summit in Copenhagen: The world's oceans have risen by about 4cm. Droughts and wildfires have become more frequent worldwide. Animals and plants are now in trouble because of the changing climate. These include the polar bears, butterflies, frogs and entire stands of North American pine forests. Temperatures over the past 12 years are 0.4 degrees warmer than in the dozen years leading up to 1997.
Even the gloomiest (令人沮丧的) climate models from the 1990s didn't forecast results this bad.
“The latest science is telling us we are in more trouble than we thought,'' said Janos Pasztor, climate adviser to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
And here's why: Since an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas pollution was signed in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997, the level of carbon dioxide in the air has increased by 6.5 percent. From 1997 to 2008, world carbon dioxide emissions (排放) from the burning of fossil (化石) fuels have increased by 31 percent. US emissions of this greenhouse gas have risen by 3.7 percent. Emissions from China have more than doubled.
Some climate change can be caused by natural factors such as variations in solar radiation, volcanoes, land drift (位移) and ocean drift. However, most of scientific and public opinion has come to the conclusion that the climate is changing mainly because of the accumulation of greenhouse gases (especially CO2) in the atmosphere due to human activity.
From December 7 to 18, officials from across the world will meet in Copenhagen to seek a solution for this problem. If successful, the meeting will send a clear signal to business and industry, governments and citizens around the world. New commitments and plans will signal that the future belongs to a low-carbon economy and that tomorrow's winners will be those who invest (投资) in clean energy solutions.
66. We can learn from the passage that
A. The 1997 climate summit was held in Copenhagen
B. Since 1997,the level of carbon dioxide in the air has decreased by 6.5%.
C. The Copenhagen summit is intended to announce new ship passages to the Arctic
D. More than the frozen parts of the world have felt the heat in the dozen years
67. The underlined word “commitments” is closest in meaning to ______.
A. tasks B. taxes C. responsibilities D. regulation
(D)68. We can conclude from the text that ______.
A. governments will do more to fight global warming
B. world leaders have paid enough attention to global warming
C. the climate agreement signed in Kyoto did nothing to stop global warming
D. human activity is the main cause of global warming
(A)69. It can be inferred that .
A. many countries haven’t stuck to the agreement signed in 1997 .
B. China should undertake major responsibilities for greenhouse gases emission as the country with the largest population.
C. The officials from developed countries and climate advisers should be responsible for the worsening climate.
D. Because of greenhouse gases glaciers in Greenland and Antarctic are melting faster than those in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa.
70. The main purpose of this article is to ______.
A. report on the upcoming climate summit in Copenhagen
B. inform about the effects of climate change and analyze its cause
C. tell people not to worry about climate change
D. urge people to do something about worsening global climate
Part of A Bus Schedule
|
| Read Across |
Back to Top |
|||||
| NORTHBOUND |
||||||
| Leave |
Leave |
Arrive |
Leave |
Arrive |
Arrive |
|
| Logan Airport |
Boston(South Station) |
Portland |
Portland |
Bangor |
Orono-UMaine |
|
| ～5:55a |
5:45a |
7:55a |
||||
| 7:15a |
8:00a |
10:00a |
||||
| 9:15a |
10:00a |
11:55a |
12:01p |
2:15p |
∧2：45p |
|
| 11:25a |
…… |
1:35p |
||||
| …… |
12:01p |
1:55p |
||||
| 12:25p |
…… |
2:35p |
||||
| ～1:25p |
1:15p |
3:35p |
||||
| 1:25p |
2:15p |
4:10p |
4:15p |
6:30p |
∧6:50p |
|
| 2:25p |
…… |
4:35p |
||||
| …… |
3:15p |
5:10p |
||||
| 3:25p |
4:15p |
6:10p |
||||
| 4:25p |
…… |
6:35p |
||||
| …… |
5:15p |
7:10p |
||||
| 5:25p |
…… |
7:35p |
||||
| 5:25p |
6:15p |
8:10p |
8:15p |
10:30p |
10:50p |
|
| 6:25p |
…… |
8:35p |
With Concord Trail ways, no reservations necessary! Buy tickets on the day of travel. |
|||
| …… |
7:15p |
9:10p |
||||
| 7:25p |
8:15p |
10:10p |
||||
| 8:25p |
…… |
10:35p |
||||
| 9:25p |
10:15p |
12:10a |
||||
| ～11:25p |
11:15p |
1:25a |
||||
| Important frequency codes for above schedule: |
| ～Trip leaves Boston South Station FIRST before picking up at Logan Airport. |
| ★Trip operates Sundays ONLY |
| ∧Trip operates Fridays＆Sundays ONLY |
| ＃Trip operates to Logan Airport FIRST before dropping off at Boston South Station |
| Italics indicate a bus change in Portland. |
| ★★Service to University of Maine at Orono operates only when school is in session, beginning/end is noted under Holiday＆College Notices. The service is also listed in our published schedule. |
61. Which of the following trips leaves Boston South Station first before picking up at Logan Airport
A.11:15P B. 6:15P C. 8:15P D. 10:00P
62. Which of the following airport departures does NOT stop at South Station in Boston?
A. 9:15 morning bus B. 12:25 afternoon bus
C. 5:25 afternoon busD. 9:25 evening bus
63. According to the schedule, when the service is available, how many buses per day go from Logan Airport to the University of Maine at Orono?
A. 1 B. 3 C. 12 D. 17
64. According to the notes under the schedule, when would students NOT be able to get a bus to the University of Maine from Boston?
A.At weekends B. In session. C. During university holidays. D. In the case of bad weather
65. Which of the following best describes the ticket policy of Concord Trail ways?
A. Tickets must be booked online.
B. Reservations are necessary.
C. Tickets can be bought on the travel day.
D. Discounts are provided for advanced booking.
In 1999, 11-year-old Kevin Stephan was a bat boy for his younger brother's Little League team in Lancaster, New York. It was an early evening in late July. The sun shone at an angle across the field. The game unfolding in baseball time. Kevin was standing on the grass away from the plate, where another youngster was warming up. Swinging his bat back and forth, giving it all the power an elementary school kid could gather. The boy brought the bat back hard and hit Kevin square in the chest.
His heart stopped.
When Kevin fell to the ground, the mother of one of the players rushed out of the stands to his aid. Penny Brown hadn't planned to be there that day, but at the last minute, her shift at the hospital had been changed, and she was given the night off. Penny bent over the unconscious boy, his face already starting to turn blue, and administered CPR, breathing into his mouth and administering chest press.
And he came back.
It was a good thing, for a good kid. Kevin wasn't just a volunteer for his brother's baseball team --- he was a Boy Scout, one who went on to achieve Scouting's highest rank, Eagle. He became a volunteer junior firefighter, learning some of the emergency first-aid techniques that had saved his life. He studied hard in school and was saving money for college by working as a dishwasher in a local restaurant. He liked the people, but the work could be hard and pretty routine. Until the afternoon of January 27, 2006.
Kevin, now 17, was working in the kitchen when he heard people screaming, customers in confusion, employees rushing toward a table. He hustled into the main room and saw a woman there, her face turning blue, her hands at her throat. She was choking. Quickly Kevin stepped behind her, wrapped his arms around her and clasped his hands. Then, using skills he'd first learned in Scouts, he pulled suddenly inward and up, once, twice, administering the Heimlich maneuver. The food that was trapped in the woman's throat was freed. The color began to return to her face.
"The food was stuck. I couldn't breathe," she said. She thought she was dying. "I was very frightened.”
Guess who the woman was ? Penny Brown
56. According to the passage, we can learn about Kevin that .
A. In 1999. Kevin was hit by a bat unexpectedly when he was doing baseball warming up.
B His heart disease overtook him.
C. He was hit square in the chest watching his younger brother’s team.
D. He swung his bat too fiercely and hurt himself.
57. Why was Penny Brown right at the accident spot when Kevin was hit?
A. Because she was interested in baseball.
B. Because she had had her turn to work changed.
C. Because her son was playing that evening.
D. Because she was not supposed to be at work at the hospital.
58. What does the underlined word “it ” in Paragragh5 refer to?
A. That Kevin was a bat boy.
B. That Kevin got injured.
C. That Kevin was a Boy Scout.
D. That Kevin was successfully saved.
59. Which of the following is not true according to the text?
A. The Heimlich maneuver is an effective way to help those who choke.
B.CPR can be used to treat one who has no heartbeat.
C. Kevin learned some of the emergency first-aid techniques in Scout.
D. Penny Brown was not Kevin’s mother.
60. Which one is the best title of the passage?.
A. miracles take place every day.
B. acts of kindness will deserve another good deed.
C. we should learn first aid in case of emergency.
D. we should be kind to those who ever helped us.
Nowadays people are troubled by the violence that spreads throughout the media. Movies, television and video games are full of gunplay and bloodshed, and one might reasonably ask what’s wrong with a society that presents videos of violence as entertainment.
Viewing large amounts of violent television and video games may well contribute to violent behavior in certain individuals. The trouble comes when researchers downplay uncertainties in their studies or overstate the case for causality（因果关系）. Skeptics were dismayed several years ago when a group of societies including the American Medical Association tried to end the debate by issuing a joint statement: “At this time, well over 1,000 studies… point to a causal connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children.”
Freedom-of-speech advocates accused the societies of catering to politicians, and even disputed the number of studies (most were review articles and essays, they said). When Jonathan Freedman, a social psychologist at the University of Toronto, reviewed the literature, he found only 200 or so studies of television-watching and aggression. And when he weeded out “the most doubtful measures of aggression”, only 28% supported a connection.
The critical point here is causality. The alarmists say they have proved that violent media cause aggression. But the assumptions behind their observations need to be examined. When labeling games as violent or non-violent, should a hero eating a ghost really be counted as a violent event? And when experimenters record the time it takes game players to read “aggressive” or “non-aggressive” words from a list, can we be sure what they are actually measuring? The intention of the new Harvard Center on Media and Child Health to collect and standardize studies of media violence in order to compare their methodologies, assumptions and conclusions is an important step in the right direction.
Another appropriate step would be to tone down the criticism until we know more. Several researchers write, speak and testify quite a lot on the threat posed by violence in the media. That is, of course, their privilege. But when doing so, they often come out with statements that the matter has now been settled, drawing criticism from colleagues. In response, the alarmists accuse critics and news reporters of being deceived by the entertainment industry. Such clashes help neither science nor society.Why is there so much violence shown in movies, TV and video games?
| A．Showing violence is thought to be entertaining. |
| B．Something has gone wrong with today’s society |
| C．Many people are fond of gunplay and bloodshed. |
| D．There is a lot of violence in the real world today. |
What is the skeptics’ view of media violence?
| A．Violence on television is fairly accurate reflection of real-world life. |
| B．Most studies exaggerate (夸大) the effect of media violence on the viewers. |
| C．A causal relationship exists between media and real-world violence. |
| D．The influence of media violence on children has been underestimated. |
The author uses the term “alarmists” to refer to those who _________.
| A．use standardized measurements in the studies of media violence |
| B．initiated the debate over the influence of violent media on reality |
| C．insist on a direct link between violent media and aggressive behavior |
| D．use appropriate methodology in examining aggressive behavior |
The underlined phrase “weeded out” in Paragraph 3 most probably means _________.
| A．got rid of things that are not good | B．removed unwanted parts from something |
| C．picked out things that are useful | D．took away unnecessary details of a report |
What does the writer think of the debate concerning the relationship between the media and violence?
| A．He more than agrees with the views held by the alarmists. |
| B．It should come to an end since the matter has now been settled. |
| C．The past studies in this field have proved to be misleading. |
| D．More studies should be conducted before conclusions are drawn. |
Individuality is the particular character, or aggregate (total) of qualities that distinguishes one person or thing from others. Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. At the beginning there was no exacting technique, no foundation from which to build. In later years, trial, error and genius founded the techniques and the principles of the movement. Eventually, innovators (改革者) even drew from what they considered the dread ballet, but first they had to get rid of all that was academic so that the new could be discovered. The beginnings of modern dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the
new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed (称赞).
Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea, and should be in harmony with the movements of the Earth. Her great contributions are in three areas.
First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movement that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concert. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity (高超技巧) shown by complex, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art.
Her second contribution lies in dance costume. She rejected ballet shoes and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing Grecian (希腊式的) tunes, bare feet, and unbound hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal.
Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies of great masters including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom.
She was as exciting and eccentric (怪异) in her personal life as in her dance.According to the passage, what did nature represent to Isadora Duncan?
| A．Something to conquer. | B．A model for movement. |
| C．A place to find peace. | D．A symbol of disorder. |
Compared to those of the ballet, Isadora Duncan’s costumes were less _________.
| A．costly | B．colorful | C．graceful | D．restrictive |
Which of the following is not mentioned as an area of dance that Duncan worked to change?
| A．The stage set. | B．The music. | C．Costumes. | D．Movements. |
We can infer from the passage that the author _________.
| A．appreciates modern dance very much | B．dislikes Isadora Duncan’s dance |
| C．thinks highly of individuality | D．knows a lot about modern arts |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Artists of the Last Century | B．Evolution of Dance in the 20th Century |
| C．Natural Movement in Dance | D．A Pioneer in Modern Dance |