At one time no one could travel on an English road faster than four miles an hour. That was the law until 1896. A man had to walk in front of a car which could not go faster than the man. At night the man had to carry a red lamp.
Once Charles Rolls brought a car from France to England, but he wanted to drive faster than four miles an hour. In order to have no trouble with the police, he had a talk with some of the police officers, who ordered their policemen to look the other way when the car came along the road. This was a good plan in the country, but not so easy to follow in the busy streets of London.
One night Rolls and some friends started from London on their journey to Cambridge. One of the men walked in front with the red lamp, but he walked as fast as he could. The police became very interested in walls and shop-fronts when they heard the car and not one of them saw it.
They reached a hill, but what a waste of time it was to drive down the hill at four miles an hour! Rolls was getting ready to jump into the car, but then he noticed a policeman who was not looking the other way. The slow car reached him.
“Good evening,” said the policeman, looking at the car.
“Good evening,” said Rolls, holding the lamp.
“One of these horseless things,” said the policeman, looking at it with interest.
“Yes,” said Rolls, and waited.
“I’ve often wanted a ride in one, but of course policemen can’t buy things like that.” He turned and looked hopefully in Rolls’s face.
“Jump in,” said Rolls.
“Thanks,” said the policeman, and did so. “Now,” he said, sitting down, “You can let it go just as you like down this hill. There isn’t another policeman on this road for a mile and a half.”The policemen were told “to look the other way” so that _______.
| A．they could watch the car coming from the other direction |
| B．Rolls’s car could go faster than four miles an hour |
| C．they could make sure no one was in the way |
| D．the car would not hit them on the road |
In what way did the policemen carry out the order from their officers?
| A．They greeted Rolls when the car came along. |
| B．They walked in front of the car with a red lamp. |
| C．They pretended to be attracted by something else. |
| D．They stood on duty every 1.5 miles along the road. |
The policeman who said “Good evening” to Rolls wanted to _______.
| A．teach Rolls a lesson |
| B．take a free ride home |
| C．have a talk with Rolls |
| D．have a car ride experience |
After the policeman jumped into the car, Rolls _______.
| A．dared not drive the car faster than he was allowed to |
| B．could drive as fast as he wished within a certain distance |
| C．could drive on any road he liked for the rest of the journey |
| D．drove his car as fast as he could down the hill to Cambridge |
C
For many businessmen online education has been a dream. Now it has come true. The investment (投资) in higher education, whether financial or in terms of time, has long been impossible for many of them. But well-known educational institutions have chosen to deliver an internet-based program, and these barriers have been lifted.
That is good news for people eager to improve themselves and is more attractive to employers. It is also a benefit to industry with better qualified candidates applying for jobs at every level.
Having the benefits of a higher qualification without going to the university campus is attractive to many students. Campus study means greater cost, while online programs are flexible and save time, whether at home or at work. Students can achieve their degrees without causing too much disruption to their career or home life.
In addition to affordable, flexible classes and greater convenience, students also have access to the online learning resources of many of the world’s top educational institutions. They can also communicate with their tutors no matter what time it is or whether either party is away for any reason.
This has opened up the possibility of getting a qualification from a university or college that many students could only have dreamed of in the past. It also allows specialists to get the precise qualifications and focus on their studies. As well as seeing the increase of applicants from lower-incomes and housewives, studying online in the US is even becoming popular with younger people of college age.
Employers have become increasingly welcome and positive to online qualifications as more candidates earn them, especially if they’re properly approved by the US Department of Education.
US institutions have led the way in online education provision. Many top US colleges and universities offer a range of online programs that are highly respected and in every way perfectly fit for adults who need to combine their studies with a working life.
63. According to Paragraph 1, many US colleges and universities ______.
A. have begun to lift the barriers to financial investment
B. have begun to run an internet-based program
C. have had a dream of offering online education
D. have gained financial investment
64. Why do people choose online education?
A. They can find jobs more easily than on-campus graduates.
B. They can get qualifications from US Department of Education.
C. They can save money and arrange their time and courses freely.
D. They can invest money in different courses provided online.
65. The underlined word “disruption” in the third paragraph probably mean ______.
A. dissatisfaction B. attention C. attraction D. interruption
66. Which would be a good title for the passage?
A. Adult Education Online
B. The Best of USA’s Online Education
C. Top US Universities Offering Online Education
D. Online Education Taking the Place of Campus Education
B
My House
My mother moved a lot when she was growing up on account of Grandpa being in the army. She hated having to adjust to new schools and make new friends. That’s why I thought she was joking when she put forward the idea of moving. But she was completely serious. “For just the two of us,” my mother said, “an apartment in the city will suit our needs much better.” Personally, I think she’s lost her mind. I guess I can understand why she would want to move, but what about me and what this house means to me?
I suppose if you looked at my house, you might think it was just another country house. But to me it is anything but standard. I moved into this house with my parents ten years ago. I can still remember that first day like it was yesterday. The first thing I noticed was the big front yard. To me it seemed like an ocean of grass—I couldn’t wait to dive in. The backyard was full of gnarled (扭曲的, 粗糙的) and scary trees that talk on windy nights. But I grew to like them and the shadows they cast in my room. My father and I even built a small tree house, where I often go to remember all the wonderful times we had before Father’s death.
This house is special—maybe only to me—but special nevertheless. It’s the little seemingly insignificant things that make this house so special to me: the ice-cold tile floors that make me tremble on midnight snack runs; the smell of my father’s pipe that still exists; the towering bookcases of my mother; the view outside my bedroom window.
This house holds too many memories, memories which would be lost if we gave it up.
59. Why did the author’s mother decide to move?
A. Because she hated the countryside.
B. Because Grandpa was on constant move.
C. Because Dad’s death made her lose her mind.
D. Because she thought a city flat more fit for them.
60. What impressed the author when she first moved into the house?
A. The tree house. B. The big trees.
C. The cold floors. D. The green grass.
61. How did the author let us feel that the house was special to her?
A. By arguing whether the house was standard.
B. By explaining why the house suited their needs.
C. By describing the small things related to her house.
D. By comparing the differences between country and city life.
62. The author describes the house with ______.
A. affectionB. responsibility C. commitment D. enthusiasm
第三部分：阅读理解（共两节，40分）
第一节：（共15小题；每小题2分，共30分）
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。
A
Experience the Colorado River the Hualapai Way!
River Runners offers the ONLY One Day Whitewater trip ANYWHERE at the GRAND CANYON!
Since 1973, Hualapai River Runners has been conducting whitewater rafting (漂流) journeys on the Colorado River. Our experienced guides expertly sail along the river and share the history of the Canyon and the Hualapai people with you.
Visitors experience the excitement of whitewater rapids and then stop to enjoy the impressive beauty of Travertine Falls and a tasty lunch. No charge for children 2 years and under.
One-Day Trip
Retail $249.00 + $79.00 (helicopter and round-trip ground transportation)
Whitewater rafting tours begin in Peach Springs. Hualapai River Runners transports you to Diamond Creek, which is the starting point for the 37 mile rafting tour. Lunch is included and upon arrival at the rafting tour termination point, fly out of the Grand Canyon by helicopter to Grand Canyon West.
Two-Day Trip
Retail $549.00 + $79.00 (helicopter and round-trip ground transportation)
Two-day rafting trips with one night on the Colorado River. All supplies and meals are included. Two days in the Grand Canyon, on the Colorado River, allows more time to explore one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Tours Include:
• Round-trip transportation from Peach Springs to the starting point and from the termination point back to Peach Springs.
• Snack, drinks and lunch (vegetarian meals available upon request)
• Waterproof dry bags for storing your cameras, sunscreen, dry clothes, etc.
The helicopter part of transportation is weather permitting. If the helicopter transportation is cancelled because of bad weather, the raft will continue an additional two hours to South Cove and a maximum $20.00 per customer will be given back.
Special Website booking rate 15% off rafting in April 2010. So book now!
Call us Toll Free Today! Tel: 1-888-868-9378
56. Where do whitewater rafting tours start?
A. Travertine Falls. B. Peach Springs.
C. Diamond Creek. D. Grand Canyon West.
57. We learn from the passage that ______.
A. Hualapai River Runners provides dry clothes
B. you will get $20 back if you are dissatisfied
C. the trip is free of charge for children under 2
D. online booking has a better offer all year round
58. What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To attract people to the sights.
B. To explore the Hualapai culture.
C. To explain how to make a rafting trip.
D. To introduce the history of the Colorado River.
C
Geniuses amaze us, impress us and make us all a little jealous．How do they differ from the average person? Scientists are working hard to figure out that answer．Tune in to the National Geographic Channel to find out about the discoveries they’re making in the series My Brilliant Brain.
When Marc Yu was only two years old, he began to play the piano．After a year, he started learning pieces by Beethoven．Now he’s a world-famous concert pianist at age eight．He learns newer and more difficult pieces with ease and can identify any note he hears．He seems to be specially designed for music．In Born Genius, National Geographic looks at the science behind child prodigies (神童) to explain why some children seem to be born without limits.
Genius didn’t come naturally to Tommy McHugh．His came only after he nearly died from bleeding in his brain．After recovering, McHugh’s head was filled with new thoughts and pictures．So, he began to express them in the form of poetry and art．Now, he’s a seemingly unstoppable creative machine．Sufferers of autism and brain injury have shown that great mental ability can sometimes come from damage or disease．Accidental Genius explores this puzzling relationship.
Can normal people be trained to be geniuses? Susan Polger has shown no signs of extraordinary intelligence．Yet, during her childhood, she studied thousands of chess patterns and learned to recognize them immediately．As a result, she was able to beat skilled adult players by age 10 and can now play up to five games at the same time without even seeing the boards．Make Me a Genius examines what it takes to turn an ordinary brain into that of a genius.
If becoming a genius were easy, we’d all be one．Yet, there is much more to super intelligence than simply being born lucky．Learn more about amazing brains this month on National Geographic’s My Brilliant Brain.
51．My Brilliant Brains is most probably from _______.
A．a website B．the radio C．a magazine D．a newspaper
52．The author takes Marc Yu as an example to show that a child prodigy is .
A．a person who learns something easily
B．a child who is eager to learn new things
C．a student who practices an instrument a lot
D．a kid who works hard to do well in school
53．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A．New things about the brain are still being discovered.
B．People without natural abilities can learn to do things well.
C．Some people naturally have more active brains.
D．People are usually smarter when they recover from brain injury.
54．From the passage, we know that ___________
A．scientists completely understand the brain
B．people can only be born as geniuses
C．there’s no such thing as a true genius
D．there are many factors in being a genius
55．The author develops the passage mainly by ___________.
A．providing typical examples
B．following the natural time order
C．presenting a cause and analyzing its effects
D．comparing opinions from different scientists
B
WASHINGTON – It’s a great achievement that inspires notions of robots with consciousness and independent minds.
When people or animals get hurt, they can usually compensate for minor injuries and keep limping along, but for robots, even slight damage can make them stumble and fall. However, a recently made robot has demonstrated a novel ability: it can heal its own damage.
The new robot, which looks like a splay – legged, four – footed starfish can sense injury to itself and adapt. That ability sets the new robot apart from earlier machines. Because the robot can recover from unfamiliar places. “There is a need for planetary robotic rovers to be able to fix things on their own,” says Josh Bongard, a professor in the University of Vermont, who is one of the device’s creator. “Robots on other planets must be able to continue their mission without human help if they are damaged and cannot communicate their problem back to Earth.”
A typical robot functions according to a computer program, but the new robot works differently. First, sensors in its four legs observe the robot’s movements and signals to its built – in computer. From the formation it collects, the robot creates its own programs that allow it to adapt to different situations. For example, when the researchers shortened one of the robot’s legs, the smart machine simply adjusted its way of walking – it used three legs instead of four.
The researchers are looking for other places to put the resilient robot to work. One pellicle spot is the ocean floor. That dark and dangerous undersea terrain might be a good choice for a robot the scientists call the Starfish. “We never officially named the robot, but we usually refer to it as the Starfish, even though a real starfish has five rather than four legs,” says Bongard. “Also, a real starfish is much better than our robot at recovering from injury, because it can actually grow its legs again.” Scientists have created robots that help humans in many ways: by exploring space, fighting fires, and even performing surgery.
46．The newly designed robot distinguishes itself from the former ones because it___________
A．can communicate with people on the earth about their problems
B．works according to a certain computer program
C．can find its problems and solve them automatically
D．can explore unfamiliar places
47．An example is given in the fourth paragraph in order to explain that the robot ___________
A．is used to create new programs
B．has typical robot functions
C．has sensors to observe its movements
D．can gather information and adapt to new conditions
48．The underlined word “resilient” in the last paragraph means the robot is ___________.
A．creative B．newly made C．able to recover D．informative
49．Which of the following is TURE about the robot “Starfish”?
A．It was spoken highly of by people for its special ability?
B．It will stumble and fall if damaged.
C．It can grow its legs again once they are broken.
D．It has started to work on the ocean floor.
50．What might be the best title of the passage?
A．How does the Starfish Robot work
B．Do – It – Yourself Robot Repair
C．Robots Designed to Work On Other Planets
D．New Robot Helping Us In Many Ways