A new collection of photos brings an unsuccessful Antarctic voyage back to life.

Frank Hurley’s pictures would be outstanding----undoubtedly first-rate photo-journalism---if they had been made last week. In fact, they were shot from 1914 through 1916, most of them after a disastrous shipwreck(海滩), by a cameraman who had no reasonable expectation of survival. Many of the images were stored in an ice chest, under freezing water, in the damaged wooden ship.

  The ship was the Endurance, a small, tight, Norwegian-built three-master that was intended to take Sir Ernest Shackleton and a small crew of seamen and scientists, 27 men in all, to the southernmost shore of Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. From that point Shackleton wanted to force a passage by dog sled(雪橇) across the continent. The journey was intended to achieve more than what Captain Robert Falcon Scott had done. Captain Scott had reached the South Pole early in 1912 but had died with his four companions on the march back.

   As writer Caroline Alexander makes clear in her forceful and well-researched story The Endurance, adventuring was even then a thoroughly commercial effort. Scott’s last journey, completed as he lay in a tent dying of cold and hunger, caught the world’s imagination, and a film made in his honor drew crowds. Shackleton, a onetime British merchant-navy officer who had got to within 100 miles of the South Pole in 1908, started a business before his 1914 voyage to make money from movie and still photography. Frank Hurley, a confident and gifted Australian photographer who knew the Antarctic, was hired to make the images, most of which have never before been published.

24. What do we know about the photos taken by Hurley?

   A. They were made last week

B. They showed undersea sceneries

C. They were found by a cameraman

D. They recorded a disastrous adventure

25. Who reached the South Pole first according to the text?

A. Frank Hurley                         B. Ernest Shackleton

C. Robert Falcon Scott                  D. Caroline Alexander

26. What does Alexander think was the purpose of the 1914 voyage?

A. Artistic creation                    B. Scientific research

C. Money making                         D. Treasure hunting

My family and I lived across the street from Southway Park since I was four years old. Then just last year the city put a chain link fence around the park and started bulldozing (用推土机推平) the trees and grass to make way for a new apartment complex. When I saw the fence and bulldozers, I asked myself, “Why don’t they just leave it alone?”

Looking back, I think what sentenced the part to oblivion (别遗忘) was the drought (旱灾) we had about four years ago. Up until then, Southway Park was a nice green park with plenty of trees and a public swimming pool. My friends and I rollerskated on the sidewalks, climbed the tress, and swam in the pool all the years I was growing up. The park was almost like my own yard. Then the summer I was fifteen the drought came and things changed.

There had been almost no rain at all that year. The city stopped watering the park grass. Within a few weeks I found myself living across the street from a huge brown desert. Leaves fell off the park tress, and pretty soon the trees started dying, too. Next, the park swimming pool was closed. The city cut down on the work force that kept the park, and pretty soon it just got too ugly and dirty to enjoy anymore.

As the drought lasted into the fall, the park got worse every month. The rubbish piled up or blew across the brown grass. Soon the only people in the park were beggars and other people down on their luck. People said drugs were being sold or traded there now. The park had gotten scary, and my mother told us kids not to go there anymore.

The drought finally ended and things seemed to get back to normal, that is, everything but the park. It had gotten into such bad shape that the city just let it stay that way. Then about six months ago I heard that the city was going to “redevelop” certain worn-out areas of the city. It turned out that the city had planned to get rid of the park, sell the land and let someone build rows of apartment buildings on it.

The chain-link fencing and the bulldozers did their work. Now we live across the street from six rows of apartment buildings. Each of them is three units high and stretches a block in each direction. The neighborhood has changed without the park. The streets I used to play in are jammed with cars now. Things will never be the same again. Sometimes I wonder, though, what changes another drought would make in the way things are today.

   32. How did the writer feel when he saw the fence and bulldozers?

      A. Scared.        B. Confused.      C. Upset.           D. Curious.

   33. Why was the writer told not to go to the park by his mother?

      A. It was being rebuilt.                 B. It was dangerous.

      C. It because crowded.                 D. It had turned into a desert.

   34. According to the writer, what eventually brought about the disappearance of the park?

      A. The drought.                    B. The crime.

      C. The beggars and the rubbish.       D. The decisions of the city.

   35. The last sentence of the passage implies that if another drought came, ______.

      A. the situation would be much worse

      B. people would have to desert their homes

      C. the city would be fully prepared in advance

      D. the city would have to redevelop the neighborhood

 _______, I have never seen anyone who's as capable as John.

A. As long as I have traveled                   B. Much as I have traveled

C. Now that I have traveled so much      D. As I have traveled so much

　　As we all know, travelling can be an excited experience. Let me give you some

advices that you have to pay attention. You can find out more about your destination by surf the internet before you set out. You needn’t take too many cash. Since it can be very convenient to pay in cash, using cheques is much more reliable. In additional, it will be wise of you to take an umbrella in case of it should rain. And if you are to travel abroad, you’d better understand the cultural diversity. Keep this in mind that being polite in foreign countries can help you had a wonderful trip.

After _______ had happened he could not continue to work there.

A. which                B. how

C. what                 D. having

   It’s said that today more than $400 billion a year is spent on advertising worldwide. Beyond that the economic impact of advertising touches just about every consumer-product industry, from cars to chocolate. An advertisement reaches its consumers by means of TV and radio broadcasting, newspapers and magazines, direct mail billboards and posters, the Internet, and many other forms. As the case ___25____(stand), it is widely recognized that the global economy is being driven to a great extent by advertisements.

  A successful advertisement ____26_____(involve) at least three things. The advertisers will first of all identify the market. That is, they need to work out who will buy the product ___27____ question. Then, ____28____(identify) the market, they will work out the best way to meet the needs of this market. So they will take into account __29___  number of desires or worries the target consumers may have. Do they have the desire to be popular? Are they afraid of falling ill? Lots of questions like these might be raised. Finally, they will design the advertising programme. That is, they will study what words and images their advertisement should contain and what slogans they intend to make use of. Then celebrities are sometimes employed and invited to back up the product. Scientific data are often quoted as a means of adding truthful value to the ___30____(advertise) product.

   In everyday life consumers have seen lots of successful examples of advertisements. For example, Kodak, Nike, Coca-Cola, and McDonald’s are all very successful in attracting and selling to their customers.

  ____31___, there are also many examples of advertisements that do not seem to reach the expected goal. One such example was related to McDonald’s first arrival in Brazil. Their advertisements suggested that people eat McDonald’s hot hamburgers “at a picnic at the beach.” By doing this, they failed to cater to the Brazilian customs of consuming cold things, such as beer, soft drinks, ice cream, and sandwiches, at a beach picnic. Brazilians do not consider a hot hamburger proper beach food.

  In advertising, ____32_____, the designers have to be highly culture-conscious when planning to carry out an international programme in a foreign country. Study the cultural background of the potential customers, or spoil the advertising programme!

Time talks. It speaks more plainly than words. Time   41   in many ways.

    Consider the different parts of the day, for example. The time of the day when something is done can give a   42 _  meaning to the event. It is not a  _ 43   to telephone someone very early in the morning. If you telephone him early in the day,  _ 44   he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that something is urgent and   45_   immediate attention.

The same meaning is   46 _  telephone calls made after 11:00 pm. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he may think it is a  _ 47   of life or death. The time chosen for the call   48_   its importance.

     In social life, time plays a very   49 _  part. In the United States, guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the   50 _  to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date. But this is not   51 _  in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far   _52   because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be   53 ___ .

     The meaning of time   54 _  from place to place in the world.   55  _, misunderstandings often arise between people from different cultures that   56 _  time differently. For example, promptness (准时) is   57_   greatly in American life. If people are not prompt, they may be regarded as   58 _  or not fully responsible. In the US, no one would think of keeping a business partner   59 _  for an hour; it would be too rude. A person who is five minutes late is   60 _  to make a short apology.

41. A. wastes               B. runs             C. travels          D. communicates

42. A. precious             B. ridiculous           C. special          D. rare

43. A. deal                 B. custom           C. problem      D. duty

44. A. whenever             B. though           C. once         D. while

45. A. requires             B. escapes          C. pays         D. gives

46. A. compared with        B. covered with     C. devoted to       D. attached to

47. A. matter               B. story                C. game         D. view

48. A. reduces              B. ignores          C. stresses     D. doubts

49. A. different            B. significant          C. small            D. equal

50. A. plan             B. wish                 C. gift         D. invitation

51. A. useful               B. true             C. clear            D. grateful

52. A. on time              B. at length            C. by chance        D. in advance

53. A. forgotten            B. remembered       C. canceled     D. opposed

54. A. rushes               B. separates            C. varies           D. keeps

55. A. Meanwhile        B. Thus             C. Otherwise        D. Besides

56. A. make             B. kill             C. treat            D. save

57. A. valued               B. complained           C. seized           D. influenced

58. A. helpless             B. desperate            C. impolite     D. unlucky

59. A. working          B. waiting          C. approaching  D. thinking

60. A. expected         B. forced           C. refused     D. blessed

   Skydive Greene County

   Come out and let us teach you how to skydive today! We are located in Xenia, Ohio and it is within a reasonable driving distance of major cities in Ohio. Situated on a private airport, Skydive Greene County offers world-class training.

Tandem Skydiving

Tandem skydiving is required if this is your first time skydiving. After filling out paperwork and watching a short video, you will be ready to make your skydive. Somewhere around 11,500 feet you will be secured to your tandem instructor. The door will open and you exit the plane.

Your freefall with your instructor will last for approximately 40-50 seconds. We can almost guarantee this will be the most exciting minute of your life as you reach the speed of around 120 mph, falling for about two miles back to the earth!

     Static Line Courses

Once you have made your tandem skydiving, you can move on to our Static Line Program. The Static Line Jump is the traditional way to learn to skydive. We have classes throughout the year. Every student will be led through the entire day by a licensed instructor. Never does the student feel unattended.

Once training is over, students will make their first jump on that very same day! If the weather does not cooperate, you can come back the next day, or we will re-schedule a time to make your skydive.

Price

$165.00 Tandem skydiving only

$175.00 Static Line Course only

     Booking

To book your tandem skydive or skydiving course, call us at (937) 372-0700. We just ask for a call if you cannot keep your scheduled appointment. And you must be at least 18 years old to make a skydive at SGC. Come to learn with the best and make a skydive today! For further information, please call us at (937) 372-0700 or visit our website www. greenecounty.com!

21. Skydivers doing tandem skydiving will have to________.

A. learn to open the door first

B. jump with a professional coach

C. have a video taken while skydiving

D. prepare for approximately 40-50 seconds

22. What does we know about Static Line Course?

   A. Students can attend classes in every season

   B. Students will receive a skydive license after training

   C. Students must try the first jump the day training is over

   D. Students can try Static Line program before Tandem Skydiving

23. To book a skydive in SGC, one must________.

A. keep the appointment

B. fill out paperwork

C. visit SGC’s website

D. telephone SGC

    Public bookshelves are appearing across Germany on street corners，city squares and in suburban supermarkets. In these free­for­all libraries，people can grab whatever they want to read，and leave behind anything they want for others. There’s no need to register，no due date，and you can take or give as many as you want.“This project is aimed at everyone who likes to read .It is open for everybody，”  Michael Aubermann，one of the organizers of the free book exchange said.

    The western city’ s latest public shelf was put up next to Bayenturm. It is the fourth free shelf that Aubermann’ s group，the Cologne Citizen’s Foundation，has placed outside.“We set up our other outdoor shelves last year and it’s been working really well，” said Aubermann. The public bookshelves，which are usually financed by donations and cared for by local volunteer groups，have appeared independently of each other in many cities，suburbs and villages. Each shelf holds around 200 books and it takes about six weeks for a complete turnover，with all the old titles replaced by new ones.

    Even commercial book stores and online book sellers seem to support the idea of free book exchanges.“We see this project rather as a sales promotion than as competition，”said Elmar Muether.“If books are present everywhere，it helps our business，too.”

    So far，the Cologne book group has had few problems with damage or other problems. Aubermann said，“Propaganda (宣传) is the only kind of literature we do not allow here.”

    At another bookshelf in the Bayenthal neighborhood，the lower shelves are reserved for children’s literature only.“It is important that we make it easy for everyone to participate in this ‘reading culture on the street’—from old readers to kids to immigrants，”Aubermann said.

    While most of the shelves have so far been put up in upscale neighborhoods，Aubermann and the 20 volunteers who help look after the project are planning to put up future shelves in poor neighborhoods，where citizens often don’t have as much access to literature.

28. Which of the following is TRUE about the public bookshelves?

  A. People can take the books and leave their books at will.

  B. People can’ t borrow books unless they donate books.

  C. People can borrow whatever they like after registering.

  D. People have to return the books according to the required time.

29. According to Aubermann，the public bookshelves________.

  A. are financed by local volunteers

  B. have been going well since their birth

  C. were managed by the local government

  D. will hold more books and take a shorter turnover

30. The underlined phrase “upscale neighborhoods” refers to________.

  A. communities that have many people

  B. communities that have many tall buildings

  C. communities that are free to live in

  D. communities that are of high grade

31. Which might be the best title for the passage?

  A. Public Reading Becomes Popular Worldwide

  B. New Trends of Bookshelves in Germany

  C. Public Bookshelves Spread Across Germany

  D. Reading Culture on the Street in Europe                             

When I was eighteen, I couldn’t wait to get my first job, which meant I made the first step toward adulthood.

But it was difficult to get a work permit. One day I was dropped off by my parents at the  41  , where applicants took their physical tests for work permits. Although I had night blindness, my vision was clearer during the day, which helped me walk   42   by myself. Then the doctor began the   43  . He looked into my eyes with a bright light. “I  suggest your parents take you to an eye specialist,” he said, “I   44   you have a retinal(视网膜) disease. If you do, you’ll never   45   a day in your life…”

My parents did take me to specialists. After much time and money spent seeking an   46   result, it was determined that I had an eye disease that slowly   47   a person of sight. But still, during daylight, I could walk without   48  . I could read, but not for hours. My eyes began to   49   and words slipped off the page when I read more than a few pages. However, no matter how tired my eyes became, I never gave up reading. I knew the   50   of great writers as well as the most popular music stars. Their words were powerful, which   51   me to try writing. Soon writing brought me a lot of   52   each time I completed a paper.

Then an important phone call from an editor changed my life. An article I   53   appeared in a local newspaper. The newspaper, to my   54  , continued to print my work. Next, a book series published several of my essays. I got interested in writing and   55   up with each acceptance. On the pages, readers never knew of my blindness   56   I chose to present it. For me, finding my voice through writing gave me the pride and satisfaction I   57   so many years ago. Now, I have numerous essays and articles in   58  .

Should I be thanking that misguided doctor? By falsely predicting that I could never work a day, he fueled my   59   into success. He set the bar too   60   and focused on what I wouldn’t be able to do. Yet I proved what I could do.

41. A. station               B. company                 C. clinic              D. lab

42. A. silently                     B. proudly             C. suddenly                 D. easily

43. A. operation           B. treatment         C. examination           D. argument 

45. A. rest            B. work                       C. live                         D. sleep

46. A. urgent               B. obvious                   C. accurate          D. ordinary   

47. A. reminds        B. robs                       C. warns                      D. informs

48. A. assistance          B. medicine          C. allowance               D. balance    

49. A. dance                 B. shine                       C. widen               D. tear         

50. A. houses               B. habits            C. names                            D. addresses 

51. A. asked                B. permitted            C. forced                            D. encouraged     

52. A. pleasure            B. worry            C. trouble                    D. stress       

53. A. admitted          B. penned                  C. wanted                    D. described 

54. A. shame          B. admiration                     C. delight                    D. disappointment

55. A. gave                  B. lit                   C. came                       D. put

56. A. although       B. after                       C. since                       D. unless

57. A. feared                B. sought               C. brought                D. rejected

58. A. mind          B. use                    C. time                        D. print        

59. A. imagination              B. personality         C. motivation                   D. responsibility

60. A. low           B. far                     C. long                      D. close               

— I’m sorry．I ________  at you the other day．

— Forget it．I was a bit out of control myself．

A． shouldn’t shout        B． shouldn’t have shouted

C． mustn’t shout          D． mustn’t have shouted

Disability aids are vital to those who suffer problems with executing work with two hands. These are people who have been disabled due to some major sickness or some other problems. In order to help them carry on their work in the normal way, disability aids are manufactured. This helps them make their life a lot easier than what it would have been without these aids. The kind of disability aids that an individual might require depends on the person only. It is the problem that a person faces that decides the aids that he/she will use for carrying out their respective jobs. The following is the list of a few disability aids that come of significant use.

The first and foremost aid is the stocking aid, aiding the individuals suffering from the problem of bending down to reach the foot and wear their own socks. These stocking aids have a gutter(槽) that is made up of plastic material. These gutters are shaped in a certain way along with the attachment of cotton tapes in it. The sock is then put over the gutter. The foot is placed inside the gutter. The cotton tapes help in pulling the socks up the leg and subsequently the sock. In this manner, the sock is worn by a person who has problems wearing it by bending one’s back and reaching the foot.

There are openers that help the people who have problems with their hands or wrists to open bottles of ketchup, jam and other such bottles and jars that necessitates the use of hands and fingers.

The third type of disability aids that comes to our minds are lifts. Now what are lifts? Lifts are certain machines that help in lifting people from specific areas, such as a bathtub or a set of stairs. These lifts are of varied types and come for numerous applications. It is for the individual to decide the type that he/she requires to use.

For people, who have problems in balancing their upper bodies in a stable manner, there is something known as grab rails. These grab rails are installed for those who have mobility problems in their upper bodies. These rails come in varieties of shapes, sizes and angles. These grab rails are available to home users as well, in their different variations. One can purchase and fix one to their homes according to one’s specificities. These grab rails require the act of screwing and drilling in order to fix them to their appropriate place. The prices of these rails also vary according to the variation of their shapes and sizes.

A portable book holder is a much sought-after disability aid. It can be used by anybody for that matter, not just the disabled. These portable book holders are light-weight and can be easily moved about. These holders relieve the strains on one’s hands, necks and shoulders that might occur due to the handling of a book. The holders are provided with extended legs that help in placing the reading material at suitable distance.

Thus with the help of these disability aids, the old and disabled people can make their lives much more convenient and comfortable that would otherwise have been a cumbersome and complex one.

Disability Aids

It is now generally believed that a good teacher should be ________ to his/her students.

  A. convenient               B. adequate              C. accessible                 D. suitable

    Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment.

       My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table.

       I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.

       I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being.

21 . Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule?

  A. Start the car the moment everyone is seated.

  B. Leave the room for a minute with the iron working.

  C. Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better.

  D. Move an object out of the way before it traps someone.

22. The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ______.

A. keep her appointment with the eye doctor     

B. meet her father who was already an old man

C. join in the holiday celebration of the company 

D. finish her work before the deadline approached

23. The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.

  A. avoided          B. lacked          C. abandoned         D. took

24. What is the best title for the passage?

A. The Emotional Well-being                B. The Two Saddest Words

C. The Most Useful Rule                     D. The Peace of Mind

Time Travel

If you could travel in time, where would you go? Perhaps you would watch an original performance of a Shakespeare’s play in Elizabethan England? What about hanging out with Laozi in the Spring and Autumn Period? Or maybe you’d voyage far ahead of the present day to see what the future holds.

The possibility of time travel is indeed appealing. Stories exploring the subject have been around for hundreds of years. Perhaps the best known example is science fiction novel The Time Machine, which was written by H.G. Wells and published in 1895 for the first time. It was adapted into at least two feature films of the same name, as well as two television versions, and a large number of comic book adaptations. It is generally credited with the popularization of the concept of time travel using a vehicle that allows an operator to travel purposefully and selectively. The term “time machine”, coined by Wells, is now universally used to refer to a vehicle transporting people into the far future.

But could time travel actually be possible? Some scientists say yes, in theory. They propose

using cracks in time and space called “wormholes”, which could be used as shortcuts to other periods. Einstein's theory of relativity allows time travel in extreme circumstances. And British

physicist Stephen Hawking says you could travel into the future with a really fast spaceship — going at nearly the speed of light. Though building such a spaceship would of course be no simple task.

Even if you could travel into the past, there is something called the “grandfather paradox”. It asks what would happen if a time traveler were to go back in time and have his own grandfather killed for some reason, and therefore prevent himself from being born．If the time traveler wasn't born, how would he travel back in time？

And would you really like to visit the future？In H．G．Wells' book, the main character travels into distant time where he arrives at a beach and is attacked by giant crabs. He then voyages 30 million years into the future where the only living thing is a black object with tentacles(触角).If that's what's in store, maybe we are better just living in the present day after all.

28．The novel The Time Machine mentioned in Paragraph 2 aims to show___________．

　    A．the special feature of the book       

B．People's interest in time travel

C．the long history of time travel　   

D．the contribution of H．G．Wells

29．Einstein's and Hawking's theories_________．

A．suggest the possibility to invent the time machine

B．have similarities in many ways   

C．have proved wrong by some time travelers

D．push the invention of the first spaceship

30．In Paragraph 4,“grandfather paradox” probably refers to the idea that__________．

A．the traveler is prevented from meeting his grandfather

B．the traveler goes back in time to seek for his grandfather

C．the grandfather's death makes the traveler's birth impossible

D．The reunion of the traveler and his grandfather brings happiness

31．According to the passage, what is probably the author's attitude towards time travel？

A．Supportive．    B．Unconcerned．              C．Unclear． D．Skeptical．

   During the war ,my husband was stationed at an army camp in a desert in California. I went to live there in order to be  41   him. I hated the place. I had never   42  been so unhappy. My husband was ordered out on a long-term duty, and I was left in a tiny shack(棚屋) alone. The heat was   43  —almost 125 °F even in the shade of a cactus(仙人掌).   44  a soul to talk to. The wind blew non-stop, and all the food I ate, and the very air I breathed, were   45  with sand, sand, sand!

   I was so sorry for myself that I wrote to my parents. I told them I was   46   and coming back home. I said I couldn’t stand it one minute longer. I   47   be in prison! My father answered my  48  with just two lines—two lines that will always sing in my   49  — two lines that completely changed my life:

Two men looked out from prison bars,

One saw the mud, the other saw the stars.

   I read those two lines  50  . I was ashamed of myself. I made up my mind I would find out what was good in my present   51  I would look for the stars.

   I made friends with the natives, and their   52  amazed me. They gave me presents of their favorite artworks which they had  53   to sell to tourists. I studied the delightful forms of the cactus. I watched for the desert sunsets, and   54   for seashells that had been left there millions of years ago when the desert had been an ocean  55  .

   What brought about this   56  change in me? The desert hadn’t changed,   57   I had. I had changed my   58  . And by doing so, I changed an unhappy experience into the most amazing  59   of my life. I was excited by this new world that I had discovered. I had looked out of my self-created prison and   60   the stars.

41. A. off            B. behind             C. near            D. beyond

42. A. before         B. already             C. then            D. still

43. A. inflexible      B. incomprehensible     C. uncontrollable    D. unbearable

44. A. Only         B. Not                 C. Many           D. Such

45. A. covered       B. filled                C. buried          D. charged

46. A. catching up    B. keeping up           C. giving up        D. getting up

47. A. ought to       B. might well           C. would rather     D. had better

48. A. request         B. call               C. question        D. letter

49. A. comparison     B. imagination        C. consideration     D. memory

50. A. over and over   B. by and by          C. up and down      D. now and then

51. A. company       B. occupation         C. situation         D. relationship

52. A. movement      B. reaction           C. guidance         D. purpose

53. A. refused        B. failed              C. managed         D. happened

54. A. asked          B. hunted             C. waited          D. headed

55. A. floor          B. surface             C. rock            D. level

56. A. shocking       B. challenging         C. puzzling         D. astonishing

57. A. as             B. but                C. for             D. or

58. A. attitude        B. principle            C. identity         D. standard

59. A. vacation       B. operation            C. affair           D. adventure

60. A. sought         B. counted             C. found          D. reached

DEAR AMY: We recently had to put our cat down. It came out of the blue. We had no idea that he had health problems, and we woke up early one morning to the cat crying out painfully. We immediately rushed him to the vet’s where the vet said that at best treatment might lengthen his life by two to three months. We did not want to see him suffer, so we chose to kill the cat in a painless way. 

I am having a rough time! I cry when I am alone. I cry when I see pet commercials on television. I put away everything that reminds me of the cat. But the last sight of seeing the cat in pain plays over and over in my head. My kids seem alright with what has happened, but why am I struggling?

It has only been one week since his passing, so I hope things will get better. Do you have any suggestions?

Yours,

Sad

DEAR SAD: There is no loss quite like the loss of a pet; these animals keep us company through important life passages and are beloved witnesses to our human lives.

I understand your instinct to put away all of your cat’s things, but it may help you now to memorialize your pet by using these things. Each family member can write down favorite things about him or memories of him; read their memories aloud and put the papers inside his bowl. The idea is to replace those painful last memories with much more lively memories taking place over the most of the animal’s life.

Time will then do its job, which is to affect your feelings. And then, when you’re ready, I hope you will adopt another animal and give it the opportunity to share your life.

Yours,

Amy

26. Which of the following made the author’s family choose to kill the cat in a painless way?

A. The cat had changed its color.

B. The vet himself had no way to save its life.

C. The family wouldn’t see it suffer in its later life.

D. The cat suffered so much that it could die at any time.

27.The author cried when seeing pet commercials on television because 　　　　. 

A. she was alone at home                         B. she thought of her lovely cat

C. she didn’t like to see the things of the cat

D. her children showed no feeling over the cat’s death

28. What does the underlined phrase mean in Paragraph 1?

A. In the color of blue.    B. Very sadly.     C. All of a sudden.   D. With much pain.

29. What can we infer from Amy’s advice?

A. It’s all right to feel grief at losing a lovely pet. B. It’s OK to put the cat’s things away.

C. Writing memories about the cat makes people happy.

D. A new pet can also save your life.

30. What do we know from the last paragraph of Amy’s letter?

A. The longer it is, the less you will feel sad about your pet.

B. It is important to find a new pet as soon as possible.

C. As time goes on, you will feel more sorrow about your pet.

D. One can’t live a happy life without a pet around him.

Britain is a "second-rate power" which has been       for a century -yet London remains the most influential city in the world.

A.in decline        B.in effect         C.on the move    D.on the rise

We think of bees preferring to live in rural fields.But new research suggests Britain’s bees are happier near towns and cities and that is pretty out of our expectations.

A study of wildlife sites has found that most farmland is home to fewer species of bee today than it was in the past.For instance,heaths and meadows（荒地牧场）near Milton Keynes now have more species of bee than sites in more rural areas.Researchers believe intensive agriculture is to blame.

Another question --- is climate change confusing bees?Climate change could be causing disorder in the relationship between bees and plants.That’s according to a study that said warmer springs can change the life cycles of bees,which can throw them out of sync（同步）with the plants they pollinate（授粉）.While the gardens,parks and churchyards of town and cities provide bees with a variety of plants to feed on and an extended flowering season,popular crops such as oilseed rape only flower for a few weeks.

A researcher said, “While concreting over the countryside may appear to be bad news for nature,we’ve found that progressive urbanization may be much less damaging than intensive agriculture. ”

Urban ares may benefit bees more than farmland by providing a wide variety of flowering plants,providing a rich menu for insects from spring to autumn.

Over the past century rural landscapes in Britain have become increasingly dominated by large expanses of monoculture --- the growing of a single type of plant,which has helped improve crop production.But without a mixture of habitat and food sources,rural areas can sometimes become green deserts for bees.

Scientists around the country are trying to work out why populations of bees and other insects are dropping sharply.Pesticides,climate change and diseases may,like intensive farming,be some of the reasons.

33.How does climate change probably affect bees’ life?

A.Warmer springs produce too many plants.

B.There are fewer plants for bees to pollinate.

C.Bees prefer to live in cooler environment.

D.Bees’ connection with plants is disturbed.

34.Which of the following is one of the reasons for bees preferring cities?

A.A better variety of foods.            B.More flowers in winter.

C.Increased crop production.            D.The modern lifestyle.

35.Why does the writer call rural landscapes “green deserts”?

A.Because they don’t seem attractive to bees

B.Because they are covered with sands

C.Because they lack diverse plants to provide for bees.

D.Because they are only for plants bearing no flowers.

   Beth did have scarlet fever(猩红热), and was much sicker than anyone and her sister Joyce felt unhappy writing letters to her mother    41    (say) nothing about Beth’s illness. Joyce nursed Beth day and night, but the time came  42  Beth did not recognize anyone and called everyone mother. Joyce was so frightened that she begged    43   (allow)to write the truth, but the doctor said there was no danger yet.

    How dark the days seemed. How sad and lonely the girls   44   (be). They waited as the shadow of   45  （die) lay over the once happy home. It was then    46  Joyce realized how rich she had been in the things  47  really mattered—love, peace, good health and how  48  (self) Beth always was— living for others and trying to make home a happy place for all who came there.                        

    On the first day of December, the doctor came in the morning. He looked at Beth, then said quietly, “if your mother could leave her husband and ask someone else to take care  49  him, I think she should come home now.” Hearing this, Joyce   50   (throw) her coat and ran out into the snow to send a telegram to mother.