Winter begins in the north on December 22nd.People and animals have been doing

 what they always do to prepare for the colder months, Sqzeirrels,  for example,  have

 been busy gathering nuts from trees.    3 6  

    They examined differences between red squirrels and gray squirrels in the American

 state of Indiana.  The scientists wanted to know how these differences could affect the

 growth of black walnut(黑胡桃）trees.37    The black walnut tree is also a central

 part of some hardwood forests.

      Rob Swihart of Purdue University did the study with Jake Goheen,  a former

  Purdue student nowat the University of New Mexico.  The two researchers estimate

  that several times as many walnuts grow when gathered by gray squirrels as compared

  to red squirrels.Gray squirrels and red squirrels do not store nuts and seeds in the same

  way.  Gray squirrels bury nuts one at a time in a number of places.    38    So some nuts

  remain in the ground.  Conditions are right for them to develop and grow the following

  spring.  Red squirrels, however, store large groups of nuts above ground.

       3 9    But Professor Swihart says their numbers began to decrease as more forests

  were cut for agriculture.  Red squirrels began to spread through the state during the past

  century. The researchers say red squirrels are native to forests that stay green all year,

  unlike walnut trees.  They say the cleaning of forest land for agriculture has helped red

  squirrels invade（涌入）Indiana.    40  

    A. Gray squirrels are native to Indiana.

    B. But they seldom remember where they buried every nut.

    C. Red squirrels bury nuts in a different way.

    D. The black walnut is the nut of choice for both kinds of squirrels.

    E. Jake Goheen calls them a sign of an environmental problem more than a cause.

    F. Scientists are  worried  that they will drive away the gray squirrels.

    G. Well, scientists have been  busy gathering information about what the squirrels

       do with the food they collect.

Urbanization

Until relatively recently, the vast majority of human beings lived and died without ever seeing a city. The first city was probably founded no more than 5,500 years ago.   65．  In fact, nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural villages. It was not until the 20th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history—a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living.

     Britain was only the beginning. 66．  The process of urbanization—the migration of people from the countryside to the city—was the result of modernization, which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live.

In 1990, fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas. Today, over 82% of Americans live in cities.

Only about 2% live on farms.  67． 

Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized. Even in advanced agricultural societies, it took about ninety-five people on farms to feed five people in cities.  68． Until modern times, those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite(精英) and the servants, laborers and professionals who served them. Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.

Over the past two centuries, the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country. 69．  Today, instead of needing ninety-five farmers to feed five city people, one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred non-farmers.

A. That kept cities very small.

B. The rest live in small towns.

C. The effects of urban living on people should be considered.

D. Soon many other industrial nations become urban societies.

E. But even 200 years ago, only a few people could live in cities.

F. Modernization drew people to the cities and made farmers more productive.

G. Modern cities have destroyed social relations and the health of human beings.

In the morning, Slim got up and prepared breakfast for his wife as usual. Nicole, his wife was listening to music in the bedroom. _________, he felt that his body was shaking. Slim had the _________ response that there was an earthquake! He _________quickly,  “Dear, earthquake! Go to the toilet! ” Nicole heard the shouting, _________ the first aid box quickly and ran into the toilet. The house was_________even more dramatically.

Bathroom was the next door to the kitchen. Slim picked up a kitchen _________ and two pieces of bread outside the kitchen. Slim tried to run along the wall to help Nicole.  _________, it got _________ suddenly with an explosion. The house_________ down and many things fell from above. Nicole was quickly buried in_________ . She felt breathing very difficult. She tried to stand up, but _________ .

A few minutes later, the land was _________. Nicole heard the sound of short _________ and thought it was Slim! She shouted to him but no_________ ! He probably fainted. Nicole kept saying his name and she finally heard a response. Two people encouraged and _________ each other. They knew that there must be a way to _________ .

Slim found that they were close and were_________ by the fallen stones and some powder. He started to dig with the kitchen knife. He felt _________ from his fingers. Finally, he removed the last piece of larger stones. Slim touched Nicole’s one hand, then dug the_________stones of her body. Finally, Nicole had a _________ breathing slowly. Two people sat on the ground and hugged together.

24．A.Unfortunately  B. Actually     C. Suddenly      D. Really

25．A. rapid         B. recent       C. second        D. best

26．A. warned        B. shouted      C. jumped        D. howled

27．A. used up       B. found out    C. took up       D. put away

28．A. burning       B. moving       C. falling       D. shaking

29．A. knife         B. cook         C. fork          D. tool

30．A.Therefore      B. However      C. Instead       D. Besides

31．A. bright        B. Cloudy       C. blank         D. dark

32．A. lay           B. broke        C. crashed       D. bent

33．A. dirt         B. ashes        C. pieces        D. ruins

34．A. senseless    B. impossible   C. impractical   D. invaluable

35．A. normal       B. silent       C. flat          D. usual

36．A. steps        B. Pauses       C. movements     D. breath

37．A. sign         B. hope         C. response      D. result

38．A. calmed       B. held         C. touched       D. called

39．A. relax        B. Communicate  C. escape        D. succeed

40．A. wrapped      B. limited      C. fastened      D. separated

41．A. pain         B. cold         C. water         D. warmth

42．A. spreading    B. Bundling     C. sticking      D. surrounding

43．A. complete     B. steady       C. constant      D. Weak

    One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather. Several times, it   36    several obstacles in its path. And after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour（绕道）.   37   one point, the ant had to cross a crack about 10mm wide. After some   38    thoughts, the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked   39   it and picked the feather up on the other side, then continued on its way. I was   40   by the cleverness of this ant. It was only a small insect, lacking in   41   yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome.   42    this ant, like the other two-legged creatures   43   on the earth, also shares human failings.

       After some time the ant   44   reached its destination --- a flower bed and a small hole that was the entrance to its   45   home. It was there that the ant met its   46  . How could that large feather possibly   47   such a small hole? Of course, it couldn’t. So the ant, after all this   48   and using great brightness, overcoming problems all along the way, just gave up the   49   and went home. The ant had not thought the problem through   50   it began its journey and in the end the feather was   51   more than a burden. Isn’t our   52   like that?

       We worry about our families; we worry about the   53   of money; and we worry about all kinds of things. These are all burdens --- the things we pick up along life’s path, and drag them around the obstacles and over the cracks that life will bring, only to   54   that at the destination they are   55   and we can’t take them with us.

36. A. came across        B. came about         C. got over              D. dealt with

37. A. For                       B. At                        C. To                       D. With

38. A. brave             B. tiring             C. short                  D. magic

39. A. through                B. across                 C. beside            D. behind

40. A. satisfied                B. frightened           C. annoyed                                D. attracted

41. A. height                 B. size                     C. depth             D. length

42. A. Therefore       B. Otherwise           C. But                     D. Moreover

43. A. living                    B. working            C. sleeping         D. walking

44. A. finally                   B. probably              C. suddenly         D. easily

45. A. lonely               B. comfortable        C. underground       D. big

46. A. partner            B. parent             C. match             D. friend

47. A. fix                B. fit                        C. fill                   D. suit

48. A. trouble           B. pleasure             C. decision             D. matter

49. A. insect             B. problem          C. feather               D. hole

50. A. before                  B. after                   C. until                   D. once

51. A. everything           B. anything         C. something       D. nothing

52. A. study             B. aim                 C. dream              D. life

53. A. waste              B. lack                    C. worth             D. danger

54. A. think              B. wonder                C. warn                   D. find

55. A. bad              B. useless               C. meaningful         D. practical

    Have you ever heard the old saying “Never judge a book by its cover.”? This is a good rule 61_______ (follow) when you are trying to judge the intelligence of someone. Some people have minds which shine only in certain situations. A young man 62_______ has an unusual gift in writing may find himself 63_______ (speech) in the presence of a pretty girl. He may not be able to find the right words. But don't make the mistake of thinking him stupid. With a pen and paper, he can express 64_______ better than anybody else.

    Other people may fool you into overestimating their intelligence 65_____ putting up a good front. A student who listens 66______ (careful) and takes notes in class is sure to make a favorable 67_______ (impress) on his teachers. But when it 68_______ (come) to exams, he may score near the bottom of the class.

   The only way of 69________ (determine) a person's intelligence is to get to know him. The more situations you see, the 70______(good) your judgment is likely to be. So take your time. Don't judge a book by its cover.

  Scientists can learn about man by studying animals, such as mice, rats and monkeys. The scientists in a laboratory are experimenting on mice and they are studying the relationship between diet and health.

In this experiment, the scientists are studying the relationship between the amount of food the mice can eat and their health. The mice are in three groups. All these groups are receiving the same healthy diet. But the amount of food that each group is receiving is different. The first group is eating one cup of food each day, the second two cups, and the third three cups.

After three years, the healthiest group is the one that is only eating one cup of food each day. The mice in this group are thinner than normal mice but they are more active. Most of the day, they are running, playing with one another, and using the equipment in their cages. Also, they are living longer. Mice usually live for two years, while most of the mice in this group are still alive after three years.

The second group of mice is of normal weight. They are healthy, too. They are active, but not as active as the thinner mice. But they are only living about two years.

The last group of mice is receiving more food than the other two groups. Most of the day, these mice are eating or sleeping. They are not active. These mice are living longer than the scientists thought—about a year and a half, but they are not healthy. They are sick more often than the other two groups.

32．The first group is the thinnest mainly because ________.

A. they run and play all day long                   B. they eat only one cup of food a day

C. they live longer than the other groups     D. they are bored with the kind of food in the cup

33．How long do normal nice live according to the passage?

A. About one year .                                           B. About a year and a half.

C. About two years.                                          D. About three years.

34．What can we learn from the experiment?

A.Daily amount of food may influence our health.    B.Sleeping may have nothing to do with weight.

C.Playing with others may help us sleep better.        D.Less exercise may make us live longer.

35．This passage is mainly about the relationship between _________.

A. sleep and weight                B. exercise and equipment

C. food and health                 D. weight and exercise

It is a familiar scene these days: employees taking newly laid-off co-workers out for a drink for comfort. But which side deserves sympathy more, the jobless or the still employed? On March 6, researchers at a conference at the University of Cambridge heard data suggesting it's the latter.

Brendan Burchell, a Cambridge sociologist, presented his analysis based on various surveys conducted across Europe. The data suggest that employed people who feel insecure in their jobs show similar levels of anxiety and depression as those who are unemployed. Although a newly jobless person's mental health may “bottom out" after about six months, and then even begin to improve, the mental state of people who are continuously worried about losing their job “just continues to get worse and worse", Burchell says.

Evolutionary psychologists support this theory by arguing that human beings feel more stress during times of insecurity because they sense an immediate but invisible threat. Patients have been known to experience higher levels of anxiety, for example, while waiting for examination results than knowing what they are suffering from—even if the result is cancer. It's better to get the bad news and start doing something about it rather than wait with anxiety. When the uncertainty continues, people stay in a nonstop “fight or flight" response, which leads to damaging stress.

But not every employee in insecure industries has such a discouraging view, Burchell says. In general, women get on better. While reporting higher levels of anxiety than men when directly questioned, women scored lower in stress on the GHQ 12, even when they had a job they felt insecure about losing. As Burchell explains, “For women, most studies show that any job—it doesn't matter whether it is secure or insecure—gives psychological improvement over unemployment. " Burchell supposes that the difference in men is that they tend to feel pressure not only to be employed, but also to be the primary breadwinner, and that more of a man's self-worth depends on his job.

32. Why do researchers think the still employed deserve sympathy more?

A. They have to do more work since then.

B. They have no chance to find better jobs.

C. They have to work with inexperienced workers.

D. They constantly worry about losing their jobs.

33. What is most likely to cause a “fight or flight" response?

A. Not having a paid job.

B. Fierce competition for jobs.

C. Not knowing what will happen.

D. Pressure to work longer hours.

34. What will the writer talk about following the last paragraph?

A. Advice on preparing a job interview.

B. Advice to those in insecure industries.

C. Some knowledge of psychology.

D. Difference in men and women.

35. What could be the best title for the text?

A. Is it less stressful to get laid off than stay on?

B. Should greater sympathy be given to the jobless?

C. Do employees bear more stress than ever before?

D. Do men or women show higher levels of anxiety?

 Ning Zetao easily proved himself to be a rising star with four gold medals during the 17th Asian Games, ______was held in Incheon, South Korea last year.

A. where              B. who

C. which              D. that

---I as well as my family, will go to Shanghai for vacation tomorrow.

--- __________ Do remember sending me a gift when you are back.

A. Have fun!                                         B. That’s very nice of you.

C. It’s a pleasure.                                 D. So what?

I had been following the yellowish-green markers for a “popular and easy” three-mile out-and-back hike. Immediately after the trailhead(山道的起点), the trail became very rocky and steep. But having read information about the hike, I knew within five minutes, I was supposed to reach the hike’s first overlook.

However, the overlook never arrived. Instead, I found myself lost in the woods. Pulling out my cellphone, I saw it read “no service”. I checked the last text message I’d sent to my mom. It read, “Conference ended…going for a small hike before my flight home this afternoon.” I put my phone away and kept moving and yelling, “Help! Is anybody out there?” Every so often, I’d stop to listen, but I never heard a reply.

I got out my phone again. The battery was running out fast as it searched for a signal. I struggled to find a place where I could get service. When I did, I called my mom. It went through! In a shaky voice, I said, “Mom?” And then the call dropped. More than 1,500 miles away, my mom instantly knew something was wrong. She called the Denver Police Department and was directed to the US Forest Service.

This was how I was introduced to John, an operator from the US Forest Service. Following John’s instruction on the phone, I finally escaped from the woods. I breathed a sigh of relief. Then my phone rang, and it was John, making sure I was still going in the right direction. “By the way,” he said, “we’ve had your mother on hold this whole time. We know once you get down the mountain, you will absolutely want to give her a call.”

24. What did the author do while finding the trail rocky and steep?

A. He yelled for help.                         B. He continued walking.

C. He returned to the start.                D. He found the first overlook.

25. When did the author tell his mom about the hiking?

A. After he got lost.                           B. After John’s call.

C. After a conference.                        D. After the call dropped.

26. How did the author’s mom know he was in danger?

A. The author called and told her about it.

B. The author’s flight didn’t arrive on time.

C. She learned it from the US Forest Service.

D. She sensed something unusual on the phone.

27. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. The author’s mom was on line waiting.

B. John came to the woods for the author.

C. John lost touch with the author’s mom.

D. The author went in the wrong direction.

 —Excuse me, which movie are you waiting for?

—The new Star Wars. We ________ here for more than two hours.

A. waited                  B. wait

C. would be waiting        D. have been waiting

Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success. ____36__ With that in mind, here are some suggestions that will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:

      __37____ . If there’s any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: “Something wonderful is going to happen today.” Guess what? You're probably right.

Take time to plan and prioritize(优先处理). The most common source of stress is the thought that you've got too much work to do. Rather than worry about it, pick one thing that will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.

Eat high quality food slowly. ____38______ . Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Taste it, focus on it and enjoy it.

Let go of your results. The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. ___39___ .

End each day with gratitude. Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal.  ___40____

     A. Start each day with expectations.

     B. Give a gift to everyone you meet.

     C. Thinking about that thing makes your head hurt.

     D. It’s impossible to make others happy if you're not happy.

     E. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.

     F. Sometimes we can't avoid eating something quickly and running.

     G. Focus on the job at hand rather than some fantasy that might happen.

Many people trying to sell homes find that an increase in home prices has turned the market in their favor. But sellers can still get the short end of the deal if they aren’t careful. Here are a few tips for you:

       Don’t test your luck. Of course you think anyone who moves into your lovely home should be willing to pay top dollars, especially if you’ve recently invested in some improvements. But listing a home at a price that’s too high above the market price could turn away some buyers.

       Buyers noticing that the home still hasn’t sold may begin to assume there’s something wrong with the house and use that as a reasonable excuse for offering a lower price. And if a home hasn’t received any offers after two weeks, it might be time to reset the price.

       A price that’s too low can bring about an undesired outcome. Listing your home at or slightly below the market price can have the effect of drawing in a large group of buyers and increase the chances that a home will receive multiple offers. But setting the price too low comes with several risks. One possibility is that buyers will get skeptical of the home that is listed for $ 15,000 to $ 20,000 less than similar homes in the area, especially if it’s not properly marketed. Once again, people might assume there is something wrong with the home and may not bother to look at it.

       Spy on the competition. Going to other people’s open houses can give you a better sense of how your home compares to others on the market. Check out the finishes in their kitchens, the size of their backyards and use the information to figure out where your home should fit in the range of the price. But don’t set your pricing just on what you see elsewhere.

24. What does the underline part in paragraph 1 probably mean?

  A. To be at a disadvantage                     B. To get the upper hand

  C. To have control over the situation       D. To be unable to fit in

25. What should home sellers do according to the passage?

  A. Price your house on the basis of its geographic location.1111]

  B. Price your house slightly above the market price after decorating it.

  C. Change the price if no offer has been received within a week.

  D. Change your house at a price slightly below the market price.

26. If you set the price of your house too low, _____.

  A. buyers might think it not worthwhile to go to have a look

  B. you are likely to come into conflict with the neighborhood sellers

  C. your house will be crowded with buyers within a couple of days

  D. chances of your house being sold at a better price will be greatly increased

27. What is the benefit of going to other people’s open house?

  A. You can pick up some useful lessons on house selling.

  B. You can get your pricing mainly based on what you see elsewhere.

  C. You can work out how much money you should ask for your home.

  D. You can know how to make your house stand out against other houses.

With a large part of the world's population living close to the oceans, rising sea levels bring the potential for destructive (破坏性的)results. But scientists are stilt unable to make predictions exact enough for people to plan to handle the loss of land and the threat to coastal communities expected over this century.

“We know sea level is going to rise, but how much, and how fast, and where, we really still don’t know," said Josh Willis, a climate scientist.

The ocean isn't like water in a bathtub. It doesn’t rise all the same as more water pours in. As global warming raises sea levels, some places are expected to see higher-than-average increases, and a few places, may even see decreases.

It’s repotted that over the course of this century, sea levels will rise between 8 inches and 6.6 feet around the planet. Scientists know this increase will be driven by the expansion of water as it warms—warmer water takes up more space—and the melting of ice. But the effects of warming water and melting ice on sea-level rise are expected to vary from area to area. And the melting of ice of the Antarctic and Greenland presents the largest uncertainty for the future, but air, land and water also play roles in changes to sea level. For example, sea level near the ice getting melt actually decreases, because the ground under the melting ice rises as the heavy ice disappears.

Climate change is expected to change ocean currents and the winds that help drive ocean currents. These changes will affect the distribution of heat within the oceans, and, as a result, affect changes in sea level.

Nowadays, scientists use two types of models to make predictions about the future of sea levels, but the two don’t agree. If scientists can't accurately predict sea-level increase for the coming years, the least we can do is measure what happening today with the help of the satellite, Jason-2, but it’s reaching the end of its operational life.

4.The first paragraph implies that_______ .

A. the rising sea levels mainly happens near the coast

B. people living in coastal communities have to move

C. scientists have ways to handle the rising sea levels

D. coastal cities are easily affected by the rising sea levels

5.What does the writer mean by saying "The ocean isn’t like water in a bathtub" in the third paragraph?

A. The rising sea level is hard to tell.   B. The ocean can be easily controlled.

C The ocean isn’t equal to a bathtub in size.  D. There is too much water for us to control.

6.According to the text, which of the following shows the right cause and effect?

①climate change; ②ocean currents; ③the winds; ④changes in sea level; ⑤the distribution of heat

A. ①→②→③→④→⑤   B. ①→③→②→⑤→④

C.③→④→⑤→②→①  D. ①→⑤→③→②→④

7.What problems will scientists meet with in predicting future climate changes?

A. It's too difficult to measure what's happening.

B. Types of models for prediction are difficult to set up.

C. There will probably be no satellites to help the scientists.

D. There aren’t enough scientists studying the changes of sea levels.

    Yesterday was my stepmother’s birthday. I haven’t been home for a long time, so I wanted to stop by the house to see her on this special day.

    I have been struggling on a low income so I was afraid that I couldn’t afford the long trip. Gas is so expensive nowadays! Anyway, I filled my tank with gas and set off. 

    I stopped at a shopping mall and found a present. It was the perfect gift and I knew she would love it. But when I got to the cashier, my card was declined! I didn’t have enough money in my account to pay for the gift!

    So I pondered the issue for a few minutes. I could put it back and get something cheaper, but I knew there was nothing else in the store she would have liked as much. So, I got to my smart-phone and transferred some money from my saving account and was able to buy the gift. It took a big part of my savings but I wanted her to have something special.

    It turned out that she loved the gift and I felt that even though I had spent almost all my money, my stepmother deserved the best. I was glad I gave her the best I could.

    Before I left my parents’ house, my dad took me to one side and, with our secret handshake, he gave me some money. I hadn’t said anything to him about my financial condition, but I guessed my dad just knew it. When I got to the car, I saw the amount he gave me was three times what I had spent on the gas and the gift!

It goes to show that doing the right thing always comes with great rewards.

56. Why was the writer unwilling to have a long trip?

   A. Because gas was hardly available.

   C. Because the writer didn’t like driving.  B. Because the writer was short of money.

D. Because the road was difficult to drive on.

57. The underlined word “pondered” in Paragraph 4 probably means ________.           

   A. thought about B. tried on C. depended on  D. got through

58. From the passage, we can infer that ________.

   A. the writer loves his stepmother very much

   B. the gift the writer bought was loved by his father very much

   C. the writer spend all his savings buying the gift for his stepmother

   D. the gift the writer bought was the most expensive one in the shop

59. Why did the writer’s father shake hands with the writer in secret?

   A. Because he wanted to ask the writer for something special.

   B. Because he wanted to give the writer some money.

   C. Because he knew the writer had been struggling financially.

   D. Because he didn’t want others to copy their handshake.

As for old people，some of the applications are hard to use because they didn't grow up with them. They don't have simple models of how they should work，what to do when something doesn't work or where to go for help. We make it as easy as possible to be used for people who are not familiar with the technology.

I think there is huge potential(潜力) and we are designing it. The ability to connect to friends，who remember the same movies and news and music，is really important，especially as people get old. They end up in retirement homes and they aren't always close to their friends. Allowing the network to help them connect with friends and family is a really powerful thing.

My mother is an enthusiastic user of the Internet，although it took me years to get her to use e－mail. She was born with normal hearing，but lost it when she was 3.She was totally deaf for many years，until age 53，when she got ear aids. They work really well. That is a big change for her. But before then，her friends couldn't call her on the phone，so they insisted (坚持) she use e-mail to communicate with them.

Young people don't even think of the Internet as technology. It’s just there，and they use it. There’s been a very interesting change in communications styles between old people and young people. There are some kids who are now in their teens and aren't willing to make phone calls. And they think of e-mail as old-fashioned and slow.

The reason why teens don't make phone calls seems to be that they don’t know what to say. When they call they often stop for a while. They don't know what to say，and there's this silence. On the other hand，texting is considered proper，and it's okay if you don't answer. You might have been distracted (心烦意乱的)．It's not considered rude. But it is considered strange if you're in this kind of voice conversation and simply stop talking.

24. What is the trouble that old people meet when surfing the Internet?

       A. They don’t know how to use some applications.

       B. They have to buy electronic productions at a high price.

       C. There is no professional teacher to teach them how to use the Internet.

       D. They have no friends to communicate with online.

25. We can infer from the passage that the author is a ________．

       A. company manager               B. program designer

       C. college professor                D. mobile phone designer

26. What do the young people think of the Internet according to the passage?

       A. Interesting.     B. Amazing.          C. Boring.      D. Common.

27. Which of the following statements is true?

A. Teens face challenges when taking phone calls with the old.

     B. The author's mother is still using e-mail to communicate with others after

getting ear aids.

C. Teens like to send texts to communicate with others in order to avoid

embarrassment.

D. Most people consider e-mail as the most old-fashioned tool to communicate

with others.

Bob Dylan, born on May 24，1941，is an American songwriter, singer, artist and writer. He has been influential in popular music and culture for more than five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s, when his songs showed social unrest. Early songs such as Blowing in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changing promoted the American civil rights and anti-war movements.

Dylan’s songs include a wide range of political, social and literary influences. They challenged existing pop music conventions and appealed to the growing counterculture. His recording career, spanning more than 50 years，has explored the traditions in American song，from folk，blues，and country to rock and roll, and to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, even jazz and the Great American Songbook. He has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been called the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but songwriting is considered his greatest contribution.

As a musician, Dylan has sold more than 100 million records, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. He has also received numerous awards including eleven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and an Academy Award. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation (引言）for his influence on popular music and American culture，marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power”. In May 2012, Dylan received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama. In 2016, Dylan received the Nobel Prize in Literature “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.

29. Which word best describes Dylan ’ s music according to Paragraph 2 ?

   A. Various.        B. Talented.     C. Personal      D .Popular

30. What is Dylan better recognized as?

   A.   A performer.    B. A singer.     C. An artist      D.A songwriter

31. What made Dylan get the Nobel Prize ?

   A . His poems about music.

   B. His American song tradition.

   C. His language style of the songs

   D. His influence on America culture.

    Many people don't realize the importance of music education in the schools today．A new study showed, however, music education is extremely important．

    In college, music education is one of the largest programs．Teachers have to learn general education materials and techniques． They must learn to play every instrument; they must learn music history and music theory; they must learn instrument repair and teaching methods; they must learn conducting and so much more．At the same time, much of our culture and tradition is absorbed in music．

    Music plays a very important role in our education．

    Music helps with math and science． Students learn to count, and how to multiply and divide．Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't．Students also need science to understand something called the “overtone series", which is about how music is produced by vibration（颤动）and why．

    Students learn a lot about languages through music．Many songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones．Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about． A song is likely to be a famous short work set to music; so students are exposed to that very often while singing．

    Students learn a huge amount of cooperation （协作）of body parts through music, so parts of the body can work better together．Students must use motor（肌肉运动的）skills in order to play an instrument．Singers and wind（管乐器）players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play．

    Students learn about art． Some famous pieces were written about important pieces of art, and students learn about the artists and styles as they're playing the music．

     Music education also brings higher thinking to our children．It allows them to think about complex patterns．Students have to be aware of what every other musician does at every time．In that way, it develops cooperation, as well．They tend to develop more ability for learning．

    As one can see, music is very important to education．

57．According to the passage, learning music in college will be quite          ．

    A． easy          B． stressful               C． attractive          D． useless

58．As to the benefits from music, which of the following is NOT included in the passage?

    A． Calculation．                                           B． Language study．

       C． Relaxation．                                            D． Cooperation of body parts．

59．The underlined word "that" in Para．5 refers to“            "．

    A． the music                             B． the language

    C． the culture                           D． the work

60．What can we know from the passage?

    A． Science and music are extreme poles．

    B． Only the wisest person can learn music well．

    C． Music is good to our all-round development．

    D． All of us know the importance of music clearly．