Education now only accounts for 4 percent of our country’s total budgets. ______, the figure in some developed countries is around 10 percent.

A. By coincidence   B. At random                C. In addition                   D. By comparison

Last night’s meteor(流星)shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild, Emerald Valley’s mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.

“My family was so frustrated, ”admitted town resident Duane Cosby. “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.”

Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets—have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.

There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association.“100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”

Countless more animal casualties(伤亡)result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person’s chances of getting cancer.

Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.

32. It happened last night that　　　.

A. the city’s lights affected the meteor watching

B. the meteors flew past before being noticed

C. the city light show attracted many people

D. the meteor watching ended up a social outing

33. What do the astronomers complain about?

A. Meteor showers occur less often than before.

B. Their observation equipment is in poor repair.

C. Light pollution has remained unsolved for years.

D. Their eyesight is falling due to artificial lighting.

34. What is the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?

A. Birds may take other migration paths.

B. Animals’ living habits may change suddenly.

C. Varieties of animals will become sharply reduced.

D. Animals’ survival is threatened by outdoor lighting.

35. What message does the author most want to give us?

A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselves.

B. Great efforts should be made to save energy.

C. Human activities should be environmentally friendly.

D. New equipment should be introduced for space study.

    Taking a shower is relaxing. You can hum a song, daydream or think about nothing, leaving the real world behind you. But did you know that showering can also benefit your mind?

    A research by Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist from Yale University in the US interviewed over 3000 people around the world. It turned out that nearly two-thirds of the interviewees said they had experienced new ideas in the shower and were more likely to have them in the shower than at work.

    So why does a simple shower have such magic power? Science can explain it.

Showering can help to raise our level of dopamine (多巴胺), a hormone (荷尔蒙) closely related to our creativity. "People vary in terms of their level of creativity according to the activity of dopamine", explained Alice Flaherty, a famous American neuroscientist (神经系统学家). "Taking a warm shower can make us feel relaxed and therefore make the dopamine level rise and bring 'Aha! 'moment to us."

    Besides the chemical changes, showering may give you a break from what you feel you have been stuck with. Especially when you have thought hard all day about a problem, jumping into the shower can keep you from the outside world so that you can focus on your inner feelings and memories. In this way, according to American psychologist Shelley H. Carson, author of Your Creative Brain, "a showering hour may turn into an 'incubation (孵化) period’for your ideas."

    Compared with sitting in front of a computer, taking a shower is something we do less frequently in our daily life. When showering, we get a fresh experience with the change of location, temperature and humidity. "New and unexpected experiences can lead to positive changes in thinking," explained Kaufman. "Getting off the couch and jumping in the shower may create a distance and force you to think from a new point of view."

    Showering allows us to enjoy the creative juices of our minds, but it needn't just be the bathroom where you get your inspiration. For instance, Gertrude Stein, a female American writer and poet, got new ideas by driving around a farm and stopping at different cows until she found the one that most inspired her. So try to create your own way to free your mind, whether it's a walk near the ocean, a country drive or reading a book at home.

32. According to the article, what changes can showering cause?

    A. Bringing the terrible moment to us.

    B. Increasing the level of dopamine.

    C. Leading to boredom or tiredness.

    D. Setting the creative part of the brain free.

33. If one has focused on something all day, showering can help      .

    A. turn one's attention inwards

    B. draw one's attention to the outside world

    C. one make an important breakthrough

D. many chemical changes to take place

34. It can be inferred from the article that       .

    A. changes in the frequency of an action can create a new perspective

    B. it is a good idea to talk with others about their sources of           inspiration

    C. our lives might feel longer and fuller if we frequently try new things

    D. it is helpful to try something different rather than stay focused on a difficult task

35. The example of Gertrude Stein in the last paragraph is used to          .

    A. encourage readers to find their own ways of getting inspiration

    B. point out to readers that it's hard to find inspiration

    C. explain how to link inspiration with readers’daily lives

D. show that creativity often comes from strange places

Were you the first or the last child in your family? Or were you a middle or an only child? Some people think  ____61 ___  matters where you were born in your family. But there are different ideas about what birth order means. Some people say that oldest children, ____62 ___ are smart and strong-willed, are very likely  ____63 ___  (succeed). The reason  ____64 ___  this is simple. Parents have a lot of time for their first child and give him or her a lot of attention. An only child will succeed for  ____65 ___   same reason.

What happens to the  ____66 ___  children in the family? Middle children don’t get so much attention, so they don’t feel that important. If a family has many children, the middle one sometimes gets lost in the crowd. The youngest child,  ____67 ___ , often gets special treatment. Often this child grows up to be funny. But a recent study saw things quite  ____68 ___  (difference). The study found that first children believed in family rules. They didn’t take many chances in  ____69 ___  lives. They usually  ____70 ___ (follow) orders. Rules didn’t mean as much to later children in the family. They took chances and they often did better in life.

   Two of the hardest things to accomplish in this world are to acquire wealth by honest effort and, having gained it, to learn how to use it properly. Recently I walked into the locker room of a rather well known golf club after finishing a round.It was in the late afternoon and most of the members had left for their homes. But a half－dozen or so men past middle age were still seated at tables talking aimlessly and drinking more than was good for them.These same men can be found there day after day, and, strangely enough, each one of these men had been a man of affairs and wealth, successful in business and respected in the community if material prosperity were the chief necessity for happiness, then each one should have been happy.Yet, it seemed to me, something very important was missing, else—there would not have been the constant effort to escape the realities of life through scotch and soda.They knew, each one of them, that their productivity had ceased(停止)．When a fruit tree ceases to bear its fruit, it is dying.And it is even so with man.

What is the answer to a long and happy existence in this world of ours? I think I found it long ago in a passage from the book of Genesis which caught my eye while I was looking through my Bible.The words were few, but they became memorably impressed on my mind.“In__the__sweat__of__the__face__shall__you__eat__the__bread．”

To me, that has been a challenge from my earliest recollections (memories). In fact, the battle of life, of existence, is a challenge to everyone.The immortal words of St. Paul, too, have been and always will be a great inspiration to me. At the end of the road I want to be able to feel that I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.

32. Which of the following is indicated in the first paragraph?

   A. Wealth results from honest effort.

   B．The men seated at tables in the locker room are lost in the significance of life.

   C．For some people, no way can be found to escape the realities of life other than scotch and soda.

   D．The men acquire wealth by planting fruit trees.

33. The underlined sentence “In the sweat of the face shall you eat the bread” means “________”．

   A. Bread tastes delicious when sweat pours off your face

   B．No pains, no gains

   C．Failure is the mother of success

   D．Bread comes from the sweat on your face

34. We learn from the passage that the author________．

   A．was a wealthy person in the community

   B．held a positive attitude towards an active life

   C．was fond of associating with celebrities (名人)

   D．kept a secret of the reason why he was so impressed

35. What is implied in the passage by the writer?

   A．To use wealth properly, eat, drink and be merry.

   B．Where there is a will, there is a way.

   C．As life is but like a dream, a man is like a fruit tree.

   D．If you cease to struggle, you cease to live.

 ---The weatherman on the news said it might rain later on this afternoon.

---Well, I ____ take my umbrella along with me today.

    A. can                  B. may              C. could              D. must    

The insanely popular song ‘Gangnam Style’ from South Korean recording artist PSY has just become the most watched video on YouTube ever, garnering more than 808 million views on the popular media site.

The distinction was previously held by another pop heavyweight, Justin Bieber, whose song ‘Baby’ had a little more than 804 million views at press time. PSY made the announcement on his Twitter page earlier today.

Since its release, the song has defeated such other popular videos as Jennifer Lopez’s ‘On the Floor,’ Eminem's ‘Love the Way You Lie’ and LMFAO’s ‘Party Rock Anthem.’ And in September, 'Gangnam Style' also became the most liked video on YouTube, now with nearly 5.4 million thumbs up.

At the time of the announcement, the Guinness Book of World Records released a statement saying: “In years past it was unthinkable that something would be viewed a hundred million times, and now Gangnam Style has achieved more than twice this figure in just three months on YouTube. PSY, your certificate is waiting here at our office, come pick it up any time!”

Despite its massive popularity, the video shows no signs of slowing down, and it even has a shot at becoming the first video to get more than one billion views.

If it maintains its current rate of around six million new views per day, ‘Gangnam Style’ would be in line to break that record by the end of the year.

The YouTube honors are just the latest in a long list that shows just how popular the song has become. Since it was released in July, the song has seen a meteoric rise through the music industry.

It has found its way to the tops of music charts in more than 30 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain and Canada, while providing material for thousands of parody（恶搞）videos.

It became a staple (主要部份) in the 2012 presidential elections with the now famous ‘Mitt Romney Style’ video and was even used by the North Korean government in propaganda films promoting their supreme leader.

Meanwhile, such influential figures as President Obama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt have all made mention of the hit song.

56. This passage mainly talks about a world famous________.

   A. music chart                                           B. music video

   C. video website                                        C. Korean pop singer

57. Which of the following about “Gangnam Style” is NOT true according to the passage?

   A. “Gangnam Style” has defeated Justin Bieber’s “Baby” on You Tube’s views.

   B. “Gangnam Style” has been the favorite to at least 5.4 million people.

   C. “Gangnam Style” has been the first to get more than 1 billion views.

   D. “Gangnam Style” has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

58. What can we infer from this passage?

   A. PSY will become one of the greatest musicians due to the popularity of “Gangnam Style”.

   B. Obama won the presidential election partly because of the ‘Mitt Romney Style’ video.

   C. Despite its massive popularity, the fever of “Gangnam Style” has decreased.

   D. The influence of “Gangnam Style” has spread far and wide.

 —We’d better go downstairs right now for lunch.

—______ They serve food 24 hours a day.

A. Take your time.                           B. No way!

C. Hurry up!                              D. It doesn’t matter.

Some inventions are so useful, but seem so simple, that we wonder why no one thought of them long ago.

Post-it Notes were invented about twenty years ago by Art Fry, a scientist at 3M Company. The idea for the product came from an awful experience he often had while singing in his church choir. Fry used pieces of paper as bookmarks to mark the places in his book of songs, but these bookmarks were always falling out. Around that time, Fry heard about a new adhesive (粘合剂) that a colleague, Dr. Spence Silver, had created. This adhesive was special because it was strong enough to hold papers together, but not strong enough to tear the paper when it was removed.

A short time later, Fry realized that his new invention had even more uses than being a great bookmark. He came to this realization when he wrote a note on one of his new “bookmarks” and attached it to a report he was going to give to a colleague. Soon, co-workers were asking Fry for more of his invention so that they could use the new type of notes themselves.

Fry and some other people at 3M believed so much in the new product that they asked the company to give away thousands of the “sticky pieces of paper” for trial use. When some salespeople at 3M went to offices and showed workers just how helpful the new type of notes could be, they immediately received many orders. As more and more people discovered how useful Post-it Notes could be, the product took off.

32. How did Dr. Spence help Art Fry?

A. His adhesive made Art’s invention possible.

B. He offered the new adhesive to Art.

C. He created the Post-it Notes.

D. He often worked and discussed science with Art.

33. Which of the following is a possible use of Post-it Notes?

A. A postcard from abroad.                                  B. An ad in a newspaper.

C. A note on a friend’s door.                              D. An e-mail to a friend.

34. Which of the following shows the proper order of the events?

a. The company gave away many “sticky pieces of paper” for people to try.

b. Dr. Spence created a new adhesive.

c. Many orders were received and the Post-it Notes became successful.

d. Fry invented Post-it Notes.

e. His colleagues began to use the new types of notes themselves.

A. d b a e c            B. b a e d c                   C. b d e a c                 D. d e a b c 

35. In which column of a newspaper can we read this passage?

A. Economy             B. Recreation                C. Culture                     D. Science

Opera is an art form that celebrates the human voice. No other art form creates excitement and moves the heart in the way that opera does, especially when performed by a great singer. Opera is an important part of the Western classical music tradition. It uses music, words, and actions to bring a dramatic story to life. Opera started in Italy at the end of the 16th century and later became popular throughout Europe. Over the years, it has responded to various musicals. In recent decades, much wider audiences have been introduced to opera through modern recording technology. Some singers have become celebrities thanks to performing on radio, on TV, and in the cinema.

However, in recent years, opera has been facing serious challenges. One current challenge to opera is economic. The shortage of money raises the broader question of how much should be paid to support opera singers and other artists. Society seems to accept the large salaries paid to business managers and the multi-million-dollar contracts given to sports athletes. But what about opera singers? Somehow, people have the idea that artists can be creative only if they suffer in poverty, but this is unrealistic. If artists, including opera singers, lack the support they need, valuable talent is wasted.

Not only the shortage of money, but also the way money is managed in the opera world has led to hardships. Principal singers are generally paid performance fees once they complete a show. They typically receive nothing during the many weeks of rehearsal (排练) before a show starts.

Another problem faced by opera is how to meet the demands of audiences who are influenced by popular entertainment. Pop singers are often judged as much on the basis of how they look as how they sound. These demands may be unrealistic and possibly harmful. Opera singers simply cannot make a sound big enough to fill a large theater or concert hall without a microphone if their body weight is too low. Emphasizing physical appearance over singing ability may cause audiences to miss out on the human voice at its best.

There are no easy solutions to opera's problems and there are many different opinions about the value of opera. However, every year many young people register for music courses with hopes and dreams of developing their talents in this special art form. The fact that opera has survived many obstacles and continues to attract the rising generation shows that it remains a respected art form full of value.

24. Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Opera singers' life stories are dramatic.

B. Opera will soon appear on TV and in films

C. Opera fans thank celebrities for performing

D. Opera develops by adapting to new conditions.

25. What can we know from Paragraphs 2 and 3?

A. Opera singers are financially insecure.

B. Opera singers waste their valuable talent.

C. Opera singers get paid before the show.

D. Opera singers perform better if they are poor.

26. What does the author try to say in Paragraph 4?

A. Popular culture has had a positive influence on opera

B. Audiences know best how opera should be performed

C. Microphones should be used to make opera more enjoyable

D. Opera singers' voices should be valued more than their looks.

27. What would be the best title for this passage?

A. The Economic Challenge to Opera

B. Opera Faced with the Difficulties

C. Opera as Part of Popular Culture

D. The Historical Context of Opera

Chester City Library offers a range of Library Special Needs Services to people who don’t have access to our library service in the usual way. As long as you live in Chester City, we’ll provide a wide range of library services and resources including:

● Large printed and ordinary printed books

● Talking books on tape and CD

● DVDs and music CDs

● Magazines

● Reference and information requests

Home delivery service

    Let us know what you like to read and we will choose the resources for you. Our staff will deliver the resources to your home for free. We also provide a service where we can choose the resources for you or someone instead of you choose the things from the library. You can also choose the resources you need personally.

    Talking books and captioned videos

    The library can provide talking books for people who are unable to use printed books because of eye diseases. You don’t have to miss out on reading any more when you can borrow talking books from the library. If you have limited hearing which prevents you from enjoying movies, we can provide captioned videos for you at no charge.

    Languages besides English

    We can provide books in a range of languages besides English. If possible, we will request these items from the State Library of NSW, Australia.

    How to join?

    Contact the Library Special Needs Coordinator to register or discuss if you are eligible（合适的） for any of the services we provide ---Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am ---5pm on 4297 2522 for more information.

21. Library Special Needs Services are meant for_____.

   A. those who are fond of reading

   B. people living in Chester City with an illness or disability

   C. only those who have walking disabilities

   D. those who can’t get medical help in Chester City

22. What can we learn from the passage?

A. Few entertaining resources are offered here.

B. People with limited hearing have to pay for captioned videos.

C. Books with different languages are available.

D. People have to choose what they need by themselves.

23. To get home delivery service, you must_______.

A. only choose printed books     B. have others choose the resources for you

C. pay the library ahead of time   D. register ahead of time

In general, experience from one’s real life is much more practical than         from books.

       A．one                     B．it                        C．that                     D．this

 The first few years in the 21st century ______ the rapid rise of China as a world economic power.

A. witness       B. has witnessed        C. will witness             D. have witnessed

 ----Oh, Good heavens! His phone is always engaged.

  -----Well, in that case, there is nothing you can do _______than wait

  A. more                 B. other           C. better           D. any

The spread of Western eating habits around the world is bad for human health and for the environment. Those findings come from a new report in the journal Nature.

   There are ways to solve this diet-health-environment problem. But they will require a change in eating habits, And what we eat can be a product of culture, personal taste, price and ease.

   David Tilman is a professor of ecology at the University of Minnesota.  In the study, he examined information from 100 countries to identify what people ate and how diet affected health.  Mr Tilman noted a movement beginning in the 1960s. He found that as nations industrialized, population increased and earning rose, more people began to adopt what has been called the Western diet.

The Western diet is high in refined, or processed, sugar, fat, oil and meat. By eating these foods, people began to get fatter and sicker. “The excess, let us say, in the 15 richest nations of the world, right now is on the order of about 400 or 500 extra calories a day that are eaten beyond what people need, and that lead people to gain weight.”

David Tilman says overweight people are at greater risk for non-infectious diseases like diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. “Unfortunately when people become industrialized, if they adopt this Western diet, they are going to have these same health impacts, and in some cases if you are Asian, you have them more severely.”

And a diet bad for human beings, it seems, is also bad for the environment, As the world’s population grows, experts say, more forests and tropical areas will become farmlands for crops or grasslands for grazing cattle. These areas will be needed to meet the increasing demand for food.

“We are likely to have more greenhouse gas released in the future from agriculture because of this dietary shift than all the greenhouse gas that right now comes out of all forms of transportation. ”

Mr Tilman calls the link between diet, the environment and human health “a trilemma”. He says one possible solution is leaving the Western diet behind.

28. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the report?

  A. Different cultures may cause different eating habits,

  B. Population increase is likely to lead some people to accept the Western diet.

  C. Western foods will probably make more people overweight.

  D. The Western diet is unhealthy because it is high in vitamins and proteins.

29. What can we learn from the report?

A. The Western diet does less harm to the health of Asians.

  B. More greenhouse gas has been given off from agriculture.

  C. Western eating habits are responsible for some diseases like cancer.

  D. Nearly all people in developed countries consume more calories than needed.

30. The underlined word “trilemma” in the last paragraph means          .

A. a relation to be maintained  B. an opinion causing an argument

  C. a decision to be made   D. a problem offering a difficult choice

31. What does this report mainly tell us?

A. What people eat does influence their health.

  B. Our change in diet will lead to global climate warming.

  C. The Western diet is bad for environment as well as for human beings.

  D. Industrialization considerably shortens the lifespan of the world people.

As soon as I walked outside, I was greeted with the cold wind, but inside I was warm. I felt as though I could be giving  61  the heat; I had the desire  62   (stay) out in this freeze for hours. It was the type of day that spoke to you through its elements; I took a deep breath to hear more snow coming.

As I walked, I looked up,  63  (try) to realize what made this day so  64   （beauty）. It was as if time   65  (put) temporarily on hold. Or maybe I was the only one walking outside. Either way, the solitude (孤独) was comforting,  66   I sensed myself floating away. I sat down on the edge of a curb (路缘) and   67  (listen). All that there was to hear was the wind rushing over the top of my head and circling some old  68  (leaf) some yards away. To me it was the sound of nature, trying not to be forgotten.

It did start to snow. None of those were little flurries (阵雪)but big heavy snow.

Then  69  was time to go and my reverie (沉思) had to end. As I began walking again, I returned to this reality, calm and clear.

Now if only I could remember  70   I was going.

 Come on, Mary! You can also enjoy _____ you have been dreaming of, if you don’t lose heart

A. as a convenient life as                  B. as convenient a life as

C. as a life convenient as                  D. convenient as a life as

    A Professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in it. He held it up for all to  41  and asked the students “How much do you think this glass  42 ?”

 “50gms!” “100gms!” “125gms” the students answered..

 “I really don’t know  43  I weigh it,” said the professor, “but, my question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a  44  minutes?””

    “Nothing” the students said..

 “Ok, what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?” the professor asked.

 “Your arm would begin to  45 ” said one of the students.

 “You’re right, now what would happen if I held it for a day?”

 “Your arm could  46  numb; you might have severe  47  stress and paralysis and have to go to  48  for sure!” ventured another student and all the students laughed.

    “Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass  49 ?” asked the professor.

 “No” was the answer.

 “Then  50  caused the arm ache and the muscle stress?”. The students were  51 .

  “What should I do now to  52  pain?” asked professor again.

 “Put the glass down!” said one of the students.

 “ 53 !” said the professor. Life’s problems are something like this. Hold it for a few minutes  54  your head and they seem OK. Think of them for a long time and they begin to ache. Hold it even  55  and they begin to paralyze you. You will not be able to do  56 . It’s important to think of the  57  or problems in your life. But EVEN MORE IMPORTANT is to ‘PUT THEM DOWN’ at the  58  of every day before you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day  59  and strong and can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your  60 !

41. A. see                          B. guess                            C. try                           D. hold

42. A. costs                 B. weighs                    C. takes                      D. fills

43. A. when                 B. after                        C. unless                           D. though

44. A. little                   B. bit                           C. several                          D. few

45. A. tire                    B. ache                       C. drop                       D. sweat

46. A. look                   B. get                          C. go                           D. come

47. A. arm                   B. mind                       C. spirit                       D. muscle

48. A. hospital                    B. gym                        C. prison                            D. church

49. A. change                    B. break                      C. check                            D. test

50. A. who                   B. whom                      C. what                       D. which

51. A. astonished        B. puzzled                   C. excited                    D. discouraged

52. A. lead to                     B. get into                   C. run out of               D. come out of

53. A. Exactly                     B. Nonsense               C. Help                        D. Especially

54. A. on                            B. beyond                   C. in                                   D. against

55. A. more                 B. longer                            C. higher                            D. stronger

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

57. A. challenges        B. questions                C. water                      D. glass

58. A. moment                    B. turn                         C. corner                           D. end

59. A. green                B. fresh                       C. light                        D. clean

60. A. life                     B. work                        C. head                       D. way