閱讀理解

　　Look out for the “Made in the USA” label (標(biāo)簽) on some best-selling music from Japan’s top pop artists. Japan’s chart-topping (流行榜) musicians, looking to make music with some of the top talent in the United State, or just looking for a bit of anonymity (匿名) overseas away from the press pack at home, are heading to studios in places like New York and Los Angeles to record music.

　　Among the top 20 album (一套唱片) in Japan in May, 14 were made by Japanese artists and six of those were partially or completely recorded in the United States. The other six slots (位置) in the top 20 chart were filled by overseas artists. Japanese artists started coming in force to the United States to make music during the heady (輕率的) days of the late 1980s when the yen (日元) was strong and the novelty (新穎) factor was high. Yet despite the fact that the novelty factor has worn off and the economy has taken a nosedive, top artists are still heading stateside[在(向、來(lái)自)美國(guó)本土].

　　Japan is the world’s second-biggest music market after the United States with yearly sales of around US $ 5 billion. Top Japanese artists have earning power near that of their counter parts in the United States and Europe. “What brings Japanese artists to New York a lot of times is the cachet (威望) of recording in America, and the energy you get when you come to New York to record,” said Steve Rosenthal, the owner of the Magic Shop recording studio. “The city where you make a record has a lot to do with what the record eventually sounds like and feels like, and there is a certain energy you get when you make a record in New York.” The first Japanese artists started coming around 10 years ago and now make up about 15 percent of the studio’s clientele (客戶). Japanese artist Bonnie Pink recently cut an album at the studio and rockers (搖滾歌手), Super Car also paid a visit hoping to catch the vibe (氛圍) that helped propel (推進(jìn)) the Ramones to stardom (明星身份,明星界).

1．From the passage we learn that ________.

[　　]

A．most of the top album in Japan in May were recorded in the United States

B．the label “made in the USA” can be found on most of the top artists’ album

C．the United States is the biggest music market in the world

D．Japan is the biggest music market

2．What brings Japanese artists to the United States is ________.

[　　]

A．the more powerful American musicians

B．the better economic circumstances on the United States

C．the better reward

D．the energy one can get in the United States

3．The word “nosedive” (para. 2) most probably means ________.

[　　]

4．Which of the following statements is true?

[　　]

A．The Japanese musicians began to come to the United States around a decade ago.

B．Japanese musicians have become the main clients of the American studios.

C．Japanese musicians came to the United States with the economic support from the home.

D．On the top chart, there is no foreign album.

5．We can infer from the sentence “what bring Japanese artists to New York… is the cachet of recording in America” ( Para. 3 ) that ________.

[　　]

A．Japanese musicians come to New York just to get a label of “made in the USA”

B．a(chǎn) label of “made in the USA” means that the music is the best

C．in Japanese’s mind, the foreign music is better than the domestic

D．the American music is the best in the world

There are many best –selling authors in Europe and one of them is a 15-year –old girl from Paris. She is Flavia Bujor. Flavia is selling more books than people three times her age.

She started writing her novel at the age of 12. At 14, she had her book published. Her best-seller is called The Prophecy of Stones (<<石頭的預(yù)言>>). The Prophecy of Stones is a story about a girl in hospital. In the story, the girl imagine another world and in that world three heroines work together to save their land with magical stones. So far, the book has sold 20,000 copies in France and Italy and 30,000 in Germany! Flavia Bujor says that “writing is my passion(最愛(ài))”, but she still enjoys being 15. She takes piano lessons and likes hanging out with friends. The French girl plans to spend her money on her college education,

50.The Prophecy of Stones tells about things happening in _______________.

A. our real world   B. an imaginary world   C. the outer space  D. both A and B.

51.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means ______________.

A. She likes to do things people of her age do 

B. She feels happy to be a 15- year –old best –selling author.

C. She does not wish to grow up.

D. She thinks15 is the best age for her as an author

52.What may be the best title for the article?

A. The Prophecy of Stones attracts most attention.

B. A 15-year –old girl becomes best-selling author.

C. Good school girl and best – selling author

D. Young author has more readers.

53.This passage probably appears _____________.

A.    in a story book               B. in a textbook

C.    in a newspaper               D. in a fashion magazine

There are many best –selling authors in Europe and one of them is a 15-year –old girl from Paris. She is Flavia Bujor. Flavia is selling more books than people three times her age.

She started writing her novel at the age of 12. At 14, she had her book published. Her best-seller is called The Prophecy of Stones (<<石頭的預(yù)言>>). The Prophecy of Stones is a story about a girl in hospital. In the story, the girl imagine another world and in that world three heroines work together to save their land with magical stones. So far, the book has sold 20,000 copies in France and Italy and 30,000 in Germany! Flavia Bujor says that “writing is my passion(最愛(ài))”, but she still enjoys being 15. She takes piano lessons and likes hanging out with friends. The French girl plans to spend her money on her college education,

50.The Prophecy of Stones tells about things happening in _______________.

A. our real world   B. an imaginary world   C. the outer space  D. both A and B.

51.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means ______________.

A. She likes to do things people of her age do 

B. She feels happy to be a 15- year –old best –selling author.

C. She does not wish to grow up.

D. She thinks15 is the best age for her as an author

52.What may be the best title for the article?

A. The Prophecy of Stones attracts most attention.

B. A 15-year –old girl becomes best-selling author.

C. Good school girl and best – selling author

D. Young author has more readers.

53.This passage probably appears _____________.

A.    in a story book               B. in a textbook

C.    in a newspaper               D. in a fashion magazine

B

There are many best –selling authors in Europe and one of them is a 15-year –old girl from Paris. She is Flavia Bujor. Flavia is selling more books than people three times her age.

She started writing her novel at the age of 12. At 14, she had her book published. Her best-seller is called The Prophecy of Stones (<<石頭的預(yù)言>>). The Prophecy of Stones is a story about a girl in hospital. In the story, the girl imagine another world and in that world three heroines work together to save their land with magical stones. So far, the book has sold 20,000 copies in France and Italy and 30,000 in Germany! Flavia Bujor says that “writing is my passion(最愛(ài))”, but she still enjoys being 15. She takes piano lessons and likes hanging out with friends. The French girl plans to spend her money on her college education,

50.The Prophecy of Stones tells about things happening in _______________.

A. our real world   B. an imaginary world   C. the outer space  D. both A and B.

51.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means ______________.

A. She likes to do things people of her age do 

B. She feels happy to be a 15- year –old best –selling author.

C. She does not wish to grow up.

D. She thinks15 is the best age for her as an author

52.What may be the best title for the article?

A. The Prophecy of Stones attracts most attention.

B. A 15-year –old girl becomes best-selling author.

C. Good school girl and best – selling author

D. Young author has more readers.

53.This passage probably appears _____________.

A.    in a story book               B. in a textbook

C.    in a newspaper               D. in a fashion magazine

Millions of Americans return from long-distance trips by air, but their luggage doesn’t always come home with them. Airline identification tags（標(biāo)簽） can come loose, and the bags go who-knows-where. And passengers leave all kinds of things on planes.
The airlines collect the items and, for 90 days, attempt to find their owners. They don’t keep them, since they’re not in the warehouse business. And by law, they cannot sell the bags, because the airlines might be tempted to deliberately misplace luggage.
So once insurance companies have paid for lost bags and their contents, and they no longer belong to passengers, a unique store in the little town of Scottsboro, Alabama, buys them. The “Unclaimed Baggage Center,” is so popular that the building, which is set up like a department store, is the number-one tourist attraction in all of Alabama. More than one million visitors stop in each year and take one of the store’s shopping carts on a hunt for treasures.
Each day, clerks bring out 7,000 new items, and veteran（老練的）shoppers rush to paw over them. You can find everything from precious jewels to hockey sticks, best-selling novels, leather jackets, tape recorders, surfboards, even half -used tubes of toothpaste.
The store’s own laundry washes or cleans all the clothes found in luggage, then sells them. The Unclaimed Baggage Center has found guns, illegal drugs and even a live rattlesnake.
The store has a little museum where some of its most unusual acquisitions（獲得物） have been preserved. They include highland bagpipes, a burial mask from an Egyptian pharaoh's tomb, and a medieval suit of armor.
Statistics indicate that less than one-half of one percent of luggage checked on U.S. carriers is permanently lost and available to the store.
【小題1】Paragraph1 shows that many passengers lose their luggage because______.

第二部分：閱讀理解（共20小題;每小題2.5分，滿分50分）

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。

Do you know about a series of books that say they are "for dummies"? These American self-help books have been translated into more than thirty-nine languages, including Chinese, Arabic, Russian, French, German, Greek and Spanish.

    "Dummy" is a word for a stupid person. The dummies books are not really for stupid people. They are designed to show people how to do something they may never have tried before, like painting a house or learning a language. The books all say in a funny way that they are for dummies, such as World History for Dummies, Rabbits for Dummies, Chinese Cooking for Dummies, and Wedding Planning for Dummies. The first such book, DOS for Dummies, was published in 1991. it helped people learn how to use the DOS operating system for computers. Since then, more than one hundred fifty million dummies books have been sold.

    The dummies.com website explains the idea behind the books. It says that they show that people can be taught to do anything. First they can make fun of ideas that are difficult to understand. Then they show how the information can be interesting and easy. The publishers say that the books do not provide more information than necessary. They give readers just enough information to do what they want. They say that the dummies books give the best and easiest way to do something. And the books use simple and easy language.

    There are more than one thousand different dummies books. A report in New York Times says that the top-selling dummies books are those that explain technology and personal finance.

    The publishers say that the best-selling dummies books are those providing information many people need —like information about diseases, education and cooking. People interested in opera, car repair and wine can also find dummies books to help them. And there are even more dummies books to come. The publishers say that they publish about two hundred new dummies books every year.

1. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. Books for “Dummies”       

B. The Easiest, the Best

C. Self-Help Books                 

D. New Ideas behind the Books

2. According to the dummies.com website, people can ______ with the help of dummies books.

A. simplify some personal things             

B. do anything they want

C. become expert in any field               

D. learn any foreign language

3. The dummies books have been popular because ______.

        A. they provide just what is needed and are easy to understand

         B. they provide abundant information on the concerning subject

         C. people can learn to do anything with just one copy

         D. people can save lots of money through self-teaching

4. According to New York Times, we know that books on ______ sell best.

A. technology and personal finance         

B. opera and car repairing

C. diseases and education               

D. cooking and world history

5. What can we learn from the passage?

         A. The first dummies book was on Chinese cooking.

         B. The dummies books will continue to be popular.

         C. Fifty million different dummies books have been published.

         D. The simple language was intended for child readers.

     EDGEWOOD - Every morning at Dixie Heights High School, customers pour into a special experiment: the district’s first coffee shop run mostly by students with special learning needs.

     Well before classes start, students and teachers order Lattes, Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolates. Then, during the first period, teachers call in orders on their room phones, and students make deliveries.

     By closing time at 9.20 a.m., the shop usually sells 90 drinks.

     "Whoever made the chi tea, Ms. Schatzman says it was good," Christy McKinley, a second year student, announced recently, after hanging up with the teacher.

     The shop is called the Dixie PIT, which stands for Power in Transition. Although some of the students are not disabled, many are, and the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school.

     They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs. They keep a timecard and receive paychecks, which they keep in check registers.

     Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia.

     Not that it was easy. Chevalier's first problem to overcome was product-related. Should schools be selling coffee? What about sugar content?

     Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped. She made sure all the drinks, which use non-fat milk, fell within nutrition (營(yíng)養(yǎng)) guidelines.

     The whole school has joined in to help.

     Teachers agreed to give up their lounge (休息室) in the mornings. Art students painted the name of the shop on the wall. Business students designed the paychecks. The basketball team helped pay for cups.

1．What is the text mainly about?

    A．A best-selling coffee.

    B．A special educational program.

    C．Government support for schools.

    D．A new type of teacher-student relationship.

2．The Dixie PIT program was introduced in order to_     _．

    A．raise money for school affairs

    B．do some research on nutrition

    C．develop students' practical skills

    D．supply teachers with drinks

3．How did Christy McKinley know Ms. Schatzman's opinion of the chi tea?

     A．She met her in the shop.

     B．She heard her telling others.

     C．She talked to her on the phone.

     D．She went to her office to deliver the tea.

4．We know from the text that Ginger Gray       ．

     A．manages the Dixie P1T program in Kenton County

     B．sees that the drinks meet health standards

     C．teaches at Dixie Heights High School

     D．owns the school’s coffee shop

The Homeless World Cup is an international football event, where teams made up entirely of people who are homeless compete. The event has been held annually since 2003.
It was at the end of 2001 that Mel Young, a famous expert in the media inDustry, came up with the idea of the Homeless World Cup. 18 months later the first event took place in Austria. It was such a success that people decided to do more.
There are some interesting and special rules of the event. For example, players(male or female at least 16 years old) must have been homeless at some time after the previous year’s World Cup or make their main living income by selling newspapers in the street or be asylum（政治避難） seekers . Anyone can take part, regardless of his or her abilities. There are at most 4 players per team to compete in the field. Games are 14 minutes long.
In 2007, 48 nations, 500 players took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their countries for true spirit and glory in Copenhagen, Denmark. The winner in 2007 was Scotland. The 2008 Homeless World Cup took place in Melbourne, Australia. And in 2009 it was held in Milan. The latest Homeless World Cup was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September 2010. Paris 2011 Homeless World Cup takes place August followed by the México City 2012 Homeless World Cup.
The success of the competition has been in two aspects—to attract the world’s attention to the problems of homelessness and also to help participants live a better life.
According to a survey by the Homeless World Cup Organization after 2006 Homeless World Cup, 92% of the players had a new motivation for life, 93 players successfully got rid of their dependency on drugs and alcohol, 44% improved their housing situation and 72% continued to play football.
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

第二部分：閱讀理解（共20小題;每小題2.5分，滿分50分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。
Do you know about a series of books that say they are "for dummies"? These American self-help books have been translated into more than thirty-nine languages, including Chinese, Arabic, Russian, French, German, Greek and Spanish.
"Dummy" is a word for a stupid person. The dummies books are not really for stupid people. They are designed to show people how to do something they may never have tried before, like painting a house or learning a language. The books all say in a funny way that they are for dummies, such as World History for Dummies, Rabbits for Dummies, Chinese Cooking for Dummies, and Wedding Planning for Dummies. The first such book, DOS for Dummies, was published in 1991. it helped people learn how to use the DOS operating system for computers. Since then, more than one hundred fifty million dummies books have been sold.
The dummies.com website explains the idea behind the books. It says that they show that people can be taught to do anything. First they can make fun of ideas that are difficult to understand. Then they show how the information can be interesting and easy. The publishers say that the books do not provide more information than necessary. They give readers just enough information to do what they want. They say that the dummies books give the best and easiest way to do something. And the books use simple and easy language.
There are more than one thousand different dummies books. A report in New York Times says that the top-selling dummies books are those that explain technology and personal finance.
The publishers say that the best-selling dummies books are those providing information many people need —like information about diseases, education and cooking. People interested in opera, car repair and wine can also find dummies books to help them. And there are even more dummies books to come. The publishers say that they publish about two hundred new dummies books every year.
1. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A. Books for “Dummies”   
B. The Easiest, the Best
C. Self-Help Books            
D. New Ideas behind the Books
2. According to the dummies.com website, people can ______ with the help of dummies books.
A. simplify some personal things         
B. do anything they want
C. become expert in any field            
D. learn any foreign language
3. The dummies books have been popular because ______.
A. they provide just what is needed and are easy to understand
B. they provide abundant information on the concerning subject
C. people can learn to do anything with just one copy
D. people can save lots of money through self-teaching
4. According to New York Times, we know that books on ______ sell best.
A. technology and personal finance       
B. opera and car repairing
C. diseases and education               
D. cooking and world history
5. What can we learn from the passage?
A. The first dummies book was on Chinese cooking.
B. The dummies books will continue to be popular.
C. Fifty million different dummies books have been published.
D. The simple language was intended for child readers.

B

“There is nothing more rewarding than taking a pack of 40 dogs to the beach for a pack walk,” says Millan.

Cesar Millan, star of the National Geographic Channel’s show Dog whisperer and author of the best—selling book Cesar’s way, has a special gift for working with these animals.

Growing up on a farm in Mexico, Millan knew he wanted to work with dogs. His first job, at age 15, was helping a veterinarian(獸醫(yī)) . He was so good at calming scared dogs and handling all kinds of situations, so people started calling him le perrero, Spanish for “the dog boy.” Since then, he has built a rewarding career around his favorite animal.

“My grandfather taught me at an early age not to work against nature,” he explains. In nature,dogs are pack animals. They form a group and follow one leader. Millan’s specialty is teaching people to be pack leaders for their dogs. Everyone in the family should lead, he says.

He says a lot of people get it backwards because they don’t realize what dogs really need. So the Dog Whisperer doesn’t just train dogs; he trains owners to understand that their pets need rules. At his Dog psychology Center in Los Angeles, California, Millan also works with dogs whose dangerous behavior has prevented them from finding homes. He teaches them to be loving, gentle pets.

Through dog whisperer, viewers can actually see the change in dogs with troublesome behavior. Some dogs go crazy when visitors arrive, for example, while some have more unusual problems.

To find the right career, Millan encourages his kids to do what they enjoy. “A lot of people don’t realize I’ve been working with dogs for more than 20 years ——long before my TV show of book. Success followed me because I was following my dream of being the best dog trainer in the world.”

60． Dog whisperer is        .

A. a best —selling book          B. a TV show

C. a dog psychology center        D. Millan’s nickname

61． Cesar Millan’s being called el perrero suggests that__________.

A. he was a successful veterinarian     B. he was popular with people

C. he liked dogs very much           D. his work was fully recognized

62． The key to Millan’s success as a dog trainer is that__________

A. he follows the habits of dogs    B. he walks dogs every day

C.he likes working with dogs      D. he makes rules for dogs

63． What advice does Millan give on his kids’ career?

A. To become the best dog trainer in the world.

B. To choose what they like and stick to it.

C. Not to work against mature.

D. Not to be influenced by others.

The Homeless World Cup is an international football event, where teams made up entirely of people who are homeless compete. The event has been held annually since 2003.

It was at the end of 2001 that Mel Young, a famous expert in the media inDustry, came up with the idea of the Homeless World Cup. 18 months later the first event took place in Austria. It was such a success that people decided to do more.

There are some interesting and special rules of the event. For example, players(male or female at least 16 years old) must have been homeless at some time after the previous year’s World Cup or make their main living income by selling newspapers in the street or be asylum（政治避難） seekers . Anyone can take part, regardless of his or her abilities. There are at most 4 players per team to compete in the field. Games are 14 minutes long.

In 2007, 48 nations, 500 players took a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent their countries for true spirit and glory in Copenhagen, Denmark. The winner in 2007 was Scotland. The 2008 Homeless World Cup took place in Melbourne, Australia. And in 2009 it was held in Milan. The latest Homeless World Cup was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September 2010. Paris 2011 Homeless World Cup takes place August followed by the México City 2012 Homeless World Cup.

The success of the competition has been in two aspects—to attract the world’s attention to the problems of homelessness and also to help participants live a better life.

According to a survey by the Homeless World Cup Organization after 2006 Homeless World Cup, 92% of the players had a new motivation for life, 93 players successfully got rid of their dependency on drugs and alcohol, 44% improved their housing situation and 72% continued to play football.

1.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

2.The aim of the Homeless World Cup is to _____.

3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

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

     EDGEWOOD - Every morning at Dixie Heights High School, customers pour into a special experiment: the district’s first coffee shop run mostly by students with special learning needs.

     Well before classes start, students and teachers order Lattes, Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolates. Then, during the first period, teachers call in orders on their room phones, and students make deliveries.

     By closing time at 9.20 a.m., the shop usually sells 90 drinks.

     "Whoever made the chi tea, Ms. Schatzman says it was good," Christy McKinley, a second year student, announced recently, after hanging up with the teacher.

     The shop is called the Dixie PIT, which stands for Power in Transition. Although some of the students are not disabled, many are, and the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school.

     They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs. They keep a timecard and receive paychecks, which they keep in check registers.

     Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia.

     Not that it was easy. Chevalier's first problem to overcome was product-related. Should schools be selling coffee? What about sugar content?

     Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped. She made sure all the drinks, which use non-fat milk, fell within nutrition (營(yíng)養(yǎng)) guidelines.

     The whole school has joined in to help.

     Teachers agreed to give up their lounge (休息室) in the mornings. Art students painted the name of the shop on the wall. Business students designed the paychecks. The basketball team helped pay for cups.

1．What is the text mainly about?

    A．A best-selling coffee.

    B．A special educational program.

    C．Government support for schools.

    D．A new type of teacher-student relationship.

2．The Dixie PIT program was introduced in order to__________．

    A．raise money for school affairs

    B．do some research on nutrition

    C．develop students' practical skills

    D．supply teachers with drinks

3．We know from the text that Ginger Gray__________．

     A．manages the Dixie P1T program in Kenton County

     B．sees that the drinks meet health standards

     C．teaches at Dixie Heights High School

     D．owns the school’s coffee shop

B
“There is nothing more rewarding than taking a pack of 40 dogs to the beach for a pack walk,” says Millan.
Cesar Millan, star of the National Geographic Channel’s show Dog whisperer and author of the best—selling book Cesar’s way, has a special gift for working with these animals.
Growing up on a farm in Mexico, Millan knew he wanted to work with dogs. His first job, at age 15, was helping a veterinarian(獸醫(yī)) . He was so good at calming scared dogs and handling all kinds of situations, so people started calling him le perrero, Spanish for “the dog boy.” Since then, he has built a rewarding career around his favorite animal.
“My grandfather taught me at an early age not to work against nature,” he explains. In nature,dogs are pack animals. They form a group and follow one leader. Millan’s specialty is teaching people to be pack leaders for their dogs. Everyone in the family should lead, he says.
He says a lot of people get it backwards because they don’t realize what dogs really need. So the Dog Whisperer doesn’t just train dogs; he trains owners to understand that their pets need rules. At his Dog psychology Center in Los Angeles, California, Millan also works with dogs whose dangerous behavior has prevented them from finding homes. He teaches them to be loving, gentle pets.
Through dog whisperer, viewers can actually see the change in dogs with troublesome behavior. Some dogs go crazy when visitors arrive, for example, while some have more unusual problems.
To find the right career, Millan encourages his kids to do what they enjoy. “A lot of people don’t realize I’ve been working with dogs for more than 20 years ——long before my TV show of book. Success followed me because I was following my dream of being the best dog trainer in the world.”
60． Dog whisperer is        .
A. a best —selling book          B. a TV show
C. a dog psychology center        D. Millan’s nickname
61． Cesar Millan’s being called el perrero suggests that__________.
A. he was a successful veterinarian     B. he was popular with people
C. he liked dogs very much           D. his work was fully recognized
62． The key to Millan’s success as a dog trainer is that__________
A. he follows the habits of dogs    B. he walks dogs every day
C.he likes working with dogs      D. he makes rules for dogs
63． What advice does Millan give on his kids’ career?
A. To become the best dog trainer in the world.
B. To choose what they like and stick to it.
C. Not to work against mature.
D. Not to be influenced by others.

 Rachel Carson, born in rural Pennsylvania in 1907, had a great impact on the environment. Carson earned a master’s degree in zoology in 1932. It was as a writer and not as a research scientist, however, that she made her mark, sharing her view that human beings are just one element in a larger natural order.

In the articles on natural history Carson wrote for various publications, she expressed dry facts in poetic and persuasive language. She wrote five books. Two of them, The Sea Around Us and The Edge of the Sea, have been called “biographies of the ocean.”

Carson also made the world aware of how scientific discoveries can harm as well as help living things. In her best-selling book Silent Spring, Carson challenged the profligate use of chemical pesticides by large agricultural and government organizations. She was the first to detail how the pesticide DDT had entered the food chain and damaged populations of bald eagles, falcons, and brown pelicans by causing the shells of their eggs to become so thin that they could not withstand the weight of the parent bird.

Carson died of cancer in 1964. Today, the Rachel Carson Council collects and disseminates (散播) information on pesticide-related issues. In 1970, the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge, a large area of salt marsh and freshwater habitat in Maine, was dedicated to her memory.

1.Which of the following words is closest to the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 3 ?

A. excessive        B. inadequate    C. authoritative              D. efficient

2.Which of the following inferences is correct ?

A. Carson wrote books that the average person could understand.

B. Dangerous properties of new chemical products may be immediately apparent.

C. If not for Carson, no one would have learned about the dangers of DDT.

D. In 1970, large quantities of salt and freshwater were dedicated to Carson’s memory by the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge

3.Which of the statements below expresses the main idea of the passage ?

A. Writers have played an important role in the battle against pollution.

B. The scientist Rachel Carson taught people about environmental issues through her writing.

C. Carson’s book Silent Spring changed the way some pesticides were used.

D. Many of Carson’s books were about pesticide-related issues.

     EDGEWOOD - Every morning at Dixie Heights High School, customers pour into a special experiment: the district’s first coffee shop run mostly by students with special learning needs.

     Well before classes start, students and teachers order Lattes, Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolates. Then, during the first period, teachers call in orders on their room phones, and students make deliveries.

     By closing time at 9.20 a.m., the shop usually sells 90 drinks.

     "Whoever made the chi tea, Ms. Schatzman says it was good," Christy McKinley, a second year student, announced recently, after hanging up with the teacher.

     The shop is called the Dixie PIT, which stands for Power in Transition. Although some of the students are not disabled, many are, and the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school.

     They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs. They keep a timecard and receive paychecks, which they keep in check registers.

     Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia.

     Not that it was easy. Chevalier's first problem to overcome was product-related. Should schools be selling coffee? What about sugar content?

     Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped. She made sure all the drinks, which use non-fat milk, fell within nutrition (營(yíng)養(yǎng)) guidelines.

     The whole school has joined in to help.

     Teachers agreed to give up their lounge (休息室) in the mornings. Art students painted the name of the shop on the wall. Business students designed the paychecks. The basketball team helped pay for cups.

1．What is the text mainly about?

    A．A best-selling coffee.

    B．A special educational program.

    C．Government support for schools.

    D．A new type of teacher-student relationship.

2．The Dixie PIT program was introduced in order to_     _．

    A．raise money for school affairs

    B．do some research on nutrition

    C．develop students' practical skills

    D．supply teachers with drinks

3．How did Christy McKinley know Ms. Schatzman's opinion of the chi tea?

     A．She met her in the shop.

     B．She heard her telling others.

     C．She talked to her on the phone.

     D．She went to her office to deliver the tea.

4．We know from the text that Ginger Gray       ．

     A．manages the Dixie P1T program in Kenton County

     B．sees that the drinks meet health standards

     C．teaches at Dixie Heights High School

     D．owns the school’s coffee shop

Mobile phones are an important business tool for farmers in rural areas. But they also put a valuable educational tool in their hands.
The University of Illinois in the United States has a project called SAWBO—Scientific Animations Without Borders. It produces educational videos that can be downloaded to cell phones. The goal is to help people in developing countries improve their lives.
One video shows farmers how to make a natural insecticide from neem seeds to prevent insect damage to crops. The process starts with sorting and drying the neem fruits. Then let the fruit dry in the sun for about three or four days, until they become brown. Using a mortar(碾槌) and stick, the fruits are slightly pounded to remove the shells from the fruits without breaking the seed inside.
The videos use computer animation(動(dòng)畫(huà)). Some of the animated characters are a little funny looking-like a farmer with a long nose. But the subjects are serious, including a health video on preventing cholera(霍亂). Team member Francisco Seufferheld says the information in the videos is meant to be quickly understood. He says, “The information is digested in such a way that in two minutes, we can transmit a complex idea.”
The researchers tested the seven-minute video on seven mobile phones. They wanted to see if people would share the video using Bluetooth wireless technology. With Bluetooth, files can be passed to a nearby phone even if neither phone is connected to the Internet. As a result, in one month, the video had spread to one hundred eighteen people in fifty different villages. “This is just incredible impact,” said Francisco Seufferheld.
The team has made a few videos so far. These are available in a total of eighty languages, dialects and accents. Professor Barry Pittendrigh says there are plans for more videos later this year.
【小題1】What is the text mainly about?

I don’t really care how many claws the animal in a comic book (漫畫(huà)書(shū)) has. I’m not overly concerned whether the bird is colored green or grey. In fact I don’t think comic book “collector” really applies to me at all. I’m probably more of a comic book “appreciator”. My interest has always been in what can be accomplished with the medium of “visual story - telling”. In the respect, comic books are the best thing going. And there are some great comics out there.
I’m not sure exactly where this interest of mine came from. I do know that as a child, comic books allowed me to improve my reading – skills. The Mighty Thor made me develop an interest in Norse legends; Challengers of the Unknown got me interested in science fiction. The combination of words and pictures was a perfect springboard (起點(diǎn)) for my childhood imagination.
So just how does one learn to appreciate comic book art? There is a classic example. Writer Scott Macloud was philosophical (達(dá)觀的) about what makes a comic book stand out in his best – selling book Understanding Comics. The book, first published in 1994, has been translated into 13 languages and is practically useful for students studying graphic illustration (圖示說(shuō)明).
On the Internet there are some cool comic book sites to be found. More than a few are mainly about superheroes and the like. But there are some choice sites that I would describe as “l(fā)iterary (文學(xué)的),” in that you can find some great resources that discuss the comic book as an art form. Among them there is a great article and interview at www.rcharvey.com discussing the influence of several artists and writers in the field.
Check it out. Spend two dollars on a comic book and read it with your children. You may find yourself enjoying what you see and read. You may even find yourself wanting more.
And wanting to read more is a good thing!
53．According to Para. 1 the author is concerned about          .
A．the color of the characters in a comic book
B．how many comic books he has collected
C．what he can learn from a visual story
D．whether a story is true to life
54．What do we know about Scott Macloud’s best – selling book?
A．There are many classic examples if comic books in it.
B．It is helpful 1 for students studying science fiction.
C．It suggests what good comic books are like.
D．It is mainly intended for parents.
55．In the passage, the author encourages people to         .
A．follow the example of superheroes from comic books
B．join in the discussion at www.rcharvey.com
C．consider comic books to be literary.
D．buy and read more comic books
56．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Children’s favorite books
B．Well – known comic books
C．Comic books – cooler than you think
D．How to become a good comic book writer

EDGEWOOD - Every morning at Dixie Heights High School, customers pour into a special experiment: the district’s first coffee shop run mostly by students with special learning needs.
Well before classes start, students and teachers order Lattes, Cappuccinos and Hot Chocolates. Then, during the first period, teachers call in orders on their room phones, and students make deliveries.
By closing time at 9.20 a.m., the shop usually sells 90 drinks.
"Whoever made the chi tea, Ms. Schatzman says it was good," Christy McKinley, a second year student, announced recently, after hanging up with the teacher.
The shop is called the Dixie PIT, which stands for Power in Transition. Although some of the students are not disabled, many are, and the PIT helps them prepare for life after high school.
They learn not only how to run a coffee shop but also how to deal with their affairs. They keep a timecard and receive paychecks, which they keep in check registers.
Special-education teachers Kim Chevalier and Sue Casey introduced the Dixie PIT from a similar program at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Georgia.
Not that it was easy. Chevalier's first problem to overcome was product-related. Should schools be selling coffee? What about sugar content?
Kenton County Food Service Director Ginger Gray helped. She made sure all the drinks, which use non-fat milk, fell within nutrition (營(yíng)養(yǎng)) guidelines.
The whole school has joined in to help.
Teachers agreed to give up their lounge (休息室) in the mornings. Art students painted the name of the shop on the wall. Business students designed the paychecks. The basketball team helped pay for cups.
1．What is the text mainly about?
A．A best-selling coffee.
B．A special educational program.
C．Government support for schools.
D．A new type of teacher-student relationship.
2．The Dixie PIT program was introduced in order to_    _．
A．raise money for school affairs
B．do some research on nutrition
C．develop students' practical skills
D．supply teachers with drinks
3．How did Christy McKinley know Ms. Schatzman's opinion of the chi tea?
A．She met her in the shop.
B．She heard her telling others.
C．She talked to her on the phone.
D．She went to her office to deliver the tea.
4．We know from the text that Ginger Gray      ．
A．manages the Dixie P1T program in Kenton County
B．sees that the drinks meet health standards
C．teaches at Dixie Heights High School
D．owns the school’s coffee shop