Scientists are working to develop crop plants that can reduce the amount of water used for agriculture. Almost sixty percent of the world’s freshwater withdrawals from rivers, lakes and other water resources go toward irrigating fields.
Scientists are using biotechnology as well as traditional breeding methods to develop water-saving crops to feed a growing world.
Thomas “Tommy” Carter is a plant scientist in North Carolina. He works for the Agricultural Research Service in the United States Department of Agriculture. He leads Team Drought, a group of researchers at five universities. They have been using conventional breeding methods to develop and test soybeans that can grow well under dry conditions.
Tommy Carter started working on drought-resistant soybeans in 1981. His research has taken him as far as China, where soybeans have been grown for thousands of years.
Farmers in the United States, however, have grown soybeans for only about a century. Tommy Carter says the soybeans they grow are for the most part genetically similar. More differences could better protect crops against climate changes that can reduce production. Those changes include water shortages which could increase from global warming.
The Agriculture Department has a soybean germplasm(胚質(zhì)) collection, a collection of genetic material passed from one generation to the next. Members of Team Drought studied more than 2,500 examples from the collection.
They looked at ones from the home of soybeans, Asia. They searched for germplasms that could keep plants from weakening and wilting (凋謝)during hot, dry summers in the United States.
Tommy Carter says they found only five. But these slow-wilting lines, he says, produce four to eight bushels（英斗）more than normal soybeans under drought conditions. The yield depends on location and environment.
Scientists are also working on other plants that either use less water or use it better, or both. For example, companies like Monsanto, DuPont and Syngenta have been developing corn with reduced water needs. Monsanto expects to be ready in a few years to market its first corn seeds genetically engineered to resist drought.
68. According to the passage, scientists try to find out how to _______.
A. grow crops with less water
B. increase crop production
C. feed a growing world
D. save the world’s water resource
69. Why did Tommy Carter come to China?
A. He likes traveling.
B. China has a long history.
C. He’s doing research into soybeans.
D. He works for the Agricultural Research Service.
70. What’s inferred from the passage?
A. Climate changes lead to global warming.
B. Water shortages contribute to global warming.
C. Genetically different soybeans need much water to grow.
D. Genetically different soybeans help to fight against damaging climate changes.
71. What do we know about slow-wilting plants talked about in the passage?
A. They yield big profits.
B. They can grow in almost any climate.
C. They seem to be drought-resistant.
D. They need much water for their growth.

第三部分　閱讀理解（共兩節(jié)，滿分40分）
第一節(jié)（共15小題；每小題2分，滿分30分）
It was getting dark when Lisa was returning from teaching out in a small community. She’d been traveling the same route for over a year and there was seldom traffic on this highway.
Lisa remembered back to her previous experiences. In those days she was constantly picking up strangers on the road. Her family became greatly concerned about her safety, but she continued the practice until the day her sister told her that one of her friends had been shot by a hitchhiker (搭便車者). That was when the family heard the promise, “No more hitchhikers, I promise!”
When she thought back to these things, she suddenly noticed that a car was parked on the road ahead. Then she saw a man waving. He was in trouble, she thought. But suddenly she remembered the promise. She knew this road well and the chances of another car coming along to help were very little. Now as the man ran toward her car she shook with fear, and didn’t know if he was truly in need. She could not leave him here in this storm. The stranger explained that his car was broken. She knew she had to break the promise. She told him to get in. They drove for an hour into the next city and she took him to a telephone box. She waited until he had made a call. When he reported back to her that a family member would soon be there for him, she wished him well and left.
Tears fell on her cheeks as she drove away. It felt as though she had been holding her breath for an hour. “I hope they’ll understand why I had to break my promise.”
56. We can learn from the text that Lisa promised______.
A. not to pick up free riders on her way home
B. not to drive home alone when it was late
C. to help those whose cars were broken
D. to learn from the friend of her sister’s
57. Which of the following can best describe Lisa?
A. Careful and serious         B. Faithful and clever   
C. Kind and helpful           D. Brave and patient
58. What was Lisa’s attitude toward her breaking the promise?
A. It was very serious.          
B. It should be forgiven    
C. She was too nervous to go home.
D. She felt regretful about her mistakes.
59. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Lisa’s adventure             B. An unusual travel     
C. Strangers’ kindness            D. The broken promise

Close your eyes and imagine you are living in the next two centuries or more. You’ll be living in a world filled with smart robots, which will be helping you to take care of your children, or your elderly parents in your home. You’ll live much longer thanks to the medicine made by genetic (基因的) science. And mankind may be going farther in space than ever before ––you will be living on the moon or Mars.
How should we view the changes that wait for us in the future? Should we be optimistic about the years ahead, or worried about what the future holds? Some scientists and experts are having a discussion about how technology, science and society will develop in the future.
“I’m looking forward to the day when more technology will come to my life,” says John Searle, a professor at the University of California Berkeley Philosophy, “because I think further research in such areas as genetics, physics, chemistry and medicine will help us to overcome poverty, improve health, and
make life longer.”
Hugh Herr, at MIT’s Biomechatronics Group, considers very powerful weapons (武器) as concern (擔(dān)心) over the future. Another is the growing role of technology in our lives. “Machines taking over what humans do is not a good thing,” Herr says.
That is a similar concern shared by Daniela Cerqui, a social and cultural scientist. “I am afraid that the long-term future we are building will have no space left for human beings,” says Cerqui. “The main values of our society are related to information that must progress as quickly as possible, and computers are much better than humans in these tasks.”
60. The first paragraph mainly tells us ________.
A. how science will develop in the next two centuries 
B. how people will live in a modern society  
C. what life would be like in the future  
D. what computers will bring to our society
61. What is John Searle’s attitude towards the future of technology?
A. Worried.    B. Optimistic.   C. Uncertain.   D. Disappointed.
62. The underlined word “That” in the last paragraph refers to______.
A. the poverty problem in the future           
B. machines taking over what humans do
C. the technology of weapons
D. the health problem of humans
63. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The future––full of hope or concern?
B. Great changes will take place in the future
C. The relationship between technology and humans           
D. The role of robots and computers in the future

The following are some important sights in New York.
American Museum of Natural History
Four floors of exhibition halls here include the world-famous fossil halls with their skeletons of enormous dinosaurs and other creatures; the culture halls, representing a variety of indigenous peoples; and mammal, bird and reptile halls. The renovated Milstein hall of Ocean Life showcases the profusion of life in Earth’s “l(fā)ast frontier”. Also here: Rose Center for Earth and space, with Hayden Planetarium and exhibits on Earth and our universe.
Open: Sunday-Thursday, 10:00-17:45; Friday-Saturday: 10:00-20:45
Empire State Building
At 102 stories tall, the Empire State Building commands an inspiring view of Manhattan. Each year, over 3.5 million people come here for the view from the 86th-floor observatory, where they can take in the sights of the city from a glass-enclosed pavilion or the encircling open-air promenade.
Observatory Hours: 8:00am to midnight daily. Last elevators go up at 11:15pm. Open daily 365 days a year.
Metropolitan Museum of Art (One of the greatest museums in the world)
It is impossible to “do” the entire museum in one day or describe everything you can see here. Go to the museum & spend some time in the Great Hall where you will find all types of help in many languages for planning your visit. If you can, get a guide before your visit or look at their website where you can plan well & learn about their many special exhibitions & programs.
Fee: $12 adults, $7 students & seniors, under 12 with adult free.
Open: Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday. 9:30-17:15; Friday-Saturday, 9:30-20:45.
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
MoMA houses an outstanding collection of American & European paintings & sculptures from late 19th C. to present. Innovative in its definition of “art”, it was a pioneer in exhibiting film, photography, and industrial design. Its retrospectives can draw record-breaking attendance. A happy place to take small children, as strollers are allowed.
Open: Sunday-Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10:30-17:45; Friday, 10:30-20:15.
64. Varieties of ocean life are exhibited in ________.
A. American Museum of Natural History       B. Empire State Building
C. Metropolitan Museum of Art               D. Statue of liberty
65. You can visit Museum of Modern Art at the following time EXCEPT ________.
A. at 14:30 on Monday                      B. at 7:00 pm on Friday
C. at 10:40 on Wednesday                    D. at 12:00 on Sunday
66. Suppose you are a high school student, who is going to visit Metropolitan Museum of Art with your parents, your 70-year-old Grandpa and your 6-year-old younger brother, how much will you have to pay in total?
A. $42            B. $38         C. $45           D. $50

Premier Win Jiabao continued his second trip around the quake disaster zone on May 23, 2008, visiting surviving students in Mianyang, one of the worst-hit cities.
In a tent school, where more than 500 students from the destroyed Beichuan Middle School were studying, Premier Wen encouraged them to study harder following the disaster. “l(fā)et us not forget the earthquake,” he told the students. “Then you will know what life is all about—it is bumpy, as the roads are.  Today, people save us and take good care of us. In the future, we will help them in return.” He wrote on the blackboard to encourage them, “Hardships make a country stronger.”
His first trip to the area was on May 12, just hours after the powerful quake rocked Sichuan at 2:28 pm. During the next four days, Premier Wen set foot in almost all of the worst-hit counties, walking over rocks and tiles, comforting weeping children and encouraging rescuers.
The Chinese Premier says saving lives is the top priority. “We must try all means to get into those areas. The earlier, the better. One person can be saved one second earlier. As long as there is a gleam of hope, we will make efforts 100 times greater than that.’
Chinese are deeply moved by what the Premier has said and done. A mother sent a message to her son in Beijing, saying “The 66-year-old Premier Wen has worked really hard for quake relief. He has comforted and moved us. Pass this on to your friends, pray for him.”
67. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Hardships make a country stronger.
B. Premier Wen jiabao went on his first trip around the quake disaster zone.
C. Life is difficult.
D. The Chinese are deeply moved by Premier Wen.
68. By saying “Then you will know what life is all about—it is bumpy, as the
roads are.”, Premier Wen want to tell the students that _______________.
A. Life is filled with various difficulties , we must overcome them
B. roads of the area are rough, we should repair them
C. they should forget the earthquake and study harder
D. earthquakes are common on Sichuan, we shouldn’t be afraid
69. What did Premier Wen do when he first set foot in almost all of the worst-hit
counties EXPECT________________________________.
A. walking over rocks and tiles
B. comforting weeping children
C. encouraging rescuers
D. asking them not to forget the earthquake
70. What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. The Chinese are grateful for what the Premier has said and done.
B. Chinese are deeply moved by what the Premier has said and done
C. What the Premier has said and done comforted the mother.
D. The mother’s message is moving.

第Ⅱ卷 (共三節(jié)，滿分45分)
第一節(jié)：（共5小題；每小題2分，滿分10分）
根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項。選項中有兩項為多余選項。注意請將正確答案寫在二卷答題紙相應(yīng)位置上。
Body language is the quiet, secret and most powerful language of all. It is said that our body movements communicate about 50% of what we really mean while words themselves only express 7%. So, while your mouth is closed, just what is your body saying…
Arms.  71 If you keep your arms to the sides of your body or behind your back, this suggests you are not afraid of taking on whatever comes your way.  72 If someone upsets you, just cross your arms to show you’re unhappy.
Head. When you want to appear confident, keep your head level. If you are monitor in class, you can take on this position when you want your words to be taken seriously.   73 
Legs. Your legs tend to move around a lot more than normal when you are nervous or telling lies. If you are at interviews, try to keep them still.
Posture. A good posture makes you feel better about yourself.  74 This makes breathing more difficult, which in turn can make you feel nervous or uncomfortable.
Mouth. When you are thinking, you often purse (皺攏) your lips. You might also use this position to hold back all angry comment you don’t wish to show.    
  75  .

A．If you are feeling down, you normally don’t sit straight, with your shoulders inwards.

B．If you are pleased, you usually open your eyes wide and people can notice this.

C．Outgoing people generally use their arms with big movements, while quieter people keep them close to their bodies.

D．How you hold your arms shows how open and receptive you are to people you meet.

E.However, it will probably still be noticed, and people will know you’re not pleased.
F.However, to be friendly in listening or speaking, you must move your head a little to one side.
G.Don’t say too much when you’re happy.

IV. 閱讀理解：
Farris Hassan, a 16-year-old high school student from Florida, decided to visit Iraq and left for the country on December 11th, 2005 alone, without having informed his parents.
After catching a connecting flight in Amsterdam, he arrived in Kuwait City on December 13th. He called his parents on the telephone and informed them of where he was and his intention to visit Iraq. This was the first time his parents learned of his plans. He then attempted to cross the Kuwait –Iraq border by taxi, because of tight security for the upcoming elections he was unable to pass though and spent a week in Beirut, Lebanon. Then on December 25th, he flew to Baghadad International Airport. Relatives picked him up from the airport and put him at a hotel known to frequently house American citizens.
He paid for the trip and made all the arrangements himself with money that he had saved up. The inspiration for his journey was the result of attending a class on “step into journalism” at his school. He was working on an assignment on the war in Iraq and he wished to experience his subject matter first-hand.
Hassan’s parents were born in Iraq, but he does not speak any Arabic, making him easily stand out as a foreigner in Iraq, where kidnappings(綁架)of Americans and violence are an everyday occurrence. His parents planned to take him to see Iraq once the war was over.
He turned in his assignment via e-mail and was due to be back home over the New Year’s Day weekend.
56. From the passage, we can know _____.  
A. Farris Hassan can speak only a little Arabic    
B. Farris Hassan’s parents have learned of his plan before
C. Farris Hassan successfully finished his assignment  
D. Farris Hassan made arrangements for his trip with the help of his teacher
57. The underlined word “house” in the second paragraph probably means “_____”
A. a building for people to live in        B. all the visitors living together
C. provide a place for people to live in    D. provide a place for people to visit
58. Why did Farris Hassan travel to Iraq?
A. Because his parents wanted him to do so    
B. Because he wanted to experience the war in Iraq
C. Because he wanted to get some information for his assignment
D. Because he had saved enough money for his journey to Iraq.
59. What’s the passage mainly about?
A. An American teenager’s life in Iraq           
B. A brave American teenager in Iraq
C. The best way to complete an assignment is to experience it  
D. An American teenager’s experience about trying to go to Iraq

History Has Arrived 
Nine-year-old Barack Obama was looking through a magazine But the African-American boy was shocked by a series of photos. The pictures were of a black man who destroyed his skin with chemicals that promised to make him white.
For the first time, the boy began to doubt who he was. “I stood in front of the mirror and wondered if something was wrong with me,” Obama said.
However, now the boy who used to struggle with his identity doesn’t see it as a problem any more, but an advantage for his career. In January, 2009, Obama made history by being elected as the first black president of the US. He defeated John MaCain in a landslide(壓倒性的) victory.
Obama’s story starts in opposite corners of the world. His white mother was born in the heartland of the US. His black father grew up in a tiny village in Kenya. They met in Hawaii, but his father left the family when Obama was just two years old and his mother moved to Indonesia.
At 10, Obama moved back to live with his white grandparents in Hawaii where his sense that he didn’t belong grew. At his class a white boy asked Obama if his father ate people. Out of embarrassment, Obama lied to his classmates that his father was prince. “I kept asking who I am and I ended up trying drugs and drinking,” Obama recalled.
Things came to change after the young man made friends with those with a similar background at college. Their experiences back in Africa helped Obama to finally face up to his African origin. He worked hard to become a star at Harvard Law School and the third black senator(參議員) in US history.
At the beginning of his campaign for the White House, few people viewed Obama favorably(贊同地).Many doubted his unusual background, which left him neither “ black” enough nor white enough.
But Obama turned his pain of growing up into a tool to make Americans believe: “There is not a black America, an Asian America. There’s the United States of America.”
Barack Obama’s victory is “a historic victory that promised change and overcame centuries of prejudice(偏見)。 His success fulfilled Martin Luther King’s dream that a man be judged not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character,” wrote ABC news.
60. From the above passage we can know that Barack Obama was born in _____.
A. Kenya, Africa     B. Hawaii, the USA   C. Indonesia, Asia  D. an unknown city, in Latino America
61. He lied to his classmates that his father was prince because _______.
A. he felt ashamed of his African origin   B. he had unusual background—neither black nor white
C. his black father deserted him when he was very young
D. he didn’t have the sense of belonging
62. Put the following things in order of time.
a. Obama is the third black senator in US history  
b. Obama’s mother settled down in Indonesia with Barack Obama
c. Obama stood out among his classmates in Harvard Law School
d. Obama lived with his white grandparents in Hawaii.
e. Obama’s balck father left him and his mother.
A. c,d,a,b,e   B. e, d, b, c, a     C. d, b, a, e, c     D. e, b, d, c, a
63. What does the title “History has arrived” probably mean?
A. Barack Obama eventually defeated his white opponent, John MaCain in a landslide victory.
B. Barack Obama’s victory has given blacks and other minorities a true national role model.
C. Barack Obama has become the first African-American President, overcoming centuries of prejudice(偏見).
D. Through his great efforts, Barack Obama became the third black senator in the US history.

This movie is very interesting. Besides giving people pleasure, the movie tells people that one does great things they think they can’t because of their own problems.
In the movie, Eliot, Sedgewick and George are three vegetable friends who work as waiters at Pirate (海盜) Times Dinner Theatre. They are not happy about their dirty and boring job, so they all day desire to have the day when they can give up their job and do something great like becoming stars in the pirate show. But with Elliot’s shyness, Sedgewick’s laziness and George’s lack of self-confidence, their dream may seem to be only a dream.
However, things will always change. Lucky things will also come to those good for nothing. One day a magic ball from the sky falls at their feet. It is a “Helpseeker (尋找助手)”, sent from another period and place to look for heroes. After watching the three friends carefully, it sets in motion (讓……動起來) events that will send them back to the 17th century to go on a pirate adventure to rescue a royal family from a tyrant (暴君). They get rid of a lot of dangers and difficulties while rescuing the royal family. At last they defeat the tyrant and rescue the royal family. As a result, they become the most unlikely heroes you have ever seen. Through the experiences, the three friends find out that a hero doesn’t have to be strong, tall or smart and a vegetable can become a hero.
Which description about the three vegetable friends in the movie is wrong?
A. Elliot is shy.    B. Sedgewick is lazy.    C. George lacks self-confidence.  
D. They are strong, tall and smart.
65. When working at Pirate Times Dinner Theatre, they think their job is ______.
A. exciting    B. interesting    C. dull    D. lovely
66.  According to the last paragraph, we know the three vegetable friends ______.
A. are sent back to the 19th century    B. go on a pirate adventure to rescue a tyrant
C. manage to overcome many dangers and difficulties while rescuing the royal family
D. are unlikely heroes

This year will mark the 120th birthday of the Eiffel Tower. What gift will the Paris monument get? It will be given a fresh coat of brown paint. About 60 tons of paint to be exact, in a specially mixed color called “Eiffel Tower Brown”.
The landmark (標(biāo)志性建筑) gets a new coat of paint every seven years. In the past the tower has gone from reddish brown to yellow, brownish-yellow and dark red, before operators settled in 1968 on the current color.
“This is the color that suits the tower best－its most elegant （優(yōu)雅的）dress,” said Jean-Bernard Bros, head of he company that operates the tower. “So we have decided to keep the brown for good.”
The Eiffel Tower is the world’s most visited tourist attraction. It was designed and named after the French architect (建筑師) Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, who was also responsible for the frame of the well-known Statue of Liberty in the US.
However, when the tower was first built, it was highly controversial (有爭議的). Artists and politicians, including Maupassant (莫伯桑) and Alexandre Dumas (大仲馬), spoke out against it. They described it as ugly and said its presence lowered French taste.
67. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. The Eiffel Tower.    B. Birthday gift for the Eiffel Tower
C. How to celebrate the birthday of the Eiffel Tower    D. The history of the Eiffel Tower
68. How often does the Eiffel Tower get a new coat of pain?
A. Every year.    B. Every two years.    C. Every six years.    D. Every seven years.
69. According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG about the Eiffel Towel?
A. It is a place of interest which is most visited in the world.
B. A French architect named Alexandre Gustave Eiffel designed it.
C. Some people expressed their dislike about it when it was first built.
D. The Eiffel Tower was once painted black.
70. The underlined phrase “for good” in the third paragraph means ______.
A. forever    B. temporarily    C. beneficially    D. properly