A small town in southwest Britain is banning(禁止) plastic bags in an attempt to help the environment and cut waste—a step that environmentalists believe is a first for Europe.
Shopkeepers in Modbury population 1500,agreed to stop handing out disposable plastic bags to customers on Saturday.They said paper sacks and cloth carrier bags would be offered instead.
Last month,San Franciso became the first U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags.Internationally,laws to discourage the use of plastic bags have been passed in parts of South Africa and Ireland,where governments either tax shoppers who use them or fine companies that hand them out.Bangladesh already bans them,and so do at least 30 remote Alaskan villages.
Modbury,about 225 miles southwest of London,has also declared a bag amnesty(寬限期),allowing local people to hand in plastic bags that have piled up at home.They will be sent for traveling.
The Modbury ban was the idea of Rebecca Hosking,who saw the effect of bags on marine life while working in the Pacific as a wildlife camerawoman.She said response(反應(yīng)) in the town so far had been “really positive”.
“Modbury is quite an old-fashioned town and a lot of people have wicker baskets to go out shopping anyway,”Hosking told Sky News Television.
The Worldwatch Institute,an environmental research agency,states that 100 billion plastic bags are thrown away each year in the United States alone.More than 500 billion are used yearly around the world.
小題1:What was Rebecca Hosking?

A．A lawyer.	B．An environmentalist.
C．A sailor.	D．A photographer.

小題2:The underlined word “disposable” in the passage probably means _______.

A．a(chǎn)cceptable	B．valuable
C．throw-away	D．long-lasting

小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that _______.

A．most of the people in Modbury continue to use plastic bags

B．fewer and fewer plastic bags will be used in the world

C．San Francisco is the first city to ban plastic bags in the world

D．most countries in the world have passed laws to ban plastic bags

小題4:Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?

A．Environmental Protection

B．Big Cities Banning Plastic Bags

C．Effect of Plastic Bags on Sea Animals

D．British Town Banning Plastic Bags

Dogs wag(搖擺) their tails in different directions depending on whether they are excited and wanting to move forward or threatened and thinking of moving back,a study has found.
Researchers in Italy examined the tail wagging behaviour of 30 dogs,catching their responses to a range of stimuli(刺激物) with video cameras.To conduct the study they chose 15 male dogs and 15 female ones aged between one and six years.The dogs were all family pets whose owners had allowed them to take part in the experiment at Ban University.The dogs were placed in a large wooden box with an opening at the front to allow for them to view various stimuli.They were tested one at a time.
The researchers led by Professor Giorgio Vallortigara of the University of Trieste found that when the dogs were shown their owners—a positive experience—their tails wagged energetically to the right side.When they were shown an unfamiliar human they wagged to the right,but with somewhat less enthusiasm.The appearance of a cat again caused a right-hand side wag,although with less intensity again.The appearance of a large unfamiliar dog,similar to a German shepherd,changed the direction of tail wagging to the left.Reseachers supposed the dog was thinking of moving back.When the dogs were not shown any stimuli they tended to wag their tails to the left,suggesting they preferred company.While the changes in the tail wagging were not easily noticed without the aid of video,it was thought that the findings could help people judge the mood(心情) of dogs.Computer and video systems,for example,could be used by professional dog trainers to determine the mood of dogs that they were required to approach.
小題1:The video cameras were used to catch the dogs’ responses because _______.

A．it was easier to catch the dogs’ response changes in the tail wagging

B．the dogs were put in the wooden boxes and tested one at a time

C．they enabled the dogs’ owners to know about their dogs’ habit

D．the dogs wagged their tails in different directions when they were in different moods

小題2:The underlined word “intensity” in the passage means _______.

A．surprise	B．worry
C．excitement	D．interest

小題3:When there are no stimuli,a dog will _______.

A．wag to the left	B．wag to the right
C．not wag at all	D．wag to the left and then to the right

小題4:The underlined word “they” refers to _______.

A．the dogs	B．the trainers
C．the systems	D．the researchers

小題5:The purpose of doing the experiment is _______.

A．to train dogs for their owners

B．to help people judge the mood of dogs

C．to help dogs find company

D．to help people choose their pet dogs

Karen,grown up in a very traditional family in the western United States,maintained high moral(道德的) standards throughout her youth.In 1984,at the age of 23,she married Bill.They were blessed with two children,a boy and a girl.
By 1991 their love had deepened,and they were happy.Later that year,Bill developed a white spot on his tongue.He visited a doctor.
One day shortly after that,Bill called Karen to sit beside him.He said with tears in his eyes that he loved her and wanted to live forever with her.The doctor suspected that he had been infected with HIV,the virus that leads to AIDS.
The family was tested,Bill and Karen’s results were positive.Bill had become infected before he met Karen;then he passed the virus on to Karen.The children’s results were negative.Within three years,Bill was dead.“I don’t know how to express what it is like to watch the once handsome man you love and intend to live with forever dying slowly.I cried many nights.He died three months short of ten years of our marriage,”says Karen.Though a doctor told Karen that she would soon follow her husband into death,she is still alive.The infection has progressed to the early stages of AIDS.
Karen is but one of about 30 million people now living with HIV/AIDS,a figure larger than the combined populations of Australia,Ireland and Paraguay.According to one UN report,Africa has 21 million of these victims.By the turn of the century that number could reach   40  million and the disease will bring on the greatest disaster in human history.Of the world’s sexually active adults aged 15 to 49,1 in 100 has already been infected with HIV.Of these,only 1 in 10 realizes that he or she is infected.In some parts of Africa,25 percent of the adults are infected.
Since the beginning of the spread of AIDS in 1981,about 11.7 million people have died of it.It is roughly calculated that in 1997 alone,about 2.3 million people died of it.Nevertheless,there are fresh reasons for optimism in the battle against AIDS.During the past few years,there has been a drop in new AIDS cases in wealthy nations.In addition,promising drugs hold out hope of better health and longer life.
小題1:By telling the story of Karen,the author intends to______.

A．warn people against high risk behaviors

B．stress the importance of medical tests

C．express sympathy for AIDS victims

D．show the consequences of AIDS

小題2:The underlined part in Paragraph 1 most probably means “_______”.

A．were lucky in having

B．were asked to adopt

C．regretted having

D．gave birth to

小題3:Bill was suspected of being infected with HIV after______.

A．he got married to Karen

B．the family members were tested

C．Karen persuaded him to see the doctor

D．he found something wrong with his tongue

小題4:It can be concluded from the passage that______.

A．promising drugs will soon stop AIDS

B．the spread of AIDS could be controlled

C．it is hopeless to win the battle against AIDS

D．the death rate of AIDS patients has been reduced

How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment?
In the southwest African country of Namibia,and the Sahara lands of Mall further north,the desert elephant does just that.
Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant,the desert cousin differs in many ways.Their bodies are smaller,to absorb less heat,and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces.They are taller,to reach higher branches.They have shorter tusks(象牙),and most importantly,longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and water-holes,and have a larger group of families.They drink only every 3-4 days,and can store water in a “bag” at the back of their throat,which is only used when badly needed.Desert elephants are careful feeders—they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches,and thus maintain what little food sources are available.Young elephants may even eat the dung(糞便) of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage.
During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly.Desert elephants have sand baths,sometimes adding their own urine(尿液) to make them muddy!
As we continue to overheat our weak planet,it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.
小題1:The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “_______”.

A．remains in the African countries

B．drinks 120 liters of water a day

C．manages to live in desert areas

D．eats 150 kilograms of food daily

小題2:Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they______.

A．rarely ruin trees

B．drink only every 3-4 days

C．search for food in large groups

D．protect food sources for their young

小題3:The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with______.

A．stories and explanation

B．facts and descriptions

C．examples and conclusion

D．evidence and argument

小題4:What can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?

A．Overheating the earth can be stopped.

B．Not all animal species are so adaptable.

C．The planet will become hotter and hotter.

D．Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants.

One of our biggest fears nowadays is that our kids might some day get lost in a “sea of technology”rather than experiencing the natural world.Fear-producing TV and computer games are leading to a serious disconnect between kids and the great outdoors,which will change the wild places of the world,its creatures and human health for the worse,unless adults get working on child’s play.
Each of us has a place in nature we go sometimes,even if it was torn down.We cannot be the last generation to have that place.At this rate,kids who miss the sense of wonder outdoors will not grow up to be protectors of natural landscapes.“If the decline in parks use continues across North America,who will defend parks against encroachment(蠶食)？”asks Richard Louv,author of Last Child in the Woods.
Without having a nature experience,kids can turn out just fine,but they are missing out a huge enrichment of their lives.That applies to everything from their physical health and mental health,to stress levels,creativity and cognitive(認(rèn)知的)skills.Experts predict modern kids will have poorer health than their parents—and they say a lack of outside play is surely part of it:research suggests that kids do better academically in schools with a nature component and that play in nature fosters(培養(yǎng))leadership by the smartest,not by the toughest.Even a tiny outdoor experience can create wonder in a child.The three-year-old turning over his first rock realizes he is not alone in the world.A clump of trees on the roadside can be the whole universe in his eyes.We really need to value that more.
Kids are not to blame.They are over-protected and frightened.It is dangerous out there from time to time,but repetitive stress from computers is replacing breaking an arm as a childhood rite(儀式)of passage.
Everyone from developers,to schools and outdoors’ citizens,should help regain for our kids some of the freedom and joy of exploring,taking friendship in fields and woods that cement(增強(qiáng))love,respect and need for the landscape.As parents,we should devote some of our energies to taking our kids into nature.This could yet be our greatest cause.
小題1:The main idea of Paragraph 2 is that_______.

A．kids are missing the sense of wonder outdoors

B．parks are in danger of being gradually encroached

C．Richard Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods

D．children are expected to develop into protectors of nature

小題2:According to the passage,children without experiencing nature will______.

A．keep a high sense of wonder

B．be over-protected by their parents

C．be less healthy both physically and mentally

D．change wild places and creatures for the better

小題3:According to the author,children’s breaking an arm is_______.

A．the fault on the part of their parents

B．the natural experience in their growing up

C．the result of their own carelessness in play

D．the effect of their repetitive stress from computers

小題4:In writing this passage,the author mainly intends to_______.

A．blame children for getting lost in computer games

B．encourage children to protect parks from encroachment

C．show his concern about children’s lack of experience in nature

D．inspire children to keep the sense of wonder about things around

簡答題(共3小題；每小題2分，滿分6分)
閱讀下面短文，根據(jù)第73至第75小題的具體要求，簡要回答問題。
The north magnetic pole(磁極)is no longer a resident of Canada.It has drifted across the Canadian Arctic and is now angling toward Siberia.
Not to be confused with the geographic North Pole—the northern extremity of the Earth’s axis(地軸),the north magnetic pole(where the Earth’s magnetic field is directed downward)is moving due to natural changes in the Earth’s magnetic field,a process that originates about 3000 kilometers below our feet,in the outer core(核心)of the planet.But scientists are now noticing that the magnetic pole has picked up its pace.

Over the past century,the pole has been migrating at an average speed of about 10 kilometers per year,says Larry Newitt,head of Geomagnetic Laboratory at Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa.Since the 1970s,this speed has increased to about 50 kilometers per year.
Scientists are wondering why the speed is increasing,says Newitt.One hypothesis(假說)relates it to “magnetic jerks”,sudden shifts(變化)in the rate of change of the magnetic field.There have been three jerks in the past four decades,each one correlating to an increases in speed.
If the north magnetic pole continues at its current rate,it could reach Siberia by 2056.
“For most of recorded history,the pole has been a part of Canada,and now it’s not,”says Newitt.“It may be a blow to our collective psyche,but other than that,it doesn’t have a major effect on most people’s existence.”
73.Find in the passage a word closest in meaning to the underlined word “angling”.
____________________________________________________________
74.What could happen to the north magnetic pole by the middle of the 21st century?(回答詞數(shù)不超過8個(gè))
____________________________________________________________
75.What is the main idea of the passage?(回答詞數(shù)不超過8個(gè))
____________________________________________________________

As a professor at a large American university,there is a phrase that I hear often from students:“I’m only a 1050.”The unlucky students are speaking of the score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test(SAT),which is used to determine whether they will be admitted to the college or university of their choice,or even if they have a chance to get a higher education at all.The SAT score,whether it is 800,1100 or 1550,has become the focus at this time of their life.
It is obvious that if students value highly their test scores,then a great amount of their self-respect is put in the number.Students who perform poorly on the exam are left feeling that it is all over.The low test score,they think,will make it impossible for them to get into a good college.And without a degree from a prestigious university,they fear that many of life’s doors will remain forever closed.
According to a study done in the 1990s,the SAT is only a reliable indicator of a student’s future performance in most cases.Interestingly,it becomes much more accurate when it is set together with other indicators-like a student’s high school grades.Even if standardized tests like the SAT could show a student’s academic proficiency(學(xué)業(yè)水平)，they will never be able to test things like confidence,efforts and willpower,and are unable to give us the full picture of a student’s potentialities(潛力).This is not to suggest that we should stop using SAT scores in our college admission process.The SAT is an excellent test in many ways,and the score is still a useful means of testing students.However,it should be only one of many methods used.
小題1:The purpose of the SAT is to test students’______.

A．strong will

B．a(chǎn)cademic ability

C．full potentialities

D．confidence in school work

小題2:Students’ self-respect is influenced by their______.

A．scores in the SAT

B．a(chǎn)chievements in mathematics

C．job opportunities

D．money spent on education

小題3:“A prestigious university” is most probably______.

A．a(chǎn) famous university

B．a(chǎn) technical university

C．a(chǎn) traditional university

D．a(chǎn)n expensive university

小題4:This passage is mainly about______.

A．how to prepare for the SAT

B．stress caused by the SAT

C．American higher education

D．the SAT and its effects

These days we hear a lot about how air pollution is changing temperatures on the earth. New evidence from a mountaintop in China now suggests that pollution can also change the amount of rain and snow that falls in some places.
Usually, more rain falls in mountainous places than in flat areas upwind from the mountains. That’s because air can hold a lot of water. When wind blows wet air up a mountainside, the air gets colder. This temperature change often forces water to fall as rain or snow.
In recent years, however, many mountainous areas in the western United States have been getting less rain than normal. Mountains that are downwind from cities have experienced the biggest drops.
Some scientists have theorized（推理）that pollution drifts （趨勢）from the cities into the mountains, affecting rainfall, but proving this link has been difficult.
Searching for answers, a team led by a scientist from the Hebrew University went to s mountain in China called Mount Hua, which is 2,060 meters tall and lies about 120 kilometers east of the Chinese city Xi’an. Since 1954, scientists have been collecting details about rainfall, humidity（濕度）, and visibility（能見度）in the area.
Using this data, the scientists compared rainfall on Mount Hua to rainfall in the nearest city, Huayin, on days with different levels of visibility. When the air was clear and people could see as far as 20 km, the scientists found that 65% more rain fell on the mountain than in the city.
But when the air was smoggy, allowing only 8 km of visibility through the mist, the mountain received just 20% more rain than the city. The new data supports the theory that pollution affects rainfall.
Some scientists believe that there are other explanations for the numbers. It’s possible, for example, that natural particles（微粒）in the air, rather than particles produced by pollution, are affecting visibility.
小題1:According to the 1^st paragraph, air pollution is changing the following EXCEPT ______.

A．the temperature	B．the amount of rain
C．the habit of eating	D．the amount of snow

小題2:According to the passage, what will probably happen when the wet air in the sky gets colder?

A．It will probably rain or snow	B．It will probably be cloudy.
C．It will probably wind	D．It will probably become dry.

小題3:Why did the team led by a scientist go to Mount Hua?

A．They wanted to pay a visit to Mount Hua.

B．They wanted to collect the data for their theory.

C．They wanted to measure Mount Hua.

D．They wanted to have a good rest on Mount Hua.

小題4:You can most probably read the passage in _______.

A．a(chǎn) travel guide

B．a(chǎn) telephone book

C．a(chǎn) cartoon book

D．a(chǎn) science book

When next year’s crop of high-school graduates arrive at Oxford University in the fall of 2009, they’ll be joined by a new face: Andrew Hamilton, the 55-year-old provost(教務(wù)長) of Yale, who’ll become Oxford’s vice-chancellor——a position equal to university president in America.
Hamilton isn’t the only educator crossing the Atlantic. Schools in France, Egypt, Singapore, etc. have also recently made top-level hires from abroad. Higher education has become a big and competitive business nowadays, and like so many businesses, it’s gone global. Yet the talent flow isn’t universal. High-level personnel(人員) tend to head in only one direction: outward from America.
The chief reason is that American schools don’t tend to seriously consider looking abroad. For example, when the board of the University of Colorado searched for a new president, it wanted a leader familiar with the state government, a major source of the university’s budget. “We didn’t do any global consideration,” says Patricia Hayes, the board’s chair. The board finally picked Bruce Benson, a 69-year-old Colorado businessman and political activist(活動(dòng)家) who is likely to do well in the main task of modern university presidents: fund-raising. Fund-raising is a particularlly American thing, since U.S. schools rely heavily on donations. The fund-raising ability is largely a product of experience and necessity.
Many European universities, meanwhile, are still mostly dependent on government funding. But government support has failed to keep pace with rising student numbers. The decline in government support has made fund-raising an increasingly necessary ability among administrators (管理人員), and has hiring committees hungry for Americans.
In the past few years, well-known schools around the world have joined the trend. In 2003, when Cambridge University appointed Alison Richard, another former Yale provost, as its vice-chancellor, the university publicly stressed that in her previous job she had overseen “a major strengthening of Yale’s financial position.”
Of course, fund-raising isn’t the only skill outsiders offer. The globalization of education means more universities will be seeking heads with international experience of some kind to promote international programs and attract a global student body. Foreigners can offer a fresh perspective(視角) on established practices.
小題1:What is the current trend in higher education discussed in the passage?

A．Institution worldwide are hiring administrators from the US.

B．A lot of activists are being hired as administrators

C．American universities are enrolling more international students.

D．University presidents are paying more attention to funding-raising.

小題2: What is the chief consideration of American universities when hiring top-level administrators?

A．The political correctness.	B．Their ability to raise funds.
C．Their fame in academic circles.	D．Their administrative experience.

小題3: What do we learn about European universities from the passage?

A．The tuitions(學(xué)費(fèi)) they charge h ave been rising considerably.

B．Their operation is under strict government control.

C．They are strengthening their position by globalization.

D．Most of their money comes from the government.

小題4:In what way do top-level administrators from abroad contribute to university development?

A．They can improve the university’s image.

B．They will bring with them more international personnel.

C．They will view a lot of things from a new angle.

D．They can set up new academic subjects.

小題5:Which of the following would make the best title of the passage?

A．Higher Education Globalization	B．Global Headhunting In Higher Education
C．Global Higher Education Cooperation	D．Universal Higher Education Development

Annealing
Annealing is a way of making metal softer by heating it and then letting it cool very slowly, if metal is heated and then cooled very quickly, for example by dipping(浸) it in water, it will be very hard but also very brittle(脆)—that is, it will break easily. Metal that has been annealed is soft but does not breaks as easily. It is possible to make metal as hard or as soft as is wished, by annealing it. The metal is heated, and allowed to cool slowly for a certain length of time. The longer the heated metal takes to cool slowly, the softer it becomes. Annealing can also be used on other material, such as glass.
1. Annealing can make metal ____
　　A. hard and tough(韌)　B. hard but brittle　　C. soft but tough　　D. soft and brittle
2. Why do people put hot metal in water?
　　A. To make it hard.　　B. To make it soft.　C. To make it cool.　D. To make it brittle
3. In annealing, the required hardness of a metal depends on 　______
　　A. the quantity of water used　B. the temperature of the metal
　　C. the softness of the metal　  D. the timing of the operation
4. As suggested by the text, how can glass be made less brittle?
　　A. It can be heated and then cooled quickly.
　　B. It can be cooled and then heated slowly.
　　C. It can be heated and then cooled slowly.
D. It can be cooled and then heated quickly.