第二部分 閱讀理解（共20小題：每小題2.5分，滿(mǎn)分50分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。
A very important world problem---- in fact, I tend to say it is the most important of all the great world problems which face us at present time----is the rapidly increasing pressure of population on land and on land resources.
It is not so much the actual population of the world but its rate of increase, which is the most important. It works out to be about 1.6 percent net annual increase. In terms of numbers this means something like 40 to 55 million additional people very year. Canada has a population of 20 million, rather less 6 months’ climb in world population. And there are 10 million people in Australia. So, it takes the world less than three moths to add to itself a population, a population of that vast country. Let us come to our own crowded country---- England and Wales; 45--50 million people---- just about a year’s supply. By this time tomorrow, and every day, there will be added to the earth about 120, 000 extra people---- just about the population of the city of York.
I am not talking about birthrate. This is net increase. To give you some idea of birthrate, look at the second hand of your watch. Every second three babies are born somewhere in the world. Another baby! Another baby! Another baby! You cannot speak quickly enough to keep pace with the birthrate.
This enormous increase of population will create immense problems. By 2010 A. D., unless something desperate happens, there will be as many as 7,000, 000, 000 people on the surface of this earth! So this is a problem which you are going to see in your lifetime.
1．The topic for the passage is _________.
A．The Lack of Land Resources   B．Population Explosion
C．Your Lifetime         D．The Birthrate
2．According to the author, _________ is the most important for population pressure.
A．the net increase rate B．the birthrate
C．the enormous amount of world population  D．the population explosion in Australia
3．It can be learned from Paragraph 2 that ________.
A．in more than 6 months, to the world population 20 million will be added
B．three months later, to the population in the world 10 million will be added
C．in less than three months, to the world population 10 million will be added
D．one year later, the population of England and Wales will be doubled
4．Which of the following is TRUE?
A．After 24 hours, 120 thousand babies were born
B．The birthrate is 180 babies every minute.
C．During a year, about 45 million people are born.
D．After a day, York will have 120, 000 extra people.
5．“…something desperate happens” in the last paragraph can be best replaced by _________.
A．the world wars break out B．people are in despair
C．birth control policy is adopted
D．people realize the seriousness of the population problem

London congestion charging
The charge was introduced on Monday 17 February 2003 to encourage people to leave their cars behind and use public transport when travelling in central London. It was introduced due to the high pollution levels and traffic congestion（擁擠）.
The Inner Ring Road forms the congestion zone boundary and includes roads such as Marylebone Road, Euston Road, Park Lane and Edgware Road. Drivers can travel along these roads without paying the charge. Maps of this zone are published in the national press and are available from a range of outlets as well as online.
People who travel regularly between work and home have to pay £5 for each day they wish to travel through or within the charge zone between the hours of 7.00 am and 6.30 pm, Monday to Friday. They have a choice about how they pay the £5. They can pay online, via the Internet, phoning, texting on their mobile phones and over the counter at petrol stations and convenience stores. They also have a choice about how often they pay. They can pay daily, weekly, monthly or annually.
Not everyone has to pay the £5. Among these are residents, emergency services, registered-disabled drivers, taxis and those using alternative energy vehicles. These people/organizations have to apply for exemption (免交), which can be done online.
The London Congestion Charge works by using around 900 cameras at the boundary and within the zone. The cameras read the registration plates and send the information to a computer, which checks whether the owner has paid the charge and, if not, whether the owner has claimed exemption. If drivers have not paid the charge by 10 pm that day (and are not exempt) a penalty notice is sent to his/her home address. The longer that the penalty is not paid, the larger the fine. Persistent offenders have their vehicles removed.
For more information, call 0845 900 1234 or visit Transport for London’s congestion charge website at http://www.cclondon.com/.
1. This text is aimed at _______.
A. businesses            B. students               C. London residents      D. everyone
2. This text offers readers information about _______.
A. the weather forecasts of London
B. the days and times for people to pay the charge
C. the number of drivers who fail to pay the charge each day
D. the names of shops where you can get Congestion Charge maps
3. What can we learn from the text?
A. All people in London have to pay the charge.
B. London residents can pay the charge in different ways.
C. Registered-disabled drivers have to go to an agency to apply for exemption.
D. 900 cameras are used to judge whether the driver has gone through the red light.

Section B
Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need
A. agree          B. suffer        C. system       D. notice        AB. through  
AC. dangerous     AD. space       BC. limited     BD. absorbs      CD. let out
For years scientist have been worried about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more    41    than the air outside. It may be one hundred times worse.
Indoor air pollution can cause a person to feel tired, to    42     eye-pain, headache and other problems. Some pollutants can cause breathing disorders, diseases of blood and even cancer. Most scientists    43    that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution. People began to    44    the problem in the early 1970s, when it was that builders began making houses and offices which did not waste energy. To do this they built buildings that    45    the flow of air between inside and outside. They also began using man-made building materials. These materials are now known to    46    harmful gases. As the problem became more serious, scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control    47    for building green plants. Scientist do not really know how plants control air pollution. They believe that a plant’s leaves take in the pollutants. In exchange the plant produces oxygen    48    its leaves and through its tiny organizations on its roots. Scientists suggest that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square meters of space. Studies of different plants show that each    49    different chemicals. So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. Having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and healthier place.

Wall Street is the banking center of New York City. But how did the street get its unusual name? To find out, we must go back to the early years of exploration in North America.
New York City was first called New Amsterdam by the explorer Henry Hudson. He was working for a Dutch trading company when he entered what is now the lower Hudson River area in the year 1609. There he found an island that was a perfect trading harbor. The Manhattan Indians lived there.
Dutch traders built a town on the end of Manhattan Island. It became a rich trading center. But the British questioned the right of the Dutch to control the area. The two nations went to war in 1652.
The governor of New Amsterdam, Peter Stuyvesant, worried that British settlers in New England would attack his town. He ordered that a protective wall be built at the north edge of Manhattan. The wall was more than 2,290 feet long. It extended from the Hudson River to the East River.
The British never attacked New Amsterdam. So the wall was never tested in war. But the path beside it became known as Wall Street. Later, Wall Street became a street of banks and business.
Dealing in stocks and shares in the stock markets began in the 17th Century. An informal market developed around the coffee houses in the City of London gradually. In 1773 “New Jonathan’s” Coffee House became the informal Stock Exchange, and it was formally established till 1802. at that time London was the largest share market, and the growth of the Industrial Revolution helped the establishment of local share markets in other parts of the country --- more than 330 of them when there were most. These markets first began moves towards combination in 1890, when the Council of Associated Stock Exchanges was formed. By 1967 all the “Country” Exchanges had got together themselves into six regional exchanges, and in 1973 all seven exchanges in the British Isles came together to form The Stock Exchanges of Great Britain and Ireland, and its member firms spread from Aberdeen to the Channel Islands and from Lancaster to Limerick.
1.    Manhattan was named after _____­­­­_____.
A. a Dutch explorer
B. a British colonist
C. an Indian tribe
D. the Dutch governor
2.    The British and the Dutch went to war in 1652 because __________.
A. they both liked the rich island
B. they both wanted to have Wall Street
C. they both wanted to control the rich area
D. they had questions in some aspects unsolved
3.    The wall _________.
A. was used in the war
B. was never used in the war
C. was destroyed later
D. was so weak that the British never tested it
4.    In 1773 “New Jonathan’s” Coffee House became _________.
A. the place the merchants had their ventures
B. an informal stock exchanges
C. a formal stock exchanges
D. the biggest market in Britain

Until a relatively short time ago, traveling abroad was limited to rich tourists and wealthy businesspeople. Flying abroad was not common for the average person. In time, however, plane travel became safer, more convenient, and less expensive. As a result, people of different backgrounds now fly to distant places for pleasure and businesspeople fly to one country for a breakfast or lunch conference, and then fly to another country for a dinner meeting.
With the world becoming smaller, many young adults make the decision to study in foreign universities. It is an exciting, challenging experience to live in a foreign country. Anyone who can study abroad is fortunate; but, of course, it is not easy to change from one culture to another. One faces many difficulties.
The student who studies in a foreign country leaves behind a familiar, loving, comfortable environment. Back home, he has his family, friends, and acquaintances. He knows the language, politics, money, food, social customs, and so forth. He knows all the unclear aspects of his native culture, such as body language, and bargaining practices, etc. in short, he knows “the system” in his native country. Then one day he leaves all this behind and suddenly finds himself in a place where everyone and everything is strange, perhaps even confusing. All this strangeness is a major surprise to a person’s self-confidence. This sudden change often leads to a reaction called culture shock.
Foreigners experience different degrees of culture shock. The symptoms range from being ill at ease to being seriously depressed. Feeling homesick, unhappy, and very sensitive are other signs of culture shock. It is easy to understand that the endless frustrations of the early days in a new country would produce dissatisfaction, and perhaps even hostility. People are always at ease in a familiar environment. A mature, realistic person experiences mild, temporary symptoms; the insecure newcomer suffers more seriously from a culture shock.
During the inevitable period of adjustment, the international student tends to complain about everything in the new environment. In fact, the student is likely to exaggerate the problems. When the student meets another miserable person from the same country, he will pour out his unhappy feelings. Together they can complain in their native language. Although this complaining provides temporary satisfaction, it certainly does not help him adapt to a new society. Being negative will never get rid of the feelings of frustrations. The mature person understands that a positive attitude, determination, and flexibility are important in making the change successful. A sense of humor is a big help.
1.    Nowadays, flying abroad is ___  ____.
A. limited to rich tourists and wealthy businesspeople
B. more convenient but less safe
C. common for the average person
D. not common for the average person
2.    “The system” in the third paragraph includes the following except _________.
A. social customs
B. bargaining practices
C. politics
D. foreign culture
3.    Culture shock affects foreigners _________.
A. in just the same way
B. in the same degree
C. in quite similar ways
D. in different degrees
4.    Endless frustrations of the early days in a new country would create _________.
A. dissatisfaction
B. discomfort
C. hostility
D. all of the above
5.    The following are important in fighting culture shock except _________.
A. determination
B. a positive attitude
C. a sense of humor
D. hostility

A German company was concerned about talks in Moscow trying to sell some 100 million dollars worth of equipment to a Russian State company. Talks went smoothly but differences remained. So Martin Bayer himself, the CEO of the German Company, decided to come to Moscow to head the talks. Besides caring about his business, the CEO wanted to go to Russia to hunt bears.
Martin Bayer was one of the greatest hunters of our time (and the Russians knew about it). He went to the Sahara more than hundred times and hunted lions, crocodiles; he hunted polar bears in the North Pole and tigers in the rain forests of India. But he had never hunted Russian bears.
So the Russians decided to organize a bear hunt for Mr. Bayer to sweeten the talks. This wasn't a simple task. Some people in the west still believe that bears may be found and seen everywhere in Russian cities just like squirrels may be seen in our back yards. This is not true. The closest place one may find bears in the wild is maybe 2,500 miles away from Moscow. However, a solution was quickly found. The Russian businessmen went to Moscow Circus（馬戲團(tuán)）and for $2,000 bought a very old bear. This bear used to amuse and amaze audiences in many countries for 30 years, but got and looked too old, and was retired.
“Be careful, the Russian bears are very dangerous, and frightening,” they told to Mr. Bayer. “If compared to the Russian bears, your African lions are nothing more than harmless cats.” The bear was brought to a forest 50 miles from Moscow and was left there. Mr. Bayer was told that bears were plentiful in that forest and that many cattle and even people had been eaten in the surrounding villages.
Meanwhile, an 18-year old female drove through the forest on a motorcycle and suddenly saw a bear (no bears had been seen in those places for 200 years). She was frightened, fell, left her helmet and her motorcycle and ran away.
Mr. Bayer was excited and ready to hunt. This could become the most successful part of his extraordinary hunting experience. The next moment Mr. Bayer saw a bear in a helmet driving on a motorcycle through the forest in front of him. The bear had a happy expression on his face, as he was doing something he had been doing in the circus for 30 years: circling on a motorcycle!
Mr. Bayer lives in a private mental institution near Hamburg happily ever after. The equipment was never sold to Russia. It was sold to Iraq instead.
1. Why did the Russians invite Mr. Bayer to hunt bears?
A. Russian bears are famous for their cruelty.
B. They managed to find a bear for hunting.
C. They expected the trade to be successful.
D. There was a bear in Moscow Circus.
2. Why did the Russians say “Be careful, the Russian bears are very dangerous, and frightening”?
A. To tell Mr. Bayer that many people had been killed by bears.
B. To make Mr. Bayer feel the hunting really challenging.
C. To warn Mr. Bayer to mind his safety while hunting.
D. To tell Mr. Bayer that the bear is really dangerous.
3. We can infer from the last paragraph that __________.
A. Mr. Bayer has gone ma   
B. the bear injured him badly
C. he has worked in a mental institution since then
D. the trade has gone smoothly between Russian and Iraq
4. Which would be the best title of the passage?
A. Mr. Bayer, a Brave Hunter     B. Russian Bears, Dangerous Animals
C. Don’t Hunt in Russia       D. Don’t Deal with the Russians

I entered St Thoma’s Hospital as a medical student at the age of 18 and spent five years there. I was an unsatisfactory student, for my heart, as you might have guessed, was not in it. I wanted, I had always wanted to be a writer, and in the evening, after my high tea, I wrote and read. Before long, I wrote a novel, called “Liza of Lambeth”, which I sent to a publisher and was accepted. It appeared during my last year at the hospital and had something of a success. It was of course an accident, but naturally I did not know that. I felt I could afford to give up medicine and make writing my profession; so, three days after I graduated from the school of medicine, I set out for Spain to write another book. Looking back now and knowing as I do the terrible difficulties of making a living by writing, I realize I was taking a fearful risk. It never even occurred to me.
The next ten years were very hard, and I earned an average of £100 a year. Then I had a bit of luck. The manager of the Court Theatre put on a play that failed ; the next play he arranged to put on was not ready , and he was at his wits’ end. He read a play of mine and, though he did not much like it, he thought it might just run for the six weeks till the play he had in mind to follow it with could be produced. It ran for fifteen months. Within a short while I had four plays running in London at the same time. Nothing of the kind had ever happened before. I was the talk of the town. One of the students at St Thomas’s Hospital asked the famous surgeon with whom I had worked whether he remembered me. “Yes, I remember him quite well, “he said. “ One of our failures, I’m afraid. “
1. Which of the following statements is not true?
A. The author was very pleased to have his book published but he didn’t realize it was something of an accident.
B. The success of his first book led the author to think he could afford to make writing his profession.
C. The author knew he was running a terrible risk when he decided to become a writer.
D. The author became a writer after graduation but was not a successful one.
2. In the second paragraph, “… he was at his wits’ end “means ________.
A. he was having a nervous breakdown       B. he was out of his wisdom
C. he did not know what to do            D. he almost went mad
3. The manager of the Court Theatre agreed to put the author’s play on the stage because _____________.
A. he thought it would run for fifteen months
B. he knew it was one of the author’s best plays shown in London
C. he had just put on a play that failed
D. the play he had arranged to put on was not ready
4. The author became the talk of the town. The reason was that __________.
A. he talked with a great many people in London about his plays
B. the plays he wrote were excellently performed in London
C. his performances in the Court Theatre were unexpectedly
D. he was criticized by an eminent surgeon as one of their failures

B
South Korea has offered about 10,000 tons of corn to North Korea, in what would be the first official aid to its hungry neighbor for almost two years．The South also offered 20 tons of milk powder and medicine for children, pregnant women and other vulnerable people, its unification ministry said．The proposed shipmen would be through the Red Cross．It would be the first official one since a conservative government came to power in Seoul in February 2008．The South Korean administration of President Lee Myung-bak has linked major assistance to progress on denuclearisation．
However, after months of bitter hostility, the communist North began making peace overtures（提議，提案） to the South in recent months．Persistent media reports have also said the two sides have held preliminary talks about a possible summit．
The amount of food aid on offer is tiny relative to the needs in what the United Nations recently described as the famine-hit North．A third of North Korean women and young children are malnourished（營(yíng)養(yǎng)不良的） and the country will run short of almost 1．8 million tons of food this year, the United Nations World Food Program said in a report last month．The unification ministry admitted it was far less than needed but said the North must mend relations before shipments could be increased．
"We cannot say 10,000 tons is sufficient in view of North Korea's food shortage and other conditions," said ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-Joo．"We are providing purely humanitarian aid," she said．
"There is no change in our position that massive food aid depends on how relations between the two Koreas develop," she said．North Korea has yet to respond to the latest offer, made through the Red Cross．But Yonhap news agency said it was likely co-ordinated in advance before the announcement．
Last year the South offered 50,000 tons of corn, but the North rejected the shipment amid high tensions．
North Korea has relied on food aid from China, South Korea and aid agencies to feed millions of its people since a famine in the 1990s resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands．
50．How would North Korea be offered about 10,000 tons of corn from South Korea?
A．North Korea would buy corn from South Korea．
B．North Korea would exchange with South Korea．
C．The offer would be through the Red Sea．．
D．The offer would be through an international organization
51．About whether South Korea would go on offering assistance, we can infer from the passage that________________．
A．they would go on without any condition
B．they would go on if there was a famine in North Korea
C．it depended on how their relation would develop
D．it depended on whether North Korea needed it
52．How did North Korea survive since a famine in the 1990s?
A．They depended on the international aid from all other countries
B．They developed their agriculture to increase the production
C．They expanded the agricultural land
D．They relied on food aid from China, South Korea and aid agencies
53．What is the main idea of the passage?
A． It’s about the aid to South Korea from North Korea
B．It tells about the help between South Korea and North Korea
C．It’s about the help to the Poor
D．It tells about an action of the Red Cross

C
Perhaps you have never heard of Katherine Lawes．Katherine was the wife of Lewis Lawes, warden （監(jiān)獄長(zhǎng)） at Sing Sing Prison from 1920 to 1941．In these 21 years he made many reforms --- and an important part of his success was due to his wife Katherine．
Katherine took seriously the idea that the prisoners are human beings ,worthy of attention and respect ．She regularly visited inside the walls of Sing Sing．She encouraged the prisoners, took things to them and spent time listening to them．Most importantly, she cared about them．And as a result, they cared deeply about her．
Then one night in October of 1937, news was "telegraphed" between the prison cells that Katherine had been killed in an accident．The prisoners asked the warden to allow them to attend her funeral．He agreed to their strange request and a few days later the south gate of Sing Sing swung slowly open．Hundreds of men who had committed almost every crime imaginable marched slowly out of the prison, later gathered again at the gate and returned to their cells．There were so many that they proceeded unguarded．But no one tried to escape．If he had, the others might have killed him immediately．So devoted were they to Katherine Lawes, the woman who daily walked into Hell to show the men a piece of Heaven．
Katherine' s strength was to see the men less as prisoners and more as individuals．Thomas Moore once said, "We can only treat badly those things or people whose souls we show no respect for．"
54．When Katherine's husband was the warden at Sing Sing Prison, she did the following things EXCEPT_______________．
A．encouraging the prisoners               B．visiting the prison houses
C．doing some writing for the prisoner    D．spending time in listening to the prisoners
55．Why did the prisoners ask the warden to allow them to attend Katherine’s funeral?
A．Because Katherine didn't look down upon them and cared about them．
B．Because Katherine was the wife of the warden．
C．Because Katherine made reforms in the prison．
D．Because Katherine had been killed by one of them．
56．Whom does the underlined part “the others” refer to?
A．The policemen at the funeral．           B．The other prisoners．
C．The guards．                            D．The policemen from other prisons．
57．The best title of this passage is_________．
A．Katherine Lawes' s Life                        B．Reforms at Sing Sing Prison
C．To Honor Their Souls                           D．To Meet Their Requirement

D
One day my teacher said, “ Life is a game of chess, and the other player is time．” From that moment, I knew I had to enjoy my life．Do not waste time, because, you know, time will not come back．You cannot buy it．It is one of those things in life that you must really, really value．
When you see an opportunity, take it．You might not get it back．Never let an opportunity pass．And if it is too hard, remember that in the middle of every difficulty lies an opportunity．
Remember, you cannot choose how you' re going to die, or when．You can only decide how you' re going to live．Study as if you were going to live forever; live as if you were going to die tomorrow．Don' t just think of the present, but also think of your future．Your future is yet another chapter in your life and another way to live it．
Every single living thing has a purpose in life．"The purpose of life is a life of purpose," said Robert Byme．
Learn to use time wisely, take opportunities, and enjoy life．We can discover the meaning of life in three different ways: （1） by doing a deed; （2） by experiencing a value; （3） by suffering．Life．
58．The underlined part suggests that___________．
A．if life is a game of chess, time is also a game of chess
B．if life is a game of chess, both you and time are the players
C．if life is one player in a game of chess, time is the other player
D．if time is a game of chess, both life and you are the players
59．According to the author, what can you decide?
A．How you die．                      B．When you die．
C．How you live．                     D．When you succeed．
60．This article is most probably from__________．
A．a(chǎn)n explanation of time in the universe
B．a(chǎn)n essay about time and life
C．a(chǎn)n argument that time is the most important thing in life
D．a(chǎn) description of an important class