More than ever, kids today have given up reading for activities like watching TV, playing video games and surfing the Internet, but recently a new trend (趨勢(shì)) has been catching on that will hopefully change that.
In fact, book clubs are becoming more popular among American kids. 11-year-old Kenya Debarros read about singer Lena Horne. “It was just amazing to see a black woman as the star and not just a mammy or a maid,” she says. But did all these kids come enthusiastically (熱情地)? No, not exactly.
“I like book club, uh, I don’t know, but I am just trying it out. My mom didn’t make me, but I just tried it out,” says 16-year-old Antonio Nash.
And if they’ll try it, the experts say, there are ways to get them to come back. Make it fun, serve pizza, serve chocolate cakes and have door prizes (門(mén)票對(duì)號(hào)獎(jiǎng)). It also helps to connect books to the real world. They talk about things that are happening in the community, so they can relate whatever they’ve read in the book to what’s happening now.
Here they have long talks about the books they have selected, which most kids don’t get to do when they’re in school, and these kids say, in book clubs they’re learning to love books and love reading.
“I feel like I’m actually in the book and doing what the actual main character is doing,” says 13-year-
-old Justin Woodard.
16-year-old Antonia McManus says reading gives her a nice break from the day, “Sitting down and reading a book gives me some time to get away from the world, and get my mind straight.”
52. What does the underlined phrase “catching on” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. Happening.              B. Realizing.    C. Becoming popular.   D. Bringing in.
53. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Book clubs develop very fast in America.
B. Book clubs are popular among American kids.
C. American kids’ habits are changing towards reading.
D. A new trend helps change children in America.
54. It can be known from the passage that ______.
A. book clubs are designed to improve kids’ study
B. book clubs are mainly to help kids forget the reality
C. kids like to go there for the silent surroundings
D. kids may get unexpected rewards in book clubs
55. Why does Antonia McManus like going to the book club?
A. She finds reading restful.
B. She could get some sound sleep.
C. She likes the noisy conditions there.
D. She can deal with her problems there.

The repairman told me, “No charge, Professor Pan! We’re friends.” “I’d rather pay,” I replied. “If it’s free, I can’t afford it!”
Chinese often refuse payment for professional services, insisting, “We’re friends now!” But then they show up later to ask me to tutor them in English, or get them into an American university, and I wish I’d have just paid the 30 yuan I owed them in the first place!
According to the Americans “There’s no free lunch.” meaning, there’s a price for everything, and I’m always looking around to figure out what this means.
Many of our neighbors have given us fruit or flowers or costly teas, never asking anything in return. For years, a bicycle repairman has repeatedly refused to let me pay him. “Wait until you have something major to fix!” he insists.
I mentioned to a peasant friend that I wished I had a stone mill to grind (磨) flour for bread. A month later he showed up with a beautiful mill that he’d had his uncle in the countryside carve from a solid block of granting (花崗石).
Chinese generosity is a real education for Americans like me, who would rather avoid social entanglements (糾紛) and just hand over the money. But cash can’t compensate (補(bǔ)償) for the greatest gift—friendship.
When an American saw some of my friends sitting on bamboo stools under the trees, sipping tea, he said, “They must have nothing better to do.” “Actually,” I said, “they are professors, with plenty of to do. But probably you’re right in saying that, at this moment, they have nothing better to do. And neither do I”
And I joined the group. We chatted about tea and Chinese cooking and how much my boys have grown since we arrived. One man said, “They were pocket-sized when you came here. Now they’re taller than you. How time flies!”
How time flies. And Chinese are smart enough to share what they know, which they cannot keep. They freely give off their time, never too busy to help a friend. And they are teaching me, slowly, to both give and receive.
So the next time someone says, “No charge. We’re friends!” I will thank them heartily. But if they show up later asking me to tutor them in English, I’ll make sure they tutor my son in Chinese as well, because there’s still no free lunch.
69.Why did the author insist paying the repairman when he was offered free repairs?
A. Because he was an upright (正直的) man.
B. Because he didn’t know the repairman.
C. Because he thought it natural to pay for others’ service.
D. Because he didn’t want to help others in return.
70. Generally, the author thinks that _____ .
A. Chinese are generous and always ready to help their friends
B. Chinese are good at exchange of equal values
C. Chinese are free enough to drink tea and chat with their friends
D. Chinese are helpful but don’t treasure time
71. The best title of the article should be _____ .
A. Still no free lunch
B. A good lesson from the Chinese
C. True help or not
D. Learn to both give and receive        
72. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Chinese seldom refuse payment for professional services.
B. When a peasant knew the author needed a mill, he made one for the author himself
C. The author thinks that Chinese are wise enough to enjoy their life.
D. Finally, the author changed his mind and decided to do as the Chinese do.

We need to make better use of our resources. In developing countries we have more than enough, if we are less wasteful in our ways. Fortunately, we can improve. The challenge lies not so much with ‘technical fixes’ but with our approach to our world around us. In the recent past we were in a “Wild West” economy, supposing that there would always be enough resources. Now we know there are no new Earth to explore and exploit; one image to illustrate this is to think of Earth as a spaceship, where most materials have to be recycled. For us, “moving on” will be a case of leaving behind the throwaway society and advancing to a conserver society.
To qualify as citizens of a conserver society, we must change traditional attitudes and thinking. We need to recognize that there is not very often such a thing as “waste”, rather, there are materials which sometimes end up in the wrong place. The change has already begun. The European steel industry reuses scrap（廢棄的）metal, resulting in an energy saving of up to 50% . Recycling a glass container saves only 18%; but, in parts of the United States, a citizen buying a bottle of soda or beer now pays a deposit against return of the empty bottle.
If all drink containers in the USA were to be reused, the annual saving would be 0.5 million tons glass, plus about 50 million barrels of oil used in production processes. In Japan, OPEC promoted an increase in recycling of raw materials from 16% to 48% in just five years. In Norway, the price of a new car includes a disposal cost element of about 100 dollars, redeemable（可換成現(xiàn)款的）when the junked car is turned in at an approved receiving center.
Major new businesses are trying to exploit waste chemicals and oil. The Chinese claim to reuse 2.5 million tons of scrap iron and at least one million tons of waste paper each year. In the main, the conserver society depends on the commitment of individuals. But they can be encouraged by government incentive(鼓勵(lì)) and punishment, which should apply at least as strongly to industry and other commercial interests.
73  Which of the following best expresses the meaning of “a conserver society” in the second paragraph?
A. A wasteful society.
B. A society which thinks of  ways of recycling waste materials.
C. A society which keeps everything.
D. A society which saves electricity.
74  In the last paragraph, the author suggests governments _______.
A. depends on individuals to find ways of conserving energy.
B. find ways of encouraging those industries and individuals who conserve energy and of punishing those who don’t.
C. depend on companies to find ways of saving energy and rewarding workers
D. help establish businesses that will exploit waste materials
75  In this passage the author _______.
A. explains that meaning of the “Wild West” economy
B. tells us what recycled materials are.
C. teaches us how to recycle materials.
D. recommend a change in our use of resources strongly

Do you love holidays but hate the increase weight that follows? You are not alone.
Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.
With proper planning, though, it is possible to con­trol your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don’t have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may be of some help to you. 
Do not miss meals. Before you leave home for a feast (宴會(huì)), have a small, low-fat snack(小吃). This may help to keep you from getting too excited before de­licious foods.
Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables. A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full. Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.
Better not have high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy have much fat in them.
Choose lean meat (瘦肉). Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables.
If you have a sweet tooth, try mints (薄荷) and fruits. They don’t have fat content as cream and chocolate.
Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess (過(guò)多的) calories.
68. Holidays are happy days with pleasure but they may______.
A. bring weight problems
B. bring you much trouble in your life
C. make you worried about your foods
D. make you hate delicious foods
69. In order to really enjoy your holidays without putting on weight, you’d better ___.
A. drink much water and have vegetables only
B. not eat much food in high fat
C. not accept invitations to feasts
D. turn away from delicious foods
70. According to the passage, ___ is a necessary part to stop you from putting on weight.
A. vegetables           B. water         
C. calories of energy       D. physical exercise
71. Many people can’t help putting on weight after the holidays because they ___.
A. can’t control themselves          B. go to too many feasts
C. enjoy delicious foods             D. can’t help turning away from the foods

The Museum of Childhood is spread over 4 floors, with the first floor acting like a balcony around the edge of the building, so you can look down over the ground floor central hall with the shop, Information Desk and Benugo Café.
The museum of Childhood is housed in a large Victorian building in east London. It has been on this site since 1872. It has undergone refurbishment (翻新) and reopened in 2006 and an elevator now makes all floors accessible.
This is not a quiet place and children are allowed to have fun here. Child safety is extremely important and a member of staff remains by the front door at all times. Also, note the “Code of Behavior” notice, which includes: children under 12 must be supervised by an adult; no eating in the galleries and no running.
Toy exhibits are in glass cases and there are plenty of low-level exhibits for younger children to see. The glass cases have lots of thought-inspiring questions on them to encourage discussion between adults and children. When you or the children need some quiet time, there are sofas at either end of the second floor with reading books available.
Pros: Many free activities for kids
Cons: Can be too warm inside
Visit Duration: 1.5 hours
Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 5:45 p.m.  Last admission is 5:30 p.m.
The Museum is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January every year.
Admission: Admission the Museum is free. There is a small charge for some activities.
48. In the Museum of Childhood, _______.
A.people can reach any floor by elevator    B.there are sofas at either end of the first floor
C. there are exhibits on the museum history   D.the Information Desk can be found on each floor
49. The Museum of Childhood may be attractive to _______.
A. parents who only have children under 12      
B. children who are fond of toy exhibits
C. parents and children who need quiet time      
D. kids who like playing games with their parents
50. What is the disadvantage of the museum?
A. Low-level exhibits are too boring.       B. Children may feel slightly hot in it.
C. Parents have to stay with their kids.      D. No staff members attend to the kids.
51. What information can we get about the museum?
A.All the activities for children are free.    
B.The museum is located in west London.
C.Children are allowed to enter after 5:30.  
D.The museum is unavailable on Christmas Day.

The phone is ringing at the other end of the line and it clicks as it is being answered．A voice says quickly, “Hello, will you hold, please?” Then there is another click, followed by silence．It seems like hours before someone comes back on the line ---- that is, if you don't hang up first．
Office calls are, perhaps, the most difficult and the most important part of a secretary's work．The first impression that a man receives about a business is often through a telephone contact．A caller who is left hanging on “hold” will get the feeling that he or she has been forgotten or ignored．If a call is answered rudely, the caller may become angry．And if the call is not routed directly to the right person, the caller may feel that he or she is getting the “run-around”.
Laura Needham is a secretary in the executive offices of a large manufacturing company．As a good office secretary, Laura knows that all phone calls must be answered without delay and handled efficiently. She knows that a secretary must be pleasant and helpful, no matter how busy she is or what kind of feeding she may be in．She knows she must keep calm if a caller gets impatient or becomes angry; also, of course, she knows she can never allow herself to lose her temper (脾氣)．If she does not have the information the caller asks for, she must know who does have the information．Finally, she knows that one of her most important responsibilities(責(zé)任)is to “screen telephone calls” and to know which calls to refer to her boss, which calls to refer to other people, and which calls to handle herself．
A well-handled telephone call will give the caller a good impression of the company he or she is dealing with．For this reason, an office secretary who can handle telephone calls cheerfully, tactfully (老練的), and efficiently is a valuable asset  to any organization
63. Good secretaries find it       to handle office calls well.
A. very. boring           B. very important
C. quite necessary         D. extremely difficult
64. The underlined word "nmaround" here means       .
A. a flat refusal              B. a not-so-warm welcome
C . an unpleasant refusal                    D. an unhelpful response
65. In Laura's opinion a secretary can never be a good one until     .
A. she often asks her boss how to answer a telephone call
B. she knows how to please all the people
C. she has the information that others need
D. she can keep calm and never loses her temper
66. This passage is mainly about     .
A. well-handled telephone calls                                    ,~
B. an efficient office secretary called Laura Needham
C. the importance of how office calls are dealt with
D. a secretary being a valuable asset to her company

If your head is overheating, you are very likely to yawn(打哈欠) soon, according to a new study that has found the main purpose of yawning is to control brain temperature. The study explains several mysteries about yawning, such as why it’s most commonly done just before and after sleeping, why certain diseases lead to too much yawning, and why breathing though the nose often stops yawning.
“Brains are like computers,” Andrew Gallup, a researcher in the department of Biology at Binghamton University who led the study, said. “They operate best when cool.”
He and his co-workers Micheal Miller and Anne Clark did researches on yawning in parakeets(長(zhǎng)尾小鸚鵡) , which have relatively large brains, live wild in Australia, often experience temperature changes, and, most importantly, do not yawn when others yawn, as humans and some other animals do.
For the study, the scientists put parakeets under three different conditions: increasing temperature, high temperature and normal temperature. While the frequency(頻率) of yawns did not increase under the latter two conditions, it increased greatly when the researchers increased the temperature.
It’s now believed yawning operates like a radiator(散熱器).
If air in the atmosphere is cooler than the brain and body temperatures, taking it in quickly cools blood, which in turn cools the brain. The new findings also explain why tired people often yawn. Both tiredness and sleep loss can increase brain temperature, while yawning can cool down the brain.
In the future, researchers may focus more on brain temperature and its role in diseases and their symptoms. But the new study on yawning changes the popular idea that yawns are just signs of getting tired of something.
49. What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Why don’t people yawn at normal temperature?
B. The yawn explained—it cools your brain.
C. Yawning operates like a radiator.
D. The cause of yawning—finally found out.
50. The main reason why researchers chose parakeets to do the research is that parakeets______.
A. have very large brains                
B. live wild in Australia
C. are not affected by others’ yawning       
D. experience frequent temperature changes
51. The writer may suggest doing all of the following to stop yawning EXCEPT______.
A. breathing through the nose          
B. turning up the heat
C. enjoying some cool wind               
D. putting a cold towel on your forehead
52. In which section of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage?
A. Discovery.        B. Education.         C. Health.              D. Mystery.

七．閱讀理解 (20分)   
When did you see a polar bear ? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps ? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These  “Polar Bears” are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3 degrees. And the water temperature was a little higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors don’t agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body’s temperature drops so slow that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and the water tempreature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system (循環(huán)系統(tǒng)) because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and could not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim all the year round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says, “When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away.”
1. Doctors _________ .
A. have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming
B. believe swimming is helpful both in summer and in winter
C. enourage people to take part in cold-water swimming
D. point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming
2. According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that _______ .
A. Polar bears are bears swimming in freezing water    
B. cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high            
C. you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue           
D. cold-water swimming causes more heart attack in summer than in winter
3. The Polar Bears like to swim year-round, for _______ .
A. it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter                        
B. they can stay young
C. they find it enjoyable and interesting
D. they might meet fewer troubles in life
4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text ?
A.The Polar Bear is a club in which people swim to protect polar bears.
B. The club members are all over 60 years old.
C. There is no woman in the club.
D. None of the above.
5. This passage is mainly about _______ .
A. the requirements of the Polar Bear Club                
B. a group of cold-water-swimming lovers
C. the Polar Bears’ life in New York                 
D. doctors’ ideas about cold-water swimming

Clothes play a critical part in the conclusions we reach about who people are, who they are not, and who they would like to be. They tell us a good deal about the wearer′s background, personality, status, mood, and social outlook.
　　Since clothes are such an important source of social information, we can use them to influence people′s impression of us. Our appearance takes on particular significance in the initial phases of interaction. An elderly middle-class man or woman may be alienated (疏遠(yuǎn)) by a young adult who is dressed in an unconventional manner, regardless of the person′s education, background, or interests.
　　People tend to agree on what certain types of clothes mean. Adolescent girls can easily agree on the lifestyles of girls who wear certain outfits (套裝), including the number of boyfriends they likely have had and whether they smoke or drink. Newscasters and announcers on TV are considered to be more convincing, honest, and competent when they are dressed conservatively. College students who view themselves as taking an active role in their interpersonal relationships say the costumes they wear change the way they feel about themselves and how they act. Perhaps you have used clothing to gain confidence when you face a stressful situation, such as a job interview, or a court appearance.
　　In the workplace, men have long had well-defined role models for achieving success. It has been otherwise for women. A good many women in the business world are uncertain about the appropriate mixture of “masculine”（男性）and “feminine”（女性）characteristics they should convey to men.
　　Male administrators tend to judge women more favorably for managerial positions when the women display less “feminine” grooming (打扮)— shorter hair, moderate use of make-up, and plain tailored clothing. As one male administrator confessed, “An attractive woman is definitely going to get a longer interview, but she won′t get a job.”
57. According to paragraph two, an elderly middle-class man and     unconventionally-dressed young man are unlikely to____.
A. understand each other's lifestyle
B. share the same background or interests
C. influence their impressions of each other
D. interact in a positive way
58. The author uses the newscasters' example to show the idea that____.
A. certain clothing gives people more confidence
B. clothes have nothing to do with one's abilities
C. we tend to label people by their clothes
D. competent people always dress conventionally
59. Men's professional clothing can best be described as "_____".
A. conventional                B. individualistic
C. out-of-date                 D. changeless
60. How should professional women dress according to the passage?
A. They must be dressed conservatively.
B. They don't have a certain dressing style to follow.
C. They choose either masculine or feminine clothing.
D. They can't wear unconventional outfits.

Beijing plans to build huge free or low-cost parking lots beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads to encourage more car owners to take buses or subways to the downtown area．
The plan is just one of the many measures the city plans to take to reduce its traffic jams．Low or no parking fees would be used as economic leverage(杠桿作用) to reduce growing parking demands from urban areas．
Car owners living in the suburbs will be encouraged to park their cars beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads and take buses or subways to the downtown area．Statistics show that nearly one quarter of the city’s traffic flow is concentrated in the 62-square-kilometer downtown area within the Second Ring Road, which makes up only 12 percent of the city’s total area．
The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau receives between 400 and 500 calls reporting traffic jams every day and more than 90 percent of the roads are filled to capacity during rush hours every morning and evening．Part of the problem is the lack of easy links between bus routes, subways and cars．
According to the communication commission, half of the city’s investment in transportation will go towards public transit（公共交通） construction in the next few years, making a jump from the current only 20 per cent．Moreover, Beijing plans to change its layout （布局） by building new city centers, such as at Yizhuang, Tongzhou, Shunyi and Changping, in a bid to reduce the traffic flow to the downtown．
The current layout of Beijing-expanded ring roads around the same center of the Forbidden City, is seen as the root cause of the endless traffic jams．The downtown area is crowded with three business centers and one financial center, as well as nearly 400 government organs and institutions．
Traffic experts say building more urban centers around Beijing may reduce the number of residents living in the suburbs and traveling long distances to work downtown every day, thus reducing traffic flow．
40．In the coming years, if a man beyond the Fourth Ring Road goes to work in the downtown of Beijing, he is encouraged to _________．
A．take buses or subways     B．take a taxi
C．drive the car quickly           D．park his car in a place which asks for no fees
41．According to this passage, when more and more people drive to work in rush hour in Beijing, it is likely to _______．
A．save time                B．cause traffic jams
C．cause traffic accidents     D．reduce air pollution
42．The aim in building new city centers is to ________．
A．make it convenient for people to go shopping
B．develop its local resources
C．reduce the traffic flow to the downtown
D．solve the problem of more laid-off workers
43．The passage suggests the author ______．
A．is tired of driving to work
B．finds it costs less to take subways than to drive
C．is for the plan to reduce Beijing’s traffic congestion(擁擠)
D．has benefited a lot by driving to the downtown every day