7．______ for a whole night，we still couldn't agree on when to start and where to go for the coming holiday．（　�。�

	A．	Discussed		B．	Having discussed
	C．	Discussing		D．	Being discussed

6．

A．belief    B．discourage    C．choices    D．issue    E．try     F．characterize  G．demonstrate    H．ensure      I．incomparable    J．opposing    K．responsible

The unique features of colleges and universities in the US．a(chǎn)re hardly shared by their competitors in Europe or Asia．Many foreign students are attracted not only to the academic programs at a particular US college but also to the larger community，which affords the chance for them to absorb the surrounding culture．Clubs，sports teams，student publications and drama societies （41）Fcolorful and enjoyable American campus life．However，few foreign universities put much emphasis on this．"In people's minds，the campus and the American university are both admirable，"says Brown University President Vartan Gregorian．In America，people have a strong （42）Athat a student's daily life is as important as his learning experience．"
    Foreign students also come in search of （43）C．America's menu of opinions---research universities，state institutions，private liberal-arts schools，community colleges，religious institutions---is （44）I．No any single Europeans country can offer such variety．"In Europe，"says history professor Jonathan Steinberg，who has taught at both Harvard and Cambridge，there is only one system，and that is it．"From the beginning，students overseas usually are required to （45）Gprofessional skills in a specific field，whether law or philosophy or Chemistry．Most American universities insist that students have a（n）（46）Eon natural and social sciences，languages and literature before choosing a field of concentration．
         Such （47）Jphilosophies grow out of different traditions and power structures．In Europe and Japan，universities are （48）Konly to a ministry of education，which sets academic standards and provides money．
         Centralization（集權(quán)化） is likely to （49）Hthat all students are equipped with roughly the same resources and perform at roughly the same level．On the other hand，it may also （50）Bthe testing of different ideas．"When they make mistakes，they make big ones，"says Robert Rosenzweig，president of the Association of American universities．"They set a system in wrong directions，and it's like piloting a super ship．"

5．The Oscars ceremony at the 87th Academy Awards took place in Hollywood's 3，300-seat Dolby Theatre in California on Sunday evening（Feb.23，2015）．The night concluded with the biggest award of the evening，Best Picture．After already securing the Best Screenplay and Best Director Award for Alejandro González I?árritu，Birdman took flight as the winner of the night．
Competing with 7 other contenders including another much-predicted winner"Boyhood"，the top prize of the night was finally awarded to the film"Birdman"．The director of"Birdman"was also awarded the Best Director Oscar by the Academy．In addition，the film took home two other awards for Best Original Screenplay and Cinematography．
Starring Michael Keaton，the dark comedy"Birdman"tells the story of a faded Hollywood star，famous for his roles as the"Birdman superhero"，who struggles to win the support and confidence to perform in a different character type in a Broadway show．
The Academy's Best Leading Actor award went to Eddie Redmayne，for his performance in the film"the Theory of Everything"．It was the actor's first nomination （提名） and first win．
Meanwhile，the Best Leading Actress award went to Julianne Moore who plays a college professor who learns that she is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease．
Patricia Arquette also won her first Oscar for her supporting actress role in the movie"Boyhood"，while J．K．Simmons won the Best Supporting Actor in"Whiplash"．
Best foreign Language film went to"Ida"，while"Crisis Hotline"won the award for Best Documentary Short Subject．

39．What does the underlined word in the second paragraph mean？C
A．Actresses．
B．Actors．
C．Competitors．
D．Directors．
40．Which film's content is mentioned in the passage？B
A．the Theory of Everything．
B．Birdman．
C．Boyhood．
D．Whiplash
41．According to the passage，who was first nominated and awarded at the Oscars ceremonyD？
A．Michael Keaton． 
B．J．K．Simmons．
C．Patricia Arquette． 
D．Eddie Redmayne．
42．What can be inferred from the passageA？
A．Many people had thought"Boyhood"would won the top prize．
B．"Whiplash"won the biggest award of that evening，Best Picture．
C．Julianne Moore was suffering from early-onset Alzheimer's disease．
D．Eddie Redmayne won the Best Leading Actor award for the film"Birdman"．

4．By 2050，half of the world's population will live in the tropics-the relatively warm belt that circles the globe-according to State of the Tropics，a report released today．Rapid population growth，along with economic growth，means that the region's influence will grow in coming decades，the authors of the 500-page work predict．
The project，first launched in 2011，aimed to answer one significant question：Is life in the tropics improving？To find out，the researchers analyzed environmental，social，and economic indicators collected over 6decades．It finds that the region has made"extraordinary progress"in many areas．For example，more people have access to safe drinking water，and the number of protected areas is increasing．The tropics also have outperformed the rest of the world in economic growth over the past 30years．
However，some challenges remain．Investment in research and development，for example，has increased cautiously，but tropical nations still invest less than the rest of the world．"As a proportion of GDP the Rest of the World invests almost four times as much in research and development than the Tropics．"concludes the report．
The report also includes a new analysis of how climate change will affect the region．Many plant and animal species are moving poleward in an attempt to stay within their preferred environmental conditions in the tropics，the authors write．However，some organisms may not be able to keep pace with the changing conditions，they predict．As a result，they can experience population declines or go extinct．
In addition，an expanded tropical zone also threatens health and safety issues，the authors warn．As regions become more suitable to insects such as mosquitoes and ticks，the spread of insect-borne diseases such as malaria，dengue，and Lyme disease could rise，causing a burden to human health and the economy．
Bruna，a researcher，says he sees a lot to be concerned about in the report．"While we've made incredible advances in some areas，I think the risks for the tropics that are highlighted in this report are things that we really need to be concerned about．"

47．What was the original purpose of the project State of the TropicsA？
A．To answer if life in the tropics is improving．
B．To do research about environment，society and economy．
C．To warn people of the problems in coming decades．
D．To help the development in the tropics．
48．What can we learn from the passageB？
A．Economic development in tropics has increased less over the past 30years．
B．Some organisms can experience population drop or extinction for climate changes．
C．Rapid population growth contributes to the outbreak of infectious diseases．
D．Great investment has been adopted in the research and development．
49．According to the passage，we can inferA．
A．close attention needs to be paid to the risks for the tropics．
B．a(chǎn)ll the plants and animals will live in the polar region in the future．
C．health and safety problems will influence the tropical development．
D．Bruna shows positive attitude towards the future of the tropics．
50．Which of the following best describes the writer's attitudeC？
A．Critical． 
B．Optimistic． 
C．Objective． 
D．Subjective．

3．When asked what they want out of life，most people anywhere in the world will probably answer："to be happy．"Ed Deiner，an American psychology professor，has spent his whole professional life studying what makes people happy，comparing levels of happiness between cultures and trying to find out exactly why we enjoy ourselves．
     A number of people would say that there is no need to answer this question  But Professor Deiner  as one anyway．"If you're a cheerful，happy person，your marriage is more likely to last，and you're more likely to make money and be successful at your job．On average，happy people have stronger immune（免疫的） systems，and there is some evidence that they live longer．
     So who are the happiest people in the world？It depends on how the word is defined． There is individual happiness，the sense of joy we get when we do something we like．  But there is also the feeling of satisfaction we get when we know that others respect us and approve of how we behave．According to Professor Deiner，the Western world go after individual happiness while Asia prefers each other's satisfaction，
"In the West，the individualistic culture means that your mood matters much more than it does in the East．  People ask themselves if they are doing what is fun or interesting．  They become unhappy when they can't do any of these things．  If you ask people from Japan or China if they are happy，they tend to look at what has gone wrong in their lives．  If not much has gone wrong，then they are satisfied．"
  People from Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries had the happiest culture，Professor Deiner found．"The biggest cultural difference is to do with pride，and shame．  Hispanic（西班牙語言的）cultures report，much more pride and much less shame than others．
  Another factor that also made a big difference to people's happiness is income，but only at the lowest levels．  Average income earners in the US were much happier than people in poverty．  But millionaires were only a little bit happier than'people on average incomes．  It seems that money． Makes us happy when we have enough to feel secure．

47． According to Professor Deiner，B．
A．Westerners value individual happiness as much as mutual satisfaction
B． Asians focus more on others  respect and approval than westerners
C． Westerners care more about mutual satisfaction than Asians
D． Asians have a culture to enjoy individual happiness
48． What can be inferred from the fifth paragraph？D
A． If you are from Spain，you are the happiest．               
B． Hispanic cultures ay stress on pride and shame．
C．Spanish people take too much p/de in themselves．
D． Attitude towards pride-and shame results in Spanish happiness．
49．In the last paragraph，the author seems to tell us．B
A．poor people enjoy the same happiness as millionaires
B．enough money can make us feel safe and happy
C．the higher income one gets，the happier life he lives
D．a(chǎn)verage income earners live the happiest life
50．The passage mainly discusses．D
A． cultural differences in happiness  
B．benefits of happiness
C． the happiest culture                 
D． reasons for happiness．

2．Ulrich's friend Anne was missing at school． His mother said that perhaps she had gone into hiding． That was the hope anyway-that the family had left on their own and had not been sent on one of the prison trains to Germany or Poland．  So many people in his city had disappeared since the Nazis came to Amsterdam in 1940．"It's not our home anymore，"Ulrich thought． The streets，once full of busy shoppers，were now filled with tanks and-soldiers． No one felt safe，except may-be the collaborators（叛徒，通敵者）．
   Who were they？Who would betray（背叛） their friends and let their neighbors be captured？Ulrich remembered his friend Anne； her father had a small business right down the road from his house． Her sister，Margot，was in the upper school，where Ulrich's sister was in her class．
   When he walked to or from school，Ulrich studied the faces of the people on the street．Some looked concerned and cast their eyes downward as they walked，try ring not to be noticed．His own parents had that look，like ghosts walking and wondering what had happened to them，The ones that bothered him were those who smiled，who acted like nothing was wrong．"Were they blind？"he wondered． Worse were those-who moved into the houses and took the businesses of their missing neighbors． They seemed too assured，too content． They may be Dutch，Ulrich thought，but they are the enemy，too． They were the ones who made the occupation easy． He hoped that when the war was over，the rightful owners would come back and throw them out on their ears．
   School was not the same either． It was ore than the missing students，though that was the biggest part of it． The teachers，who once seemed to know everything，were different，too．  They seemed afraid to teach history，afraid that the authorities would not like what they said． They jumped when a student dropped a book．  It was as if they al．l had to hold their breath．  It was nearly spring． Already tulips（郁金香） were fighting their way out of the cold ground． How many more winters，springs，summers"，and falls would go by until they were free？Ulrich waited，and hoped that his friend Anne would soon come home．  

39．When Ulrich says，"It's not our home anymore？"he means．C
A． they've moved to a new city
B． the buildings don't look the same
C． the city feels strange and unfamiliar
D． spring flowers make the neighborhood unrecognizable
40．What has changed in Amsterdam？B
A． There is a new family next door．
B． The people's attitudes and security．
C． There is more freedom among the citizens．
D． The subjects Ulrich was studying in school．
41．What does the underlined sentence"No one felt safe，except maybe the collaborators．"mean？D
A． People were afraid of an invasion．
B． There might be a natural disaster any time．
C． People who work together are more secure than others，．
D． Only the people who were  e ping the Nazis felt comfortable．
42．The part of the setting related to people instead of place has changed in all of the following EX-CEPT that．D
A．shopkeepers and neighbors have been replaced by other people
B．the Nazis have arrived and are threatening people
C．some former friends have become untrustworthy
D．the teacher seems to like teaching history．

1．Cool Cats-Cheetahs
     Cheetah cubs（babies） are cute，furry，energetic，and downright lovely．  And when they get older，they'll run faster than any other animal on the planet．
     Five cheetah cubs were born in the summer of 2005 at the National Zoo in Washington，D．C．Their mother，Zazi，was 4 years old．When the cubs were 10 weeks old，they weighed 9 pounds and were about the size of house cats．They were the second cheetah litter（一窩） to be born at the zoo in seven months and the second litter to be born in the zoo's 116-year history．
"They're pretty quick，"Lauren Afdahl，an animal keeper at the zoo，told Senior Edition．"Whenever they see something moving，they take off an  run．"
     And，boy，cheetahs do like to run!They can reach speeds as high as 60 miles per hour．The cubs reach their top speed when they are about a year old．
     The National Zoo's first litter of cheetah cubs was born in November 2004．  When almost a year old，those cubs weighed more than 30 pounds． Zazi's cubs stay with her for at least a year． When they are fully grown，the cats may be sent to other zoos．
     Cheetahs are endangered animals．About 100 years ago，the wild cats roamed an area from North Africa to India．Today，cheetahs inhabit only the countries south of the Sahara desert．Just 12，000 to 15，000 now live in the wild．

31．The writer's attitude toward cheetahs seems to be．B
A． doubtful and afraid                  
B． caring and admiring
C． uncaring．           
D． complaining
32．Animal keeper Lauren Afdahl's comments areC
A． disappointed                    
B．soft
C． descriptive and matter-of-fact         
D．a(chǎn)ngry and unfriedly
33．The main idea of this passage is．A
A．Cheetahs are interesting animals                         
B．Wben the cubs were 10 weeks old，they weighed 9 pounds
C．Female cheetahs can give birth only once a year
D．Cheetahs like to run
34．Based on the article'，we can guess that the author is probably．D
A．a(chǎn)fraid of cheetahs．                       
B．working at a zoo
C．a(chǎn) trained animal doctor                   
D．in favor of protecting cheetahs．

15．Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia，I saw a small pool of water ahead on the path．I changed my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn't covered by water or mud．As I reached the pool，I was suddenly attacked!Yet I did nothing for the attack．It was so unpredictable and from somewhere totally unexpected．I was surprised as well as unhurt though I had been struck four or five times．I backed up a foot and my attacker stopped attacking me．Had I been hurt，I wouldn't have found it amusing．And I was laughing．After all，I was being attacked by a butterfly!
Having stopped，laughing，I took a step forward．My attacker rushed me again．He charged towards me at full speed，attempting to hurt me but in vain．For a second time，I took a step backwards while my attacker paused．I wasn't sure what to do．After all，it's just not every day that one is attacked by a butterfly．I stepped back to look the situation over．My attacker moved back to land on the ground．That's when I discovered why my attacker was charging at me only moments earlier．He had a mate and she was dying．
Sitting close beside her，he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her．I could only admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate．He had taken it up on himself to attack me for his mate's sake，even though she was clearly dying and I was so large．He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life．His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate's safety seemed admirable．I couldn't do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the pool．He had truly earned those moments to be with her，undisturbed．
Since then，I've always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge barriers facing me．
21．Why did the writer change his direction while walking down a path？D
A．To get close to a butterfly．
B．To look the bad situation over．
C．To escape a sudden attack．
D．To avoid getting his shoes dirty．
22．What did the man find funny？B
A．Making the attacker pause．
B．Being attacked by a butterfly．
C．Stepping on a butterfly．
D．Discovering the energetic butterfly．
23．Which of the following words can best describe the male butterfly？C
A．Careless．
B．Amusing．
C．Courageous．
D．Aggressive．
24．From this experience the man learnedA．
A．what he should do when faced with trouble
B．people should show sympathy to the weak
C．how he should deal with attacks
D．people should protect butterflies．

14．It's not uncommon for teens to try and hide their failing grades from their parents until it's too late to ________the issue．（　�。�

A．

deal

B．

address

C．

see

D．

finish

13．High-speed trains _____ us time while allowing us to enjoy the scenery along the way．（　�。�

A．

kill

B．

save

C．

cost

D．

take