7．An African-born British scientist received an environment research prize for show-ing how bees can be used to reduce conflict between people and elephants．Lucy King's work proved that beehive（峰房）"fences"can keep elephants out of African farmers'fields．The animals are scared of bees，which can bite them inside their long noses，and flee when they hear buzzing（蜂鳴聲）．
Dr King's work offers an intelligent solution to an age-old challenge，while providing further confirmation of the importance of bees to people and a really clever way of preserving the world's largest land animal for current and future generations．Working in Kenya，Dr King and her team showed that more than 90% of elephants will flee when they hear the sounds of buzzing bees．Afterwards，they also found that elephants produce a special sound to warn their fellows of the danger．They used the findings to construct barriers where beehives are woven into a fence，keeping the elephants away from places where people live and grow food．
 A two-year project involving 34 farms showed that elephants trying to go through the fences would shake them，disturbing the bees．Later，the fences were adopted by farming communities in three Kenyan districts--who also made increased amounts of money from selling honey．
As Africa's population grows，competition for space between people and elephants is becoming more serious，and there are fatalities on both sides．The same is true in parts of Asia．Sri Lanka alone sees the deaths of all estimated 60 people and 200 elephants each year from conflict．
Lucy King now wants to see whether the Kenyan technique will work in other parts of Africa--and perhaps，eventually，in Asia．

61．The underlined part in Paragraph 1 means the same asC
A．intelligent solution to an age-old challenge．
B．confirmation of the importance of bees to people
C．competition for space between people and elephants    
D．way of preserving the world's largest land animal
62．Which of the following orders of events correctly shows how Dr King's project works？B
①Beehive fences are built around a Farm．
②Elephants hear the buzzing and run away．
③Bees are disturbed and fly out of the beehives．
④Elephants trying to enter the farm shake the fences．
A．①→②→③→④B．①→④→③→②
C．④→③→②→①D．①→②→④→③
63．Dr King's solution is described as"intelligent"becauseD．
A．it successfully keeps elephants out of African farmers'fields
B．the fences Were adopted by farming communities in three Kenyan districts
C．more than 90% of elephants flee when they hear the sounds of buzzing bees
D．it protects crops．produces honey and preserves the dephant at the same time
64．The underlined word"fatalities"in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning toA．
A deaths    B．communities    C．population    D．fences
65．Which of the following is true according to the passage？D
A．Dr king was born in Britain．
B．Most elephants scare bees．
C．The technique has proved to work well in Asia，too．
D．Conflicts between people and elephants are rather serious．

6．
From March 29to April 19，a new version of Death of a Salesman
was performedat tne Capital Theatre as the first in a series （系列） offoreign classics to mark the 60th anniversary of the Beijing People's Art
Theatre．The last time this play was performed in Beijing was 29years ago．
Death of a Salesman was created in 1949by Arthur Miller，who  used it to reveal （揭示） the weakness of the"American Dream"．The main character，Willy Loman，believes wholeheartedly in American capitalism，and desires to"succeed"but his own greed  consumes him in the end．Death of a Salesman's first performance was a huge hit on Broadway，where it shocked the American theatre world，and strengthened the 33-year-old Miller's status as a master of American theatre．The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama，New York Drama Critics'Circle，and the Tony Award for Best Play．The New York Times praised Death of a Salesman as a milestone of 20th century theatre．In 1999，Death of a Salesman received another Tony Award for Best Revival，and the then 83-year-old Miller was given the National Medal of Arts．
The 1983version of Death of a Salesman was directed personally by Arthur Miller on a visit to China，with Beijing director and actor Ying Ruocheng as the main character of Willy Loman．On May 7，1983，the play was performed for the first time at the Capital Theatre，and the first series of performances lasted until August 18，with over 50performances，some of which filled the house，and all of which had great influence．
When it was first performed here，China didn't have"salesman"，so the actors had to use their imagination to represent the characters and American society，and the audiences weren't entirely sure about some information．For example，they couldn't understand what"fixed payments"were，or why，if Willy was a lower-class member of American society，his family had a house，car，refrigerator，and television．But this didn't stop the play from becoming a widely-known page in Beijing's theatre history．

56．What would be the best title for the passage？A
A．Death of a Salesman Returns to Beijing
B．Arthur Miller-a master of American theatre
C．Willy Loman-winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
D．Death of a Salesman-a milestone of 20th century theatre
57．Which of the following is true according to the passage？A
A．The play received the Tony Award twice．
B．Arthur Miller became famous in his forties．
C．China didn't have"salesman"until the play was first performed here．
D．The 1983version of Death of a Salesman was directed by Ying Ruocheng．
58．The underlined word"consumes"in Paragraph 2probably meansB．
A．benefits     B．destroys     C．encourages  D．purchases
59．We may know from the last paragraph thatD．
A．the play was not well received at first because it was from America
B．most Chinese couldn't understand the play because of the language
C．the Chinese actors did not perform well enough to attract the audiences
D．the audiences could still appreciate the play regardless of cultural differences．

5．On my first job as a sports editor for the Montpelier Leader Enterprise，I didn't get a lot of fan mail，so I was intrigued by a letter plopped on my desk one morning．The envelope bore the logo of the closest big-city paper，the Toledo Blade．
When I opened it，I read：
"Sweet piece of writing on the Tigers．Keep up the good work．"
It was signed by Don Wolfe，the sports editor．Because I was a teenager （being paid the grand total of 15cents a column inch），his words could not have been more exciting．I kept the letter in my desk drawer until it got rag-eared．Whenever I doubted I had the right stuff to be a writer，I would reread Don's note and walk on air again．
Later，when I got to know him，I learned that Don made a habit of writing a quick，encouraging word to people in all walks of life．"When I make others feel good about themselves，"he told me，"I feel good，too．"
Why are upbeat note writers in such short supply？My guess is that many who shy away from the practice are too self-conscious．They are afraid they will be misunderstood，sound old-fashioned or flattering．Also，writing takes time and it is far easier to pick up the phone．The drawback with phone calls，of course，is that they do not last．A note attaches more importance to our well-wishing．It is a matter of record，and our words can be read more than once，appreciated，and treasured．
What does it take to write notes that lift spirits and warm hearts？Perhaps just a desire and a willingness to express our appreciation．The most successful people write notes that are short on words and long on feeling，sincere，short，specific，and usually spontaneous in nature．
It is difficult to be spontaneous，however，when you have to hunt for letter writing materials； so，keep paper，envelopes，and stamps close at hand，even when you travel．Fancy stationery is not necessary； it's the thought that counts．
So，who around you deserves a note of thanks or approval？A neighbor，your librarian，a relative，your mate，a teacher，or your doctor？You do not need to be poetic．If you need a reason，look for a milestone，the anniversary of a special event you shared，a birthday，or holiday，and do not hold back your praise．Such words as："greatest，""smartest，""prettiest"make us all feel good．Even if your praises run a little ahead of reality，remember that expectations are often the parents of dreams fulfilled．

63．On seeing the letter on the desk，the author feltB．
A．a(chǎn)nnoyed     B．curious      C．doubtful      D．shocked
64．According to the author，many people don't write upbeat notes mainly because they areD．
A．a(chǎn)fraid of being out of date             B．too shy to flatter others
C．prepared to make phone calls            D．too concerned about what others think
65．It can be learned from the last paragraph thatB．
A．praises often run ahead of reality
B．praises help in pursuing a dream
C．parents often write upbeat notes
D．parents expect children's success
66．What might be the suitable title for the passage？A
A．The Power of a Positive Note            B．Notes Help to Fulfill Dreams
C．The Necessity of Writing Notes          D．Note or Phone，Your Own Choice．

4．Until last spring，Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood went to school on Bus 59．But as fuel prices rose，the school district needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs．So the school's busing company redrew its route map，canceling Nia's bus．Now Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a"walking school bus"-a group of kids，supervised （監(jiān)護(hù)） by an adult or two，who make the walk together．
Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school，partly because many did so themselves．According to a 1979survey，nearly half of school kids walked or biked to school，compared with only 16percent in 2011．Modern parents have been unwilling to let kids walk to school for fear of traffic，crime or simple bullying，but with organized adult supervision，those concerns have reduced．
Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save．In rural areas where busing is a must，some schools have even chosen four-day school weeks．Busing companies instruct drivers to cancel extra stops from routes and to turn off the engine while idling（掛空擋）．They are also using computer software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes，which aren't always the shortest ones．
There could be disadvantages，however，to the busing cutbacks．If every formerly bused student begins walking to school，it's an environmental win-but if too many of their parents decide to drive them instead，the overall carbon footprint can grow．Replacing buses with many more parent-driven cars can also increase safety risks．A 2011report concluded students are 13times safer on a school bus than in a passenger car，since buses have fewer accidents and withstand them better due to their size．And some students complain about the long morning hikes，particularly when the route contains a really big hill．

56．In regards to walking to school，modern parents seem much concerned with theA．
A．safety of their kids                B．kids'physical strength
C．time spent on the way               D．changes in the route
57．To save money，some schools choose toA．
A．shorten the school week            B．take the shortest routes
C．stop using school buses            D．use fuel-efficient buses
58．Busing cutbacks may lead toC．
A．fewer complaints about long morning hikes
B．more students taking public transportation
C．a(chǎn)n increase in carbon dioxide emissions
D．a(chǎn) decrease in the safety of school buses．

3．The day was warm and the sun shone down like a new beginning on my life．I was waving goodbye to my son，the last one of my fledglings （剛會(huì)飛的鳥(niǎo)）to leave home and go to new woods．"University actually"I felt so lighthearted after spending many years looking after my four children-cooking，washing，ironing，teaching them how to look after themselves and manage their financcs-that I nctually thought"At long last，freedom"．
But，as I watched my last one leave，although it was a joyous occasion，I realized I had not really prepared for this day，I was too tied up with bringing up these adults of the future to realize that they would all leave the nest and lives independently．
At first I didn't know what"I"wanted to do．I tried a part time job，which ended in me running out in tears．I started a business making soft furnishings，but that didn't work either．I got my own veggies and fruit，which lasted 3years，until I was advised by my doctor that my feet couldn't take any more"tools"driven through them．
It began wondering if I did have a future of my own，I cried for the life I was used to，and hadn't known or wanted anything different．
Then one day I saw an advert for foster parents，I discussed it with my husband who was always behind everything I tried and with great disturbance I rang up the number．
I now laugh and sing with my 14-year-old foster daughter，even when my cooker is a mess and my bathroom is a disaster area．I now know，8years later，what"I"was meant to be doing with all the spare hours，days，and weeks I had on my hands when my hands when my last fledgling flew thenest．The sun shines once again in my home．

56．How did the mother first feel when her last child went off to university？C
A．Lonely． B．Anxious． C．Relieved． D．Annoyed．
57．The underlined phrase"was tied up with"in the second paragraph means"A"．
A．was occupied in
B．was associated with
C．was tired of
D．was addicted to
58．In the third paragraph，the poor mother did all the things just toC．
A．live a greener and healthier life
B．earn more money for her kids'education
C．shift her attention and case her anxiety
D．start her own decorating business
59．What did the empty-nested mother think of her husband？B
A．Skilled  B．Supportive  C．Stubborn  D．Open-minded
60．Thanks to the foster daughter，the authorD．
A．got rid of her busy work
B．forgot her other children
C．found a suitable job
D．knew what she really wanted．

2．Social networking isn't only for the under 40s．More than 25percent of Americans 50years and older stay connected using sites such as Facebook，MySpace and Twitter，according to new research．
"The latest data tells us that more and more social networking is becoming a part of everyday life for Americans 50plus，"said Kevin Donnellan，the chief communications officer at AARP，which released the report．
Nearly a quarter of older Americans are on Facebook and 73percent said they use it to stay in touch with relatives，but not just their children and grandchildren．"They are using the Internet to keep up with tile world and the people who are important to them，"said Jean Koppen，the author of the report．She added that older adults are also on Facebook to stay connected，not only with their family，hut with their friends and those in the same age group．Almost 50percent of older adults were introduced to the social networking sites by a family member，mainly a child or grandchild．"Just under one-fifth Of adults aged 50and older say they do not use the Internet，"according to the report．
The findings are based on a telephone survey of l，863adults．In addition to keeping up on Facebook and Twitter older adults are aware of the latest technology．Eighty-three percent had heard about the Apple iPad and 11percent intended to buy one．
Despite the popularity of the Internet among the over 50s，they still mostly go to print newspapers and magazines for news．Only one percent said they followed blogs．

63．What is the main idea of the text？C
A．Social networking isn't for the under 40s in the U．S．A．
B．American old people's way of life is quite fashionable．
C．Social networking is becoming popular among older Americans．
D．Facebook，MySpace and Twitter are the most popular websites in the US．
64．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage？B
A．85%of Americans 50plus choose the Internet over print media．
B．About 460people in the telephone survey often use Facebook．
C．About 20%of adults aged 50plus have access to the Internet．
D．Three quarters of the people sun，eyed got to know the Internet through their family．
65．From the text，it can be concluded thatA．
A．many older Americans are open-minded about new developments
B．Kevin Donnellan approves of this change among older Americans
C．young people should introduce their elders to new technology
D．in a high tech age it is difficult to avoid social networking．
66．Where does the text probably come from？B
A．A novel．  B．A newspaper．  C．A technology guide．  D．A student's research paper．

1．I am a good mother to three children．I have tried never to let my profession stand in the way of being a good parent．
I no longer consider myself the center of the universe．I show up．I listen．I try to laugh．I am a good friend to my husband．I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say．I am a good friend to my friends，and they to me．Without them，there would be nothing to say to you today．
So here's what I want to tell you today：Get a life．A real life，not a desire of the next promotion，the bigger paycheck，the larger house．
Get a life in which you are not alone．Find people you love，and who love you．And remember that love is not leisure （休閑），it is work．Pick up the phone．Send an email．Write a letter．And realize that life is the best thing and that you have no business taking it for granted．
It is so easy to waste our lives，our days，our hours，and our minutes．It is so easy to exist instead of to lie．I learnt to live many years ago．Something really，really bad happened to me，something that changed my life in ways that，if I had my choice，it would never have been changed at all．And what I learned from it is what，today，seems to be the hardest lesson of all．
I learned to love the journey，not the destination．I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it，completely and totally．And I tried to do that，in part，by telling others what I had learned．
By telling them this：Read in the backyard with the sun on your face．Learn to be happy．And think of life as a deadly illness，because if you do，you will live it with joy and passion （激情） as it ought to be lived．

72．How did the author form her view of life？C
    A．By working and social experience．．
    B．Learning from her friends．
    C．Through an unfortunate experience．
    D．With the help of her husband．
73．The underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph probably meansA．
    A．it is so easy to keep alive but not to live a real life
    B．it is so easy to live a real life but not to keep alive
    C．it is much easier to make a living than to keep alive
    D．it is more difficult to keep alive than to make a living
74．Which of the following statements is NOT ture？B
    A．The author no longer regards herself as the center of the universe．
    B．The author often considers her work the most important thing of all．
    C．The author has learned to prefer the journey to the destination．
    D．The author never takes life，the best thing，for granted．
75．What's the author's attitude toward work？D
    A．Do it well to serve others．
    B．To earn enough money to make life better．
    C．Try your best to get a higher position and a pay raise．
    D．You should never let work affect your real life．

20．An American educational expert，F(xiàn)rederick M．Hess says that a long summer vacation doesn't make sense in today's world．
    This summer，50 million kids will spend much time talking online，watching TV，plsying video games and asking older brothers or sisters to take them to the supermarket．They will also be putting their academic futures at risk．
    During much of the 20th century，many Americans worked in factories that did not need a college degree but still offered a high salary．Also，in the 19th century，there was no air condition．And poor hygiene（衛(wèi)生）meant that crowded schools had health risks．
    Things have changed．For today's students，academic skills are key to future success..many nations don't give kids an American-style summer vacation．They offer no more than seven consecutive（連續(xù)的）weeks of vacation．Most American school districts offer up to 13 weeks．To compete in global marketplace，Americans must be prepared to go up against international competitors．
    Summer vacation also causes challenges for today's families．In the 1960s，more than 60% of families had a stay-at-home mum．Now，two-thirds of American children live families where every adult works．For these families，summer vacation can be more burden than break．Someone must watch the kids．
    But the biggest problem may be how summer vacation hurts academic achievement．Scientist have found that disadvantaged students lose important ground in the summertime．
    A school year can allow time-limited teachers to conduct richer and more imaginative lessons．Schools would have more time for sports，languages，music and the arts．

64．Before the 20th century，a long summer vacation mightC．
    A．cause career failure for Americans   B．reduce income for Americans
    C．reduce health risks for students     D．cause loss in global market for America
65．We can know that an American-style summer vacationC．
    A．lasts no more than two months    B．lasts less than three months
    C．lasts as long as three months    D．lasts as long as four months
66．According to the text，who will benefit from a long school year？A
    A．American students，teachers and parents．
    B．American students，parents and shop owners．
    C．American students，parents and international competitors．
    D．American students，teachers and international competitors．
67．How many reasons did the writer give to support his/her opinion？D
    A．One．  B．Two．  C．Three．  D．Four．

19．How to Do Well in Exams
Do not underestimate the power of revision in the days and hours before an examination．The closer you are to the exam，the more chance you have of storing and retaining crucial information．But do not overdo it．（71）D An effective daily routine can help you through an exam period，so in the days leading up to your first exam，get into the habit of being up and ready to work by game．It can be a shock to the system after months of working to your own timetable to be mentally alert at that time if you have not prepared for it．
On the day of the exam，have a good breakfast，pack two of everything you need （pens，pencils，erasers，etc．），then make your way to the examination hall in good time． （72）A．
Once in your seat，simply pause for a few seconds and collect your thoughts．Close your eyes and take in a few slow，deep breathes to help you relax．When you turn over the test paper，spend a short period reading through all the instructions and questions，paying particular attention to key verbs such as"discuss"，"compare"and"evaluate"． （73）E It is wise always to allow for 10 minutes at the end of the exam to give yourself time to go back over your answers．Once you have selected the questions you wish to tackle，begin by attempting the one you think is your strongest．It will give you more confidence when you see a well-answered question down on paper．Also remember to write clearly，and do not be afraid to express the unexpected：after all，examiners can get very bored marking stereotypical answers．
（74）BIf you do need something else focus on to help collect your thoughts，choose a fixture in the room，such as the ceiling or anything else that will not allow you to be distracted （分神）．
Finally，once you have finished，never hang around outside afterwards to attend the discussion by other students． （75）F

A．Do not arrive too early，though，as other people's anxiety can be contagious（會(huì)傳染的），and you may suffer from undue panic．
B．Try not to be tempted to look at those around you，or at the clock．
C．When you get home，read the examination paper through and look up all the words you didn't understand．
D．Sleep，exercise and relaxation are all just as important．
E．Map out a quick plan of points you wish to make and how much time you should spend on each question．
F．Go and have a well-earned rest，then prepare for your next exam
G．Underestimate the test in your mind．

18．A study by St..Louis University has found that a lovable dog named Sparky and a robotic dog，AIBO，were about equally effective at reducing the loneliness of nursing home residents．The study confirmed previous findings that dogs have a good effect on nursing home residents．
Dr．Andrew Smith led the Stanford University team that built a home-assistance robot．"If humans can feel an emotional tie with robots，some day they could be not just our assistants，but also our companions，"he said．
To test whether residents responded better to Sparky，a trained dog，or the Sony-made robotic dog，researchers divided 38nursing home residents into three groups at three long-term care centers in St．Louis．
One group had weekly 30-minute one-on-one visits with Sparky； another group had similar visits with AIBO； a control group had no contact with either dog．The groups'respective levels of loneliness were tested by having them answer a number of questions at the beginning and near the end of the visits．
After two months，both groups that had contact with the dogs were less lonely and more attached．Most of the elderly regarded Sparky，a 9-year-old dog，as an audience for their life stories，said investigator Marian Banks．
"He listened attentively，wagged his tail，and allowed them to pet him，"said Banks，who adopted and trained Sparky after finding him in a street behind her home seven years ago．
Those who were together with AIBO took a little longer to warm to the robotic creature．Over time，however，they grew comfortable with him，and petted and talked to him．He would respond by wagging his tail，vocalizing，and blinking his lights．．
"AIBO is charming once you start to interact with him，"said the study's author，Dr．William Banks，"He's an attractive sort of guy．He gives a feeling of being personal，not just a robot．"

63．Before the new study，it was known thatC．
A．robots were effective at reducing people's loneliness
B．robots could build close connection with humans
C．dogs could help get rid of old people's loneliness
D．dogs and robots were equally effective at reducing loneliness
64．Those who had contact with the robotic dog found thatC．
A．they didn't feel comfortable with it
B．it was hard for them to interact with it
C．they weren't comfortable with it at first
D．the robot's vocalizing and blinking confused them
65．The findings of the researchers tell us thatB．
A．robots are better at caring for old people than nurses
B．robots can to some degree replace dogs as companions for old people
C．it's easy for people to become close with robots
D．every home will have a robot assistant one day
66．What would be the best title for the passage？D
A．Robots Serve People Better Than Thought
B．No More Lonely Old Age with Emotional Robots
C．Advanced Technology Used to Cheer up the Elderly
D．Robots and Dogs Can Equally Cheer up the Elderly．