17．Toys for Tickets Now Underway
Boston drivers are reminded that the City's popular"Toys for Tickets"campaign is currently underway．All non-public safety parking tickets issued on Boston's streets on December 1，2and 3，2010，may be resolved by providing a toy of equal or greater value than the fine on the ticket．
Toys are being accepted this week through Friday，December 17，between the hours of 9AM and 4PM，on the second floor of Boston City Hall as well as at the Transportation Department's Enforcement Building at 200Frontage Road．Parking is available at the 200Frontage Road facility．To participate in the"Toys for Tickets"program，drivers must bring the parking ticket as well as a new，non-violent，unwrapped toy of an equal or greater value than the fine．A receipt must be provided for the toy．
The"Toys for Tickets"program began in Boston 16years ago．Last year，the campaign resulted in over $3，000in toys being donated to local families who would not otherwise have been able to provide presents to their children on Christmas．
Boston Named#1Digital City
Mayor Thomas M．Menino announced today that the City of Boston has been ranked#1among the most advanced digital cities in America according to the Center for Digital Government's 10^th Annual Digital Cities Survey．The survey recognizes municipalities that successfully use technology to better serve constituents and conduct government operations．
In September 2010，the City of Boston website was named the#1city government website in America in the Center for Digital Government's Best of the Web Competition．Boston is the first city to win both awards in the same year．
"I am proud of the way that we are using technology to make government more accessible to Boston's residents，businesses and visitors，"said Mayor Menino．"This recognition is an honor for the Department of Innovation and Technology and the entire City of Boston．"

69．We have learnt from the passage that Boston drivers canA．
A．pay the fine with toys
B．park the car with toys
C．get toys as gifts for parking 
D．get tickets for toys donated
70．Boston has just been ranked Number One in/amongD．
A．World's most advanced digital cities
B．Departments of Innovation and Technology
C．Digital Government's Best of the Web Competition
D．Digital Government's 10^th Annual Digital Cities Survey
71．You can read the above two messages in the official website when you click"A"in the catalogue．
A．News   B．Services   C．Business   D．Government．

16．Public schools in Washington，D．C．provide students with musical instruments for free．When something goes wrong with an instrument，Charles West and Larry Jernigan do the repairs．Both men approach their work with a passion（激情）．For them，it's important that students have a joyful experience with music．
The two have worked together for almost 20years．This year alone，they've fixed about 450instruments．Both men are musicians and music lovers，so learning to do repairs came naturally．
"I have been a musician all my life．"says West．"I played in an orchestra here in the city．I majored in music in college．I played in an army band．"
Jernigan's musical interests are varied．"I was formerly trained in the piano and guitar．The alto sax，and the flute，I picked up while working here．"
In addition to fixing instruments，the two also go to schools to instruct teachers and students on how to make minor repairs on their own．
West believes if children start early and stay involved with music，it enriches other areas of their lives．"I see that in other kids．I see it in myself．I have seen it hundreds of times and it works，"he says．"They learn teamwork．They learn patience and respect．"
But West has concerns about the future of music in the electronic age．
"This instant age has taken away from the sit-down，the patience．And to learn to play an instrument，it takes patience，it takes diligence，it takes time．"
Being able to enjoy music on the job is one of the benefits of the job．Both men agree their best rewards are the students'performances．

56．What's the job of West and Jernigan at school？D
A．Teaching music．
B．Writing music．
C．Making musical instruments．
D．Repairing musical instruments．
57．They love the job because they canC．
A．earn more money   B．learn repair skills
C．enjoy music       D．watch performances
58．Which of the following is true of the two men？B
A．They have fixed 450instruments in the past 20years．
B．They can play and repair musical instruments．
C．Jernigan used to play in an army band．
D．West was trained to play the piano．
59．According to West，what can people learn from music？A
A．Teamwork and patience．
B．The value of time．
C．The truth of society．
D．Diligence and confidence．
60．What is mainly talked about in the text？D
A．How to repair musical instruments．
B．Learning experiences of two repairmen．
C．How to prepare a musical performance．
D．The enjoyable job of two music lovers．

15．Most American students go to traditional public schools．There are about 88，000public schools all over the US．Some students attend about 3000independent public schools called charter schools．
Charter schools are self-governing．Private companies operate some charter schools．They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools．They receive tax money just as other public schools do．Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning．These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate．
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools．Local，state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach．Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them．Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools．
The Bush Administration strongly supports charter schools as a way to re-organize public schools that are failing to educate students．But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools．One teachers'union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools．
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government's delay in releasing the results of the study，which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress．Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse on math and reading tests than students in regular public schools．
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools．Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand improved student progress．

61．If a private company wants to operate a charter school，it mustD．
A．try new methods of teaching
B．prove its management ability
C．obey the local and state laws
D．get the government's permission
62．Charter schools are independent becauseC．
A．they make greater progress
B．their class size is smaller
C．they enjoy more freedom
D．they oppose traditional ways
63．What's the government's attitude toward charter schools？B
A．Doubtful．  B．Supportive．  C．Subjective．  D．Optimistic．
64．What can we learn from the text？D
A．More students choose to attend charter schools．
B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools．
C．Students in charter schools are well educated．
D．People have different opinions about charter schools．
65．It can be inferred from the text thatA．
A．charter schools are part of the public education system
B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students
C．the number of charter schools will be limited
D．charter schools are all privately financed．

14．Recently，university students around the world were asked to volunteer in a global experiment called Unplugged．It was designed to see how young people would react if they were asked to observe a total media ban by unplugging all forms of media devices for 24 hours．
Unplugged is being run by Dr Roman Gerodimos，a lecturer in Communication and Journalism at Bournemouth University．During the experiment，Dr Gerodimos said there were already  signs of how much the exercise affected volunteers．He said："They're reporting withdrawal symptoms，overeating，feeling nervous，isolated and disconnected．"
During their 24-hour test，three of the experiment's participants were followed around by a BBC reporter plus cameraman．They were asked to write down 100 lines about their day offline，but of course，they all waited until the next day when they had access to their laptops．
Elliot Day wrote："Today，my whole morning routine was thrown up into the air．Despite being  aware of the social importance of the media，I was surprised by how empty my life felt without the radio or newspapers．"
From Caroline Scott，we read："I didn't expect it，but being deprived of the media for 24 hours resulted in my day-to-day activities becoming so much harder to carry out than usual…I didn't break out in a cold sweat like our lecturer expected us all to，but It's not something l would like to do again！"
And Charlotte Gay wrote："I have to say the most difficult item for me to be without has been  my  mobile；not  only is it a social device，it's  my main access point of communication．"
Earlier in the year，a UK government study found that in the UK we spend about half our waking hours using the media，often plugged into several things at once．So，with technology continuing to develop at an alarming rate，how much time will you set aside for sleep in the future？
71．What can we learn about the volunteers？B
 A．Volunteers didn't write down about their day offline．
 B．Volunteers weren't allowed to use any media for 24 hours．
 C．Volunteers  were followed around by Dr Roman Gerodimos．
 D．Only volunteers in the UK took part in Unplugged experiment．
72．Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the participants'feelings？D
 A．Anxious．  B．Lonely  C．Bored．   D．Despaired．
73．Which of the following is true of Caroline Scott？C
 A．The media ban affected his temperature．
 B．His work went on smoothly without the media．
 C．His work was carried on hard without the media．
 D．His life was empty without the radio or newspapers．
74．What can be inferred from the last paragraph？A
 A．People should use the media devices reasonably．
 B．People can easily survive the media devices addict．
 C．People can spend more time sleeping in the future．
 D．People spend about half the time using the media devices．
75．The text is most probably a．C
 A．newspaper ad      B．book review
 C．news report       D．science fiction story．

13．Almost 200 countries met for two weeks in Copenhagen，Denmark at a United Nations conference on climate change．It was due to conclude a deal designed to set a carbon cutting framework to cover 2012-2050．In the end，only five of them reached an agreement：the United States，China，India，Brazil and South Africa．
President Obama praised the agreement last Friday．He said，"Many people are disappointed in the agreement，but the compromise is better than nothing．"
The voluntary agreement，known as the Copenhagen Accord，urges major polluters to make deeper cuts in the emission（排放） of greenhouse gases．Greenhouse gas emissions，such as carbon dioxide，are partly created by burning oil and coal for transportation and electricity．
The agreement sets targets to prevent the Earth's average temperature from rising more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels．And the plan calls for 100 billion dollars a year in aid to poor nations to deal with climate change．This would start in 2020．
But the agreement is not legally binding（約束）．It fails to set detailed targets for cuts in carbon emissions．And it failed to earn the support of all the nations at the talks．
India's environment minister praised the united position taken by India，China，Brazil and South Africa．He said it permitted them to avoid the legally binding targets and international supervision proposed by developed countries．
India has promised to cut emissions by at least twenty percent but they say rich nations created the problem，so they should take most of the responsibility for reducing greenhouse gases．
China rejected accusations that it was responsible for the results at Copenhagen．A Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said developed countries didn't perform well at the talks．She said China has taken its own measures to fight climate change and supports pressing ahead with international cooperation．
China and other large developing countries have accused rich nations of failing to offer big enough cuts in their own emissions．They also say wealthy nations did not offer enough money and technology to help poor countries deal with climate change．
In Europe，politicians and environmentalists expressed deep disappointment that world leaders failed to reach a stronger agreement．United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the Copenhagen Accord is only a beginning，and that he will work with world leaders to reach a legally binding treaty（條約） in the coming months．

72．What's the main purpose of the Copenhagen conference？B
A． To sign the Copenhagen Accord．
B． To reach a legally binding agreement on cutting carbon emissions．
C． To discuss measures of controlling the world climate change．
D． To prevent the Earth，s average temperature from rising．
73．Which is true about the agreement，the Copenhagen Accord？D
A． It will collect﹩100 billion to help poor countries to deal with climate change．
B． It has earned the support of all the nations at the conference．
C． It has set detailed targets for big enough cuts in carbon emissions．
D． It is far from a satisfactory agreement，which should be legally binding．
74．Which of the following is NOT China's attitude towards the issue of climate change？A
A． China should be responsible for the result of the world climate change．
B． Rich countries should offer more money to help poor ones deal with climate change．
C． China supports pressing ahead with international cooperation to fight climate change．
D． Major polluters should make deeper cuts in the emission of greenhouse gases．
75．By saying"the Copenhagen Accord is only a beginning"，Ban Ki-moon implies thatA．
A．there is still a long way to go
B．there is little hope to realize the goal
C．too little is achieved at this conference
D．he is disappointed with the world leaders．

12．After decades of skimpy（小而暴露的）skirts and sleeveless tops on game days，some schools in the US are saying cheerleader uniforms will have to meet stricter dress codes when they are worn in class．
In Lake County，F(xiàn)lorida，cheerleaders with uniforms too skimpy for the code are being asked to wear long shorts or trousers under their skirts and a T-shirt under the sleeveless tops，according to a district memo．Principals at two of Lake's eight high schools-Leesburg and Lake Minneola-are not allowing the outfits in school at all．
Michelle Thomas，a cheerleader at Leesburg High School，was disappointed when she learned she couldn't wear her outfit to school on game days．
"It shows that we're a team just like all the other sports．"She said．
But the school administrators didn't agree．"During the educational portion of the day，they have to meet the dress code just like every other student，"said school board chairwoman Debbie Stivender，who ordered the staff to bring the outfits into line with the dress code．
Bare midriffs（露腰裝） are banned across the state by the Florida High School Athletic Association，but no state rules mention cheerleader miniskirts．Sheila Noone，a spokeswoman for cheerleading uniform company Varsity Brands，says the outfits haven't become more revealing over the last 10 years．She says that the short skirts are designed to help the girls jump and kick．
"Cheerleading is athletic，"Noone said．"There's a lot of jumping so you won't want a knee-length skirt that might hamper a toe touch．"
Most cheerleaders were sad to hear the news，but say they'll follow the rules．Even male cheerleaders，whose pants and tops meet dress codes，chose not to wear their outfits to show unity．
"I understand，because they are kind of short，"said Holly Bishop，14，a Lake Minneola High School cheerleader，about her miniskirt．"It would've been really，really cool to wear them to school．"
66．According to the new dress codes for cheerleaders in some American schools，D．
A．bare midriffs are banned
B．cheerleading miniskirts are banned
C．cheerleader uniforms have switched from skirts to trousers
D．cheerleaders have to make their uniforms less revealing．
67．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article？A
A．School administrators believe cheerleader uniforms do not match school dress codes．
B．Most cheerleaders show understanding of the new dress codes．
C．Sheila Noone believes that cheerleading miniskirts are not revealing．
D．School administrators don't take cheerleading seriously．
68．Some cheerleaders are not happy about the news becauseB．
A．they hate the dress codes that other sports have 
B．they consider their uniforms special and cool
C．they want to wear revealing clothes
D．they will have to buy new uniforms
69．What is the main point of the article？D
A．Stricter dress codes for cheerleaders meet opposition．
B．Positive reactions to stricter dress codes for cheerleaders
C．American schools encourage unity in dress codes．
D．Changes in dress codes for cheerleaders in American high schools．
70．What does the underlined word"hamper"in paragraph 7 mean？C
A．protect      B．miss    C．prevent    D．help．

11．Michael O'her lived alone with his father，and the two of them had a very special relationship．The father believed in encouragement．
Though Michael was the （36）B of the class when he entered high school，his（37）Dcontinued to encourage him，but also made it very clear that he did not have to play （38）A if he didn't want to．
However，Michael loved football and was （39）Bto try his best at every practice．All through high school，he never （40）C a practice or a game，but remained a bench warmer（替補隊員） all four years．His （41）C father was always in the stands，with words of （42）A for him．
It was the end of the football season，and as Michael ran slowly onto the practice field shortly（43）D the big final game，the coach met him with a telegram．Michael （44）Athe telegram and became deathly silent-his father died that morning，and the sad man left for （45）B immediately．
In the third quarter，when the team was ten points （46）C，a silent young man eagerly（47）Bonto the sidelines．The coach and his players were shocked to see their team-mate back so （48）D．
"Coach，please let me （49）D．I have to play today，"said Michael．Feeling sorry for him，the coach （50）C．Before long，nobody could believe their eyes．This small bench warmer played like a（n） （51）A．He helped his team win finally．
When the team was cheering for their （52）A，Michael was sitting in the corner all alone．The coach came to him and said，"You were fantastic!Tell me （53）D you did it？"
Tears in eyes，Michael said，"Well，you knew my dad died，but did you know he was blind？"He （54）C a smile，"Dad came to all my games，but today was the first time he could （55）B me play，and I wanted to show him I could do it!"

36．A．strongest	B．smallest	C．biggest	D．youngest
37．A．coach	B．players	C．classmates	D．father
38．A．football	B．games	C．practices	D．basketball
39．A．required	B．determined	C．satisfied	D．reminded
40．A．failed	B．lost	C．missed	D．won
41．A．sympathetic	B．upset	C．faithful	D．optimistic
42．A．encouragement	B．judgment	C．wisdom	D．a(chǎn)musement
43．A．a(chǎn)fter	B．since	C．towards	D．before
44．A．went through	B．turned over	C．got over	D．tore up
45．A．school	B．home	C．field	D．class
46．A．a(chǎn)head	B．beside	C．behind	D．a(chǎn)way
47．A．walked	B．ran	C．stepped	D．slipped
48．A．quietly	B．sadly	C．punctually	D．soon
49．A．go	B．fight	C．work	D．play
50．A．left	B．refused	C．a(chǎn)greed	D．cried
51．A．star	B．son	C．a(chǎn)mateur	D．trainer
52．A．victory	B．a(chǎn)ward	C．memorial	D．unity
53．A．why	B．when	C．where	D．how
54．A．spread	B．skipped	C．forced	D．stopped
55．A．hear	B．see	C．feel	D．make

10．My friend John always has something to tell me．He knows so much that （21）C   men have to have older and more worldly wise men to tell them，（22）A，who to trust，how to care for others and how to live life    （23）B the fullest．
Recently，John lost his  （24）C    Janet．For eight years she fought against cancer，but in the end her sickness had the last  （25）D．One day John took out a folded piece of  （26）D  from his wallet．He had found it，so he told me，when he （27）C   up some drawers at home．
It was a  （28）A   love letter Janet had written．The note could look like a school girl's scrawls （潦草地寫，亂涂） about her dream guy．（29）B   the letter was written by a woman who had had seven children，a woman who fought for her life and who  （30）A   only had a few months left to live．
It was   （31）D   a beautiful recipe （處方，食譜） for how to keep a marriage together．Janet's  （32）B  of her husband begins like this，"Loved me．Took care of me．Worried about me．"
"Helped me when I was ill．"The next （33）C  reads．After that she turned   （34）D the paper and added"Warmth．Humor．Kindness．Thoughtfulness．"And then she writes about the husband she has  （35）A with and loved most in her life．"（36）B  there when I needed you．"The last words she wrote  （37）D  all the others．I can see her for me when she added thoughtfully"Good friend．"
I stand beside John now，and cannot pretend to know how it feels to lose someone who is as close to  （38）A  as Janet was to him．I need to  （39）D   what he has to say much more than he needs to talk．
"John，"I ask．"How do you stick together with someone through 38years-not to mention the sickness？How do I know  （40）C I can bear to stand by my wife's side if she becomes sick one day？"
"You can．"he says quietly，"If you love her enough，you can．"

21．A．old	B．wise	C．young	D．foolish
22．A．for instance	B．a(chǎn)t no time	C．in that case	D．a(chǎn)s a matter of fact
23．A．in	B．to	C．a(chǎn)t	D．for
24．A．friend	B．colleague	C．wife	D．sister
25．A．possibility	B．chance	C．hope	D．word
26．A．handkerchief	B．cloth	C．leather	D．paper
27．A．fixed	B．looked	C．tidied	D．put
28．A．small	B．long	C．descriptive	D．talkative
29．A．So	B．But	C．And	D．While
30．A．probably	B．surely	C．certainly	D．definitely
31．A．only	B．firstly	C．lastly	D．a(chǎn)lso
32．A．imagination	B．description	C．dream	D．expectation
33．A．letter	B．note	C．line	D．paragraph
34．A．a(chǎn)way	B．down	C．off	D．over
35．A．lived	B．dealt	C．quarreled	D．a(chǎn)rgued
36．A．Constantly	B．Always	C．Never	D．Seldom
37．A．take the place of	B．get rid of	C．take away	D．sum up
38．A．me	B．Janet	C．John	D．you
39．A．speak up	B．repeat	C．discuss	D．hear
40．A．why	B．where	C．if	D．when

9．this book is designed to help you improve your reading comprehension skills by studying 20minutes a day for 20days．You'll start with the basics and move on to more complex reading comprehension and critical thinking strategies．Please note that although each chapter can be an effective skill builder on its own，it is important that you proceed through this book in order，from Lesson I through Lesson 20．Each lesson builds on skills and ideas discussed in the previous chapters．As you move through this book and your reading skills develop，the passages you read will increase both in length and in complexity．
The book begins with a pretest，which will allow you to see how well you can answer various kinds of reading comprehension questions now，as you begin．When you finish the book，take the posttest to see how much you've improved．
The text is divided into four sections，each focusing on a different group of related reading and thinking strategies．These strategies will be outlined at the beginning of each section and then reviewed in a special"putting it all together"final lesson．
Each lesson provides several exercises that allow you to practice the skills you learn．To
ensure you're on the right track，each lesson also provides answers and explanations'for all of the practice questions．Additionally，you will find practical suggestions in each chapter for how to continue practicing these skills in your daily life．
The most important thing you can do to improve your reading skills is to become an active reader．The following guidelines and suggestions outlined will familiarize you with active reading techniques．Use these techniques as much as possible as you work your way through the lessons in this book．

65．According to the passage，the pretest aims toA
A．tell you where your starting level is       B．a(chǎn)rouse your interest in using the book
C．illustrate the structure of the text        D．introduce the test-taking techniques
66．According to the passage，which of the following is NOT true？D
A．Each chapter has an internal relationship with the previous chapter．
B．The texts are arranged in the order of length and complexity．
C．Different reading strategies are listed at the beginning of each section．
D．The author suggests using the book selectively according to readers'level．
67．What is the author most likely to talk about in the following paragraph？C
A．The function of each chapter．
B．The outline of each section．
C．The ways to be an active reader．
D．The guidelines in using the book．

8．Some people are calling it the greatest medical breakthrough so far this century．Surgeons in Spain have successfully carried out the world's first organ transplant using new stem cell technology．
But what are stem cells？Most cells in out bodies are designed to serve specific purposes-for example，a liver cell develops to work in the liver and cannot become a heart cell．
But stem cells are different．They are very young，and in the laboratory scientists can grow them into different types of cell．
Claudia Castillo needed a new windpipe after suffering from tuberculosis．Scientists from the  University of Bristol in the UK took a donor （捐獻的） windpipe，from someone who had recently died．
They used strong chemicals to remove the donor's cells．This was done with cells from Ms  Castillo's windpipe and nose，and stem cells from her bone marrow．After four days the cells had grown sufficiently for the windpipe to be transplanted into Ms Castillo．
Currently，transplant patients have to take drugs for the rest of their lives to prevent their bodies  rejecting the new organs．These drugs can have bad side-effects，and do not always prevent rejection．
But by using Ms Castillo's own cells，doctors were able to trick her body into thinking the new windpipe was her own organ．Five months on，Claudia Castillo is in perfect health．
This ground-breaking procedure could be used in other transplant operations in the future．Scientists also believe stem cells might be used to treat Parkinson's disease，Alzheimer's disease，heart disease，stroke，arthritis，diabetes，burns and spinal cord damage．
However，stem cell research is extremely controversial．The most effective stem cells do not come from adults but from embryos （胚胎） created in laboratories and which are just a few days old．Many people have religious or ethical objections to growing embryos，even if they can be used to cure diseases．

66．The underlined word"it"in the first paragraph probably meansB．
A．the way to develop the stem cell
B．the first organ transplant with the new technology
C．a(chǎn) new technology that can cure all diseases
D．the discovery of a new stem cell
67．According to the text，stem cellsC．
A．a(chǎn)re the most successful medical breakthrough
B．a(chǎn)re not designed to serve special aims
C．can be developed into various cells
D．only come from donors
68．Which of the following is Not True about Claudia Castillo？D
A．Her operation had been done successfully．
B．Drugs were used in her transplant．
C．Her own cells were used in the transplant．
D．She was tricked by the scientists．
69．It can be inferred from the text thatA．
A．transplant operations could be widely used with time going on
B．drugs taken by transplant patients have few bad side-effects
C．most people are strongly against growing embryos
D．scientists believe stem cells are the best choice now
70．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage？C
A．A Lucky Patient                    B．Stem Cell Research
C．The New Stem Cell Technology       D．Arguments Against Organ Transplant．