4．Ever wonder how much a cloud weighs？What about a hurricane？A meteorologist has done some estimates and the results might surprise you．
Let's start with a very simple white puffy cloud-a cumulus cloud（積云）．How much does the water in a cumulus cloud weigh？Peggy LeMone，senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder，Colorado，did the numbers．"The water in the little cloud weighs about 550tons，"she calculates．"Or if you want to convert it to something that might be a little more meaningful …think of elephants．"
The thought of a hundred elephants-worth of water suspended in the sky begs another question-what keeps it up there？
"First of all，the water isn't in elephant sized particles（微粒），it's in tiny tiny tiny particles，"explains LeMone．And those particles float on the warmer air that's rising below．But still，the concept of so much water floating in the sky was surprising even to a meteorologist like LeMone．"I had no idea how much a cloud would weigh，actually，when I started the calculations，"she says．
So how many elephant units of water are inside a big storm cloud-10times bigger all the way around than the"puffy"cumulus cloud？Again，LeMone did the numbers：About 200，000elephants．
Now，ratchet up the calculations for a hurricane about the size of Missouri and the figures get really massive．"What we're doing is weighing the water in one cubic meter theoretically pulled from a cloud and then multiplying by the number of meters in a whole hurricane，"she explains．
The result？Forty million elephants．That means the water in one hurricane weighs more than all the elephants on the planet．Perhaps even more than all the elephants that have ever lived on the planet．

67．The weight ofBis NOT mentioned in the passage．
A．a(chǎn) cumulus cloud  B．a(chǎn) tornado  C．a(chǎn) hurricane  D．a(chǎn) storm cloud
68．How did Peggy LeMone feel about the result of her calculations？C
A．She found it not convincing．
B．She thought it needed further calculations．
C．She was quite surprised at it．
D．She considered the calculations inaccurate．
69．What can be inferred from the passage？C
A．A storm cloud weighs about 200，000elephants．
B．The water in a hurricane weighs more than that in any other kind of cloud．
C．There are less than forty million elephants living on the earth．
D．The water in the cloud is in very tiny partials．
70．What is the best title for the passage？D
A．How Much a Cloud Weighs  B．How Much a Hurricane Weighs
C．Surprising Results       D．Elephants in the Sky．

3．We regularly hear how important consumer spending is for the economy．The story goes like this：the more consumers spend，the more money circulates in the economy，which contributes to healthy job growth and profits．Keynes，a British economist，went as far as to say that individuals saving their money may actually be hurting the economy．Sounds troubling，doesn't it？
Fear not．You aren't actually hutting anyone else by saving money．Strong economic growth only comes from one place：savings．Not consumption．In fact，economic activity should not be mistaken for economic growth．For example，somebody takes their money，walks into a store，and purchases goods．The store increases its revenue．
But what happens to all of those goods and services that people have chosen not to consume by saving their money？Simple：Other people are allowed to consume them．Think of it this way：When you lend out your savings，you are actually saying，"Here，I am not going to consume right now，so why don't you？"Banks simply play the middleman：they collect lots of people's savings and then lend out lots of funds．
It takes an unbelievable amount of goods and services to construct a building．It takes food，shelter，and entertainment for all of the workers，as well．Without savings，it is quite impossible to finance such a construction．The coordination（協(xié)調(diào)）between savings and consumption is a necessary basis for sound economic growth．This coordination is also why consumer lending （say，to borrow a big sum of money to buy a car） is not productive，in a strict sense．It doesn't increase the net （凈的） amount of wealth of an economy．Those savings could have been used to construct，say，factory equipment．
None of this means consumption and spending are"bad"things．They simply do not make us wealthier．Alter all，the final goal of production and savings is to consume．But to say that consumption is the engine of economic growth is to put the cart before the horse．Or，to rephrase：the consumption of wealth can never make you wealthier．Happier，perhaps．Wealthier，no．

63．What is the author's attitude towards Keynes'theory？D
A．Approving．
B．Reserved．
C．Uncertain．
D．Critical．
64．The underlined word"revenue"in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning toD
A．cost             
B．reputation           
C．interest         
D．income
65．The author holds the view thatD．
A．governments shall cut out banks as financial middleman
B．economic activity is equal to economic growth
C．consumer lending is the engine of economic growth
D．consumption is likely to lead to increased happiness
66．According to the author，which chart could show the effect of savings on economy？B

67．What would be the best title for this passage？D
A．The Saving Behavior of the Economy       
B．Consumption：a Key Concept in Economy
C．Consumer Spending and Economic Growth 
D．The Truth about Savings and Consumption．

2．In a computer age，a broadband Internet connection is very popular now．Whether cable or mobile broadband，today's connections are many times faster than those in the early days．Videos play smoothly，complex websites load quickly，and files download much faster than ten years ago．And the files are much bigger too．
There's  a catch：You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet．If you don't，it's slow dial-up access for you．And for those living really far out，there may be no Internet access at all．
Technology experts often talk about the"last mile"problem，which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations．In cities and suburbs（郊區(qū)），it's relatively easy to provide access for everyone．It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities，especially in developing countries．Internet service providers，for their part，have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely （稀疏地） populated areas．The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn't cover the expense．
But every year，technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users．Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren't available everywhere．
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines．Advancements in cheaper，more efficient fiber optics cables （光纖電纜） promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users．Still，the"last mile"problem remains hard to deal with．There will always be somewhere that doesn't have an affordable broadband connection．But someday that might not matter．If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication，it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go．

41．The underlined part"a catch"（in Paragraph 2）probably means"D"．
A．a(chǎn) big task      B．a(chǎn) wonderful plan
C．a(chǎn) major city    D．a(chǎn) hidden problem
42．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？D
A．Internet connections have been popular everywhere．
B．Internet service providers are willing to care about rural（農(nóng)村的）customers．
C．Computer can't become popular in developing countries．
D．The problem of Internet access hasn't been completely dealt with．
43．Paragraph 4mainly tells us that technological advancementsC．
A．make TV and telephone available everywhere
B．bring great change to people's everyday life
C．make it possible for more people to use the Internet
D．bring faster Internet connections to users
44．What may eventually settle the"last mile"problem？D
A．The broadband connection's getting faster．
B．More and more Internet users．
C．More and more Internet connections．
D．The rapid progress in cell phone technology．
45．The best title for this passage may beA．
A．Internet Connection Problems
B．Internet Connections Need Improving
C．Progress in Internet Connections
D．Internet Connections Today．

1．Who is the most powerful woman in the world？According
to the US media，it's Janet Yellen，or at least she's about to be．
On Oct 9，2013，US President Barack Obama nominated
（提名）Yellen to serve as the next US Federal Reserve （the Fed，美聯(lián)儲）chair．If confirmed by the Senate，Yellen will becomethe first woman to serve in the top spot．
Aged 67，silver-haired and tiny，Yellen is said to be themost qualified nominee ever．She chaired President Bill
Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers，taught at Harvard and Berkeley，and was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco．She is currently the Fed's vice chair．
Many think Yellen is the right choice to deal with the challenges the Fed now faces：First，to bring interest rates back to more normal levels without triggering a new recession（衰退）．Second，to reduce the US unemployment rate，which remains at historically high levels．
A CNN opinion piece says Yellen is unusual for an economist of her caliber（才干）．"She has kept her eyes on what's critical-the people．Her research has centered on unemployment，on the best way to modulate（調(diào)整）government policies to benefit the people．"
Past records also show that Yellen is exceptionally good at predicting where the economy is headed．An article in The Washington Post points out that she was one of the few voices at the Fed in December 2009warning about the subprime crisis（次貸危機）and the following recession．
The reason why Yellen will be the most powerful woman in the world has to do with the unique position of the Federal Reserve，explains an article on Quartz，a US news outlet for business people in the new global economy，
First of all，the Fed is independent．Unlike US Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Hilary Clinton，the decisions made by the organization Yellen will lead next year are not subject to approval by anyone in the government．
Within the Fed，the chair alone sets the agenda．The Fed chairperson has huge influence on
monetary policy（貨幣政策）and financial regulation．And don't forget how powerful the Fed itself is．It controls the money supply in the world's largest economy．The Fed's interest rate decisions don't just set the course for the US economy，its decisions set the course for the world economy，too．
Because of globalization，Yellen's decisions will affect everyone around the world，says an article in The Atlantic，making her even more powerful than some great women rulers in history，including Elizabeth I of England and China's Wu Zetian．For example，the article continues："If Yellen even just talks about slowing down the Fed's bond-buying，Europe's troubled economies are likely to see their interest rates rise，and emerging markets，some of which，like India and Indonesia，used foreign capital to fund their current account deficits（赤字），are likely to see their currencies collapse．"

59．According to the passage，which of the following is NOT the reason for Yellen's nomination？C
A．Yellen's professional experiences．
B．Yellen's ability to deal with the challenges the Fed faces．
C．Yellen's educational background．
D．Yellen's remarkable competence as an economist．
60．Janet Yelien will be the most powerful woman in the world becauseD•
A．the Fed is the most powerful organization in the US
B．Yellen gets full support from Obama
C．Yellen holds a unique position in the government
D．the Fed possesses great power and influence
61．What is the author's attitude towards Yellen's being nominated？A
A．Optimistic．  B．Negative．  C．Understanding．  D．Doubtful．
62．What is the author's purpose of writing this passage？B
A．To introduce the US Federal Reserve．
B．To report on the next Fed chair．
C．To introduce the current world economy．
D．To report on a few powerful women．

20．A planet more like Earth than any yet discovered has been identified as a potential future home for mankind．Kepler 22b contains both land and water and has temperatures which average around 72 degrees （22 Celsius）．It also contains the right atmosphere to potentially support life．It is，however，600 light years from Earth．
The planet，where a year lasts 290 days，was first spotted two years ago．However，NASA scientists using the agency's Kepler space telescope have now concluded that it offers the best hope for future human habitation outside the Solar System．
One of the key factors for a planet to be habitable is that it remains about the right distance from its main star to be neither too cold nor too hot．
Bill Borucki，Kepler principal investigator at NASA Research Centre，said，"We are certain that it is in the habitable zone and if it has a surface it ought to have a nice temperature．
There are now three planets outside the system，known as exoplanets，which experts believe could potentially be occupied by future generations．

68．Which of the following is most likely to support life for a planet？D
    A．It has 290 days in a year．
    B．It contains both water and land and the right atmosphere．
    C．Its temperatures average 72 degrees （22 Celsius）．
    D．It remains proper distance from its star to have a nice temperature．
69．What does the new planet have in common with the earth？A
    A．They are habitable for mankind．
    B．They exist in the Solar System．
    C．They have almost the same days in a year．
    D．They are both 600 light years from the sun．
70．The passage is written to make it known to readers thatB．
    A．there are now three more planets inside the system
    B．NASA's Kepler space telescope finds a"new Earth"
    C．Bill Borucki has confirmed his investigation
    D．it has been two years since a new planet was spotted．

19．Nowadays more and more traditional businessmen feel worried that growing e-commerce will decrease their share of the market．
     According to a survey，90% of some people's purchases are made on the computer．As they find that by being able to go shopping online and choose the things that they need，and have them delivered right to their doorsteps，they could no longer be bothered with driving，the crowds，the noise of that，and they usually get a better selection．But sometimes they are cheated only to get the things they hate．
     Cornell University Marketing Professor Edward McLaughlin says traditional stores can keep their customers by offering goods  like clothing，which customers may want to see and try on before purchasing，as well as items that are difficult to transport．He says some traditional stores are also pleasing pleasing customers with services such as setting up or repairing computers and other electronic  equipment．
     Traditional stores also offer social experiences that some shoppers enjoy．There is still a lot of emotion in the buying decision that takes place．Oftentimes，you need that last sense of"this is exactly what I want"before you part with money．And you can't al-ways get that online．It's a rather cold process．
      As more and more people have Internet access and smart phones，online commerce is likely to continue its growth here in the United States and in other countries．
60．Traditional businessmen feel upset becauseA．
A．people like to have their goods taken good care of
B．growing online sales will seize their share of the market
C．more and more young people purchase things on the computer
D．consumers can always get a better selection by shopping online
61．According to McLaughlin，some traditional stores are keeping customers byDA．giving customers electronic toys as presents
B．making their goods better and cheaper
C．delivering goods to each doorstep
D．providing customers with extra services
62．From the fourth paragraph，we know thatD
A．online shoppers tend to be friendly to each other
B．the process of shopping online is full of emotion
C．making buying decisions in traditional shops is difficult
D．some shoppers like the social environment in traditional stores
63．What is the author's attitude towards the future online commerce？A
A．Optimistic．B．Doubtful．C．Worried．D．Concerned．

18．These young men were a different kind of prisoner from those we had seen before．They-were brave，hostile（懷敵意的）and（1）     they would not take orders，and shouted
"Amandla！"at every opportunity．Their instinct was to confront（對抗）rather than cooperate．
The authorities②did not know how to handle them，and they turned the island upside down．
During the Rivonia Trial，I remarked to a security policeman that if the government did not reform itself，the freedom fighters who would take our place③would some-day make the
authorities miss us．That day had indeed come on Robben Island．
In these young men we saw the angry revolutionary spirit of the times．I had had some
warning．On a visit with Winnie a few months before，she had managed to tell me through our coded conversation that there was a rising class of discontented youths④who were violent and Africanist in beliefs．She said they were changing the nature of the struggle and that I should be aware of them．
The new prisoners were shocked by what they considered the inhuman conditions of the island，and said that they could not understand how we could live in such a way．We told them
that they should have seen the island in 1964．But hey were almost as sceptical of us as they were of the authorities．They chose to ignore our calls for discipline and thought our advice weak and unassertive（不果斷）．
It was obvious that they regarded us，the Rivonia Trialists⑤，as moderates⑥（溫和派）．
After so many years of being branded a radical（激進的）revolutionary，to be seen as a moderate was a novel and not altogether pleasant feeling．I knew that I could react in one of two ways：I could scold them for their disrespect or I could listen to what they were saying．I chose the latter．
'4hen some of these men，such as Strini Moodley of the South African Students'
Organization and Saths Cooper of the Black People's Convention，came into our section，I
（2）     
Shortly after their arrival on the island，the commanding officer came and asked me as a
favour to address the young men．He wanted me to tell them to behave themselves，to recognize the fact that they were in prison and to accept the discipline of prison life．I told him that I was not prepared to do that．Under the circumstances，they would have regarded me as a follower of the authorities．
（-adapted from"Long walk to freedom：The autobiography of Nelson Mandela'）

66．Which of the following words fits best in Blank （1）？B
A．mild   B．a(chǎn)ggressive   C．friendly   D．optimistic
67•We may infer from the passage all of the following EXCEPT thatD
A．a(chǎn)n angry massive revolution was probably on its way
B．the author's activities were strictly monitored
C．many were concerned about the influence these young men could make
D．these young men were willing to cooperate in face of difficulties
68．Sentences are missing in Blank （2）regarding the author's following reactions．Which of the  following reactions do you think he would have？A
A．"I"asked them to tell us about their movement and beliefs．
B．"I"reported to the officers about their dissatisfaction．
C．"I"tried to calm them down and talked them into behaving．
D．"I"just turned a deaf ear to the young men．
69．Which of the following is true according to the passage？A
A．Conditions of the prison were far more unsatisfactory in 1964．
B．Officers of the prison turned the island upside down to discipline the young men．
C．The Rivonia Trialists felt honored to be regarded as moderates．
D．The young men regarded the author as a follower of the authorities．
70．Several phrases have been underlined and numbered in the passage； which two of them actually refer to the same people？B
A．①②B．③④C．⑤③D．⑥①

17．Dear Mr．King，
I'm Bob Watson，one of the customers in your grocery store．I'm writing to express my idea about your goods．
Your Supermart is outstanding in many ways．First I enjoy the selection of produce and fresh bakery items．Second your low prices and excellent customer service keep me coming back to Supermart．I have found，however，that I must make a separate shopping trip to one of your competitors because there are many items your store does not carry．This becomes inconvenient for me，as my time is valuable，and I don't like to make two trips．I have been a long time Supermart shopper and hope to continue for many years．If I could find all the items I need in one place，I would be a more satisfied customer．
Specifically，I have never been able to purchase nacho cheese soup at your store．I can find other flavors （味道） of soup，but your store does not carry nacho cheese soup，a common ingredient （原料） in many of my recipes．In addition，I can only find large wonton wrappers，while many other stores carry both large and small and offer a more varied selection for their customers．Another example is Regent Brand Chili Seasoning．Though it is not a leading brand，it is still common on the shelves of other grocery stores in this area and is superior in flavor to its competitors．
I sincerely hope to continue a relationship with your store，and I hope that you will consider the possibility of expanding your goods to be more competitive．
Yours truly，
Bob Watson 
25．From the letter，we can learn that the author isB．
A．a(chǎn) very picky reporter                   
B．a(chǎn) regular customer of the store
C．a(chǎn) responsible nutritionist              
D．a(chǎn) competitor of the store
26．How does the author present his point in Paragraph 2？D
A．By comparing two different stores．
B．By analyzing the figures．
C．By providing scientific findings．
D．By giving examples．
27．According to Bob，the grocery storeA．
A．offers good customer service         B．is outstanding in every way
C．meets all his needs                  D．lacks convenient transportation．

16．Do you like shopping？Or does the thought of wandering round the shops fill you with terror？For some of us，shopping is an enjoyable way of spending our spare time and our money．For me．it's something I would rather avoid．Thank goodness for the Internet!It's more convenient to buy CDs，electrical items，even food，from the comfort of your sofa．But that's not the only reason：price is an important factor．We can buy goods and services cheaper online．But sometimes the problem is not knowing what to buy．This has led to a type of shopping called"showrooming"．
Showrooming is something I've done．I will go to a shop to see，touch and try out products but then go home and buy them online at a knock-down price．I'm not alone in doing this．Research by a company called Foolproof，found 24%of people showroomed while Christmas shopping in 2013．
Amy Cashman，Head of Technology at TNS UK，says the reasons for this new shopping habit are that"people are lacking time，lacking money and they want security about the products they are buying．"She explains that consumers are not only shopping online at home but they are using the Internet in store or on their smartphones to shop around．
But does this mean technology will kill shops？Certainly shops will change．They will have to offer more competitive prices or encourage people to buy more by giving in-store discounts or free gifts．
We mustn't forget that buying in a shop means you can get expert advice from the sales assistant and you can get good aftercare．It's good to speak to a real human rather than look at a faceless computer screen but at least by showrooming，you get the best of both worlds!
61．The two questions in Paragraph l are raised toA．
 A．introduce the topic                          
B．give two examples
 C．compare different opinions                   
D．get answers from readers
62．What does showrooming mean in the text？A
A．Trying in shops and buying online．            
B．Showing products in a room．
C．Buying something in a store．                
D．Shopping on the Internet．
63．According to Amy Cashman，which is not the reason for showrooming？B
A．The lack of time．                         
B．The comfort of the sofa．
C．The shortness of money．                    
D．The security of the product．
64．What can be inferred from Paragraph 4？C
A．Online shops will disappear．                
B．Free gifts will surely promote sales．
C．Shops need necessary changes．               
D．Shops will be replaced by online shops．
65．The author's attitude towards showrooming isC．
A．critical             B．neutral           C．supportive         D．casual．

15．Although websites such as Facebook and MySpace experienced rapid growth during the middle of the first decade of the 21st century，some users remain unaware of the fact that the information they post online can come back to haunt them．First，employers can monitor employees who maintain a blog，photo diary，or website．Employers can look for controversial（引起爭議的） employee opinions，sensitive information disclosures，or wildly inappropriate conduct．For example，a North Carolina newspaper fired one of its features writers after she created a blog on which she wrote about the strange things of her job and coworkers without signing her real name．
The second unintended use of information from social networking websites is employers who check on prospective employees．A June 11，2006New York Times article reported that many companies use search engines and social networking websites such as MySpace，Xanga，and Facebook to conduct background checks on college campuses．Although the use of MySpace or Google to check a student's background is somewhat unsettling to many undergraduates，the Times noted that the use of Facebook is especially shocking to students who believe that Facebook is limited to current students and recent alum（校友）．
Corporate employers are not the only people interested in college students'lives．The third unintended use of social networking websites is college administrators who monitor the Internet-especially Facebook-for student bad behavior．For example，a college in Boston's Back Bay expelled （除名） its student Government Association President for joining a Facebook group highly critical of a campus police sergeant．In addition，fifteen students at a state university in North Carolina faced charges in court for underage drinking because of photos that appeared on Facebook．
Although more users of websites such as Facebook are becoming aware of the potential dangers of online identities，many regular users still fail to take three basic security precautions（警惕）．First，only make your information available to a specific list of individuals whom you approve．Second，regularly search for potentially harmful information about yourself that may have been posted by mistake or by a disgruntled（不滿的） former associate．Third，never post obviously offensive material under your name or on your page，because，despite the best precautions，this material will likely make its way to the wider world．By taking these simple steps，members of the digital world can realize the many benefits of e-community without experiencing some of the damaging unintended consequences．

74．The main purpose of the passage is toB．
A．explain the growth of the digital world from the view of privacy
B．discuss the risks of the digital world and suggest ways to protect yourself
C．propose steps Facebook，MySpace，and Google can take to protect user privacy
D．illustrate potential unintended uses of private information
75．The writer implies that users should take all of the following actions to protect their online privacy EXCEPTC．
A．know to whom you make your online information available
B．a(chǎn)ctively hunt for damaging information posted about you or under your name
C．speak with employers to inform them of any misinformation published about you
D．a(chǎn)void uploading information that would be extremely damaging if it were discovered
76．According to the passage，which of the following does the author imply？A．
A．Information obtained unwillingly from the Internet is permitted in court．
B．It is impossible to protect yourself from unintended uses of information online．
C．Even if you restrict who can view your data，the government may still access it．
D．Done properly，posting offensive information about oneself brings no risk．
77．In the last paragraph the author mainlyD．
A．offers detailed examples to support previous viewpoints
B．further explores the ill-effects of the Internet on the protection of privacy
C．summarizes the points of the above paragraphs
D．provides suggestions to overcome the previously mentioned problems．