Like many other small boys, I was fascinated by cars, especially because my oldest brother was a bit
of a car guy and subscribed to cool magazines like Car and Driver and Motor Trend. Every so often, one of those magazines would run an article on the "Car of the Future". They featured unconventional things
like small nuclear reactors as power sources. Yet, frankly, my car doesn't do anything that my brother's
Studebaker didn't do. It goes, it stops, it burns gasoline. I still have to steer it, and it still runs into things if
I don't steer it carefully.
     But guess what? All of these things are likely to change in the not-so-distant future. It may not burn
gasoline, I may not have to steer it, and it may be a lot better at not running into things.
Airbags (安全氣囊) aren't the be-all and end-all in safety. In fact, considering the recent news about
people occasionally being killed by their airbags in low-speed collisions, they obviously still need some
development. But they aren't going away, and in fact, you can expect to see cars appearing with
additional, side-impact airbags, something some European car manufacturers already offer.
     Better than systems to minimize injury in the event of an accident ,however, are systems that minimize
the likelihood of an accident happening. Future cars may be able to remove many of the major causes of
accidents, including drunk-driving, and tailgating (與前車距離過(guò)近). Cars could be equipped with
sensors that can detect alcohol in a driver's system and prevent the car from being started, for example.
As early as next year, you'll be able to buy cars with radar-equipped control systems. If the radar
determines you're closing too quickly with the car in front, it will ease up on the throttle (油門). 
     Will cars eventually be able to drive themselves? There's no reason to think it won't be technically
possible, and Mercedes is working on a system that can brake, accelerate and steer a vehicle down a
highway on its own. Nobody really expects people to give up all control to their cars, but such systems
could be used as failsafe (自動(dòng)防止故障)systems to keep cars on the road and bring them safely to a
stop even if the driver suddenly became disabled.

1.Why was the author fascinated by cars?

A. Because he read unconventional things about cars in his brother's magazines.
B. Because other small boys liked to own a car of their own, too.
C. Because his oldest brother loved to take him to places in his car.
D. Because he subscribed to cool car magazines.

2. By saying "my car doesn't do anything that my brother's Studebaker didn't do", the author means
     that_____.

A. my car is far better than my brother's    
B. my car is not as good as my brother's
C. much improvement has been made in the design of cars recently
D. not much has changed in the performance of cars so far

3.Which of the following statements is true of airbags?

A. They are going to disappear gradually.
B. They are in need of further improvement.
C. They kill people instead of protecting them in low-speed collisions.
D. They are a standard feature of European cars.

4.According to the author, what will future cars do if the sensors detect alcohol in the driver's system?

A. They will give a warning in advance.
B. They will brake automatically.
C. They will not start.
D. They will ease up on the throttle.

5.Which of the following statements is true according to the last paragraph?

A. Cars will be able to drive themselves.
B. People will give up all control to their cars
C. No cars will ever break down on the roads.
D. Cars will all be equipped with failsafe systems.

     During the summer holidays there will be a revised schedule of services for the students. Changes for
dining-room and library service hours and for bus schedules will be posted on the wall outside of the
dining-hall. Weekly film and concert schedules, which are being arranged, will be posted each Wednesday
outside of the student club.
    In the summer holidays, buses going to the town center will leave the main hall every hour on the half
hour during the day. The dining-room will serve three meals a day from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm during the
week and two meals from noon to 7:00 pm on weekends. The library will continue its usual hours during
the week, but have shorter hours on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekend hours are from noon to 5:00
pm.
    All students who want to use the library borrowing services must have a new summer card. This
announcement will also appear in the next week's student newspaper.

1. The main purpose of this announcement is to ________.

A. tell students of important schedule changes    
B. show the excellent services for students
C. tell students of new bus and library services    
D. ask students to renew their library cards

2. At which of the following times will the bus leave the main hall?

A.8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00    
B.8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30
C.8:30, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00      
D.8:00, 9:30, 11:00, 12:30

3. Times for films and concerts are not listed in this announcement because ________.

A.they are not to be announced    
B.the full list is not ready
C. they are hard to arrange        
D.the full list is too long

4. In the summer holidays, the library will have __________.

A. no special hours            
B. special hours on weekdays
C. special hours on weekends
D. special hours both on weekdays and weekends

5. We may infer that during the summer holidays ________.

A.The library will continue its usual hours on weekdays  
B.students will stay in the university
C.there will be a concert or film once a week  
D.no breakfast will be served on weekends

      If your recurring (經(jīng)常性的) dreams are worryingyou,you can rest assured and needn't worry.
Psychologists say in the vast majority of these cases,this is just the mind's way of dealing with stress and
conflicts,problems and concerns.It's a good thing.
    They call be surprisingly vivid and real,or fragmented and weird.They can be comforting or frightening.
Our dreams can tell us a lot about what we are really thinking.Dreams give us an x-ray of our
unconsciousness(潛意識(shí)).They tell us,particularly when we are at life's passages or turning points.
    Lisa Oppenheim had the same dream whenever she was about to move to a new home or a new city.
It's always just a feeling of needing to stay safe.Experts say disturbing dreams often occur around major
life events.For Lisa,it was moving.For others,it can be marriage or divorce,the death of a loved one or
pressure at work.
    Doctor Siegel has studied the meaning of dream for nearly 30 years.He believes stressful or upsetting
dreams can be a sign of what's buried deep inside our minds.
    He said."Dreams are important to survival.They are crucial to the balance of our psyche(心靈).They
help us work out problems that we're having every single day.They go to the cutting edge of what's
stressful,what's bothering us and what we're working out in our lives.Dreams can guide us and in order to
find that guidance,to find that deep source of wisdom that's in our dreams every night,we need to pay
attention to our dreams."
    But many dreams are scary and horrible.How can we understand these nightmares? Doctor Siegel
says they are reflecting especially intense emotion or unresolved conflict.The stronger the emotion in the
dream,whether it's pleasure or fear,the likelier the dream is to be important.
    Knowing what your recurring dreams or nightmares mean can be liberating.Some nightmares can be a
sign of serious psychological problems,such as post-dramatic stress disorder.If they are extremely
disturbing or violent or the cause of severe anxiety,you should see a professional therapist (治療專家).

1. By saying "Dreams give US an x-ray of our unconsciousness,"  the author means that dreams _____.

A. do harm to our mind          
B. show us our real mind
C. solve our stress in mind        
D. give us a turning point in mind

2. People will have recurring dreams when they ________.

A. 1ive with great pressure or have great events  
B. do the same things all their lives
C. move to a new home or a new city          
D. are comforted or frightened

3.Which of the following is true according to Doctor Siegel?  

A. Dreams play a very important role in the world's balance.
B. Dreams help us find out the problems we need to solve.
C. We should pay attention to every dream we have.
D. Only the dreams with pleasure are important to us.

4. How should we deal with the recurring nightmares?

A.We should remember them because they are important to us.
B.We can ignore them since they are just reflecting our emotions.
C.We need to take some sleeping pills to stop this serious problem.
D.We should see a psychological doctor if they are seriously disturbing

5.The purpose of the passage is ________. 

A. to introduce a variety of dreams
B. to offer some advice on avoiding nightmares
C. to compare recurring dreams with nightmares
D. to ease our anxiety on recurring dreams

     Knowing the best way to study will help you to be a better student. By using your time properly, you
can do your homework more quickly. Learning to study is not difficult.
     The first thing to remember is that you must be willing to learn. It doesn't mean that you must always
like the subject. It does mean, however, that you must be willing to do whatever is necessary to learn. Try
to understand why it is important and how it will help you now and later to do and learn other things.
Knowing mathematics facts will be useful in your whole life. Knowing how to spell makes any kind of
writing easier. Sometimes the subject that you think is going to be uninteresting will be exciting when you
begin to work at it and understand it more clearly. Learning things can be fun if you are willing to work
with them.
    Here's some advice for you: have a certain time each day and a quiet place with good lighting for study, so that you can concentrate on your study without interruptions; have everything ready before you sit
down to study, a dictionary, paper, a pen and books; be sure you understand what you should learn
before you start; read carefully and pay special attention to the most important things; when memorizing,
first find out the main parts and then recite the whole thing; check your homework after you finish it; never
forget the importance of review and preview.
    Don't try to spend a lot of time researching learning methods. There are many students who know many good learning methods but don't study well. They forget that the most useful learning method is to study
hard.

1. The main purpose of the article is______.

A. to prove that learning is not difficult      
B. to make the readers be interested in study
C. to tell the importance of self teaching    
D. to tell the students how to study well

2. The first thing to remember in studying is that ______.

A. you must like the subject              
B. you must follow the teacher
C. you must enjoy learning               
D. you must study hard

3. The following advice is given in the article EXCEPT______.

A. To put a pen, paper and books beside you before study.
B. To study at any possible time and place.
C. To review and preview
D. To pay attention to the most important things.

4. Among the following statements, ______is true.

A. The more learning methods we have, the better we will study.
B. Finding the best learning method is the most important in learning.
C. Knowing good methods, you can't be good at study without working hard.
D. Once we have mastered a good learning method, we can improve our study greatly.

5. From the passage, we can conclude that ______.

A. No pains, no gains        
B. Better late than never  
C. Study comes first          
D. Good methods, good results.

     Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across
     America's farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices
and crop-eating insects. The country's farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in
line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of
farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
     Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of
encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of
America's farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No. 1 on a
list of "useless" college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has
the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
     "There couldn't be anything that's more incorrect," Merrigan said. "We know that there aren't enough
qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture."
     In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food
production by 2050, she said.
     "I truly believe we're at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record
high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows," said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm
     Bureau. "Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the
opportunity to be involved in agriculture."
     The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing
interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers' Coalition has also been pushing for state and
federal policy changes to make it easier for new farmers.
     Ryan Best, president of Future Farmers of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling
the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21-year-old Best
hopes his message-that this is a new time in agriculture-will motivate the next generation to turn
around the statistics. "Never before have we had the innovations (創(chuàng)新) in technology which have
led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been," he said. "There's really a place
for everybody to fit in."

1. What is the new challenge to American agriculture?

A. Fewer and older farmers.    
B. Higher fuel prices.
C. More natural disasters.      
D. Lower agricultural output.

2. Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?

A. To draw federal agriculture officials' attention.
B. To select qualified agriculture graduates.
C. To clarify a recent blog posting.
D. To talk more students into farming careers.

3. According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people
    because__________..

A. the government will cover production costs
B. global food supplies will be even lower
C. investment in agriculture will be profitable
D. America will increase its food export

4. What do the underlined words "to turn around the statistics" in the last paragraph mean?

A. To re-analyze the result of the national census.
B. To increase agricultural production.
C. To bring down the average age of farmers.
D. To invest more in agriculture.

     Education is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we do not educate children only for the
purpose of educating them. Our purpose is to fit them for life.
     In some modern countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all-one
can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for
all is not enough; we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degree; they refuse
to do what they think “l(fā)ow” work; and, in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such
countries. But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer
is far more important than that of a professor; we can live without education, but we die if we have no food.
If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we should get terrible diseases in our
towns.
     In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in
such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability and, secondly, that
we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that is very bad to be ashamed of one's work. Only
such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.

1. The writer of the passage thinks that _____.

A. education can settle most of the world's problems
B. free education for all probably leads to a perfect world
C. free education won't help to solve problems
D. all the social problems can't be solved by education

2. The writer wants to prove that _____.

A. our society needs all kinds of jobs
B. our society needs free education for all
C. a farmer is more important than a professor
D. work with hands is the most important

3. The purpose of education is _____.

A. to choose officials for the country
B. to prepare children mainly for their future work
C. to let everyone receive education fit for him
D. to build a perfect world

4. The passage tells us about _______ of the education.

A. the means
B. the system
C. the value
D. the type

     When people want to know about the weather, they usually go to their radios, TVs, newspapers, or to the
Internet. However, you can also find many weather signs among wildlife, because of their highly developed
senses. Drops in air pressure (壓力) produce an effect on small animals in many ways. Mice and deer are
good weather indicators. People who spend a lot of time outdoors have observed that, before a storm, field
mice come out of their holes and run around. Deer leave high ground and come down from the mountains.
     Birds are especially good weather indicators because they also show the effect of a pressure drop in many
ways. For example, some birds become irritable (急躁的) and quarrelsome and will fight over a piece of bread.
Other birds chirp (嘰嘰喳喳) and sing just before a storm. It seems they know they won't get another chance
for an hour or two. Birds also seek safe places before a storm. You will sometimes see birds settling in trees
or gathering together on a wire close to a building. Pre-storm low pressure makes the air so thin that birds
have difficulty flying.
     It is unusual to see many birds flying overhead in the summertime, rather than during the periods in the
spring or autumn. Watch for other weather signs if you see this. If they fly in the wrong direction, they may
be flying ahead of a storm.
     By paying closer attention to some important signs in nature, we can become better prepared for any kind
of weather.

1. The word "indicators" in paragraph 1 probably means _____.

A. maps
B. services
C. signs
D. stations

2. There will be a storm if birds _____. 

A. make more noise than usual
B. fly in different directions
C. come down from tall trees
D. share a piece of bread

3. How can birds sense the coming of a storm? 

A. By feeling a drop in air temperature.
B. By noticing the change of wind directions.
C. By feeling a drop in air pressure.
D. By noticing the movements of other animals.

4. The best title for the text would be _____. 

A. Signs of a Storm
B. Drops in Air Pressure
C. Animals' Sharp Senses
D. Nature's Weather Signs

     Superman had it right if you want to keep something safe, build a mountain fortress (堡壘) above the
Arctic Circle. That's the thinking-more or less-behind the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (地窖). Almost every
nation keeps collections of native seeds so local crops can be replanted in case of an agricultural disaster.
The Global Seed Vault, opened on the far-northern Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, is a backup for the
backups. It's badly needed-as many as half the seed banks in developing countries are at risk from natural
disasters. The vault can hold up to 4.5 million samples, which will be kept dry at about -18℃. Even if the
facility (設(shè)施) loses power, the Arctic climate should keep the seeds alive for thousands of years.
     On an unusual old farm in New York City, workers are also storing away the seeds of the future. In this
unlikely place, researchers are putting the seeds from flowering plants and trees in a sleeplike state called
suspended animation (假死狀態(tài)). Many years from now, other workers will wake up the sleeping seeds and
plant them where they're most needed. These seeds are like the legendary (傳說(shuō)中的) Rip van Winkle, who
fell asleep under a tree and woke up 20 years later. The small farm, called the Greenbelt Native Plant Center,
is part of a global effort to save threatened (受到威脅的) plants and trees. The most important step is to
collect seeds at exactly the right time-when they are just about ready to fall from the plant. The seeds are
being kept in storage at the Greenbelt Center. When planted in the future, these seeds could help restore
damaged parklands and forests.

1. Why is the Global Seed Vault located in a far-northern Norwegian island?

A. Because it is a place to keep everything safe.
B. Because half the seed banks in developing countries are at risk.
C. Because the climate there is fit for keeping seeds for a long time.
D. Because it is the best place to fight against agricultural disasters.

2. The Greenbelt Native Plant Center in New York City is unusual because _____.

A. it is an old farm in a big city
B. it is the largest seed company in the world
C. it is set up to save the threatened plants and trees
D. it stores the seeds of most kinds of plants in New York City

3. To store the seeds well and last as long as possible, the most important thing is to _____.

A. collect seeds at the right time
B. store them at a constant temperature
C. dry them in specially designed rooms
D. make it enter a state of suspended animation

4. The passage is mainly about _____.

A. Global Seed Vault
B. saving seeds for the future
C. the challenges of collecting seeds for storage
D. the efforts made by Greenbelt Center to save plants

     Be careful what you say around your dog. It might understand more than you think.
     A border collie named Rico recognizes the names of about 200 objects, say researchers in Germany. The
dog also appears to be able to learn new words as easily as a 3-year-old child. Its word-learning skills are as
good as those of a parrot or chimpanzee (黑猩猩).
     In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them into
20 groups of 10 objects. Then the owner told the dog to go and fetch one of the items and bring it back. In
four tests, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. As the dog couldn't see anyone to get clues, the scientists
believe Rico must understand the meanings of certain words.
     In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with
seven toys whose names the dog already knew. The owner then told Rico to fetch the object, using a word
the dog had never heard before.
     The correct object was chosen in seven out of l0 tests, suggesting that the dog had worked out the answer
by process of elimination (排除法). A month later, Rico remembered half of the new names, which is even
more impressive.
     Rico is thought to be smarter than the average dog. For one thing, Rico is a border collie, a breed (品種)
known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to fetch toys by their names
since the age of nine months.
     It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk
back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your dog every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in
return!

1. From paragraph 2 we know that _____.

A. animals are as clever as human beings
B. dogs are smarter than parrots and chimpanzees
C. chimpanzees have good word-learning skills
D. dogs have similar learning abilities as 3-year-old children

2. Both experiments show that _____.

A. Rico is smart enough to get all commands right
B. Rico can recognize different things including toys
C. Rico has developed the ability of learning mathematics
D. Rico won't forget the names of objects once recognizing them

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A. The purpose of the experiments is to show the border collie's mental abilities.
B. Rico has a better memory partly because of its proper early training.
C. The border collie is world-famous for recognizing objects.
D. Rico is born to understand its owner's commands.

4. What does the writer want to tell us in the last paragraph?

A. To train your dog.
B. To talk to your dog.
C. To be friendly to your dog.
D. To be careful with your dog.

     Australia has passed regulations that will enable more international students to further their education in
the country.    The new measures were released by the Australian Department of Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations in September and will take effect in mid-2012.    As a result, the student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified, and the deposit (押金) required to study in Australia has been reduced. Language requirements for overseas students have also been eased.   
       Also, overseas students receiving a higher education in Australia will be granted a working visa lasting from two tofour years after graduation, as long as they meet the basic IELTS requirement.    "This change will definitely make Australia a more attractive destination for Chinese students planning to study overseas," says Wang Lan , a consultant from Education International Cooperation Group (EIC), a Beijing-based
company that provides services to students wishing to study overseas.    However, in the past few years,
many of Wang's student clients (客戶) could not start studies in Australia because they did not meet the
language requirements, visa processing took a long time and deposit regulations were tough. The change
in policy is good news for the parents of students wishing to study in Australia, Wang says.   
        A 22-year-old female student surnamed Li, in Beijing, who is planning to do her  postgraduate
studies in Australia, learned about the policy change several weeks ago.    "According to the previous
deposit requirement for my student visa, my family was required to put down 550,000 yuan ($86,850).
Now we only need to prepare 410,000 yuan. This is a relief for my parents," Li says.
      She also says that the two to four years working visa makes her feel much clearer about her study plans.    "I believe several years of working experience abroad will strengthen my competitiveness when I
return to China," she says.    Gaining a competitive advantage is the major reason for Chinese students to
study abroad, according to the report by EIC.

1. What's the main idea of the passage?  

A. Language requirement for overseas students have been eased in Australia.
B. Australia is a most attractive place for students in China.
C. Australia widens window of opportunity for international students.
D. More students will work in Australia after their graduation.

2. Which of the following is NOT the content of the new regulations?  

A. The student visa application process for overseas students has been simplified.
B. The deposit required to study in Australia has been reduced.
C. Language requirements for overseas students have been more difficult.
D. After graduation, some overseas students can get a working visa in Australia.

3. After the new regulations are passed, _______ .   

A. more students will come to Australia to work
B. more Chinese students will choose to live in Australia.
C. the opportunities to work in Australia decrease for overseas students
D. more Chinese students will choose to further their education in Australia

4. How much can Li's parents save according to the new regulations?  

A. 550,000 yuan
B. 140,000 yuan
C. 410,000 yuan
D. 86,850 yuan

5. Why do many students want to work in Australia after their graduation? 

A. The working experience abroad will strengthen their competitiveness.
B. They can earn more money in Australia.
C. Their working experience can make them stay in Australia forever.
D. They have to do so according to the new regulations.