In the United States,train transportation is unpopular compared with cars and airplanes. Most people
like traveling by car or by air.
     Officials of the United States Department of Transportation made a study in 2001. The study is about
how many miles Americans traveled by different means of transportation. They only studied trips longer
than 50 miles. The study showed that fifty-six percent of all miles were traveled in personal vehicle.
Forty-one percent were traveled in an airplane. Two percent were traveled in a bus. And less than one
percent of miles were traveled in a train.
     Amtrak is the national provider of train transportation in the United States. In the past ten years,the
number of its passengers has increased by eighteen percent. Although the number of passengers has
increased,it is still very small now. In countries such as France,Germany,or Japan,more people use trains.
     There are several reasons why many people __________________________.
     Firstly,Americans love to drive their own cars. On highways,cars can travel as fast as trains. These
highways connect all major cities in America. Secondly,many travelers like to be independent. When they
use their own cars they can decide when to travel. Thirdly,many buses travel between major cities. Bus
travel is less costly than train travel.
     In a huge country like the United States,cities are far away from each other. In some cases,travel
from one city to another by train may take more than a day. Airplanes can carry passengers over long
distances much faster. People who do not want to spend long time traveling by train decide to fly. For
these people saving time is the most important thing.

1. What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words. )
                                                                               
                                                                              
2. Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
It's convenient for people to decide the start-off time when they travel in their own cars. 
                                                                               
                                                                              
3. Please fill in the blank in the fourth paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete
    the sentence. ( Please answer within 10 words. )
                                                                               
                                                                              
4. What means of transportation do you like best when traveling,trains,cars,or planes? Why?
    (Please answer within 30 words)
                                                                               
                                                                              
5. Translate the underlined sentences in the last paragraph into Chinese. 
                                                                               
                                                                              

     In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You
can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair weather
friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down,
they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities
(品質(zhì)) of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability (可靠).
     Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how
another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He
puts himself in the other person's place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also
a good listener.
     At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults (過錯(cuò)) in
others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on (信賴) a good friend. If he t
ells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I
need a favor, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
     There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom
we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I
especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We
share experience (經(jīng)驗(yàn)) and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humor
(幽默), too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I
know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
     When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I've found a friend!

1. Which of the following qualities the writer thinks is the most important in choosing a friend?

A. understanding.    
B. honesty.  
C. reliability.    
D. a sense of humor.

2. If you have fair weather friends, ______ .

A. they will give you all that they have when you need help
B. you will be refused when you get into trouble
C. you will become rich
D. you can be sure that you get real friends

3. Good friends need to ______.

A. always point out each other's mistakes  
B. be helped with money
C. understand each other's feelings    
D. have money or luck

4. This passage mainly discuss ______ .

A. the qualities of a friend        
B. where to choose friends
C. how to get along with friends  
D. the importance of having a friend

                                                          Searching for the truth 
     Collecting mid writing news is like researching in history:the best information comes from
those who were there at the time.So if we want to study the history of China in the sixth century
AD,we look at the writings of the people who lived then.They are called the primary sources
because they tell us what it was like to live then.People at a much later date who write about
the same events are called the secondary sources.For example,when we read the original writings
of Jia Sixie on agriculture,we are reading a primary source;when we read about Jia Sixie in our
textbook we are reading secondary source because the passage was written about him and his ideas
many years after he died.
     When we make news we use primary and secondary sources.We can see this most clearly in
TV programmes.As we watch the news on TV,the person presenting the programme in the studio
is the secondary source (because he tells us about the news)and the reporter in Iraq or Washington
is the primary source(because he is telling us about what is actually happening there).Without these
reporters acting as primary sources,you would never find out what really happened in a war,earthquake,
sports meeting,concertor festival.These reporters explain what is happening so we have a clearer
idea of what is going on there.They often take photographers with them who act as primary source
by giving pictures of events. 
     In a newspaper the position is different because these two roles are often combined.This means
a reporter who investigates a story may be the same person who writes it.If this happens,the reporter
is both the primary and the secondary source.But the photographer who works with him/her is still
a primary source.
      One of the reasons that it is important to separate primary and secondary sources is that they
help us to decide what is a fact and what is an opinion.A fact is something that everybody agrees
has happened.An opinion is somebody's idea of what happened.So facts and opinions are often
mixed in any report,whether in a newspaper or on TV. 
                                                   Searching for the truth 

                     

     Enter a typical high school, and the first thing you see is the front office, where the principal
dwells and grades are stored. The front office also reinforces familiar hierarchy(等級(jí)制度):
principal at the top, teachers in the middle, kids on the bottom, sitting with hands folded at
their desks.
     Now, imagine a school where the organizational structure is completely flat. At the New
Country School in Henderson, Minn, there is no front office. Visitors are immediately embraced
by an airy atrium that is the centerpiece of this one-room schoolhouse. And all around the room,
124 students sit at desks - real office desks - working at their own personal computers on their
own projects.
     When Dee Thomas and her colleagues got together 15 years ago to design a new high school,
they knew there was one thing that had to go: The bell. "You don't go into your job in the morning
and say, 'OK, for the first 45 minutes of my job, I'm going to do the math part.' And then a bell
goes off, and you do the social history part of your job. You don't do that," Thomas said.
     There are no teachers at New Country. Every few weeks, students must present projects
they've been working on to the rest of the school community. To prepare for their presentations,
they gather at tables in the middle of the school atrium and present their work to their "advisers."
     Kids at New Country test better than their peers on the state tests and on the pre-college
ACT. The school sends 90 percent of its graduates to college. But that doesn't tell the whole
story. New Country struggles to keep its seniors from leaving. The school's senior project is
demanding - 300 hours of work.
     But for some students, New Country offers a rare alternative, a choice they can't find anywhere
else. And the school is constantly visited by educators from around the world looking for new ideas.
That's the foundation of efforts to reform American high schools today - that there's a need to
experiment with an institution that is failing millions of students

1. The author mentioned the typical high school in the first paragraph ___________.

A. to tell us what the typical high school is like in USA.
B. to present a sharp contrast with the experimental school, New Country.
C. to introduce the topic, New Country, of the passage.
D. to call on students to register in the typical high school

2. The following statements about New Country are all true except________.

A. New Country students sit in an open environment that looks a lot like a typical office.
B. Students consult with "advisers", who "teach" in the traditional sense.
C. No bells in New Country, students choose how to spend their time.
D. No traditional classes, students work on projects they select themselves.

3. Compared with typical high school, New Country is well received for its_________.

A. high test scores  
B. alternative    
C. comfortable conditions    
D. teaching methods

4. The passage mainly tells us __________.

A. experimental school gets rid of classes and teachers.
B. typical high school and experimental School.
C. new schools in future in America.
D. education reform in America.

     Britain's most popular lie has been disclosed, with one in four people admitting using "Sorry I had no
signal" when returning a missed mobile phone call, a survey found.  
     Researchers found the average Briton tells on average four lies every day or almost 1500 every year.  Almost one in six men admitted they were most likely to lie to their wife or girlfriend, on average at
least twice a day.  The most popular lie was saying you had no mobile phone signal, with one in four
people admitting regularly using the little white lie.  It usually came after they hit the "ignore" button when
their mobile rang.  
     Three quarters of people think women are better liars.  The research found 46 per cent of girls have
been caught lying, compared to 58 of men.  
     The second most common fib(無關(guān)緊要的謊言) is "I haven't got any cash on me" when asked for
money by tramps (流浪者), beggars and Big Issue sellers.  "Nothing's wrong - I'm fine" came third
followed by "You look lovely" and "Nice to see you".  
     Modern technology turned out to have contributed to many lies with "I didn't get your text" in 18th,
"Our server was down" in 20th and "My battery died" in 26th place.  
     Other lies to make the top ten included "I'll give you a ring", "We're just good friends" and "We'll have
to meet up soon".  "I'm on my way" and "No, your bum doesn't look big in that" completed the top ten.  
Men tell the most fibs, coming out with five every day compared to women who lie just three times.  
     In many cases perhaps it is better to flatter with a fib than destroy someone with the truth, according
to a spokesman for OnePoll, which carried out the research of 4,300 adults.

1.  Whether the person being called has pushed the "ignore" button or ______, the caller at the other
      end hears the same tone.

A.  really has no signal
B.  can't get the text
C.  has a battery failure  
D.  answers the call

2.  Most people think women are better liars because ______.

A.  there're more women liars
B.  fewer women liars are found out
C.  women tell less harmful lies
D.  women are harder to convince

3.  "Our server was down" is perhaps a lie told as an excuse for not ______.

A.  inviting a friend to dinner
B.  responding to an e-mail
C.  coming to a party on time
D.  cleaning one's room

4.  "You look lovely" and "I'm on my way" rank _____ on the popular-lie list.

A.  3rd and 8th
B.  5th and 10th
C.  4th and 9th
D.  5th and 12th

     Doomed beauties such as Cleopatra and Marilvn Monroe were far from alone in their misery.  Very
attractive people tend to form partnerships that are less stable and satisfying than those enjoyed by plain
Janes.
     According to research by Dr John Blaine of the University of Southem Califormia, relationships
between people whose professions largely depend on their appearances, such as models or actors, tend
to end much faster than those between lawyers, doctors or students.
    Blaine said the beautiful felt different from childhood.  They are treated as special, which may create
both arrogance(傲慢)and insecurity.  All too often, beauty can be used as an alternative to education.  
Often they are pushed out of their class or town, told to go off and make their fortune in Hollywood or
London and, when the majority fail, they have few talents to make a living.  
    Blaine added that beautiful people score poorly on the "big five" - the key factors American experts
consider when helping distressed couples.  These are neuroticism(神經(jīng)過敏), including anger and
anxiety; extroversion(性格外向); openness to new experiences; agreeableness; and conscientiousness,
or sticking by agreements they have made.  Attractive people often see no reason to try to change until
their looks start to fade.  
    Krista Sutherland, of the University of California Los Angeles, said partnerships that appeared to be
perfect from the outside, such as the former "dream teams" of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise or Hugh
Grant and Elizabeth Hurley, where backgrounds and aspirations(抱負(fù))are often shared, did not
necessarily lead to happiness.  

1.  What does the underlined sentence "Doomed beauties such as Cleopatra and Marilyn Monroe 
      were far from alone in their misery. " mean?   

A.  Beautiful women always felt lonely.  
B.  Beautiful women always were alone.  
C.  Many beautiful women didn't end up with a happy life.  
D.  Beautiful women always lived a happy life.  

2.  The underlined phrase "plain Janes" in the passage refer to __________.   

A.  ordinary-looking women
B.  women called Jane
C.  common people
D.  attractive women

3.  We can infer in the passage that _________. 

A.  Hugh Grant and Elizabeth Hurley were a couple
B.  Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise were very satisfied with their life
C.  When they fail in Hollywood, the beautiful have little trouble in making a living
D.  The marriages of the beautiful often last long

     When I was seven, my father gave me a Timex, my first watch. I loved it, wore it for years, and
haven't had another one since it stopped ticking a decade ago. Why? Because I don't need one. I have a
mobile phone and I'm always near someone with an iPod or something like that. All these devices (裝置)
tell the time-which is why, if you look around, you'll see lots of empty wrists; sales of watches to young
adults have been going down since 2007.  
     But while the wise have realized that they don't need them, others-apparently including some
distinguished men of our time-are spending total fortunes on them. Brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe
and Breitling command shocking prices, up to ￡250 000 for a piece.  
     This is ridiculous. Expensive cars go faster than cheap cars. Expensive clothes hang better than
cheap clothes. But these days all watches tell the time as well as all other watches. Expensive watches
come with extra functions-but who needs them? How often do you dive to 300 metres into the sea or
need to find your direction in the area around the South Pole? So why pay that much of five years' school
fees for watches that allow you to do these things?
     If justice were done, the Swiss watch industry should have closed down when the Japanese discovered how to make accurate watches for a five pound note. Instead the Swiss reinvented the watch, with the aid of millions of pounds' worth of advertising, as a message about the man wearing it. Rolexes are for those
who spend their weekends climbing icy mountains; a Patek Philippe is for one from a rich or noble family;
a Breitling suggests you like to pilot planes across the world.  
     Watches are now classified as "investments" (投資). A 1994 Patek Philippe recently sold for nearly ￡350 000, while 1960s Rolexes have gone from ￡15 000 to ￡30 000 plus in a year. But a watch is
not an investment. It's a toy for self satisfaction, a matter of fashion. Prices may keep going up-they've
been rising for 15 years. But when fashion moves on, the owner of that ￡350 000 beauty will suddenly
find his pride and joy is no more a good investment than my childhood Timex. 

 1. The sales of watches to young people have fallen because they      . 

A. have other devices to tell the time
B. think watches too expensive
C. prefer to wear an iPod
D. have no sense of time

2. It seems ridiculous to the writer that      .  

A. people dive 300 metres into the sea
B. expensive clothes sell better than cheap ones
C. cheap cars don't run as fast as expensive ones
D. expensive watches with unnecessary functions still sell

3. What can be learnt about Swiss watch industry from the passage?

A. It targets rich people as its potential customers.  
B. It's hard for the industry to beat its competitors.  
C. It wastes a huge amount of money in advertising.  
D. It’s easy for the industry to reinvent cheap watches.  

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Timex or Rolex?
B. My Childhood Timex
C. Watches? Not for Me!
D. Watches—a Valuable Collection

     Women have jumped ahead of men for the first time in using the Internet to do their holiday shopping,
according to a study published last week in the US.
     For Years men have been more likely to shop on the Internet than women, but during the 2011 holiday season 58 percent of those making online purchases(購買) were women.
     "It shows how mainstream the Internet is becoming", said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project group, which carried out the study.
      Rainie said it was only a matter of time before women shoppers caught up with men. This is because
women traditionally make decisions about spending.
      Users were more likely to shop online to save time. Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29
were responsible for some of the most dramatic increases in the online gift-buying population this time
around.
      However, three-quarters of the US Internet users did not buy holiday gifts online in 2011. They
worried about credit card security(安全), or just compared online prices with off-line prices, then
dashed off to the shops to get the best deals.
     "But even if shoppers don't buy online, websites are becoming promotion tools for stores," said Dan
Hess, vice president of Comscore Networks Inc. Hess said that actually most stores' websites can make
customers fully believe the security of their credit card numbers. And most are able to ensure that gifts
arrive on time. "It's all about making the shopping experience more efficient, more reliable and more
comfortable." Hess said.

1. Which of the following statements is true?

A. More women shopped online than men in 2011.
B. There were fewer women online shoppers than men in 2011．
C. Most of the Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 are women.
D. People in the US were more likely to buy gifts online.

2. From the passage we can infer that________.

A. men usually decide how to spend money in the family  
B. women usually decide what to buy in the family
C. the Internet is used in all the shops.                
D. more and more shops will sell their goods online.

3. According to Dan Hess, shopping online is ___________.

A. unsafe
B. convenient
C. a waste of time
D. cheaper

4. What can we know from the passage?

A. American people only buy gifts in holidays.  
B. Shopping online is fun for women.
C. Shopping off-line provides better service.  
D. Young people like to do gift-shopping online.