Last July, my parents and I went to visit my aunt and uncle in Seattle, a city on the northwest American coast. Dad did some research and had no difficulty in finding us cheap tickets online.
    On the day of our flight, we had to wake up very early. When we checked our bags in, we found that one bag weighed too much, so we had to pay a fine. After that, Dad insisted that we go and have some breakfast at the airport restaurant. We had a lot of fun watching many different people there. Then we realized it was getting late, so we rushed to the gate. It took one hour for everyone to get on the plane, but finally the door was shut and we were on our way!
I think my favorite experience during our trip was our visit to Mount Rainier, a volcano near Seattle. It was nothing like I had expected. Before we left, my aunt lent us hats to protect us from getting sunburned, so I supposed that it would be very hot. Imagine my surprise when we drove up the mountain and I discovered the top was covered in snow and ice!
    My uncle led us to a small path beyond the main trails to increase our chances of seeing wildlife. We walked over a small hill, and suddenly before us there appeared a field of snow. Small wild flowers grew up through the snow; underneath the snow we could hear rushing water — a small stream. Little animals stood still to avoid being noticed; tiny birds rose into the air. It was the most beautiful sight that I’d ever seen.  
60. Why did they pay a fine?

  A. Because they got up late.                B. Because they didn’t wait in line.
  C. Because they came to the airport late.     D. Because their bag was overweight.
61. What was the writer’s most impressive experience?
  A. The flight to Seattle.                    B. The breakfast in the airport.
  C. The visit to Mount Rainier.              D. The discovery of a small stream.
62. Why did they choose a small path instead of the main trails?
  A. To enjoy more of the wildlife.           B. To take a shortcut to save time.
  C. To avoid the snowy road.                D. To avoid being attacked by animals.
63. Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?
  A. Seattle is on the northwest coast of America.  
  B. They bought their tickets in a booking office.
  C. They waited for a long time before getting on the plane.
  D. The hats were to help protect them from getting sunburned

    New research shows sheep are clever 
    People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (嚙齒動(dòng)物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead. 
    Young fish prefer noisy neighbors 
    A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
    Butterflies are disappearing 
    A new study has shown that 17 species (物種) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (減少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers. 
56. What is the passage mainly about? 
  A. Some new studies about animals.            B. People’s wrong ideas about animals.
  C. Why the number of animals has dropped.  D. The importance of protecting animals. 
57. According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep _____.
  A. are less clever than rodents               B. can find their home
  C. can read maps                            D. are good planners
58. Which seems to have to do with the number of butterflies?
  A. The species of grass in grasslands.         B. The species of trees in grasslands.  
  C. The number of flowers in grasslands.       D. The number of animals in grasslands.   
59. In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage? 
  A. Geography.        B. Culture.           C. Travel.         D. Nature.

I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people ___36___ I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a ___37___ person.

I think my ___38___ started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my ___39___ and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever ___40___ to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really ___41___. It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So I tried a(n) ___42___. I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I ___43___ to help. That was really a big ___44___ for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of ___45___ are still my best friends today.

A bigger cause of my new ___46___, however, came when I took a part-time job at Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer’s disease became my ___47___. Every time I came into her room, she was so ___48___ because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never ___49___ her, so I took her place. She let me ___50___ that making others feel good made me feel good too. When she died, I was ___51___, but I was also very grateful to her.

I think I am a much ___52___ person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not ___53___ these experiences. They have ___54___ me to care about other people more than about myself. I ___55___ who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.

36. A. since              B. before                  C. or                        D. unless

37. A. famous           B. simple                  C. different               D. skilled

38. A. education        B. career                   C. tour                     D. change

39. A. balance           B. homework            C. degree                  D. interest

40. A. talked             B. wrote                   C. lied                      D. reported

41. A. careful            B. lonely                   C. curious                 D. guilty

42. A. argument        B. game                    C. experiment            D. defence

43. A. dated              B. offered                 C. hesitated               D. happened

44. A. dream             B. problem                C. duty                     D. step

45. A. us                  B. which                    C. them                    D. whom

46. A. attitude           B. hobby                   C. hope                    D. luck

47. A. friend             B. partner                 C. guide                    D. guest

48. A. polite              B. happy                   C. strange                 D. confident

49. A. bothered         B. answered              C. visited                  D. trusted

50. A. explain            B. guess                   C. declare                 D. see

51. A. homeless         B. heartbroken        C. bad-tempered        D. hopeless

52. A. quieter            B. busier                   C. better                   D. richer

53. A. forget             B. face                      C. improve                D. analyze

54. A. forced            B. preferred               C. ordered                D. taught

55. A. miss               B. like                        C. wonder                D. expect

 —Forgotten something? I can keep an eye on your kids if you want to go and get it.

— _____ Thank you all the same.

A. It’s very kind of you.                             B. Oh, how careless of me!

C. I might as well go and get it.                  D. Well, I can do without it.

 Many endangered animals, such as the Malayan sun-bear, ____ in danger of dying out.

  A. remain        B. remains        C. are remained   D. is remained

 With only 20 minutes________ before the train left, I felt uneasy in the taxi to the railway station.

  A. to go          B. going         C. go            D. gone

 The book tells stories of the earthquake through the eyes of those ________ lives were affected.

  A. whose                  B. that                      C. who                     D. which

 It took him a long time to ________ the skills he needed to become a professional artist.

  A. acquire        B. inquire         C. require        D. request

  If _____ to look after luggage for someone else, inform the police at once.

  A. asked                   B. to ask                   C. asking                  D. having asked

 These results of scientific research are very valuable to us. They will _______ the success of our further research.

  A. contribute to                     B. pay attention to  

  C. refer to                         D. led to