It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries（食品雜貨），saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity（人性）as a whole. And it has influenced（影響）us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
41. Why was the bike so important to the couple?
A. The man’s job was bike racing.                       B. It was their only possession.
C. It was a nice Kona 18 speed.                           D. They used it for work and daily life.
42. We can infer from the text that ____________.
A. life was hard for the young family.                  B. people were busy before Christmas
C. the stranger brought over the bike             D. the couple worked 60 hours a week
43. How did people get to know the couple’s problem?
A. From radio broadcasts.                                 B. From a newspaper.
C. From TV news.                                         D. From a stranger.
44. What do the couple learn from their experience?
A. Strangers are usually of little help.          B. One should take care of their bike.
C. News reports make people famous.           D. An act of kindness can mean a lot.

Birds that are half-asleep—with one brain hemisphere (半球) alert and the other sleeping—control which side of the brain remains awake, according to a new study of sleeping ducks.
Earlier studies have documented half-brain sleep in a wide range of birds. The brain hemispheres take turns sinking into the sleep stage characterized by slow brain waves. The eye controlled by the sleeping hemisphere keeps shut, while the wakeful hemisphere’s eye stays open and alert. Birds also can sleep with both hemispheres resting at once.
Decades of studies of bird groups led researchers to predict extra alertness in the end-of-the-row sleepers which tend to be attacked more easily. Sure enough, the end birds tended to watch carefully on the side away from their companions. Ducks in the inner spots showed no preference for gaze direction.
Also, birds napping at the end of the line depend on single-hemisphere sleep, rather than total relaxation, more often than inner ducks did. Turning 16 birds through the positions in a four-duck row, the researchers found that compared with 12 percent for birds in internal spots, outer birds half-asleep during some 32 percent of napping time.
“We believe this is the first evidence for an animal behaviorally controlling sleep and wakefulness at the same time in different regions of the brain,” the researchers say.
The results provide the best evidence for a long-standing assumption that single-hemisphere sleep evolved as creatures scanned for enemies. The preference for opening an eye on the lookout side could be widespread, he predicts. He’s seen it in a pair of birds napping side-by-side in the zoo and in a single pet bird sleeping by a mirror. The mirror-side eye closed as if the reflection were a companion and the other eye stayed open.
Useful as half-sleeping might be, it’s only been found in birds and such water animals as dolphins, whales, and seals. Perhaps keeping one side of the brain awake allows a sleeping animal to surface occasionally to avoid drowning.
Studies of birds may offer unique insights into sleep. Jerome M. Siegel of the UCLA says he wonders if birds’ half-brain sleep “is just the tip of the iceberg.” He supposes that more examples may turn up when we take a closer look at other species.
72. According to the passage, birds often half sleep because ______.
A. they have to watch out for possible attacks
B. their brain hemispheres take turns to rest
C. the two halves of their brain are differently structured
D. they have to constantly keep an eye on their companions
73. What is implied about the example of a bird’s sleeping in front of a mirror?
A. An imagined companion gives the bird a sense of security.
B. Birds prefer to sleep in pairs for the sake of their security.
C. The phenomenon of birds napping in pairs is widespread.
D. A single pet bird enjoys seeing its own reflection in the mirror.
74. While sleeping, some water animals tend to keep half awake in order to ______.
A. alert themselves to the approaching enemy
B. emerge from water now and then to breathe
C. be sensitive to the ever-changing environment
D. avoid being swept away by rapid currents
75. By saying “just the tip of the iceberg”, Siegel suggests that ______.
A. half-brain sleep has something to do with icy weather
B. the mystery of half-brain sleep is close to being solved
C. most birds living in cold regions tend to be half sleepers
D. half-brain sleep may exist among other species

Dear Daughter,

As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.
First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real proof of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn’t critical for your life, the learning skills you acquire will be something you will treasure forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don’t be trapped by what others think or say, but make up your own mind.
Most importantly, make friends and be happy. Pick a few friends and become really close to them – pick the ones who are genuine to you. Don’t worry about their grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early. I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses.
Whether it is coursework planning or picking a major, you should take control of your life. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver’s seat – this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great.
So please treasure your college years – make the best of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny fate, learn and grow through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be.
Love,
Dad (& Mom)
65. According to the letter the author’s daughter is ______.
A. scared to be leaving home                                      B. a well-rounded student
C. the pride of her university                                       D. learning to drive a car
66. Which advice below is given to his daughter by the author?
A. Party with friends in her free time.
B. Ignore what others think or say.
C. choose friends with similar personalities.
D. Treasure and make the best of her college years.
67. From the passage, we can conclude the father is ______.
A. worried about his daughter                                    B. strict with his daughter
C. positive about his daughter’s future            D. sad about his daughter’s leaving home

Whenever human populations have lived in forest areas, they have always cut down trees which they used for a number of purposes, for housing and ships and served as a source of heating fuel and timber. Growth of cities often meant expansion into forest areas, while even more trees were removed to provide space for agriculture. With the growing demand for paper, vast quantities of trees have also been cut down for paper production. These factors, along with many others, have been contributing to a dangerous phenomenon known as deforestation.
In the last 5,000 years, humans have reduced forest from roughly 50 percent of the earth’s land surface to less than 20 percent. Most of this original, or old growth, forest cover is concentrated in three large areas: the Canadian and Alaskan boreal forest, the boreal forest of Russia, and the tropical forest of the northwestern Amazon Basin and the Guyana Shield. These areas comprise almost 70 percent of the world’s remaining original forest cover. In most places, the rate of deforestation is increasing, with the alarming result of 16 million hectares disappearing worldwide every year.
Loss of forest does not just mean the decline of natural resources. There are several other factors that make deforestation seriously harmful to both the human and natural worlds. One of them is changes in the global climate. For example, forest clearance is releasing substantial volumes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere as vegetation is burnt or decays. It has been suggested that this is a significant factor in global warming. Moreover, about 10 percent of the world’s tree species are in danger of extinction as a result of deforestation. Deforestation also threatens biological diversity through the destruction of wildlife habitats, which endangers a number of animal species and leads to their potential disappearance. Species are particularly easy to extinction in tropical rainforests because many species have few individuals per unit area, which makes reproduction more difficult. Finally, since forests play an important role in storing water and stabilizing soil, deforestation and the resulting change in land use cause soil erosion (腐蝕) and other forms of land degradation.
72.   The passage discusses all of the following EXCEPT the ________.
A. causes of deforestation                                   B. consequences of deforestation
C. management of deforestation                      D. rate of deforestation
73.   The word “diversity” in the last paragraph probably means “________”.
A. variety                                                                  B. expansion           
C. development                                                      D. advantage
74.   Why does the author mention fuel and timber in Paragraph 1?
A. To explain the rate of deforestation.
B. To compare them with housing and ships.
C. To show the dangers of deforestation.
D. To illustrate the causes of deforestation.
75.   Which of the following sentences summarizes Paragraph 3 best?
A. Deforestation threatens biological diversity.
B. Deforestation has many harmful consequences.
C. Deforestation causes changes in global climate.
D. Deforestation should be stopped.

What should you think about when trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work. So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. A knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work.. You may be good at metalwork or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills. If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is better to face any weakness than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic(認(rèn)錯(cuò)的) about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
67．What is the passage mainly about?
A．The importance of working hard at school.
B．Choosing a career according to one’s strengths.
C．How to face one’s weakness.     D．The value of school work.
68. The writer thinks that a student have a part-time job is probably ___.
A. a good way to find out his weak points   B. one of the best ways of earning extra money
C. of great use for his work in the future    D. a waste of time he could have spent on study
69．From the passage we learn that if a student’s school performance is not good, he _______.
A．should pay more attention to learning skills and developing abilities
B．will be regretful about his bad results
C．may also do well in his future work    D．should restart his study in school
70. The underlined phrase “be all thumbs” (in Para 3) probably means “_______”.
A. be clumsy at doing things               B. be skillful in doing things
C. be not interested in certain things        D. be easily bored in doing things

Have you experienced the 2009’s Oscar best movie called Slum-dog Millionaire (《貧民富翁》)?   
This film is about a poor Indian boy from the slums (貧民窟), Jamal, who ends up winning the grand prize in a show— “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” The night before he answers the prize-winning questions, Jamal is arrested by the police and hurt severely. They don't believe a slumdog like Jamal can answer seven questions correctly and possibly win 20 million rupees. But, as the movie unfolds, Jamal let out the secret how he found the answers to each of the questions. Viewers also learn about Jamal's childhood, his selfish older brother Salim, and his childhood love, Latika.   
The movie's point, however, is not just to tell a typical story of an underdog (弱者) who becomes a hero. The director also uses Slum-Dog Millionaire to give viewers a taste of India. The movie begins in Jamal's childhood home in the slums of India. The place where he and his family lived reminds one of the hutong that used to make up a large part of old Beijing. Jamal and his brother grow and travel across India, meanwhile surviving as slum-dogs and cheats, and India ages with them. By the time Jamal is 17 or 18, his old home has been replaced by a giant financial center. Jamal and Salim take a moment to recall about their old lives, as they stand high up in a tall building that is still under construction. That view from above reminded me of a similar view I had just two years ago in China: I was standing there in the living room of a family friend's modern apartment, looking out through a window, down to some shacks (簡(jiǎn)陋的房屋) below, just next to the building complex. It was amazing how riches and poverty could live so close together.   
The thing that was most appealing about the movie, to me and my Indian friends, was how we could understand the story presented in the movie. More important than the story was the window on the social and economic situations in Asia that it provided.
60．Viewers can learn from the movie EXCEPT __________.
A．Jamal’s childhood and his bitter experience of wandering across the country
B．the rapid social changes and economic development in India
C．the poor life of people in the slums against the development of cities in India
D．the secret of becoming a millionaire through personal struggle
61．Why does the movie appeal to the writer?
A．It’s a typical story of the underdog who becomes a hero, which she admires most.
B．It’s an Oscar best movie that helps her understand the human nature.
C．It has an exciting and complicated plot that attracts her very much.
D．It reminds her of her experience in China and helps know about other Asian countries.
62．The writer wrote the passage to____________.
A．introduce a movie to readers and share her views about it.
B．persuade more viewers to go to the cinema to see the movie.
C．express her enthusiasm towards Asia and its culture.
D．reveal the true social reality in most developing countries.

Louis Armstrong had two famous nick names. Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag, Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
         Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet at a boy’s home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal.
In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity and warmth that caused many listeners to say, “Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6,1971, was headline news around the world.
51. Armstrong was called Pops because he         .        
A. showed an interest in music                 B. traveled to play modern music
C. looked like a musician                    D. was a musician of much influence
52. The third paragraph is developed         . 
A. by examples           B. by space        C. by time              D. by comparison
53. Which statement about Armstrong is true?
A. He learned popular music at a boy’s home.
B. His tale begins in New Orleans
C. He was born before jazz was invented.
D. His music was popular with his listeners. 
54. When did Armstrong begin his life of a musician?
A. In 1922.                                   
B. After he graduated from high school.
C. When he was taught to play the cornet at a boy’s home. 
D. When he was in his late teens.
55. Which would be the best title for the text?        
A. The Father of the Jazz Style           B. The Making of a Musician              
C. The Spread of Popular Music         D. The Invention of the Jazz Music     

It doesn't matter when or how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That's what all doctors thought, until they heard about Al Herpin. Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Al Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw Herpin sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They asked him many questions, hoping to find an answer. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure.
Al Herpin died at the age of 95. 
41.The main idea of this passage is that _______
A. everyone needs some sleep to stay alive
B. people can live longer by trying not to sleep
C. large numbers of people do not need sleep
D. a person was found who actually didn't need any sleep
42.The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting ______
A. to find out whether his sleeplessness was really true
B. to find out why some old people didn't need any sleep
C. to find a way to free people from the need of sleeping
D. to cure him of his sleeplessness
43. After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Al Herpin ____
A. needed no sleep at all              B. needed some kind of sleep     
C . was too old to need any sleep       D .often slept in a chair
44.One reason that might explain Herpin' s sleeplessness was ______
A. his mother's injury before he was born
B. his magnificent physical condition
C. that he had gradually got rid of the sleeping habit
D. that he hadn't got a bed
45.Al Herpin' s condition could be regarded as ______
A. a common one       B. very healthy     C. one that could be cured    D. a rare one

Lying in the sun on a rock, the cougar(美洲豹)saw Jeb and his son, Tom before they saw it. Jeb put his bag down quickly and pulled his jacket open with both hands, making himself look big to the cougar, It worked.  The cougar hesitated, ready to attack Jeb, but ready to forget the whole thing, too.
Jeb let go of his kacked, grasped Tom and held him across his body, making a cross.  Now the cougar’s enemy looked even bigger, and it rose up, ready to move away, but unfortunately Tom got scared and struggled free of Jeb.
“Tom, no” shouted his father.
But Tom broke and ran and that’s the last thing you do with a cougar.  The second Tom broke free; Jeb threw himself on the cougar, just as it jumped from the rock.  They hit each other in mid-air and both fell, The cougar was on Jeb in a flash, fotgeiting about Tom, which was what Jeb wanted.
Cougars are not as big as most people think and a determined man stands a chance, even with just his fists.  As the cougar’s claws(爪子)got into his left shoulder, Jeb swung his fist at its eyes and hit hard.  The animal howled（吼叫）and put its head back. Jeb followed up with his other fist.  Then out of the corner of his eye. Jeb saw Tom.  The boy was running back to help his father.
“Knife, Tom,” shouted Jeb.
The boy ran to his father’s bag, while Jeb started shouting as well as hitting, to keep the cougar’s attention away from Tom.  Tom got the knife and ran over to Jeb. The cougar was moving its head in and out, trying to find a way through the wall Jeb was making out of his arms.  Tom swung with the knife, into the cougar’s back.  It howled horribly and ran off into the mountains.
The whole fight had taken about thirty seconds.
52.  Why did Jeb pull his jacket open when he saw the cougar?
A.  To get ready to fight   B.  To frighten it away
C.  To protect the boy      D.  To cool down
53.  What do we know about cougars?
A.  They are afraid of noises      B.  They hesitate before they hit
C.  They are bigger than we think D.  They like to attack running people
54.  How did Jeb try to hold the cougar’s attention?
A.  By keeping shouting and hitting    B.  By making a wall out of his arms
C.  By throwing himself on the cougar D.  By swinging his fists at the cougar’s eyes
55. Which of the following happened first?
A.  The cougar jumped from the rock B.  Tom struggled free of his father
C.  Jeb asked Tom to get the knife     D.  Jeb held Tom across his body

When an ant dies, other ants move the dead insect out. Sometimes, the dead ant get moved away very soon—within an hour of dying. This behavior is interesting to scientists, who wonder how ants know for sure—and so soon—that another ant is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist. Choe found that Argentine ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I’m dead—take me away.”
But there’s a twist to Choe’s discovery. Choe says that the living ants—not just the dead ones —have this death chemical. In other words, while an ant crawls around, perhaps in a picnic or home, it’s telling other ants that it’s dead.
What keeps ants from dragging away the living ants? Choe found that Argentine ants have two additional chemicals on their bodies, and these tell nearby ants something like, “Wait—I’m not dead yet.” So Choe’s research turned up two sets of chemical signals in ants: one says, “I’m dead,” and the other set says, “I’m not dead yet.”
Other scientists have tried to figure out how ants know when another ant is dead. If an ant is knocked unconscious, for example, other ants leave it alone until it wakes up. That means ants know that unmoving ants can still be alive.
Choe suspects that when an Argentine ant dies, the chemical that says “Wait- I’m not dead yet” quickly goes away. Once that chemical is gone, only the one that says “I’m dead” is left. “It’s because the dead ant no longer smells like a living ant that it gets carried to the graveyard, not because its body releases new unique chemicals after death,” said Choe. When other ants detect the “dead” chemical without the “not dead yet” chemical, they drag away the body.
Understanding this behavior may help scientists figure out how to stop Argentine ants from invading new places and causing problems. Choe would like to find a way to use the newly discovered chemicals to spread ant killer to Argentine ant nests.
The ants’ removal behavior is important to the overall health of the nest. “Being able to quickly remove dead individuals and other possible sources of disease is extremely important to all animals living in societies, including us,” says Choe. “Think about all the effort and money that we invest daily in waste management.”
51. The underlined word “twist” in Paragraph 3 means _____.
A. an unexpected change                              B. a clear mistake
C. an important key                                        D. a shocking conclusion
52. Ants judge whether another one is dead or not depending on ______.
A. the sense of taste                                      B. the sense of smell
C. the sense of touch                                               D. the sense of sight
53. The result of the research can be used to ______.
A. kill troublesome pests
B. solve the problem of endangered species
C. prevent further expansion of the ants’ territory
D. keep the balance of nature
54. Why is it important to remove dead individuals?
A. Because it is easier to manage the living.
B. Because it can save money to deal with the waste.
C. Because it can provide more space for the living.
D. Because it can keep the living from suffering disease.
55. What might be the best title of the text?
A. Dead or living? It is easy to judge
B. Pulling away the dead ants is a difficult task
C. Ant nests have great undertaking capacity
D. Leaving it alone or taking it away? Ants feel puzzled