E
Many do-it-yourself homeowners are interested in
trying out solar power to leam about the technology and
perhaps to provide energy for limited-use applications．
There are a variety of ways to find cheap solar panels
（板）, including buying used and building your own
with factory seconds．Both methods will save money
while forcing you to learn the ins-and-outs of a solar
power array （陣列）．  
We've all seen solar-powered street signs or PV
panels being used for various purposes at remote locations．
When those units become cracked or chipped and are considered "unsafe", companies are forced to replace them, generally to avoid responsibility issues．Because it's difficult to get rid of PV panels, many companies, if approached, are willing to give them away or to sell them for modest prices．Depending on the degree of damage present, expect to see performance degradation （降級） in the range of 10% to 60%．A multimeter （萬用表） can be used to test the panel before buying．If the panel's free, take it anyway．It could still be useful in a home solar project．
A solar panel is really nothing but a box serving as a container for a large group of solar cells．Factory second solar cells are usually sold on eBay at a small part of their regular cost．The cells come in a variety of sizes．You will need to figure out how much power a single cell produces to determine how many will need to be wired together to form an array．
A simple search of the Internet will show numerous sites detailing home solar panel projects．Do-it-yourself lovers are generally quite generous in supply photographs of their work and description of what went wrong and right with the project．
Getting cheap solar panels with slight imperfections, either used or through sales of factory seconds, is a perfect solution for home-built renewable energy projects．The high number of solar lovers online provide a wealth of useful information．Only limited skills are required, plus an understanding of the basic wiring involved．All are well within the talents of almost any home handyman．Beyond the satisfaction of having completed the project, you'll come away with a functional solar panel that will be a source of power for use around the house or at remote locations．
Solar energy systems are quickly becoming more popular with homeowners as prices continue to decline．
72．The author writes the passage to introduce ____．
A．ways of finding cheap solar panels B．ways of saving energy
C．a(chǎn) way of making a solar panel     D．a(chǎn) home-built energy system
73．What does the phrase "factory seconds" in the passage refer to?
A．Second-hand factory products．  B．Cheap but perfect factory products
C．Faulty factory solar cells．        D．The second best factory solar cells
74．From Paragraph 5, we can learn about home-built energy projects that ____．
A．none of them are beyond home handymen
B．a(chǎn) lot of useful information is available on the Internet
C．a(chǎn) perfect solution is to get cheap and perfect solar panels
D．understanding electrical wiring is not necessarily needed
75．What is the author's attitude towards the future of solar energy systems?
A．Optimistic．  B．Pessimistic.      C．Indifferent．         D．Doubtful

On a good night when there is no Moon and the air is clear, only up to 4,000 or so stars can be seen by the unaided eye. From ancient times star – watchers have tried to bring some order into the sky by fitting the stars into patterns. The constellations (星座) to which names were given.
Observation of the night sky every few hours shows that in the northern hemisphere(半球) the stars appear to turn anticlockwise (逆時針方向) about a point near the Pole Star. As they turn, the stars keep the same positions in relation to each other, and in fact the appearance of the constellations has changed very little over the centuries. Like the Sun and Moon, the stars have a daily journey across the sky, rising upwards in the east and setting in the west – due to the Earth’s daily spin. The Circumpolar Stars, those near the Pole Star, are an exception to this; they are so close to the pole that they never disappear below the horizon (地平線) Although the stars always rise in the same places they do not do so at the same time every day. They rise about 4 minutes earlier each day since the Earth is progressing in its orbit around the Sun; in almost but not exactly a year they again rise and set at the same time. If a certain star is seen to rise in the east exactly when the Sun sets on a particular day, a few weeks later it will be seen well above the eastern horizon at sunset.
58．Which do you think is the best title of the passage above?
A．The Earth, the Moon and the Stars.       B．Motion of the Stars.
C．How to Watch the Stars.                       D．Appearance of the Stars.

E
Could we "terraform" Mars —that is, change its frozen, thin-aired surface into something more friendly and Earthlike? Should we? The first question has a clear answer: Yes, we probably could．Spacecraft, including the ones now exploring Mars, have found evidence that it was warm in its youth, with rivers flowing into vast seas．And right here on Earth, we've learned how to warm a planet: just add greenhouse gases to its atmosphere．Much of the CO₂ that once warmed Mars is probably still there, in frozen dirt and polar ice caps, and so is the water．
Most of the work in terraforming, says NASA scientist Chris Mackay, would be done by life itself． "You don't build Mars," Mackay says．"You just warm it up and throw some seeds．" Powerful greenhouse gases could be produced from elements in dirt and air on Mars and blown into the atmosphere; by warming the planet, they would release the frozen CO₂, which would quicken the warming and increase atmospheric pressure to the point where liquid water could flow．Meanwhile, says botanist James Graham of the University of Wisconsin, human settlers could seed the red rock with a succession （系列） of ecosystems ?first bacteria and lichens （地衣）, which survive in Antarctica, later mosses （苔蘚）, and after one thousand years or so, redwoods．Getting breathable oxygen levels out of those forests, though, could take thousands of years．
However, Mars is in no immediate danger．Some space scientists recently recommended going to the moon or an asteroid （小行星） first, and pointed out the space agency lacks the funds to go anywhere．It didn't estimate the cost of gardening a dead planet．
72．What is the most essential to make Mars fit for living?
A．Turn ice into flowing water．          B．Clean the dirty atmosphere．
C．Make the atmosphere more suitable．    D．Go to the moon or an asteroid first．
73．What does the author think of the idea ofterraforming Mars?
A．We could do it．                            B．We couldn't do it．
C．We should do it．                           D．We shouldn't do it．
74．In the botanist's opinion, man needs to __________.
A．enable Mars to clean its atmosphere
B．build a greenhouse on Mars
C．send some people to settle on Mars
D．cultivate ecosystems from lower to higher life form
75．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Making Mars the New Earth．           B．A Good Way to Change the Universe
C．Humans' Great Power．                     D．Terrible Science and Technology．

Wind is the movement of air from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure. In fact, wind exists because the sun unequally heats the surface of the Earth. As hot air rises, cooler air moves in to fill the gap. As long as the sun shines, the wind will blow. And as long as the wind blows, people will manage it to power their lives.
Ancient sailors used sails to capture the wind and explore the world. Farmers once used windmills to grind their grains and pump water. Today, more and more people are using wind turbines to make electricity from the breeze. Over the past decade, wind turbine use has increased at more than 25 percent a year. Still, it only provides a small part of the world's energy.
Most wind energy comes from turbines that can be as tall as a 20-story building and have three 200-foot-long (60-meter-long) blades. These devices look like giant airplane propellers(螺槳)on a stick. The wind spins the blades, which turn a shaft connected to a generator.
The biggest wind turbines generate enough electricity to supply about 600 U.S. homes. Wind farms have tens and sometimes hundreds of these turbines lined up together in particularly windy spots, like along a ridge. Smaller turbines set up in a backyard can produce enough electricity for a single home or small business.
Wind is a clean source of renewable energy that produces no air or water pollution. And since the wind is free, operational costs are nearly zero once a turbine is erected. Mass production and technology advances are making turbines cheaper, and many governments decrease tax to encourage wind-energy development.
Some people think wind turbines are ugly and complain about the noise the machines make. The slowly rotating blades(螺旋風片) can also kill birds and bats, but not nearly as many as cars, power lines, and high-rise buildings do. The wind is also changeable: If it's not blowing, there's no electricity generated.
Nevertheless, the wind energy industry is increasing sharply. Globally, generation more than quadrupled(四倍) between 2000 and 2006. At the end of last year, global capacity was more than 70,000 megawatts. In the energy-hungry United States, a single megawatt is enough electricity to power about 250 homes. Germany has the most installed wind energy capacity, followed by Spain, the United States, India, and Denmark. Development is also fast growing in France and China.
Industry experts predict that if this pace of growth continues, by 2050 the answer to one third of the world's electricity needs will be found blowing in the wind
63. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. The rotating blades can kill as many birds as high-rise buildings do
B. Single families are not encouraged to build turbines.
C. The USA produces more wind power than any other country in the world.
D. The noise the turbines make may discourage people from building them.
64. The underlined word “generator” in the third paragraph probably means_______.
A. 電動機                       B. 發(fā)電機                          C. 機翼                               D. 飛機引擎
65. If the USA wants to build wind turbines in an area with 30,000 homes, how many
should they build at least?
A. 50.                                    B. 150.                                 C. 250.                                 D. 200.
66. All the following are the advantages of wind energy EXCEPT that_________.
A. it is environmentally friendly                                   B. it is free to build and operate
C. the government supports it                                              D. the energy is clean and renewable

B
People all over the world today are beginning to hear and learn more and more about the problem of pollution. Pollution is caused either by man's release of completely new and often artificial substances into the environment, or by releasing greatly increased amounts of a natural substance , such as oil tankers into the sea．
The whole industrial process which makes many of the goods and machines we need and use in our daily lives, is bound to create a number of waste products which upset the environmental balance, or the ecological balance as it is also known. Many of these waste products can be prevented or disposed of sensibly, but clearly while more and more new and complex goods are produce there will be new, dangerous wastes to be disposed of, for example, the waste products from nuclear power stations. Many people, therefore, see pollution as only part of a larger and more complex problem, that is, the whole process of industrial production and consumption of goods. Others again see the problem mainly in connection with agriculture, where new methods are helping farmers grow more and more on their land to feed our ever-increasing populations. However, the land itself is gradually becoming worn out as it is being used in some cases, too heavily, and artificial fertilizer cannot restore the balance.
Whatever its underlying reasons, there is no doubt that much of the pollution caused could be controlled if only companies, individuals and governments would make more efforts. In the home there is an obvious need to control litter and waste. Food comes wrapped up three or four times in packages that all have to be disposed of; drinks are increasingly sold in bottles or tins which cannot be reused． This not only causes a litter problem, but also is a great waste of resources, in term of glass, metals and paper. Advertising has helped this process by persuading many of us not only to buy things we neither want nor need, but also to throw away much of what we do buy. Pollution and waste combine to be a problem everyone can help to solve by cutting out unnecessary buying ,excess consumption and careless disposal of the products we use in our daily lives.
45．The underlined phrase “disposed of ”in the second paragraph means_______.
A． dealt with               B． exposed 
C． disapproved of           D． collected
46． In the writer’s view ,the more new goods, _______.
A． the less pollution             
B． the harder pollution can be prevented
C． the more pollution there will be
D． the more easily pollution can be controlled
47．What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A． We can do much to reduce pollution.
B． The government is trying hard to stop pollution.
C． Individuals know how to get rid of the habit of littering everywhere.
D． We can’t stop buying unnecessary things.
48． People can help solve the problem of pollution by _______.
A． urging their governments to control litter and waste
B． making anti-pollution advertisements
C． cutting down the use of oil and other oil products
D． reducing unnecessary buying, over-consumption and careless disposal of wastes

C
Can you imagine a catfish bigger than a boy? There are more than 1，000 kinds of catfish；28 species are found in the United States' lakes and rivers． This huge family has some mighty strange members. Let's meet a few.
Walking catfish．Nature's feisty little catfish，found in southern Florida，has an extra lung for breathing on dry land. When its swimming hole dries up，the walking catfish waddles on stiff forward fins in search of another lake or stream．If an enemy attacks，the fish flares（展開）its top and front fins and leaps at the attacker to scare it off．
Armored catfish．This catfish has heavy，bony plates protecting its body. The shell makes the fish difficult to bone. To cook it，throw the fish whole into a fire. When it is done，break it open for eating．Some armored catfish are found in Florida，but the 100-pounders live in South America．
Rounding out the family of strange catfish are talking catfish，which make growing sound when you pull them from the water；climbing catfish，which move quickly up shore brush in search of food；electric catfish，which can deliver a mild shock；and blind catfish，which settle in the inky blackness of underwater caves．Blind catfish find food through taste buds in their eight whiskers（須）．
Most catfish have four whiskers on the upper jaw and four on the lower jaw. Sensory holes on these whiskers help the fish smell and taste food even in the muddiest of water．The United States does not have catfish anywhere near the size of those in South America．But in some large U.S，rivers，blue and flathead catties do top 100 pounds．
Most of the catfish you are likely to catch will be much smaller，about frying pan size．When you catch one，remember that the top fins and the forward fins have poison glands（腺）at their bases. They can give you painful wounds （…）
63．The purpose of the passage is to___________．
A．encourage readers to go fishing for catfish
B．inform readers of the world's largest catfish
C．describe the unusual characteristics of catfish
D．explain different ways to catch a variety of catfish
64．The author talks about the way of cooking an armored catfish to show that
A．it has heavy and bony plates        B．it's hard to cook and eat
C．it has too many bones      D．it's poisonous inside
65．Which is NOT mentioned about catfish in the passage?
A．Its eating habits．                                    B．Its living conditions． 
C．Its whiskers．                                 D．Its size
66．What may be continued in the last paragraph?
A．The author's love for catfish．     B．Where else to catch a catfish．
C．The origin of the name “catfish”    D．The safest way to handle catfish

         Scientists have devised（發(fā)明） a way to determine roughly where a person has lived using a strand of hair, a technique that could help track the movements of criminal suspects or unidentified murder victims.
The method relies on measuring how chemical variations in drinking water show up in people’s hair.
“You’re what you eat and drink, and that’s recorded in your hair,” said Thure Cerling, a geologist at the University of Utah.
While U.S. diet is relatively identical（同一的）, water supplies vary. The differences result from weather patterns. The chemical composition of rainfall changes slightly as rain clouds move.
Most hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are stable, but traces of both elements are also
present as heavier isotopes. The heaviest rain falls first. As a result, storms that form over
the Pacific deliver heavier water to California than to Utah.
Similar patterns exist throughout the U.S. By measuring the proportion of heavier hydrogen and oxygen isotopes（同位素） along a strand of hair, scientists can construct a geographic timeline. Each inch of hair corresponds（相當） to about two months.
Cerling’s team collected tap water samples from 600 cities and constructed a map of the regional differences. They checked the accuracy of the map by testing 200 hair samples collected from 65 barber shops.
They were able to accurately place the hair samples in broad regions roughly corresponding to the movement of rain systems.
“It’s not good for pinpointing（精確）,” Cerling said. “It’s good for eliminating many possibilities.”
Told Park, a local detective, said the method has helped him learn more about an unidentified woman whose skeleton was found near Great Salt Lake.
The woman was 5 feet tall. Police recovered 26 bones, a T-shirt and several strands of hair.
When Park heard about the research, he gave the hair samples to the researchers. Chemical testing showed that over the two years before her death, she moved about every two months.
She stayed in the Northwest, although the test could not be more specific than somewhere between eastern Oregon and western Wyoming.
“It’s still a substantial area,” Park said,  “But it narrows it way down for me”.
72. What is the scientists’ new discovery?
A. One’s hair growth has to do with the amount of water they drink.
B. A person’s hair may reveal where they have lived.
C. Hair analysis accurately identifies criminal suspects.
D. The chemical composition of hair varies from person to person.
73. What does the author mean by “You’re what you eat and drink” (Line 1, Para.3)?
A. Food and drink affect one’s personality development.        
B. Food and drink preferences vary with individuals.
C. Food and drink leave traces in one’s body tissues（組織）.           
D. Food and drink are similar to one’s existence.
74. What did Cerling’s team produce in their research?
A. A map showing the regional differences of tap water.        
B. A collection of hair samples from various barber shops.
C. A method to measure the amount of water in human hair.      
D. A chart illustrating the movement of the rain system.
75. What is the practical value of Cerling’s research?
A. It helps analyze the quality of water in different regions.
B. It helps the police determine where a crime is committed.
C. It helps the police narrow down possibilities in detective work.
D. It helps identify the drinking habits of the person under investigation.

　　When did you last see a polar bear? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group, this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
　　Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system(循環(huán)系統(tǒng)) because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
　　The main benefits(or advantages) of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says. "When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."
51. The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that_____ .
　A. they should be easy to make friends with
　B. they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months
　C. they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February
　D. they must reach the age of 60
52. Doctors _____ .
　A. encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively
　B. point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming
　C. believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer
　D. have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming
53. According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that _____ .
　A. you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue
　B. cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter
　C. cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high
　D. Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water
54. The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round, for _____ .
　A. they can remain young   B. it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter
　C. they find it enjoyable and interesting D. they might meet fewer troubles in life
55. The passage is mainly about _____ .
a group of cold-water swimming lovers                  B. the polar bears' life  
　C. doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming            D. the requirements of the Polar Bear Club

B
A mosquito is an insect that is found all over the world．There are thousands of different kinds of mosquitoes in many different sizes and colors．The female mosquito needs blood from vertebrates （脊椎動物）to lay eggs and produce more mosquitoes．She has a special part of her mouth that she uses to suck blood，and her saliva（spit）thins the blood so she can drink it．In fact．It’s the mosquito’s saliva that makes the bites itch（癢）!
A person who gets bitten by a mosquito will notice a wheal，which is a bump around the bite．
The wheal will be round，with pink or red around the edge and white in the middle．The wheal will
itch a lot．Soon the wheal will disappear, but the itch will stay．
If you’ve been bitten by a mosquito，wash the bite with soap and water．Put on some calamine lotion to help stop the itching，or an adult can find an anti-itch cream at the drugstore for you．Placing an ice pack on the bite may also help．Tell an adult you’ve been bitten by a mosquito，especially if you live in the eastern United States．But if you develop an allergic reaction and feel dizzy or sick，tell a doctor immediately．He can treat allergic reactions with sole medicine．
The best way to avoid mosquito bites is to wear an insect repellent．Repellents that include one of these ingredients are best：BEET and lemon eucalyptus．Ask a parent to help you apply them．
Since mosquitoes lay their eggs in water，it’s also a good idea to empty out buckets，flower pots，toys and other things in your yard that may have collected water during a rainstorm．And when it’s possible，you’d better wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to keep mosquitoes away from your skin．
60．What makes you itch after the mosquitoes’bites?
A．A bump around the bite．          B．The mosquito’s saliva．
C．Some calamine lotion．             D．An antic-itch cream．
61．The underlined word“wheal”（Paragraph 2）is closest in meaning to________．
A．a(chǎn) small mouth that can prevent an insect
B．a(chǎn) small mark after an insect bite that usually itches
C．a(chǎn)n illness after an insect bite that always spreads nearby   
D．a(chǎn)n illness from mosquitoes’ bites and other pollution diseases
62．Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A．There are thousands of mosquitoes in the same sizes and colors．
B．The wheal will never disappear forever but the itch will disappear soon．
C．Ask a doctor for some medicine if you develop an allergic reaction for the bite．
D．Ask a parent for an insect repellent if you see mosquitoes laying their eggs in water．

D
   A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below l6℃. Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover，these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere，warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns，potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.
In the past hundred years，humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources（資源）：land for crops，wood for paper and other products，land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example，a lot of carbon dioxide（二氧化碳）in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.
       There are two main reasons for this. Firstly，when people cut down trees，generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly，cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now，but in the long run it actually reduces the world’s wood supply.
   Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25％ of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However，fewer than l％ of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world’s shrinking rainforests.
57. Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they_____________
       A. reflect more heat into the atmosphere
B. bring about high rainfall throughout the world
       C. rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than l6℃
       D. reduce the effect of heat from the sun on the earth
58. What does the word “this” underlined in the third paragraph refer to?
       A. We will lose much more than we can gain.
B. Humans have begun destroying rainforests.
       C. People have a strong desire for resources.
       D. Much carbon dioxide comes from burning rainforests.
59. It can be inferred from the text that          .
       A. we can get enough resources without rainforests
    B. there is great medicine potential in rainforests
       C. we will grow fewer kinds of crops in the gained land
       D. the level of annual rainfall affects wind patterns
60. What might be the best title for the text?
       A. How to Save Rainforests         B. How to Protect Nature
    C. Rainforests and the Environment    D. Rainforests and Medical Development