Toyota recalls cars in safety alert.
Toyota is recalling more than two million cars in thief fears of sticking accelerator pedals, (踏板) just months after another major problem affected huge numbers.
The latest recall is due to potential problems with the pedal device that can cause the accelerator to become stuck.
The earlier issue affected 4.2m vehicles which we at the risk of the pedal becoming trapped under floor mats.
This time Toyota said in rare cases, the pedal mechanism were down, causing the accelerator to become harder to press, slower to return or, in some cases, stuck
It's said the problem appeared to be related to the potential build-up of condensation (壓縮) on sliding surfaces in the accelerator system that helps drivers push down or release the pedal. A spokesman said the company did not yet have a solution to the latest problem but is working on it.
The recall affects the 2009-2010 RAV4, the 2009-2010 Corolla, the 2009-2010 Matrix, the 2005-2010 Avalon, the 2007-2010 Camry, the 2010 Highlander, the 2007-2010 Tundra and the 2008-2010 Sequoia. Of these, the Avalon, Camry and Tundra models -- encompassing (包含) about 1.7 million vehicles -- were also included in the previous pedal recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a statement that the problem is "a serious safety issue and we are pleased Toyota is taking immediate action to address it".
Toyota said drivers in the recalled vehicles whose pedals become stuck should firmly apply their brakes, drive the car to a safe location, shut off the engine and contact the nearest dealer.
Toyota's latest recall in November was blamed for several crashes, including an accident involving a Lexus that accelerated to more than 120 mph before crashing in San Diego, killing four people.
1. Why is Toyota recalling so many ears in the US?
A. To reduce price                                B. To reduce pollution   
C. for the sake of safety                   D. For the sake of economy
2. Which statement is true according to the passage?
A. It's the first time for Toyota to recall cars
B. The reason of the latest recall is different from that of the earlier one
C. The Toyota company has found a good solution to the problem.
D. The recall only affects the cars made between 2009-2010
3. What shouldn't the driver in the recalled vehicles whose pedals get stuck do?
A. Turn on the car engine          B. Get in touch with the nearest dealers immediately
C. Drive the ear to a safe location immediately          D. Firmly apply their brakes
4. What can we infer from the The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's statement?
A. It's too dangerous for the company to recall the cars
B. It's a waste of money for the company to recall the cars
C. It's not hard to solve the safety problem.
D. It's a relief to see that the company can face the problem.

Though it is mere 1 to 3 percent of the population,the upper class possesses at least 25 percent of the nation’s wealth.This class has two segments:upper-upper and lower- upper.Basically,the upper-upper class is the“old rich”-families that have been wealthy for several generations-an aristocracy of birth and wealth.Their names are in the Social Register,a listing of acceptable members of high society.A few are known across the nation,such as the Rockefellers,Roosevelts,and Vanderbilts.Most are not visible to the general public.They live in grand seclusion(深居簡(jiǎn)出),drawing their income from the investment of their inherited wealth.In contrast,the lower-upper class is the“new rich”. Although they may be wealthier than some of the old rich,the new rich are anxious to make their money like everybody else lower than their class.Thus their prestige(威望) is generally lower than that of the old rich,who have not found it necessary to lift a finger to make their money,and who tend to look down upon the new rich.
However its wealth is acquired,the upper class is very,very rich.They have enough money and leisure time to cultivate an interest in the arts and to collect rare books, paintings,and sculptures.They generally live in exclusive areas,belong to exclusive social clubs,communicate with each other,and marry their own kind-all of which keeps them so distant from the common people that they have been called the out-of-fight class.More than any other class,they tend to be conscious of being members of a class.They also command an enormous amount of power and influence here and abroad,as they hold many top government positions,run the Council on Foreign Relations,and control multinational corporations.Their actions affect the life of millions.
【小題1】
According to the author,the“old rich”get riche_________.

There is that great idea that in an information and knowledge based economy, the most important thing for companies is attracting and holding outstanding talented guys. Obviously I will not say that is not important, but in my opinion a successful and groundbreaking company cannot be built just from the collection of high talented people, as a great sports team can't be constructed only by the collection of great players.
It is more important to build teams of people that achieve the goals according to the company's organizational vision. It is necessary to create organizations where everybody (with outstanding talent or not) can develop their best personal capabilities and that these capacities are addressed to achieve the corporate goals and mission. The company efforts must be addressed to design an organizational system that produces and uses talent from everyone in the company.
Trying to get the best from our people through corporate team building policies, establishing a concrete corporate culture and values, making our company a place where people want to work because it is a good place to stay and develop their capacities, is the best way to compete in the knowledge economy. That will keep us out of the obligation to constantly seek for the "best players" and entering in the retribution auctions(拍賣).
We have to take into account that, nowadays, the real talented and creative people, like to work or engage themselves in projects where they can develop their capacities, they can be involved in the organizational goals and vision, and where they are treated with respect and dignity. Definitively, they want to be happy doing their jobs. And we have to build organizations where they can find that.
【小題1】
The underlined word that in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.

British researchers are looking for volunteers willing to eat a piece of chocolate daily for a year in the name of science. The trial(實(shí)驗(yàn)) will explore whether flavonoids (類黃酮) found in chocolate and other foods can reduce the risk of heart disease.
“We are looking at a high risk group first,” said Aedin Cassidy, a biochemist who will lead the study.
Previous studies have suggested dark chocolate is rich in the beneficial flavonoids linked with heart health, but experts note the high sugar and fat content of most commercially available chocolate might cancel out some of the advantages. Other research has also shown dark chocolate appears to lower blood pressure, improve the function of blood vessels (血管)and reduce the risk of heart attack.
This has encouraged companies to market specific products containing dark chocolate. Mars Inc has introduced Cocoa Via, a line of dark and premium chocolates that plays up such health advantages.
Cassidy said her team will also publish findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showing that flavonoids found in soy and cocoa appear to have the strongest effects of reducing risk of heart disease.
The next step will organize 150 women volunteers with a specific illness. The researchers will look at whether flavonoids help reduce blood pressure, cut cholesterol levels and improve the condition of blood vessels.
Half the women in the year-long study will eat chocolate containing 30 grams of flavonoids found in soy, cocoa and other fruits and vegetables. The others will get chocolate without the active flavonoids.
“This could help doctors give advice to patients on the type and amount of foods to eat to reduce heart disease risk—and it does not necessarily need to be chocolate,” Cassidy said. “If this trial works we will be able to advise on a whole range of foods. People won't have to go around eating specially designed chocolate.”
1. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Volunteers wanted for chocolate study.           B. Chocolate is good for health.
C. A new research on heart attacks.                 D. Flavonoids found in chocolate.
2. What’s the purpose of the trial?
A. To test the advantages of a new kind of chocolate.
B. To find cures for heart disease.
C. To discover how to control blood pressure.
D. To explore the advantages of flavonoids.
3. From Paragraph 3 we can infer that __________.
A. Cassidy’s team has done several studies on chocolate
B. dark chocolate has proved beneficial to health
C. people should eat much chocolate with high sugar and fat
D. most commercially available chocolate doesn’t contain flavonoids
4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. All the volunteers will eat the same chocolate.
B. CocoaVia is a company that produces dark chocolate.
C. People who want to take part in the trial should be healthy.
D. Soy, cocoa, some fruit and vegetables contain flavonoids.

Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand and remember．Churchill warned the British to expect “blood, toil, tears and sweat”; Roosevelt told the Americans that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”; Lenin promised the war-weary Russians peace, land and bread．Straightforward but effective messages．
We have an image of what a leader ought to be．We even recognize the physical signs; leaders may not necessarily be tall, but they must have bigger-than-life, commanding features －- Lyndon Baines Johnson’s nose and ear lobes, Ike’s broad grin．A trade-mark also comes in handy; Lincoln’s stovepipe hat, Kennedy’s rocking chair．We expect our leaders to stand out a little, not to be like an ordinary man．Half of President Ford’s trouble lay on the fact that, if you closed your eyes for a moment, you couldn’t remember his face, figure of clothes．A leader should have an unforgettable identity, instantly and permanently fixed in people’s minds．
It also helps for a leader to be able to do something most of us can’t: FDR overcame polio; Mao swam the Yangtze River at the age of 72. We don’t want our leaders to be "just like us." We want them to be like us but better, special more so. Yet if they are too different, we reject them.
A Chinese philosopher once remarked that a leader must have the grace of a good dancer, and there is a great deal of wisdom to this. A leader should know how to appear relaxed and confident. His walks should be firm and purposeful. He should be able, like Lincoln, Roosevelt, Truman, Lke and JFK, to give a good, hearty, belly laugh, instead of the sickly grin that passes for good humor in Nixon or Carter. Ronald Reagan’s training as an actor showed to good effect in the debate with Carter, when by his easy manner and apparent affability, he managed to convey the impression that in fact he was the president and Carter the challenger.
The every simple truth about leadership is that people can only be led where they want to go. The leader follows, though a step ahead. Americans wanted to climb out of the Depression and needed someone to tell them they could do it, and Roosevelt did. The British believed that they could still win the war after the defeats of 1940, and Churchill told them they were right.
A leader rides the waves, moves with the tides, understands the deepest yearning of his people. He cannot make a nation that wants peace at any price go to war, or stop a nation determined to fight from doing so. His purpose must match the national mood.
1．The underlined word “yearning” in the last paragraph probably means_________.
A．love  B．trouble     C．desire       D．feeling
2．From the fourth paragraph we can learn that_________.
A．leaders usually look special or different
B．leaders don’t have to be tall
C．most leaders look ordinary
D．leaders should always have trademarks
3．According to the article, a leader_________.
A．usually tries to simplify our messages
B．tell us what we want to hear
C．encourages us to think about things in a new way
D．is usually confident and handsome
4．From the passage we can infer that          .
A．it helps for a leader to be able to dance or act well
B．great leaders are usually totally different from us
C．Carter was humorous and made good speeches
D．it is the people rather than the president that makes what a nation is
5．Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A．Want to be a leader?
B．What makes a leader?
C．What does a leader look like?
D．What must a leader do?

Japan's post-World War II value system of diligence, cooperation, and hard work is changing. Recent surveys show that Japanese youth have become a "Me Generation" that rejects traditional values.
"Many Japanese, especially young people, abandoned the values of economic success and began searching for new sets of values to bring them happiness," writes sociologist Yasuhiro Yoshizaki in Comparative Civilizations Review. Japanese youth are placing more importance on the individual's pursuit of happiness and less on the values of work, family, and society. Japanese students seem to be losing patience with work, unlike their counterparts in the United States and Korea. In a recent survey of college students in the three countries, only 10% of the Japanese regarded work as a primary value, compared with 47% of their Korean counterparts and 27% of American students. A greater proportion of Japanese aged 18 to 24 also preferred easy jobs without heavy responsibility.
Concern for family values is waning among younger Japanese as they pursue an inner world of private satisfaction. Data collected by the Japanese government in 2005 shows that only 23% of Japanese youth are thinking about supporting their aged parents, in contrast to 63% of young Americans. It appears that many younger-generation Japanese are losing both respect for their parents and a sense of responsibility to the family. Author Yoshizaki attributes the change to Japanese parents' over-indulgence of their children, material affluence, and growing concern for private matters.
The shift toward individualism among Japanese is most pronounced among the very young. According to 2003 data from the Seimei Hoken Bunka Center of Japan, 75% of Japanese youth aged 16 to 19 can be labeled "self-centered", compared with 53% among those aged 25 to 29. To earn the self-centered label, the young people responded positively to such ideas as "I would like to make decisions without considering traditional values" and "I don't want to do anything I can't enjoy doing".
Diminishing social responsibility, according to Yoshizaki, is tied to the growing interest in pleasure and personal satisfaction. Yoshizaki concludes that the entire value system of Japanese youth is undergoing major transformation, but the younger generation has not yet found a new organized value system to replace the old.
1. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “waning” in paragraph 3?
A. becoming less          B. increasing      C. missing         D. becoming popular
2. What is Yoshizaki’s attitude towards most Japanese parents’ way of parenting?
A. Supportive      B. Negative        C. Satisfied        D. Worried
3. What might be one of the possible reasons of Japanese young people’s change?
A. World War II leaves such a heavy impact on them that they have lost the interest of work.
B. Most of them are the only child at home so they don’t need to work hard.
C. Japanese younger generation place too much emphasis on personal satisfaction and interest now.
D. Most of the younger generation lose the confidence in their own country so they don’t work hard.
4. Why do we say that Japanese youth have become a “Me Generation”?
a. Because they don’t regard a better education a pride.
b. Because a greater proportion of Japanese young people prefer easy jobs without heavy       responsibility.
c. Because most of the teenagers become self-centered according to the 2003 survey.
d. Because only 10% of the Japanese young people regard work as a primary value.
A. a            B. a, b                  C. b, d           D. b, c, d
5. According to the survey, which country’s young people work harder?
A. Japanese          B. Korean              C. American         D. Chinese

III 閱讀（共兩節(jié)，滿分40分）
第一節(jié) 閱讀理解（共15小題；每小題2分，滿分30分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給A、B、C和D項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
Advertising in America offers some great advantages to consumers. For example, in order to keep prices low through mass production, companies must have a mass market for their products. Mass advertising creates mass markets. Producers cannot afford to develop new products, put them on the market and wait for customers to discover them. This would take too long. Demand for some products must be created. This is done through advertising.
　　But advertising sometimes makes it difficult for consumers to make wise decisions. The fact is that when people are constantly flooded with messages through the mass media persuading them to buy particular products, many respond by buying them.
　　Advertising is designed to influence an individual to buy a product. Sellers often study human behavior to discover what will convince consumers to buy a certain item. This reason for buying is called a buying motive.
　　Buying motives are usually broken down into two categories: rational and emotional. Rational buying motives include the desire to save money, the desire for comfort, or the desire for good workmanship. Emotional buying motives include buying out of fear, wanting to be liked, and wanting to have something better than your friends have.
　　Emotional appeals are found in most consumer advertising today. Certain cars promise to make the driver feel "younger" and " freer". Shoes promise to make the buyer's whole life "springier". Life insurance policies promise to take the "care out of living".
　　Most consumers believe that they are not easily influenced by emotional appeals. However, corporations that sell consumer products obviously think differently. They spend many millions of dollars every day on radio, television, newspaper and magazine ads that use these appeals.　　
1. It can be inferred from the passage that one of the advantages of advertising for consumers is that ________.
A. it can create a big demand for consumer goods
B. the mass market created by it leads to low prices
　C. producers can introduce new products to consumers
　D. it helps consumers discover new products
2. Consumers sometimes find it difficult to make a sensible decision when buying a particular product     because __________ .
　A. many advertisements are too difficult for them to understand
　B. they are afraid to be taken in by dishonest advertisements
　C. mass advertising offers them a range of good and cheap products
　D. they are confused by the quantity of advertisements promoting it
3. According to the passage, a toothpaste ad promising that people who use the product will make a lot of friends is an example of an ad that appeals to __________ .
　A. rational buying motives                              B. the consumer's commonsense
　C. emotional buying motives                         　D. the desire for a good product
4. The reason why companies spend enormous amounts of money on advertising is that ________ .
　A. they believe people can be influenced to buy a certain produce
B. it takes a lot of advertising to convince people to buy a certain product
　C. most consumers are not easily influenced by emotional appeals
　D. advertising based on emotional appeals are very effective
5. The best title for this passage would be ________ .
　A. Advertising can create demand                  　B. The advantages of advertising
　C. What effective advertising can do              　D. The role of advertising in selling products

Poorer children would be offered the chance to attend lessons on Saturday to help catch up with their middle class peers (同齡人), the shadow schools secretary, Michael Gove, said today. The Conservatives would give English state schools the freedom to choose to have longer teaching hours and extra classes at the weekend, he told the Association of Teachers and Lecturers’ annual conference.?
Gove said the move would help to close the achievement gap with richer children whose parents could afford extras such as tutoring and music lessons.?
He told delegates (代表) in Manchester: “For children who come from homes where parents don’t have the resources to provide additional stretch and cultural experiences, there are benefits in having those children in the learning environment, in school, for longer.”?
“Parents would love to have schools starting earlier in some circumstances, and certainly going on later in the afternoon, given the reality of their working lives,” he said. He held up the example of Kipp (Knowledge is Power Program) schools in the US, which are often based in the poorest communities and open from 7:30 am to 5pm on weekdays, plus Saturdays.?
But it would be up to schools to decide to offer longer hours, Gove added. ?
Parents said Saturday classes could become a “badge of dishonor” if pupils were forced to go, while teachers raised concerns about their workload.?
Margaret Morrissey, of Parents Outloud, said: “I think the suggestion the government made about one-to-one teaching for these kids would be a more preferable way of improving these children’s performance. I’m just not sure whether taking away a child at weekends is actually going to make them cleverer in the week.”?
The ATL’s general secretary, Mary Bousted, said: “If we want Saturday schools, then we need more teachers doing the extra hours, not the same teachers working longer.”?
51. The program is intended for children____________. ?
A. who are from middle-class families?
B. whose parents can’t afford extra help ?
C. who perform poorly academically ?
D. whose weekends are mostly unoccupied
52. “Additional stretch” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to_________.?
A. music lessons
B. physical relaxation ?
C. entertainment activities?
D. out-of-school improvement
53. Why did Gove mention Kipp schools in the US? ?
A. To make a comparison.?
B. To introduce a new program.?
C. To seek supportive evidence.?
D. To prove his program is better.
54. What is Margaret Morrissey’s opinion about the new program? ?
A. Favorable.          B. Doubtful.           C. Optimistic.         D. Acceptable.
55. Which of the following is true??
A. Teachers may not like the program. ?B. Schools are trying to make profits.?
C. The program is already under way.  D. The program is popular with children.

A new study warns that about thirty percent of the world’S people may not have enough  water by the year 2025．
A private American organization called Population Action International did the new  study．It says more than 335 million people lack enough water now．The people live in 28  countries．Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East．
P—A—I researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025，about 3，000 million people may lack water．At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems．The
demand for water keeps increasing．Yet the amount of water on Earth stays the same．
Mr．Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than ini other parts of the world．He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase．
The  report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems．It may increase health problems．Lack of water often means drinking waters not safe．Mr．Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases，such as cholera。
which are carried in water．Lack of water may also result in more international conflict．Countries may have to compete for water in the future．Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries．This is true of Egypt，the Netherlands，Cambodia，Syria，Sudan，and Iraq．And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies．This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning．
The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem．One way，it says，is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose．Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water．A third way is to use less water of agriculture．
The report also says long--term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth．It says countries cannot provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have．
1．The first four paragraphs mainly tell us__________
A．the fact of the global lack of water
B．the importance of water resources
C．the seriousness of water shortage
D．the study of the global water condition
2．Which of the following problems is NOT true according to the passage?
A．It may bring about a lot of health problems．
B．It may result in more international conflict．
C．It may lead to the improvement of new industries．
D．It may influence the development of the economies．
3．Which of the following is the way to solve water problem in the long run?
A．To use water in a variety of ways
B．To become aware of the water problem
C．To reduce the use of agricultural water 。
D．To limit the rising birthrate of the earth
4．Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
A．①②③→④⑤→⑥⑦
B．①②③④→⑤→⑥⑦
C．①②③④→⑤⑥→⑦
D．①②③→④→⑤→⑥⑦

第三部分閱讀理解（共20小題；每小題2分，滿分40分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A、B、C、D四個(gè)選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
Barrier Islands
Texas has an extensive coastline that runs along the Gulf of Mexico. If you look closely at the map, you’ll notice that there are narrow islands located just off the coast of Texas. These are called barrier islands.
Barrier islands stretch along about 15 percent of the world’s coastlines. They are separated from the mainland by a shallow body of water. Some barrier islands spread out for more than 100 miles. In Texas, some of the largest barrier islands include Galveston Island, Mustang Island, and Padre Island.
Barrier islands are fragile (脆弱的) areas that contain an interdependent community of land, plants, and animals. All three need each other to exist. If one is harmed in some way, then the other two can suffer. For example, barrier islands are in constant danger of erosion, or loss of land, from wind, waves, and people. The steady movement of ocean waves and wind moves sand along the beaches. This movement contributes to erosion, which changes the shape and size of a barrier island over time. Plants not only provide animals with food and shelter, but it also helps keep an island’s sand and soil in place. When people pick native plants, it advances the process of erosion. This can harm the environmental balance that keeps an island’s ecosystem healthy. For this reason, visitors to barrier islands are usually warned to leave plants alone and to stay on roads and public beaches so that the land, plants, and animals are not disturbed.
As their name suggests, barrier islands provide a natural barrier that helps block the mainland from very bad weather such as strong windstorms and hurricanes. This protection saves lives, homes, and money every year. Barrier islands are also a major source of income for an area’s economy. Padre Island, for example, is visited every year by hundreds of thousands of tourists who take advantage of its sandy beaches and beautiful waters that are perfect for swimming, boating, and fishing. The dollars that tourists spend on the island help financially support the region and state.
1．Paragraph 3 is mostly about _____________.
A．what barrier islands are like    B．how barrier islands form
C．how barrier islands can exist   D．why barrier islands are important
2．Which of the following can do harm to barrier islands?
A．Keeping plants wherever they are.    B．Going wherever visitors like.
C．Fishing on public beaches.            D．Driving about on roads.
3．We can tell from the article that the author ___________.
A．lives on Padre Island and loves it
B．cares about the ecosystem on barrier islands
C．wishes less and less travelers would visit barrier islands
D．is concerned about the beautiful waters around the islands
4．Barrier islands are important because they ___________.
A．help prevent bad weather damaging mainland
B．bring in much more money than mainland
C．can protect rare plants and animals
D．provide more shelters for people