Beyond the Factory: Child Labor in the Cities
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, factory owners faced few restrictions on the way they employed their children workers, who were between the age of 7 and 12. Gradually laws came into being.
The first child-labor laws were passed at the state level in America and usually focused on both required education and a minimum age for employment. And added rules limited the length of the workday for children. Pennsylvania, for example, limited the workday to 10 hours for children under 12. However, government officials cared little whether businesses followed the law. In fact one group of children was left entirely unprotected by labor laws -- the children of immigrant families.
By the beginning of the twentieth century, piecework appeared, for which people were paid by the piece. Significant numbers of women sewed baby dresses or men's neckties and made the artificial flowers used to decorate hats. Piecework turned homes into factories that were free from the law, and countless children worked long hours alongside their mothers and old sisters.
Manufactures exploited the system shamelessly and paid the lowest wages they could. Embroidering (刺繡) a silk dress, which was a 10-day job, might generate a five-dollar payment. In the case of "willowing", workers needed to add more strands to ostrich feathers used on hats to make them longer and more graceful. The first willowers were paid 15 cents per inch, but a few months later, the pay was reduced to 13 cents. Within three years, willowers were earning only three cents per inch.
In order to survive under these circumstances, pieceworkers had even their youngest children help them. In one Italian neighborhood, a three-year-old girl helped her mother sew clothes. In another case, a child of eight who had lived in New York for three years had never been to school at all and could speak almost no English. Slowly child labor laws brought these abuses to an end.
31. The first child-labor laws required ______.
A. workplace safety and conditions
B. minimum payment and age
C. education and working time
D. minimum payment and schooling
32. Manufactures who hired women to do piecework ______.
A. were kind and concerned employers
B. were sometimes called "willowers"
C. usually paid the lowest salary
D. forced children to turn home into factories
33. "Willowing" was a kind of ______.
A. handwork activity           B. workplace
C. payment requirement              D. workers
34. By raising the example of the three-year-old girl's experience in the last paragraph, the author intended to ______.
A. show how poor the situations were for children workers
B. blame those adult pieceworkers for allowing children to work
C. attract attention to protect young children
D. emphasize the importance of educating young children
35. Which of the following sentences best summarizes the passage?
A. The first child-labor laws were limited due to working at the state level.
B. Early child-labor laws offered no protection to children who worked at home.
C. Some immigrant children did not learn English because of their piecework.
D. Child-labor laws should have come into being before children became workers.

Car companies are developing vehicles that will plug into electric sockets，just like many laptops，digital cameras，cell phones and Mp4 do．Called“plug-in vehicles”，these cars will get most of their power from electricity. Their drivers won't have to stop at gas stations as often as usual．
The technology is more than just cool. In our car-filled world，plug-in vehicles could reduce the amount of gas we use，which keeps rising in cost now and then. Besides，driving around in these vehicles may even help the environment．Gas-burning cars produce a lot of greenhouse gas，which causes globe warming.
The first company-produced plug-in vehicles could hit the roads by 2010. But engineers still have a lot of work to do to make the technology practical and inexpensive．
Batteries(電池) are the biggest challenge. In the plug-in-vehicle world，Li-ion(鋰離子)batteries are getting the most attention．These batteries can store a large amount of energy in a small package，and they last a longer time between charges．Li-ion batteries can fit laptops，cell phones，heart instruments and other similar pocket ones.
But because cars are so big and heavy, it would still require a suitcase-sized Li-ion batteries to power about 12km of driving．What's more，the batteries are much expensive．
“A car filled with batteries could go a long distance，”says Ted Bohn, an electrical engineer in Chicago．“But it couldn't pull any people．a(chǎn)nd it would cost $100,000．”
So researchers need to work out how to make batteries smaller and cheaper，among other questions.
“The answers don't exist yet，”Bohn says，“As a kid，I thought someone someplace knows the answer to everything．All of these questions haven't been decided．That's what engineering is about-making a guess，running tests and getting fine results．”
72．The passage mainly talks about        of a new car
A．the developing    B．the speed    C．the appearance D．the batteries
72．Which is true according to the passage?
A．The“plug-in vehicles”will use electricity completely as driving power．
B．The new technology will help protect our environment．
C．The technology of using electricity as driving is quite practical now．      
D．The biggest challenge of the new technology is that it will cost us more energy．
74．How does Bohn feel about the future of the technology according to the last paragraph?
A．Confident    B．Puzzled．    C．Worried． D．Disappointed．
75．According to the passage，the new technology is facing the following problems except that ．
A．the new technology cannot come into use at present
B．the cost of the new technology is quite high
C．the government won't support the technology
D． the size of the batteries is too big at present

A small piece of fish each day may keep the heart doctor away. That's the finding of an extensive study of Dutch men in which deaths from heart disease were more than 50 percent lower among those who consumed(消費(fèi)) at least an ounce of salt water fish per day than those who never ate fish.
The Dutch research is one of three human studies that give strong scientific backing to the long-held belief that eating fish can provide health benefits, particularly to the heart.
Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States , with more than 550, 000 deaths occurring from heart attacks each year . But researchers previously have noticed that the incidence (發(fā)生率)of heart disease is lower in cultures that consume more fish than Americans do. There are fewer heart disease deaths, for example, among the Eskimos of Greenland, who consume about 14 ounces of fish a day, and among the Japanese, whose daily fish consumption averages more than 3 ounces.
During the next two decades, 78 of the men died from heart disease. The fewest deaths were among the group who regularly ate fish, even at levels far lower than those of the Japanese or Eskimos. This relationship was true regardless of other factors such as age , high blood pressure , or blood cholesterol (膽固醇) levels .
64. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The Dutch research has proved that eating fish can help to prevent heart disease.
B. There is a low incidence of heart disease in countries like Japan and Greenland.
C. Among all the diseases heart disease is the most dangerous in America.
D. Heart doctors won’t call your house so long as you keep eating fish each day.
65. The underlined phrase “this relationship” refers to the connection between _______ and the incidence of heart disease.
A. the amount of fish eaten   B. regular fish-eating
C. the kind of fish eaten          D. people of different regions
66. The passage is mainly about __________________.
A. the high incidence of heart disease in some countries
B. the changes in people’s diet in the United States
C. the daily fish consumption of people in different cultures  
D. the effect of fish eating regularly on people’s health
67. How many lives could probably be saved each year in the United States by eating fish according to the Dutch study?
A. 550, 000.              B. 110,000.      C. 275,000.            D. 852.

Dear Mr. Thunders,
We would like to introduce ourselves. Our company was organized only two years ago, but we are one of the largest boat companies in California. As you know, your son bought a boat from us recently, and I think you know how pleased he is with our product. Also, John Webb, one of your son's friends, has bought a boat from us and, we understand, is very happy with his boat. We are always happy to know that our customers are satisfied. We are writing to you now because, as you know, your son has decided to buy a larger boat, and we need your signature on  the loan(貸款) papers. The loan application has already been signed by Danny. As you will see, there is one form to fill out, and there are three contracts to sign. Danny's 26-foot boat was returned to our San Pedro Dock yesterday, and we are pleased to say that the new 36-foot "Challenger" will be delivered(送達(dá)) two weeks from today. It is being inspected by our manager right now. The auto-pilot(自動領(lǐng)航儀) has already been installed by our mechanic. It looks as though everything will be ready in time for delivery. All we need are the signed contracts from you.
Thank you.
Sincerely yours,
Tony Valention
59. This is a letter Mr. Thunders received from _______________.
A. Tony Valention in England                     B. a boat company in California
C. Danny, a salesman in California              D. a bank manager in California
60. Tony wrote to Mr. Thunders to ______.
A. tell him to sign the contracts                  B. thank him for buying a new boat
C. tell about something of his company          D. ask him to pay for his boat right away
61. The underlined word “installed” means “______”.
A. fixed                B. checked                    C. bought                     D. removed
62. From the letter we can see that the boat company ______.
A. is a world-famous one                                  B. is developing slowly
C. doesn't has a long history                       D. has to advise customers to buy its boats
63. Danny wants to change the 26-foot boat for a new 36-foot "Challenger" because _______.
A. the former one is broken down                      B. the new one has modern equipment
C. the former one doesn't work well                   D. the new one is a little larger

In Canada you can find dogs， cats， horses，etc．in almost every family．These are their pets．People love these pets and have them as their good friends．Before they keep them in their houses，they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections（注射）so that they won't carry disease．They have special animal food stores，though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store．Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food.When you visit people's houses，they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them．You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden．All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal． They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada．They have a law against killing wild animals．If you killed an animal，you would be punished.If an animal happened to get run over by a car，people would be very sad about it．
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals． One of them might be：Their family ties are not as close as ours． When children grow up， they leave their parents and start their own life． Then the old will feel lonely． But pets can solve this problem． They can be good friends and never leave them alone．
67． The passage mainly talks about        ．
A． how to keep disease from pets       B． pets in Canada
C． how to take good care of pets       D． life of the old in Canada
68．They give their pets injections before keeping them at their houses because      ．
A． the pets are sick        
B． the pets are wild
C．they want to stop them from carrying disease 
D．they want them to sleep on the way home
69． In Canada， children leave their parents when they grow up because ＿＿＿＿＿．
A.they don't love their parents any more B.they can only find jobs far from their parents 
C.their parents' houses are too small    D.they wouldn't depend on their parents any more
70． Which of the following is TRUE？
A.People buy animal food only at the animal food stores．  B.Pets eat better than people． 
C.Almost every family has a birdcage in his house． D.Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat．

Will it matter if you don’t take your breakfast?A short time ago,a test was given in the United States.People of different ages from 12 to 83 were asked to have a test.During the test,these people were given all kinds of breakfasts,and sometimes they got no breakfast at all.Scientists wanted to see how well their body worked when they had eaten different kinds of breakfasts.
The results show that if he or she eats a right breakfast,he or she will work better than if he or she has no breakfast.If a student has fruit,eggs,bread and milk before going to school,he will learn more quickly and listen more carefully in class.
The result is opposite to what some people think.Having no breakfast will not help you lose weight.This is because people become so hungry at noon that they eat too much for lunch.They will gain weight instead of losing it.You will lose more weight if you reduce your other meals.
64.During the test,the people were given          .
A.no breakfast at all   B.very rich breakfast
C.different foods or sometimes none   D.little food for breakfast
65.The results show that          .
A.breakfast has little to do with a person’s work
B.breakfast has a great effect on work and studies
C.a person will work better if he only was fruit and milk
D.girl students should have less for breakfast
66.Which of the following is NOT true?
A.It is bad for your health to have no breakfast
B.Too little for breakfast and too much for lunch may make you fatter
C.If you don’t eat much for lunch and supper,you may lose weight
D.The more breakfast you have,the more quickly you’ll learn in class

Shopping in Singapore is really a pleasure for tourists. The Great Singapore Sale is held every year, usually during the summer months. Singapore’s famous shopping stores welcome a great number of visitors from all over the world. Their shopping hours last till midnight. During this time, nice and cheap goods are on sale for tourists to choose from. Tourists can also try delicious foods there and experience the Singaporean nightlife.
Certain stores offer discounts (折扣) of up to 70 percent or even higher if people use their credit cards. For tourists that hold a special Tourist Card, they can enjoy a lot of benefits, such as discounts on watches, jewelry and cosmetics (化妝品). The card also gives discounts when you visit local attractions such as the Singapore Zoo.
It is well worth checking out in the different shopping districts of Singapore during this 8-week Shopping Marathon. Orchard Road is surely the best place for shopping in the city. A large number of restaurants, clubs and cafes can be found in this area. Marina Bay includes both big department stores as well as small shops, so everything you would want to buy can be found here.
Advice for tourists planning to enjoy this festival of shopping: travel light and take a comfortable pair of shoes with you for you are sure to do a lot of walking and return with your bags much heavier.
53. You probably see the Great Singapore Sale when you go to Singapore in ______.
A. January                 B. August               C. May                      D. November
54. We can learn from the passage that ______. 
A. the Great Singapore Sale is held twice each year
B. the Shopping Marathon lasts for more than two months
C. Orchard Road is Singapore’s best shopping street
D. Marina Bay is a narrow street with small shops 
55. Why are tourists advised to travel light if they intend to enjoy the shopping festival?
A. They will buy many goods and have to do lots of walking.
B. It is not safe for them to take heavy bags with them.
C. There is heavy traffic in the shopping districts of Singapore. 
D. Travelling with too many things is not allowed in Singapore.
56. The author wrote this passage mainly to ______.
A. tell readers his or her experience and impression of visiting Singapore
B. help readers find the best shopping centres in Singapore
C. explain what has made Singapore popular around the world
D. introduce shopping in Singapore and attract more readers to go shopping there

第三部分：閱讀理解（共20小題，共40分）
第一節(jié)（共15題, 每小題2分，滿分30分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項（A,B,C和D）中，選出最佳選項。                              
Most people know that a wedding ring is symbolic of the bond of love and commitment between two people．But not everyone knows about the history behind this small yet powerful symbol．The history of the wedding ring goes back not just hundreds but thousands of years．No other currently practiced wedding tradition has been around as long．
The Egyptians were the first recorded civilization to use the wedding ring．In Egyptian hieroglyphics（象形文字） a circle represented eternity．Once a woman accepted the ring she became the “property” of the person who gave it to her and she was in a sense “his．” The first wedding ring could have been made of braided grass or hay （which would have been changed often）, ivory, bone, or leather．Eventually, metal was used, but the first wedding bands were crude（未加工的） and rough．However, the sentiment remained the same-eternal commitment and love．
The Egyptians wore the wedding ring on the left hand because it was believed that a vein in the left hand went straight to the heart．This tradition is still commonly practiced today in most parts of the world largely for practical purposes （most people are right handed．） It is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand．But there are some countries and groups which do not follow this tradition．In the Jewish faith, the wedding ring is put on the index finger．Roman Catholics traditionally wore their wedding band on the right hand, and in many countries and regions in Europe some people still follow this tradition．
It is interesting to note that in the long history of the wedding ring that it is only in the last century that men have begun to wear them．However, now both men and women show their love and commitment by exchanging rings on their wedding day．
Once you begin shopping for rings you may be amazed by the choices that await you．There are several different types of metals: traditional gold, white gold, platinum, and titanium．You can have an inscription put on the inside of the band if you like．Some people are even choosing a tattoo band．The styles vary from a simple, yet elegant band to an elaborate ring covered with jewels．If you do not buy the wedding and engagement rings as a set you will want to be sure the styles are compatible．Choose carefully because this choice will need to stand the test of eternity．
56．What’s the best title for this passage?
A．History of rings                      B．Interesting facts about rings 
C．Different beliefs about rings               D．The meaning of the rings．
57．What may the word “eternity” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A．Elegance     B．Marriage     C．Wedding      D．Foreverness
58．Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A．The meaning of the rings remained unchanged．
B．One should be careful of choosing a ring in a shop from different kinds．
C．Jewish are so faithful to their beliefs to wear rings on the fourth finger．
D．Now most people in the world still follow Roman Catholics traditionally．
59．What can we infer from the passage?
A．Men were looked upon by women for thousands years．
B．Only women have the right to make themselves beautiful．
C．women wore rings thousands of years earlier than men．
D．You can have an inscription put on the inside the band．

I love secondhand books far more than new ones! I especially like books that someone else has gone through first. It’s a kind of connection — and an experience of wondering exactly who has been there before…I don’t mind god-eared （折角的）corners；I don’t mind the coffee stain—who cares? Indeed, I don’t even mind the comments at the edge.  
If it were an orginal classic, then the book would be of some importance. But the fact that its pages have been read and probably loved by dozens of people since it was produced is incredible, fascinating and wonderful. Just think — you can find old books that were touched by people in the nineteen fifties. That is interesting, as those people would probably have just come through World War Ⅱ.
But books from the 20s and 30s are even more wonderful to touch. Was it an old lady who poured over my aging Dodi Smith paperback that I found in a secondhand bookshop?
I once sat in the British Library reading books published in the 17th century, touching them, and the excitement was considerable. Imagine — these are books that people read, touched , and wrote comments about hundreds of years ago. Who have touched these books? What were they wearing? What was their work? How did the books make them think?
Now you see— I am just a woman who likes to explore the past. I like anything except the new. Who wants new things? The smell of the chemicals, the sense of being mass-produced…
No! No!
46. We can know that when the writer reads a second-hand book, she usually__________.
A. cleans the coffee stain         B. writes comments at the edge
C. wonders who has read it before  D. only reads the comments written by others
47. According to Paragraph 2, what does the writer find fascinating?
A. The economic value of an original classic.
B. The fact that many old books are about World War Ⅱ.
C. The fact that many people like reading what she likes reading.
D. The fact that a book has been read and loved by many people.
48. The underlined part “Dodi Smith paperback” in Paragraph 3 refers to “ ______”.
A. an old lady         B. a book by Dodi Smith
C. a famous writer      D. a secondhand bookshop
49. After reading the passage, we know that the writer __________.
A. only buys books with dog-eared corners
B. seldom looks back on her past
C. likes the smell of new books
D. doesn’t like things mass-produced today 
50. What is this passage mainly about?
A. The advantages of reading old books.
B. Some of the writer’s strange hobbies.
C. The writer’s love for secondhand books.
D. What the writer does in her spare time.

第三部分閱讀理解（共25小題；每小題2分，滿分50分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項中選出最佳選項，并在答題卡上將該項涂黑。
Brazil sports are out of control! Brazil may be one of the most sport-crazy countries in the world. Whether you are into watching or playing, Brazil sports have a lot to offer everyone.
Football in Brazil is more than a sport. It’s a way of life. Football is popular in Brazil for several reasons. One reason is that it is fast paced and fun to watch. This is the reason why the World Cup Soccer is the most watched sports event in the world aside from the Summer Olympics. Also, you don't need anything to play soccer except for something to kick, and a big area in which to play. Few will argue if you say that Brazil leads the world in football. No nation has won as many world cups as Brazil.
Volleyball is a close second in Brazil sports. In the world of international volleyball, Brazil wins many championships of all kinds, including indoor and beach volleyball. Brazil has nearly 5,000 miles coastline. If you go to a beach in Brazil, there will always be a volleyball game going on somewhere, and usually two or three.
Footvolley was created in Brazil in the 1960s. It is a mix of football and volleyball, where the players must use their feet and head to get the ball over the net and into the opponents’ courts, and is also played in sand. It is one of the most popular beach sports in Brazil.
Swimming, tennis, rugby, boxing, judo, sailing, golf, surfing, and handball are all greatly popular in Brazil.
41. We can infer that this passage was written to _______________.
A. explain why football is so popular in Brazil
B. encourage us to do sports as people in Brazil do
C. tell us the history of several sports in Brazil
D. introduce several very popular sports in Brazil
42. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 suggest?
A. Sports are extremely popular in Brazil.
B. All kinds of sports are played in Brazil.
C. Brazil athletes are out of control.
D. Brazil athlets are not well educated.
43. From Paragraph 2, we learn most people believe that______________.
A. football is the most ppopular sport in every country
B. people don’t need anything to play soccer
C. Brazil has won every World Cup Soccer
D. Brazil leads the world in football
44. According to the writer, what is the second most popular sport in Brazil?
A.Football.     B.Volleyball   C. Footvolley   D. Tennis
45. Which of the following statements about footvolley in Brazil is WRONG?
A. It has a history of more than 100 years.
B. It is a mix of football and volleyball.
C. It is a very popular beach sport in Brazil.
D. Players can touch the ball with their feet.