Researchers at Yale, Texas A&M and Boston University predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by more than 463,000 square miles, or l．2 million square kilometers． That is equal to 20,000 American football fields becoming urban every day for the first three decades of this century．
The growth in urban areas will go with the construction of roads and buildings, water and sanitation facilities, and energy and transport systems that will transform land cover and cities globally． Recent estimates suggest that between $25 trillion（萬億） and $30 trillion will be spent on infrastructure（基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施） worldwide by 2030, with $100 billion a year in China alone．
"Considering the long life and near unavoidability of infrastructure investments, it will be critical for current urbanization-related policies to consider their lasting impacts," said Karen Seto, lead author of the study． "We have a huge opportunity to shape how cities develop and their environmental  impacts．"
Nearly half of the increase in high-probability ----defined as greater than 75 percent ---- urban expansion is forecasted to occur in Asia, with China and India absorbing 55 percent of the regional total． In China, urban- expansion is expected to create a l,l00-mile coastal urban corridor from Hangzhou to Shenyang． In India, urban expansion will be gathered around seven state capital cities, with large areas of low-probability growth forecasted for the Himalaya region where many small villages and towns currently exist．
Africa's urban land cover will grow the fastest, at 590 percent above the 2000 level of 16,000 square miles． Urban expansion win be concentrated in that continent's five regions: the Nile River in Egypt; the coast of West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea; the northern shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya and Uganda and extending into Rwanda and Burundi; the Kano region in northern Nigeria; and greater Addis Ababa, Ethiopia．
"Urban expansion is concentrated in． only a few areas where there are large cities and industry," said Seto． "From the northern shore of Lake Victoria down to Rwanda is also a major hotspot of urban expansion．"
In North America, where 78 percent of the total population lives in urban areas, urban land cover will nearly double by 96,000 square miles by 2030．The study also forecasts that 48 of the 221 countries in the study will experience insignificant amounts of urban expansion． "
【小題1】As for China, the expansion of urban area means          ．

A．$ 100 billion will be spent on infrastructure a year

B．creating a coastal urban corridor from Hangzhou to Qingdao

C．it will become the fastest developing country in the next decade

D．it will make up 55% of the increase in urban expansion in Asia

【小題2】According to the passage infrastructure doesn't include          ．

A．construction of roads	B．sanitation facilities
C．energy systems	D．land cover transformation

【小題3】In paragraph three the underlined word “their lasting impacts” refers to the impacts of           .

A．the development of cities	B．urbanization-related policies
C．infrastructure in vestments	D．China’s expansion of urban area

【小題4】The best title for this passage should be                  .

A．The limitation of urban expansion

B．More investment on infrastructure

C．The fast development of the third world

D．The future urban expansion of the world

The National Dark-Sky Week (NDSW) is a week during which people all over the United States turn off their lights to enjoy the beauty of the night sky without light pollution. This even was started by Jennifer Barlow of Midlothian, Virginia in 2003, and it is becoming more popular each year. It has been supported by the International Dark-Sky Association, the American Astronomical Society, and the Astronomical League.
This even always occurs in April, during the week of the new moon so that the sky can be as dark as possible for the best viewing conditions.
“It is my wish that people could see the night sky without other light in the sky as our ancestors (祖先) saw it hundreds of years ago,” explains Barlow.
Since it only lasts a week and not everyone in the country will take part in it, how will the National Dark-Sky Week reduce light pollution? The main goal of NDSW is to increase awareness (意識) of the harmful effects of light pollution. It is not possible for all of the light pollution in this part of the world to disappear. However, it is possible to make a small difference in the quality of the night sky. Another goal of this even is to promote (促進) the use of better lighting systems that direct light toward the ground instead of up into the sky.
Jennifer Barlow states, “The night sky is a gift of such beauty that it should not be polluted by wasted light. In this way, our children will not lose touch with the wonder of our universe.”
【小題1】This passage is mainly about ______________.

A．better lighting systems	B．the National Dark-Sky Week
C．the harm of light pollution	D．the beauty of the night sky

【小題2】Which of the following statements about the National Dark-Sky Week is WRONG?

A．It is becoming more and more popular in America.

B．The event was started in 2003 by Jennifer Barlow.

C．The event takes place in the first week of every April.

D．American people are supposed to turn off their lights during that week.

【小題3】What is Jennifer Barlow’s wish?

A．That people could spend time enjoying the beauty of the sky every night.

B．That the sky would always be as dark as possible.

C．That people could see the night sky without light pollution as our ancestors did.

D．That light would be directed up into the sky.

【小題4】We can infer from the underlined（劃線的）sentence in Paragraph 4 that ________.

A．many people in America hate this event

B．he event should last a month every year

C．it may be hard to reduce light pollution t

D．light will no longer pollute the sky soon

The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates(種植園). The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender hoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best in got.
Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates like to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing(加工)tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.
Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are first spread out on shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment(發(fā)酵)under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are then dried with a hot­air blower until they become rolled­up black leaves. The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.
【小題1】In the first paragraph, the word“pruning”means______.

A．regular cutting of the plants.	B．frequent watering
C．regular use of chemicals	D．growing the plants high in the mountain

【小題2】One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that________.

A．they work harder than men do in picking

B．they can throw their picking more easily into the baskets

C．their fingers fit them better for the job

D．they can move easily find the twin leaves

【小題3】How many processing steps are mentioned in the last paragraph?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

【小題4】What's the writer's purpose in writing the passage?

A．To introduce various methods of tea processing.

B．To persuade readers to buy tea from Sri Lanka.

C．To tell a story that had happened in the tea gardens.

D．To inform readers of tea growing, picking and processing.

Kataria is the founder of the worldwide laughter movement. The celebration of world Laughter Day is a positive activity for world peace and is intended to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter. The first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place in Mumbai, India, on 11th January 1998. 12,000 members from India and international Laughter Clubs attended it. Now there are over 5,000 Laughter Clubs worldwide on all 5 continents.
“HAPPY-DEMIC” was the first World Laughter Day gathering outside India. It took place on 9th January 2000. In Copenhagen, Denmark , more than 10,000 people gathered at Town Hall Square. The event went into Guinness Book of World records. “World Laughter Day” is now organized on the first Sunday of May every year. Hundreds of people gather worldwide on that day to laugh together.
Today, many people fear widespread international terrorism（恐怖主義）. The world has never faced so much unrest before. People are at war within themselves. Laughter is a universal language, which has the ability to unite humanity without religion（宗教）. Laughter can build a common connection between various religions and create a new world order. The idea may sound over-ambitious (野心太大的), and maybe it is. But maybe it is not. It is our deep belief that laughter and only laughter can unite the world, building up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship.
Studies also say that laughter helps your body do the following: lower blood pressure; lighten depression; reduce stress; work out the heart, especially for those who are unable to perform physical exercise. So in life, when you can laugh, you should laugh loudly and with your entire body—because it’s good for you.
【小題1】The purpose of celebrating World Laughter Day is ____.

A．to build up a global sense of brotherhood and friendship through laughter

B．to build a common connection between various religions

C．to reduce stress and lighten depression

D．to lower blood pressure

【小題2】The first World Laughter Day gathering outside India took place ____.

A．on 11th. January, 1998

B．on the first Sunday of May

C．on 9th. January, 1996

D．on 9th. January, 2000

【小題3】The author’s attitude towards laughter movement is ____.

A．positive

B．negative

C．uninterested

D．objective

【小題4】The passage is mainly about _______.

A．World Laughter Day and its significance

B．the worldwide laughter movement

C．a(chǎn) universal language

D．laughter

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同種的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents. However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等級制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.
Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.
The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.
【小題1】What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?

A．Australians speak Standard English with no local accents whatsoever.

B．You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents.

C．The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed.

D．There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia.

【小題2】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners.

B．The Australian economy is dependent on sheep exports.

C．The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe.

D．The pace of life is different in the city and in the country.

【小題3】The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.

A．Community

B．racism

C．blend of Nations

D．Southeast Asia

【小題4】We can infer from the passage that _____.

A．there are no signs of Australia’s colonial past in its modern cities

B．Australia’s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia

C．immigrants from Southeast Asia have brought racial problems

D．“riding on sheep’s back” resulted in slow development in rural communities

It’s really true what people say about English politeness: it’s everywhere. When squeezing (擠過去) past someone in a narrow passage, people say “sorry”. When getting off a bus, English passengers say “thank you” rather than the driver. In Germany, people would never dream of doing these things. After all, squeezing past others is sometimes unavoidable, and the bus driver is only doing his job. I used to think the same way, without questioning it, until I started traveling to the British Isles, and here are some more polite ways of interacting (交往) with people in UK.
People thank each other everywhere in England, all the time. When people buy something in a shop, customer and shop assistant in most cases thank each other twice or more. In Germany, it would be exceptional to hear more than one thank you in such a conversation. British students thank their lecturers when leaving the room. English employers thank their employees for doing their jobs, as opposite to Germans, who would normally think that paying their workers money is already enough.
Another thing I observed during my stay was that English people rarely criticize (批評) others. Even when I was working and mistakes were pointed out to me, my employers emphasized several times but none of their explanations were intended as criticism. It has been my impression that by avoiding criticism, English people are making an effort to make others feel comfortable. This also is showed in other ways. British men still open doors for women, and British men are more likely to treat women to a meal than German men. However, I do need to point out here that this applies to English men a bit more than it would to Scottish men! Yes, the latter are a bit tightfisted.
【小題1】What is the author’s attitude towards English politeness?

A．He thinks it is unnecessary.	B．He thinks little of it.
C．He appreciates it very much.	D．He thinks it goes too far.

【小題2】What can be inferred from the passage?

A．German men never treat a woman to dinner.

B．The author think it’s unnecessary to say “thank you” to the bus driver.

C．In Germany, employers often say “thank you” to employees for their job.

D．Germans think it is unnecessary to thank workers because payment is enough.

【小題3】We can learn from the last paragraph that Scottish men ______.

A．like to fight with each other

B．treat women in a polite way

C．a(chǎn)re as generous as English men

D．a(chǎn)re unwilling to spend money for women

【小題4】The author develops the text through the method of ______.

A．making comparisons	B．telling stories
C．giving reasons	D．giving examples

There is a wide and deep choice of a career. Whether he's a hand in construction or sitting behind the desk working on a computer, everyone has some ideas of what is an attractive career. However, making a career choice is not simply a matter of following a dream; for most people it means a lot of research and soul searching. Choosing the right career becomes one of the most important decisions of an individual's life.
It used to be that one followed in the footsteps of their father or grandfather or took over the family business when it came to making a career choice. These days, a career path can start anywhere and then veer off into something totally different.
Career choices must be realistic and well thought out. It is not uncommon for persons to start a career path and realize they have made a terrible mistake, feeling as if it may be too late to turn around. Not only does a career choice concern your strongest skills and interest, it is also something that you will be doing continuously to bring in income. This is why a career choice can be such a personal decision. Formerly it used to be unusual for someone to change occupations or careers more than once or twice in a lifetime; it is now even more unusual to keep the same career during someone's working life.
There are a great many measures in helping one choose the right profession. A number of websites offering tools such as career tests and information, educational resources, resume services and the kind can be found. It is important for one to research one's career in this changing economy situation, and choose the best from several related career choices.
【小題1】According to the author choosing the right career ______.

A．is not difficult at all	B．needs a lot of dreams
C．is an interesting thing	D．needs a lot of thoughts

【小題2】The underlined phrase "veer off" in the second paragraph probably means "______".

A．set out to do the same job	B．change the former course
C．compare two different things	D．dream of getting an easy job

【小題3】Nowadays it is common for one to _____.

A．change his job often	B．do the same job all his life
C．find a few good jobs at a time	D．live without a job for many years

【小題4】All of the following are the tools on profession offered by websites EXCEPT _____.

A．tests and information	B．training courses
C．employers' phone numbers	D．instructions on resume

Many adults in the United States can remember crying the nursery rhyme in the street "Hot cross buns!" But only a few people realize this was an early form of advertising.
Written advertisements probably began with hieroglyphics more than three thousand years ago, but only a few people could read these symbols. So merchants made signs with pictures or hung their tools over their doors to identify their businesses.
In the time of the Roman Empire, wall paintings were a popular form of advertisement. An ad for a play, or some other performance was painted on part of a building or on a wall around a city. People often advertised a house for rent or a freshwater bath in this way, too.
Today, large wall signs are still used for outdoor advertising. But outdoor advertising is only a small fraction of the total advertising. About forty per -cent of all ads are printed in daily newspapers. Radio commercials also provide this kind of information. Some people think they are the best form of advertising because radio broadcasts reach almost everyone in a nation.
Advertisements in magazines and on television reach many people, too. However, usually only large companies can advertise on a national network, because TV commercials shown across the country can cost many thousands of dollars.
Then there are ads that are almost part of daily living. If you use public transportation, you will see large printed ads, called ear cards, on buses and taxis and in trains. Ads are painted on the trucks that deliver products people are buying or selling.
【小題1】Which is the passage mainly discussing?

A．Modern advertising	B．Significance of advertising
C．Development of advertising	D．Origin of advertising

【小題2】Which of the following is the original form of advertising?

A．Signs with pictures	B．Wall signs
C．Street crying	D．Wall painting

【小題3】Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “hieroglyphics” in Paragraph 2?

A．A signal

B．A signature

C．A symbol

D．A form

【小題4】Why did the merchants make signs with pictures or hang their tools over their doors ?

A．To have their houses decorated.

B．To make their business known by public.

C．To enable people to learn how to read

D．To advertise their houses to rent

【小題5】Radio commercials are the best form of advertising because ____________.

A．they can be heard everywhere in a country

B．they are cheap and fast

C．they are most recently developed

D．they can be understood by those who can neither read nor write

The huge Florida wetland known as the Everglades is a slow-moving river 80 kilometres wide but only a few centimeters deep. People call the Everglades a “river of grass” because sawgrass covers most of it. Sawgrass is not really grass. It is a plant that has leaves edged with tiny sharp teeth that can easily cut through clothes—and skin!
Travel in the Everglades is difficult. You cannot walk through shallow water because the sawgrass will cut you. The water is too shallow for regular boats. So, we use an airboat. An airboat is a flat, open boat. Like an airplane, it has a big propeller to move it. The propeller is fixed on the rear of the boat. It makes a tremendous noise, but it does the job. The boat skims along the water’s surface. Although we can still get lost in an airboat, at least we are above the alligators(短吻鱷).
While hundreds of different kinds of animals live in the Everglades, the most famous is surely the alligator. Once endangered, alligators are now protected within Everglades National Park. Visitors are likely to see them both on land and in water.
For a long time, dangers have threatened the Everglades. Around 1900, some people felt this precious wetland should be drained (排干). They said it was just a big swamp and not good for anything. In the 1920s, there was a land boom in Florida. People wanted to build homes everywhere, including in the Everglades. They built canals, levees (防洪堤), and other water systems that stopped the rivers flowing into the Everglades. Factories were built near rivers that flowed into the wetland. These factories dumped poisonous waste that damaged the Everglades ecosystem.
?People are now working to preserve the Everglades National Park for the future. Right now, one big problem is the paperbark tree. This tree is an invader from Australia.
Paperbark trees soak up a lot of water. In the early 1900s, people brought them to Florida because they thought they would help drain the Everglades. However, the invaders adapted too well. Paperbark trees have taken over hundreds of thousands of acres of the Everglades and killed other trees. Scientists are cutting down these invaders or spraying them with herbicides (除草劑) to kill them.
【小題1】Which helps to explain why it is difficult to travel in Everglades?

A．Airboats may make a very big noise.

B．You may get lost when passing through.

C．Paperbark trees soak up too much water there.

D．Many different kinds of animals are to be protected.

【小題2】Why do people use airboats instead of normal boats?

A．They have big propellers to move them faster than alligators.

B．The propeller makes loud noise so as to scare alligators.

C．Their flat bottom can skim along the water surface.

D．They can watch alligators without hurting them.

【小題3】The following measures were taken to drain the Everglades except that people______.

A．built canals and levees to stop the rivers flowing into Everglades

B．built factories near rivers that flowed into the wetland

C．brought Paperbark to soak up water in Everglades

D．a(chǎn)re cutting down these Paperbark trees?

【小題4】The underlined word "invader" probably means something______.

A．that moves in from another place

B．that enters and takes control

C．that has been brought in

D．that is in danger

Dear Sirs，
Your shipment(裝運)of twelve thousand“Smart”watches was received by our company this morning．However，we wish to make a number of complaints concerning the serious delay in delivery and your failure to carry out our instructions．   
It was stressed from the beginning that the delivery date had to be less than six weeks. While we appreciate that delays in production are occasionally unavoidable．We must point out that the major reason why the order was placed with your company was that we were assured by you that your existing stocks ensure immediate shipment．Late delivery of the goods has caused us to disappoint several of our most valued customers．a(chǎn)nd is sure to have a negative effect on future orders．
The second complaint concerns the difference in colour．Only half the watches in the delivery received are of the colours we ordered．Our Hong Kong agent assures us that she stressed to you the importance of following our instructions．Since we consider there to be only a limited market in this country for watches of other colours．Any watches that are not of the specified colours will , of course, be returned to you．   
We are also somewhat concerned about the rather poor quality of the goods received．since it is obvious that the watches that finally arrived have been produced from inferior materials and have been made to a lower standard than those in the sample．We have also found that a number of the watches do not appear to be functioning．We should like to point out that we feel this matter to be entirely your responsibility．
As a result of the above problems，therefore，we feel that the most suitable course of action is to return to you unpaid any of the goods considered unsatisfactory，and to deduct(扣除)any costs from our final settlement．We shall also be forced to reconsider whether any further orders should be placed with your company.
We look forward to your immediate reply．
Yours sincerely，
John Smith
【小題1】How many complaints does John Smith make with the“Smart”watch producer?

A．Five．

B．Four．

C．Three．

D．Two．

【小題2】The producer of“Smart”watches were given the order because_________

A．they produced the best watches of its kind in the world

B．the watches would be easy to make and the designs were already prepared

C．they promised they could produce enough stocks quite quickly

D．they claimed the order would be easy since the watches were already in stock

【小題3】Receiving watches in the wrong colours is a problem because_______ 

A．the Hong Kong agent stressed the need to fulfill the order exactly

B．these watches will be difficult to sell．

C． these watches will not be able to get into the limited market

D．people will not buy the watches at present