The International Space Station allows astronauts to live in space for extended amounts of time, enabling them to explore the outside universe and conduct many experiments. However, nothing like that exists for our oceans, and thanks to the high water pressure, ocean researchers are able to explore what lies undersea for very short periods of time.
They are therefore never able to fully explore the deep inside areas of our oceans. However, if French architect Jacques Rougerie has his way, that will change soon.
Jacqucs has designed a ship that will allow researchers to spend a long period of time observing the sea life and conducting experiments. The huge 167ft ship, named 'Sea Orbiter', consists of two areas—one above the water where the scientists and crew will live, and a lower pressurized deck (甲板), where scientists will be able to spend as much time as they wish. Since it is powered by sea currents and wind, he expects it to drift (漂流) along the oceans slowly, taking about two years to circumvent the globe.
Jacques will make their life as comfortable as possible in the ship. Besides being equipped with the latest sailing tools and communication equipment, the ship will also have a gym, a television and a DVD player. And these guys will not be eating freeze-dried food like astronauts. Instead, Jacques, an accomplished chef, plans on cooking them delicious meals every day.
The biggest problem to this giant ship is the cost, which is expected to be over $500 million—per ship! However, Jacques, who strongly believes that the secrets of our oceans may be the key to solving global warming and a vital supply for food and medicine in the future, is confident he will be able to convince governments all over the world to help out, and expects to start construction on not one, but four or five of these amazing ships soon!
【小題1】Why can’t ocean researchers explore the deep oceans for a long time?

A．Because they can’t stand the high water pressure.

B．Because it’s too cold in deep ocean.

C．Because time for experiments is too limited.

D．Because it’s dangerous to observe the sea life.

【小題2】The underlined word "circumvent" probably means         .

A．fly away

B．get around

C．travel through

D．move into

【小題3】From the fourth paragraph we can learn that       .

A．Jacques intends to design the ship mainly for sightseeing and traveling

B．living a comfortable life helps to do the ocean research quickly

C．it’s much more expensive to eat freeze-dried food

D．researchers on Jacque’s ship will live more comfortably than astronauts

【小題4】Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Sea Orbiter—the ship of the future

B．A new way to explore the deep oceans

C．A great architect—Jacques Rougerie

D．Travel around the globe in Sea Orbiter

JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, has signed a deal with Little, Brown and Company, to publish her first ever novel for adults, which is set to become one of the most anticipated (期望的) book in years.
The deal means that Rowling’s long-standing relationship with Bloomsbury, the London-based publisher that launched (發(fā)行) the Harry Potter books, has come to an end, at least in terms of new works by the author.
Rowling is keeping her fans guessing about the characters and plot of her new book. She only said that the new novel will be nothing like the Harry Potter series, which was sold over 30 million copies in the UK alone. She thought that with the move from children’s to adult fiction, a switch to a new publisher seemed like a natural and reasonable step.
She said, "Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, this book will be very different from the Harry Potter series. The freedom to explore a new field is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me."
Ian Rankin, the Edinburgh-based author whose highly-successful detective novels are also set in the city, suggested Rowling’s book will be a crime novel.
"Wouldn’t it be funny if JK Rowling’s first novel for adults turned out to be a crime story set in Edinburgh?" he said.
Industry insiders guessed that the deal is worth more than ￡5 million and the new book is expected to come out later this year.
A spokesman said, "JK Rowling’s audience is vast and her position is unique. Harry Potter books were a global success and her fans are very loyal. Children that were eight, nine, or ten when the books first came out in the 1990s are now in their 20s. Plenty of adults, loved the books regardless of whether they had children, so the potential market for her is huge."
【小題1】What does the text mainly tell us?

A．JK Rowling has signed a deal with a new publisher.

B．JK Rowling's new book will be more successful than her Harry Potter series.

C．JK Rowling’s first book for adults will be published later this year.

D．JK Rowling has to switch to a new publisher in order to publish her new book.

【小題2】JK Rowling’s new book for adults       .

A．has been sold 30 million copies in the UK alone

B．is poorly thought of by the London-based publisher Bloomsbury

C．has nothing in common with the Harry Potter series

D．is expected to bring her more money than the Harry Potter series

【小題3】The author used Ian Rankin’s words in order to         .

A．tell us that some famous novelists offer to give Rowling some advice

B．show that many readers are curious about Rowling’s new book

C．tell us that many readers prefer to read detective or crime novels

D．prove that a crime story set in Edinburgh is sure to be successful

【小題4】We can learn from the text that         .

A．Little, Brown and Company is specialized in publishing adult books

B．the author has no doubt about the success of Rowling’s new book

C．JK Rowling will be a crime novelist as good as Ian Rankin

D．it was in Edinburgh that Ian Rankin got to know JK Rowling

When I met him, I had a lot of anger inside of me. I’ve lived my whole life in Spanish Harlem, but in my neighborhood, there are shoot-ups all the time. I know kids who have been shot or beaten up. I have friends who ended up in prison. I could have ended up that way, too, but Mr. Clark wouldn’t let that happen.
Mr. Clark worked long hours, making sure I did my work. My grades rose. In fact, the scores of our whole class rose. One day, he took our class to see The Phantom of the Opera, and it was the first time some kids had ever been out of Harlem. Before the show, he treated us to dinner at a restaurant and taught us not to talk with our mouths full. We did not want to let him down.
Mr. Clark was selected as Disney’s 2000 Teacher of the Year. He said he would draw three names out of a hat; those students would go with him to Los Angeles to get the award. But when the time came to draw names, Mr. Clark said, “You’re all going.”
On graduation day, there were a lot of tears. We didn’t want his class to end. In 2001, he moved to Atlanta, but he always kept in touch. He started giving lectures about education, and wrote a bestselling book based on his classroom rules, The Essential 55. In 2003,
Mr. Clark took some of us on a trip to South Africa to deliver school supplies and visit the orphanages (孤兒院). It was the most amazing experience of my life. It’s now my dream to one day start a group of women’s clubs, helping people from all backgrounds.
【小題1】Without Mr. Clark, the writer           .

A．might have been put into prison

B．might not have won the prize

C．might have joined a women’s club

D．might not have moved to Atlanta

【小題2】The Essential 55 is           .

A．a(chǎn) show

B．a(chǎn) speech

C．a(chǎn) classroom rule

D．a(chǎn) book

【小題3】How many students’ names were finally drawn out of a hat by Mr. Clark?

A．None

B．Three

C．Fifty-five.

D．All.

【小題4】What can we learn in the short reading?

A．It was in Harlem that we saw The Phantom of the Opera for the first time.

B．Mr. Clark taught us not to talk with our mouths full, and we did.

C．Mr. Clark was selected as Disney’s 2000 Teacher of the Year in Los Angeles.

D．In 2003, Mr. Clark moved to Atlanta, and he always kept in touch with us.

【小題5】In the passage, the writer intends to tell us that           .

A．Mr. Clark went to South Africa because he liked traveling

B．Mr. Clark helped to set up a group of women’s clubs

C．a(chǎn) good teacher can help raise his or her students’ scores

D．a(chǎn) good teacher has a good influence on his or her students

Last August, Joe and Mary Mahoney began looking at colleges for their 17-year-old daughter, Maureen. With a checklist of criteria (衡量標(biāo)準(zhǔn))in hand, the Dallas family looked around the country visiting half a dozen schools. They sought a university that offered the teenager’s intended major, one located near a large city, and a campus where their daughter would be safe.
“The safety issue is a big one,” says Joe Mahoney, who quickly discovered he wasn’t alone in his worries. On campus tours other parents voiced similar concerns, and the same question was always asked: what about crime? But when college officials always gave the same answer -----“That’s not a problem here,”-----Mahoney began to feel uneasy.
“No crime whatever?” comments Mahoney today. “I just don’t buy it.” Nor should he: in 1999 the U.S. Department of education had reports of nearly 400,000 serious crimes on or around our campuses. “Parents need to understand that times have changed since they went to college,” says David Nichols, author of Creating a Safe Campus. “Campus crime mirrors the rest of the nation.”
But getting accurate information isn’t easy. Colleges must report crime statistics(統(tǒng)計(jì)數(shù)字) by law, but some hold back for fear of bad publicity（關(guān)注）, leaving the honest ones looking dangerous. “The truth may not always be serious,” warns S. Daniel Carter of Security on Campus, Inc., the nation’s leading campus safety watchdog group.
To help concerned parents, Carter promised to visit campuses and talk to experts around the country to find out major crime issues and effective solutions.
【小題1】It is often difficult to get correct information on campus crime because some colleges ____.

A．receive too many visitors

B．mirror the rest of the nation

C．hide the truth of campus crime

D．have too many watchdog groups

【小題2】The underlined word “buy” in the third paragraph means _____.

A．mind

B．a(chǎn)dmit

C．believe

D．expect

【小題3】We learn from the text that “the honest ones” in the fourth paragraph most probably refers to colleges _____.

A．that are protected by campus security

B．that report campus crimes by law

C．that are free from campus crime

D．that enjoy very good publicity

【小題4】What is the text mainly about?

A．Exact campus crime statistics.

B．Crimes on or around campuses.

C．Effective solutions to campus crime.

D．Concerns about kids’ campus safety.

Years ago while lying in my hammock（吊床）and drinking JD from the bottle, I noticed my dog dragging something under the fence. Upon inspection, to my disappointment, I realized it was the next door neighbor’s 10 – year – old daughter’s rabbit. For years I had watched her come home from school and head straight out to its cage, free it and play with it in the yard. I knew that day would be no different and fearing for our dog, I had to think fast.
The rabbit was quite dirty, as if it had put up quite a struggle, so I washed it, combed it with the dog brush and blew it dry with the leaf blower. Upon finishing its grooming I jumped the fence and replaced it back in its cage hoping its death would be written off as “natural caused”.
Back to the hammock and JD. Within the hour the neighbor’s Volvo pulled in as usual and out popped the little girl, and as usual she headed straight for the cage. Only this time she stopped about six feet away and screamed: “D—A—D—D—Y!!!”.
Her father, panic stricken, stood looking at the cage. Being the good neighbor that I am, I rushed to fence and asked if there was anything I could do.
Her father less than calmly shouted, “What kind of sick individual would dig up a little girl’s rabbit and put it back in its cage?”
【小題1】The girl was shocked because           .

A．the rabbit was killed by someone

B．the rabbit was too clean

C．the dead rabbit was cleaned and put back into the cage

D．the rabbit was asleep in the cage

【小題2】That day the girl ran to the cage           .

A．because her rabbit was there

B．because she had a habit of going there to see her rabbit

C．because she wanted to see her rabbit again

D．because the rabbit was dead

【小題3】We can infer that the rabbit           

A．was alive before the writer saw his dog dragging it

B．was already dead before the writer saw his dog dragging it

C．was in the cage playing with the dog

D．was at the fence seeking out for food before it was killed by the dog

【小題4】According to the story, the writer           .

A．was helpful to his neighbor

B．did a smart thing

C．was honest

D．made a mistake

A traveller was staying in an Egyptian village. One day, she held up her camera to take pictures of the children. Suddenly the young ones began to shout at her. The traveller's face turned red and she apologized to the head for what she was doing, and told him she had forgotten that people in some places believed a person would lose his soul(靈魂) if his picture was taken. She explained to him the operation of a camera for a long time. Several times the head tried to say something, but he couldn't. When she believed that the head didn't fear any longer, the traveller then let him speak. With a smile, he said, "The children were trying to tell you that you forgot to take off the lens(鏡頭) cap!"
【小題1】The children shouted when the traveller was taking pictures of them because _______.

A．they didn't want to stop playing

B．the traveller forgot to take off the cap on her head

C．they didn't want to have their pictures taken

D．the traveller was not doing well with her camera

【小題2】The traveller made an apology to (向……道歉) the head because _______.

A．she thought it was not right to take people's pictures without telling them beforehand (事先)

B．the children would lose their souls

C．she had stayed in the village too long

D．she didn't take a picture of the head first

【小題3】The traveller explained how to use a camera to the head because _______.

A．the head was very interested in her camera

B．the head wanted to learn to take pictures

C．she was afraid of the head

D．she wanted the head not to worry about what she was doing

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT right?

A．The traveller knew something about people in some countries.

B．The children wouldn't mind if the traveller took pictures of them.

C．The head was afraid that the traveller's camera would hurt the children.

D．The traveller didn't understand why the children shouted.

There was a story many years ago of a school teacher--- Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水)。
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D. (醫(yī)學(xué)博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”
【小題1】What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?

A．She made Teddy feel ashamed.

B．She asked the children to play with Teddy.

C．She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row.

D．She told the class something untrue about herself.

【小題2】What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?

A．He often told lies.

B．He was good at math.

C．He needed motherly care.

D．He enjoyed playing with others.

【小題3】In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?                                             

A．She taught fewer school subjects.

B．She became stricter with her students.

C．She no longer liked her job as a teacher.

D．She cared more about educating students.

【小題4】Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?

A．She had kept in touch with him.

B．She had given him encouragement.

C．She had sent him Christmas presents.

D．She had taught him how to judge people.

Tom arrived at the bus station quite early for the London bus. The bus for London would not eave until five to twelve. He saw a lot of people waiting in the station. Some were standing in lines, others were walking about. There was a group of school-girls. Their teacher was trying to keep them in order. Tom looked around but there was nowhere for him to sit.
He walked into the station cafe. He looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. He found a seat and sat down, facing a large mirror(鏡子) on the wall. Just then, John, one of Tom's friends, came in and sat with Tom.
"What time is your bus?" asked John.
"Oh, there is plenty of time yet, "answered Tom.
"Oh, I'll get you some more tea then," said John.
They talked while drinking. Then Tom looked at the clock again.
"Good heavens! It's going back-ward!" he cried. "A few minutes ago it was twenty to twelve and now it's half past eleven."
"You are looking at the clock in the mirror," said John.
Tom wanted to kick(踢) himself for being so foolish. The next bus was not to leave for another hour. He has never liked mirror since then.
【小題1】The London bus left ______________.

A．a(chǎn)t 11:55

B．a(chǎn)t 5:12

C．before 11:55

D．a(chǎn)fter 11:55

【小題2】Tom went into the station cafe because ____________.

A．John asked him to have a cup of tea

B．he wanted a drink there

C．he would meet a friend of his

D．it was early yet and he wanted to find a place to sit

【小題3】What time was it in fact when he looked at the clock in the mirror?

A．Half past twelve.

B．Half past eleven.

C．Twenty to twelve.

D．Half past one.

【小題4】When Tom sat in the station café, who came in?

A．his friend

B．his father

C．his uncle

D．his girlfriend

【小題5】Which of the following is true?

A．Tom missed his bus.

B．He has liked mirror since then.

C．The next bus would leave soon.

D．Tom arrived London on time.

When Mrs．Joseph Groeger died recently in Vienna，Austria，people asked the obvious question,“Why did she live to be 107?” .Answers were provided by a survey conducted among 148 Viennese men and women who had reached the age of 100．Somewhat surprising was the fact that the majority had lived most of their lives in cities．In spite of the city’s image as an unhealthy place，city living often provides benefits that country living can lack．One factor seems to be important to the longevity(長壽)of those interviewed．
This factor is exercise．In the cities it is often faster to walk short distances than to wait for a bus．Even taking public transportation often requires some walking．Smaller apartment houses have no elevators(電梯)，and so people must climb stairs．City people can usually walk to local supermarkets.  Since parking spaces are hard to find，there is often no alternative to walking．
On the other hand，those who live in the country and suburbs do not have to walk every day．In fact，the opposite is often true．To go to school，work，or almost anywhere else，they must ride in cars．
【小題1】The Vienna survey may help to explain _____

A．the complaints of people in apartment houses

B．the cause of Mrs Groeger’s death

C．the longevity of people like Mrs．Groeger

D．the image of cities in general

【小題2】The purpose of the second paragraph is to list some _____

A．benefits of walking

B．occasions for walking in city life

C．comments made by city people

D．problems of city living

【小題3】To reach the third floor of a building, it would probably be most healthful __

A．to take the elevator

B．to walk up the stairs

C．to ride in a car

D．to find an alternative to walking

【小題4】People who live in the country probably do more driving than walking because __

A．they don’t live near business areas

B．they don’t need the exercise

C．they never have parking problems

D．they can’t afford to take the bus

【小題5】A conclusion that can be drawn from this passage is that__________   

A．a(chǎn)ir pollution is not serious

B．a(chǎn)nyone can live to be 107

C．country people should move to the city

D．walking is a healthful exercise

I got my first driver's license(執(zhí)照)in 1953 by taking driver education in my first year at Central High School in Charlotte，North Carolina. Four years later when it was time to renew my license I was a married woman. Henry and I were living in Baltimore，Maryland. Two weeks before my 20th birthday，Henry drove me to the motor vehicle office on a hot July afternoon. When I got to the office and showed to the man behind the counter my North Carolina driver’ s license，ready to renew，the man told me that I was under age by Maryland law since I was not yet 21.“Mr.Henry Smith，your husband，will have to sign for you，”he said.
I argued，pointing to a very large belly(肚子)of mine，“I am married. I am having a baby. Why should I have to have someone sign for me to drive？”He answered coldly，“It’s the law，madam.”
Henry encouraged me to calm down，just go ahead and get the license and be done with it. “No，” I said. I refused to have him sign for me. So I left without a Maryland license.
I called the North Carolina Motor Vehicle Office and renewed my NC license by mail—using my name Susan Brown. And thus it was for the next twelve years. Since Henry was in the army I could drive under my home state license. By the time Henry left the army we were once again living in Maryland，and I had to take the Maryland driver’ s exam. Since then I just go in and renew every four years—sign the name Susan Brown，have my new picture taken，and walk out with a license to drive.
【小題1】Susan got her first driver’ s license________.

A．before she got married to Henry

B．when she was twenty years old

C．a(chǎn)fter she finished high school

D．when she just moved to Maryland

【小題2】Susan failed to renew her license the first time in Maryland because________.

A．she was forbidden to drive by Maryland law

B．she lacked driving experience in Maryland

C．she was to give birth to a baby soon

D．she insisted on signing for herself

【小題3】We can infer from the text that in the U.S.________.

A．American males should serve in the army

B．different states may have different laws

C．people have to renew their licenses in their home states

D．women should adopt their husbands’ family names after marriage