America used to have a strong college education system for prison inmates (prisoners). It was seen as a way to rehabilitate men and women in prison by helping them go straight when they got out.

Those taxpayer-supported college classes were put to an end in the 1990s. But New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would like to bring them back in the state, setting off a fierce new debate.

A number of lawmakers in New York have promised to kill Cuomo’s proposal (提议).

Cuomo says reintroducing taxpayer-funded college classes in New York’s prisons is a common-sense plan that will reduce the number of inmates who commit new crimes.

“You pay $ 60,000 for a prison cell for a year,” Cuomo responded. “You put a guy away for 10 years, and that’s $600,000. Right now, chances are almost half. Once he’s set free, he’s going to come right back.”

Cuomo says helping inmates get a college education would cost about $ 5,000 a year per person. He argues, “It’s a small amount of money if it keeps that inmate from bouncing back into prison.”

But even some members of the governor’s own party hate this idea. State Assemblywoman Addie Russell, whose upstate district includes three state prisons, says taxpayers just won’t stand for inmates getting a free college education, while middle-class families struggle to pay for their kids’ college fees.

“That is the vast majority of feedback (反馈) that I’m also getting from my constituents (选民),” she says. “You know, ‘Where is the relief for the rest of the population who obey the law ?’ ”

“I was very disappointed that the policy had been changed,” says Gerald Gaes, who served as an expert on college programs for the Federal Bureau of Prisons in the 1990s. In 1994, President Clinton stopped federal student aid programs for inmates.

Gaes says research shows that college classes actually save taxpayers’ money over time, by reducing the number of inmates who break the law and wind up back in those expensive prison cells.

“It is cost-effective,” he says. “Designing prisons that way will have a long-term benefit for New York State.”

1.The underlined word “rehabilitate” probably means “ ”.

A.let people know more about prisoners.

B.help someone have a normal life again.

C.allow prisoners to experience the world.

D.encourage someone to help other people.

2.What is the debate about ?

A.Lawmakers’ rights in New York.

B.College classes for New York’s citizens.

C.Higher education in New York’s prisons.

D.Punishments given to New York’s criminals.

3.Cuomo does the calculations to prove .

A.almost half of prisoners are likely to come back into prison.

B.college classes for inmates can save taxpayers’ money.

C.the costs of running prisons in the US are on the rise.

D.it is very difficult to reduce the number of inmates.

4.Most of Russell’s constituents believe Cuomo’s proposal .

A.is unfair to middle-class families.

B.will benefit citizens obeying laws.

C.will be useless for improving prisons.

D.is based on most taxpayers’ feedback.

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有多余选项。

Five reasons your scale might be wrong

1. You weigh yourself on different days each week.

In a Cornell university study published last year, researchers analyzed the food weight diaries that 80 people kept for up to a year. They found that people’s weight changed considerably throughout the week. 1. Keep weigh-in days consistent for a more accurate assessment.

2. 2.

File this one under “Yes, scientists have actually studied this.” When University of North Dakota researches weighed people with and without clothes at various times of the year, they found that men can reduce 2.5 pounds for their clothing and women can reduce around two pounds, on average.

3. You don’t take muscle gain into consideration.

You’ve heard that muscle is denser (密度大的) than fat. 3. If you start a strength-training routine, the number on the scale (秤) might not change, but you could still lost inches and drop a clothing size or two.

4. You just drank a lot of water.

It’s called water weight for a reason: Drinking one pound of water can translate to about one pound of weight. So if you stand on the scale soon after drinking an entire water bottle’s worth, you might not like what you see. 4.

5. You weigh yourself after hard exercise.

Compared with water weight, if you weigh in after a tiring cycling class, you may lose weight temporarily because you work up a good sweat . 5.

A.You miscalculate your clothing.

B.But don’t worry, it’s just a temporary gain.

C.Salty foods cause your body to save extra water.

D.In fact, it takes up only about a third as much space.

E.Jump on the scale if you need to improve.

F.You should be aware of how much water you have drunk.

G.Many people were heaviest on Mondays and lightest on Fridays.

完形填空

If I had to explain my learning style, I would have to say that I’m a read and follow along kind of learner. When I read something that I really want to _________ , I often have an audio (音频) recording play along with it. It can help my memory absorb what I’m _________ . It’s also helpful from an audial standpoint since my hearing has been less than acute _________ a childhood illness. I always find that my listening abilities improve _________ I have a visual reference at the beginning. When I’m _________ to take away one or the other after the initial go-through, I _________ that I can actually remember the learning materials better. So that mixing of the visual and the audial _________ me to memorize things right away.

Another _________ I can mix this audial with the visual is by reading the material out _________ . I find my own_________ to be the perfect substitute for an audio recording if one is not _________ . As I’ve said before, my hearing can often be _________ by my literacy (读写能力) and vision. Reading to myself aloud helps me _________ because, like having an audio recording, it improves my reading and listening.

While I’m _________ , we have a lot of read-alongs, particularly in my English and literature classes. I always _________ these because my teacher and classmates all contribute to my _________ learning style of mixing listening with visual acuteness. Many teachers I’ve talked to agree that this form of study really _________ . I’ve also seen many of my classmates following my _________ and asking for materials with audio recordings to assist in their reading and _________ . So I think people _________ that this is the best way to learn various types of materials.

1.A.connect B.remember C.recognize D.know

2.A.listening B.speaking C.reading D.writing

3.A.in spite of B.because of C.in addition to D.according to

4.A.when B.unless C.until D.though

5.A.excited B.willing C.relieved D.able

6.A.find B.believe C.hope D.admit

7.A.forces B.allows C.requires D.encourages

8.A.explanation B.discussion C.way D.plan

9.A.clearly B.naturally C.loudly D.carefully

10.A.words B.methods C.tone D.voice

11.A.useful B.skillful C.possible D.available

12.A.controlled B.assisted C.damaged D.examined

13.A.communicate B.improve C.analyze D.learn

14.A.in class B.at home C.alone D.away

15.A.develop B.prepare C.share D.enjoy

16.A.preferred B.expected C.important D.practical

17.A.helps B.matters C.guarantees D.instruction

18.A.arrangement B.instruction C.rule D.example

19.A.imagination B.progress C.memorization D.challenge

20.A.predict B.wish C.prove D.agree

I am a taxi driver. One Monday morning, I had stopped at New York Hospital when I found a well-dressed man dashing down the steps. He was waving to me. I waited until he jumped into the cab. “ LaGuardia Airport, please,” he said.

As always, I wondered about my passenger. “ What do you do?” “ I am in the neurology department(神经内科) at the hospital.” For some unknown reason, I decided to ask for his help.

“ Could I ask a favor of you?” He didn’t answer. “ I have a son, 16. He’s doing well in school. He wants a job this summer. Is there any possibility that you might get him a summer job?” After a pause, he said, “ The medical students have a research project. Maybe he could fit in. Have him send me his school records.” He searched his pocket and handed me a card.

That evening, I pulled the card from my pocket. “ Robbie,” I announced proudly, “ this could be a summer job for you. Send him your school records.” He read it out loud, “ Fred Plum, New York Hospital.” “ Is this a joke?” he said in disbelief. After I shouted and threatened(恐吓) to cut off his pocket-money, Robbie promised to send off his grades the next morning.

Two weeks later, when I arrived home, my son handed me a letter from Plum. He was to phone Plum’s secretary for an interview.

Robbie got the job. The white coat he wore made him feel more important than he really was. As high school graduation neared, Plum was kind enough to write letters of recommendation(推荐) for universities. To our delight, Robbie was admitted to New York Medical College.

It never occurred to me that a stranger should change my son’s future.

1.Who does the underlined phrase “ a well-dressed man” in the first paragraph refer to?

A. The author. B. Plum.

C. Robbie. D. A patient.

2.The author threatened to cut off Robbie’s pocket-money probably because .

A. he was tired after a day’s work

B. he didn’t earn enough money

C. Robbie was unwilling to work

D. Robbie didn’t believe what he said.

3.It can be inferred from the passage that Plum is .

A. patient and selfless

B. generous and respectful

C. kind and helpful

D. wealthy and handsome

4.What message does the passage want to tell us?

A. A stranger may change your life.

B. One must be friendly to strangers.

C. A father should be responsible for his son.

D. Doctors may have a great effect on people.

There are some strange driving laws in different countries.

Vietnam: If you’re in Vietnam without a Vietnamese driver’s license, you risk a prison sentence of up to 3years.

Russia: In Moscow, if your car is dirty enough to draw dust art, you will be fined about 2,000 rubles. Worse yet, it’s not legal to wash your car by hand in public places—forcing you to take it to one of the few car wash facilities.

Thailand: Drivers--males or females--can’t drive shirtless, whether it’s a car, a bus or a tuk-tuk.

France: France requires its drivers to carry a potable breathalyzer(呼气酒精测试仪) all the time when driving a car. The one-time breathalyzer cost around US $ 5, and if you don’t have one, you will be fined US $ 15.

Cyprus: Raising your hands in the car can get you fined of US $ 35. The law states a driver can be fined if the person is not in a regular position inside the car or raises his hands from the steering wheel unnecessarily.

Japan: Politeness isn’t just the culture in Japan; it’s part of driving laws. Splashing a person by driving through a puddle(小水坑) with your car will cost you over US $ 60. The country is also strict with its DUI(酒驾) laws---riding with or lending your car to a driver who gets caught drinking can lead to a fine costing thousands of dollars.

1.Where should you go to wash your car when you are in Moscow?

A. The car wash facilities. B. Any public place.

C. Your home. D. The forest.

2. What can get you fined for in Cyprus?

A. Forgetting to carry a portable breathalyzer.

B. Not having a Cyprus driver’s license.

C. Putting your hands above your head when you are driving.

D. Driving without a shirt.

3.If you are fined thousands of dollars in Japan, you may have been .

A. in an irregular position in your car.

B. sitting in a car with a drunken driver.

C. splashing a person with mud.

D. impolite to other drivers.

4.This text can most likely be found in .

A. a diary.

B. a fashion magazine

C. an international newspaper.

D. a column on interesting cultures.

Parties and social gathering no longer excite us the same way they once did. This is not because of a lack of desire to socialize, but the mobile-phone.

At parties, more people are on their phones than on their drinks. According to a recent International Data Corporation Study, over half of all Americans have a smartphone and reach for it as soon as they wake up, keeping it in hand all day. In addition, too many people in society are using smartphones while driving and as a result, they get into car crashes. 34 percent of teenagers admit sending messages while driving, and they agree that sending messages is their number one driving interruption. People’s addiction(沉溺) to their smartphones is unbelievably becoming more important than the lives of themselves and others.

Just as drivers ignore the importance of focusing while on the road, many people also fail to recognize the importance of human communication. When with their friends, some people aimlessly check or send messages in front of a friend, which sends a message to that friend: the person I am texting is more important than you. In addition, relying on our smartphones to make friends does not give us the same advantage as being able to make new friendships in the real world. Face-to-face conversations will give us much stronger communication skills in the long run.

As many people risk their lives and the lives of people around them just to send a message or mindlessly check their messages, smartphones are in many ways more dangerous to people. The quality of this technology is preventing societal achievements and weakening the value of communication. Not only is the smartphone affecting our desire to communicate face to face, but it is also lowering society’s ability to communicate.

1. The purpose of the passage is to .

A. call for an end to use the smartphone while driving

B. tell us to pay attention to communication skills

C. express a concern about the overuse of the smartphone

D. advise us to be careful about the addiction to face-to-face communication.

2.The second paragraph is developed by .

A. giving examples B. time order.

C. comparing facts D. analyzing the effects

3.The author advises us to make new friends .

A. by using smartphones B. in a face-to-face way

C. in different ways D. by writing letters.

4.Over-dependence on the smartphone leads to the fact that .

A. parties and gathering limit their social circle.

B. people are more and more easy-going.

C. people’s communication skills are weakened.

D. face-to-face communication becomes more and more dangerous.

Even if trees cannot walk, they are still on the move.

In parts of the Arctic, entire forests are moving northward. Across the Arctic, temperatures are rising faster than anywhere else in the world. As that happens, the tree line that marks where forests stop and the treeless tundra(冻原) starts has been moving northward. Trees growing along the tree line must protect themselves from the cold wind. To do this, plants tend to grow horizontal(水平的) branches low to the ground. The energy it takes for trees to grow this way means they don’t have enough energy to make seeds.

But as Earth’s climate has been warming, trees no longer have to just grow horizontally. Many can instead grow up toward the sky. This takes less energy. This happens especially in places where white spruce(白云杉) grows. White spruce, which is a North American trees, is quite able to produce a lot of seeds, which can move long distances in the wind. When wind-blown seeds end up on the tundra beyond the tree line, they finally sprout(发芽) new trees. This explains how a forest can move. Of course, the process would work only if the tundra were warm enough. But in recent years, the whole planet has been warming.

New trees will provide shelter for some snow. Keeping the sun’s rays from making the white surface disappear. Instead, the trees absorb(吸收) the sun’s heat. This warms the air around. The extra warmth encourages even more trees to produce seeds. That further increases a forest’s ability to expand(扩展). What’s more, more trees will trap more snow, preventing much of it from being blown away. Snow can trap heat in the soil below, which encourages trees to grow. The recent rise of temperatures has helped more trees grow past the tree line. People worry about effects on the animals that depend on frozen conditions for food and shelter.

1.What is the main cause of the trees in the Arctic moving northward?

A. The reducing of northern tundra.

B. The rising temperature.

C. The cold and strong wind.

D. The rich resources in the north.

2.What does the underlined word “this” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A. To produce more seeds.

B. To move northward.

C. To respond to the climate change.

D. To protect themselves from the cold wind.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. New trees can trap the snow, which may make the soil colder.

B. The trapped snow prevents new trees from producing more seeds.

C. New trees can make the air around warmer.

D. New trees can bring more food and shelter to local animals.

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