B
You're in a bit of a dilemma standing in front of the produce section of your local supermarket. In one hand, you're holding a conventionally grown Granny Smith apple.In your other hand, you have one that's been organically grown. Both apples are firm,shiny and green. Both provide vitamins and fiber, and both are free of fat, sodium and cholesterol.
The conventionally grown apple costs less and is a proven family favorite. But the organic apple has a label that says "USDA Organic". Does that mean it's better? Safer? More nutritious? Several differences between organic and non-organic foods exist. Become a better informed consumer for your next trip to the supermarket.
The word "organic" refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming practices are designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution.Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don't use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds or prevent livestock disease.
Here are other differences between conventional fanning and organic farming:

* Organic or not? Check the label.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has established an organic certification program that requires all organic foods to meet strict government standards. These standards regulate how such foods are grown, handled and processed.Any farmer or food manufacturer who labels and sells a product as organic must be USDA certified as meeting these standards. Only producers who sell less than $5,000 a year in organic foods are exempt (免除) from this certification.
If a food bears a USDA Organic label, it means it's produced and processed according to the USDA standards. The seal is voluntary, but many organic producers
use it.
46. The main purpose of the passage is_________.
A. to promote the sales of organic food
B. to inform people organic food is better for their health
C. to persuade people to become informed consumers
D. to compare conventional and organic foods
47. According to the passage, organic farming is intended to_________.
A. improve the quality of the soil and water
B. take the place of the traditional agriculture entirely
C. adopt eco-friendly methods to grow plants and feed animals
D. prevent livestock from getting disease more effectively
48. According to the passage, the conventionally grown apple_________.
A. costs less but tastes worse than an organic one
B. doesn't look the same as an organic one
C. has proven itself acceptable by the family
D. contains more fat, sodium and cholesterol
49. Which of the following methods belongs to organic farming?
A. Using chemicals to kill insects and prevent disease.
B. Using rotted plants as fertilizer to promote plant growth.
C. Using growth hormones to speed up animals' growth.
D. Using pests to reduce insects and disease.
50. From the passage we know the organic certification program________.
A. is not meant for all producers of produce
B. makes it compulsory to attach a USDA Organic label
C. sets restrictions on the sales of organic produce
D. requires all foods to satisfy the strict government standards

C

Conjoined twins lead separate but active lives.

Lori and Reba have never been alone and they want to keep it that way.

The 40-year-old conjoined twins in Pennsylvania,US,have read about others locked together by an accident of birth who have been medically separated.But they insist only death can part them.

“We’ve never imagined a life divided,”Lori said.

Lori and Reba are joined together at the side of their heads,facing in opposite directions.Their blood supply is partly linked,but each has a separate brain.

Reba suffers from a disease which has left her completely dependent on her sister.

Lori wheels her everywhere they go in different professional directions.Lori worked in a laundry room at a hospital for six years before giving that up to allow Reba to try to become a country singer.

Her first song is called “The Fear of Being Alone”,which was inspired by Reba and Lori’s desire for togetherness.

Reba’s career has taken her across the United States,Europe and parts of Asia.

While the twins receive some money from the government,the earning from Reba’s concerts go to AIDS and cancer charities(慈善机构).

The sisters have set goals for themselves.Reba looks forward to a successful career as a country singer,while Lori says she hopes to get married and have children.Lori said,”So when it comes,it comes.Meanwhile,I live wonderfully from day to day.”

46.When Lori said “We’ve never imagined a life divided”,she meant that      .

A.they don’t wish to be made separate        

B.they think their case is beyond medical help

C.independent life would be too good to think of 

D.they would die once separated

47.By leading separate lives,the topic means that       .

A.either of the two can look after herself   B.the twins do different things

C.they face in opposite directions         D.they are no longer conjoined now

48.When Reba gives performances as a country singer,Lori       .

A.works in a hospital                   B.continues her college education

C.brings up her children      D.looks after her sister

49.The twins lead active lives because they       .

A.are tired of staying at home doing nothing 

B.need more money  

C.want to prove themselves as useful citizens

D.have to earn their own bread

50.From the last paragraph we can understand that Lori       .

A.thinks it’s too late for her to have children 

B.is sure she’ll get married and have children

C.prefers to have things go naturally     

D.would rather not change her way of life

C

The Tasmanian devil is a rare marsupial(有袋动物)that lives only on the Australian island state of Tasmania. The doglike animal is rapidly disappearing. The Tasmanian state government estimates that the number of devils has dropped from around 150,000 in the mid-1990s to between 20,000 and 50,000 at the end of 2007.

The devil was declared an endangered species last week. It is being wiped out by a rare cancer called devil facial tumor(肿瘤)disease(DFTD). It spreads like a cold or flu from animal to animal. The disease is passed when one devil bites another. When the marsupial is infected with DFTD, large tumors develop around its mouth and neck. These growths make it impossible for the devil to eat. Many finally die from starvation within six months of being infected. As the name implies, the disease occurs only in Tasmanian devils and cannot be passed to humans.

You’ve got to remember that devils are scavengers(清扫工). They search through garbage for food. Throughout Tasmania people maintain outdoor dumps. If somebody threw out a carcass(兽类尸体), then the devils might actually consume quite large quantities of it.

The disease has not yet appeared in the devil population that lives in the northwest region of Tasmania. Conservationists have captured some of the healthy devils and sent them to a new home on the mainland of Australia. They hope these DFTD-free marsupials can be used to start a captive-breeding population. Once there are more disease-free devils, they can then repopulate the areas of Tasmania where the species are being wiped out.

Tasmanian devils play an important role in keeping the state’s ecosystem in balance. They keep the population of other predators, such as foxes and wild cats, in check. Ray Nias, head of World Wildlife Federation—Australia’s conservation program, says all Tasmanian wildlife will suffer if the devil becomes extinct. “If the devils go and the foxes and cats increase, it would be all over for a good dozen or more species of mammals, many of which are unique to Tasmania.”

46. It can be inferred that the Tasmanian devil is __________.

A. a hard-working street-cleaner                        B. a grass-eating animal

C. a meat-eating marsupial                                D. A DFTD origin

47. What’s the reason for making the Tasmanian devil endangered?

A. A rare disease called DFTD occurs in Tasmanian devils.

B. Dogs like to attack Tasmanian devils.

C. Tasmanian people try to wipe out Tasmanian devils.

D. The region of Tasmania is becoming hard for Tasmanian devils to breed.

48. To which question does the last paragraph give the answer?

A. How should people protect the devils?

B. What do the Tasmanian people do with the devils?

C. What happens if the devils disappear?

D. Which animal is closely related to the devils?

49. What measures do Tasmanian people take to stop the devils from being wiped out?

A. Trapping disease-free devils in a new place to breed more young devils.

B. Searching the cause of the disease and finding an effective treatment.

C. Developing new chemicals for the infected animals.

D. Moving all the devils to a new home on the mainland of Australia.

50. What’s true about DFTD?

A. It’s a disease that can be spread to human beings.

B. It’s a cold that occurs only in Tasmanian devils.

C. It’s a flu that Tasmanian devils get from their companions.

D. It’s a cancer that can be passed from one Tasmanian devil to another.

B

       At a certain time in our lives we consider every place as the possible site for a house. I have thus searched the country within a dozen miles of where I live. In imagination I have bought all the farms, one after another, and I knew their prices.

       The nearest thing that I came to actual ownership was when I bought the Hollowell place. But before the owner completed the sale with me, his wife changed her mind and wished to keep it, and he offered me additional dollars to return the farm to him. However, I let him keep the dollars and sold him the farm for just what I gave for it.

       The real attractions of the Hollowell farm to me were its position, being about two miles from the village, half a mile from the nearest neighbor, bounded (相邻) on one side by the river, and separated from the highway by a wide field. The poor condition of the house and fences showed that it hadn’t been used for some time. I remembered from my earliest trip up the river that the house used to be hidden behind a forest area, and I was in a hurry to buy it before the owner finished getting out some rocks, cutting down the apple trees, and clearing away some young trees which had grown up in the fields. I wanted to buy it before he made any more of his improvements. But it turned out as I have said.

       I was not really troubled by the loss. I had always had a garden, but I don’t think I was ready for a large farm. I believe that as long as possible it is better to live free and uncommitted (无牵挂的). It makes but little difference whether you own a farm or not.

46.   What do we know about the author?

       A. He wanted to buy the oldest farm near where he live.

       B. He made a study of many farms before buying.

       C. He made money by buying and selling farms.

       D. He had the money to buy the best farm in the country.

47.   Why did the author decide to buy the Hollowell place?

       A. It was of good market value.                  B. It was next to the highway.

       C. It was is a good position.                       D. It was behind a nice garden.

48.   Why did the author want to buy the farm in a hurry?

       A. He was afraid the owner might change his mind.

       B. He hoped to enlarge the forest on the farm.

       C. He wanted to keep the farm as it was.      D. He was eager to become a farm owner.

49.   The underlined words “the loss” in the last paragraph refer to ________.

       A. the money the author lost in buying the farm

       B. the sale of the garden in the Hollowell place

       C. the removal of the trees around the house

       D. the failure to possess the Hollowell place

50.   What does the author believe as important in life?

       A. To own a farm.                                           B. To satisfy his needs.

       C. To be free from worries.                        D. To live in the countryside.

B

Guandong province all together chose universities in Hong Kong; when the very best student of Beijing picked up HK University while giving up the nearby Peking or Tsingbua University; when the highest enrollment （录取）rate of Hong Kong Science and Industry University reached 48:1, it’s the high time to ask where the real education heaven for students in China is.

Years ago, the answer certainly would be “Peking or Tsinghua University”. But now no one could give the exact reaction without hesitation. The only sure thing is that HK universities have gradually showed an unusual attraction to a great many mainland students.

It’s no doubt to call this HK craze（狂热）,which is even out of the expectation of those HK universities themselves.

How can HK universities shake the steady foundations of Peking and Tsinghua and attract so many mainland students?

First, Hong Kong universities offer large-amount scholarship, especially for the top students who can receive the sum of scholarship as much as 400,000 HK dollars. Since higher education has become a kind of heavy burden of many families, it’s easy to understand why the reaction to the generous offering of HK universities is great.

Second, most HK universities receive professors and students from all over the world and carry out bilingual（双语）education. This kind of excellent language atmosphere is another attraction for mainland students.

Further more, university students in Hong Kong have a better chance to study abroad as exchange students.

Can mainland top universities like Peking or Tsinghua University calm as before when facing the unexpected competition from HK? Will they take relevant measures to win back the top students who once help them set the worldwide reputation? Time will explain it.

The fierce competition brought by HK universities can be a good thing for an entire improvement of education in China. After the awakening and action taking of mainland universities, they can perform better together with HK universities.

At least, it reminded the mainland universities the tuition fees（学费）are among students’ top concern when they are choosing universities. It’s time to move.

46．What is the passage mainly talking about?

       A．Some thought brought by the enrollment of HK universities.

       B．Higher education in Hong Kong.

       C．The competition between HK University and Peking University.

       D．The fall of mainland universities.

47. Top students from mainland apply for HK universities because         .

       A．many students now would love to study aboard to get a better experience

       B．they concern only about the tuition fees when choosing universities

       C．HK universities offer higher scholarship, better environment and more opportunities for their further study

       D．Peking university has lost its worldwide reputation

48．What is the author’s attitude toward the competition brought by HK universities?

       A．The government should take relevant measures to stop this unfair competition.

       B．Mainland universities had better lower their tuition fees and win back the top students.

       C．Universities both in mainland and in HK would get an entire improvement during the competition.

       D．It may probably cause a complete loss both sides in the end.

49．From the passage we can see HK universities           .

       A．didn’t mean to enroll top students from mainland

       B．didn’t expect their enrollment of mainland students would be so popular

       C．have strict enrollment rules and only 1 out of 48 students can get the chance to study there

       D．are proud of their teaching staff and facilities

50．What does the author mean by saying “It’s time to move” in the last paragraph?

       A．Mainland universities should take measures as soon as possible to attract students.

       B．The opportunities come for top students to study abroad.

       C．Mainland universities should make full preparations to challenge mainland universities.

       D．Top students should be offered further education free of charge.