第二部分阅读理解
Can you imagine a classroom which misses the one thing that’s long been considered a necessary part to reading and writing? Paper. No notebooks, no textbooks, no test paper. Nor are there any pencils or pens, which always seem to use up ink at the critical(关键的) moment.
Such a “paperless classroom” is one that more and more schools are trying to get.　　
Students never do any handwriting in the class. Instead, they use specially-designed computers. The teacher downloads texts from Internet libraries and sends them to every student’s personal computer.　　
Having computers also means that students can use the Internet. They can look up information on any subject they’re studying, from maths to social science.　　
A middle school teacher Judy Harrell in Florida, US, described how her class used the Web to learn about the war in Iraq in 2003.　　
“We could touch every side of the country through different sites: from the forest to refuges(难民营),” she said. “Using a book that’s three or four years old is impossible.”　　
And exams can go online too. At a high school in Tennessee, US, students take tests on their own computers. The teacher records the grades on the network for everyone to see and then copies them to his own electronic grade book.　　
A paperless classroom is a big step towards reducing the waste of paper. High school teacher Stephanie Sorrell in Kentucky, US, said she used to give about 900 pieces of paper each week to each student.　　
“Think about the money and trees we could save with the computers,” she said.　　
But, with all this technology, there’s always the risk that the machines will break down. So, in case of a power failure or technical problems, paper textbooks are still widely available for these hi-tech students.
41．What does the underlined sentence “use up ink at the critical moment” in the 1st paragraph mean?
A．Pens use ink, while pencils don’t.
B．Pens get lost easily at any moment.
C．Pens may have little or no ink at the key moment.
D．Pens may not write well at the critical moment.
42．What did the middle school teacher show while using the example of her class?
A．the Web could take them everywhere.
B．the Web taught them a lot.
C．the Web is a good tool for information.
D．the Web, better than the textbooks, can give the latest information.
43．What does the phrase “break down” in the last paragraph mean?
　 A．Break up.        B．Stop working.       C．Fall down.     D．Lose control.

阅读理解

　　In November 1965, New York was blacked out by an electricity failure. The government officials promised that it would not happen again. Pessimists(悲观者) were certain that it would occur again within five years at the lastest. In July 1977, there was a repeat performance which produced different degrees of disorder throughout the city of 8,000,000 people. In 1965, the failure occurred in the cool autumn and at a time of peace and good situation. In 1977, the failure was much more serious because it came when the number of people out of work was large and the city was suffering from one of its worst heat waves.

　　In 1965, there was little stealing during the darkness, and fewer than 100 people were caught by the police. In 1977, hundereds of stores were broken into and stolen. They broke shopwindows and helped themselves to jewellery, clothes or television sets, nearly 400 people were sent to the police but far more disappeared into the darkness of the night. The number of the policemen at hand was far from enough and they were wisely stopped from using their guns against the mobs(暴徒)that were far more than them and that included armed men.

　　Hospitals had to treat hundreds of people cut by glass from shop windows. Banks and most businesses remained closed the next day. The blackout started at 9:33 p. m. when lightning hit and knocked out vital cables(关键的电缆). Many stores were thus caught by surprise.

　　The vast majority of New Yorkers, however, tried to help strangers, handed out candles, and tried to get through the dark world without traffic lights, refrigerators, water and electrical power. For 24 hours, New York realized how helpless it was without electricity.

1．Look at the 1st paragraph, who were right, the government officials or the pessimists?

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2．In what way was the blackout of 1977 different from that of 1965?

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A．There was much more disorder.

B．This time the electricity supply failed.

C．It was quite unexpected.

D．It came in the cool autumn.

3．Why did many persons manage to escape the police?

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A．The police could not see them in the darkness.

B．Many of them carried guns.

C．There were not enough policemen to catch them all.

D．They were hidden inside big buildings.

4．The 1997 New York electricity failure lasted ________.

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