Solar energy for your home is coming. It can help you as a single home owner. It can help the whole country as well. Whether or not solar energy can save your money depends on many things. Where you live is one factor. The type of home you have is another. Things like insulation(绝缘) present energy costs and the type of system you buy are added factors.
Using solar energy can help save our precious fuel. As you know, our supplies of oil and gas are very limited. There is just not enough on hand to meet all our future energy needs. And when Mother Nature says that’s all, the only way we can delay hearing those words is by starting to save energy now and by using other sources, like the sun.
We won’t have to worry about the sun’s running out of energy for another several billion years or so. Besides begin an endless source of energy, the use of the sun has other advantages as well. The sun doesn’t offer as many problems as other energy sources. For example, fossil fuel plants add to already high pollution levels. With sola energy, we will still need sources of energy, but we won’t need as much. That means we can cut down on our pollution problems.
With all these good points, why don’t we use more solar power? There are many reasons for this. The biggest reason is money. Until now, it was just not practical for a home owner to put in a solar unit. There were cheaper sources of energy. All this is changing now. Solar costs are starting to equal the costs of oil and electricity. Experts say that gas, oil and electricity prices will continue to rise. The demand for electricity is increasing rapidly. But new power plants will use more gas, oil or coal. Already in some places the supply of electricity is being rationed. Solar energy is now in its infancy. It could soon grow to become a major part of our nation’s energy supply.
57. Which statement best expresses the main idea?
A. Something about Solar Energy and Pollution.        B. Solar Energy.
C. Energy and Pollution                                           D. Energy and Money
58. Solar energy can help us save ____.
A. the earth and nature resources                                  B. mother nature
C. the sun                                                                     D. our precious fuel
59. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. Energy from coal would not pollute our living environment.
B. Energy from natural gas would not pollute our living environment.
C. Energy from the sun would not pollute our living environment.
D. Energy from oil would not pollute our living environment.
60. Solar energy is in its infancy, ____.
A. but it will be considered as an important part of our nation’s energy supply
B. yet we will build more power plants
C. and the supply of electricity will be rationed
D. but we don’t need practice energy rationing now

The Internet will open up new vistas (前景), create the global village——you can make new friends all around the world. That, at least, is what it promised us. The difficulty is that it did not take the human mind into account. The reality is that we cannot keep relationships with more than a limited number of people. No matter how hard the Internet tries to put you in communication, its best efforts will be defeated by your mind.

The problem is twofold（双重的）. First, there is a limit on the number of people we can hold in mind and have a meaningful relationship with. That number is about 150 and is set by the size of our brain. Second, the quality of your relationships depends on the amount of time you invest in then. We invest a lot in a small number of people and then distribute what’s left among as many others as we can. The problem is that if we invest little time in a person, our engagement with that person will decline until eventually it dies into “someone I once knew”.

This is not, of course, to say that the Internet doesn’t serve a socially valuable function. Of course it does. But the question is not that it allows you to increase the size of your social circle to include the rest of the world, but that you can keep your relationships with your existing friends going even though you have to move to the other side of the world.

In one sense, that’s a good thing. But it also has a disadvantage. If you continue to invest in your old friends even though you can no longer see them, then certainly you aren’t using your time to make new friends where you now live. And I suspect that probably isn’t the best use of your time. Meaningful relationships are about being able to communicate with each other, face to face. The Internet will slow down the rate with which relationships end, but it won’t stop that happening eventually.

1.The number of friends we can keep relationships with is decided by______.

A. the Internet   B. the time we have  C. the place we live  D. the mind

2.The underlined word “engagement” in the second paragraph probably means “_____”.

　A. appointment   B. connection   C. interview    D. agreement

3.The author holds the view that___________.

  A. the Internet helps to keep in touch with friends far away

B. the Internet determines the quality of social relationships

C. the Internet greatly increases the size of social circles

D. the Internet is of no value in social communication

4.What will the author encourage us to do?

　A. To keep in touch with old friends when we have moved away.

　B. To chat with friends often on the Internet.

　C. To make more new friends face to face.

　D. To stop using the Internet to make new friends.

5.What is the author’s attitude towards the use of the Internet to strengthen relationships?

　A. He thinks it useless           B. He is hopeful of it.

　C. He approves of it.            D. He doubts it.

The biggest safety threat（威胁）facing airlines today may not be a man with a gun ,but the man with portable（便携式）computer in business class .In the past 15 years ,pilots have reported about over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electro-magnetic interference(电磁干扰) .The source of this interference remain unclear ,but increasingly ,experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic devices（设备）such as portable computers ,radio and mobile telephones .
RTCA ,an organization which advises the aviation industry ,has suggested that all airlines ban, such devices from being used during “key” stages of flight ,particularly take-off and landing .Some experts have gone further ,calling for a total ban during all flights .Nowadays ,rules on using these devices are left up to airlines. And although some airlines ban passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing ,most are not willing to exercise a total ban ,if many passengers want to work during flights .
The difficulty is understanding how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft’s computers .Experts know that portable devices give off radiation which affects those wave lengths which aircraft uses for communication .But because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory ,they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not .
The fact that aircraft may be in trouble because of the interference raises the danger
that some people may use radio systems in order to damage navigation（导航）equipment .As worrying ,though ,is the passenger who can’t hear the instruction to turn off his radio because the music is too loud .
【小题1】.
.What is said about over 100 aircraft incidents in the past 15 years ?
A They may have taken place during take-off and landing .
B They have been caused by the damage to the radio systems .
C They were said to have resulted from electro-magnetic interference .
D They were caused by the passengers’ portable computers .
【小题2】.
. Few airlines want to refuse a total ban on their passengers because ____ .
A they have other effective safety measures to fall back on
B they don’t believe there is such a danger as radio interference
C the effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be proved
D most passengers refuse to take a plane which bans the use of radio 
【小题3】.
. Why is it difficult to see the effects of electromagnetic fields on computers ?
A Experts lack proper equipment to such research .
B It is dangerous to carry out such research on an airplane .
C It remains a question what wave lengths are to be interfered with .
D Scientists are not able to produce the same effects in laboratory .
【小题4】.
It can be inferred from the passage that the author ___ .
A hasn’t formed his own opinion on this problem
B has fully understood the danger of electromagnetic interference
C regards it is as unreasonable to exercise a total ban during flight
D is in favor of banning passengers’ use of electronic devices

E
The earth is getting warmer. The planet is suffering. But what can you do about it? Reduce the amount of waste you generate. Use cleaner energy sources and go greener today, starting with these steps:
1. Get a reusable water bottle
Americans buy about 25 billion single-serving plastic water bottles each year. That's an average of 83 bottles per person per year. Plastic bottles take plenty of resources to produce, including fuel for transportation and petroleum to make the plastic. Even recycling bottles uses energy.
2. Eat less meat
You don't need to become a vegetarian to help save the planet. Eating meat just one day less a week can reduce your negative impact on the environment. More water, energy and land are required to produce meat than to produce grain.
3. Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs
Most households use standard incandescent (白炽的) bulbs. But compact fluorescent (荧光的) light bulbs, or CFLs, use 66 percent less energy than standard bulbs, produce just as much light, last up to 10 times longer and don't need to be replaced as often. If every household in the United States replaced just one incandescent light bulb with a CFL bulb, it would equal removing one million cars from the road.
4. Buy organic and local food
Did you know that only 1 percent of pesticides (杀虫剂) applied to crops reach the pests they target? The rest enter the environment. Organic food is grown without the use of pesticides. Organic farming can use 50 percent less energy than traditional farming methods. Buying local food saves on the fuel used to transport food grown elsewhere, thousands of miles across the country or around the world.
5. Recycle your electronics
Everyone knows the importance of recycling glass and plastic, but what about cell phones, computers, CDs and batteries? Electronics are responsible for about 40 percent of toxic (有毒的) heavy metals such as lead and mercury. Check with your city's recycling facilities to see if they take electronics.
72. The readers of this passage are called on to ______.
A. help reduce global warming               B. use water in a wise way              
C. donate money for charity                 D. keep a balanced diet
73. What is an advantage of CFLs according to the passage?
A. They use more energy but produce more light.                                  
B. They can last longer so don't need to be replaced often.
C. They cost less than standard incandescent bulbs.                                      
D. They are as energy-efficient as incandescent bulbs.
74. Which of the following figures is correct according to the passage?
A. Every year an American buys 63 plastic water bottles on average.                  
B. Eating meat one day less a week helps cut environment costs.                                  
C. 99 of the pesticides used on crops is effective in practice.                                        
D. Electronics account for half of poisonous heavy metals on the earth.
75. Which can be the best title for this passage?
A. Why is the earth getting warmer?           B. What can we do about pollution?              C. How can you lead a greener life?              D. Who is to blame for global warming?

The private automobile(私家车) has long played an important role in the United States. In fact, it has become a necessary and important part of the American way of life. In 1986, sixty-nine percent of American families owned at least one car, and thirty-eight percent had more than one. By giving workers rapid transportation, the automobile has freed them from having to live near their place of work. This has encouraged the growth of the cities, but it has also led to traffic problems.

For farm families the automobile is very helpful. It has made it possible for them to travel to town very often for business and for pleasure, and also to transport their children to distant schools.

Family life has been affected(影响) in various ways. The car helps to keep families together when it is used for picnics, outings, and other shared experiences. However, when teenage children have the use of the car, their parents can’t keep an eye on them. There is a great danger if the driver has been drinking alcohol or taking drugs, or showing off by speeding or breaking down traffic laws. Mothers of victims(受害者) of such accidents have formed an organization called MADD(Mothers Against Drunk Driving). These women want to prevent further tragedies(悲剧). They have worked to encourage the government to limit the youngest drinking age. Students have formed a similar organization, SADD(Students Against Drunk Driving) and are spreading the same message among their friends.

For many Americans the automobile is a necessity. But for some, it is also a mark of social position and for young people, a sign of becoming an adult. Altogether, cars mean very much to Americans.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?

A. Cars have encouraged the growth of the cities.

B. Cars can bring families together when they go for picnics.

C. Cars have enabled people to live far from their place of work.

D. Cars help city families to transport their children to faraway schools.

What has been done to deal with the problem of drunk driving?

A. Parents have paid more attention to their children.

B. Some organizations have been set up against drunk driving.

C. Mothers have tried to persuade their children not to drink alcohol.

D. University students have asked the government to solve the problem.

We can infer from the text that in America.

A. it will be more difficult for people to get new cars

B. parents will not allow their children to have their own cars

C. the government will encourage people to use public transportation

D. cars will still be popular though they have caused many problems