Water, which covers about 74 percent of the earth’s surface, is man’s most precious resource. Without it we cannot live. Clean water keeps us alive; polluted water means disease and death. Keeping our water pure is by no means an easy task but it is something that must be done.

Hong Kong once prided herself on being the “Fragrant Harbour”. However, these days, it is not certain if Hong Kong’s harbour could still be called “fragrant”. For, like many other places, Hong Kong has not been spared water pollution. A visit to Tolo and Victoria Harbour, or any of the beaches in Hong Kong is enough to make one aware of the ugly truth that Hong Kong waters are indeed polluted.

The great threat to our water is bacteria pollution. Another great source of water pollution is poisonous chemicals. These substances, which are found in industrial waste and agricultural pesticides, make up unseen dangers that enter biological food chains.

Pollution control is a continuing problem for the government. It is believed that the most effective form of control is legislation（立法）. Most importantly, the present laws on pollution should be given more force. On the other hand, no amount of legislation can effectively control pollution unless those concerned are properly educated about the danger posed by pollution.

While a great majority of Hong Kong citizens and residents seem to be greatly concerned about ways to control water pollution, it is discouraging to note that there are, in our midst, some people who remain apathetic（无动于衷）about the problem. In a recent radio programme conducted on what people in the streets thought about the water pollution problem, one apparently unconcerned person said, “What do I care about water pollution? I don’t drink polluted water. As long as the water I drink is not polluted, I’m not bothered. Water pollution is too big a problem and let’s leave it to the government.”

If all residents in Hong Kong will take such an indifferent attitude, all the government’s attempts to control pollution, let alone the anti-pollution legislation, will prove useless. The best form of pollution control each citizen can employ is to be aware of his surroundings. We hope that someday, the problem of water pollution in Hong Kong will cease to alarm us.

1.By the underlined sentences, the writer wants to show that ______.

A. we should not use polluted water

B. it is our responsibility to keep our water clean and safe

C. clean water is vitally important to the survival of human beings

D. water is abundant but very expensive    

2.What can you infer from the second paragraph?

A. Hong Kong indeed deserves the name. 

B. Hong Kong never deserves such a name.

C. Hong Kong can’t avoid the damage of pollution. 

D. Hong Kong has failed to live up to such reputation.

3.The writer quotes the words in the programme to show us that a block to the solution of the problem is _________.

A. people’s lack of education         

B. people’s I-don’t-care attitude

C. people’s wait-and-see attitude     

D. people’s over-dependence on the government

4.In the final analysis, the best approach to the problem of water pollution is ________.

A. legislation                     

B. rapid development of modern science 

C. mass education                  

D.everybody taking care of his own surroundings

People with disabilities make up a large part of the population. It is estimated that over 35 million Americans have physical, mental, or other disabilities. About half of these disabilities are “developmental", i.e., they occur before the individual's twenty-second birthday, often from genetic conditions, and are severe enough to affect three or more areas of development, such as mobility, communication, employment, etc. Most other disabilities are considered “adventitious", i.e., accidental or caused by outside forces.

Prior to the 20th century, only a small percentage of people with disabilities survived for long. Medical treatment for these disabilities was unavailable. Advancements in medicine and social services have created a climate in which people with disabilities can expect to have such basic needs as food, shelter, and medical treatment. Unfortunately, these basics are often not available. Civil liberties such as the right to vote, marry, get an education, and gain employment have historically been denied on the basis of disability.

In recent decades, the disability rights movement has been organized to fight against these infringements（违反；侵犯）of civil rights. Congress responded by passing major legislation recognizing people with disabilities as a protected class under civil rights statutes.

Still today, people with disabilities must fight to live their lives independently. It is estimated that more than half of qualified Americans with disabilities are unemployed, and a majority of those who do work are underemployed. About two-thirds live at or below the official poverty level.

Significant barriers, especially in transportation and public awareness, prevent disabled people from taking part in society. For example, while no longer prohibited by law from marrying, a person with no access to transportation is effectively excluded from community and social activities which might lead to the development of long-term relationships.

Only when public attitudes advance as far as laws have will disabled people be fully able to take their rightful place in society.

36. A “developmental" disability ______.

A. develops very slowly over time

B. is caused by forces

C. occurs in youth and affects development

D. is getting more and more severe

37．Most disabled people used to die early because ______.

A. disabilities destroyed major bodily functions

B. they were not very well looked after

C. medical techniques were not available

D. they were too poor to get proper treatment

38. In the author's opinion, to enable the disabled people to take their rightful place in society, ______.

A．more laws should be passed

B．public attitudes should be changed

C．government should provide more aids

D．more public facilities should be set up

39. Which of the following cannot be inferred（推断）from the passage ?

A．Many disabled people may remain single for their whole life.

B．The public tends to look down upon the disabled people.

C．The disabled people feel inferior to those surrounding them.

D．  Discriminatory laws prevent the disabled from mixing with others.

40. The best title for this passage might be ______.

A．Handicaps（不利条件；障碍；）of People with Disabilities

B．The physical difficulties of the Disabled

C．The Causes for Disabilities

D．Medical Treatments for Disabilities

D

One of the main challenges facing many countries is how to maintain their identity in the face of globalization and the growing multi-language trend. “One of the main reasons for economic failure in many African countries is the fact that, with a few important exceptions, mother-tongue education is not practiced in any of the independent African states.” said Neville Alexander, Director of the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa at the University of Cape Town.

In response to the spread of English and the increased multi-language trends arising from immigration, many countries have introduced language laws in the laws in the last decade. In some, the use of languages other than the national language is banned in public spaces such as advertising posters. One of the first such legal provisions was the 1994 “Toubon law” in France, but the idea has been copied in many countries since then. Such efforts to govern language use are often dismissed as futile by language experts, who are well aware of the difficulty in controlling fashions in speech and know from research that language switching among bilinguals is a natural process.

It is especially difficult for native speakers of English to understand the desire to maintain the “purity” of a language by law. Since the time of Shakespeare, English has continually absorbed foreign words into its own language. English is one of the most mixed and rapidly changing languages in the world, but there has not been a barrier to acquiring prestige and power. Another reason for the failure of many native English speakers to understand the role of state regulation is that it has never been the Anglo-Saxon way of doing things. English has never had a state-controlled authority for the language, similar, for example, to the Academic Francaise in France.

The need to protect national languages is, for most western Europeans, a recent phenomenon—especially the need to ensure that English does not unnecessarily take over too many fields. Public communication, education and new modes of communication promoted by technology, may be key fields to defend.

1.Neville Alexander believes that         .

A．mother-tongue education is not practiced in all African countries

B．lack of mother-tongue education can lead to economic failure

C．globalization has led to the rise of multi-language trends

D．globalization has resulted in the economic failure of Africa

2.The underlined word “futile” (in paragraph 2) most probably means “        “.     

A．useless           B．practical          C．workable          D．unnecessary

3.Why do many English-speaking countries not support the language protection efforts described in the passage?

A．They think language protection laws are ineffective.

B．They want their language to spread to other countries.

C．They have a long history of taking words from other languages.

D．It reduces a language’s ability to acquire international importance.

4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．English has taken over fields like public communication and education.

B．Europeans have long realized the need to protect their national languages.

C．Most language experts believe it is important to promote a national language.

D．Many aspects of national culture are threatened by the spread of English.

5.The main idea of the passage is       .  

A．Fighting against the rule of English

B．Globalization and multi-language trends

C．Protecting local languages and identities

D．To maintain the purity of language by law

Autumn blues? Let the sunshine in falling leaves, flowers, and cold winds. For many people late autumn can be a season of depression.

   Those who suffer from “ the autumn blue” are often extremely tired, lack energy, need more sleep, feel increased appetite and gain weight. "The exact cause of this condition, often called seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is not known yet," says Chen Jue, associate professor at Shanghai Mental Health Center. "But recent studies indicate that weather change is influential and strongly suggest that this condition is caused by changes in the availability(得到) of sunlight."

One theory is that with decreased exposure to sunlight, the biological clock that regulates mood, sleep, and hormones is delayed, running more slowly in winter. Exposure to light may reset the biological clock. Another theory is that brain chemicals that transmit information between nerves, called neurotransmitters (for example, serotonin), may be altered in individuals with SAD. It is believed that exposure to light can correct these imbalances. "It is a sad season, but you can try to make it happy. Remember, spring always lives in your heart," Chen says. “Going outdoors to get some sunlight may reduce the tension that brings you the low spirits. Relax at work. Stretch, breathe deeply. Take a tea break. Think of your next vacation. Color treatment also works in handling low mood. Music also plays a role in treating autumn blues.”

1.Autumn blues is also called autumn________.

A. depression     B. sunshine      C. blue music      D. cold winds

2.From the 3rd paragraph we know that there _______ that can help to deal with autumn blues.

 A. is no biological clock         B. is a real example

 C. is no possibility              D. are some ways

3.Which of the following is true according to the text?

A. The real cause for autumn blues is still unknown.

B. Autumn blues can be feelings of happiness.

C. People feel tired in autumn.

D. Weather doesn’t change people.

4.Which of the following CAN’T you do in order to deal with autumn blues?

A. Reset the biological clock regulating mood, sleep and hormones.

B. Eat more food very low in calories and sugar.

C. Keep the balance of nerves that transmit information.

D. Take outdoor activities or sports.

第三部分  阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）

The writing of Shakespeare are today little read by young people in Britain．His young readership is limited to those who choose to study literature at university．

Shakespeare’s work, together with most other classics, is seen as remote, and written in a 400-year- old version of English that is about as inviting as toothache．

Still, in British schools, it is necessary to study the poet, and when something is made compulsory, usually the result is boredom, resentment（憎恨） or both．

This was my experience of the classics at school．But when I reached my late teenage years, I had a change of heart．Like every other young person since the dawn of time, the world confused me．I wanted answers, so I turned to books to find them．

I went on to take a PhD in literature and have taught it in Britain and China．I have never regretted it．There is something in literature that people want, even if they don’t read books．You see this in the popularity of TV and movie adaptations of great works, the recent film version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice being a case in point．These popular adaptations may help increase people’s interest in the classics．

Reading a simplified Romeo and Juliet may perhaps lead to a reading of Shakespeare’s actual plays．If that is the case, then I welcome the trend．But do not make the mistake of thinking that it is the same thing．Shakespeare is a poet．His greatness is in his language．Reading someone else’s rewriting of his works is like peeling a banana, throwing away the fruit, and eating the skin．Take on the original．It really is worth the effort．

1．Which of the following is true according to the passage?

     A．The language used in classics is no longer in use today．

     B．British students usually find compulsory reading dull．

         C．Only those studying literature read Shakespeare’s works．

         D．For British people, Shakespeare’s works are no longer classics．

2．According to the passage, the writer _____ ．

         A．has liked literary classics since an early age

         B．was forced to read the classics for a PhD

         C．turned to literature to seek answers in his teens

         D．thinks only people who read books like literature

3．The underlined phrase “a case in point” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to “_____”．

         A．a great hit                    B．a good example

         C．a movie adaptation                  D．a popular phenomenon

4．What does the writer intend to tell us in the last paragraph?

         A．The fruit of a banana is more useful than its skin．

         B．The rewriting trend does more harm than good．

         C．Readers should try to read the original versions．

         D．Readers need to learn the language in the classics．