You never see him, but they're with you every time you fly. They record where you are going, how fast you're traveling and whether everything on your airplane is functioning normally. Their ability to endure almost any disaster makes them seem like something out of a comic book. They're known as the black box.

　When planes fall from the sky, as a Yemeni airliner did on its way to Comoros Islands in the India ocean on June 30, 2009, the black box is the best bet for identifying what went wrong. So when a French submarine (潜水艇) detected the box's homing signal five days later, the discovery marked a huge step toward determining the cause of a tragedy in which 152 passengers were killed.

　In 1958, Australian scientist David Warren developed a flight-memory recorder that would track basic information like altitude and direction. That was the first mode for a black box, which became a requirement on all U.S. commercial flights by 1960. Early models often failed to withstand crashes, however, so in 1965 the box was completely redesigned and moved to the rear of the plane – the area least subject to impact – from its original position in the landing wells (起落架舱). The same year, the Federal Aviation Authority required that the boxes, which were never actually black, be painted orange or yellow to aid visibility.

　Modern airplanes have two black boxes: a voice recorder, which tracks pilots' conversations, and a flight-data recorder, which monitors fuel levels, engine noises and other operating functions that help investigators reconstruct the aircraft's final moments. Placed in an insulated (隔绝的) case and surrounded by a quarter-inch-thick panels of stainless steel, the boxes can stand massive force and temperatures up to 2,000℉. When submerged, they're also able to emit signals from depths of 20,000 ft. Experts believe the boxes from Air France Flight 447, which crashed near Brazil on June 1,2009, are in water nearly that deep, but statistics say they're still likely to turn up. In the approximately 20 deep-sea crashes over the past 30 years, only one plane's black boxes were never recovered.

1.What does the author say about the black box?

A．It is an indispensable device on an airplane.　

B．The idea for its design comes from a comic book.

C．Its ability to avoid disasters is incredible.

D．It ensures the normal functioning of an airplane.

2.What does the underlined word in the 3rd paragraph mean?　

A．witness           B．experience        C．resist　           D．ensure

3.Why was the black box redesigned in 1965?

A．New materials became available by that time.

B．Too much space was needed for its installation.

C．The early models didn't provide the needed data.

D．The early models often got damaged in the crash.

4.What do we know about the black boxes from Air France Flight 447?

A．There is an urgent need for them to be reconstructed.

B．There is still a good chance of their being recovered.　

C．They have stopped sending homing signals.

D．They were destroyed somewhere near Brazil.

阅读下面的短文，并根据要求回答问题。

Even if you really enjoy your job, it’s still possible to battle boredom as you work. You may not be able to make big changes—or change your job—but you can make small adjustments to your routine that can make every day seem, well, a little less routine.

1. Switch Your Seat 

Change your outlook at the office by changing your office. Ask your supervisor to help you find a new desk. Even switching desks with a neighboring coworker can offer a fresh atmosphere.

    If it's not possible to change your location, see if you can change your desk’s direction. A new view can be just as refreshing as a new location.

2. ______________

Start and end your day in a different way. Consider a new mode of transportation, if it’s possible. Take a subway. Ride a bike on sunny days. Carpool with a coworker. Use a new route to get to your job. You needn't change it for ever—just long enough to help you escape the boredom.

3. Find a New Work Style

    Sick of attending that long-standing Monday morning meeting? Try to change it to the afternoon.

    If you find yourself feeling most bored in the afternoons, try to arrange to do your favorite tasks then and tackle less desirable projects in the mornings.

If you usually communicate with coworkers via email and instant messaging, start dealing with people face to face. Increased communication with coworkers may help improve your mood.

4. Get and Set a Goal

    If your work is short of objectives, it's no wonder that work has become boring. Identify a goal and set an “achieve by” date for it.

Your goal needn’t be noble as long as you have enough enthusiasm for it. Perhaps you want to make a new project. Maybe you’d like to pursue a promotion. Or you may even set a goal of finding a new job altogether. Whatever it is, actively move toward an objective.

What is the purpose of the passage? (within 15 words)

________________________________________________________________________________

Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?

 You will feel bored when you are not working toward something.

________________________________________________________________________________

Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. (within 8 words)

                                                           _________________________

List three methods of escaping from boredom in your daily. (within 5 words for each)

①                                 ②________________________________

③_______________________________

Translate the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese.

________________________________________________________________________________

You can be proud of yourselves, even if you can only make one or two of these green changes. The goal here is to limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are closely associated to the big problem of global-warming.

第二节：（共5小题；每小韪分，满分10分）

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。

  51  The goal here is to limit carbon dioxide and other green house gases, which are closely associated to the big problem of global-warming．

Strategy 1: Bring your own cup to Starbucks

You’ll get a 10 cent discount, and it’s one less paper cup to end up in a landfill．While you’re there, pick up some free bags of spent coffee grounds to use as  ‘‘green’’  fertilizer in your garden．

The payoff:   52 

Strategy2: Turn off your computer

When in standby mode, your PC is still using energy．  53 

The payoff: Turning off a monitor for 40 hours a week may only save $5 a month, but it reduces CO2 by 750 pounds

Strategy 3: Reuse plastic bags

Instead of throwing away 100 billion plastic bags a year, try and get a second, third, or tenth use out of them．Better yet, next time you shop, try a reusable bag．

The payoff:   54 The amount of oil it would take to make just 14 plastic bags would run your car for one mile．

Strategy4: Use recycled paper in the bathroom

Most of the toilet paper we use is made from trees found in forests previously untouched by humans．

The payoff: If every household replaced one roll of toilet paper with a recycled one, 424000 trees would still be standing．Look for eco paper towels too．

Strategy5: Buy energy-efficient appliances（电器）

Replace the old fridge with an Energy Star appliance and you’ll use 15 percent less energy．  55  

The payoff: If we all used one Energy Star appliance at home, it would be like planting 1．7 million acres of new trees．

E．The store won’t create more waste when they throw away a cup．

F．The store won’t create more waste when they throw away a cup.

G．Just one tree will help make cleaner air and save the environment from 5000 pounds of hot carbon dioxide each year.

Children are getting smarter by the generation. I am very amazed by how kids these days know exactly what they want, and know how to communicate with several different languages when they are with different persons. It’s very common in HK that kids are being looked after by overseas domestic helpers. Their helpers do speak with them in English. Some do even speak with the kids in their own countries languages. Surprisingly, the kids do know how to response to their helpers regardless what languages they are in communication. This is what I observed a helper with a one-year-old kid on bus last week. My cousin has a Pilipino helper at home for more than ten years. He can response to his helper well regardless she speaks with him in English or Pilipino. Some kids’ grandparents do speak with their grand children in their hometown dialect. The kids also pick up fast with whatever dialect it is. Kids’ parents usually speak with them in Cantonese; naturally, this also becomes their first language.

    I have really noticed among urban HK children, is that they know exactly which human behavior to switch on when facing with parents, grandparents and helpers. Their expression is different when they ask their helpers to help compared with their parents. They are usually much more direct with their helpers instead of their parents and grandparents when they want to ask for something. (eg. when they ask for ice-cream or chocolate) I think there must be related to phenomenon（现象）, whether it is learnt or not. It’s really amazing how children automatically（自动地）know all at such a young age, which mode of behavior, and at what tone and manner to use them, who to use them on, and when.                                                

1. The example of my cousin’s story shows that __________.

A. The kids know exactly what they are in need of.

B. The kids know how to communicate well with others.

C. The kids know how to response to their helpers.

D. The kids know all the above at so young an age.

2. Who will the kids turn to for help in the first place?

  A. Kids’ parents       B. Kids’ grand parents

  C. Relatives          D. overseas domestic helpers

3. What does the underlined phrase “pick up” most probably mean?

  A. succeed in seeing or hearing     B. gain or acquire it by purpose

  C. learn it without taking lessons    D. take hold of and lift it

4. Which of the following expresses the main idea of the text?

  A. Kids have an amazing childhood.    B. Kids are getting smarter in HK.

  C. Kids are truly amazing and smart.       D. Kids get along well with the helpers.