For Americans, a mosquito bite is an itchy bother. But for many in Africa, a tiny bite can be deadly. One million people die each year of malaria, a disease spread by infected mosquitoes. Most of these people live in Africa, and are under age 5.

Malaria can be prevented and treated. However, many African nations don't have the funds to fight it. Nothing but Nets (NBN) hopes to change that. The United Nations Foundation created the campaign in 2006. The aim is to prevent malaria by covering sleeping areas with nets. Hanging bed nets treated with insecticide(杀虫剂) is the simplest way to stop mosquitoes from biting at night. The chemicals last four to five years. For $10, anyone can send a net to Africa and help save a life.

So far, NBN has raised $19 million and delivered 700,000 nets to seven countries. Families are taught how to use the nets. Kids also get vaccines (疫苗)and vitamins. "Women line up for miles to get the medicine for their kids," says NBN director Elizabeth McKee Gore. "They understand the importance."

So do kids in this country. "They get so excited thinking of ways to raise money," says NBN spokesperson and basketball star Ruth Riley.

NBN's biggest fund-raiser is Katherine Commale, 7. She's been spreading the information about bed nets for the past two years. To show how they work, she and her brother made a video. "We teach that bed nets can save lives," she said.

Katherine has raised $42,000 for NBN. "She just wants those who need a net to have one," says her mom, Lynda. "It's pretty simple to her." To find out how you can help, visit nothingbutnets.net.

We know from the passage that NBN is in fact _________.

   A. a deadly disease                B. an organization

   C. a piece of equipment            D. a game

The purpose of the passage is most probably ___________.

   A. to list the sufferings of the African people

   B. to introduce new ways to avoid mosquito bites

   C. to call on people to offer their help to Africans

   D. to tell people how to buy nets in Africa

By saying “So do kids in this country” in Paragraph 4,the author means that kids in this country also ___________.

   A. know the importance of the bed nets

   B. know how to protect themselves

   C. lack nets to protect themselves

   D. suffer from malaria

What do we know about Katherine from the passage?

   A. She set up the website nothingbutnets.net.

   B. She is the youngest money-raiser for NBN.

   C. She raised money by making and selling videos.

   D. She started working for NBN at the age of 5.

For computer users, there is no bigger excitement than tossing out your old PC and upgrading to a newer, faster and cleaner machine. With hardware designers like Intel, pushing newer, faster products every year, and new software requiring even more powerful machines, companies and consumers have little choice but to go along.

But this rapid turnover is having a serious effect on the planet. Producing a personal computer consumes large quantities of natural resources. A recent study by the United Nations estimates the energy required to produce a single new computer is equivalent to nearly two barrels of oil. And that doesn't include the 22 kg of chemicals or the 1,500 kg of water used in the manufacturing process.

  In fact, pound for pound（均等地）, the process for making a car is about 500% more efficient than that for making a computer. That doesn't matter so much 20 years ago when personal computers were few and far between, but times have changed. These days, computers are found nearly everywhere and sales continue to grow. The number of PCs in use topped one billion in 2002.

Waste in production is only half the problem. Old computers, especially the monitors, are full of dangerous substances, which need to be carefully recycled. The problem is sure to expand over the coming years as users replace their boxy CRT monitors with LCD flat displays.

  Europe now requires that 70% of parts from old computers be recycled, but the study’s authors say that’s also part of the problem. The solution, they insist, is for governments and companies to encourage people to use their computers longer, and upgrade rather than replace. But considering that much of the world’s recent economic growth has come from spending on computers and information technology, that advice may sound like wishful thinking. 

What do computer users have to do every few years according to the passage?

   A. Push newer, faster products.

   B. Produce more powerful machines.

   C. Consume large quantities of natural resources.

   D. Upgrade to a newer, faster computer.

What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A. The pound.                                   B. The process.

    C. The car.                                     D. The computer.

We can infer from the last paragraph that ____.

A. governments and companies will surely encourage people to use their computers longer

B. governments and companies will probably encourage people to replace their personal computers

C. the world's economic has been growing without people's spending on computers and information technology

D. all parts from old computers are now recycled in Europe

The purpose of writing this passage is ____

A. to encourage companies to push newer, faster personal computers

B. to encourage people to design more new software

C. to encourage people to save their personal computers

D. to encourage people to spend more money on computers and information technology

For years, business people in Western Europe were worried. They knew they could not compete against business from the U.S. The United States is much larger and had many more resources than any Western European countries

Some European people realized that the European nations need to join together to help each other. If they could forget their language differences and the differences in customs, they might become strong competition against other countries.

In 1958, six of the European countries --- Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany and Italy got together and decided to cooperate. They called their group the European Economic Community, or the Common Market. These countries agreed to join their resources together.

Within a few years, the European Economic Community had worked so well that its members were more prosperous than many other European nations. Soon, other nations began to realize the advantage of the Common Market. Today the Common Market includes most of the important countries in Western Europe. It is helping Western Europe to again take its place as a leader among the industrial nations of the world.

From the passage we know the U.S. is much richer than ________ in resources.

A. any other Western European countries   B. any other country in Western Europe

C. any country in Western Europe         D. every country in Europe

The members of the European Economic Community have developed fast because they ___.

A. share their resources and become more prosperous

B. can again take the place as a leader in the world

C. forget the differences in their languages and customs

D. have become strong competition against the U.S.

Which statement is true?

A. The Common Market is only a political association.

B. The Common Market is an economic and political association

C. The Common Market is only an economic association

D. The Common Market is neither an economic association nor a political one.

In order to ______ the Western European countries decided to cooperate.

A. join together to found a united country

B. help each other to smooth away the differences in customs

C. work and act together for common purpose

D. work together and fight against the U.S.

     For the first time in modem history, less than half of the U.S. adult population now reads literature, according to a recent survey. Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America presents a detailed review of the decline of reading's role in the nation's culture.

     Reading at Risk is a survey of national fashion in adult literary reading. The data source for Reading at Risk is as reliable and objective (客观的) as any such survey can be. The key results of the survey are presented in the "Summary", but the report can be further explained as: literary reading in America is not only declining rapidly among all groups, but the rate of decline has been speeded up, especially among the young. Reading at Risk merely shows a great cultural change that most Americans have already noted our society's great turn to electronic media for entertainment and information.    

Reading a book requires a degree of active attention and devotion. Indeed, reading itself is a progressive skill that depends on years of education and practice. On the contrary, most electronic media such as television, recordings, and radio make fewer demands on their audiences, and indeed often require no more than passive participation. While oral culture has a rich reality and electronic media offer the considerable advantages of variety, print culture affords irreplaceable forms of focused attention and thought that make various communications and views possible. The decline in reading, therefore, equals a larger retreat (减少) from participation in public and cultural life.

     What is to be done? There is surely no single solution to the present problem, just as there is no single cause. The important thing now is to understand that America can no longer take active and devoted reading for granted.

     Reading is not a timeless, common ability. As more Americans lose this ability, our nation becomes less informed, active, and independent minded. These are not qualities that a free, inventive, or productive society can afford to lose.

59. The main purpose of the survey is to_______.

    A. focus on the role of electronic media and reading

    B. show that American young people read less and less

    C. give a report of the national fashion of literary reading

    D. review that less than half of the population now reads literature

60. According to the passage, reading_______ .

A. requires less attention and devotion  

B. demands no more than passive participation

    C. limits various communications and views

    D. means active participation in public and cultural life

61. The underlined phrase "cultural change" in Paragraph 2 refers to the change________.

   A. from oral culture to electronic media   B. from print culture to electronic media

   C. from electronic media to oral culture   D. from electronic media to print culture

62. The author of the passage_______ .

    A. misunderstands oral culture

    B. doubts the results of the survey

    C. encourages the Americans to read more

    D. agrees to the solution to the present problem in reading

For many years, women could only be seen on the seat behind the men operating the two－wheeled motorcycle. Now more and more women are taking the front seat. More than twenty million people in the United States ride motorcycles.

Since 1998 the number of female bikers has risen sharply. Lady Sport Riders began in 1999 in Washington. The women formed the organization to share their love of motorcycle riding. But later it wanted to be more than just an organization for women togather and ride motorcycles, so it started to organize events that help national health organizations and women's shelters. It also permits women to share a strong sisterhood, and gives financial awards to poor students. Like other motorcycle clubs, the members of Lady Sport Riders also help their community. 

Different from male riders, female riders ride for more than fun. This sport gives women a sense of freedom and control. Female riders have helped change motorcycle culture. More than five years ago manufacturers began making equipment especially for women. Some bikes now have smaller, softer seats and controls that are easier to reach. Modern clothes for riding now look good and still provide protection. In the past, women rode motorcycles that travelled at a moderate speed. Now theirs are as powerful as the ones men ride. Safety is very important when riding because the risk of injury is high. So the women wear protective clothing and equipment at all times, especially for the head.

Lady Sport Riders believes women have earned their place in the sport of motorcycle riding. When speaking of male motorcyclists, the members of the club say, “They Made the Game. We Came to Play！”

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. Motorcycle riding used to be considered a male sport.

B. The number of female motorcyclists is now larger than that of male riders.

C. Female motorcyclists are more skilled at riding than male riders.

D. More and more women have an adventurous spirit.

2. In the beginning, Lady Sport Riders was organized to ________.

A. allow women to take up motorcycling

B. offer help to national health organizations

C. share their great interest in the sport of motorcycling

D. supply financial help to poor students

3. What do men motorcyclists mainly expect to get from motorcycling?

A. Strength and power.

B. A sense of freedom.

C. Money and fame.

D. Pleasure from this sport.

4. Compared with the past, the present equipment makes riding more ________ for women.

A. difficult  B. pleasant

C. risky  D. expensive

5. What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To talk about the development of motorcycle riding.

B. To talk about the characteristics of the sport of motorcycling.

C. To introduce a female motorcycle club to readers.

D. To talk about the role women have played in the sport of motorcycling.