American cities are similar to other cities around the world. In every country cities reflect the values of the culture. Cities contain the very best aspects of a society: opportunities for education employment and entertainment. They also contain the very worst parts of a society: violent crime, racial(种族) conflict and poverty. American cities are changing just as American society is changing.   　　

After World War II city residents became wealthier. They had more children. They needed more space. They move out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs areas near a city where people live. These are areas without many offices or factories. During the 1950s the American “dream” was to have a house in the suburbs.

　　Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in 1950s are now adults. They unlike their parents want to live in the cities. Many young professionals, doctors, lawyers and executives(主管人员) are moving back into the city. Many are single; others are married but often without children. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; they are afraid of the fuel shortage; or they just enjoy the excitement and opportunities which the city offers.

    This population shift(转变) is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.

     Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is for sure：many dying cities are alive again.

1. What does the author think of cities all over the world?

   A. They are alive.                   B. They are hopeless.

   C. They are similar                  D. They are different.

2.Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War II?

   A. Because older American cities were dying.

   B. Because they were richer and needed more space.

   C. Because cities contained the worst parts of society.

   D. Because they could hardly afford to live in the city.

3. According to the 4^th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities ___________. 

   A. are faced with housing problems

   B. are faced to move to the suburbs

   C. want to sell their buildings

   D. need more money for daily expenses

4. We can conclude from the text that ____________.

   A. American cities are changing for the worse

   B. people have different views on American cities

   C. many people are now moving from American cities

   D. the population is decreasing in older American cities

He met her at a party. She was outstanding; many guys were   41   her, but nobody paid any attention to him. After the party, he   42   her for coffee. She was   43  . In order not to appear rude, she went   44  .

As they sat in a nice   45   shop, he was too nervous to say anything and she felt   46  .

Suddenly, he asked the waiter, “Could you please give me some   47  ? I’d like to put it in my coffee.”

They stared at him. He turned red; but when the salt came, he put it in his coffee and drank.  48  , she asked. “Why salt with coffee?” He explained, “When I was a little boy, I lived near the sea, I liked playing on the sea… I could   49   its salty taste, like salty coffee. Now every time I drink it, I   50   my childhood and my hometown. I miss   51   and my parents, who are still there.”

She was   52   touched. A man who can admit that he’s homesick must love his home and care about his family. He must be   53  .

So they dated,   54   and lived happily together. And every time she made coffee for him, she would put in some salt, the way he liked it.

After 40 years, he   55   and left her a letter which said:

My dearest, please   56   my life-long lie. Remember the first time we dated? I was so nervous that I asked for salt   57   sugar.

Sweetheart, I don’t exactly like salty coffee. But as it mattered so   58   to you, I’ve   59 

to enjoy it. Having you with me was my greatest happiness. If I could live a second time, I hope we can be together again,   60  , it means that I have to drink salty coffee for the rest of my life.

1.A. before       B. beyond         C. after    D. near

2.A. invited       B. paid      C. forced  D. asked

3.A. interested         B. frightened   C. moved D. surprised

4.A. away         B. along   C. over     D. down

5.A. coffee        B. tea       C. beer     D. wine

6.A. comfortable      B. different       C. uncomfortable     D. indifferent

7.A. sugar         B. pepper          C. candy   D. salt

8.A. Angrily      B. Curiously      C. Worriedly     D. Happily

9.A. feel   B. see       C. notice  D. find

10.A. think over        B. bring up        C. think of         D. remind of

11.A. this B. it  C. him       D. her

12.A. highly      B. specially       C. hardly  D. deeply

13.A. responsible     B. reasonable  C. sensible        D. representative

14.A. married  B. engaged       C. separated    D. split

15.A. walked away  B. left away      C. passed away        D. got away

16.A. forget     B. forgive C. imagine        D. value

17.A. instead   B. instead of    C. in spite of     D. other than

18.A. many       B. more    C. any       D. much

19.A. studied   B. learnt  C. adapted       D. used

20.A. however B. as it      C. when   D. even if

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Feeling hopeless and sick at heart, Tom turned away. For a quick moment his eyes met the eyes of the cook, and he saw there a   36   of such hatred and fear that   37   words could describe.

The cook moved quietly   38   . He   39   to Tom in a rough voice, "Don't be too clever." And he went away.

Tom's views did not stay___40__ the cook and his words. His friend was in trouble. How could he__41____ him? He decided to slip away as soon as possible   42   of information that would clear Jay of all   43   and bring the true criminal(罪犯) to justice.

He had noticed a piece of old sailcloth   44   on the ship floor. With this and a length of string he __45__a package which looked very much like the one the police had seized. His plan was to   46  to the shore and hand it over   47    the cook had ordered Jay to,   48   in this way to learn the truth about the criminal's activities. Then he could   49    the police of his friend's innocence(无罪).

By now it was dark. Taking the blankets out of Jay's   50   bed, Tom piled them up in his own in the   51   of a sleeping figure. How real it looked! With the blanket pulled up high around the figure's head, he could almost believe he saw it breathing.    52   with this, Tom moved quietly to the door.

He was about to open it   53   he felt the handle turning the other way. Someone was outside and about to come in. Had his plan failed? Slipping quickly back behind the door as it opened, Tom   54     .

It was the cook who was leaning    55    now over the figure in the bed.  His arm swung up and a long knife plunged down.

1.A. fire          B. light                  C. lightning               D. flash

2.A. many                             B. several                                C. few             D. no

3.A. closely                           B. nearly                          C. closer                 D. near

4.A. whispered            B. ordered                 C. indicated        D. shouted

5.A. based on                       B. focused on                   C. carried on           D. kept on

6.A. encourage            B. support                 C. persuade        D. help

7.A. in time                           B. in need                        C. in search            D. in touch

8.A. truths                             B. doubts                         C. failures               D. faults

9.A. lying B. lay                                   C. laid                      D. lain

10.A. took                             B. bought                                C. made          D. sent

11.A. slip                              B. step                             C. pass                   D. march

12.A. as with              B. as though              C. such as           D. just as

13.A. expecting           B. imagining             C. hoping           D. wishing

14.A. persuade             B. require                                   C. suggest               D. encourage

15.A. neat                              B. empty                          C. dirty                  D. comfortable

16.A. shape                            B. sample                                C. shade          D. shadow

17.A. Excited                       B. Pleased                        C. Surprised           D. Frightened

18.A. though                        B. until                            C. while                 D. when

19.A. waited       B. rushed                     C. seized            D. shot

20.A. aside                            B. forward                       C. outward             D. against

Tracy Wong is a well-known Chinese-American writer. But her writing ___36___ was something she picked up by herself. After her first ___37___, teaching disabled children, she became a part-time writer for IBM. ___38___, writing stories was simply a ___39___ interest. Tracy sent three of her stories to a publisher(出版商). ___40___, they immediately suggested that she put them together to make a single one long ___41___ and paid Tracy a $50,000 advance. “A pretty money,” said the publisher, “for ___42___ writer. ”

___43___ Tracy’s characters(人物) are interesting, her stories sometimes ___44___ readers uneasy: those about the supernatural. “My mother believed I could ___45___ the afterlife world,” she told a close friend. “She used to have me speak with my grandmother, who died many years ago. ”

“Can I? I don’t think I can,” Tracy said with a laugh. “But I do have ___46___when things come to me ___47___. ” Once, she was wondering how to complete a ___48___ set in ancient(古代的) China. ___49___the doorbell rang. It was a FedEx delivery man, with a copy of a book on Chinese ___50___. It came without her having ___51___it.

Though she has published 10 books, Tracy has remained ___52___ by her fame. She lives in the same ___53___ ___ she lived 27 years ago — although in a more comfortable home. There

s more room for ___54___in her life ’t just ___55___.

36. A. skill     B. experience  C. practice      D. method

37. A. duty     B. effort  C. job     D. task

38. A. Instead B. Normally   C. Certainly    D. Then

39. A. general B. deep   C. personal     D. lively

40. A. Interested     B. Anxiously   C. Seriously    D. Encouraged

41. A. film     B. story   C. program     D. article

42. A. a foreign      B. a popular    C. an unusual  D. an unknown

43. A. Now that     B. Even though     C. Just because       D. Except that

44. A. find      B. turn    C. leave   D. hold

45. A. make up      B. connect with      C. control       D. explain

46. A. events   B. chances      C. feelings      D. moments

47. A. for no reason       B. from a distance        C. by accident D. as gifts

48. A. description   B. pointing     C. scene  D. talk

49. A. Surprisingly B. Suddenly    C. Expectedly D. Fortunately

50. A. cooking       B. history       C. play    D. medicine

51. A. known  B. sent    C. realized      D. ordered

52. A. unchanged   B. excited       C. determined D. unmoved

53. A. life       B. city     C. house  D. way

54. A. success B. work   C. joy     D. variety

55. A. writing B. reporting    C. luck    D. fun

In the US and Britain, the slogan around colleges was “Save water. Shower with a friend.” Now, Wuhan University has come up with another system for the campus bathhouse. It charges students for the amount of time in a shower. Before entering the bathhouse, students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower with cash or their student ID card. The clock starts ticking the minute the tape is turned on. It pauses when a button is pressed for soap. An integrated circuit (IC) card reader at each tap shows the time. No money, no water. The benefits of the new system can be seen with the old system which charged 1 yuan for each person regardless of time in the shower. The university used about 320 tons of water daily under the old system, but only 160 tons now.

 Many students use the new system but opinions on it are divided. Some students say it is uncomfortable, because bathing had become a sort of race. Many people using it for the first time are not sure how long they need to shower. Some might be embarrassed if their time is up and they’re still covered in soap. They have to ask the bathhouse worker to help them buy extra time.

“It’s a flaw in the system that you can not buy extra time on the ID card,” said Ren, a freshman in Wuhan University. The University is also considering some student’s suggestions that they be allowed to pay after they’ve finished the shower. Not surprisingly, some are complaining about losing the hour shower. But many students say the move helps them develop a water-saving sense.

Without the time limit, most students tended to shower for half to an hour in the bathhouse.

Some even used the hot water to wash their clothes. “In my experience, 10-20 minutes is enough,” said Dai Zhihua, a third-year student who usually takes 8 minutes.

A similar system has been installed in other universities. Shanghai Normal University introduced it at its Fengxiang Campus in September. The bathing fee there is 0.2 yuan per minute. One male student responded by setting a record with a two- minute shower.

1. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Students pay for the amount of time they want in the shower.

B. The clock times all through while the student is bathing except when the bather pauses for soap.

C. If money runs out, there will be no water.

D. Having finished bathing, the student has to pay for it.

2.The author’s attitude toward the students’ move is ________.

   A. critical    B. serious     C. appreciative    D. not mentioned

3. Since the new system has performed, ____ of water can be saved.

   A. a quarter    B. one third    C. one half   D. two thirds

4. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

   A. the new operation can solve the water crisis 

B. the new operation can raise students’ environmental awareness

C. a similar operation will be set in other universities

D. Most students spend less than half an hour showing in the bathroom.

5.In which column can you find this passage?

  A. People.   B. Society.    C. Campus Life   D. Lifestyle