I have nothing to say about whether or not "A Day Without Immigrants" had a positive or negative effect on the question of how the federal government should deal with the huge population of undocumented illegal immigrants in this country. I'll leave that question to others.

Regardless of how you feel about the event, one conclusion is obvious. Using the theme of" A Day Without" as a way to focus national attention on a particular subject is a great idea, and could serve as a method for increasing public awareness about other issues that affect daily life in America. Here are my top three examples:

"A Day Without Speeding." How hard could this be? If all drivers would strictly obey every posted speed limit on highways, downtown, on neighborhood streets, and in parking lots for one 24-hour cycle, the benefits would be huge.

"A Day Without Losing Your Temper." A higher degree of difficulty here, and I know that from personal experience. When something goes wrong at home or on the job, there may be brief satisfaction in yelling or kicking the furniture, but erupting with anger usually doesn't do anything to solve the problem, and in many cases it makes the situation more unpleasant.

"A Day Without Having All The Answers." I would like to get a break from hearing anyone speak the phrase, "Here's what you're doing wrong." Right now the US is jampacked with citizens who believe they can point out the cause of every single problem in existence and then solve it on the spot. I believe they need to be quiet sometimes and use their ears instead of their voices.

I wonder how would average Americans react to such a collective pause? Would it be a day of angry protests, or joyful celebrations?

1.The first paragraph suggests           .

2."The event" in the second paragraph is related to          .

3.According to the writer, losing one's temper is           .

4.The writer suggest a day without having all the answers because         .

Why does a large education nation like China have so few world renowned scientists as the US? Educationists from China and the US try to find out the answer to questions like this at a forum on the basic education strategy.

The forum, held recently, was jointly organized by the Education Development Research Center of the Ministry of Education in China and the Postgraduate School of the University of Pennsylvania in the US. It aims to find out similarities and differences that exist between two countries in their educational system.

While some educationists in China keep a doubtful eye to the country’s educational system in recent years. Their American counterparts give a positive answer to the basic education in China, saying that it is still one of the best in the world.

An American educationist told reporters that the basic education in the US was criticized in recent years due to its political tendency. On the contrary, Chinese government’s stress on basic education and qualified teachers has set a good example.

At primary and middle school, pupils in China did better in math and science lessons than the US pupils. However, few grow to be world “masters”. Why? Educationists attributed this to China’s stress on examination rather than students’ interest.

Deputy Director of the postgraduate school of Pennsylvania University said American teachers encouraged students to focus on their strong points. In China, students are driven to study to pass the entrance examination test and they do not pay much attention to their own interest.

At the forum, director of the Education Development Research Center Mr. Zhang said in the future, the research center would make its middle and long-term basic education strategy by taking some references from other countries including the US.

He also revealed that for a long time in the future, China would make a breakthrough in setting the policy for quality education.

1.This passage is mainly about _________.

2. The underlined word “renowned” in the first paragraph probably means ________

3.The following statements are true EXCEPT that _________

4. Few pupils in China who did better in math and science lessons than the US pupils grow to be world “masters”, because _________

5.China’s educational system will _______ in the future.

For many businessmen online education has been a dream. Now it has come true. The investment (投资) in higher education, whether financial or in terms of time, has long been impossible for many of them. But well-known educational institutions have chosen to deliver an internet-based program, and these barriers have been lifted.

That is good news for people eager to improve themselves and is more attractive to employers. It is also a benefit to industry with better qualified candidates applying for jobs at every level.

Having the benefits of a higher qualification without going to the university campus is attractive to many students. Campus study means greater cost, while online programs are flexible and save time, whether at home or at work. Students can achieve their degrees without causing too much disruption to their career or home life.

In addition to affordable, flexible classes and greater convenience, students also have access to the online learning resources of many of the world’s top educational institutions. They can also communicate with their tutors no matter what time it is or whether either party is away for any reason.

This has opened up the possibility of getting a qualification from a university or college that many students could only have dreamed of in the past. It also allows specialists to get the precise qualifications and focus on their studies. As well as seeing the increase of applicants from lower-incomes and housewives, studying online in the US is even becoming popular with younger people of college age.

Employers have become increasingly welcome and positive to online qualifications as more candidates earn them, especially if they’re properly approved by the US Department of Education.

US institutions have led the way in online education provision. Many top US colleges and universities offer a range of online programs that are highly respected and in every way perfectly fit for adults who need to combine their studies with a working life.

1.According to Paragraph 1, many US colleges and universities      .

A．have begun to lift the barriers to financial investment

B．have had a dream of offering online education

C．have begun to run an internet-based program

D．have gained financial investment

2.Why do people choose online education?

A．They can find jobs more easily than on-campus graduates.

B．They can get qualifications from US Department of Education.

C．They can invest money in different courses provided online.

D．They can save money and arrange their time and courses freely.

3.The underlined word “disruption’’ in the third paragraph probably mean     .

A．interruption       B．attention          C．attraction         D．dissatisfaction

4.Which would be a good title for the passage?

A．Adult Education Online

B．Top US Universities Offering Online Education

C．The Best of USA’s Online Education

D．Online Education Taking the Place of Campus Education

Riding was the favourite activity of Thomas Jefferson, who was the third President of the United States. He usually rode good horses.

One day, he was riding outside Washington, when a jockey (赛马师) came near. He did not know the President, but his professional eye was attracted by Mr. Jefferson’s horse. He stopped and said that he wanted to buy the horse, but Mr. Jefferson politely refused his offer.

The jockey offered more money for the horse, because the closer he looked at the horse, the more he liked it. All of his offers were refused, which made him angry. He then became rude, but his rudeness left as little an impression as his money, for Jefferson had a very good temper. At last, he hit Mr. Jefferson’s horse with his whip, getting it to run suddenly. This would have thrown a less skillful rider to the ground, but Jefferson stayed on his seat, and controlled his horse well.

The jockey then gave up. He rode with Mr. Jefferson side by side and began to talk with him about politics. Jefferson joined in the conversation. When they got into the city and came close to the gate of the presidential mansion (总统府), Mr. Jefferson stopped, and politely invited the man to enter.

The jockey was surprised and asked, “Why? Do you live here?”

“Yes” was the simple reply.

“Why, stranger, what’s your name?”

“My name is Thomas Jefferson.”

Embarrassed, the man quickly left, while the President looked at him with a smile and then rode through the gate.

1.Which is the best title for the passage?

A. Jefferson and the Jockey   B. Jefferson’s Interest

C. Be Polite to Everyone     D. No Pain, No Gain

2. Which word can best describe the jockey?

A. Professional.    B. Skillful.      C. Impatient.       D. Impolite.

3.The underlined word “embarrassed” can be replaced by “__________”.

A. worried        B. pleased       C. hurried         D. ashamed

4.We can infer from the passage that __________.

A. the jockey had once bought a horse from another stranger

B. Mr. Jefferson was very good at riding a horse

C. Mr. Jefferson would invite the jockey to his own house later

D. the jockey would not talk about this experience to others

5.According to the passage, which of the following statement is true?

A. The President of the US is fond of riding.

B. The jockey managed to buy the horse from Mr. Jefferson.

C. Mr. Jefferson, the third President of the United States, was a man of good manners.

D. All the presidents of the US have expensive horses.

   It is midnight on September 22, 2012. The sky above Manhattan，New York is filled with a curtain of colorful light. New Yorkers are fascinated by the beautiful aurora (极光). However, their fascination is short-lived.
Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker (闪烁), then become unusually bright for a few seconds. Then all the lights go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power.
Besides the US, Europe, Japan and China are also hit by the same terrible event. It is a violent solar flare (太阳耀斑) ,150 million kilometers away on the surface of the sun.
Science fiction? No. A report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences in January this year says it could happen.
A massive solar flare is most likely on a spring or autumn night in 2012, according to the report.
Solar flares are huge explosions on the surface of the sun. In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and release as much energy as a billion megatons (百万吨) of TNT explosives. Solar flares release a stream of charged high-energy particles (粒子). They are called “solar winds”.
If one solar “wind” should hit the Earth’s magnetic shield (磁场), the result could be terrible for humans.
But there’s no need to run for cover from solar winds. They do not harm life on Earth, they only affect the way we live, especially since we depend so much on modern technology. They can pump extra electricity into power lines and pipelines, causing blackouts and fuel leaks. Solar winds are also known to affect mobile phone operations and may disrupt wireless Internet services.
Moreover, solar winds can prevent normal satellite operations, and disrupt radio communications and navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System.
Auroras are powered by solar wind. This wind blows past the Earth at about 400-700 km per second and creates storms in the Earth’s magnetic environment. In the polar regions these explode into southern or northern polar lights.
The most serious solar storm that hit Earth in history happened in 1859. It caused the failure of telegraph systems in Europe and North America.
So, for humans, the sun is a double-edged sword. Without the sun, there would be no life on Earth. Without the sun, Earth would be a frozen dark ball floating in space. However, on the other hand, the sun can disorder our lives from time to time.
56. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. It introduces to readers the advantages and disadvantages of the sun.
B. It describes a science fiction set in Manhattan on 22 September 2012.
C. It shows readers the way in which solar winds form inside the sun.
D. It explains what solar flares are and their effects on human life.
57. The first two paragraphs are written ____.
A. to show a beautiful scene in a true story
B. to describe the beautiful scenery of Manhattan
C. to describe the power problem around the world
D. to introduce the topic of this passage
58. What can we conclude from the passage?
A. Solar flares will do great harm to those who are using the Internet.
B. Solar flares cannot reach as far as the polar regions.
C. Solar flares are huge explosions that happen inside the sun.
D. But for our reliance on technology, solar flares wouldn’t
affect us so much.
59. Solar winds will likely affect us in the following ways EXCEPT that ____.
A. normal satellite operations will be stopped
B. the lights in the areas affected will go out at the same time
C. people on the streets will be struck to death
D. some navigation systems will be out of order