8、The great advantages of the electric train over the steam train, I think, are that it does not smell. When one is in a ( 1 ) drawn by a steam locomotive ( 机车 ) , one always has the (2) smell of burning coal around one . If one opens the window to look out at the  ( 3 ) and to get some fresh air , one is ( 4 )  with little bits of coal-ash which get into one ' s hair and eyes , and

soon force one to shut the window again and withdraw (退缩) into the ( 5) atmosphere of one ' s compartment (车厢) . In a tunnel ,（6）distress reaches a peak , for there the smoke is forced into a ( 7 ) area , from which it escapes into the train itself through any small cracks ( 缝隙 ) it may （8 ）. In a long tunnel , the （9 ）grows worse and worse , while one 's eyes smart (刺痛 ) and the electric light in the carriage grows no longer (10 ), hidden behind the smoke.

With an electric locomotive, on the other hand, one can enjoy the view and the fresh air without inconvenience. I really think that one gets part of the extra (11 ) out of traveling through the Alps or Tyrol by train for the simple  ( 12 ) that the trains there are  ( 13 ) operated , so that the traveler who ( 14 ) become used to having his air dirtied by ( 15 ), and considers such a condition as ( 16 ) , believes that there is something extra-special about the Tyrolese air . Of course, (17 ) air is purer and fresher than the air of the plains, (18 ) the smoke of a steam train (19 ) not allow this condition to (20) .

1．A．boat                      B．car                    C．train                 D．truck

2．A．slight                    B．sweet               C．unpleasant          D．natural

3．A．view                     B．people                 C．wheels                D．street

4．A．finished                 B．left                      C．delighted             D．covered

5．A．impure                 B．friendly               C．informal             D．warn

6．A．one's                    B．his                     C．its                      D．their

7．A．tidy                      B．open                   C．small                  D．special

8．A．have                    B．get                     C．receive               D．find

9．A．smell                    B．road                   C．noise                  D．scenery

10．A．blinding              B．bad                    C．dull                    D．bright

11．A．joy                     B．money                C．time                   D．work

12．A．impression           B．rule                     C．theory                 D．reason

13．A．quickly               B．confidently          C．smoothly            D．electrically

14．A．will                    B．can                    C．has                    D．should

15．A．smoke                B．sand                   C．dust                   D．gas

16．A．terrible               B．normal                C．disagreeable        D．unusual

17．A．village                B．suburb                C．mountain            D．forest

18．A．but                     B．or                      C．for                     D．so

19．A．should                 B．would                 C．must                  D．need

20．A．improve             B．remain               C．change              D．disappear

7、"Life is speeding up. Everyone is getting unwell."

This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an un-known citizen who lived in Rome in AD 52 wrote it.

We all love new invention .They are exciting, amazing and can even change our lives.

But have all these developments really improve the quality of our lives?

Picture this: You're rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings, a QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, the noise from the television is get- ting louder and louder. Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work.. Now you have to stay up all night to get it done. How calm and happy do you feel?

Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling stressed and tired .Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have not telephones, no cars, not even any electricity often seem to be happier ? Perhaps because they lead simpler lives.                                      

One family in the UK went ^“back in time "to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today. The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10, and Tomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave, computer or mobile phones.        

The grandmother, Lyn, said, "It was hard physically, but not mentally.” She believed life was less materialistic．"The more things you have , the more difficult life becomes .”She said．The boys said they fought less to fight over, such as their computer. Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a "trendy (时髦的) , beer-drinking granny , to one who cooked things."

Here are some simple ways to beat the stress often caused by our inventions!

Don't be available all the time. Turn off your mobile phone at certain times of the day .Don't check your e-mail every day.

Don't reply to somebody as soon as they leave a text message just because you can. It may be fun at first, but it soon gets annoying.

1．The passage is mainly about________.       

    A．problem with technology

    B．improvements of our life with technology

    C．the important roles technology plays in our everyday life

    D．major changes which will be likely to happen to technology

2．The writer quoted (引用) what a citizen in ancient Rome said at the beginning of the story in order to________.

    A．share a truth about life

    B．tell us what life was like long time ago

    C．make us wonder what causes such a thing to happen

    D．point out that you experience some big problems and they may be the same

3．Why did the family choose to spend some time in a 1940's house? Because ________.

    A．they liked to live simple lives

    B．they were curious about how people lived without modern inventions

    C．they were troubled by modern inventions

    D．living in a different time would be a lot of fun for them

4．What do you think the underlined word "available" in the first suggestion offered by the writer mean?

    A．Busy on line.                                B．Free.                       

       C．Be able to.                        D．Be found by others

6、Until the 1960's, almost everyone in the U. S. followed tradition and gave all the children in the same family the same last name or surname, as it is called. But during the 60's, young parents began giving their children strange names—names like Moonglow, Eternal Peace, and Sunshine. Some states passed laws controlling the names that parents could use. But after a court case in 1981, a federal judge ruled that parents are free to give any surnames they wish to their children.

So , for the last few decades , more parents are not giving their children the fam?ily 's sur- names .Some insist that while it ' s OK for a boy to have the father ' s family name, a girl should have the mother' s family name . Thus, Philip Gaylord and Pan Zimmitti could be brother and sister. Some parents think that using family surname is old —fashioned and boring. One couple gave their son the last name Sue because they like the Johnny Cash song," A Boy Named Sue." And finally, some parents think that giving their children different surnames is just a "neat thing to do". So the first son of a New York family has the last name Washington —Lincoln, after the two fa?mous presidents. The daughter has the last name Anthony—Tubman after two women who fought for women's rights.

This change in naming customs presents two problems. First, if each person in the family has a different last name, family records will be very confusable. It will be hard to track a person's family, and record keeping will be difficult .Second, some physiologists are afraid that different surnames will threaten family unity. Since names have  an important effect on one's identify (身份) , they think brothers and sisters will not feel connected if they have different last names.

So this problem of names will get worse as new and different last names increase. Get ready to meet Welcome Baby Darling , sister of Aren't We Glad , You ' re Here and It ' s About Time.

1．In America, ________to give children different surnames these days.

    A．it is allowed by the law                  B．it breaks the law

    C．it is one of the customs                  D．it is unusual

2．In the second paragraph of the passage a "neat thing to do" means________.

    A．a good thing to do                                                  B．a terrible thing to do

    C．a dirty filing to do                   D．a clean thing to do

3．According to some psychologists, the different last names will let brothers and sisters feel they

are________.

    A．enemies                          B．as close as before

    C．good fiends                       D．separated

4．From the last paragraph, we can see the author _____this change in naming customs.

       A．is for        B．is against          C．doesn't care         D．doesn't notice

5、In the second half of each year ,many powerful storms are born in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea .Of these , only about half a dozen produce the strong , circling winds of 75 miles per hour or more that give them hurricane status, and several usually make their way to the coast. There they cause millions of dollars of damage, and bring death to large numbers of people.

The great storms that hit the coast start as innocent circling disturbances (扰乱) hundreds or thousands of miles out to sea . As they travel aimlessly over water warmed by the summer sun, they are carried westward by the trade winds（信风）When con?ditions are just right , warm , moist air flows in at the bottom of such a disturbance , moves upward through it and comes out at the top . In the process, the moisture in this warm air produces rain, and with it the heat is changed into energy in the form of strong winds. As the heat increases , the young hurricane begins to swirl (旋转)in a counterclockwise（逆时针方向） motion.

The average life of a hurricane is only about nine days, but is contains almost more power than we can imagine. The energy in the heat released by a hurricane's rainfall in a single day would satisfy the entire electrical needs of the United States for more than six months. Water, rather than wind is the main source of death and destruction in a hurricane. A typical hurricane brings 6 to 12-inch downpours resulting in sudden floods. Worst of all is the powerful movement of the sea —the mountains of water moving toward the low—pressure hurricane center, the water level rises as much as 15 feet above normal as it moves toward shore.

1．When does an ordinary tropical storm turn into a hurricane?

    A．When it begins in the Atlantic and Caribbean Sea.

    B．When it hits the coastline.

    C．When it is more than 75 miles per hour.

    D．When its wind reaches 75 miles per hour.

2．What is the worst thing about the hurricane?

    A．The destructive effect of water.            B．The heat it releases.

    C．It lasts about nine days.                        D．Strong winds.

3．The counterclockwise swirling of the hurricane is brought about by_________.

    A．the low pressure center of the storm      B．the force of waves of water

    C．the trade winds                                    D．the increasing heat

4．Which of the following about the hurricane is true?

    A．It often occurs around June.

    B．It is not so powerful as that of storm born in the Caribbean Sea.

    C．It usually lasts about nine days.

       D．It can be easily detected and prevented.

4、A recent study offers a picture of how dangerous it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone. However, the possibility of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.

It was also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased greatly after10 p.m , and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late night accident.

Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with "really stupid behavior" than with just a lack of driving experience. Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to help solve the problem is to have states setting up so-called graduated licensing systems (等级执照制). A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself able to drive in the presence of an adult, fol?lowed by a period of driving with a limited number of passengers, before graduating to full driving on his own. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place. The systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies.

1．Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage?

    A．Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m.

    B．A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car.

    C．Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night.

    D．A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.

2．According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to _______.

    A．their frequent driving at night             B．their improper way of driving

    C．their lack of driving experience           D．their driving with passengers

3．A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers' driving accidents is that ________.

    A．driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule .

    B．they should be stopped from taking on passengers

    C．they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p. m.

    D．the licensing system should be improved

4．The present situation in about half of the states is that the graduated licensing sys?tem

_________.

    A．is under discussion                 B．is about to be set up

       C．has been put into effect             D．has been perfected

3、Fear and its companion pain are two of the most useful things that men and animals possess, if they are properly used. If fire did not hurt when burnt, children would play it until their hands were burnt away. Similarly, if pain existed but fear did not, a child would burn itself again and again, because fear would not warn it to keep away from the fire that had burnt it before. A really fearless soldier— and some do exist — is not a good soldier because he is soon killed ; and a dead soldier is of no use to his army. Fear and pain are therefore two guards without which men and animals might soon die out.

In our first sentence we suggested that fear ought to be properly used．If, for example, you never go out of your house because of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by a car, you are letting fear rule you too much. Even in your house you are not completely safe_: an airplane may crash on your house, or ants may eat away some of the beams in your roof so that the lat?ter falls on you, or you may get cancer!

The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but instead to use fear as your servant and guide. Fear will warn you of dangers; then you have to decide what action to take.

In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to avoid the dan?ger. For example, you see a car coming straight towards you_: fear warns you, you jump out of the way, and all is well.

In some cases, however, you decide that there is nothing that you can do to avoid the danger. For example, you cannot prevent an airplane crashing onto your house. In this case, fear has given you its warning, you have examined it and decided on your course of action, so fear of this particular danger is no lon?ger of any use to you, and you have to try to overcome it.

1．Children would play with fire until their hands were burnt away if ________.

    A．they were given no warning beforehand

    B．they had never burnt themselves

    C．they had no sense of pain

    D．they were fearful of the fire      

2．A really fearless soldier_________.

    A．is of little use to the army                  B．is without equal

    C．is nothing but a dead soldier                D．easily gets killed in a battle

3．Fear should be used properly because_________.

    A．an airplane may crash on your house                                    

    B．you may get cancer

    C．fear can only be used as a servant and guide

    D．men are now letting fear rule them too much

4．Which of the following is implied but not stated in the passage?

    A．Fear is always something helpful.

    B．Too much fear is harmful.

    C．Fear ought to be used as a servant and guide.

       D．Fear is something unbeneficial.

2、短文改错

此题要求改正所给短文中的错误.对标有题号的每一行做出判断：如无错误，在该行右边横线上画一个勾（√）；如有错误，（每行只有一个错误），则按下列情况改正：

该行多一个词：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉，在该行右边横线上写出该词，并也用斜线划掉.

该行缺一个词：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），在该行右边横线上写出该加的词.

该行错一个词：在错的词下划一横线，在该行右边横线上写出改正的词.

注意：原行没有错的不要改.       

How much times do you spend with your parents?                  1.___________

When did you last tell them what is on your mind?                  2.___________

Your parents are your dearest people in the world                                           3.___________

when you are young . And they always care of you                                         4.___________

Deep. But even though many children still love                      5.___________

their mum and dad , families may become more close                                       6.___________

as you get older . The end of the year is a time for families           7.___________

to get together . Have you ever thought what you can                                       8.___________

show your parents that you love them ? Find chance                                        9.___________

and do something for them or to have a sincere talk with             10.___________

them. If you can do this, your parents will be very happy.

1、假设你叫张好。你班在考试前将组织看电影活动，但活动安排因故有所改变。请根据以下内容，e-mail通知因感冒而在家休息的同学李兴，提醒活动安排并告知变更内容。

注意：1．词数100左右.