These days a green building means more than just the color of the paint. Green building can also refer to environmentally friendly houses, factories, and offices. Green building means “reducing the effect of the building on the land,” Taryn Holowka of the US Green Building Council in Washington, DC, said.

According to Holowka, buildings account for 65 percent of total US electricity use. But green buildings can reduce energy and water use. Also, the buildings are often located near public transportation such as buses and subways, so that people can drive their cars less. That could be good for the environment, because cars use lots of natural resources, such as gasoline, and give off pollution.

Green buildings are often built on developed land, so that the buildings don’t destroy forests or other wild habitats. Marty Dettling is project manager for a building that put these ideas into action. The Solaire has been called the country’s first green residential high-rise（高层的）building.

According to Dettling, “We’ve reduced our energy consumption（消费量）by one-third and our water by 50 percent.

The Solaire cuts energy in part by using solar power. The Solaire also has lights that automatically（自动地）turn off  when people leave the room. Plus, the building has lots of windows. This allows people to use the sun for light instead of lamps during the day.

72. Green buildings are _______.

A. far away from public transportation           B. built in the forests

C. earth-friendly                                          D. often built on developing land

73. Green buildings are built near public transportation mainly for the purpose of ______.

A. taking buses or subways easily                  B. saving natural resources

C. driving private cars less                            D. protecting the environment

74. The Solaire is thought to be “green” because it ________.

A. locates near a forest                                 B. lies close to stores

C. reduces energy and water use                    D. was built with green materials

75. Which of the following is used to cut energy consumption in the Solaire?

A. Closing windows as long as possible.           B. Reducing the time of using lights.

C. Recycling solar power.                               D. Using natural resources.

Daily life can be made happier. It is a matter of choice. It is our attitude that makes us feel happy or unhappy. It is true, we meet all kinds of situations during the day, and some of them may not be conductive（有好处的）to happiness. We can choose to refuse to think about the unhappy events. If we let outer events influence our moods, we become their slaves. On the other hand, we can free ourselves from outer influences. We can choose to be happy, and we can do a lot to add happiness to our lives.

What is happiness? It is a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction. It is usually experienced when there are no worries, fears or confused thoughts, and this usually happens when we do something we love to do or when we win, gain or achieve something that we value. It seems to be the outcome of positive events, but it actually comes from the inside, triggered（触发）by outer events.

For most people happiness seems passing quickly. One of the best ways to keep it, is by gaining inner peace through daily meditation（冥想）. As the mind becomes more peaceful, it becomes easier to choose the happiness habit.

Here are a few tips for increasing happiness in daily life:

Try hard to change the way you look at things. Always look at the bright side.

Think of solutions, not problems.

Listen to relaxing, uplifting music.

Watch funny comedies that make you laugh.

Each day, devote some time to reading a few pages of an inspiring book or article.

Whenever you catch yourself thinking negative thoughts, start thinking of pleasant things.

68. For most people happiness seems passing quickly because _______.

A. they let changing outer circumstances affect them

B. they hope that even greater happiness will come

C. they have no friends to share happiness with them

D. they don’t want to achieve any greater happiness

69. We can learn from the passage that our happiness is _______.

A. that we own a great deal of money        B. to achieve the goal we have been seeking

C. a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction  D. the feeling that we are admired by others

70. According to the author happiness depends on _______.

A. outer circumstances                             B. our attitude toward it

C. the conditions we have                         D. the objective world

71. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A. Happiness Is the Goal in Daily Life.      B. Happiness Exists in Everyone’s Mind.

C. Happiness Can Be Chosen by Us.         D. Tips for happiness in Daily Life.

Austin Children’s Museum

This 7,000-square-foot museum aims to entertain and educate children up to age 9. In its Global City exhibit, they can go grocery shopping, order lunch at a diner, pretend（假装）that they are doctors, or construction workers, and more. In other fun exhibits, they learn about Austin’s history, explore the world of water, experience life on a large Texas farm.（TuesSat 10am5pm, Sun noon5pm）

Address: 210 Colorado St, Austin, Texas 78701

Phone:（512）472-2499

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

Founded in 1899, this is the world’s oldest children’s museum, featuring interactive exhibits, workshops, and special events. “The Mystery of Things” teaches children about cultural and scientific objects, and “Music Mix” welcomes young people.（WedFri25pm, SatSun 10am5pm）

Address: 145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, New York 11213

Phone:（718）7354400

Children’s Discovery Museum

This museum’s hand-on exhibits explore the relationships between the natural and the created worlds, and among people of different cultures and times. Exhibits include “Streets”, a 5/8-scale copy of an actual city, with street lights, and “waterworks” which allows an operation of pumps（泵）to move water through a reservoir（蓄水池）system.（Mon-Sat 10 am-5 pm; closed on holidays）

Address: 180 Woz Way, Guadalupe River Park, San Jose, California 95110

Phone:（408）298-5437

Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

This museum is the largest of its kind. Exhibits cover science, culture, space, history and exploration. Among them are the Space Quest Planetarium（additional fee）, the 33-foot-high Water Clock, the Playscape gallery for preschoolers, and the Dinosphere exhibit, along with hands-on science exhibits. The largest gallery, the Center for Exploration, is designed for ages 12 and up.（Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm; closed on Thanksgiving, Dec25）

Address: 3000N Meridian St, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208

Phone:（317）334-3322

64. If you want to know more information about “The Mystery of Things”, you’d better ring _______.

A.（521）472-2499   B.（718）735-4400   C.（408）298-5437   D.（317）334-3322

65. Suppose that Dec 25 is Tuesday, which of the following museums can you visit?

A. Children’s Museum of Indianapolis   B. Brooklyn Children’s Museum

C. Children’s Discovery Museum         D. Austin Children’s Museum

66. After entering the museum, in which of the following places should you pay additional fee?

A. The Center for Exploration         B. The Space Quest Planetarium

C. Global City exhibit                     D. Waterworks

67. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. Austin Children’s Museum is the largest of its kind

B. Brooklyn Children’s Museum is about 7,000-square-foot

C. Children’s Discovery Museum lies in New York

D. Brooklyn Children’s Museum is the oldest children’s museum in the world.

In 1865, a creative engineer, John Roebling, decided to build a bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge experts throughout the world thought that this was impossible and told Roebling to forget the idea.

However, Roebling thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington that the bridge in fact could be built.

With great excitement and inspiration, and great hardships before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge in 1869.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.

Now all he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By touching his wife’s arm with that finger, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife. For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife’s arm, telling the engineers what to do, until the bridge was finally completed.

60. To build a bridge between New York and the Long Island _______.

A. was a dream of many bridge experts

B. was a terribly difficult task

C. was supported by the American government

D. sounded creative to many bridge building experts

61. As a result of an accident, Washington lost the following abilities EXCEPT _____

A. speaking      B. walking    C. writing     D. thinking

62. When was the bridge between New York and the Long Island completed?

A. Around the early 1880s               B. In the late 1860s

C. Around the middle of 1870s        D. In the early 1870s

63. The construction of the bridge was mainly under the guide of _____

A. John Roebling                             B. Washington

C. a group of top bridge engineers    D. Washington’s wife

Thomas Edison lit up the world with his invention of the electric light. Without him, the world might still be a dark place. However, the electric light was not his only invention. He also invented the phonograph（留声机）, the motion picture camera, and over 1,200 other things. About every two weeks he created something new.

Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, on February 11, 1847. His family moved to Port Huron, Michigan, when he was seven years old. Surprisingly, he attended school for only two months. His mother, a former teacher, taught him a few things, but he was mostly self-educated. His natural curiosity led him to start experimenting at a young age with electrical and mechanical things at home.

When he was 12 years old, he got his first job. He became a newsboy on a train that ran between Port Huron and Detroit. He set up a laboratory in a baggage car of the train so that he could continue his experiments in his spare time. Unfortunately, his first work experience did not end well. He was fired when he accidentally set fire to the floor of the baggage car.

Thomas Edison then worked for five years as a telegraph operator, but he continued to spend much of his time on the job conducting experiments. He got his first patent（专利）in 1868 for a vote recorder run by electricity. However, the vote recorder was not a success. In 1870, he sold another invention, a stock-ticker, for $40,000. The stock-ticker is a machine that automatically prints stock prices on a tape.

Thomas Edison was totally deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other, but thought of his deafness as a blessing in many ways. It kept conversations short, so that he could have more time for work.

56. Of all Edison’s inventions, ______ was probably the most important for mankind.

A. the electric light           B. the stock-ticker

C. the vote recorder         D. the motion picture camera

57. Choose the right order of the events given in the passage.

a. Edison worked as a newsboy.

b. Edison moved to Port Huron.

c. Edison got his first patent.

d. Edison became a telegraph operator.

A. b-a-d-c      B. a-b-d-c           C. a-b-c-d       D. b-a-c-d

58. The underlined word “blessing” can be replaced by ______.

A. necessity    B. disadvantage    C. disability     D. benefit

59. What made Edison a great inventor?

A. The education from his mother    B. His interest and hard work

C. His early work experience           D. His deafness and talent.

The story goes that two best friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had a（n）36 , and one friend slapped（打耳光）the other one in the _37 .

The one who got slapped was _38 , but without saying anything, wrote in the _39 : “Today my best friend slapped me in the face.”

They keep on walking _40 they found an oasis（绿洲），_41 they decided to take a bath, The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire（泥沼）and started _42 , but the friend saved him.

After he _43 from the near drowning, he _44 on a stone: “Today my best friend _45 my life.”

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend 46 him, “After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone.  47?”

The other friend replied: “When someone hurts us we should write 48 down in the sand where winds of 49 can erase it. But when someone does something 50 for us, we must carve it in stone where no wind can 51 erase it.”

What does the story 52 us? ― Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your 53  in stone.

Send this sentence to the people you’ll never 54 . It’s a 55 message to let them know that you’ll never forget them.

 Is that a book on farming? If so, I want to borrow _____?

A. this        B. one        C. it        D. the one

The speaker _____ the talk from one topic to another.

A. exchanged    B. switch        C. turned        D. altered

As a reporter, he or she should _____ his or her attention on many kinds of fields in the social life.

A. attract       B. catch          C. draw        D. focus

Chow jie lun, _____ many of school children are old enough to know, came from Taiwan.

A. what        B. that           C. how         D. as