Unlike a stage actor, a film actor must be able to perform small scenes out of ________ and often days apart in time.

A. compliment           B. strategy                            C. interruption                    D. sequence 

Most schools forbid chewing gum, but in a few years they might consider changing that rule. Why? Scientists are finding evidence that gum chewing may be good for your health. It may even help improve your test scores.
This exciting research is just beginning. And in the meantime, companies are also experimenting with adding vitamins, minerals, medicines, and other substances that could give gum the power to cure headaches and fight everything from serious diseases to bad breath.
Other researchers are finding that gum might work better than a pill to deliver medicines and other substances into the bloodstream. That’s because the lining (膜) of our cheeks can absorb certain substances more quickly than our stomachs and intestines (肠) can.
That discovery could help other researchers develop medicine-containing gums that fight colds, ease headaches, battle nervousness, and more. Scientists might even create antimicrobial (抗菌的) gums that cure bad breath.
Those projects may take years, but gum scientists have already had at least one recent success: They’ve created a gum that could help us stay awake.
Researchers have produced a gum called Stay Alert. Each stick has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. It can take an hour for the caffeine in coffee to have its full effect, but the caffeine in Stay Alert hits in just a few minutes.
The gum is easy to transport and it’s stable in cold and hot climates. Unlike a pill, it doesn’t require water to swallow. Those qualities make it easy for soldiers to use.
For now, Stay Alert is available only to the military (军队). The manufacturer may one day offer it for sale to the public. People who work at night, such as truck drivers and medical personnel who ride in ambulances, might benefit from a product like Stay Alert.
【小题1】 The passage mainly talks about _____.

                              You can deposit money in a building society and obtain yearly interest at a certain rate．You can also borrow money from a building society．What, then, is difference between a bank and a building society? In fact, a building society does not seem to be very different from a savings bank．Many people regularly save money by depositing small amounts monthly in a building society, just as other people regularly save money by depositing small amounts monthly in a savings bank．Some people deposit large amounts in a building society as an investment．They receive higher interest than they would receive from a savings bank; their money can be invested either in building society shares or in loans to the society．

These societies are controlled by law, but they are not government organizations．They were originally started to enable people to buy houses．One of their main purposes is to provide loans for buying or building houses．Many people prefer buying a house to paying rent, but some of them cannot afford to buy a house．To cover the cost they borrow the money from a building society．The loan plus the interest is paid back in monthly amounts over an agreed number of years．Probably the payments made in this way are no more than the rent of a rented house．But at the end of the stated period, when the debt is paid, the borrower becomes the owner of the house．To protect the building society from “bad debts” he must sign a statement to say that the house belongs to the society until the debt is paid．

A building society invests the savings of its shareholders in houses and property．Unlike a bank, it does not serve as a general clearing house （清算所） for every kind of exchange or business operation．Its activities are limited compared with those of a bank．

68．A building society is different from a bank in that ____．

         A．the former is limited in its activities

         B．the latter is limited in function compared with the former

         C．a bank doesn’t serve as a general clearing house

         D．a building society can protect itself from “bad debt”

69．Some people put large amounts of money in the building society because _______．

         A．they can get more profit than they do in a bank．

         B．they may choose between the form of building society shares and that of loans for their investment

         C．they may enjoy shares and loans at the same time

         D．they like the society

70．If you borrow money from the society to buy a house, ____．

         A．you have to return the money to the building society the moment it is needed．

         B．you have to sign an agreement to repay the loan after a number of years

         C．what you pay back monthly for the loan would be less than the rent

         D．the house doesn’t belong to you unless you have repaid all the debt

B

Today, robots come in all shapes and sizes. They can’t complain, even if the work is heavy and dangerous. And they can work or play all day without getting bored. Unlike a human’s arms, a robot’s joints will never get stiff (僵硬的). The end of the arm can be fitted with devices (装置) to perform different tasks. These could be a welding (焊接) point, suction cups (吸附杯) or gripping fingers (钳形指) for lifting and moving objects. Such an arm of these computer controlled industrial robots can work 24 hours a day.

Robopets (机器人宠物) are high-tech robots programmed to play. They can communicate with their owners and recognize their voices. Each one will develop a different “personality”. They can be a lot of fun to play with, but these robots can also be helpful to people who are sick and can’t look after a real animal. Many doctors believe that when a person is happy and laughing, their body recovers faster. A robopet might be just what the doctor ordered.

NeCoRo is a robot cat that has been developed to be more than a toy. The robot uses sensors (传感器) that can detect movement and sound. It can even store helpful information in its memory. Its behaviour changes over time, just like a real pet.

60. From Paragraph 1 we learn that ________.

A. a human’s arms never get stiff

B. robots sometimes get bored just as humans do

C. robots can do some work which humans can’t

D. robots can work all day but they can’t play

61. Rob pets are especially useful in ________according to the passage.

A. schools                  B. Hospitals       C. cinemas              D. factories

62. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. A robot never says “NO” to the dangerous work.

B. A robot can “remember” useful information.

C. NeCoRo is a robot dog.

D. NeCoRo’s behaviour changes over time.

63. What does the underlined word “detect” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A. Recognize.          B. Create.          C. Store.                 D. Destroy.

II. 完形填空（共15题，每小题2分，共30分）
American public education has changed in recent years. One change is that increasing numbers of American parents and teachers are starting independent public school   11   charter schools (特许学校).
In 1991, there were no charter schools in the United States. Today, more than2,300 charter schools    12    in 34 states and the District of Columbia. 575,000 students   13   these schools. The students are from 5 years of age through 18 or older.
A charter school is   14   by groups of parents, teachers and community (社区) members, It is similar in some ways    15   a traditional public school. It receives tax money to operate just as other public schools do. The    16   it receives depends on the number of students. The charter school must prove to local or state governments that its students are learning. These governments   17    the school with the agreement, or charter that permits it to operate.
Unlike a traditional public school,    18    the charter school does not have to obey most laws which govern public schools. Local, state or federal governments cannot tell it what to  19  .
Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to  20  those goals. Class sizes usually are smaller than those in many traditional public schools. Many students and parents say   21   in charter schools may be more creative.
However, state education agencies, local education-governing committees and unions are often    22    charter schools. They say these schools may receive money badly   23   by traditional public schools. Experts say some charter schools are doing well while others are struggling.
Congress provided 200million dollars for  24   charter schools in the 2002 federal budget (预算). But often the schools say they lack enough money for their    25   .Many also lack needed space.
11. A. called       B. asked        C. known        D. said
12. A. study       B. organize      C. operate        D. perform
13. A. finish       B. attend        C. leave         D. cut
14. A. taught       B. held         C. created        D. understood
15. A. to          B. with          C. by           D. in
16. A. attention     B. amount      C. expense       D. information
17. A. buy         B. review       C. give          D. provide
18. A. besides      B. moreover     C. thus          D. however
19. A. teach        B. discuss       C. have         D. get
20. A. set          B. reach        C. settle         D. define
21. A. farmers      B. workers      C. teachers       D. soldier
22. A. against       B. for          C. in            D. with
23. A. treated       B. needed       C. earned        D. wasted
24. A. needing      B. spending     C. comparing     D. establishing
25. A. programs     B. parents       C. records       D. words