Deciding which English-speaking country to study in wasn’t difficult for Ann; She had always wanted to visit America. “I wanted to study in an  English-language country and I always wanted to visit America because it always seemed to me a very beautiful and friendly country.” Ann is more than happy with the quality of the education she is receiving in America, particularly with the subjects and strong academic support.“ I am very happy with the quality of education I am receiving. All my subjects are useful and connected. I am happy with help I receive from the lecturers and tutors.”
Also of particular satisfaction for Ann is the practical element of her American course. “I find it very important and useful. The theory is a good thing to know but nothing gives you more skills and knowledge than practical work.”
Where her future employment is concerned, Ann is very confident her American qualification will be of great help. “I know that getting a degree here is a good thing for my future; it can open many doors in Poland or anywhere  else in the world.”
Ann is also really enjoying life in America; She is making friends and taking time out to enjoy herself. “People are very friendly and helpful. University is a good place to find new friends from America and from overseas. It is a friendly environment with lots of things to do, not only studying. And of course there are the beaches, not to mention the beautiful weather.”
【小题1】The purpose of writing this passage is to _________.

Scientists are closely concerned with the structure of buildings and with the quality of building materials． The World health Organization （WHO) observes that the introduction of air conditioning and energy conservation （保护) measures have been accompanied by growing problems of indoor air quality． Some pollutants arise from insulation （隔音) products, some from moving cars, and others from modern housing materials． As many Europeans spend up to 90% of their lives in buildings, the health effects of the indoor climate are very important．

　　Some construction materials, including fiberboard, insulation foams and certain glues for man-made wood floor boards, for example, give out organic products such as formaldehyde （甲醛)． Heat and humidity increase the release of formaldehyde and the gas seriously harms the eyes． Paint, lacquer, etc． can also release dangerous gas into indoor air．

　　Construction materials can cause serious damage, especially when they contain asbestos（石棉）． Asbestos is naturally present in rock formations worldwide． It belongs to a family of mineral substances made up of solid, non-combustible（非易燃品） fiber． These properties make asbestos a highly sought-after construction material． As early as 1931, however, public health officers in the United Kingdom revealed the connection between breathing in asbestos dust and such diseases as lung cancer．

　　The land on which a building is sited may also contribute to pollution． Some kinds of granite or similar rocks contain traces of radium． As it breaks down, this naturally radioactive element produces some kind of radioactive gas that goes through tiny cracks in walls, floors and building materials, and makes its way into the building and the rooms． The better the homes are insulated, the more is the dangerous gas in indoor air． The main effect of this dangerous gas on health is to increase the risk of lung cancer．

1.What is the main idea of the passage?

    A．Some building materials pollute indoor air．

    B．Some factors cause indoor air pollution．

    C．Asbestos can cause lung cancer．

    D．The land on which houses are built contributes to indoor pollution．

2.Why are Europeans particularly concerned with building materials?

    A．Lots of building materials there are radioactive．

    B．They stay home up to 90% of their lives．

    C．They have a high rate of lung cancer．

    D．They spend most of their time indoors．

3.Why is asbestos a sought-after building material?

    A．It is a kind of insulation foam．

    B．Asbestos will not give out dangerous gas．

    C．This material is not easy to catch fire．

    D．It is rarely present in rock formations．

4.Why should we be careful about the land on which a building is to be sited?

    A．To determine whether the land is firm enough for a building to be sited on．

    B．To make sure that the land contains no radioactive material．

    C．To make certain that the land releases no formaldehyde or other gases．

    D．To check whether it contains any combustible materials．

Four in 10 Chinese complain about the great gap between large investments in education and its returns, a recent nationwide survey has showed.

The Horizon Research Consultancy Group polled 3,355 residents aged 16 to 60 in both urban and rural areas, including Beijing and Shanghai.

The survey found that only 16 percent of respondents believed their investments on education gave good returns.

Those with higher education voiced greater disappointment at the quality of education received, the survey showed.

People in the rural areas generally gave more positive feedback（反馈）on the quality of education than those from the cities, the survey found.

"Our education has been focusing on an examination-oriented system," Huo Qingwen, the deputy director of language education testing service center under the Beijing Foreign Studies University, told China Daily yesterday.

"The survey result doesn't surprise me, as I had heard complaints not only from the students, but also from the teachers who have been asked to focus more about the exam-passing rate," Huo said.

"The job market is still hungry for talented staff, but many graduates are not competent(胜任的) because the posts require more practical experience and creative ability of workers," Huo added.

Most university graduates prefer jobs in large cities, causing an imbalance in human resources between urban and rural areas, Hong said.

The graduates would get better job options if they chose to work at the grassroots (基础的) level because of the government's preferential policies, including the waiving of tuition for those willing to work in the country's rural and western regions, he added.

About 580,000 graduates last year found county- or village-level jobs, and more than 550,000 got jobs in the central and western regions, Ministry of Education figures showed.

"Because many graduates focus only on jobs with high salaries and that are directly relevant to their specialties, they miss other good work opportunities," Kong Xiang, a Beijing graduate who works as an English teacher in a college located at a remote area in Yunnan province, said.

The recent survey showed that education costs form one-quarter of an urban family's income, while it forms one-third of a rural family's income.

46．According to the passage, most people think that _______

A. the investments in education gave them good returns.

B. the investments in education don’t bring them good results.

C. college students are satisfied with their the education received.

D. People in the cities are more satisfied with the quality of education than those in the rural areas.

47．Which of the following is NOT mentioned?

A. China’s education has been focusing on an examination-oriented system.

B. Both the teachers and students are asked to pay more attention to the exam-passing rate.

C. The job market now does not lack university graduates.

D. Most university graduates enjoy hunting jobs in large cities.

48. What would happen to the graduates if they chose to work at the grassroots level?

A. They would get higher salaries.

B. They would get lower salaries.

C. Their tuition would be free.

D. They would get better job choices.

49. How much does the education cost according to the survey?

A. One-third of a family's income.

B. one-quarter of a rural family's income.

C. 25% of an urban family's income.

D. Three in ten a rural family's income.

50. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage.

A. The gap between investments in education and its returns

B. Education and university graduates

C. China’s higher education

D. Education costs

Scientists in Israel have discovered a new way to test for water pollution by "listening" to what the plants growing in water have to say．By shining a laser beam(激光束) on the tiny pieces of algae(海藻) floating in the water, the researchers said they hear sound waves that tell them the type and amount of pollution in the water．

"It is a red light, telling us that something is beginning to go wrong with the quality of water," said Zvy Dubinsky, an aquatic biologist at Israel's Bar Ilan University．"Algae is the first thing to be affected by a change in water quality．"

As water sources deteriorate worldwide, the testing of algae could be used to monitor water quality faster, more cheaply and more accurately than techniques now in use, Dubinsky said．The secret is to measure the rate of photosynthesis(光合作用) in the algae, meaning the plant's ability to transform light into energy．During photosynthesis, plants also release oxygen into the air．

Dubinsky's technique is easy to perform because of the over-abundance of algae in the planet's water．Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere comes from algae．A prototype tester shoots a laser beam at water samples to stimulate photosynthesis in the algae．But not all of the laser's heat is used．

Depending on the condition of the algae and the rate of photosynthesis, some of the heat is shot back into the water, creating sound waves, Dubinsky said．With a special underwater microphone, researchers are able to analyze the strength of the sound waves and determine the health of the algae and the condition of the surrounding water．

"Algae suffering from lead poisoning, like waste discharged from battery and paint manufacturing plants, will produce a different sound than those suffering from lack of iron or exposure to other toxins," said researcher Yulia Pinchasov．

72．To study water quality, scientists choose algae mainly because        ．

A．algae is most easily affected by pollution

B．most oxygen is produced by algae

C．the amount of algae is decreasing

D．algae is a kind of plant floating in the water

73．When Dubinsky studied water quality, he mainly focused on        ．

A．the amount of laser used by algae

B．the rate of photosynthesis in the algae

C．the condition of the algae

D．the heat of laser used by algae

74．After the study, scientists proved that        ．

A．the increase in population is caused by lack of water

B．global warming causes water resources to reduce worldwide

C．algae can show the type and amount of pollution in the water

D．algae is dying out in the ocean around the world

75．What would be the most suitable title for the passage?

A．Water pollution is reduced with the growth of algae

B．Pollution makes it hard for plants to make photosynthesis

C．Water pollution affects the growth of marine plants

D．Scientists listen to plants to find pollution

Deciding which English-speaking country to study in wasn’t difficult for Ann; She had always wanted to visit America. “I wanted to study in an  English-language country and I always wanted to visit America because it always seemed to me a very beautiful and friendly country.” Ann is more than happy with the quality of the education she is receiving in America, particularly with the subjects and strong academic support.“ I am very happy with the quality of education I am receiving. All my subjects are useful and connected. I am happy with help I receive from the lecturers and tutors.”

Also of particular satisfaction for Ann is the practical element of her American course. “I find it very important and useful. The theory is a good thing to know but nothing gives you more skills and knowledge than practical work.”

Where her future employment is concerned, Ann is very confident her American qualification will be of great help. “I know that getting a degree here is a good thing for my future; it can open many doors in Poland or anywhere  else in the world.”

Ann is also really enjoying life in America; She is making friends and taking time out to enjoy herself. “People are very friendly and helpful. University is a good place to find new friends from America and from overseas. It is a friendly environment with lots of things to do, not only studying. And of course there are the beaches, not to mention the beautiful weather.”

1.The purpose of writing this passage is to _________.

A．tell us Ann’s decision to settle in America

B．tell us Ann is accustomed to life in America

C．introduce Ann’s happy study and life in America

D．introduce more about Ann to help her make friends

2.Why did Ann decide to study in America?

A．Her parents persuaded her to do so.

B．She has relatives and best friends here.

C．Her boyfriend was studying here too then.

D．She has dreamed of studying here for long.

3.What makes Ann particularly satisfied in America?

A．The comfortable climate and easy lifestyle.

B．The help from her host families and teachers.

C．The American courses have more practical elements.

D．The friends here are mostly from English-speaking countries.