6、All too often , a choice that seems sustainable（可持续的）turns out on closer examination to be problematic. Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol（乙醇）for fuel from corn . Corn is a renewable resource ―you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like a great idea .

One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol more sustainable than gas generally, but that’s not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the fallow land ― including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil ― into farmland, which in turn gives off lots of carbon dioxide（CO₂）into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not help.

You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete lift-cycle analysis of its environmental（环境的）costs. Even then, technology and public policy keep developing, and that development can lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living sustainable requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.

57. What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?

A. The growing demand for energy to make ethanol.

B. The increasing carbon dioxide in the air.

C. The greater need for farmland.

D. The big change in weather.

58. The underline word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “              ” .

A. the energy benefit               B. the forest loss

C. climate change                  D. burning ethanol  

59. The author thinks that replacing gas with corn ethanol is               .

A. impractical   B. acceptable    C. admirable    D. useless

60. What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

A. Technology.                   B. Sustainability.

C. Ethanol energy.                D. Environmental protection.

5、Cities alarmed by deaths and injuries of pedestrians are taking efforts to make crosswalks safer for people on foot, especially seniors and children who need more time to cross streets. ks5u

A pedestrian is killed in a traffic accident in the USA every 110 minutes；one is injured every nine minutes, according to official date. Crosswalk can be especially dangerous for the elderly. Among people 70 and older, 36% of pedestrian deaths in 2006 occurred in crosswalks, compared with 21% of those younger than 70, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. ks5u

The Federal Highway Administration（FHWA）advises that next year states increase by nearly 15% the amount of time traffic lights provide for pedestrians to cross the street after the flashing orange hand appears . ks5u

FHWA spokesman Doug Hecox says reasons for the change include an aging population that needs more time to cross, health-conscious Americans walking more, children encouraged to walk to prevent getting overweight and high gas prices pushing people to walk instead of drive. ks5u

Pedestrian deaths went down by 12% from 5,449 in 1996 to 4,784 in 2006. But among those in 2006, 471 were killed in crosswalks, down slightly from 488 ten years earlier, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says. ks5u

53. Which of the following is true according to the text? ks5u

A. Among 100 pedestrian deaths there were 21 people younger than 70. ks5u

B. Old people are more likely to meet with accidents in crosswalks. ks5u

C. Traffic accidents killed more old people than young people. ks5u

D. About seven traffic accidents happened per hour. ks5u

54. What is FHWA’s suggestion to states? ks5u

A. Fixing more traffic lights. ks5u

B. Providing more crosswalks. ks5u

C. Giving pedestrians more time to cross streets. ks5u

D. Increasing the time before the orange lights appear. ks5u

55. What’s the cause of the crosswalk safety problem according to the test? ks5u

A. There’re many cars and buses on the road. ks5u

B. Pedestrians are careless. ks5u

C. Crosswalks are crowded. ks5u

D. Drivers don’t give way. ks5u

56. The report from NHTSA suggests that              . ks5u

A. fewer people were injured in crosswalks ks5u

B. crosswalk safety has been greatly improved ks5u

C. much has been done to reduce traffic accidents ks5u

D. pedestrian deaths in crosswalk remain a serious problem ks5u

4、

 Honesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors? I find that if I try to be something I’m not , I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA(personal bank account ).I love how singer Judy Garland put it, “Always be a first-class version(版本) of yourself , instead of a second-class version of somebody else .”

Then there’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have, try being honest, and notice how whole it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that:

In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it. I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off.

At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that anymore, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.

It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit（储蓄）into your PBA and will build strength .

49. The underlined part “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the first paragraph means “           ”.

A. to be honest

B. to be unreal

C. to become clear

D. to come from an imagined world

50. Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?

A. Be your true self rather than follow others.

B. Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class.

C. Make efforts to be the first instead of the second.

D. Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent.

51. What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story?

A. Honesty can be of great help.

B. A bad thing can be turned into a good one.

C. Helping others cheat can do good to nobody.

D. One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds.

52. In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express             .

A. one must be brave to be honest

B. it’s difficult to be honest when others are not

C. one should be honest when making a deposit

D. honesty in one’s actions can help him in the future

3、July 21st, 2007 was a typical English summer’s day ― it rained for 24 hours! As usual, I rushed home from work at midday to check on the house. Nothing was amiss. By the time I lift work at 5 pm, however, the road into our village was flooded. Our house bad never been flooded but, as I opened the front door, a wave of water greeted me. Thank God the kids weren’t with me, because the house was 5 feet deep in water. We lost everything downstairs. And the plaster had to be torn off the walls, ceilings pulled down. ks5u

At first we tried to push on through. We didn’t want to move the children out of home, so we camped upstairs. we put a sheet of plastic across the floor to protect us from the damp. But after three months, we felt very sick, so we moved to a wooden house in a park. The house was small, but at first we were all just delighted to be in a new place. Unfortunately, things took longer than expected and we were there for 10 months. The life there was inconvenient. What surprised me most was how much I missed being part of a community（社区）.We had lived in a friendly village with good neighbours, and I’d never thought how much I’d miss that. ks5u

Although-our situation was very bad, it’s difficult to feel too sorry for yourself when you look at what’s happening elsewhere. I watched a news report about floods in Northern India and thought , “We didn’t have a straw hut（茅草房）that was swept away , and our house is still sanding . We’re lucky .” ks5u

We moved back home in August. With December coming, there’s reconstruction work to be done, so it’s difficult to prepare for Christmas. But I can’t wait ― I’m going to throw a party for our friends in the village to say thanks for their support. This year , I won’t need any gifts ― living away from home for months has made me realize how little we actually need or miss all our possessions . Although we are replacing things, there’s really no rush ― we have our home back, and that’s the main thing. ks5u

45. What does the underlined word “amiss” in the first paragraph mean?

  A. Wrong.             B. Missing.            C. Right.            D. Found.

46. It can be inferred from the text that the author          .

A. was sick of staying upstairs

  B. cared much about her children

  C. could not stand living in a wooden house

  D. did not deal well with her family affairs during the flood

47. Why does the author say that they were lucky in the third paragraph?

  A. Because her situation was not serious.

B. Because many other places were flooded.

  C. Because she had been to Northern India.

  D. Because some others suffered even more.

48. What does the author mainly want to express by telling her story?

  A. She valued human feelings more than before.

  B. She realized she almost didn’t need possessions.

  C. She found Christmas gifts no longer badly needed.

D. She thought her own home was the most important.

2、

1、I was successful at my job . I worked very hard , but it ___21___ me and my family a fabulous (极好的) lifestyle . I’d worked for the same company for twenty years and had worked my way up to department director. ___22___, one afternoon last May, I was called to the office, and it was __23__ explained to me that they were letting me go. I just sat there __24__ they talked on and all I could think was, “I’ve ___25___ .” I’d been so well respected ; ___26___ I was of no value. ks5u

For six weeks, I was in a very __27__ place. I wandered around my house like a zombie (僵尸).I could __28__ things needed doing, but would not do anything . My beliefs in looking forward and seeing the positive(积极的) in everything ___29___ me . ks5u

Then, in late June, my youngest son’s football team made the city cup final. The year before, he’d been very sad when I __30___ the same final, so he was ___31___ when I told him I’d go. Not only did they win, but the look on his face as he saw me ___32___ him on was unbelievable. From then in , I spent the summer enjoying my sons and their passions (激情) . I attended match after match and performances of my elder son’s band ―I ___33___ went to another city to watch him play. These moments were so ___34___. My life had been so much devoted to __35__ for so long , and I felt __36__ that my sons were happy to welcome me into their world. ks5u

___37___ , being unemployed gave me back a sense of purpose ― I was someone’s mum! I felt a sense of being ___38____ again. Now I feel more positive about my professional ___39___ and I’m getting on better with my family than I ever have. Losing my job made me realize just how __40__ it is to achieve real balance in life. ks5u

22、The country life he was used to ____ greatly since 1992.

A. change   B. has changed   C. changing   D. have changed

21、 He paid for a seat, when he _____ have entered free.

A. could   B. would   C. must   D. need

20、

----- Let’s go to a movie after work, OK?

 ----- ________.

A. Not at all   B. Why not?   C. Never mind   D. What of it?

19、 What shall we use for power when all the oil in the world has _____ ?

A. given out   B. put out   C. held up   D. used up