The United States has about 475,000 school buses ---all painted yellow. Each day they carry more than 25,000,000 children, half of all schoolchildren in the country. But these buses, on average, use four liters of diesel (柴油) fuel to travel less than sixteen kilometers. When the school year began last fall, diesel averaged 55 cents a liter nationally. The price nearly doubled, to a dollar and 8 cents, by the end of school in June.
Bob Riley speaks for the American School Bus Council. He says fuel prices for schools are not much lower than others have to pay. As a result, schools are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs. Bus routes are being redrawn or, in some cases, canceled . Some areas are buying buses that use natural gas or other alternative fuels. Other steps include fewer field trips and less travel by sports teams. And some school districts may end any bus service not required by law.
Studies show that school buses are the safest form of transportation to and from school. The American School Bus Council says cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment. It says removing buses from the road will mean an increase in other vehicles transporting students. Spokesman Bob Riley says another concern is that reducing bus services might reduce attendance.
But it could also get more children to walk or bicycle to school. And that would surely make people happy at the National Center for Safe Routes to School. More kids walking or biking safely to school is the aim of a three-year-old federal program, part of an international movement. The goal is to increase physical activity and reduce air pollution. The United States will celebrate Walk to School Day on October eighth this year. But for some students, high fuel prices could make every day a walk-to-school day.
1.This passage mainly tells us____________.
A. High fuel prices’ influences on school buses.
B. New measures to transport school students.
C. The safest form of student transportation.
D. The origin of Walk to School Day.
2.Which of the following information is implied in the first paragraph?
A. There are too many school buses in the United States.
B. There are too many students in the US.
C. Diesel prices are going up too rapidly in the US.
D. School buses consume too much diesel in the US.
3.What can we learn from Paragraph Three?
A. Cuts in bus service will have negative results.
B. The US government is encouraging cuts in bus services.
C. The US schools are searching for the safest transportation means.
D. Reducing bus service will do a lot of good to the environment.
4.In order to cut down transportation cost, many schools take the following measures EXCEPT____________.
A. changing some bus routes
B. stopping some bus routes
C. asking parents to drive children to and from school
D. using other types of fuels
5.The National Center for Safe Routes to School encourages more children to walk or bike to school in order to ____________.
A. save more fuels and diesel for the country
B. keep the children safe on their way to school
C. make the children live a simple life
D. keep the children healthy and the environment clean
Across the United States, there are several places where two independent towns grew together to become one city — but kept both their names.
Winston Salem is one of them. It’s a mid sized city in what’s called the plateau（high land）, between the Atlantic Coast and the inland mountains in the state of North Carolina. The Winston part is a relatively new place, founded early this century. It’s home to the nation’s biggest open air tobacco market.
The giant R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company’s headquarters is in Winston Salem, and Winston is the name of one of Reynolds’ best known cigarette brands. Fast growing Winston soon surrounded the much older town of Salem, so in 1913, people in the area voted to combine them into a single place.
From a historical and tourist point of view, Salem, or Old Salem, as it’s called today, is the interesting and unusual part of town.
Salem was founded in the 1700s by the Moravians. They spoke German, and their community was religiously based, with single men and single women living apart in separate dormitories. The Moravians greatly valued women’s work and brainpower. In fact, one of the nation’s oldest boarding schools for young women— the Moravians’ Salem Academy founded in 1772 — is still in operation.
Over the years, Salem lost its Moravian character. That all changed, though, when a nonprofit group began to rehabilitate the historic area. These days Old Salem is what’s called a living history museum, with exhibits, music, and tours of 18th-century houses, taverns and Moravian dormitory buildings just seven blocks from the tallest skyscraper in Winston-Salem.
The historic community is booming again. Just as R. J. Reynolds is taking in millions of dollars making cigarettes across town, Old Salem is generating about ﹩15 million a year in tourism revenue and donations.
1.From the passage we can know that____________.
A. Winston Salem is the name of a city
B. Salem is home to the tobacco market
C. the city Winston Salem has two names
D. Old Salem is the name of a tobacco brand
2.It can be inferred from Paragraph 3 that__________.
A. the two cities benefited each other
B. Salem developed faster than Winston
C. R.J. Reynolds Company has moved into Salem
D. the combination meets the wishes of the people
3.The city Salem is special for its__________.
A. boarding school B. lifestyle and tradition
C. respect for brainpower D. religious belief
4.The underlined word“rehabilitate”in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to “___ __ _”.A. reconstruct B. evaluate C. enlarge D. decorate
5.What will probably be talked about in the following part?
A. Some other attractions in Winston Salem.
B. How Winston makes profits from tourism.
C. Other examples of cities combined by two parts.
D. Something about the boarding school for women.
Are some people born clever and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both questions is yes．To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth，and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence．On the other hand，a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings．Thus the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth，but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment．This view, now held by most experts，can be supported in a number of ways．
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with．The closer the blood relationship between two people，the closer they are likely to be in intelligence．Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population，it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different．If on the other hand we take two identical twins，they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters，parents and children，usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth．
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments．We might send one，for example，to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring．We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part．This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who lives in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all，are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence．
1.Which of the following best describes the writer’s point in Paragraph One?
A．To some extent, intelligence is given at birth．
B．Intelligence is developed by the environment．
C．Some people are born clever and others born stupid．
D．Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment．
2.In the first paragraph，“no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence” suggests that .
A．no environment can change the least able into the most able
B．the difference in men’s intelligence depends on the amount of their education
C．if a person is born clever, he is certain to be a genius
D．if a person is born stupid, nothing can change him into an educated person
3.The last paragraph mainly shows .
A．the importance of education
B．the relationship between environment and birth
C．the writer’s final conclusion
D．the relationship between intelligence and environment
4.The key word of this passage would be .
A．Dependence on Education B．Intelligence
C．Surroundings D．Effect of Education
5.Which statement about the passage is true?
A．All twins have similar degrees of intelligence．
B．A man who is educated in university must make greater achievements than a man who works in a boring factory．
C．Proper education can change one’s intelligence at some degree．
D．Education can’t make a child born with low intelligence cleverer.
Helen Thomas, born on August 4, 1920, is a famous news reporter for the Hearst News Service, and a member of the White House Press Corps．She served for fifty—seven years as a correspondent and White House bureau chief for United Press International(UPI)．She is called“ First Lady of the Press”．
Born in Kentucky，Helen Thomas was raised in Detroit，Michigan where she attended public schools and later graduated from Wayne State University. Upon leaving college，Helen served as a copy girl in an old company in Washington．In 1943，Ms Thomas joined United Press International and the Washington Press Corps．Thomas served as president of the Women’s National Press Club from 1959 to 1960．
In November，Helen began covering then president-elect John F. Kennedy, following him to the White House in January 1961 as a UPI correspondent(通讯员)．She later became White House bureau chief for UPI, where she was employed until her resignation on May 17,2000．Thomas then became a White House correspondent and a columnist．
Thomas was the only woman journalist traveling with then President Nixon to China in January,1972．She has traveled around the world several times with Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton，during the course of which she covered every Economic Summit．The World Almanac and Book of Fact has cited her as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in America．
On March 21, 2006, Thomas was called upon directly by President Bush for the first time in three years．Thomas asked Bush about Iraq．Helen Thomas has written four books and she is also a popular speaker at events nationwide．
1.What’s the correct order of the events?
a．Thomas joined the United Press International and the Washington Press Corps．
b．Thomas traveled with President Nixon to China．
c．Thomas served as president of the Women’s National Press Club．
d．Thomas resigned．
e．Thomas was called upon by President Bush．
f．Thomas became a White House correspondent and a columnist．
A．a, b, c, d, e, f B．a, c, b, d, f, e C．a, c, b, d, e, f D．a, d, e, f, c, b
2.Which of the following is NOT true?
A．Thomas made speeches about events nationwide．
B．Thomas has written four books．
C．Thomas covered every Economic Summit when traveling with US presidents．
D．Thomas became a correspondent after she graduated from university．
3.According to the passage , we can know that ．
A．Thomas is called “ First Lady of America ”．
B．President Bush received Thomas once in his term．
C．Thomas is the most influential woman in America.
D．Thomas traveled to China with president Nixon several times.
4.The passage tells us that Thomas ．
A．was very poor when she was young．
B．served as president of the Women’s National Press Club for three years．
C．traveled with then President Nixon to China without any other woman journalist .
D．has written many books and is popular worldwide．
5.What’s the best title for the passage?
A．A successful news reporter------Helen Thomas.
B．The first lady of the press------Helen Thomas.
C．Life experience of Helen Thomas.
D．Helen Thomas and her career.
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
“Father, I don’t like to go to school,” said Harry Williams one morning. “I wish you 1let me stay at home. Charles Parker’s father doesn’t make him go to school.”
Mr. Williams took his little boy 2the hand, and said kindly to him, “Come, my son. I want to 3you something in the garden.”
Harry walked into the garden with his father, who led him along 4they came to a bed in which peas(豌豆) were growing. Not a weed(杂草) was to be 5about their roots.
“See how beautifully these peas are 6, my son,” said Mr. Williams. “How clean and healthy the vines(藤) look. We shall have a good 7. Now let me show you the vines in Mr. Parker’s garden.”
Mr. Williams then 8Harry to look at Mr. Parker’s pea vines.
After a few moments, Mr. Williams asked, “Well, my son, what do you 9Mr. Parker’s pea vines?”
“Oh, Father!” replied the little boy. “I never saw such 10looking peas in my life! The weeds are nearly as 11as the peas themselves. There won’t be half a crop!” “ 12are they so much worse than ours, Harry?”
“Because they have been left to grow as they 13. I suppose Mr. Parker just planted them, and never took any care of them 14”
“Yes. A garden will soon be overrun with weeds 15it is not taken good care of,” Mr. Williams 16, “and so it is with the human garden. Children’s minds are like garden beds. They must be 17cared for. I send you to school in order that the garden of your 18may have good seeds and 19plentifully. Now which would you 20, to stay at home or go to school?”
“I would rather go to school,” said Harry.
1.A. could B. should C. might D. would
2.A. in B. with C. by D. of
3.A. offer B. show C. give D. remind
4.A. when B. where C. before D. until
5.A. made B. changed C. seen D. planted
6.A. growing B. moving C. shaking D. dancing
7.A. result B. harvest C. match D. present
8.A. forced B. ordered C. followed D. led
9.A. think of B. look at C. hear of D. deal with
10.A. ugly B. fine C. dirty D. poor
11.A. deep B. long C. high D. wide
12.A. When B. Why C. Where D. How
13.A. pleased B. stayed C. left D. belonged
14.A. ahead B. outside C. forward D. afterward
15.A. as B. or C. if D. so
16.A. required B. answered C. explained D. announced
17.A. carefully B. correctly C. gently D. slightly
18.A. school B. mind C. family D. dream
19.A. produce B. develop C. decrease D. drop
20.A. find B. support C. know D. prefer
--- I’m sorry. I ___ ____ at you the other day.
--- Forget it. I was a bit out of control myself.
A. shouldn’t shout B. mustn’t have shouted
C. mustn’t shout D. shouldn’t have shouted
