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 arc 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.
68. What does this passage mainly tell 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.
69. 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.
70. In order to cut down transportation cost, many schools take the following measures EXCEI _____.
A. changing some bus routes B. stopping some bus routes
C. asking parents to drive children to school D. using other types of fuels
71. 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
If eighteen-year-old Karki doesn't turn out to be the next Edison, I'll chop off my locks This kid invented a solar pane (嵌板) which uses human hair as a conductor and could provide the world with cheap, green electricity, solving the energy crisis.
Karki, a Nepal teenager, who lives in a village in Rural Nepal, used human hair to replace silicon, which is a common but expensive component of solar panels.
By using hair as a replacement, Karki says solar panels can be produced for around 23 pounds. But if they were mass-produced, Karki says they could be sold for less than half that price, which could make them a quarter of the price of those already on the market.
The solar panel works because melanin, the substance giving hair its color, is light sensitive and can act as an electrical conductor. Karki was inspired to follow this route by a Stephen Hawking book, which explained how to create energy from hair.
The device (设备) Karki has shown is able to produce 9V or 18W of energy -- plenty to charge a mobile phone. Half a kilo of hair can be bought for only 16p in Nepal and lasts a few months, where as a pack of batteries would cost 50p and last a few nights," according to Karki.
Karki has now sent out several devices to other districts near his village for testing. "First I wanted to provide electricity for my home, then my village. Now I am thinking for the world," he said.
Karki says the idea is more important than ever because of the urgent need for renewable energies in the face of limited power sources and global warming. Slowly, natural resources are decreasing. One day we will be in a great crisis. This is an easy solution for the crisis we are having today.
64. What is the best title of the passage?
A. Introduction of Solar Panels B. Functions of a New Solar Panel
C. Special Solar panel Materials D. Karki Invented a New Solar Panel
65. Why did Karki want to invent a solar panel with hair?
A. Because hair is not very expensive.
B. Because silicon is hard to find.
C. Because he wanted to provide electricity for his home.
D. Because the energy crisis is very serious in his home town.
66. From the last paragraph we can know ________.
A, Karki s invention is of great importance
B. Karki can predict what will happen in the future
C. the energy crisis will disappear in the future
D. Karki's invention will make him wealthy
67. The purpose of this passage is to ________.
A. Karki for his great invention B. introduce a new solar panel
C. promote the sales of solar panels D. warn people of the energy crisis
Jim Lehrer hosts The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS ( Public Broadcasting Service) and has written 18 novels, two memoirs (回忆录), and three plays. And in his spare time…
What He's Working On
Oh, Johnny (Random House, $ 25), his hovel about a young Marine in 1944. "On his way to war, Johnny met the most beautiful and wonderful girl he'd ever seen. It changed his life. "
Where He's Surfing
"I'm on the computer all day long for nay job, checking the telegraphs, reading the news, send the news eBay because I collect bus memorabilia (值得纪念的东西): toy buses, bus stop signs, and bus driver caps. I've bought quite a bit."
What He's Watching
"I love all the Mystery Series on PBS, including Poirot. My wife and I just love those people. I’m a huge fan of The Sopranos. These are serious stories about high school football in small-town Texas and the challenges these kids have. It's very exciting. "
What He t s Listening To
"I'm always amazed when people say they have 3,000 songs on their iPod, 1 like music, but it’s not a part of my life. 1 am always listening to books on tape, I'm about to begin American Lion, Jon Meacham’s biography (传记) of Andrew Jackson. "
What He's Reading
"At present, I am reading Home, which is set in small-town Iowa. Marilynn Robinson writes about the simple things that are the most complicated of all within the human spirit. Her characters are so alive and real. Not long ago, 1 just finished The Spies of Warsaw, Alan Furst's terrific novel set in pre-World WarⅡ."
60. What job does Jim Lehrer do?
A. A TV host. B. A novelist. C. A reporter. D. A play - writer.
61. Why does Jim Lehrer spend much time on Google?
A. To collect information for his novel. B. To collect bus memorabilia.
C. To better carry out his job. D. To read his favorite novels.
62. In his spare time, Jim Lehrer does all the following things EXCEPT ________.
A. surf eBay for his hobby B. watch exciting TV series
C. listen to music on his iPod D. work on his own novel
63. Which of the following books is based on a real person?
A. Oh, Johnny. B. American Lion. C. Home. D. The Spies of Warsaw.
第二节：完形填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
When my son was 11 years old, he got a small job helping out with a traveling carnival in our town. He didn't come home at lunch time, phoning 36 to tell me he was fine and had found a few days' work 37 out at an exhibit. However, after he finished work he 38 for supper as usual.
I asked him how he had 39 at lunch and he told me he had made some new 40 at the carnival, some young men who were twin brothers, and their mom and dad. They had 41 him a few dollars and invited him for lunch 42 for helping them set up their exhibit and wanted him to 43 the next day to help with other chores (杂务).
I was glad he had found new friends but a little 44 about the type of people who might be traveling in a carnival. "Oh, Mum, these are just 45 everyday people like anyone else. They 46 work at a carnival instead of in a store or something". "Come down tomorrow and 47 them yourself," he said.
So the next day I went to the carnival and to the exhibit he had 48 me to. The twin brothers _49 out to be Siamese (连体的) twins, joined at the chest. He hadn't thought this 50 was noteworthy enough to mention. When I brought it to him, he said, "yes, I 51 that too. Do you know that their mum has to make all their clothes 52 it's so difficult to find anything to fit them? They're also really good 53 . Today, Joe, one on the fight, made me spaghetti (意大利面条) for lunch. "
What others see first in a person is not what a child considers 54 . Where I saw Siamese twins, he saw people having difficulty buying clothes that fit, and young men who were good cooks. It was a _55 I have thought about many times over the years.
36. A. instead B. even C. also D. besides
37. A. helping B. helping C. taking D. showing
38. A. did up B. gave up C. took up D. turned up
39. A. sought B. managed C. worked D. acted
40. A. clothes B. friends C. choices D. differences
41. A. paid B. charged C. lent D. owed
42. A. by chance B. in return C. by turns D. in advance
43. A. return B. promise C. consider D. decide
44. A. excited B. regretful C. worried D. optimistic
45. A. humorous B. obvious C. particular D. normal
46. A. just B. never C. hardly D. always
47. A. teach B. meet C. affect D. join
48. A. ordered B. directed C. forced D. persuaded
49. A. worked B. left C. came D. turned
50. A. expression B. change C. fact D. idea
51. A understood B. made C. noticed D. formed
52. A. before B. if C. after D. because
53. A. cooks B. doctors C. artists D. singers
54. A. necessary B. important C. impossible D. unlucky
55. A. lesson B. festival C. task D. match
-- Isn't it amazing that I met Francis at the Christmas party?
-- Really? For how many years ________each other?
|
A．didn't you see |
B．haven't you seen |
C．don't you see |
D．hadn't you seen |
Since you have accepted the job, you have no _______ but to do it well, however difficult it is.
|
A．disappointment |
B．alternative |
C．agreement |
D．allowance |
