We know the famous ones—the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells—but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper(雨刮器)? Shouldn’t we know who they are?
Joan Mclean thinks so．In fact，Mclean，a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range，feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic．In addition to learning“who”invented“what”，however，Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the“why’’and‘‘how”questions．According to Mclean．“When students learn the answers to these questions，they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try．’’
Her students agree．One young man with a patent for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of McLean’s statement．“If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper’s invention，”said Tommy Lee, a senior physics major，“I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rainstorm into something so constructive．”Lee is currently negotiating to sell his patent to an umbrella producer．
So，just what is the story behind the windshield wiper Well，Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City．The day was cold and stormy，but Anderson still wanted to see the sights，so she jumped aboard a streetcar．Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield，she found herself wondering why there couldn’t be a built—in device for cleaning the window．Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham，Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions．One of her ideas，a lever(操作杆)on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside，became the first windshield wiper．
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations．It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A．Morgan’s traffic light．It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J．Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible．Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?
1.By mentioning“traffic light”and“windshield wiper”．the author indicates that countless inventions are__________．
A．beneficial，because their inventors are famous
B．beneficial，though their inventors are less famous
C．not useful，because their inventors are less famous
D．not useful，though their inventors are famous
2.Professor Joan McLean’s course aims to__________.
A．add color and variety to students’campus life
B．inform students of the windshield wiper’s invention
C．carry out the requirements by Mountain University
D．prepare students to try their own inventions
3.Tommy Lee’s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was____．
A．not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer
B．inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper
C．due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm
D．not related to Professor Joan McLean’s lectures
4.Which of the following can best serve as the title of this passage?
A．How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers
B．How to Design a Built-in Device for Cleaning the Window
C．Shouldn’t We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper
D．Shouldn’t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities
In the animal kingdom，weakness can bring about aggression in other animal．This sometimes happens with humans also．But I have found that my weakness brings out the kindness in people．I see it every day when people hold doors for me，pour cream into my coffee，or help me to put on my coat．And I have discovered that it makes them happy．
From my wheelchair experience，I see the best in people，but sometimes I feel sad because those who appear independent miss the kindness I see daily．They don’t get to see this soft side of others often；we try every way possible to avoid，showing our weakness，which includes a lot of pretending．But only when we stop pretending we’re brave or strong do we allow people to show the kindness that’s in them．
Last month，when I was driving home on a busy highway，I began to feel unwell and drove more slowly than usual．People behind me began to get impatient and angry，with some speeding up alongside me，homing(按喇叭)or even shouting at me．At the moment I decided to do something I had never done in twenty four years of driving．I put on the car flashlights and drove on at a really low speed．
No more angry shouts and no more horns!
When I put on my flashlights，I was saying to other drivers，“I have a problem here．I am weak and doing the best I can．”And everyone understood．Several times，I saw drivers who wanted to pass．They couldn’t get around me because of the stream of passing traffic．But instead of getting impatient and angry，they waited，knowing the driver in front of them was in some way weak．
Sometimes situations call for us to act strong and brave even when we don’t feel that way．But those are and far between．More often，it would be better if we don’t pretend we feel strong when we feel weak or pretend that we are brave when we are scared．
1.The author has discovered that people will feel happy when_______．
A．the offer their help
B．they receive others’ help
C．they feel others’ kindness
D．they show their weakness
2.The author feels sad sometimes because_________．
A．he has a soft heart
B．he relies much on others
C．some people pretend to be kind
D．some people fail to see the kindness in others
3.In this passage，the author advises us to_______．
A．handle problems by ourselves
B．accept help from others
C．admit our weakness
D．show our bravery
4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A．Wheelchair Experience． B．Weakness and Kindness．
C．Weakness and Strength D．A Driving Experience
The new high-speed railway line between Urumqi，capital of the Xinjiang Uygur self-governing region，and Lanzhou，capital of Gansu province，has cut train travel time by half to less than 12 hours．
The dramatic improvement will benefit many families planning reunions for Spring Festival．
“For the first time，I feel home is not that far away after all，”said Liang Shaofu as he boarded a high-speed train in Urumqi with six members of his family．
The 35-year-old left Lanzhou to set up a dry fruit business in Xinjiang eight years ago，and he has now settled in Urumqi．
The 1,776-km line，which passes through Qinghai province and is the country’s first high-speed railway to be built in a high-altitude region，came into service on Dec 26．
“We normally drive home for Spring Festival to avoid the difficulties of buying seven train tickets for the whole family during the peak season，”Liang said．“Driving can be very tiring and dangerous sometimes，so one year we even decided not to go back to Lanzhou simply to avoid the trip．”
More than 600，000 passengers traveled on the line during its first month，and the Urumqi Railway Bureau said the introduction of high-speed services will ease transport pressure during the Spring Festival peak season．
The existing usual railway line could no longer support Xinjiang’s development．All passenger trains will gradually shift to the new link，leaving the old one to be used for goods．As a result，Xinjiang’s annual goods ability could reach 200 million metric tons from the current 70 million．
The line passes through areas that experience high winds，and it also crosses parts of the deserted Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the bone-dry sands of the Gobi Desert．
The project could help China to promote its high-speed railway technology abroad，said Ma Xi zhang，director of the Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway project’s_management department in Xinjiang.
1.How long did it take to go from Urumqi to Lanzhou by the usual train before?
A．about 12 hours． B．About 6 hours．
C．About 18 hours． D．About 24 hours．
2.What’s the main advantage of the new high-speed railway?
A．It takes more time to go to Urumqi to Lanzhou．
B．It will be more convenient for people all over the country to Xinjiang．
C．All the people in Lanzhou can return home on festivals．
D．It helps to improve Xinjiang’s development．
3.From the passage we can learn________.
A．Xinjiang’s annual goods ability can increase nearly four times
B．the new railway technology may help more railway lines to be built abroad
C．the high-speed railway lines can’t be built across the bone-dry sands
D．the old railway lines can only carry goods now
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．The new high-speed railway line is good for all people to go home．
B．The new high-speed railway line benefits businessmen to carry goods．
C．Taking the new train is safer than driving home from Urumqi to Lanzhou．
D．Businessmen seldom went home for Spring Festival before．
What are American high schools like? Well，I'm happy to tell you what I know．
When I started school here，it had already been a week since the schoo1 opened．At this school，freshmen usually go on a trip for about three days at the beginning of school. Unfortunately I missed that wonderful trip．which would have been the best time to get to know my classmates．I was really sad．I wished I’d known about it earlier.
Despite the disappointment，however，I gradually adapted to my new life and schoo1．
There is a space in the basement of the teaching building where students chat and meet each other．As we do not always have the same classrooms and classmates，the school wants us to get to know each other there．Students usually come to school early，sit in that space and have fun．Around the space，there are many lockers for students to leave their books in，so that students do not have to carry a heavy schoolbag everywhere．
It really surprises me that we have almost no textbooks．We only have textbooks for World History and Algebra and they are big and heavy，like bricks．For other classes，we only need binders(活页夹)with paper in them．Without textbooks，students learn things freely and actively．For example，my humanities teacher just teaches us what is in her mind at the time．We never know what we will learn．
Another difference between American schools and Chinese schools is that American schools care about students’ morality more than their academic studies．For example，if you do not finish your homework，you will just be asked to do it later，but if you cheat or lie，you will get a warning or even be kicked out．
I think that most students here are good at schoolwork as well，but compared to Chinese students，they can make learning a more joyful experience．I think we should take the good points from our two different kinds of education to perfect our approach to studying．
1.What was the writer sad for?
A．He was late for schoo1．
B．He missed the trip at the beginning of schoo1．
C．He didn’t know anyone．
D．American students looked down upon him．
2.Why do students go to the basement of the teaching building?
A．To attend class． B．To share a classroom．
C．To have fun． D．To meet teachers．
3.According to the passage，in American high schools，_________．
A．you are likely to be kicked out if you cheat
B．you’11 be punished if you do not finish your homework
C．students are better at school work than Chinese students
D．students care much about the grades they get
附加题（30分）
When I was a law professor, a student reported that I made an error in grading his exam by giving him too many points. He was _____ and after thanking him for his honesty, I changed the ______ in my records. His beaming (欢笑的) face turned to _____. “You’re lowering my grade?” he said angrily. “I would never have come in ______ ……”. He didn’t finish the _____, but it was obvious that his display of honesty was false. He thought he’d have it all— praise and the ______ grade. Several colleagues thought I should have let the higher grade _____ because all I’d accomplished was to discourage him from being ______ in the future. And every time I tell this _____, some people agree with this remark. But I can’t see how I could give good ______ for worsening my mistake in grading by undermining (损害) the honesty of all my grades by failing to ______ an error. The grade itself would be a dishonest ______ of his knowledge and it would have been _____to other students. How could I possibly give a student a gift of an_____ grade? I know _____ reporting an error in one’s favor is unusual, but, like ______ extra change, it’s clearly the right thing to do. People of character, those with real honesty, hate to give up benefits as ______ as anyone else. The difference is that for them a good conscience and reputation is _____enough to give reason for the cost of doing the right thing. Perhaps lowering the student’s grade did ______ him from being honest in the future, but bribing (贿赂) him to be honest so that he does the right thing when it’s cost-free would have _____him even more. The duty to be honest is about right and wrong, not risks and rewards.
1.A. wise B. right C. rigid D. angry
2.A. file B. note C. name D. grade
3.A. grief B. shock C. happiness D. silence
4.A. whether B. which C. if D. what
5.A. sentence B. word C. exam D. lesson
6.A. higher B. lower C. more D. less
7.A. move B. stand C. change D. drop
8.A. brave B. adventurous C. honest D. dull
9.A. man B. story C. way D. exam
10.A. state B. cause ` C. excuse D. result
11.A. make B. mind C. avoid D. correct
12.A. reaction B. sense C. sign D. reflection
13.A. unfair B. cruel C. tough D. funny
14.A. unfinished B. undone C. unearned D. unquestioned
15.A. actively B. secretly C. voluntarily D. curiously
16.A. receiving B. returning C. earning D. paying
17.A. many B. well C. good D. much
18.A. pleasure B. reward C. content D. honor
19.A. discourage B. influence C. protect D. separate
20.A. improved B. encouraged C. ruined D. blamed
为了帮助中学生健康成长，某中学英文报开辟了“HEART-TO-HEART”专栏。假设你是该栏目的编辑Jamie，收到一封署名为Worried的求助信。信中该同学向你诉说了自己的困扰：近日容易发脾气，使正常的学习和生活受到了影响。请用英文给该同学写一封回信。
内容要点如下：
1．表示理解并给予安慰；
2．提出建议并说明理由。
注意：
1．词数120左右；
2．信中不能出现与本人相关的信息；
3．信的开头与结尾已为你拟好，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：temper n. 脾气，情绪
Hi Worried,
I’m sorry to know that you’re having such a bad time at the moment.
Yours,
Jamie
