Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks' time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year, If it falls, within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a dese
rt may form.
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing –-very, very slowly ---as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock.
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that :have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day' a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.
68. Many plants may survive in deserts when__________________.
A. the rain is spread out in a year B. the rain falls only in a few weeks
C. there is little rain in a year D. it is dry all the year round
69. Sand dunes are formed when___________________.
A. sand piles up gradually B. there is plenty of rain in a year
C. the s
ea has dried up over the years D. pieces of rock get smaller
70. The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is____________.
A. too much sand B. more sand than before
C. nothing except sand D. something else besides sand
71. It can be learned from the text that in a desert____________.
A. there is no rainfall throughout the year B. life exists in rough conditions
C. all sand dunes are a few feet high D. rocks are worn away only by wind and heat
We were on tour a few summers ago, driving through Chicago, when right outside of the city, we got pulled over. A middle-aged policeman came up to the car and was really being troublesome at first. Lecturing us, he said, “You were speeding. Where are you going in such a hurry?” Our guitarist, Tim, told him that we were on our way to Wisconsin to play a show. His way towards us totally changed. He asked, “Oh, so you boys are in a band（乐队）？” We told him that we were. He then asked all the usual band questions about the type of music we played, and how long we had been at it. Suddenly, he stopped and said, “Tim, you want to get out of this ticket, don’t you?” Tim said, “Yes.” So the officer asked him to step out of the car. The rest of us, inside the car, didn’t know what to think as we watched the policeman talk to Tim. Next thing we knew, the policeman was putting Tim in the back of the police car he had parked in front of us. With that, he threw the car into reverse（倒车），stopping a few feet in back of our car. Now we suddenly felt frightened. We didn’t know if we were all going to prison, or if the policeman was going to sell Tim on the black market or something. All of a sudden, the policeman’s voice came over his loudspeaker. He said, “Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time ever, we have Tim here singing on Route 90.” Turns out, the policeman had told Tim that the only way he was getting out of the ticket was if he sang part of one of our songs over the loudspeaker in the police car. Seconds later, Tim started screaming into the receiver. The policeman enjoyed the performance, and sent us on our way without a ticket. The policeman stopped the boys to .
| A．put them into prison | B． give them a ticket |
| C．enjoy their performance | D．ask some band questions |
The policeman became friendly to the boys when he knew they .
| A．had long been at the band | B．played the music he loved |
| C．were driving for a show | D．promised him a performance |
The boys probably felt when they drove off.
| A．joyful | B．calm | C．nervous | D．frightened |
Try and see inside your mind a wide open blue sky and a wide green sea far away. Breathe in as you circle your hands high above your head, then bend back a little. Breathe out as you circle your arms back down to your sides..."
Following the yoga teacher's gentle instructions, Bai Yunuo,15, from the High School attached to Beijing Normal University tried to get each of her poses correct.
Bai's school offered 24 e
lective courses (选修课) for Senor 1 students this term and she chose two. It was her first yoga class.
"I'm happy that I can learn yoga at school. I love dancing but I had some injuries on my knees when I was a kid. So I decide to try something soft. Simply stretching into different poses makes me feel free and quiet. And the music is quite comforting. The class is relaxing after a whole day's work," Bai said.
Liu Zehao,15, found his interest was Junior Achievement (企业经营模拟). The course brought students into the real world of business. In their first class, Liu and his group members named their company "Vision". Liu was elected as CEO of the company.
"Here we learn to think like an adult. We have to make our company get more money. It's new and different from other courses," he said.
Liu and Bai take their elective courses twice a week with students from other classes who share the same interest. The students will get two credits (学分) from each course at the end of this term. They have to achieve eight credit points from electives to graduate from high school.
If you are interested in more about elective courses, please CLICK HERE to register for general elective courses. What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．Skills for imagination. | B．Learning tips. |
| C．Instruction for yoga students. | D．Breathing rules. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Bai does not like dancing. | B．Yoga is softer than dancing. |
| C．Students study hard for credits. | D．The elective courses are easy. |
Which of the sentence is NOT true about Liu Zehao?
| A．He was interested in Junior Achievement which brought him the real world of business. |
| B．He was elected as CEO of the company named "Vision". |
| C．He was an adult and he tried to make more money for his company. |
| D．He took their Junior Achievement twice a week. |
Where can you possibly find this passage?
| A．A textbook | B．A newspaper | C．A magazine | D．The internet |
In the 1880s, people drank John Pemberton’s tonic to cure headaches. It wasn’t a very popular drink, and he sold only about a dozen drinks a day. That’s why Pemberton was willing to sell the rights to his medicinal drink. The buyer, Asa Griggs Candler, paid just $ 2,300 for the rights to Coca-Cola. Today, Coca-Cola (or Coke) is worth billions of dollars. It controls 50 percent of the world market in soft drinks.
How did Coca-Cola become so popular? One answer is that Asa Candler was a very clever businessman. He was one of the first people to use mass marketing. How did he do this? First, he made his product unique. When he bought the rights to Coca-Cola, it came in ordinary bottles. It looked like every other drink on the market. To make Coca-Cola look different, Candler modernized the bottles. He also made an eye-catching logo for his products. When other companies tried to imitate Coca-Cola’s name, Candler took them to court.
In addition to the unique bottle and logo, Candler spent a lot of time and money advertising his product. He used advertising to make a powerful image of Coca-Cola in the minds of his customers. He gave away free bottles of Coke. He put the name of his drink on pencils, trays, Japanese fans, matches, and many other things. Then he gave the things to people for free. He advertised Coca-Cola in the newspaper and painted the words “Drink Coca-Cola” on the sides of buildings and barns. By 1902, Coca-Cola was the best known product in the United States.
Candler was also able to make memorable advertisements. They often had catchy slogans such as “The Pause That Refreshes.” He also used famous athletes to advertise his product. They helped people to think of Coca-Cola as a delicious drink for everyone.
Today, businesses all over the world use mass marketing, but the makers of Coke were the first. Candler bought the rights to Coca-Cola from _______.
| A．the inventor of a medicinal drink | B．a well-known businessman |
| C．a doctor | D．a carpenter |
The underlined sentence in paragraph 2 implies that __________.
| A．he invited people from other companies to attend a court ball |
| B．he shared Coca-Cola’s name with other companies after they went back from the court |
| C．he played basketball with people from other companies on the basketball court |
| D．he took legal action to those who wanted to copy Coca-Cola’s name |
Candler used slogans to advertise his product. Slogans are _______.
| A．popular music | B．free products | C．memorable phrases | D．simple things |
By using mass marketing, Asa tried many ways EXCEPT _______.
| A．making Coca-Cola look different |
| B．paying $ 2,300 for the rights to Coca-Cola |
| C．advertising Coca-Cola a powerful image in the minds of the customers |
| D．using famous athletes to advertise his product |
The passage is mainly to _______.
| A．explain that it is easy to use mass marketing |
| B．advice people to spend a lot of money and time on mass marketing |
| C．tell how Asa changes Coca-Cola into a worldwide business by using mass marketing |
| D．describe different ways of using mass marketing |
Suppose you work in a big firm and find English very important for your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen. Now you are looking for a place where you can improve your English, especially your spoken English.
Here are some advertisements about English language training from newspapers.
You may find the information you need.
★Global English Center
＊General English in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
＊3-month(700yuan), 6-month(1200yuan) and one-year(2000yuan) courses.
＊Choice of morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day. Mon-Fri.
＊Experienced college English teachers.
＊Close to city center and bus stops.
Tel: 67605272 Add: 105 Zhongshan Road, 100082.
★Modern Language School
Special courses in English for business. traveling , banking , hotel management and office skills.
＊Small classes(12-16 students) on Sat.＆Sun. From 2:00-5:00pm.
＊Native English teachers from Canada and USA.
＊Language lab and computers supplied.
＊3-month course: 1,050yuan; 6-month course: 1,850yuan.
Write or phone: Modern Language School, 675Park Road.100056
Tel: 67353019
★ The 21st Century English raining Center
＊We specialize in effective teaching at all levels.
＊We offer morning or afternoon classes, both of which last three months and a half at
a cost of 800yuan.
＊We also have a six-week TOEFL preparation class during winter and summer holidays.
＊Entrance exams: June 1 and Dec.1.
＊Only 15-minute walk from city center.
Call 67801642 for more information.
★ The International House of English
＊Three/Six-month English courses for students of all levels at very low cost: 60yuan for 13 hours per week; convenient class hours: 9:00-12:00am and 2:00-5:00pm.
＊A four-month evening program for developing speaking skills( same cost as day classes).
＊Well-trained Chinese and foreign teachers experienced in teaching English as a second/foreign language. Free sightseeing and social activities. Very close to Central Park.
For further information call 67432308.You work from 9:00am to 4:00pm every day. Which schools will you choose?
| A．Global English Center and Modern Language School |
| B．Global English Center and The International House of English |
| C．Modern Language School and the 21st Century English Training Center |
| D．The 21st Century English Training Center and The International House of English |
You will probably prefer to go to the International House because it _____.
| A．has native English teachers |
| B．has special course in spoken English |
| C．costs less than the other schools |
| D．offers free sightseeing and social activities |
If you want to apply for a university in the USA, you may attend _____.
| A．The 21st Century English Training Center |
| B．The International House of English |
| C．Modern Language School |
| D．Global English Center |
If you take the evening program at the International House, you will pay about _____.
| A．60 yuan | B．240 yuan | C．720 yuan | D．1,000 yuan |
Dear sir,
I read your story (of the 4th February) about the cost of living in the country rather than in the town, and I agree with most of the points that you made. My husband and I lived in the middle of Horlton until two years ago — a seaside town of nearly five hundred thousand people. When my husband stopped working, we moved to our present house in a small village at the foot of Roland Hill, and there is no doubt that our costs are higher now.
I have to do my shopping in small shops, where the food is more expensive than in city supermarkets; it costs more to travel by bus; and because the men who come to mend the television or the washing
machine, have to come farther, we have to pay them more.
But it does not cost us much to enjoy what is beautiful in the country; and peace and quiet are cheap. Many people spend a great deal of time and money driving into the country to enjoy the simple things of life; yet we can enjoy them just by going out of the front door. It costs more to live here than it did in Horlton but now life really is worth living.
Yours faithfully.
Edith Randall What do you know about Horlton?
| A．A quiet town not far from the sea. |
| B．A middle-sized town until two years ago. |
| C．A town with a population of nearly half a million. |
| D．A small village at the foot of Roland Hill |
What Mrs Randall really wants to express in the letter is that _____.
| A．it cost less to live in the country |
| B．it costs more to live in the country |
| C．living in the country is no better than in the town |
| D．she is quite satisfied with the life in the country |
One can probably find this letter in _____.
| A．a guidebook | B．a newspaper | C．a speech | D．a story book |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．The letter is written by an unknown person. |
| B．This letter is a reply to the questions of 4th February. |
| C．Living in the country is better than living in the city. |
D．The cost of li ving in the city is lower than that of the country. |
Most British telephone cards are just plain green, but card collecting is becoming a popular hobby in Britain and collectors even have their own magazine, International Telephone Cards. One reason for their interest is that cards from around the world come in a wide variety of different and often very attractive designs. There are 100, 000 different cards in Japan alone, and there you can put your own design onto a blank card simply by using a photograph or a business card.
The first telephone cards, produced in 1976, were Italian. Five years later the first British card appeared, and now you can buy cards in more than a hundred countries. People usually start collecting cards because they are attractive, small and light , and they do not need much space. It is also a cheap hobby for beginners, although for some people it becomes a serious business. In Paris, for example, there is a market where you can buy only telephone cards, and some French cards cost up to 4, 000 pounds. The first Japanese card has a value of about 28, 000 pounds. Most people only see cards with prices like these in their collectors magazine.The text is mainly about ________ .
| A．the history of phone cards | B．phone card collecting as a hobby |
| C．reason for phone card collecting | D．the great variety of phone cards |
When did people in Britain begin to use phone cards?
| A．In 1971. | B．In 1975. | C．In 1976. | D．In 1981. |
The main reason for most people to collect phone cards is that ________ .
| A．they find the cards beautiful and easy to keep |
| B．they like to have something from different countries |
| C．they want to make money with cards |
| D．they think the cards are convenient to use |
The writer mentions a market in Paris in order to show that ________
| A．card collecting is popular among young people |
| B．French and Japanese cards are the most valuable |
| C．people can make money out of card collecting |
| D．card collectors magazines are very useful |
Language is always changing. In a society where life continues year after year with few changes, the language does not change, either. The earliest known languages had difficult grammar but a small, limited vocabulary. Over the century, the grammar changed, and the vocabulary grew. For example, the English and Spanish people who came to America during the sixteenth century gave names to all new plants and animals they found. In this way, hundreds of new words were introduced into English and Spanish vocabularies. Today life is changing very fast, and language is changing fast too.
There are several major language families in the world. Some scientists say there are nine main families, but other scientists divide them differently. The languages in each family are connected, and scientists think that they came from the same parent language About 3 percent of the people in the world speak languages that are not in these major families. The early language had ______.
| A．a lot of problems | B．words and easy grammar |
| C．words but no grammar | D．grammar but not many words |
In the next few hundred years we can expect language to ______.
| A．stay exactly the same | B．change a great deal |
| C．change only a little | D．add more words and drop some grammar |
What this article shows is that ______.
| A．languages change fast | B．languages really don’t want to change |
| C．language changes with changes of society | D．Spanish and English change |
From this article we can see that ______.
| A．language can change very slowly or very quickly |
| B．Though our life changes, our language won’t change. |
| C．we should give our plants new names |
| D．English and Spanish are the only languages that have changes |
It seems that some people go out of their way to get into trouble. That’s more or less what happened the night that Nashville Police Officer Floyd Hyde was on duty.
“I was on the way to a personal-injury accident in West Nashville. As I got onto Highway 40, blue lights and sirens (警笛) going, I fell in behind a gold Pontiac Firebird that suddenly seemed to take off quickly down the highway. The driver somehow panicked at the sight of me. He was going more than a hundred miles an hour and began passing cars on the shoulder. ”
But Hyde couldn’t go after him. Taking care
of
injured people is always more important than worrying about speeders, so the officer had to stay on his way to the accident. But he did try to keep the Firebird in sight as he drove, hoping another nearby unit would be able to step in and stop the speeding car. As it turned out, keeping the Firebird in sight was not that difficult. Every turn the Pontiac made was the very turn the officer needed to get to the accident scene.
Hyde followed the Pontiac all the way to his destination. At that point he found another unit had already arrived at the accident scene. His help wasn’t needed. Now he was free to try to stop the driver of the Firebird, who by this time had developed something new to panic about.
“Just about that time,” Hyde says, “I saw fire coming out from under that car, with blue smoke and oil going everywhere. He’d blown his engine. Now he had to stop. ”
“After I arrested him, I asked him why he was running. He told me he didn’t have a driver’s license.”
That accident cost the driver of the Firebird plenty — a thousand dollars for the new engine — not to 
mention the charges for driving without a license, attempting to run away, and dangerous driving. Why did the driver of the Firebird suddenly speed down the highway?
| A．Because he was racing with another driver on the road. |
| B．Because he realized he had to hurry to the accident scene. |
| C．Because he wanted to overtake other cars on the shoulder. |
| D．Because he thought the police officer wanted to stop him. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Someone else was taking care of the injured person. |
| B．The Pontiac reached its destination at the accident scene. |
| C．Hyde knew where he was going by following the right car. |
| D．The policeman was running after a speeder on Highway 40. |
The driver of the Firebird _____.
| A．took a wrong turn on the way | B．had some trouble with his car |
| C．was stopped by the police officer | D．paid for the expenses of the accident |
What is probably the best title for the article?
| A．Losing His Way? | B．Fun All the Way? |
| C．Going My Way? | D．Help on the Way? |
Along the river banks of the Amazon and the Orinoco there lives a bird that swims before it can fly, flies like a fat chicken, eats green leaves, has the stomach of a cow and has claws(爪)on its wings when young .They build their homes about 4.6m above the river ,an important feature(特征)for the safety of the young. It is called the hoatzin.
In appearance，the birds of both sexes look very much alike with brown on the back and cream and red on the underside .The head is small, with a large set of feathers on the top, bright red eyes, and blue skin. Its nearest relatives are the common birds, cuckoos. Its most striking feature, though, is only found in the young.
Baby hoatzins have a claw on the leading edge of each wing and another at the end of each wing tip .Using these four claws ,together with the beak(喙),they can climb about in the bushes, looking very much like primitive birds must have done. When the young hoatzins have learned to fly, they lose their claws.
During the drier months between December and March hoatzins fly about the forest in groups of 20 to 30 birds, but in April, when the rainy season begins, they collect together in smaller living units of two to seven birds for producing purposes.What is the text mainly about?
| A．Hoatzins in dry and rainy seasons. |
| B．The relatives and enemies of hoatzins. |
| C．Primitive birds and hoatzins of the Amazon. |
| D．The appearance and living habits of hoatzins. |
Young hoatzins are different from their parents in that ．
| A．they look like young cuckoos |
| B．they have claws on the wings |
| C．they eat a lot like a cow |
| D．they live on river banks |
What can we infer about primitive birds from the text?
| A．They had claws to help them climb. |
| B．They could fly long distances. |
| C．They had four wings like hoatzins. |
| D．They had a head with long feathers on the top. |
Why do hoatzins collect together in smaller groups when the rainy season comes?
| A．To find more food. |
| B．To protect themselves better. |
| C．To keep themselves warm. |
| D．To produce their young. |
Many people think a telephone is essential. But I think it is a pest and a time waster. Very often you find it impossible to escape from some idle or curious chatter-box, or from somebody who wants something for nothing. If you have a telephone in your own house, you will admit that it tends to ring when you are asleep, or in the middle of a meal or a conversation, or when you are just going out, or when you are taking your bath. Are you strong minded enough to ignore it, to say to yourself,“Ah, well, it will all be the same in a hundred years’ time” You are not. You think there may be some important news or messages for you. I can assure you that if a message is really important it will reach you sooner or later. Have you never rushed dripping from the bath, or chewing from the table, or dazed from the bed, only to be told that you are a wrong number?
But you will say, you need not have your name printed in the telephone directory, and you can have a telephone which is only usable for outgoing calls. Besides, you will say, isn’t it important to have a telephone in case of emergency—illness, an accident, or fire? Of course, you are right, but here in a thickly populated country like England one is seldom far from a telephone in case of dreadful necessity.
I think perhaps I had better try to justify myself by trying to prove that what I like is good. I admit that in different circumstances—if I were a tycoon(business VIP),for instance, or bed ridden I might find a telephone essential. But then if I were a taxi-driver I should find a car essential.
Let me put it another way: there are two things for which the English seem to show particular talent; one is mechanical invention, the other is literature. My own business happens to be with the use of words but I see I must now stop using them. For I have just been handed a slip of paper to say that somebody is waiting to speak to me on the telephone. I think I had better answer it. After all, one never knows, it may be something important.The passage is mainly discussing _______.
| A．that we should be strong enough to ignore a phone call |
| B．that important message will reach you sooner or later |
| C．whether it’s necessary to answer all phone calls |
| D．whether it is necessary to have a telephone |
Judging from the passage, who is strong-minded enough to ignore a phone call?
| A．The author. | B．A tycoon. |
| C．A taxi-driver. | D．Hardly anyone. |
According to the passage, the author________.
| A．thinks the telephone should go out of our life |
| B．likes to be different from other people |
| C．thinks the telephone is annoying |
| D．speaks favourably of a telephone |
In the author’s opinion, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Nearly everyone has been told a wrong number. |
| B．It’s necessary for everyone to have a telephone. |
| C．He himself can not decide whether to answer a call. |
| D．A telephone directory may bring in unexpected calls. |
There are popular programmes about the work of the police on TV. People like them because they are interesting and useful.
In London there is a TV programme called “Police Five”. It takes five minutes a week.A TV reporter talks about crimes(犯罪) in London. He asks people for help, because the police station needs their help.
The TV reporter shows picture of lost painting, lost cars and other lost things during the week. Sometimes he shows the picture of the car that the thieves(贼) drove away. When people see the picture of such things on TV, they may remember something so that they may tell the police where or when they saw them. With their help the police may catch more thieves.
Sometimes the police find a car or something expensive that has ever been lost, the TV reporter shows them on TV. Then the owners may see them and they can get them back.“Police Five” is _______.
| A．name of a TV reporter. | B．time of a TV programme |
| C．the name of a TV programme | D．a police station. |
“Police Five” is shown _________.
| A．every week | B．once a week | C．five minutes a day | D．five times a week |
This programme is about ___________.
| A．a TV reporter | B．painting | C．cars | D．crimes |
The police _______by this programme.
| A．let people understand them | B．ask for people’s help |
| C．let people know what was lost | D．let people feel interesting |
We live in central Phoenix, near the canal（运河）. Every day I used to see a homeless old man and his scruffy little dog hanging out down there.
I would tell my husband we should give him food for the little dog. It wouldn't have been a problem; we have our own "mini farm" of animals! But he would say "OK!" and then blow the idea off because of our business.
Being in Phoenix, Arizona, you can just imagine how hot it gets here, but his winter was really chilly! I had just come from KFC with take-out food for dinner. As I was turning by the canal, the man and his dog were sitting right there all bundled up. Even the doggy had a coat on! Not even thinking about it, I pulled into the parking lot along the canal and piled up a plate of chicken with all the fixings for the man and his little buddy（好友）. I gave it to him with a soda and a bottle of water for the little dog. He said, "Thank you, sweetie. You are an angel." And there were tears welling up in his eyes! I told him he was so welcome, and then went home.
When my husband dug into the KFC bag he asked, "Were you hungry, or what?" I told him what I did and he said, "Only you!" Then he told me I had done a good thing.
A few weeks later, we were walking along the canal and found the man walking to me, with his little dog. He asked whether I would mind adopting the dog. With tears in eyes, he said it had gotten too hard for him to care for the dog. He added that he was planning on heading to Washington State but his dog wouldn't have been up to it, so he hoped to give it to me. "Only you! In this city, you are the only person I can believe in!"
Now, every time I watch and pat the dog lying near the fireplace, I will remember the old man's words and wish him good luck.What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 3?
| A．She gave the old man some food on a cold day. |
| B．She met the old man after finishing her dinner. |
| C．She offered the old man nothing but chicken. |
| D．She burst into tears after helping the old man. |
What did the author's husband feel when she told him what she had done?
| A．thankful | B．delighted |
| C．indifferent | D．disappointed |
Why did the old man hope to give the dog to the author?
| A．Because he knew the author was also a dog lover. |
| B．Because the author was the person he could trust. |
| C．Because the author was the only person he knew. |
| D．Because he believed that his dog liked the author. |
What can we infer from the ending of the passage?
| A．The author refused the old man's request. |
| B．The author misses the old man and his dog. |
| C．The author feels the old man was very lucky. |
| D．The author adopted the old man's dog. |
Motorists over the age of 75 face compulsory tests of their eyesight and ability to drive under proposals being considered by ministers.
The biggest overhaul of motoring law in a generation could also lead to all drivers having to give assurances of their fitness to get behind the wheel every 10 years.
Other changes under consideration include issuing daylight driving licenses for motorists with night blindness, together with stricter checks on all drivers whose medical condition brought a threat to other road users.
It is understood that the proposals will be part of a review of the law governing the medical fitness of drivers that will be announced publicly by the summer.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is dealing with a rising number of motorists who are concerned that they have conditions---from failing eyesight to epilepsy---that could affect their driving.
In 2006, the DVLA dealt with 600,000 motorists whose physical ability to drive needed to be recertified（重新认证）, a 20 per cent rise on the previous year. With an ageing population, the biggest challenge is dealing with the rising number of elderly motorists. By 2021, there will be an estimated three million drivers over the age of 70 on Britain’s roads.
Drivers must renew their licenses at the age of 70 and every three years thereafter. The applicant is legally required to tell the DVLA of any conditions that could weaken their ability behind the wheel.
Ministers have ruled out a compulsory maximum age for driving but will instead rely on tightening up the checks on motorists over the age of 75. The most likely option would be tests to ensure motorists were fit to drive. They would include an eyesight test and a cognitive（认知） test that would prove a driver's ability to react to road signs, driving conditions, pedestrians and vehicles.
However, checks are likely to be tightened at all ages. The strictest controls are expected to be imposed（强制）on motorists of any age who have had a heart attack or stroke. They could have to produce a doctor's approval to resume（重新得到）driving. Anyone making a false declaration would be guilty of a criminal offence.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The new motoring law will come into effect by the summer． |
| B．Drivers over the age of 75 must renew their licenses every three years． |
| C．Doctors will decide whether one can get their driving licenses． |
| D．Drivers at all ages will be expected to provide their medical condition． |
What is the biggest challenge to the traffic safety in Britain according to the writer?
| A．Ageing population． | B．Increasing number of cars． |
| C．Increasing number of elderly motorists． | D．Driving conditions． |
The underlined word “overhaul” in Paragraph 2 means _______．
| A．change | B．consideration | C．concern | D．challenge |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．There will be more and more aged drivers in Britain． |
| B．Anyone can get a driving license as long as he/she is in good health． |
| C．Health tends to decline as one gets old． |
| D．It will be guilty to make a false declaration． |
From good reading we can derive pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.
With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters portrayed are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances. Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. When human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement.
One of the most valuable gifts bestowed by books is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of everyday life or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart's desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb lofty mountains, brave the perils of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mingle with the gay throngs of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.Why is it that we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?
| A．No one has come to disturb you. |
| B．The book you are reading is so interesting and attractive. |
| C．Everything is so quiet and calm around you. |
| D．Your book is overdue; you are finishing it at a very fast speed. |
How would you account for the fact that people like their acquaintances in books even more?
| A．They resemble human friends exactly. |
| B．They are unfamiliar types we like. |
| C．They never desert us. |
| D．They never hurt our feelings. |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Your wish to visit some far-off place can be realized through the pages of the books. |
| B．To escape from the dull realities of everyday life you should take up reading. |
| C．You may obtain valuable experience from reading good books. |
| D．Books can always help you to live a colorful life. |
The word “weary” means ______.
| A．“to attract someone’s attention” | B．“to distract someone’s attention” |
| C．“to make someone interested” | D．“to make someone very tired” |
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